Shloka 7
Janamejaya’s Request for Expansion; Vaiśampāyana’s Authorization and Phalāśruti of the Mahābhārata
Jaya
पुराणमागम्य ततो ब्रवीम्यहं दत्तं तस्मै वरमिन्द्रेण राजन | वसेह त्वं मत्सकाशे सुगुप्तो न पावकर्त्वां प्रदहिष्पतीति,“राजन! पुराणको जानकर मैं यह कह रहा हूँ कि इन्द्रने तक्षकको वर दिया है --“नागराज! तुम यहाँ मेरे समीप सुरक्षित होकर रहो। सर्पसत्रकी आग तुम्हें नहीं जला सकेगी”
purāṇam āgamya tato bravīmy ahaṃ dattaṃ tasmai varam indreṇa rājan | vaseha tvaṃ matsakāśe sugupto na pāvakartvāṃ pradahiṣpatīti |
“Tâu Đại vương, đã biết chuyện xưa, thần xin nói rõ: Indra đã ban cho Takṣaka một ân huệ—‘Hỡi chúa loài rắn, hãy ở gần ta, được che chở kín đáo; ngọn lửa của lễ tế rắn sẽ không thể thiêu đốt ngươi.’”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a moral tension: even when punishment seems deserved, divine boons and protections can delay or obstruct retribution. It invites reflection on how power (including divine favor) can complicate the straightforward working of justice, and how dharma must be pursued with awareness of such constraints.
Janamejaya reports an old tradition: Indra has granted Takṣaka a boon of safety, allowing him to stay near Indra, protected from the fire of the serpent-sacrifice. This explains why Takṣaka might evade the destructive power of the ongoing ritual.