Shloka 24
Śṛṅgī’s Curse on King Parikṣit
Parikṣit–Śṛṅgī–Takṣaka Causal Link
Devanagari script
अथवा संस्कृतं भोज्यं दूषयन्तु भुजड़मा: । स्वेन मूत्रपुरीषेण सर्वभोज्यविनाशिना
Transliteration
athavā saṁskṛtaṁ bhojyaṁ dūṣayantu bhujaṅgamāḥ | svena mūtrapurīṣeṇa sarvabhojyavināśinā ||
Translation
或者，让蛇族以自身的尿与粪污秽那场祭祀所备、已行净化的供食——那等污秽足以毁坏一切粮馔。
Word by Word
अथवाor else
अथवा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथवा
संस्कृतम्well-prepared, consecrated
संस्कृतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसंस्कृत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
भोज्यम्food (to be eaten)
भोज्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभोज्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
दूषयन्तुlet them defile/spoil
दूषयन्तु:
TypeVerb
Rootदूष्
FormImperative (Lot), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
भुजङ्गमाःserpents
भुजङ्गमाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभुजङ्गम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
स्वेनwith their own
स्वेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
मूत्रपुरीषेणwith urine and feces
मूत्रपुरीषेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootमूत्रपुरीष
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
सर्वभोज्यविनाशिनाdestroying all food
सर्वभोज्यविनाशिना:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्वभोज्यविनाशिन्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
Speaker
शेष उवाच
Characters & Entities
Ś
ŚeṣaB
bhujaṅgamāḥ (serpents)S
saṁskṛta-bhojya (consecrated sacrificial food)Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that violating purity—especially in a yajña—can be a potent form of harm. It frames deliberate contamination as an ethically blameworthy tactic that destroys communal and sacred goods without direct confrontation.
Śeṣa proposes (or warns of) a possible action by the serpent hosts: to ruin the sacrifice by polluting the consecrated food offerings with urine and feces, thereby rendering the ritual provisions unusable.