Shloka 58
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
सर्प! यह सब जानकर भी तुम मुझे कैसे दोषी मानते हो? और यदि ऐसी स्थितिमें भी मुझपर दोषारोपण हो सकता है, तब तो तू भी दोषी ही है ।।
sarpa uvāca | nirdoṣaṁ doṣavantaṁ vā na tvāṁ mṛtyo bravīmy aham | tvayāhaṁ codita iti bravīmy etāvad eva tu ||
“蛇啊！既知这一切，你怎还说我有罪？若在此等情势下仍可归咎于我，那么你也同样有罪。”蛇答道：“死神啊，我既不称你无罪，也不称你有罪。我只说这一点：是你驱使我去咬这孩子。”
सर्प उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a nuanced view of moral responsibility: blame may not rest solely on the immediate doer (the serpent) if the act was prompted by another (Death). It raises the ethical issue of instigation and shared accountability.
In a dialogue with personified Death (Mṛtyu), the serpent responds to the question of fault for a boy’s death. The serpent refuses to label Death as innocent or guilty, but asserts that Death urged him to bite the boy.