Shloka 33
आशीविषदिषं तीक्ष्णं ततस्तीक्ष्णतरो द्विज: । ब्रह्माशीविषदग्धस्य नास्ति कश्चिच्चिकित्सक:
āśīviṣa-viṣaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ tatas tīkṣṇataro dvijaḥ | brahmāśīviṣa-dagdhasya nāsti kaś cic cikitsakaḥ ||
风神伐由说道：“毒蛇之毒固然锋利致命；然而婆罗门若因忿怒而燃起，并凭苦行的灵威加持，其锋锐更甚。凡被婆罗门如蛇之力所‘灼伤’者——或中其诅咒，或受其灵性之创——此世间便无医者能施以解救。”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that spiritual authority and speech, especially when wielded by a brahmin endowed with tapas and learning, can cause harm more irreversible than physical poison. It urges restraint, humility, and careful conduct toward those whose words carry moral and spiritual force, emphasizing that some injuries—like those from a curse or grievous offense—may not admit an easy ‘cure.’
Vāyudeva is speaking and uses a striking comparison: snake-venom is deadly, but the ‘serpent-like’ power of a brahmin is deadlier still. The statement functions as a moral admonition within the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse, highlighting the gravity of offending or provoking a spiritually potent person and the far-reaching consequences of words and curses.