Shloka 19
अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः
Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma
तामेवं भाषमाणां तु शाल्वः काशिपते: सुताम् । अत्यजद् भरतश्रेष्ठ जीर्णा त्वचमिवोरग:
tām evaṁ bhāṣamāṇāṁ tu śālvaḥ kāśipateḥ sutām | atyajad bharataśreṣṭha jīrṇāṁ tvacam ivoragaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：当迦尸王之女如此卑恭哀求之时，沙尔瓦——噢，婆罗多族中最卓越者——竟将她弃绝，如蛇蜕去并抛弃那磨损的旧皮一般。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns treating a vulnerable person as expendable. By comparing Śālva’s rejection to a snake discarding its old skin, it highlights an ethical lapse—abandoning someone who seeks protection and speaks with humility—contrary to ideals of dharma such as compassion, responsibility, and honoring relational obligations.
Bhīṣma narrates that the daughter of the king of Kāśī is speaking in a conciliatory, pleading manner. Despite her entreaties, Śālva rejects and abandons her, in the same way a serpent leaves behind its worn-out skin.