SanskritIASTMeaning
इति श्रुत्वा वचः रुरुस् तदा न अवधीत्iti śrutvā vacaḥ rurus tadā na avadhīthaving heard those words, Ruru then did not kill [him]
भय-संविग्नः ऋषिं मत्वा डुण्डुभम्bhaya-saṃvignaḥ ṛṣiṃ matvā ḍuṇḍubham[the snake was] terrified [for his life]; [Ruru] took the ḍuṇḍubha for some sage
कामया ब्रूहि कः असि इमां विक्रियां गतःkāmayā brūhi kaḥ asi imāṃ vikriyāṃ gataḥtell me freely: who are you, who has come into this altered [form]?
अहं पुरा नाम्ना ऋषिः आसम् सहस्रपात्ahaṃ purā nāmnā ṛṣiḥ āsam sahasrapātI was once a sage named Sahasrapāt
सः अहम् विप्रस्य शापेन भुजगत्वम् उपागतःsaḥ aham viprasya śāpena bhujagatvam upāgataḥI am the one who, by a brahmin's curse, has fallen into serpent form
किमर्थं शप्तवान् क्रुद्धः द्विजः त्वाम्kimarthaṃ śaptavān kruddhaḥ dvijaḥ tvāmwhy did the enraged brahmin curse you?
कियन्तं कालं ते वपुः एतत् भविष्यतिkiyantaṃ kālaṃ te vapuḥ etat bhaviṣyatihow long will this body remain [with you]?
सूतsūtathe source form «sūta», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वचस्vacasthe source form «vacas», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तस्यtasyathe source form «tasya», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भुजगस्यbhujagasyathe source form «bhujagasya», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
नावधीद्nāvadhīdthe source form «nāvadhīd», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भयसंविग्नbhayasaṃvignathe source form «bhayasaṃvigna», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मत्वाथmatvāthathe source form «matvātha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चैनंcainaṃthe source form «cainaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भगवान्bhagavānthe source form «bhagavān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रुरुःruruḥthe source form «ruruḥ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
संशमयन्न्saṃśamayannthe source form «saṃśamayann», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
इवivathe source form «iva», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भुजगbhujagathe source form «bhujaga», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कोkothe source form «ko», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽसीमां'sīmāṃthe source form «'sīmāṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
डुण्डुभḍuṇḍubhathe source form «ḍuṇḍubha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रुरोrurothe source form «ruro», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऋषिर्ṛṣirthe source form «ṛṣir», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
आसंāsaṃthe source form «āsaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सोsothe source form «so», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽहं'haṃthe source form «'haṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रुरुर्rururthe source form «rurur», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
क्रुद्धोkruddhothe source form «kruddho», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
द्विजस्dvijasthe source form «dvijas», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
त्वांtvāṃthe source form «tvāṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भुजगोत्तमbhujagottamathe source form «bhujagottama», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चैवcaivathe source form «caiva», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वपुर्vapurthe source form «vapur», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
एतद्etadthe source form «etad», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
The turn in Ruru's heart is an example of how a wise word tames anger. Hearing the argument of dharma, Ruru does not persist in wrath but lowers his raised staff and even speaks to the ḍuṇḍubha gently, "as though soothing him." Thus the nobility of a true brahmin reveals itself: he is able to heed the truth and change his resolve, for he is not bound to his own anger. The revelation that the ḍuṇḍubha is the cursed sage Sahasrapāt confirms the lesson of the previous chapter: appearances are deceptive, and within a creature contemptible in outward form a great soul may dwell, temporarily clothed in a [lowly] body by the working of a curse. Here a profound insight is disclosed: the soul is eternal and one and the same across all bodies, and the present form is only a temporary consequence of karma (here, of a curse). Hence a devotee despises no one for outward appearance. Ruru's curiosity, asking about the cause and the term of the curse, opens the way to an instructive tale -- for behind every fall there lies a cause, and behind every curse a term of release appointed by the highest justice.