Mahabharata 3.177.25-33

Devanāgarī

सर्प उवाच
यदि ते वृत्ततो राजन् ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः ॥
व्यर्था जातिस् तदायुष्मन् कृतिर् यावन् न दृश्यते ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
जातिर् अत्र महासर्प मनुष्यत्वे महामते ॥
संकरात् सर्ववर्णानां दुष्परीक्ष्येति मे मतिः ॥
सर्वे सर्वास्व् अपत्यानि जनयन्ति यदा नराः ॥
वाङ् मैथुनम् अथो जन्म मरणं च समं नृणाम् ॥
इदम् आर्षं प्रमाणं च ये यजामह इत्य् अपि ॥
तस्माच् छीलं प्रधानेष्टं विदुर् ये तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥
प्राङ् नाभिवर्धनात् पुंसो जातकर्म विधीयते ॥
तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्व् आचार्य उच्यते ॥
वृत्त्या शूद्रसमो ह्य् एष यावद् वेदे न जायते ॥
अस्मिन्न् एवं मतिद्वैधे मनुः स्वायम्भुवो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
कृतकृत्याः पुनर् वर्णा यदि वृत्तं न विद्यते ॥
संकरस् तत्र नागेन्द्र बलवान् प्रसमीक्षितः ॥
यत्रेदानीं महासर्प संस्कृतं वृत्तम् इष्यते ॥
तं ब्राह्मणम् अहं पूर्वम् उक्तवान् भुजगोत्तम ॥
सर्प उवाच
श्रुतं विदितवेद्यस्य तव वाक्यं युधिष्ठिर ॥
भक्षयेयम् अहं कस्माद् भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sarpa uvāca
yadi te vṛttato rājan brāhmaṇaḥ prasamīkṣitaḥ ||
vyarthā jātis tadāyuṣman kṛtir yāvan na dṛśyate ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
jātir atra mahāsarpa manuṣyatve mahāmate ||
saṃkarāt sarvavarṇānāṃ duṣparīkṣyeti me matiḥ ||
sarve sarvāsv apatyāni janayanti yadā narāḥ ||
vāṅ maithunam atho janma maraṇaṃ ca samaṃ nṛṇām ||
idam ārṣaṃ pramāṇaṃ ca ye yajāmaha ity api ||
tasmāc chīlaṃ pradhāneṣṭaṃ vidur ye tattvadarśinaḥ ||
prāṅ nābhivardhanāt puṃso jātakarma vidhīyate ||
tatrāsya mātā sāvitrī pitā tv ācārya ucyate ||
vṛttyā śūdrasamo hy eṣa yāvad vede na jāyate ||
asminn evaṃ matidvaidhe manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt ||
kṛtakṛtyāḥ punar varṇā yadi vṛttaṃ na vidyate ||
saṃkaras tatra nāgendra balavān prasamīkṣitaḥ ||
yatredānīṃ mahāsarpa saṃskṛtaṃ vṛttam iṣyate ||
taṃ brāhmaṇam ahaṃ pūrvam uktavān bhujagottama ||
sarpa uvāca
śrutaṃ viditavedyasya tava vākyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira ||
bhakṣayeyam ahaṃ kasmād bhrātaraṃ te vṛkodaram ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

सर्प उवाच यदि ते वृत्ततो राजन् ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः ॥ व्यर्था जातिस् तदायुष्मन् कृतिर् यावन् न दृश्यते ॥ युधिष्ठिर उवाच जातिर् अत्र महासर्प मनुष्यत्वे महामते ॥ संकरात् सर्ववर्णानां दुष्परीक्ष्येति मे मतिः ॥ सर्वे सर्वास्व् अपत्यानि जनयन्ति यदा नराः ॥ वाङ् मैथुनम् अथो जन्म मरणं च समं नृणाम् ॥ इदम् आर्षं प्रमाणं च ये यजामह इत्य् अपि ॥ तस्माच् छीलं प्रधानेष्टं विदुर् ये तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ प्राङ् नाभिवर्धनात् पुंसो जातकर्म विधीयते ॥ तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्व् आचार्य उच्यते ॥ वृत्त्या शूद्रसमो ह्य् एष यावद् वेदे न जायते ॥ अस्मिन्न् एवं मतिद्वैधे मनुः स्वायम्भुवो ऽब्रवीत् ॥ कृतकृत्याः पुनर् वर्णा यदि वृत्तं न विद्यते ॥ संकरस् तत्र नागेन्द्र बलवान् प्रसमीक्षितः ॥ यत्रेदानीं महासर्प संस्कृतं वृत्तम् इष्यते ॥ तं ब्राह्मणम् अहं पूर्वम् उक्तवान् भुजगोत्तम ॥ सर्प उवाच श्रुतं विदितवेद्यस्य तव वाक्यं युधिष्ठिर ॥ भक्षयेयम् अहं कस्माद् भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम् ॥sarpa uvāca yadi te vṛttato rājan brāhmaṇaḥ prasamīkṣitaḥ || vyarthā jātis tadāyuṣman kṛtir yāvan na dṛśyate || yudhiṣṭhira uvāca jātir atra mahāsarpa manuṣyatve mahāmate || saṃkarāt sarvavarṇānāṃ duṣparīkṣyeti me matiḥ || sarve sarvāsv apatyāni janayanti yadā narāḥ || vāṅ maithunam atho janma maraṇaṃ ca samaṃ nṛṇām || idam ārṣaṃ pramāṇaṃ ca ye yajāmaha ity api || tasmāc chīlaṃ pradhāneṣṭaṃ vidur ye tattvadarśinaḥ || prāṅ nābhivardhanāt puṃso jātakarma vidhīyate || tatrāsya mātā sāvitrī pitā tv ācārya ucyate || vṛttyā śūdrasamo hy eṣa yāvad vede na jāyate || asminn evaṃ matidvaidhe manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt || kṛtakṛtyāḥ punar varṇā yadi vṛttaṃ na vidyate || saṃkaras tatra nāgendra balavān prasamīkṣitaḥ || yatredānīṃ mahāsarpa saṃskṛtaṃ vṛttam iṣyate || taṃ brāhmaṇam ahaṃ pūrvam uktavān bhujagottama || sarpa uvāca śrutaṃ viditavedyasya tava vākyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira || bhakṣayeyam ahaṃ kasmād bhrātaraṃ te vṛkodaram ||The serpent says that if a brahmin is defined by way of life, then birth is useless as long as deeds are not seen; Yudhishthira answers that human birth is hard to ascertain because of the intermixture of all varnas, since people beget children in all women, and speech, union, birth, and death are the same for all people; the seers acknowledge this as authority, and those who see the truth consider conduct foremost; before a man's growth the birth-rite is performed, the mother is called Savitri, and the father the teacher; by conduct a person is equal to a shudra until he is born in the Veda; if there is no conduct, intermixture is strong even when the rites have been performed; therefore Yudhishthira earlier called the one with purified conduct a brahmin; the serpent says he has heard the words of one who knows the object of knowledge, and asks why he should eat Vrikodara.

Translation

The serpent said: 'If, king, you judge the brahmin by conduct, then birth is useless, long-lived one, so long as deeds are not seen.' Yudhishthira said: 'Birth in the human condition, great serpent, wise one, is in my view hard to ascertain, owing to the intermixture of all the varnas. When all men beget offspring in all women, speech, union, birth, and death are the same for all people. This too is the authority of the seers, who say: "we perform sacrifice." Therefore those who see the truth hold conduct to be foremost. Before a man's growth, the birth-rite is prescribed; there his mother is called Savitri, and his father is called the teacher. By conduct he is equal to a shudra until he is born in the Veda. Facing this very duality of opinion, Manu Svayambhuva spoke thus: if the varnas, though having performed their duties, lack conduct, then, king of nagas, intermixture is deemed strong there. Where now, great serpent, a purified conduct is desired, that one I earlier called a brahmin, best of serpents.' The serpent said: 'I have heard your words, Yudhishthira, the words of one who knows the object of knowledge. Why then should I devour your brother Vrikodara?'

Commentary

Yudhishthira's answer does not destroy the order but returns it to its purpose: birth and rite must lead to purified conduct. Without it, the outward sign becomes empty.

Version

91a03663b901 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC

Available inRUEN