संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
मम प्राण-समा भार्या दष्टा आसीत् भुजगेनmama prāṇa-samā bhāryā daṣṭā āsīt bhujagenamy wife, dear to me as life itself, was bitten by a serpent
तत्र मे समयः घोरः कृतःtatra me samayaḥ ghoraḥ kṛtaḥthen I made a terrible vow
हन्यां सदा भुजगं यं यं पश्येयम्hanyāṃ sadā bhujagaṃ yaṃ yaṃ paśyeyamI will always kill every serpent I see
ततः त्वां जिघांसामि जीवितेन विमोक्ष्यसेtataḥ tvāṃ jighāṃsāmi jīvitena vimokṣyasetherefore I wish to kill you -- you shall part with your life
अन्ये ते भुजगाः ये दशन्ति मानवान्anye te bhujagāḥ ye daśanti mānavāndifferent are those serpents that bite people
डुण्डुभान् अहि-गन्धेन न त्वं हिंसितुम् अर्हसिḍuṇḍubhān ahi-gandhena na tvaṃ hiṃsitum arhasiharmless snakes (ḍuṇḍubhas), resembling serpents only in their smell, you must not destroy
एक-अनर्थान् पृथग्-अर्थान् एक-दुःखान् पृथक्-सुखान्eka-anarthān pṛthag-arthān eka-duḥkhān pṛthak-sukhān[with venomous serpents] they share misfortunes but have different aims; common sorrow, but different joys
धर्म-वित् भूत्वा न त्वं हिंसितुम् अर्हसिdharma-vit bhūtvā na tvaṃ hiṃsitum arhasibeing a knower of dharma, you must not destroy [them]
रुरुर्rururthe source form «rurur», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
प्राणसमाprāṇasamāthe source form «prāṇasamā», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
दष्टासीद्daṣṭāsīdthe source form «daṣṭāsīd», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
हhathe source form «ha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समयोsamayothe source form «samayo», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
घोरghorathe source form «ghora», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
आत्मनोरगātmanoragathe source form «ātmanoraga», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वैvaithe source form «vai», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सदैवsadaivathe source form «sadaiva», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
इत्य्itythe source form «ity», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
उतutathe source form «uta», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ततोtatothe source form «tato», 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
डुण्डुभḍuṇḍubhathe source form «ḍuṇḍubha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भुजगाbhujagāthe source form «bhujagā», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
विप्रviprathe source form «vipra», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
दशन्तीहdaśantīhathe source form «daśantīha», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अहिगन्धेनahigandhenathe source form «ahigandhena», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
एकानर्थान्ekānarthānthe source form «ekānarthān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पृथगर्थान्pṛthagarthānthe source form «pṛthagarthān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
एकदुःखान्ekaduḥkhānthe source form «ekaduḥkhān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पृथक्सुखान्pṛthaksukhānthe source form «pṛthaksukhān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
डुण्डुभान्ḍuṇḍubhānthe source form «ḍuṇḍubhān», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धर्मविद्dharmavidthe source form «dharmavid», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
Here the ḍuṇḍubha snake displays the wisdom of discernment (viveka), without which dharma is impossible. Ruru, blinded by grief, resolved to destroy every serpent without distinction -- yet righteousness demands that one distinguish the guilty from the innocent, the venomous destroyer from the harmless creature. "Being a knower of dharma, you must not destroy the innocent" -- this rebuke reveals that even one versed in scripture can, overcome by passion, forget its essence. An outward resemblance (a shared "serpent smell") is not identity of nature: the harmless ḍuṇḍubha has aims and joys different from those of the venomous serpent. Thus scripture teaches not to judge by appearance and not to punish an entire kind for the fault of one. Here is the principle of compassion toward all beings, grounded in discernment: a devotee harbors malice toward no one, and where action is called for, acts with judgment rather than blindly. True dharma lies not in a blind vow of vengeance but in the wise discernment of good and evil, of the guilty and the innocent.