संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
कद्रूः जिह्मं चिकीर्षती पुत्र-सहस्रं आज्ञापयाम् आसkadrūḥ jihmaṃ cikīrṣatī putra-sahasraṃ ājñāpayām āsaKadru, having conceived of deceit, ordered her thousand sons
वालाः भूत्वा अञ्जन-प्रभाः हयम् आविशध्वंvālāḥ bhūtvā añjana-prabhāḥ hayam āviśadhvaṃbecome hairs, black as collyrium, and cover the horse
दासी न स्याम् अहं यथाdāsī na syām ahaṃ yathāso that I may not become a slave
तद् वाक्यं न अन्वपद्यन्त तान् शशापtad vākyaṃ na anvapadyanta tān śaśāpa[the sons] did not heed that word — she cursed them
सर्प-सत्रे पावकः वः प्रधक्ष्यतिsarpa-satre pāvakaḥ vaḥ pradhakṣyatiat the serpent sacrifice the fire shall burn you
जनमेजयस्य पाण्डवेयस्यjanamejayasya pāṇḍaveyasya[at the sacrifice] of Janamejaya, descendant of Pandu
शापम् एनं पितामहः शुश्राव अतिक्रूरंśāpam enaṃ pitāmahaḥ śuśrāva atikrūraṃthe Forefather (Brahma) heard this most cruel curse
देव-गणैः सार्धं तां वाचं अन्वमोदतdeva-gaṇaiḥ sārdhaṃ tāṃ vācaṃ anvamodatatogether with the hosts of gods, approved that word
बहुत्वं सर्पाणां प्रेक्ष्य प्रजानां हित-काम्ययाbahutvaṃ sarpāṇāṃ prekṣya prajānāṃ hita-kāmyayāseeing the multitude of serpents, for the welfare of beings
तिग्म-वीर्य-विषाः दन्दशूकाः महाबलाःtigma-vīrya-viṣāḥ dandaśūkāḥ mahābalāḥ[for they are] of fierce and potent venom, biting, mighty
तेषां तीक्ष्ण-विषत्वात् प्रजानां हितायteṣāṃ tīkṣṇa-viṣatvāt prajānāṃ hitāyabecause of their sharp venom — for the welfare of beings
विष-हणीं विद्यां काश्यपाय प्रादात्viṣa-haṇīṃ vidyāṃ kāśyapāya prādātgranted to Kashyapa the knowledge that cures poison
ततःtataḥoriginal form "tataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रसहस्रंputrasahasraṃoriginal form "putrasahasraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कद्रूर्kadrūroriginal form "kadrūr", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वालाvālāoriginal form "vālā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूत्वाञ्जनप्रभाःbhūtvāñjanaprabhāḥoriginal form "bhūtvāñjanaprabhāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हयंhayaṃoriginal form "hayaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षिप्रंkṣipraṃoriginal form "kṣipraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नान्वपद्यन्तnānvapadyantaoriginal form "nānvapadyanta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताञ्tāñoriginal form "tāñ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुजंगमान्bhujaṃgamānoriginal form "bhujaṃgamān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्पसत्रेsarpasatreoriginal form "sarpasatre", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वर्तमानेvartamāneoriginal form "vartamāne", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पावकोpāvakooriginal form "pāvako", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजर्षेःrājarṣeḥoriginal form "rājarṣeḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धीमतःdhīmataḥoriginal form "dhīmataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वयम्svayamoriginal form "svayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवevaoriginal form "eva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समुद्दिष्टंsamuddiṣṭaṃoriginal form "samuddiṣṭaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कद्र्वाkadrvāoriginal form "kadrvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दैवाद्daivādoriginal form "daivād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अतीवatīvaoriginal form "atīva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवगणैःdevagaṇaiḥoriginal form "devagaṇaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैर्sarvairoriginal form "sarvair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताम्tāmoriginal form "tām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हितकाम्ययाhitakāmyayāoriginal form "hitakāmyayā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तिग्मवीर्यविषाtigmavīryaviṣāoriginal form "tigmavīryaviṣā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतेeteoriginal form "ete", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दन्दशूकाdandaśūkāoriginal form "dandaśūkā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तीक्ष्णविषत्वाद्tīkṣṇaviṣatvādoriginal form "tīkṣṇaviṣatvād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धिdhioriginal form "dhi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रादाद्prādādoriginal form "prādād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विषहणींviṣahaṇīṃoriginal form "viṣahaṇīṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्मनेmahātmaneoriginal form "mahātmane", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here a subtle balance of justice and mercy in the governance of the world is revealed. Kadru, unwilling to lose the wager, urges her sons toward deceit — and, meeting their refusal, curses them to destruction in her anger. Thus a mother's pride, unwilling to admit defeat, turns into a curse upon her entire line. It is significant that Brahma, together with the gods, approves the punishment — not out of cruelty, but 'for the welfare of beings': the serpents have multiplied to excess, and many of them are venomous and malicious, a threat to others. Here the law of cosmic balance is disclosed: sometimes the removal of evil serves the common good, and even a curse born of personal spite is turned by Providence toward a higher end — cleansing the world of an excess of poison. Yet mercy is never separate from justice: in the same breath Brahma gives Kashyapa the vidya against poison — a saving antidote. It is shown here that the Lord and His representatives, in allowing punishment to fall upon wrongdoing, always leave a path of deliverance for the deserving; and that within the very severity of the world's order lies a care for the good of all. The serpents' defiance of their mother, though it brought down the curse, was itself a refusal to take part in deceit — and so it is not simple: not every disobedience is a sin, when the command itself is unrighteous.