Devanagari
अहेरिव पय:पोष: पोषकस्याप्यनर्थभृत् ।
वेन: प्रकृत्यैव खल: सुनीथागर्भसम्भव: ॥ १० ॥
Verse text
aher iva payaḥ-poṣaḥ
poṣakasyāpy anartha-bhṛt
venaḥ prakṛtyaiva khalaḥ
sunīthā-garbha-sambhavaḥ
Synonyms
aheḥ
—
of a snake
;
iva
—
like
;
payaḥ
—
with milk
;
poṣaḥ
—
the maintaining
;
poṣakasya
—
of the maintainer
;
api
—
even
;
anartha
—
against the interest
;
bhṛt
—
becomes
;
venaḥ
—
King Vena
;
prakṛtyā
—
by nature
;
eva
—
certainly
;
khalaḥ
—
mischievous
;
sunīthā
—
of Sunīthā, Vena’s mother
;
garbha
—
the womb
;
sambhavaḥ
—
born of .
Translation
The sages began to think within themselves: Because he was born from the womb of Sunīthā, King Vena is by nature very mischievous. Supporting this mischievous king is exactly like maintaining a snake with milk. Now he has become a source of all difficulties.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
By nature Vena is wicked, being born from the womb of Sunīthā. He is like a snake nourished by milk, which is a cause of danger for its maintainer.
What to speak of being a danger to the citizens! We have made him the King but he now punishes us by announcing that we cannot perform sacrifice.
Purport
Saintly persons are generally aloof from social activities and the materialistic way of life. King Vena was supported by the saintly persons just to protect the citizens from the hands of rogues and thieves, but after his ascendance to the throne, he became a source of trouble to the sages. Saintly people are especially interested in performing sacrifices and austerities for the advancement of spiritual life, but Vena, instead of being obliged because of the saints’ mercy, turned out to be their enemy because he prohibited them from executing their ordinary duties. A serpent who is maintained with milk and bananas simply stores poison in his teeth and awaits the day to bite his master.