Shloka 17
Adhyāya 188: Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of Yuga-Decline and the Restoration Motif
Kali-yuga to Kalki
द्वियोजनायता वापी विस्तृता चापि योजनम् । तस्यां नासौ समभवन्मत्स्यो राजीवलोचन,कमलनयन! उस बावलीकी लम्बाई दो योजन और चौड़ाई एक योजनकी थी; परंतु उसमें भी उस मत्स्यका रहना कठिन हो गया
dviyojanāyatā vāpī vistṛtā cāpi yojanam | tasyāṃ nāsau samabhavan matsyo rājīvalocana kamalanayana ||
قال ماركانديّا: «يا ذا العينين كزهرة اللوتس! كانت تلك الغديرة طولُها يوجنان وعرضُها يوجنٌ واحد؛ ومع ذلك لم تستطع السمكة أن تقيم فيها على سَعةٍ وراحة.»
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how extraordinary circumstances can outgrow ordinary measures: even what seems vast may become insufficient when a being’s nature or destiny exceeds common limits—hinting at the need for discernment and appropriate response rather than complacency.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a very large reservoir (two yojanas long and one yojana wide) and notes that a fish still could not remain there, emphasizing the fish’s unusual condition or growth and setting up the next development in the episode.