Shloka 26

द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः

Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct

Devanagari script

यद्यग्नयो हि स्पृश्येयुर्निवेशस्था दवाग्निना । इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कार्या तु शुचयेडग्नये,यदि गृहस्थित अग्नियोंका दावानलसे संसर्ग हो जाय तो मिट्टीके आठ पुरवोंमें संस्कृत चरुद्वारा शुचि नामक अग्निको आहुति देनी चाहिये

Transliteration

yadyagnayo hi spṛśyeyur niveśasthā davāgninā | iṣṭir aṣṭākapālena kāryā tu śucaye 'gnaye ||

Translation

قال ماركانديّا: «إن تماسّت نيرانُ البيت، المُقامةُ في مواضعها، مع حريقِ الغابة (dāvāgni)، وجبَ إقامةُ iṣṭi كفّارةً: باستعمال aṣṭākapāla (ثمانية أوعيةٍ فخّارية)، وتقديم caru (عصيدةٍ مُقدَّسة) أَحُوتيًّا إلى أَغْنِي تحت لقب “شوتشي” (Śuci)، أي “الطاهر”.»

Word by Word

यदिif

अग्नयःfires

हिindeed/for

स्पृश्येयुःshould come into contact/touch

निवेशस्थाःsituated in the dwelling/at the residence

दवाग्निनाby/with the forest-fire

इष्टिःa (propitiatory) sacrifice/oblation-rite

अष्टाकपालेनwith an eight-shard (earthen) vessel/with eight potsherds

कार्याis to be performed/should be done

तुbut/indeed

शुचयेto Śuci (a form/name of Agni)

अग्नयेto Agni

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Agni

Śuci (epithet of Agni)

niveśastha agnayaḥ (household sacred fires)

davāgni (forest fire)

iṣṭi (offering rite)

aṣṭākapāla (eight-part earthen vessel)

caru (sacrificial porridge/oblatory food)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When sacred domestic order is disrupted by an external calamity (like a wildfire touching the household fires), dharma requires restoration through a prescribed expiatory rite—here, an iṣṭi with an aṣṭākapāla vessel, offering caru to Agni as Śuci—emphasizing responsibility, purity, and disciplined repair rather than abandonment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing about a specific ritual contingency: if the established household fires come into contact with a forest fire, one should perform a corrective sacrificial offering (iṣṭi) using an eight-part earthen vessel and make oblations to Agni under the name Śuci.