Shloka 19

Araṇi Lost to the Deer: Pāṇḍavas Pursue to Preserve Agnihotra (अरणी-हरण प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय सावित्रया वचन नृप: । प्रसादयामास पुन: क्षिप्रमेतद्‌ भविष्यति,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! सावित्रीदेवीकी बात सुनकर राजाने “बहुत अच्छा' कहकर उनकी आज्ञाका पालन करनेकी प्रतिज्ञा की और पुनः सावित्रीदेवीको इस उद्देश्यसे प्रसन्न किया कि यह भविष्यवाणी शीघ्र सफल हो

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sa tatheti pratijñāya sāvitrayā vacanaṁ nṛpaḥ | prasādayāmāsa punaḥ kṣipram etad bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

قال ماركاندييا: «أيها الملك، لما سمع الملك كلام الإلهة سافيتري قال: “ليكن كذلك”، وتعهد أن يعمل بوصيتها. ثم عاد يسعى إلى إرضاء سافيتري مرةً أخرى، قاصدًا أن تتحقق هذه النبوءة بلا إبطاء.»

Word by Word

• {'mārkaṇḍeya uvāca': 'Mārkaṇḍeya said', 'saḥ': 'he', 'tathā iti': '‘so it is / so be it’ (assent)', 'pratijñāya': 'having promised

• having made a vow', 'sāvitrayā': 'by/with Sāvitrī (instrumental)', 'vacanam': 'speech

• instruction', 'nṛpaḥ': 'king', 'prasādayāmāsa': 'he propitiated

• he sought favor', 'punaḥ': 'again', 'kṣipram': 'quickly

• soon', 'etat': 'this', 'bhaviṣyati': 'will happen

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sāvitrī
• the king (nṛpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma through steadfast commitment: a ruler should honor a promise once given and act promptly, seeking to align conduct with a righteous instruction and the truth of a prophecy.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Sāvitrī’s words, the king agrees (“so be it”), makes a firm pledge to follow her directive, and then tries to please her again so that the foretold outcome may be realized quickly.