Shloka 47

Devanagari script

पितृभक्तो5सि राजर्षे मार्कण्डेय इवापर: । तेन मृत्युस्तव वशे स्थितो भृत्य इवानतः,राजर्ष! आप दूसरे मार्कण्डेयके समान पितृभक्त हैं; इसलिये मृत्यु विनीत दासीके समान आपके वशमें हो गयी है

Transliteration

pitṛbhakto 'si rājarṣe mārkaṇḍeya ivāparaḥ | tena mṛtyus tava vaśe sthito bhṛtya ivānataḥ ||

Translation

Vāsudeva sprach: „O königlicher Seher, du bist den Pitṛs ergeben wie ein zweiter Mārkaṇḍeya. Darum steht selbst der Tod unter deiner Gewalt, gedemütigt wie ein gehorsamer Diener.“

Word by Word

पितृभक्तःdevoted to (one's) father/ancestors

असिyou are

राजर्षेO royal sage

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

इवlike, as

अपरःanother (one)

तेनtherefore; by that (reason)

मृत्युःDeath

तवof you, your

वशेin (your) control

स्थितःstanding; placed; become

भृत्यःservant

इवlike, as

अनतःbowed down; submissive

राजर्षेO royal sage

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

rājarṣi (addressed royal sage/king)

Mārkaṇḍeya

Mṛtyu (Death, personified)

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises pitṛbhakti—steadfast devotion to one’s ancestors and ancestral duty—as a powerful form of dharma. Such integrity and reverence are portrayed as generating spiritual merit and protection so great that even Death is metaphorically ‘subdued,’ emphasizing the ethical ideal that faithful duty and humility bring extraordinary auspicious results.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva addresses a rājarṣi and commends him for being as devoted to the Pitṛs as the sage Mārkaṇḍeya. Using a strong image, he declares that because of this devotion, Mṛtyu (Death) stands under the king’s control like a bowed servant—an honorific way of indicating exceptional longevity, protection, or immunity from untimely death due to dharmic conduct.