Shloka 36

Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच संस्पृशन्निव सर्वास्ता: शिखाभि: काउचनप्रभा: । पश्यमाननश्च मुमुदे गार्हपत्यं समाश्रित:,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--राजन! ऐसा निश्चय करके अग्निदेवने गार्हपत्य अग्निका आश्रय लिया और अपनी लपटोंसे स्वर्गकी-सी कान्तिवाली उन ऋषि-पत्नियोंका स्पर्श तथा दर्शन-सा करते हुए वे बड़ी प्रसन्नताका अनुभव करने लगे

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca saṁspṛśann iva sarvāstāḥ śikhābhiḥ kāñcanaprabhāḥ | paśyamānaś ca mumude gārhapatyaṁ samāśritaḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Nachdem er so beschlossen hatte, nahm Agni Zuflucht im Gārhapatya-Feuer. Mit seinen Flammen, golden an Glanz, schien er gleichsam alle Frauen der Weisen zu berühren und zu schauen; und in dieser (gezügelten) Berührung und Schau empfand er große Wonne.

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Markandeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संस्पृशन्: touching
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+स्पृश्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• शिखाभिः: with flames
• शिखाभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• काञ्चनप्रभाः: golden-radiant
• काञ्चनप्रभाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चनप्रभा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• पश्यमानः: seeing
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत् (दृश्)
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मुमुदे: rejoiced
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Atmanepada

• गार्हपत्यम्: the Gārhapatya (household) fire
• गार्हपत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हपत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+श्रि
• Form: Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Agni (Agni-deva)
• Gārhapatya fire
• ṛṣi-patnīḥ (wives of sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic containment of desire: even when attraction arises, it should be regulated through lawful, ritually sanctioned boundaries (symbolized by Agni’s taking refuge in the Gārhapatya fire) rather than pursued as a breach of moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that Agni, after making a determination, enters/abides in the household sacred fire (Gārhapatya). With golden flames he ‘as if’ touches and beholds the sages’ wives, and this constrained, indirect contact/vision brings him joy.