Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve
Gandharva Encounter
तमुग्रपाशो वरुणो भगवान् सलिलेश्वर:
tam ugrapāśo varuṇo bhagavān salileśvaraḥ
Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Dann war auch der erhabene Varuṇa zugegen — Herr der Wasser, berühmt für seine gewaltige Schlinge — und übte seine Hoheit über das Reich der Fluten aus.“
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse highlights divine sovereignty and moral governance: Varuṇa, as lord of the waters and guardian of order, is portrayed with the ‘noose’ symbolizing restraint—an ethical reminder that transgression invites binding consequences under a higher law.
Mārkaṇḍeya introduces Varuṇa with honorific epithets—‘the blessed one,’ ‘lord of waters,’ and ‘bearer of the fierce noose’—signaling Varuṇa’s authoritative entry or presence in the unfolding episode.