Shloka 16

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Consolation to the King: Exempla of Rāma and the Efficacy of Allies (मार्कण्डेयाश्वासनम्)

Devanagari script

अतिष्ठदेकपादेन सहस््रं परिवत्सरान्‌ | वायुभक्षो दशग्रीव: पञ्चाग्नि: सुसमाहित:,रावण सहस्रों वर्षोतक एक पैरसे खड़ा रहा। वह चित्तको एकाग्र रखकर पंचाग्निसेवन करता और वायु पीकर रहता था

Transliteration

atiṣṭhad ekapādena sahasraṁ parivatsarān | vāyubhakṣo daśagrīvaḥ pañcāgniḥ susamāhitaḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) stand tausend Jahre lang auf einem einzigen Fuß. Nur von Luft lebend, übte er die Askese der fünf Feuer mit vollkommen gesammeltem Geist—ein Bild äußerster tapas, mächtig, doch zugleich warnend, dass geistige Kraft ohne rechte Absicht der Welt zum Unheil werden kann.

Word by Word

• अतिष्ठत्: stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (तिष्ठ)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एकपादेन: with one foot
• एकपादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकपाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिवत्सरान्: years (cycles of years)
• परिवत्सरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवत्सर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वायुभक्षः: air-eating; living on air
• वायुभक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायुभक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशग्रीवः: the ten-necked one (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशग्रीव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चाग्निः: one practicing the five-fires austerity
• पञ्चाग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुसमाहितः: well-concentrated; fully composed
• सुसमाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसमाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• pañcāgni (five fires austerity)
• vāyu (air)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immense potency of tapas (austerity) and mental concentration, while implicitly reminding that such power must be guided by dharma; otherwise, spiritual achievements can amplify ego and harm rather than uplift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes Rāvaṇa’s extraordinary penance: standing on one foot for a thousand years, subsisting on air, and performing the five-fire austerity with unwavering concentration—setting the stage for the boons and consequences that follow from such tapas.