Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच राक्षसस्तु वरं लब्ध्वा दशग्रीवो विशाम्पते | लड़कायाश्ष्यावयामास युधि जित्वा धनेश्वरम्‌,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! राक्षस दशाननने वर प्राप्त कर लेनेपर सबसे पहले अपने भाई कुबेरको युद्धमें परास्त किया और उन्हें लंकाके राज्यसे बहिष्कृत कर दिया

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca— rākṣasastu varaṁ labdhvā daśagrīvo viśāṁpate | Laṅkāyāś cyāvayāmāsa yudhi jitvā dhaneśvaram ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „O Herr der Menschen, jener Rākṣasa Daśagrīva besiegte, nachdem er eine Gabe erlangt hatte, zuerst Kubera, den Herrn des Reichtums, im Kampf und vertrieb ihn, indem er ihm die Herrschaft über Laṅkā entriss.“

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

उवाचsaid

राक्षसःthe demon

तुbut/indeed

वरम्a boon

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

दशग्रीवःthe ten-necked one (Ravana)

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people (O king)

लङ्कायाःfrom Lanka

अपश्यावयामासdrove out/expelled

युधिin battle

जित्वाhaving conquered

धनेश्वरम्the lord of wealth (Kubera)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

Kubera (Dhaneśvara)

Laṅkā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power gained through boons or extraordinary means can intensify pride and adharma; when strength is used to dispossess the rightful and attack even one’s own kin, it becomes a moral warning about unchecked ambition and the misuse of divine gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya tells the king that after receiving a boon, Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva) first fought Kubera, defeated him in battle, and expelled him—thereby seizing control of Laṅkā.