Shloka 8
Āraṇyaka-parva Adhyāya 277 — Sāvitrī-Upākhyāna: Aśvapati’s Vows and Sāvitrī’s Birth; Search for a Suitable Husband Begins
ततो भागानुभागेन देवगन्धर्वपन्नगा: । अवतर्तु महीं सर्वे मनन््त्रयामासुरञज्जसा,तदनन्तर देवता, गन्धर्व और नाग अपने-अपने अंश एवं अंशांशसे इस पृथ्वीपर अवतीर्ण होनेके लिये परस्पर परामर्श करने लगे
tato bhāgānubhāgena devagandharvapannagāḥ | avatartu mahīṃ sarve mantrayāmāsur añjasā ||
Daraufhin berieten die Götter, die Gandharvas und die Nāgas—ein jeder gemäß dem ihm zugeteilten Anteil und Unteranteil—eilends miteinander über das Hinabsteigen zur Erde.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse suggests that restoring dharma involves intentional, proportionate participation: higher beings assume roles on earth according to their allotted capacities, emphasizing responsibility, coordination, and purposeful action rather than chance.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a moment of collective deliberation in which the Devas, Gandharvas, and Nāgas decide—each in due measure—to descend to the earth, setting the stage for events where many beings take birth to influence the unfolding of dharma.