Shloka 28

कुन्ती द्वारा ब्राह्मण-सेवा

Kuntī’s Regulated Hospitality to a Brāhmaṇa Guest

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा राक्षसपति: कुम्भकर्ण तरस्विनम्‌ | संदिदेशेतिकर्तव्यं वज्रवेगप्रमाथिनौ,वेगशाली वीर कुम्भकर्णसे ऐसा कहकर राक्षसराज रावणने वज्रवेग और प्रमाथीको, युद्धमें क्या-क्या करना है, इन सब बातोंको समझाया और उनके पालनका आदेश दिया

Transliteration

ity uktvā rākṣasapatiḥ kumbhakarṇa tarasvinam | sandideśa itikartavyaṃ vajravega-pramāthinau ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Nachdem er so gesprochen hatte, wies der Herr der Rākṣasas den mächtigen Kumbhakarṇa an. Dann erteilte er Vajravega und Pramāthinī ausführliche Befehle, legte fest, was in der kommenden Schlacht zu tun sei, und gebot ihnen, diese Anordnungen auszuführen.“

Word by Word

इतिthus

उक्त्वाhaving said

राक्षसपतिःthe lord of the Rakshasas

कुम्भकर्णम्Kumbhakarna

तरस्विनम्mighty, vigorous

संदिदेशcommanded, instructed

इतिकर्तव्यम्what is to be done; the course of action

वज्रवेगप्रमाथिनौVajravega and Pramathin (the two)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Rāvaṇa

Kumbhakarṇa

Vajravega

Pramāthinī/Pramāthī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the mechanics of leadership in crisis: a ruler must give clear, actionable instructions (itikartavya) and ensure execution. Ethically, it invites reflection on how strategic competence can serve either dharma or adharma depending on the ends pursued.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that the Rākṣasa king (Rāvaṇa) finishes speaking, then commands the powerful Kumbhakarṇa and issues operational directives to Vajravega and Pramāthinī about what to do in battle.