Shloka 36

Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)

Devanagari script

मड़ाश्न मशकाश्नैव मानसा मन्दगास्तथा । मज़ा ब्राह्मणभूयिष्ठा: स्वकर्मनिरता नूप,उनके नाम इस प्रकार हैं--मंग, मशक, मानस तथा मन्दग। नरेश्वर! उनमेंसे मंग जनपदमें अधिकतर ब्राह्मण निवास करते हैं। वे सब-के-सब अपने कर्तव्यके पालनमें तत्पर रहते हैं

Transliteration

maṅgāś ca maśakāś caiva mānasā mandagās tathā | maṅgā brāhmaṇabhūyiṣṭhāḥ svakarmaniratā nṛpa ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The peoples known as the Maṅgas and the Maśakas, as well as the Mānasas and the Mandagas, are also there. O king, among the Maṅgas the population is predominantly Brāhmaṇa, and all of them are devoted to the faithful performance of their own prescribed duties.”

Word by Word

मङ्गाःthe Maṅgas (a people/tribe)

मशकाःthe Maśakas (a people/tribe)

एवindeed/also

मानसाःthe Mānasas (a people/tribe)

मन्दगाःthe Mandagas (a people/tribe)

तथाand likewise

ब्राह्मणभूयिष्ठाःmostly Brahmins / predominantly Brahmin

स्वकर्मनिरताःengaged in their own duties

नृपO king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Maṅga (people/region)

Maśaka (people/region)

Mānasa (people/region)

Mandaga (people/region)

Brāhmaṇa (social class)

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?

The verse highlights the ideal of 'svakarma'—steadfast commitment to one’s own prescribed duties—as a marker of ethical order, noting a community characterized by devotion to duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra various peoples/regions present in the wider war context, naming groups and remarking that the Maṅgas are largely Brāhmaṇas and are devoted to their duties.