Shloka 8

Yugapramāṇa–Kaliyuga-lakṣaṇa–Pralaya-kathā

Markandeya’s Account of Yugas, Kali Signs, and Dissolution

Devanagari script

अत्रिर॒वाच कथितो मे महाभागे गौतमेन महात्मना । वैन्यो धर्मार्थसंयुक्त: सत्यव्रतसमन्वित:,अत्रि बोले--महाभागे! महात्मा गौतमने मुझसे कहा है कि “वेनपुत्र राजा पृथु धर्म और अर्थके साधनमें संलग्न रहते हैं। वे सत्यव्रती हैं!

Transliteration

atrir uvāca kathito me mahābhāge gautamena mahātmanā | vainyo dharmārthasaṃyuktaḥ satyavratasaṃanvitaḥ ||

Translation

Atri said: “O noble lady, the great-souled Gautama has told me this: King Pṛthu, the son of Vena, is devoted to the pursuit of dharma and artha, and he is steadfast in a vow of truth.”

Word by Word

अत्रिःAtri

उवाचsaid/spoke

कथितःtold/related

मेto me

महाभागेO very fortunate lady

गौतमेनby Gautama

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

वैन्यःVainya (son of Vena, i.e., Prithu)

धर्मार्थसंयुक्तःendowed/connected with dharma and artha

सत्यव्रतसमन्वितःpossessed of the vow of truth

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Atri

Gautama

Vena

Pṛthu (Vainya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical ideal of kingship: a ruler should harmonize dharma (righteous duty) with artha (legitimate prosperity) and be grounded in satya-vrata—truthfulness as a disciplined vow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration, Atri reports what he heard from the sage Gautama: a characterization of King Pṛthu (called Vainya, son of Vena) as devoted to dharma and artha and committed to truth.