Shloka 35

इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्

Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration

Devanagari script

आक्रम्याक्रम्य साधूनां दारांश्वापि धनानि च । भोक्ष्यन्ते निरनुक्रोशा रूवतामपि भारत,भारत! लोग इतने निर्दयी हो जायँगे कि सज्जन पुरुषोंपर भी बार-बार आक्रमण करके उनके धन और स्त्रियोंका बलपूर्वक उपभोग करेंगे तथा उनके रोने-बिलखनेपर भी दया नहीं करेंगे

Transliteration

ākrāmyākrāmya sādhūnāṃ dārān śvāpi dhanāni ca | bhokṣyante niranukrośā ruvatām api bhārata ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O Bhārata, people will become so pitiless that, repeatedly attacking even the righteous, they will seize and violate their wives and plunder their wealth by force; and even when the victims cry and lament, they will show no compassion.”

Word by Word

• आक्रम्य: having attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), कर्तरि

• आक्रम्य: again having attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), कर्तरि

• साधूनाम्: of the good/virtuous people
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• दारान्: wives
• दारान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• धनानि: wealths/possessions
• धनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भोक्ष्यन्ते: they will enjoy/consume
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, Third, Plural

• निरनुक्रोशाः: merciless (without compassion)
• निरनुक्रोशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरनुक्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रुवताम्: of those who are crying/wailing
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुवत् (प्रातिपदिक; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त from धातु रु/रु (to cry))
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (contextual), Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• sādhūḥ (the righteous/virtuous people)
• dārāḥ (wives)
• dhanāni (wealth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that when dharma declines, society loses compassion and restraint: even the virtuous become targets, and power is used to exploit the vulnerable. It highlights an ethical ideal—anukrośa (compassion)—by showing the horror of its absence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing a future age of degeneration (a Kali-like condition) to Yudhiṣṭhira, portraying how people will repeatedly assault the good, seize wealth, and violate women, remaining unmoved even by the victims’ cries.