Shloka 29
पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control
धर्मे सत्ये दमे चैव बुद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा । अभ्यासश्न भवेद् भक्त्या त्वयि नित्यं ममेश्वर,“भगवन्! कमलनयन! यदि आप मुझपर प्रसन्न हैं तो मेरी बुद्धि सदा धर्म, सत्य और इन्द्रियनिग्रहमें लगी रहे। मेरे स्वामी! आपके भजनका मेरा अभ्यास सदा बना रहे"
dharme satye dame caiva buddhir bhavatu me sadā | abhyāsaś ca bhaved bhaktyā tvayi nityaṁ mameśvara ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “May my understanding ever remain grounded in dharma, truth, and self-restraint. And, O my Lord, may my devoted practice of worship toward You continue unceasingly.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames spiritual maturity as a union of ethical steadiness (dharma and truth), inner discipline (sense-restraint), and continuous devotional practice. It presents devotion not as a momentary emotion but as sustained abhyāsa supported by moral discernment (buddhi).
Mārkaṇḍeya, speaking to the Lord, offers a prayer-like request: not for external boons, but for an enduring disposition—his intellect fixed in righteousness, truth, and self-control, and his worship maintained without interruption.