Shloka 14
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
तस्मिन् प्रयाते दुर्धर्षे देवि शब्दों महान भूत् । एष श्रीमानवध्योउ्द्य धुन्धुमारो भविष्यति,उन दुर्धर्षवीर कुवलाश्वके यात्रा करनेपर देवलोकमें अत्यन्त हर्षपूर्ण कोलाहल होने लगा। देवता कहने लगे--'ये श्रीमान् नरेश अवध्य हैं, आज धुन्धुको मारकर ये” “धुन्धुमार' नाम धारण करेंगे
tasmin prayāte durdharṣe devi śabdo mahān abhūt | eṣa śrīmān avadhyo ’dya dhundhumāro bhaviṣyati ||
O Goddess, when that unconquerable hero set out, a great cry of jubilation arose in the world of the gods. The deities proclaimed, “This illustrious king is invincible; today, having slain Dhundhu, he will bear the name ‘Dhundhumāra.’” The verse highlights how righteous resolve and fearless action undertaken for the protection of the world are celebrated as dharmic heroism, and how a deed can confer an enduring epithet that memorializes the ethical purpose of the act.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharmic courage—acting decisively to remove a threat to the world—is affirmed by divine approval; a righteous deed can define one’s lasting reputation, here expressed through the epithet ‘Dhundhumāra’ (slayer of Dhundhu).
As the formidable hero-king (Kuvalāśva) sets out to confront Dhundhu, the gods rejoice and proclaim that he is invincible and will gain the name ‘Dhundhumāra’ after killing Dhundhu.