Shloka 2

मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction

Devanagari script

अतिष्ठदेकपादेन कृशो धमनिसंततः । तस्मै ब्रह्मा ददौ प्रीतो वरं वव्रे स च प्रभुम्‌,वह दीर्घकालतक एक पैरसे खड़ा रहा। उसका शरीर इतना दुर्बल हो गया कि नस- नाड़ियोंका जाल दिखायी देने लगा। ब्रह्माजीने उसकी तपस्यासे संतुष्ट होकर उसे वर दिया। धुन्धुने भगवान्‌ ब्रह्मासे इस प्रकार वर माँगा--

Transliteration

atiṣṭhad ekapādena kṛśo dhamanisaṃtataḥ | tasmai brahmā dadau prīto varaṃ vavre sa ca prabhum ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: He stood on a single foot for a long time, growing so emaciated that the network of his veins became visible. Pleased with that austerity, Brahmā granted him a boon; and he, approaching the Lord, chose a boon to ask.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'atiṣṭhat', 'definition': 'stood

• remained standing (imperfect of √sthā with ati-)'}, {'term': 'ekapādena', 'definition': 'on one foot

• with a single foot (instrumental singular)'}, {'term': 'kṛśaḥ', 'definition': 'emaciated, lean, wasted'}, {'term': 'dhamani', 'definition': 'vein/artery

• a tubular vessel in the body'}, {'term': 'saṃtataḥ', 'definition': 'stretched out, spread, extended

• forming a network'}, {'term': 'tasmai', 'definition': 'to him (dative singular)'}, {'term': 'brahmā', 'definition': 'Brahmā, the creator-god'}, {'term': 'dadau', 'definition': 'gave, granted (perfect of √dā)'}, {'term': 'prītaḥ', 'definition': 'pleased, satisfied'}, {'term': 'varam', 'definition': 'a boon, gift, granted favor'}, {'term': 'vavre', 'definition': 'chose/asked for (perfect middle of √vṛ)'}, {'term': 'prabhum', 'definition': 'the Lord, master

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brahmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas (austerity) and steadfast self-discipline as forces that can win divine attention; it also implicitly cautions that boons arise from power gained through restraint, so the ethical weight lies in how that boon is later used.

What is happening in the narrative?

A figure performs severe penance by standing on one foot until he becomes extremely thin; Brahmā, pleased, offers a boon, and the ascetic then proceeds to request a specific favor from the deity.