Shloka 22
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
Devanagari script
ततो धुन्धुर्महाराज दिशमावृत्य पश्चिमाम्
Transliteration
tato dhundhur mahārāja diśam āvṛtya paścimām
Translation
Then Dhundhu, O great king, spread out and enveloped the western quarter.
Word by Word
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
धुन्धुःDhundhu (name of a being/daemon)
धुन्धुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधुन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
TypeNoun
Rootमहाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
दिशम्direction
दिशम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
आवृत्यhaving covered, enveloping
आवृत्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-√वृ (वृञ् वरणे)
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active (parasmaipada sense)
पश्चिमाम्western
पश्चिमाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootपश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Characters & Entities
म
मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)ध
धुन्धु (Dhundhu)प
पश्चिम दिशा (the western quarter)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
A righteous ruler must recognize signs of impending harm and respond with steadiness and dharmic resolve; unchecked destructive forces spread quickly, so vigilance and timely action are ethical duties of kingship.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes Dhundhu’s ominous advance: the being covers the western quarter, indicating a growing threat and setting the stage for the ensuing confrontation or protective response.