Shloka 41
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
वंशस्य सुमहाभाग राज्ञाममिततेजसाम् । भारत! उनके नाम थे-दृढाश्वच, कपिलाश्व और चन्द्राश्बव। राजन! महाभाग! उन्हींसे अमित तेजस्वी इक्ष्वाकुवंशी महामना नरेशोंकी वंश-परम्परा चालू हुई ।। एवं स निहतस्तेन कुवलाश्वेन सत्तम,सज्जनशिरोमणे! इस प्रकार मधुकैटभ-कुमार महादैत्य धुन्धु कुवलाश्वके हाथसे मारा गया और राजा कुवलाश्चकी धुन्धुमार नामसे प्रसिद्धि हुई
vaṃśasya sumahābhāga rājñām amit tejasām | bhārata! teṣāṃ nāmāni dṛḍhāśvaś ca kapilāśvaś ca candrāśvaś caiva | rājann mahābhāga! ebhiḥ prabhṛti amit tejasvinām ikṣvākuvaṃśyānāṃ mahātmanāṃ nṛpāṇāṃ vaṃśa-paramparā pravṛttā || evaṃ sa nihatas tena kuvalāśvena sattama sajjana-śiromaṇe! madhukaiṭabha-kumāro mahādait yo dhundhuḥ kuvalāśvasya hastena hataḥ | tataḥ sa rājā kuvalāśvo dhundhumāra iti prasiddhim avāpa ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O most fortunate one, O Bhārata! In that illustrious line of kings of immeasurable splendour, the names were Dṛḍhāśva, Kapilāśva, and Candrāśva. O king, noble one! From them onward the succession of great-souled rulers of the Ikṣvāku dynasty, radiant with boundless energy, continued. Thus, O best of men, foremost among the virtuous, the mighty demon Dhundhu—born of Madhu and Kaiṭabha—was slain by Kuvalāśva. Because he destroyed Dhundhu, King Kuvalāśva became renowned by the name Dhundhumāra.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links righteous kingship with the protection of the world: a ruler earns lasting renown not merely by birth in a great lineage, but by decisive action against forces that threaten order. Fame (prasiddhi) is portrayed as the ethical fruit of fulfilling kṣatriya responsibility.
Mārkaṇḍeya recounts a segment of the Ikṣvāku lineage (Dṛḍhāśva, Kapilāśva, Candrāśva) and then narrates how King Kuvalāśva killed the great demon Dhundhu (said to be born of Madhu and Kaiṭabha). Because of this deed, Kuvalāśva became celebrated by the title Dhundhumāra, ‘slayer of Dhundhu’.