Shloka 13

अग्निनाम-वंश-निरूपणम् | Agni-Names and Lineage Enumeration

Devanagari script

द्विजातिपूजने चाहं धर्मे च निरत: सदा | अभिमानातिवादा भ्यां निवृत्तोडस्मि द्विजोत्तम,“बार-बार ऐसा करनेसे उस घोर कर्मसे छूटनेके विषयमें कोई निश्चित उपाय प्राप्त हो जाता है। द्विजश्रेष्ठ! मैं दान, सत्यभाषण, गुरुसेवा, ब्राह्मणपूजन तथा धर्मपालनमें सदा तत्पर रहकर अभिमान और अतिवादसे दूर रहता हूँ

Transliteration

dvijātipūjane cāhaṃ dharme ca nirataḥ sadā | abhimānātivādābhyāṃ nivṛtto 'smi dvijottama ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “I am ever devoted to honoring the twice-born and to the practice of dharma. O best of brāhmaṇas, I have withdrawn from pride and from boastful, excessive speech.”

Word by Word

• {'dvijāti': 'the twice-born (especially brāhmaṇas

• also kṣatriyas and vaiśyas in the varṇa framework)', 'pūjana': 'worship, honoring, reverential service', 'dvijātipūjane': 'in the honoring of the twice-born', 'dharma': 'righteous duty

• right conduct', 'nirataḥ': 'engaged in

• intent upon', 'sadā': 'always

• continually', 'abhimāna': 'pride

• egoistic attachment to status', 'ativāda': 'overstatement

• self-advertising talk', 'abhyām': 'by/with the two (instrumental dual)', 'nivṛttaḥ': 'turned back from

• desisted', 'asmi': 'I am', 'dvijottama': 'O best among the twice-born (honorific address to a brāhmaṇa)'}

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya (speaker)
• dvijāti (the twice-born)
• dvijottama (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic ideal: sustained reverence toward the worthy (dvijāti) and steady commitment to dharma must be paired with inner discipline—especially the renunciation of pride (abhimāna) and inflated or boastful speech (ativāda). Ethical life is not only ritual or duty, but also humility and restraint in self-presentation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya, speaking to a brāhmaṇa addressed as “dvijottama,” describes his own conduct and disposition. He presents himself as consistently engaged in dharma and in honoring the twice-born, while explicitly stating that he has turned away from pride and excessive speech—framing his character as a model of disciplined righteousness.