Shloka 13

Karṇa’s Counsel on Śrī

Fortune) and the Proposed Display before the Exiled Pāṇḍavas (कर्णवचनम् / श्रीप्रदर्शन-प्रस्तावः

Devanagari script

सप्तानामपि सा देवी सप्तर्षीणां महात्मनाम्‌,कुरुश्रेष्ठी उस देवीने सातों महात्मा सप्तर्षियोंकी पत्नियोंके समान रूप धारण करके अग्निदेवके साथ समागमकी इच्छा की थी; किंतु अरुन्धतीकी तपस्या तथा पति-शुश्रूषाके प्रभावसे वह उनका दिव्य रूप धारण न कर सकी, इसलिये छ: बार ही अग्निके वीर्यको वहाँ डालनेमें सफल हुई

Transliteration

saptānām api sā devī saptarṣīṇāṃ mahātmanām patnīnāṃ sadṛśaṃ rūpaṃ dhṛtvā agnidevena saha saṃgamaṃ cikīrṣati sma; kintu arundhatyāḥ tapasā patiśuśrūṣāprabhāvena ca sā teṣāṃ divyarūpaṃ dhartuṃ na śaśāka; tasmāt ṣaṭkṛtva eva tatra agneḥ vīryaṃ nikṣepayituṃ samarthā babhūva.

Translation

Markandeya said: That goddess, assuming forms like the wives of the seven great sages, desired union with Agni. Yet the power of Arundhati’s austerity and her devoted service to her husband prevented the goddess from taking Arundhati’s divine likeness; therefore she succeeded only six times in causing Agni’s seed to be deposited there.

Word by Word

• {'saptānām': 'of the seven', 'devī': 'goddess

• divine woman', 'saptarṣi': 'the Seven Sages (a canonical group of great seers)', 'mahātmānaḥ': 'great-souled, noble ones', 'patnī': 'wife', 'rūpa (dhṛtvā)': 'form (having assumed)', 'agnideva': 'Agni, the fire-god', 'saṃgama': 'union

• sexual union', 'cikīrṣati': 'wished/desired to do', 'kintu': 'but', 'arundhatī': 'Arundhati (model of wifely fidelity)', 'tapas': 'austerity

• ascetic power', 'pati-śuśrūṣā': 'service/attendance upon one’s husband

• devoted care', 'prabhāva': 'power

• influence', 'divya-rūpa': 'divine form/likeness', 'na śaśāka': 'was not able', 'tasmāt': 'therefore', 'ṣaṭkṛtvaḥ': 'six times', 'vīrya': 'seed

• potency', 'nikṣepa': 'depositing

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Devī (the goddess)
• Saptarṣi (Seven Sages)
• Saptarṣi-patnī (wives of the Seven Sages)
• Agni (Agnideva)
• Arundhatī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the protective force of dharma expressed through tapas and unwavering marital fidelity: Arundhati’s ascetic merit and devoted service to her husband create a moral-spiritual power that even a goddess cannot override.

What is happening in the narrative?

A goddess attempts to assume the forms of the wives of the Seven Sages to unite with Agni. She can imitate six of them, but cannot take Arundhati’s form due to Arundhati’s spiritual power; thus the intended act succeeds only six times.