Shloka 28
Duryodhana Seized by Citraseṇa; Kaurava Petition to Yudhiṣṭhira (दुर्योधनापहारः / चित्रसेनगन्धर्वग्रहणम्)
पिशाची दारुणाकारा कथ्यते शीतपूतना । गर्भान् सा मानुषीणां तु हरते घोरदर्शना,इसके सिवा भयानक आकारवाली एक पिशाची है, जिसे “शीतपूतना” कहते हैं, वह देखनेमें बड़ी डरावनी है। वह मानवी स्त्रियोंका गर्भ हर ले जाती है
piśācī dāruṇākārā kathyate śītapūtanā | garbhān sā mānuṣīṇāṃ tu harate ghoradarśanā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “There is a fierce-looking female demon known as Śītapūtanā. Terrifying to behold, she steals away the embryos of human women.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral imperative of safeguarding vulnerable life—especially mothers and unborn children—against forces that cause fear, harm, and social instability, reinforcing protective duties within dharma.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a terrifying demoness named Śītapūtanā, characterized as a piśācī who steals the embryos of human women, as part of a broader account of dangerous beings and the harms they inflict.