Shloka 38
Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve
Gandharva Encounter
तमुग्रपाशो वरुणो भगवान् सलिलेश्वर:
tam ugrapāśo varuṇo bhagavān salileśvaraḥ
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Then the blessed Varuṇa—lord of the waters, famed for his formidable noose—was present, exercising his sovereign power over the realm of waters.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights divine sovereignty and moral governance: Varuṇa, as lord of the waters and guardian of order, is portrayed with the ‘noose’ symbolizing restraint—an ethical reminder that transgression invites binding consequences under a higher law.
Mārkaṇḍeya introduces Varuṇa with honorific epithets—‘the blessed one,’ ‘lord of waters,’ and ‘bearer of the fierce noose’—signaling Varuṇa’s authoritative entry or presence in the unfolding episode.