Rāma’s Abhiṣeka Plan, Kaikeyī’s Boon, and the Initiation of the Exile
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account
मिब्सब्रच्सस्स् ं: | धन्य “(४ | //८ ५ ८ तक 55300 ५ तमेवंवादिनमृषिर्देवदूतमुवाच ह । इच्छामि भवता प्रोक्तान् गुणान् स्वर्गनिवासिनाम्
tam evaṁ-vādinam ṛṣir deva-dūtam uvāca ha | icchāmi bhavatā proktān guṇān svarga-nivāsinām ||
Hearing the divine messenger speak in this manner, the sage said: “I wish to hear from you the qualities and virtues that belong to those who dwell in heaven.”
व्यास उवाच
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: heavenly status is associated with specific guṇas (virtues), and the sage seeks a clear account of those qualities, implying that moral character and conduct are central to posthumous destiny.
A sage addresses a divine messenger who has been speaking about higher realms; the sage requests a description of the virtues characteristic of those who reside in Svarga, setting up a didactic explanation to follow.