Shloka 4

Rāma’s Abhiṣeka Plan, Kaikeyī’s Boon, and the Initiation of the Exile

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account

Devanagari script

अतिथित्रती क्रियावांश्व॒ कापोतीं वृत्तिमास्थित: । सत्रमिष्टीकृतं नाम समुपास्ते महातपा:,उन्होंने अतिथियोंकी सेवाका व्रत ले रखा था। वे बड़े कर्मनिष्ठ और तपस्वी थे तथा कापोती वृत्तिका आश्रय ले आवश्यकताके अनुरूप थोड़े-से ही अन्नका संग्रह करते थे। वे मुनि स्त्री और पुत्रके साथ रहकर पंद्रह दिनमें जैसे कबूतर दाने चुगता है, उसी प्रकार चुनकर एक द्रोण धानका संग्रह कर पाते थे और उसके द्वारा इष्टीकृत नामक यज्ञका अनुष्ठान करते थे। इस प्रकार परिवारसहित उन्हें पंद्रह दिनपर भोजन प्राप्त होता था

Transliteration

atithivratī kriyāvāṁś ca kāpotīṁ vṛttim āsthitaḥ | satram iṣṭīkṛtaṁ nāma samupāste mahātapāḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: He had undertaken a vow of serving guests. Steadfast in sacred duties and rich in austerity, he lived by the “pigeon-like” mode of subsistence (kāpotī-vṛtti), gathering only what was needed in small amounts. With that modest store he maintained a sacrificial observance called Iṣṭīkṛta, showing that disciplined hospitality and restrained livelihood can themselves become worship and dharma.

Word by Word

अतिथि-व्रतीone vowed to (serve) guests

क्रियावान्active; engaged in rites/works

चand

कापोतीम्pigeon-like (mode of life)

वृत्तिम्livelihood; mode of living

आस्थितःhaving adopted; having resorted to

सत्रम्a sacrificial session; sattra-sacrifice

इष्टी-कृतम्performed as an iṣṭi (offering-sacrifice)

नामnamed; called

समुपास्तेhe performs; he attends upon (ritually)

महातपाःthe great ascetic

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

an unnamed great ascetic (mahātapāḥ)

Atithi (guests)

kāpotī-vṛtti (pigeon-like livelihood)

Satra (sacrificial observance)

Iṣṭīkṛta (name of the rite)

Sandhi Notes