Shloka 41
Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Indra’s Intended Request
Kuṇḍala–Kavaca Discourse
मयस्य किल दैत्यस्य तदासीद्ू वेश्म राघव । तत्र प्रभावती नाम तपो$तप्यत तापसी,'रघुनन्दन! वह सुन्दर भवन दैत्यराज मयका निवासस्थान बताया जाता है। उसमें प्रभावती नामकी एक तपस्विनी तप कर रही थी
mayasya kila daityasya tad āsīd veśma rāghava | tatra prabhāvatī nāma tapo 'tapyata tāpasī ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O Rāghava, that splendid mansion was said to be the dwelling of the Daitya Maya. There, a female ascetic named Prabhāvatī was engaged in severe austerities.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral power of tapas: even within a Daitya’s splendid residence, an ascetic life of self-discipline and spiritual striving can be present, suggesting that dharmic effort is not confined by place or surrounding influences.
Mārkaṇḍeya identifies a beautiful mansion as belonging to the Daitya Maya and notes that within it a woman ascetic, Prabhāvatī, is performing austerities—setting the scene for a subsequent episode involving her tapas and its consequences.