Shloka 5

Devanagari script

भिन्नैश्न परुषै: पादैः सव्रणै: शोणितोक्षितै: । कुशकण्टकविद्धाड्गावुन्मत्ताविव धावत:,उनके पैरोंमें बिवाई फट गयी थी, वे कठोर हो गये थे तथा घाव हो जानेके कारण रक्तसे भींगे रहते थे, तो भी उन्हीं पैरोंसे वे दोनों दम्पति इधर-उधर पागलोंकी भाँति दौड़ रहे थे। उस समय उनके अंगोंमें कुश और काँटे बिंध गये थे

Transliteration

bhinnaiś ca paruṣaiḥ pādaiḥ savraṇaiḥ śoṇitokṣitaiḥ | kuśakaṇṭakaviddhāṅgāv unmattāv iva dhāvataḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “With their feet split and hardened, wounded and drenched in blood, the two of them still ran about like mad people. As they fled, their bodies were pierced by kuśa-grass and thorns.”

Word by Word

भिन्नैःsplit, cracked

चand

परुषैःhard, rough

पादैःwith (their) feet

सव्रणैःhaving wounds

शोणितोक्षितैःsprinkled/soaked with blood

कुशकण्टकविद्धाङ्गौwhose limbs were pierced by kuśa-grass and thorns

उन्मत्तौmad, frantic

इवas if, like

धावतःrunning

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

feet (pāda)

blood (śoṇita)

kuśa-grass (kuśa)

thorns (kaṇṭaka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the extremity of suffering and the relentless drive that can seize people in crisis; it invites compassion and reflection on how hardship tests steadiness, self-control, and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a couple fleeing or rushing about despite severe injuries: their feet are cracked and blood-soaked, and their bodies are pricked by sharp kuśa-grass and thorns, yet they continue running in a frenzy.