Shloka 43

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

अपध्याता च विप्रेण न्‍्यपतद्‌ धरणीतले । यह देख ब्राह्मण क्रोधित हो गया और उस पक्षीकी ओर दृष्टि डालकर उसका अनिष्टचिन्तन करने लगा। उसने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर उस बगुलीको देखा और उसका अनिष्टचिन्तन किया था, अतः वह पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ी,न तु तत्त्वेन भगवन्‌ धर्म वेत्सीति मे मतिः । यदि विप्र न जानीषे धर्म परमकं द्विज

Transliteration

apadhyātā ca vipreṇa nyapatad dharaṇītale | na tu tattvena bhagavan dharma vetsīti me matiḥ | yadi vipra na jānīṣe dharma paramakaṃ dvija ||

Translation

«Y el ave cayó a tierra por el pensamiento hostil del brāhmaṇa. Sin embargo, venerable señor, es mi parecer que no comprendes de verdad el dharma en su esencia. Si tú, oh brāhmaṇa, no conoces el dharma supremo…»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'apadhyātā', 'definition': 'one who is ill-willed

• one who meditates on another’s harm (malevolent intention)'}, {'term': 'vipreṇa', 'definition': 'by the brahmin (instrumental singular of vipra)'}, {'term': 'nyapatat', 'definition': 'fell down'}, {'term': 'dharaṇītale', 'definition': 'on the surface of the earth

• on the ground'}, {'term': 'na tu', 'definition': 'but not

• however not'}, {'term': 'tattvena', 'definition': 'in truth

• as it really is'}, {'term': 'bhagavan', 'definition': 'venerable one

• revered sir (address)'}, {'term': 'dharma', 'definition': 'righteous duty

• right conduct'}, {'term': 'vetsi', 'definition': 'you know

• you understand'}, {'term': 'me matiḥ', 'definition': 'my opinion

• my understanding'}, {'term': 'yadi', 'definition': 'if'}, {'term': 'na jānīṣe', 'definition': 'you do not know'}, {'term': 'paramakam', 'definition': 'supreme

• highest (here qualifying dharma)'}, {'term': 'dvija', 'definition': 'twice-born

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Markandeya
• vipra (brahmin)
• baka (crane/heron-like bird)
• dharaṇī (earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Outer status or learning does not guarantee true understanding of dharma; anger and harmful intent can corrupt one’s conduct, so self-control and insight into dharma’s essence are essential.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brahmin, enraged at a bird, fixes it with a harmful thought and it drops to the ground; the speaker then challenges him, saying he does not truly know dharma in its essence and begins to instruct him about the highest dharma.