Shloka 18

Karṇa’s Counsel on Śrī

Fortune) and the Proposed Display before the Exiled Pāṇḍavas (कर्णवचनम् / श्रीप्रदर्शन-प्रस्तावः

Devanagari script

/02.. ८८222 / 222 222 3 ४; ४22८

Transliteration

ekagrīvaikajaṭharaḥ kumāraḥ samapadyata | dvitīyāyām abhivyaktas tṛtīyāyāṁ śiśur babhūva |

Translation

Dijo Mārkaṇḍeya: «Surgió un niño, con un solo cuello y un solo vientre. En la segunda etapa se manifestó con claridad, y en la tercera apareció como un infante bien formado».

Word by Word

• एकग्रीवैकजठरः: having a single neck and a single belly
• एकग्रीवैकजठरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकग्रीव-एकजठर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुमारः: the boy/prince
• कुमारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समपद्यत: came to be; became
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• द्वितीयायाम्: in the second (month/time)
• द्वितीयायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीया
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अभिव्यक्तः: manifest; clearly formed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + व्यक्त (√व्यञ्ज्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• तृतीयायाम्: in the third (month/time)
• तृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• शिशुः: the infant
• शिशुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभूव: became; was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya (speaker)
• kumāra (the child/infant)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights orderly development and manifestation—events unfold in stages, suggesting that even extraordinary births or transformations proceed according to a discernible sequence within the larger cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes the emergence and progressive formation of a child: first the child comes into being with a single neck and belly, then becomes distinctly visible in the second stage, and by the third stage appears as an infant.