Shloka 16

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Consolation to the King: Exempla of Rāma and the Efficacy of Allies (मार्कण्डेयाश्वासनम्)

Devanagari script

अतिष्ठदेकपादेन सहस््रं परिवत्सरान्‌ | वायुभक्षो दशग्रीव: पञ्चाग्नि: सुसमाहित:,रावण सहस्रों वर्षोतक एक पैरसे खड़ा रहा। वह चित्तको एकाग्र रखकर पंचाग्निसेवन करता और वायु पीकर रहता था

Transliteration

atiṣṭhad ekapādena sahasraṁ parivatsarān | vāyubhakṣo daśagrīvaḥ pañcāgniḥ susamāhitaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Mārkaṇḍeya: Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) permaneció en pie sobre un solo pie durante mil años. Viviendo únicamente del aire, practicó la austeridad de los cinco fuegos con la mente perfectamente concentrada: imagen de un tapas extremo que, aunque poderoso, advierte también que la fuerza espiritual sin recta intención puede volverse un peligro para el mundo.

Word by Word

अतिष्ठत्stood

एकपादेनwith one foot

सहस्रम्a thousand

परिवत्सरान्years (cycles of years)

वायुभक्षःair-eating; living on air

दशग्रीवःthe ten-necked one (Rāvaṇa)

पञ्चाग्निःone practicing the five-fires austerity

सुसमाहितःwell-concentrated; fully composed

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

pañcāgni (five fires austerity)

vāyu (air)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immense potency of tapas (austerity) and mental concentration, while implicitly reminding that such power must be guided by dharma; otherwise, spiritual achievements can amplify ego and harm rather than uplift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes Rāvaṇa’s extraordinary penance: standing on one foot for a thousand years, subsisting on air, and performing the five-fire austerity with unwavering concentration—setting the stage for the boons and consequences that follow from such tapas.