Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच राक्षसस्तु वरं लब्ध्वा दशग्रीवो विशाम्पते | लड़कायाश्ष्यावयामास युधि जित्वा धनेश्वरम्‌,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! राक्षस दशाननने वर प्राप्त कर लेनेपर सबसे पहले अपने भाई कुबेरको युद्धमें परास्त किया और उन्हें लंकाके राज्यसे बहिष्कृत कर दिया

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca— rākṣasastu varaṁ labdhvā daśagrīvo viśāṁpate | Laṅkāyāś cyāvayāmāsa yudhi jitvā dhaneśvaram ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya dijo: «Oh señor de los hombres, aquel rākṣasa Daśagrīva, tras obtener un don, primero derrotó en batalla al Señor de la Riqueza, Kubera, y lo expulsó, despojándolo de la soberanía de Laṅkā».

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

उवाचsaid

राक्षसःthe demon

तुbut/indeed

वरम्a boon

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

दशग्रीवःthe ten-necked one (Ravana)

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people (O king)

लङ्कायाःfrom Lanka

अपश्यावयामासdrove out/expelled

युधिin battle

जित्वाhaving conquered

धनेश्वरम्the lord of wealth (Kubera)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

Kubera (Dhaneśvara)

Laṅkā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power gained through boons or extraordinary means can intensify pride and adharma; when strength is used to dispossess the rightful and attack even one’s own kin, it becomes a moral warning about unchecked ambition and the misuse of divine gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya tells the king that after receiving a boon, Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva) first fought Kubera, defeated him in battle, and expelled him—thereby seizing control of Laṅkā.