Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

ता: सदा तं महात्मानं संतोषयितुमुद्यता: । ऋषिं भरतशार्दूल नृत्यगीतविशारदा:,भरतमश्रेष्ठ! वे तीनों ही नाचने और गानेकी कलामें निपुण थीं तथा सदा ही उन महात्मा महर्षिको संतुष्ट रखनेके लिये सचेष्ट रहती थीं ॥॥|॥॥॥/ / ५५५५ ॥॥॥॥॥॥॥५/७ ३३७॥

Transliteration

tāḥ sadā taṃ mahātmānaṃ santoṣayitum udyatāḥ | ṛṣiṃ bharataśārdūla nṛtyagītaviśāradāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Mārkaṇḍeya: Aquellas mujeres, siempre empeñadas en complacer a ese sabio magnánimo, se ocupaban sin cesar en satisfacerlo. Oh tigre entre los Bhāratas, eran muy diestras en la danza y el canto, y se esforzaban continuamente por mantener contento al ṛṣi: imagen de un servicio disciplinado ofrecido a la excelencia espiritual, y no al mero deleite.

Word by Word

ताःthey (those women)

सदाalways

तम्him

महात्मानम्the great-souled one

संतोषयितुम्to please / to satisfy

उद्यताःintent / ready / striving

ऋषिम्the sage

भरतशार्दूलO tiger among the Bharatas

नृत्यगीतविशारदाःskilled in dance and song

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)

ऋ

ऋषि (the sage, unnamed in this verse)

भ

भरतशार्दूल (address to the listener, likely Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined, respectful service (sevā) directed toward a spiritually eminent person: skill and art (dance and song) become ethically meaningful when used with restraint and the intention to support dharma and the well-being of the worthy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Markandeya describes three women who are proficient in dance and song and who continually strive to keep a great sage pleased, indicating their ongoing attendance and efforts to satisfy him.