Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 15, Shloka 68
Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell
राजोवाच नरके मानवाः धर्म पीड्यन्तेऽत्र सहस्रशः ।
त्राहीति चार्ताः क्रन्दन्ति मामतो न व्रजाम्यहम् ॥
rājovāca narake mānavā dharma pīḍyante ’tra sahasraśaḥ |
trāhīti cārtāḥ krandanti mām ato na vrajāmy aham ||
રાજાએ કહ્યું—‘હે ધર્મ, નરકમાં અહીં હજારો મનુષ્યો પીડાય છે. વ્યાકુળ લોકો “બચાવો, બચાવો!” કહીને રડે છે; તેથી હું અહીંથી નહીં જાઉં।’
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FAQs
True dharma is tested where suffering is visible. The king’s refusal models the ideal ruler as refuge (śaraṇya): he prioritizes the cries of the helpless over his own promised elevation.
Ethical exemplum within narrative (vaṃśānucarita-like). It teaches rāja-dharma and compassion rather than presenting genealogies or cosmic cycles.
Naraka can also indicate inner states of remorse, fear, and contraction. The king’s stance signifies a vow to remain present with collective suffering until transformation occurs—an archetype of salvific leadership.