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Shloka 1

धर्मव्याधोपदेशः

Dharma-vyādha’s Instruction on Śiṣṭācāra and Dharma

Devanagari script

ऑरड.2 23: | हि 7 7 सप्तनवर्त्याधेकशततमो< ध्याय: इन्द्र और अग्निद्वारा राजा शिबिकी परीक्षा मार्कण्डेय उवाच देवानां कथा संजाता महीतलं गत्वा महीपतिं शिबिमौशीनरं साध्वेनं शिबिं जिज्ञास्याम इति। एवं भो इत्युक्त्वा अग्नीन्द्रावुपतिछेताम्‌,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर![ एक समय देवताओंमें परस्पर यह बातचीत हुई कि “पृथ्वीपर चलकर हम उशीनरके पुत्र राजा शिबिकी श्रेष्ठताकी परीक्षा करें।' "ऐसा ही हो” यह कहकर अग्नि और इन्द्र वहाँ जानेके लिये उद्यत हुए

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca: devānāṃ kathā sañjātā mahītalaṃ gatvā mahīpatiṃ Śibim Auśīnaraṃ sādhv enaṃ Śibiṃ jijñāsyāma iti. Evaṃ bho ity uktvā Agnīndrāv upatiṣṭhetām.

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: Di antara para dewa timbul pembicaraan, “Marilah kita turun ke bumi dan menguji Raja Śibi Auśīnara, penguasa negeri; marilah kita mengetahui nilai sejati Śibi yang saleh itu.” Sambil berkata, “Demikianlah,” Agni dan Indra pun bersiap berangkat dan mendekat untuk maksud itu.

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

उवाचsaid

देवानाम्of the gods

कथाconversation; talk

संजाताarose; happened

महीतलम्the surface of the earth

गत्वाhaving gone

महीपतिम्the king; lord of the earth

शिबिम्Shibi

औशीनरम्son/descendant of Uśīnara

साधुwell; rightly; good

एनम्him

शिबिम्Shibi

जिज्ञास्यामःwe shall ascertain; we shall test/know

इतिthus (quotative)

एवम्so; thus

भोःO! (vocative particle)

इतिthus

उक्त्वाhaving said

अग्निAgni

इन्द्रौIndra (together with another; dual used with Agni as a pair in context)

उपतिष्ठेताम्set out; approached; went near

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Devas

Śibi (Auśīnara)

Agni

Indra

Mahītala (Earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is not merely proclaimed but proven through conduct; even the gods may ‘test’ a ruler to reveal steadfast righteousness, integrity, and compassion as the measure of kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya introduces the episode in which the gods, specifically Agni and Indra, decide to descend to earth to examine King Śibi Auśīnara’s virtue and resolve, setting the stage for a moral trial.