Shloka 25

द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः

Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct

Devanagari script

दक्षिणानिनिर्यदा द्वाभ्यां संसजेत तदा किल | इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कार्या वै वीतयेडग्नये,जब दक्षिणाग्निका गार्हपत्य तथा हवनीय नामक दो अग्नियोंसे संसर्ग हो जाय, तब मिट्टीके आठ पुरवोंमें संस्कारपूर्वक तैयार किये हुए पुरोडाशद्वारा “वीति” नामक अग्निके लिये आहुति देनी चाहिये

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāgnir yadā dvābhyāṃ saṃsajeta tadā kila | iṣṭir aṣṭākapālena kāryā vai vītaye ’gnaye ||

Translation

Apabila Dakṣiṇāgni bersentuhan dengan dua api lainnya—Gārhapatya dan Āhavanīya—maka hendaknya dilakukan iṣṭi dengan puroḍāśa aṣṭākapāla bagi Agni yang bernama Vīti.

Word by Word

दक्षिणाthe Dakṣiṇā fire (southern fire)

अनिनिर्यदाwhen (at the time when)

द्वाभ्याम्with two (fires)

संसजेतshould come into contact / should be in conjunction

तदाthen

किलindeed / it is said

इष्टिःa sacrifice (iṣṭi-offering/rite)

अष्टाकपालेनwith an eight-cup (eight-potshard) offering-vessel

कार्याto be performed / should be done

वैindeed / certainly

वीतयेfor Vīti (name of a fire/rite)

अग्नयेfor Agni / to the fire

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)

द

दक्षिणाग्नि (Dakṣiṇāgni)

ग

गार्हपत्य (Gārhapatya)

आ

आहवनीय (Āhavanīya)

अ

अग्नि (Agni)

व

वीति (Vīti)

अ

अष्टकपाल (aṣṭakapāla offering-dishes)

इ

इष्टि (iṣṭi rite)

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?

The verse teaches ritual responsibility: when an irregularity occurs in sacred practice (the mingling/contact of the fires), one should not ignore it but restore order through the prescribed iṣṭi offering. Ethically, it emphasizes conscientious correction and fidelity to dharma through proper remedial action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing a specific Vedic procedural rule involving the three sacred fires. If the Dakṣiṇāgni comes into contact with the other two fires (Gārhapatya and Āhavanīya), an iṣṭi using eight kapālas is to be performed, offering to the fire designated as Vīti.