Shloka 52

Devanagari script

एभिश्न सहितो देवस्तत्र याति यथासुखम्‌ । अग्रतः पृष्ठतश्चैव न हि तस्य गतिर्धुुवा,इन सबके साथ महादेवजी सुखपूर्वक भद्गवटकी यात्रा कर रहे थे। वे कभी सेनाके आगे रहते और कभी पीछे। उनकी कोई निश्चित गति नहीं थी

Transliteration

ebhiś na sahito devas tatra yāti yathāsukham | agrataḥ pṛṣṭhataś caiva na hi tasya gatir dhruvā ||

Translation

Disertai semuanya itu, Sang Dewa (Mahādeva) melangkah ke sana dengan tenteram. Kadang ia berada di depan bala, kadang di belakang; geraknya tidak tetap.

Word by Word

एभिःwith these

सहितःaccompanied (together) with

देवःthe god (Mahādeva)

तत्रthere

यातिgoes, proceeds

यथाas, in the manner that

सुखम्comfort, ease

अग्रतःin front, ahead

पृष्ठतःfrom behind, at the rear

चand

एवindeed, just

नnot

हिindeed, for

तस्यof him

गतिःmovement, course

ध्रुवाfixed, definite

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Deva (Mahādeva/Śiva)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 highlights the Lord’s svātantrya (divine freedom): Śiva is not bound to a single, predictable pattern of movement or conduct. Ethically, it suggests that the divine does not conform to rigid human expectations, and that reverence includes accepting what is beyond ordinary calculation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes Mahādeva traveling along with his attendants. As the group proceeds, Śiva sometimes appears at the front and sometimes at the rear, indicating an unfixed, wondrous manner of movement.