Shloka 12

Sāvitrī’s Report and Nārada’s Prognosis (सावित्र्याख्यान—सत्यवान्-गुणवर्णनं तथा अल्पायुषः पूर्वसूचना)

Devanagari script

नियन्तारमसाधूनां गोप्तारं धर्मचारिणाम्‌ | धृतिमन्तमनाधृष्यं जेतारमपराजितम्‌

Transliteration

niyantāram asādhūnāṃ goptāraṃ dharmacāriṇām | dhṛtimantam anādhṛṣyaṃ jetāram aparājitam ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Ia pengekang orang-orang durjana dan pelindung mereka yang menapaki dharma—teguh dalam ketabahan, tak tersentuh, penakluk yang tak dapat dikalahkan.”

Word by Word

• नियन्तारम्: controller, restrainer
• नियन्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियन्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असाधूनाम्: of the wicked
• असाधूनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: असाधु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गोप्तारम्: protector
• गोप्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मचारिणाम्: of those who practice dharma
• धर्मचारिणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• धृतिमन्तम्: steadfast, patient
• धृतिमन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृतिमन्त्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनाधृष्यम्: unassailable, not to be overpowered
• अनाधृष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाधृष्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जेतारम्: conqueror
• जेतारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जेतृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपराजितम्: unconquered, undefeated
• अपराजितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपराजित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rāma (implied by the surrounding narrative in the provided passage)
• Daśaratha (in the surrounding narrative in the provided passage)
• Kauśalyā (in the surrounding narrative in the provided passage)
• Indra (as a comparison in the surrounding narrative in the provided passage)
• Bṛhaspati (as a comparison in the surrounding narrative in the provided passage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines righteous power: a true leader restrains the wicked and protects dharma-practitioners, combining moral purpose with unwavering fortitude and invincibility. Strength is portrayed as legitimate when it serves ethical order (dharma) rather than personal gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is praising the hero’s qualities in a compact set of epithets—depicting him as a guardian of the righteous and a check on wrongdoing, endowed with steadfast courage and undefeated prowess—within a broader descriptive passage celebrating Rāma’s excellence.