Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्रदाय च धन प्रीत: पुत्रेभ्य: प्रयतात्मवान्‌ । तप: समभिसंधाय वनमेवान्वपद्यत,फिर मनपर संयम रखनेवाले वे महामुनि पुत्रोंको प्रसन्नतापूर्वक वह सारा धन बाँटकर तपस्याका शुभ संकल्प मनमें लेकर वनमें ही चले गये

Transliteration

pradāya ca dhanaṁ prītaḥ putrebhyaḥ prayatātmavān | tapaḥ samabhisandhāya vanam evānvapadyata ||

Translation

Having gladly distributed his wealth to his sons, that great sage—self-controlled and disciplined—formed the auspicious resolve to undertake austerities and withdrew into the forest itself. The verse highlights the ethical ideal of renunciation after fulfilling household duties: giving without attachment, then turning the mind toward spiritual practice.

Word by Word

• प्रदाय: having given/distributed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रीतः: pleased, satisfied
• प्रीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्री (धातु) / प्रीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past participle)

• पुत्रेभ्यः: to (his) sons
• पुत्रेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• प्रयतात्मवान्: one whose self is disciplined
• प्रयतात्मवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत-आत्मन्-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समभिसंधाय: having resolved/undertaken (in mind)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अभि-संधा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having resolved/undertaken)

• वनम्: the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अन्वपद्यत: went to, resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Third, Singular, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)
• पुत्र (sons)
• धन (wealth)
• वन (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should fulfill responsibilities to family without attachment—here, by distributing wealth to one’s sons—and then, with self-control, turn toward higher spiritual aims through tapas. The ethical emphasis is on disciplined renunciation grounded in duty rather than escapism.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a great sage who, after happily giving his property to his sons, makes a deliberate vow to practice austerities and departs for the forest to live an ascetic life.