Shloka 24
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
देवमाल्यापनयन द्विजोच्छिष्टावमार्जनम्,नृपश्रेष्ठ! देवविग्रहोंपर चढ़े हुए चन्दन-पुष्प आदिको यथासमय उतारना, ब्राह्मणोंकी जूठन साफ करना, उन्हें चन्दन-माला आदिसे अलंकृत करना, उनकी सेवा-पूजा करना और उनके पैर आदि अंगोंको दबाना, इनमेंसे एक-एक कार्य गोदानसे भी अधिक महत्त्व रखता है
devamālyāpanayanaṃ dvijocchiṣṭāvamārjanam | nṛpaśreṣṭha! devavigrahopari caḍhe hue candana-puṣpādiko yathāsamaya utāranā, brāhmaṇoṃkī jūṭhana sāpha karanā, unheṃ candana-mālā ādisē alaṅkṛta karanā, unakī sevā-pūjā karanā aura unake pāra ādi aṅgoṃko dabanā—inmeṃse eka-eka kārya godānase bhī adhika mahattva rakhatā hai ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O best of kings, removing in due time the sandalwood, flowers, and other offerings placed upon the deity’s image; cleansing away what remains after the Brahmins have eaten; adorning them with sandal paste and garlands; serving and worshipping them; and gently massaging their feet and limbs—each one of these acts, even by itself, carries greater merit than the gift of a cow. Such service, grounded in reverence and humility, is declared a superior form of dharma.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates humble, hands-on acts of reverent service—toward the deity’s worship and toward Brahmins (cleaning, adorning, attending, massaging)—as exceptionally meritorious, even surpassing the famed merit of godāna. It frames dharma not only as grand gifts but as sustained, respectful service.
Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing a king, praising specific ritual and social duties: timely handling of offerings on the deity’s image and attentive care for Brahmins. The passage functions as ethical counsel, ranking everyday devotional and service-oriented actions as high dharma.