Shloka 31

पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control

Devanagari script

उत्सादनार्थ लोकानां धुन्धुर्नाम महासुर:

Transliteration

utsādanārthaṁ lokānāṁ dhundhur nāma mahāsuraḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “For the purpose of destroying the worlds, there was a mighty asura named Dhundhu.”

Word by Word

• उत्सादनार्थम्: for the destruction
• उत्सादनार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सादन-अर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• धुन्धुः: Dhundhu (name of an asura)
• धुन्धुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुन्धु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name / named
• नाम: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• महासुरः: the great demon
• महासुरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dhundhu
• lokāḥ (the worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames destructive power as a moral and cosmic danger: beings driven by the aim of annihilating the worlds embody adharma, and their emergence sets the stage for the necessity of righteous protection and restoration of order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya introduces a formidable asura named Dhundhu, characterized by an intent to devastate the worlds, initiating a mythic episode about a looming threat that must be confronted.