Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ददाह भरतश्रेष्ठ सर्वलोकभवाय वै | सो<स्त्रेण दग्ध्वा राजर्षि: कुवलाश्वञो महासुरम्‌

Transliteration

dadāha bharataśreṣṭha sarvalokabhavāya vai | so 'streṇa dagdhvā rājarṣiḥ kuvalāśvo mahāsuram ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O best of the Bharatas, for the welfare of all the worlds, the royal sage Kuvalāśva burned that great Asura; having scorched him with his weapon, he removed the menace that threatened the common good.”

Word by Word

ददाहburned

भरतश्रेष्ठःthe best of the Bharatas

सर्वलोकभवायfor the welfare/benefit of all worlds

वैindeed

सःhe

अस्त्रेणwith a weapon (missile)

दग्ध्वाhaving burned

राजर्षिःthe royal sage

कुवलाश्वःKuvalāśva

महासुरम्the great demon

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Bharata (as a lineage/people, in the vocative epithet)

Kuvalāśva

Mahāsura (a great Asura)

Astra (weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the king’s violent act as dharmic when undertaken for sarvaloka-bhava—universal welfare. Power and weapons are ethically justified only when used to remove a grave threat and restore order, not for personal gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya recounts how the royal sage Kuvalāśva destroyed a formidable Asura by means of an astra. The act is presented as a protective deed performed for the good of all worlds.