Shloka 16

Vyādha–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Śāpa, Vṛtta-Dharma, and Counsel Against Viṣāda

Grief

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच हन्त ते5हं समाख्यास्ये प्रश्नमेतं सुदुर्वचम्‌ । तत्त्वेन भरतश्रेष्ठ गदतस्तन्निबोध मे,मार्कण्डेयजी बोले--भरतश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हारे इस प्रश्चका विवेचन करना यद्यपि बहुत कठिन है, तो भी मैं अब इसका यथावत्‌ समाधान करूँगा। तुम मेरे मुखसे सुनो

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca: hanta te ’haṃ samākhyāsye praśnam etam sudurvacam | tattvena bharataśreṣṭha gadatas tan nibodha me ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Very well— I shall explain to you this question, though it is exceedingly difficult to answer. O best of the Bharatas, understand from me, as I speak, the matter in its true essence.”

Word by Word

• {'hanta': 'well then

• an interjection introducing a response', 'te': 'to you', 'aham (’haṃ)': 'I', 'samākhyāsye': 'I shall relate/explain fully', 'praśnam': 'question

• inquiry', 'etam': 'this', 'sudurvacam': 'very hard to express/answer

• extremely difficult to articulate', 'tattvena': 'in truth

• according to the real principle/essence', 'bharataśreṣṭha': 'O best among the Bharatas (honorific address to a descendant of Bharata)', 'gadatas': 'of me who am speaking

• as I speak', 'tat': 'that (matter/point just mentioned)', 'nibodha': 'understand

• grasp clearly', 'me': 'from me

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bharataśreṣṭha (addressee, a Bharata prince/descendant)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a moral or philosophical question is difficult, it should be addressed by seeking and stating the truth (tattva) clearly, with careful explanation from a qualified teacher.

What is happening in the narrative?

The sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins his reply to a challenging question posed by a Bharata prince, promising to explain it fully and urging the listener to attend to the true essence of the matter.