Shloka 4

द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः

Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct

Devanagari script

* ऊष्मा चैवोष्मणो जज्ञे सोडग्निधूतस्य लक्ष्यते अग्निश्चापि मनुर्नाम प्राजापत्यमकारयत्‌,उन्हीं पांचजन्यसे “ऊष्मा” नामक अग्निका प्रादुर्भाव हुआ। जो समस्त प्राणियोंके शरीरमें ऊष्मा (गर्मी)-के द्वारा परिलक्षित होते हैं तथा तपके जो “मनु” नामक अग्निस्वरूप पुत्र हैं, उन्होंने 'प्राजापत्य” यज्ञ सम्पन्न कराया था

Transliteration

Ūṣmā caivoṣmaṇo jajñe so 'gnidhūtasya lakṣyate; agniś cāpi Manur nāma prājāpatyam akārayat.

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: From the very principle of heat (ūṣman) there arose the fire named Ūṣmā, perceived as the bodily warmth present in all living beings. And there was also Agni called Manu—an ascetic, fire-natured son—who performed the Prajāpatya sacrifice. The passage links cosmic fire with the inner heat that sustains life, and presents sacrificial duty as a disciplined, generative act aligned with Prajāpati’s order.

Word by Word

• {'ūṣmā (ऊष्मा)': 'heat

• also a name of a fire-deity/principle', 'ūṣman (ऊष्मन्/ऊष्मणः)': 'heat, warmth (as a principle or source)', 'jajñe (जज्ञे)': 'was born

• came into being', 'lakṣyate (लक्ष्यते)': 'is perceived

• is recognizable', 'agni (अग्नि)': 'fire

• sacrificial fire', 'Manu (मनु)': 'here, a named form of Agni

• also a progenitor figure in broader tradition', 'prājāpatya (प्राजापत्य)': 'pertaining to Prajāpati

• a class of rite/sacrifice connected with progeny and order', 'akārayat (अकारयत्)': 'caused to be performed

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)
• ऊष्मा (Ūṣmā)
• अग्नि (Agni)
• मनु (Manu)
• प्राजापत्य यज्ञ (Prājāpatya yajña)
• प्रजापति (Prajāpati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse connects the cosmic principle of Agni with the inner heat that sustains embodied life, and frames yajña (sacrifice) as a dharmic act that maintains Prajāpati’s creative order—discipline (tapas) expressed through ritual responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is recounting a lineage/account of fires: the fire named Ūṣmā arises from heat itself and is recognized as the warmth in living bodies; another form of Agni named Manu is mentioned as having carried out the Prajāpatya sacrifice.