Shloka 24
Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext
Dvaita-vana
अभिनन्दस्व न: सर्वा: प्रस्नुता: स्नेहविक्लवा: । तासां तद् वचन श्र॒ुत्वा पातुकाम: स्तानान् प्रभु:,“देखो, हम पुत्र-स्नेहसे विकल हो रही हैं, हमारे स्तनोंसे दूध झर रहा है इसे पीकर हम सबको सम्मानित और आनन्दित करो।” मातृकाओंकी यह बात सुनकर समर्थ स्कन्दके मनमें उनके स्तनपानकी इच्छा जाग्रत हो गयी
abhinandasva naḥ sarvāḥ prasnutāḥ snehaviklavāḥ | tāsāṃ tad vacanaṃ śrutvā pātukāmaḥ stanān prabhuḥ ||
Markandeya said: “Honor and gladden us all. Overcome by motherly affection, our breasts are flowing with milk; drink it and thereby satisfy and bless us.” Hearing the mothers’ words, the mighty Skanda felt the desire to nurse at their breasts. The episode frames maternal love as a sacred, nourishing force and portrays the child’s acceptance as a way of honoring and fulfilling that protective affection.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the sanctity of maternal love (sneha) as a dharmic, life-sustaining power: to accept and honor such affection is itself a form of respect and blessing, not mere indulgence.
The mother-figures (mātṛkāḥ), overwhelmed with affection and lactating, request that Skanda drink their milk to honor and satisfy them; upon hearing this, Skanda feels the desire to nurse.