Shloka 3
द्वैतवन-सरः प्रवेशविघ्नः
Dvaītavana Lake: Obstructed Entry
कुमारास्ते विशाखं च पितृत्वे समकल्पयन् | स भूत्वा भगवान् संख्ये रक्ष॑श्छागमुखस्तदा
kumārās te viśākhaṃ ca pitṛtve samakalpayan | sa bhūtvā bhagavān saṅkhye rakṣaś chāgamukhas tadā
Markandeya said: Those youths also appointed Viśākha to the role of their father. Then that revered being, taking form in the midst of battle as a rākṣasa with a goat’s face, acted accordingly. The episode underscores how roles and authority can be ritually or socially conferred, and how formidable power may assume fearsome forms to protect or to test the moral resolve of others.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that social and ritual authority (such as ‘fatherhood’ or guardianship) can be conferred by collective decision, and that power may manifest in intimidating forms in times of crisis—inviting reflection on rightful authority, protection, and moral steadiness amid fear.
Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that a group of youths designated Viśākha to act as their father/guardian; subsequently, a revered figure assumes a goat-faced rākṣasa form in the context of battle, indicating a dramatic transformation connected with the unfolding conflict.