Shloka 12
Rāma’s Abhiṣeka Plan, Kaikeyī’s Boon, and the Initiation of the Exile
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account
बिशभ्रच्चानियतं वेषमुन्मत्त इव पाण्डव । विकच: परुषा वाचो व्याहरन् विविधा मुनि:,पाण्डुनन्दन! दुर्वासा मुनि पागलोंकी तरह अटपटा वेष धारण किये, मूँड़ मुड़ाये और नाना प्रकारके कटु वचन बोलते हुए उस आश्रममें पधारे
bibhraś cāniyataṃ veṣam unmatta iva pāṇḍava | vikaśaḥ paruṣā vāco vyāharan vividhā muniḥ || pāṇḍunandana! durvāsā muniḥ pāgalon kī tarah aṭpaṭā veṣa dhāraṇ kiye, mūṇḍ muḍāye aur nānā prakār ke kaṭu vacan bolte hue us āśram meṃ padhāre |
Vyāsa said: “O Pāṇḍava, the sage Durvāsā arrived at that hermitage wearing an irregular, unkempt guise, like one out of his senses—his head shaven, uttering many kinds of harsh words.” The passage underscores how a great ascetic may appear outwardly disturbing or abrasive, yet his presence tests the hosts’ restraint, hospitality, and steadiness in dharma.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer appearance and abrasive speech do not always indicate inner worth; the arrival of a formidable ascetic like Durvāsā functions as a dharmic test—especially of hospitality (atithi-satkara), patience, and self-restraint in the face of provocation.
Vyāsa narrates that the sage Durvāsā comes to the hermitage in an odd, unkempt guise—shaven-headed and speaking harshly—setting the stage for a tense encounter in which the hosts’ conduct and adherence to dharma will be tested.