Shloka 10
Āraṇyaka-parva Adhyāya 277 — Sāvitrī-Upākhyāna: Aśvapati’s Vows and Sāvitrī’s Birth; Search for a Suitable Husband Begins
पितामहवच: श्रुत्वा गन्धर्वी दुन्दुभी ततः । मन्थरा मानुषे लोके कुब्जा समभवत् तदा,पितामहकी बात सुनकर गन्धर्वी दुन्दुभी मनुष्यलोकमें आकर मन्थरा नामसे प्रसिद्ध कुबड़ी दासी हुई
pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā gandharvī dundubhī tataḥ | mantharā mānuṣe loke kubjā samabhavat tadā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Hearing the words of the Grandfather (Brahmā), the Gandharva-woman Dundubhī then came to the human world and at that time became a hunchbacked maidservant, known by the name Mantharā. The verse underscores how a divine decree can redirect a being’s station and identity, presenting transformation and consequence as part of a larger moral order.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of divine ordinance and karmic consequence: a celestial being’s status can change drastically when higher authority (Pitāmaha/Brahmā) determines a new course, reminding readers that actions and decrees within the cosmic order can reshape identity and destiny.
Mārkaṇḍeya explains that the Gandharva-woman Dundubhī, after hearing Pitāmaha’s words, descends to the human realm and becomes a hunchbacked maidservant known as Mantharā.