Shloka 10
सन्ति मे देवकन्याश्र गन्धर्वाणां च योषित: । सन्ति दानवकन्याक्ष दैत्यानां चापि योषित:,“मेरे महलमें देवताओंकी कन्याएँ, गन्धर्वोकी युवती स्त्रियाँ, दानवकिशोरियाँ तथा दैत्योंकी रमणियाँ मेरी भार्याओंके रूपमें विद्यमान हैं
santi me devakanyāś ca gandharvāṇāṁ ca yoṣitaḥ | santi dānavakanyāś ca daityānāṁ cāpi yoṣitaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “In my abode there are celestial maidens and the women of the Gandharvas; likewise there are maidens of the Dānavas and also women of the Daityas—present here as my consorts.” The statement underscores the extraordinary, otherworldly scope of the speaker’s household and status, and sets a narrative tone of marvel while implicitly raising questions about power, propriety, and the boundaries of worldly desire even amid ascetic or sacred contexts.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily conveys the speaker’s extraordinary reach across cosmic communities (devas, gandharvas, dānavas, daityas). Ethically, it invites reflection on how status and desire can extend beyond ordinary human limits, and how such claims of possession/consortship sit in tension with ideals of restraint and dharma found elsewhere in the epic.
Mārkaṇḍeya is describing the presence of various supernatural women—celestial and asuric—within his sphere, presenting them as consorts. This functions as a marvel-filled disclosure that characterizes the setting and the speaker’s exceptional position.