Shloka 53
Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Indra’s Intended Request
Kuṇḍala–Kavaca Discourse
विषण्णचेता: पप्रच्छ पुनरस्मानरिंदम । क: स राम: कथं सीता जटायुश्न॒ कथं हतः
viṣaṇṇacetāḥ papraccha punar asmān ariṃdama | kaḥ sa rāmaḥ kathaṃ sītā jaṭāyuś ca kathaṃ hataḥ ||
Then, with a mind weighed down by sorrow, the foe-subduer questioned us again: “Who is that Rāma? How is Sītā? And how was Jaṭāyu slain?” The verse frames grief turning into inquiry—seeking clarity about virtue, loss, and the causes that led to a righteous struggle.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sorrow is not merely to be endured; it can be refined into a disciplined search for truth. The verse shows grief turning toward dharmic inquiry—asking about the righteous person (Rāma), the vulnerable one (Sītā), and the cost of protection (Jaṭāyu’s death).
In Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration, a hero described as an enemy-subduer, distressed at heart, asks again for details: the identity and nature of Rāma, Sītā’s condition, and the circumstances of Jaṭāyu’s killing—setting up further explanation of the Rāma-story episode.