सूर्य–कर्णोपदेशः
Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Kīrti and the Kuṇḍala
अहं त्विमं जलनिर्धि समारप्स्याम्युपायतः । प्रतिशेष्याम्युपवसन् दर्शयिष्यति मां ततः,“मैं तो किसी उपायसे इस समुद्रकी ही आराधना आरम्भ करूँगा। इसके तटपर अन्न- जल छोड़कर धरना दूँगा। इससे यह अवश्य मुझे दर्शन देगा तथा कोई मार्ग दिखायेगा
ahaṃ tv imaṃ jalanidhiṃ samārapsyāmy upāyataḥ | pratiśeṣyāmy upavasan darśayiṣyati māṃ tataḥ ||
Markandeya said: “I shall begin, by some means, the propitiation of this very ocean. Fasting, I will sit in steadfast vigil upon its shore, renouncing food and water. Then it will surely grant me its vision and, thereafter, reveal a way forward.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
When ordinary effort fails, one may adopt disciplined tapas—fasting, restraint, and unwavering resolve—to seek guidance; the verse emphasizes purposeful austerity directed toward a clear ethical aim (finding a path), not mere self-torment.
Mārkaṇḍeya declares his plan to propitiate the ocean itself: he will undertake a vow of fasting and remain at its shore until the ocean grants him darśana and indicates a route or solution.