Shloka 28

द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः

Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct

Devanagari script

मृत: श्रूयेत यो जीव: परेयु: पशवो यदा । इष्टिरशकपालेन कार्या सुरभिमतेडग्नये,यदि किसी प्राणीका मृत्युसूचक विलाप आदि सुनायी दे अथवा कुक्कुर आदि पशु उस अग्निका स्पर्श कर लें, उस दशामें मिट्टीके आठ पुरवोंमें संस्कृत पुरोडाशद्वारा सुरभिमान्‌ नामक अग्निकी प्रसन्नताके लिये होम करना चाहिये

Transliteration

mṛtaḥ śrūyeta yo jīvaḥ pareyūḥ paśavo yadā | iṣṭir aśakapālena kāryā surabhimate ’gnaye ||

Translation

マールカンデーヤは言った。「生ある者の死の兆し――嘆きの声など――を聞いたとき、あるいは犬などの獣がその聖なる火に触れたときは、その場合、贖罪の供犠を行うべきである。すなわち、土の器八枚に調えたプuroḍāśaをもって iṣṭi を修し、‘スラビマーン（Surabhimān）’と名づけられるアグニにホーマを捧げて歓喜させよ。」

Word by Word

मृतःdead

श्रूयेतshould be heard / is heard (as a possibility)

यःwho

जीवःa living being

परेयुःshould go away / might depart

पशवःanimals

यदाwhen

इष्टिःsacrificial offering/rite (iṣṭi)

अष्टकपालेनwith (a rite using) eight potsherds

कार्याto be done / should be performed

सुरभिमतेfor Surabhimat (named Agni)

अग्नयेfor Agni

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Agni (Surabhimān)

puroḍāśa

iṣṭi

aṣṭa-kapāla (eight earthen dishes)

dogs (as representative animals)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches ritual responsibility: when inauspicious signs or impurity affect a sacred fire, one should restore sanctity through a prescribed expiatory offering, emphasizing careful maintenance of dharma in household and sacrificial practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya instructs what to do if death-omens are heard or if animals touch the ritual fire: perform an iṣṭi/homa using an eight-dish puroḍāśa to propitiate Agni under the epithet Surabhimān, thereby removing the fault and reestablishing auspiciousness.