Shloka 16

Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext

Dvaita-vana

Devanagari script

अन्वजानाच्च स्वाहाया रूपान्यत्वं महामुनि: । अब्रवीच्च मुनीन्‌ सर्वान्‌ नापराध्यन्ति वै स्त्रिय:

Transliteration

anvajānācca svāhāyā rūpāṇy atvaṃ mahāmuniḥ | abravīcca munīn sarvān nāparādhyanti vai striyaḥ ||

Translation

マールカンデーヤは語った。大聖はそれらの姿がスヴァーハーのものであると見抜いた。ついで集まったすべての仙人たちに告げた。「この件において、女たちを罪人として責めてはならぬ。」

Word by Word

अन्वजानात्he permitted/assented

चand

स्वाहायाःof Svāhā

रूपाणिforms/appearances

अत्वम्the state of being A (i.e., that condition/identity)

महामुनिःthe great sage

अब्रवीत्he said/spoke

चand

मुनीन्sages

सर्वान्all

नnot

अपराध्यन्तिthey commit an offence/they are at fault

वैindeed

स्त्रियःwomen

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मार्कण्डेय (Mārkaṇḍeya)

स

स्वाहा (Svāhā)

म

महामुनि (a great sage; unnamed here)

म

मुनीन् सर्वान् (the assembled sages)

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 urges ethical restraint in assigning blame: once the true cause is understood (the forms were Svāhā’s), the sages are told not to treat women as offenders. It emphasizes discernment and fairness—fault should be attributed only after knowing the facts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya reports that a great sage realizes the appearances involved are actually Svāhā’s assumed forms. He then addresses all the sages, declaring that women should not be considered culpable in this episode.