Shloka 20

Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)

Devanagari script

अन्तर्हितं विदित्वा तं बहुमायं च राक्षसम्‌

Transliteration

antarhitaṃ viditvā taṃ bahumāyaṃ ca rākṣasam

Translation

彼が姿をくらませたと知り、また多くの幻術に長けた羅刹であると見抜いたとき、マールカンデーヤはこの場面を、警覚と見極めを要する瞬間として語る。悪が幻により身を隠すなら、まずその覆いを見破ってから、正しき道（ダルマ）にかなう行いをなすべきである。

Word by Word

• अन्तर्हितम्: hidden, concealed
• अन्तर्हितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्हित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विदित्वा: having known, having understood
• विदित्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बहुमायम्: possessing many magical powers
• बहुमायम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुमाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राक्षसम्: the demon (rakshasa)
• राक्षसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• rākṣasa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights viveka (discernment): when confronted with concealed wrongdoing and illusion, ethical action begins with correctly recognizing the nature of the threat—seeing through māyā rather than reacting blindly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya notes that the figure has become hidden and identifies him as a rākṣasa endowed with many deceptive powers, setting up the next response to an unseen, illusion-using adversary.