Shloka 35

Araṇi Lost to the Deer: Pāṇḍavas Pursue to Preserve Agnihotra (अरणी-हरण प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

अप्रदाता पिता वाच्यो वाच्यश्वानुपयन्‌ पति: । मृते भर्तरि पुत्तश्न वाच्यो मातुररक्षिता,“विवाहके योग्य हो जानेपर कनन्‍्याका दान न करनेवाला पिता निन्दनीय है। ऋतुकालमें पत्नीके साथ समागम न करनेवाला पति निन्दाका पात्र है तथा पतिके मर जानेपर विधवा माताकी रक्षा न करनेवाला पुत्र धिक्‍कारके योग्य है"

Transliteration

aprādātā pitā vācyaḥ vācyaś cānupayan patiḥ | mṛte bhartari putraś ca vācyo mātur arakṣitā ||

Translation

マールカンデーヤは言った。「娘が婚姻にふさわしい年頃となったのに嫁がせぬ父は非難されるべきである。しかるべき時節に妻に近づかぬ夫もまた非難されるべきである。さらに夫が亡き後、母を守らぬ息子も同様に譴責に値する。」

Word by Word

अप्रदाताnot giving (one who does not give)

पिताfather

वाच्यःto be censured / blameworthy

चand

अनुपयन्not going to / not approaching (esp. sexually approaching)

पतिःhusband

मृतेwhen (he is) dead

भर्तरिin/when the husband (is dead)

पुत्रःson

वाच्यःto be censured / blameworthy

मातुःof (his) mother

अरक्षिताnot protecting / one who does not protect

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

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 lays out three household (gṛhastha) obligations: a father must arrange a timely marriage for an eligible daughter; a husband must fulfill conjugal duty at the appropriate time; and a son must protect and support his mother after the father’s death. Neglect of these is treated as adharma and socially censurable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Mārkaṇḍeya’s discourse, he states normative rules of conduct for family life, using a triad of examples (father–husband–son) to emphasize responsibility toward dependents and the maintenance of social and moral order.