Shloka 23
Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Tested by Indra and Blessed by Nara-Nārāyaṇa
हुत्वाग्निं समुपासीनं ददृशु: शक्रकिङ्करा: । मीलिताक्षं दुराधर्षं मूर्तिमन्तमिवानलम् ॥ २३ ॥
hutvāgniṁ samupāsīnaṁ dadṛśuḥ śakra-kiṅkarāḥ mīlitākṣaṁ durādharṣaṁ mūrtimantam ivānalam
ಶಕ್ರನ ಸೇವಕರು ಋಷಿಯು ಯಜ್ಞಾಗ್ನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಯತ ಆಹುತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿ ಧ್ಯಾನಾಸೀನನಾಗಿ ಕುಳಿತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡರು. ಸಮಾಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳು ಮುಚ್ಚಿದ್ದವು; ಅವನು ಮೂರ್ತಿಮಂತ ಅಗ್ನಿಯಂತೆ ದುರಾಧರ್ಷನೂ ಅಜೇಯನೂ ಆಗಿ ತೋರುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು।
FAQs
This verse portrays a worshiper who, after offering into the sacred fire, sits absorbed with closed eyes and becomes “durādharṣa”—so spiritually potent that even Indra’s servants perceive him as formidable, like embodied fire.
Indra’s attendants often appear when intense austerity threatens to alter cosmic balances; here they witness the ascetic’s concentrated worship and recognize a power that is difficult to oppose.
Steady daily sādhana—worship, disciplined habits, and focused meditation—builds inner strength and clarity, making one less shaken by distractions, fear, and external pressures.