Shloka 9

मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction

Devanagari script

मधुकैटभयो: पुत्रो धुन्धुर्भीमपराक्रम: । शेते लोकविनाशाय तपोबलमुपाश्रित:

Transliteration

madhukaiṭabhayoḥ putro dhundhur bhīmaparākramaḥ | śete lokavināśāya tapobalam upāśritaḥ ||

Translation

ಮಧು-ಕೈಟಭರ ಪುತ್ರನಾದ ಭೀಮಪರಾಕ್ರಮಿ ಧುಂಧು, ತಪೋಬಲವನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿ, ಲೋಕವಿನಾಶಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಶಯನಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ।

Word by Word

मधुof Madhu

कैटभयोःand of Kaiṭabha

पुत्रःson

धुन्धुःDhundhu (proper name)

भीमपराक्रमःof terrible valor

शेतेlies (reclines)

लोकविनाशायfor the destruction of the worlds

तपोबलम्power of austerity

उपाश्रितःhaving resorted to / relying on

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Madhu

Kaiṭabha

Dhundhu

loka (the worlds)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity (tapas) can generate immense power, but when driven by destructive intent it becomes a threat to cosmic order; strength gains ethical meaning only when aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya identifies Dhundhu—born of Madhu and Kaiṭabha—as a fearsome being lying in repose, empowered by ascetic force and poised for world-destruction, setting up the need for a dharmic response to avert catastrophe.