Shloka 4

Devanagari script

समिद्धो5ग्नि: शिरस्तस्य बाहू सूर्यनिभौ तथा । त्वड्नेत्रे च सुवर्णाभे कृष्णे जड्घे च भारत,भारत! उसका मस्तक प्रज्वलित अग्निके समान जगमगा रहा था, दोनों भुजाएँ प्रभाकरकी प्रभाके समान थीं, दोनों आँखें तथा त्वचा--सुवर्णके समान देदीप्यमान हो रही थीं और उस पुरुषकी पिण्डलियाँ काले रंगकी दिखायी देती थीं

Transliteration

samiddho 'gniḥ śirastasya bāhū sūryanibhau tathā | tvag-netre ca suvarṇābhe kṛṣṇe jaṅghe ca bhārata ||

Translation

ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಭಾರತ! ಅವನ ಶಿರಸ್ಸು ಹೊತ್ತಿಕೊಂಡ ಅಗ್ನಿಯಂತೆ ಜ್ವಲಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು; ಎರಡೂ ಭುಜಗಳು ಸೂರ್ಯನಂತೆ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು. ಅವನ ಚರ್ಮವೂ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳೂ ಚಿನ್ನದಂತೆ ಹೊಳೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು; ಆದರೆ ಅವನ ಜಂಘೆಗಳು ಕಪ್ಪಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು.

Word by Word

समिद्धःkindled, blazing

अग्निःfire

शिरःhead

तस्यof him/its

बाहूtwo arms

सूर्यनिभौsun-like

तथाand likewise

त्वक्skin

नेत्रेtwo eyes

चand

सुवर्णाभेgolden, gold-hued

कृष्णेblack

जङ्घेtwo shanks/legs (from knee to ankle)

चand

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee)

Agni (fire, as simile)

Sūrya (sun, as simile)

Suvarṇa (gold, as simile)

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 highlights discernment: extraordinary beings or events may present mixed outward signs, so one should not judge hastily by appearance but attend carefully to meaning, context, and dharmic implications.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing the striking physical features of a remarkable person—head like blazing fire, arms like the sun, eyes and skin like gold, but dark shanks—using vivid similes to convey awe and otherworldly presence.