Shloka 39

Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi

Sanskrit

वामपार्श्वस्थितामिष्टामशेषजगतां शुभाम् ।

भाऱ्याञ्चास्य सुचार्वङ्गीं लक्ष्मीमिन्दुनिभाननाम् ॥

Transliteration

vāmapārśvasthitām iṣṭām aśeṣajagatāṃ śubhām | bhāryāṃ cāsya sucārvaṅgīṃ lakṣmīm indunibhānanām ||

Translation

ಅವನ ಎಡಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ಅವನ ಪ್ರಿಯ ಪತ್ನಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡರು—ಸರ್ವಲೋಕಗಳಿಗೆ ಮಂಗಳಕರಳಾದವಳನ್ನು—ಸುಂದರಾಂಗಿಯನ್ನು, ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯಂತೆ, ಚಂದ್ರಪ್ರಭ ಮುಖವಳನ್ನು।

Word by Word

• वामपार्श्वस्थिताम्: standing at the left side
• वामपार्श्वस्थिताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma-pārśva-sthitā (प्रातिपदिक: vāma + pārśva + sthitā)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies (लक्ष्मीम्/भार्याम्)

• इष्टाम्: beloved/desired
• इष्टाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle from iṣ/इष्)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• अशेषजगताम्: of all the worlds
• अशेषजगताम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśeṣa-jagat (प्रातिपदिक: aśeṣa + jagat)
• Form: Neuter stem जगत् used as collective; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन) in sense of 'of all worlds/beings'

• शुभाम्: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• अस्य: of him/his
• अस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• सुचार्वङ्गीम्: having very lovely limbs
• सुचार्वङ्गीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-cāru-aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक: su + cāru + aṅgī)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• लक्ष्मीम्: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• इन्दुनिभाननाम्: moon-like-faced
• इन्दुनिभाननाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: indu-nibhā-ānanā (प्रातिपदिक: indu + nibhā + ānanā)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Garga (narrator) within the Markandeya Purana’s narrative frame

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Lakṣmī (by simile/quality)

Shakti Aspects

• Lakṣmī (as comparison/quality; not the Devi Māhātmyam battlefield goddess-forms)

Key Themes

• Auspiciousness
• Illusory allure
• Rūpa (form) as temptation
• Fortune/splendour

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Beauty and auspiciousness, when viewed through desire, can become a cause of downfall. The text prepares the ethical critique of the Daityas’ intention: they shift from their ‘mission’ to indulgent appropriation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily narrative instruction (dharma via story). It does not enumerate cosmology or genealogy here, but contributes to the Purāṇic method of teaching through exempla.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘left-side’ consort can be read as the manifest śrī (splendour/fortune) accompanying realized consciousness. For the unpurified mind, śrī appears as an object to seize rather than a principle to honour.