Mahabharata 3.299.8 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 299, Shloka 8

Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment

Devanagari script

मुहूतदिव चापश्यत्‌ पुरुष॑ रक्तवाससम्‌ । बद्धमौलिं वपुष्मन्तमादित्यसमतेजसम्‌

Transliteration

muhūrtam iva cāpaśyat puruṣaṁ raktavāsasam | baddhamauliṁ vapuṣmantam ādityasamatejasam ||

Translation

ມາຣະກັນເດຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ພຽງແຕ່ຊົ່ວຂະນະ ນາງໄດ້ເຫັນບຸລຸດທິບພະອົງໜຶ່ງປາກົດ—ນຸ່ງຜ້າສີແດງ, ມັດສິຣະດັ່ງມົງກຸດ, ຮູບກາຍອັນສົມບູນ ແລະສ່ອງສະຫວ່າງເທົ່າດວງອາທິດ».

Word by Word

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अपश्यत्: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरुषम्: a man/person
• पुरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रक्तवाससम्: wearing red garments
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त-वासस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बद्धमौलिम्: with the head/diadem bound (wearing a bound crown/topknot)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध-मौलि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वपुष्मन्तम्: possessing a (splendid) body
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वपुष्मत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदित्यसमतेजसम्: having radiance equal to the Sun
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य-सम-तेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• a divine man (puruṣa)
• Āditya (the Sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a moral test: when a radiant, fearsome divine agent of destiny appears, dharma is measured by steadiness, truthfulness, and courage in the face of death and inevitability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a sudden vision: a powerful, sun-bright divine figure in red garments appears. In the broader episode (Sāvitrī–Satyavān), this description anticipates the arrival of Yama to claim Satyavān’s life.