Shloka 29
Dharma-vyādha on Parental Worship
Pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣā as Paramadaivata
बले रूपे च शौर्ये च न शमे च समो<स्ति नौ । धर्मे तपसि दाने च शीलसच्त्वदमेषु च,बल, रूप, शौर्य और मनोनिग्रहमें हमारी समता करनेवाला कोई नहीं है। धर्म, तपस्या, दान, शील, सत्त्व तथा इन्द्रियसंयममें भी हमारी कहीं तुलना नहीं है
Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca: bale rūpe ca śaurye ca na śame ca samo 'sti nau | dharme tapasi dāne ca śīla-sattva-dameṣu ca ||
മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ബലം, സൗന്ദര്യം, ശൗര്യം, ആത്മനിയമനം—ഇവയിൽ ഞങ്ങളോടു തുല്യൻ ആരുമില്ല. ധർമ്മം, തപസ്, ദാനം, ശീലം, സത്ത്വം, ഇന്ദ്രിയദമനം—ഇവയിലും എവിടെയും ഞങ്ങളോടു താരതമ്യം ചെയ്യാൻ ആരുമില്ല.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse lists classical virtues—strength, valor, self-restraint, dharma, austerity, charity, good conduct, purity, and sense-control—while also illustrating how claiming unmatched excellence can signal pride; ethically, it invites reflection on whether virtues are to be cultivated for inner discipline and service rather than for self-exaltation.
Mārkaṇḍeya speaks in a didactic context, presenting a declaration of superiority in both worldly qualities (strength, beauty, heroism) and spiritual-moral qualities (dharma, tapas, dāna, śīla, sattva, dama), setting up a moral contrast often used in Mahābhārata storytelling to test or instruct listeners about virtue and ego.