Mahabharata 3.231.8 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 231, Shloka 8

Duryodhana Seized by Citraseṇa; Kaurava Petition to Yudhiṣṭhira (दुर्योधनापहारः / चित्रसेनगन्धर्वग्रहणम्)

Devanagari script

अभिजित्‌ स्पर्धमाना तु रोहिण्या अनुजा स्वसा | इच्छन्ती ज्येषछ्तां देवी तपस्तप्तुं वनं गता,“रोहिणीकी छोटी बहिन अभिजित्‌ देवी स्पर्धाके कारण ज्येष्ठता पानेकी इच्छासे तपस्या करनेके लिये वनमें चली गयी है

Transliteration

abhijit spardhamānā tu rohiṇyā anujā svasā | icchantī jyeṣṭhatāṃ devī tapas taptuṃ vanaṃ gatā ||

Translation

രോഹിണിയുടെ ഇളയ സഹോദരിയായ അഭിജിത് ദേവി മത്സരബോധം മൂലം ജ്യേഷ്ഠസ്ഥാനമാഗ്രഹിച്ചു തപസ്സിനായി വനത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• अभिजित्: Abhijit (name of a goddess/star)
• अभिजित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिजित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्पर्धमाना: competing, vying
• स्पर्धमाना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्ध् (धातु) + शानच्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रोहिण्याः: of Rohiṇī
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• अनुजा: younger sister
• अनुजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वसा: sister
• स्वसा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वसृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इच्छन्ती: desiring
• इच्छन्ती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्येष्ठताम्: seniority, the status of being eldest
• ज्येष्ठताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तप्तुम्: to perform (austerity), to practice
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: Infinitive

• वनम्: to the forest (as destination)
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गता: went, has gone
• गता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Abhijit
• Rohiṇī
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how rivalry and the craving for rank can drive one toward intense effort; it implicitly invites reflection on whether spiritual discipline (tapas) is being pursued for inner purification or for worldly status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya explains that Abhijit, Rohiṇī’s younger sister, competed with her and, wanting to attain the position of the eldest, left for the forest to perform austerities.