Shloka 23

Adhyaya 1 — Jaimini’s Questions on the Mahabharata and the Origin of the Wise Birds

Sanskrit

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन मार्कण्डेयेन धीमता ।

प्रत्युवाचार्षिशार्दूलो विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः ॥

Transliteration

evamuktas tadā tena mārkaṇḍeyena dhīmatā /

pratyuvāca ṛṣiśārdūlo vismayotphullalocanaḥ //

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ജ്ഞാനിയായ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ ഇങ്ങനെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തപ്പോൾ, മുനികളിൽ വ്യാഘ്രസമനായ ആ ഋഷി വിസ്മയത്തിൽ വിശാലമായ കണ്ണുകളോടെ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (प्रकार/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; manner-adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय)

• uktaḥ: (being) addressed/said
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘having been said/addressed’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; time-adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• mārkaṇḍeyena: by Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• dhīmatā: wise
• dhīmatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective (विशेषण), Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; agrees with mārkaṇḍeyena

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: Verb; Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• ṛṣiśārdūlaḥ: tiger among sages
• ṛṣiśārdūlaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of sages’ + ‘tiger’); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vismaya-utphulla-locanaḥ: with eyes widened in amazement
• vismaya-utphulla-locanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक) + utphulla (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi compound (बहुव्रीहि) ‘whose eyes are widened with wonder’; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifies ṛṣiśārdūlaḥ

Speakers

• Narrator describing a sage’s reply after being addressed by Mārkaṇḍeya (frame dialogue context)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Frame narrative
• Guru-disciple (or sage-to-sage) dialogue
• Wonder as a marker of revelatory discourse

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse highlights the classical Purāṇic pedagogy: worthy instruction evokes vismaya (wonder), indicating receptivity and the dawning of insight. The ‘wise Mārkaṇḍeya’ is presented as a reliable transmitter, and the responding sage’s amazement signals the gravity or novelty of what has been said.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is primarily part of the kathā-prastāva (narrative framing) that introduces transmission of Purāṇic material. It is not itself sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita, but functions as the dialogic container within which those pañcalakṣaṇa topics are later delivered.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Eyes widened in amazement’ is a literary sign of inner opening: the listener’s consciousness expands to receive a higher account of dharma and cosmic order. The epithet ṛṣiśārdūla also encodes spiritual authority—only a ‘lion/tiger among sages’ can properly respond to and carry forward sacred discourse.