Previous Verse
Next Verse

Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 26

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Meets Lord Śiva: Devotee as Living Tīrtha and the Lord’s Māyā

सूत उवाच इति चन्द्रललामस्य धर्मगुह्योपबृंहितम् । वचोऽमृतायनमृषिर्नातृप्यत् कर्णयो: पिबन् ॥ २६ ॥

sūta uvāca iti candra-lalāmasya dharma-gahyopabṛṁhitam vaco ’mṛtāyanam ṛṣir nātṛpyat karṇayoḥ piban

सूत म्हणाले—चंद्रललाम भगवान् शिवांचे धर्माच्या गुह्य साराने परिपूर्ण अमृतमय वचन कानांनी पिताना मार्कंडेय ऋषी कधीही तृप्त झाले नाहीत।

sūtaḥSūta
sūtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsūta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)
candra-lalāmasyaof the moon-crested (Śiva)
candra-lalāmasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
TypeNoun
Rootcandra (प्रातिपदिक) + lalāma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (candra-lalāma = ‘moon as ornament’, epithet of Śiva); षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
dharma-guhya-upabṛṁhitamenriched with secret dharma
dharma-guhya-upabṛṁhitam:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक) + guhya (प्रातिपदिक) + upabṛṁhita (कृदन्त; √bṛṁh with upa)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; upabṛṁhita = भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘enriched/augmented’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vacaḥ)
vacaḥspeech/words
vacaḥ:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootvacas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here: द्वितीया as object of ‘piban’/also apposition)
amṛta-āyanama fountain of nectar
amṛta-āyanam:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootamṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + āyana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (amṛta-āyana = source/path of nectar); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vacaḥ)
ṛṣiḥthe sage
ṛṣiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
atṛpyatwas not satisfied
atṛpyat:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Roottṛp (धातु)
Formलङ् (imperfect/past/लङ्), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; नकार-पूर्वकः ‘न अतृप्यत्’
karṇayoḥin (his) ears
karṇayoḥ:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootkarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th), द्विवचन (dual); अत्र सप्तमी (in the ears) अधिकरणे
pibandrinking (imbibing)
piban:
Karta (कर्ता/agent participle)
TypeVerb
Rootpā (धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘drinking’ (hearing eagerly)

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi was not eager to hear himself praised by Lord Śiva, but he appreciated Lord Śiva’s deep realization of religious principles and therefore desired to hear more.

S
Sūta Gosvāmī
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī (Candralalāma)
Ś
Śaunaka Ṛṣi (implied)
S
Sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

FAQs

This verse says the sage could not be satiated, because the Bhāgavatam’s words are like a reservoir of nectar—true spiritual hearing (śravaṇam) naturally increases one’s taste rather than exhausting it.

Candralalāma means “moon-crest” or “moonlike ornament,” praising Śukadeva as the foremost among sages whose speech cools and nourishes the heart like moonlight and is rich with confidential dharma.

Make consistent time for hearing Bhāgavatam—live or recorded—treating it as daily nourishment; the verse highlights that sincere listening deepens devotion and inner satisfaction beyond ordinary entertainment.