Shloka 26

Dharma-pratyabhijñāna and Vara-pradāna (धर्मप्रत्यभिज्ञानम्—वरप्रदानम्)

Devanagari script

संवत्सर: किंचिदूनो न निष्क्रान्ताहमाश्रमात्‌ । वन॑ कुसुमितं द्रष्ट॑ परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

saṃvatsaraḥ kiṃcidūno na niṣkrāntāham āśramāt | vanaṃ kusumitaṃ draṣṭuṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me ||

Translation

जवळजवळ एक वर्ष—थोडेसेच कमी—मी आश्रमाबाहेर गेलेली नाही. फुलांनी बहरलेले वन पाहण्याची मला फार उत्कंठा आहे.

Word by Word

संवत्सरःa year

किञ्चित्somewhat, a little

ऊनःless, short (of)

नnot

निष्क्रान्तःgone out, departed

अहम्I

आश्रमात्from the hermitage

वनम्the forest

कुसुमितम्in bloom, flowered

द्रष्टुम्to see

परम्great, intense

कौतूहलम्curiosity, eagerness

हिindeed, for

मेof me, my

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

āśrama (hermitage)

vana (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined restraint (remaining within the āśrama for nearly a year) while also portraying a natural, harmless curiosity—suggesting that ascetic steadiness can coexist with appreciative engagement with nature when it does not violate one’s vows or duties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya explains that he has stayed inside his hermitage for almost a year and now feels strong curiosity to step out and witness the forest’s blossoming, setting up a movement or transition in the surrounding story.