Shloka 96
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
उत्तड़कस्याश्रमाभ्याशे नि:श्वसन् पावकार्चिष: । मधु और कैटभका वह भयंकर पराक्रमी पुत्र धुन्धु तपोबलका आश्रय ले सम्पूर्ण लोकोंका विनाश करनेके लिये वहाँ मरुप्रदेशमें शयन करता था। उत्तड़कके आश्रमके पास साँस ले-लेकर वह आगकी चिनगारियाँ फैलाता था
Uttaṅkasyāśramābhyāśe niḥśvasan pāvakārcīṣaḥ | Madhu-Kaiṭabhakaḥ sa bhayaṅkara-parākramī putro Dhundhus tapobalāśrayaḥ samasta-lokānāṃ vināśāya tatra maru-pradeśe śayanaṃ cakāra | Uttaṅkasyāśrama-samīpe śvāsa-śvāsena sa agni-ciṅgārīḥ prasārayām āsa ||
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: Di dekat pertapaan Uttaṅka, makhluk yang dahsyat lagi perkasa itu—Dhundhu, putera Madhu dan Kaiṭabha—berbaring di suatu kawasan gurun, bersandar pada kekuatan tapa-brata dan berniat memusnahkan segala dunia. Berbaring hampir dengan āśrama Uttaṅka, ia menghela nafas keluar masuk, dan pada setiap hembusan nafasnya bertebaran percikan api yang menyala.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that tapas (ascetic power) is ethically neutral: when guided by dharma it protects and purifies, but when driven by destructive intent it becomes a cosmic danger. Power without restraint and right purpose turns into adharma.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a fearsome being named Dhundhu, son of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, lying in a desert near the sage Uttaṅka’s hermitage. With every breath he emits fiery sparks, and his presence threatens the safety of the āśrama and even the worlds.