Shloka 27
द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः
Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct
अग्निं रजस्वला वै स्त्री संस्पृशेदग्निहोत्रिकम् । इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कार्या वसुमते5ग्नये,यदि अनि्निहोत्र सम्बन्धी अग्निको कोई रजस्वला स्त्री छू दे तो वसुमान् अग्निके लिये मिट्टीके आठ पुरवोंमें संस्कृत चरुद्वारा आहुति देनी चाहिये
agniṁ rajasvalā vai strī saṁspṛśed agnihotrikam | iṣṭir aṣṭākapālena kāryā vasumate 'gnaye |
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Jika seorang wanita yang sedang haid menyentuh api suci yang berkaitan dengan upacara Agnihotra, maka hendaklah dilakukan iṣṭi sebagai penebusan: menggunakan aṣṭākapāla (lapan bekas tanah) dan mempersembahkan caru (bubur suci yang telah disucikan) sebagai oblation kepada Agni dengan gelaran Vasumat.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that when the sanctity of the Agnihotra fire is ritually compromised (here, by contact with a menstruating woman), dharma prescribes a defined corrective rite—an iṣṭi in an eight-shard vessel offered to Agni (as Vasumat)—to restore ritual order and continuity.
Mārkaṇḍeya is laying down a rule of ritual conduct and expiation within a broader dharma-oriented discourse: he specifies what should be done if the Agnihotra-associated fire is touched in a condition considered ritually impure.