Shloka 80

युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयस्य राजेन्द्र तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम्‌

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyasya rājendra tīrtham āsādya durlabham | rājendra gomatyāḥ gaṅgāyāś ca lokavikhyāta-saṅgamasya samīpe mārkaṇḍeyajī-kṛtaṃ durlabhaṃ tīrtham asti | tatra gatvā manuṣyo 'gniṣṭoma-yajñasya phalaṃ prāpnoti sva-kulasya ca uddhāraṃ karoti |

Translation

ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର! ଗୋମତୀ ଓ ଗଙ୍ଗାର ଲୋକବିଖ୍ୟାତ ସଙ୍ଗମ ସମୀପରେ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ ଋଷିଙ୍କ ଏକ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ ତୀର୍ଥ ଅଛି। ସେଠାକୁ ଯାଇ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଅଗ୍ନିଷ୍ଟୋମ ଯଜ୍ଞର ଫଳ ପାଏ ଏବଂ ନିଜ କୁଳର ଉଦ୍ଧାରର କାରଣ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयस्य: of Markandeya
• मार्कण्डेयस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya (Purvakala)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (of तीर्थम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Gomatī (river)
• Gaṅgā (river)
• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Tīrtha (pilgrimage site)
• Agniṣṭoma-yajña

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Pilgrimage to a sanctified place connected with a great ṛṣi is presented as a dharmic act whose merit can equal major Vedic sacrifices, and that merit is understood to benefit not only the individual but also one’s family line.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ghūlastya is guiding the king through a catalogue of sacred places, pointing out a rare tīrtha of Mārkaṇḍeya located near the celebrated confluence of the Gomati and Gaṅgā, and describing the spiritual rewards of visiting it.