Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 23, Shloka 15
Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati
मयारिशातनं कार्यं राज्ञः शुश्रूषणं पितुः ।
जीवितं तस्य चायत्तं सन्त्याज्यं तत्कथं मया ॥
mayāriśātanaṃ kāryaṃ rājñaḥ śuśrūṣaṇaṃ pituḥ / jīvitaṃ tasya cāyattaṃ santyājyaṃ tat kathaṃ mayā
ਮੈਨੂੰ ਜੰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੈਰੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਨਾਸ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੈ; ਰਾਜੇ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਨੀ ਹੈ; ਪਿਤਾ ਦੀ ਟਹਿਲ ਕਰਨੀ ਹੈ। ਮੇਰੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਇਸੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਨਿਰਭਰ ਹੈ—ਫਿਰ ਮੈਂ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਤਿਆਗ ਸਕਦਾ ਹਾਂ?
{ "primaryRasa": "dharma", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Life is treated as an instrument for dharma: one should not discard it when responsibilities to king, father, and social order remain. The verse articulates a dharma-based argument against grief-driven suicide.
Ethical instruction embedded in narrative (vaṃśānucarita-type), not a pañcalakṣaṇa cosmological segment.
The ‘enemies’ can be read inwardly as passions and despair; the call to ‘ariśātana’ becomes the yogic imperative to overcome inner adversaries rather than yield to them.