Shloka 18

Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46

Devanagari script

इदमाख्यातवांश्वापि ममाख्यानं महामुनि: । मार्कण्डेय: पुरा राजन्‌ गड़ाकूले कथान्तरे,राजन! पूर्वकालमें गंगाके तटपर कथा-वार्तके बीचमें ही महामुनि मार्कण्डेयने मुझे यह आख्यान सुनाया था

Transliteration

idam ākhyātavān śvāpi mamākhyānaṃ mahāmuniḥ | mārkaṇḍeyaḥ purā rājan gaṅgākūle kathāntare ||

Translation

Vipula disse: “Ó rei, há muito tempo o grande sábio Mārkaṇḍeya também me narrou este mesmo relato, enquanto conversávamos à margem do Gaṅgā.”

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (story/episode)
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• आख्यातवान्: having narrated / who narrated
• आख्यातवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आख्यातृ (√ख्या with आ-; past active participle stem आख्यातवत्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, genitive, singular

• आख्यानम्: narrative, tale
• आख्यानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• मार्कण्डेयः: Markandeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पुरा: formerly, long ago
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• गङ्गा-कूले: on the bank of the Ganga
• गङ्गा-कूले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + कूल
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• कथा-अन्तरे: in the midst of a conversation / during a tale
• कथा-अन्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा + अन्तर
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

विपुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vipula
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Gaṅgā
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical authority of teachings received through a trustworthy lineage: Vipula grounds his account in the prior narration of the revered sage Mārkaṇḍeya, implying that dharma is best understood through authenticated transmission and remembered instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vipula identifies the source of the story he is recounting: he previously heard the same narrative from Mārkaṇḍeya on the bank of the Gaṅgā during a conversation, thereby framing the current discourse as a faithfully transmitted tradition.