Shloka 34
Dharma-vyādha on Parental Worship
Pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣā as Paramadaivata
स विचिन्त्याथ गोविन्दो नापश्यद् यदनावृतम् । अवकाशं पृथिव्यां वा दिवि वा मधुसूदन:,भगवान् विष्णुने बहुत सोचनेपर जब कहीं खुला आकाश न देखा और स्वर्ग अथवा पृथ्वीपर भी जब उन्हें कोई खुली जगह न दिखायी दी, तब महायशस्वी देवेश्वर मधुसूदनने अपनी दोनों जाँघोंको अनावृत (वस्त्ररहित) देखकर मधु और कैटभके मस्तकोंको उन्हींपर रखकर तीखी धारवाले चक्रसे काट डाला
sa vicintyātha govindo nāpaśyad yadanāvṛtam | avakāśaṃ pṛthivyāṃ vā divi vā madhusūdanaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya disse: Então Govinda refletiu e não encontrou nenhum espaço “descoberto”—nem na terra nem no céu—onde o feito pudesse ser realizado. Vendo que as próprias coxas eram o único lugar “não coberto”, o Senhor Madhusūdana colocou sobre elas as cabeças de Madhu e Kaiṭabha e as decepou com seu disco de fio cortante como navalha.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is upheld not merely by power but by discerning intelligence: when bound by a condition (no ‘open’ place on earth or in heaven), one should seek a lawful, least-violating means to end harm. The verse highlights ethical problem-solving under constraints.
Govinda (Viṣṇu), after searching for an ‘uncovered’ place on earth or in heaven and finding none, identifies his own thighs as the only uncovered space. He uses this to overcome the constraint and defeat the destructive foes (contextually Madhu and Kaiṭabha) with his discus.