Adhyāya 208: Aṅgirasī-kanyāḥ
Enumeration of Aṅgiras’ daughters and attribute-names
हृष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णा नित्योत्सवसमाकुलाम् | सो<पश्यद् बहुवृत्तान्तां ब्राह्मण: समतिक्रमन्
hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇā nityotsavasamākulām | so 'paśyad bahuvṛttāntāṃ brāhmaṇaḥ samatikraman
Disse Mārkaṇḍeya: À medida que aquele brāhmaṇa prosseguia em seu caminho, avistou uma cidade apinhada de gente alegre e bem nutrida, sempre agitada por festividades incessantes e repleta de acontecimentos e cenas variadas — uma prosperidade exterior que convida à reflexão sobre as causas invisíveis da fortuna e sobre os deveres do dharma que a sustentam.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse highlights how visible prosperity—joyful, well-fed citizens and continual celebration—often rests on underlying dharmic order (right conduct, good governance, and social duties). It prompts ethical reflection: flourishing society is not merely spectacle but typically the fruit of sustained responsibility.
Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that a brāhmaṇa, while moving onward, comes upon (or passes by) a place bustling with constant festivities and many events. The description sets the scene for what the brāhmaṇa will learn or encounter next.