Shloka 16

Origins of the Maruts — Origins of the Maruts Across the Manvantaras (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

तद् दृष्ट्वा पुष्करे न्यस्तं प्रत्यैच्छन्त तपोधन मन्यमानास्तदमृतं सदा यौवनलिप्सया

Transliteration

tad dṛṣṭvā puṣkare nyastaṃ pratyaicchanta tapodhana manyamānāstadamṛtaṃ sadā yauvanalipsayā

Translation

O treasure of austerity, seeing that (substance) placed in Puṣkara, they desired to obtain it, thinking it to be nectar, out of a constant longing for youth.

Speakers

• Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator) addressing an ascetic interlocutor styled 'tapodhana' (contextually within the chapter’s dialogue frame).

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Desire for youth and immortality
• Mistaking semen/essence for amṛta (mythic motif)
• Pilgrimage-site sacrality through narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is Puṣkara highlighted here rather than a generic waterbody?

Puṣkara functions as a named tirtha whose sanctity is explained through narrative causation: events occurring 'in Puṣkara' become part of the site’s remembered sacred history, a common Purāṇic strategy for mapping holiness onto geography.

What is the significance of calling the addressee 'tapodhana'?

The epithet frames the listener as an authoritative ascetic, signaling that the account is meant to be received as dharma- and tirtha-relevant instruction rather than mere story.

What does 'amṛta' mean in this immediate context?

Although amṛta literally denotes the nectar of immortality, here it is used as a mistaken identification—something perceived as life-giving and youth-preserving, setting up the episode’s moral and etiological turn.