Shloka 31

Dharma-vyādha on Parental Worship

Pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣā as Paramadaivata

Devanagari script

किंतु केशव! हमलोगोंपर यह महान्‌ संकट आ पहुँचा है। अब आप भी अपनी कही हुई बात पूर्ण कीजिये। कालका उल्लंघन करना बहुत ही कठिन है ।। आवामिच्छावहे देव कृतमेकं त्वया विभो । अनावृते5स्मिन्नाकाशे वधं सुरवरोत्तम,देव! सुरश्रेष्ठ! विभो! हम दोनों आपके द्वारा एक ही सुविधा चाहते हैं। वह यह है कि आप इस खुले आकाशमें ही हमारा वध कीजिये

Transliteration

kintu keśava! asmāsu ayaṃ mahān saṅkaṭaḥ samupasthitaḥ | adhunā tvam api svoktaṃ vacanaṃ paripūraya | kālasya ullanghanaṃ hi sukaram na || āvām icchāvahe deva kṛtam ekaṃ tvayā vibho | anāvṛte 'sminn ākāśe vadhaṃ suravarottama ||

Translation

Мārкаṇḍея сказал: «Но, о Кешава, великое бедствие уже постигло нас. Потому исполни и ты слово, что некогда дал. Преступить веление Времени (Калы) чрезвычайно трудно. О Боже, о наивысший среди богов, о Владыка могущества — мы оба просим лишь об одном даре: под этим открытым, непокрытым небом даруй нам смерть.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'kintu', 'definition': 'but, however'}, {'term': 'keśava', 'definition': 'Keśava

• an epithet of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa'}, {'term': 'asmāsu (asmāsu/asmāsu)', 'definition': 'upon us, in our case'}, {'term': 'mahān', 'definition': 'great'}, {'term': 'saṅkaṭa', 'definition': 'distress, crisis, calamity'}, {'term': 'samupasthita', 'definition': 'has arrived, has come upon'}, {'term': 'adhunā', 'definition': 'now'}, {'term': 'svokta vacana', 'definition': 'one’s own spoken word

• a promise'}, {'term': 'paripūraya', 'definition': 'fulfill, complete'}, {'term': 'kāla', 'definition': 'Time

• the cosmic order of time'}, {'term': 'ullanghana', 'definition': 'transgression, overstepping'}, {'term': 'duṣkara', 'definition': 'hard to do, difficult'}, {'term': 'āvām', 'definition': 'we two'}, {'term': 'icchāvahe', 'definition': 'we desire, we request'}, {'term': 'deva', 'definition': 'god

• lord'}, {'term': 'vibho', 'definition': 'O mighty one

• all-pervading lord'}, {'term': 'anāvṛta', 'definition': 'uncovered, unobstructed, open'}, {'term': 'ākāśa', 'definition': 'sky, open space'}, {'term': 'vadha', 'definition': 'slaying, death (here: being killed)'}, {'term': 'suravarottama', 'definition': 'best of the gods

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Kāla (Time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights two ethical principles: the binding force of a spoken promise (satya and pratijñā-pālana) and the inevitability of Kāla (Time/fate). Even divine power is portrayed as operating within cosmic order, so the appeal is to fulfill the pledged word without attempting to violate Kāla.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses Keśava in a moment of imminent danger, stating that a great संकट has arrived. He urges Keśava to complete a prior commitment and requests a specific manner of death—‘in the open sky’—framed as a single boon sought by ‘we two.’