Shloka 16

स्कन्दोपाख्यानम् — उत्पातशान्तिः, स्वाहारूपविचारः, कौमारमङ्गलक्रियाः

Devanagari script

वृद्धावृचतु: कुशल नौ गृहे विप्र भृत्यवर्गे च सर्वश: । कच्चित्‌ त्वमप्यविघ्नेन सम्प्राप्तो भगवज्निति,उन वृद्धोंने उत्तर दिया--ब्रह्मन! इस घरमें हम दोनों सकुशल हैं। हमारे सेवक तथा कुटुम्बके लोग भी कुशलसे हैं। भगवन्‌! अपना समाचार कहें, आप यहाँ सकुशल पहुँच गये न? किसी विघ्न-बाधाका सामना तो नहीं करना पड़ा?

Transliteration

vṛddhāv ūcatuḥ: kuśalaṃ nau gṛhe vipra bhṛtyavarge ca sarvaśaḥ | kaccit tvam apy avighnena samprāpto bhagavan iti ||

Translation

Двое старцев ответили: «О брахман, мы оба благополучны в нашем доме, и все наши слуги и домочадцы благополучны во всём. О почтенный, поведай и о себе: прибыл ли ты сюда невредимым и без помех? Не встретил ли ты на пути какого препятствия?»

Word by Word

वृद्धौthe two elders

ऊचतुःsaid/spoke

कुशलम्welfare, well-being

नौof us two/our (dual)

गृहेin the house

विप्रO brahmin

भृत्यवर्गेamong the group of servants

चand

सर्वशःin every respect, entirely

कच्चित्whether indeed? (interrogative particle)

त्वम्you

अपिalso, indeed

अविघ्नेनwithout obstacle; unhindered

सम्प्राप्तःarrived, having reached

भगवन्O venerable one

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Markandeya (speaker)

two elders (vṛddhau)

vipra (a brāhmaṇa addressee)

household servants/attendants (bhṛtyavarga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic courtesy: one first assures the guest of the household’s welfare and then inquires with genuine concern about the guest’s safe, unhindered journey—an ethical ideal of hospitality and respectful speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

An elderly couple responds to a revered brāhmaṇa/guest, reporting that they and their household are well, and then asks whether he has arrived safely without encountering obstacles.