Shloka 24

द्रौपदी–सत्यभामा संवादः

Draupadī and Satyabhāmā on ethical household conduct

Devanagari script

संस्पृशेयुर्यदान्योन्यं कथज्चिद्‌ वायुनाग्नय: । इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कार्या वै शुचये5ग्नये

Transliteration

saṁspṛśeyur yadānyonyaṁ kathañcid vāyunāgnayaḥ | iṣṭir aṣṭākapālena kāryā vai śucaye ’gnaye ||

Translation

Маркандея сказал: «Если по какой-либо случайности, из‑за движения ветра, священные огни соприкоснутся друг с другом, следует совершить ишти‑жертвоприношение для огня по имени Шучи, используя пуродашу aṣṭākapāla (приготовленную по обряду в восьми глиняных чашах). Так восстанавливается порядок ритуала и сохраняется святость огней».

Word by Word

• संस्पृशेयुः: should touch
• संस्पृशेयुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, each other
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• कथंचित्: somehow, by any means
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित्

• वायुना: by the wind
• वायुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अग्नयः: fires
• अग्नयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इष्टिः: a sacrificial offering (iṣṭi)
• इष्टिः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अष्टाकपालेन: with an eight-cup (eight-pot) oblation
• अष्टाकपालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाकपाल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कार्या: is to be performed / should be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृञ्)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्-type obligation), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• शुचये: for (Agni) named Śuci / for the pure one
• शुचये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अग्नये: for Agni (fire-deity)
• अग्नये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vāyu (wind)
• Agni
• Śuci (name of a fire/Agni-aspect)
• Aṣṭākapāla puroḍāśa
• Iṣṭi (offering rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Accidental ritual impurity—here, the unintended contact of consecrated fires due to wind—should be corrected through a prescribed expiatory/rectifying rite. Dharma is upheld not only by intention but also by restoring proper ritual order when disruptions occur.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing about a specific contingency in fire-ritual practice: if separate sacred fires touch each other, one should perform an iṣṭi for the fire-aspect called Śuci, using an aṣṭākapāla puroḍāśa, to re-establish purity and correctness.