Shloka 19

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ब्राह्मणं क्रोधसंतप्तं ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा । दृष्टवा साध्वी मनुष्येन्द्र सान्त्वपूर्व वचो5ब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca brāhmaṇaṁ krodha-santaptaṁ jvalantam iva tejasā | dṛṣṭvā sādhvī manuṣyendra sāntva-pūrvaṁ vaco 'bravīt ||

Translation

మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—కోపంతో దగ్ధమై, తేజస్సుతో అగ్నిలా జ్వలిస్తున్న ఆ బ్రాహ్మణుణ్ని చూసి, ఓ నరేంద్రా, ఆ సాధ్వి ముందుగా సాంత్వనతో కూడిన మృదువచనాలు పలికింది.

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

उवाचsaid

ब्राह्मणम्a brahmin

क्रोध-संतप्तम्scorched by anger

ज्वलन्तम्blazing

इवas if/like

तेजसाwith splendor/energy

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

साध्वीthe virtuous woman

मनुष्येन्द्रO best of men

सान्त्व-पूर्वम्with conciliation first / in a soothing manner

वचःwords/speech

अब्रवीत्she spoke

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

brāhmaṇa

sādhvī

manuṣyendra (addressed king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that dharma is upheld through restraint and gentle speech: when anger burns like fire, the righteous response is to soothe, de-escalate, and speak conciliatory words rather than inflame the situation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Markandeya narrates that a virtuous woman, upon seeing a brāhmaṇa consumed by anger and blazing with tejas, addresses him calmly—beginning with words meant to pacify him before proceeding with what she has to say.