Shloka 38

Adhyaya 1 — Jaimini’s Questions on the Mahabharata and the Origin of the Wise Birds

Sanskrit

मार्कण्डेय उवाच तासां संभ्रममालोक्य भगवान् पाकशासनः ।

पृच्छ्यतां मुनिरित्याह वक्ता यां वो गुणाधिकाम् ॥

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tāsāṃ saṃbhramam ālokya bhagavān pākaśāsanaḥ / pṛcchyatāṃ munir ity āha vaktā yāṃ vo guṇādhikām

Translation

మార్కండేయుడు అన్నాడు—వారి కలవరాన్ని చూచి భగవాన్ పాకశాసనుడు (ఇంద్రుడు) ఇలా అన్నాడు—ఋషిని ప్రశ్నించండి; గుణాలలో మీకన్నా శ్రేష్ఠుడైన వాడే మీకు చెప్పును।

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

उवाचsaid

तासाम्of them (those women)

संभ्रमम्agitation, confusion

आलोक्यhaving seen

भगवान्the venerable lord

पाकशासनःPākaśāsana (Indra)

पृच्छ्यताम्let (him) be asked

मुनिःthe sage

इतिthus

आहsaid

वक्ताthe speaker (one who will tell)

याम्whom

वःof you

गुणाधिकाम्more excellent in qualities

Speakers

Markandeya narrating; Indra (Pākaśāsana) addressing the group and directing them to question a muni

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

Indra

Key Themes

Guru–śiṣya paradigmAuthority of the sageQualities (guṇa) as basis for instructionFrame narrative setup

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Instruction is to be sought from the most qualified (guṇādhika) teacher rather than from those stirred by emotion. Agitation (saṃbhrama) is implicitly contrasted with disciplined inquiry (pṛcchā): the proper response to confusion is respectful questioning of a realized muni.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse functions primarily as a framing transition (not one of the five topics directly). It supports the Purāṇic method of transmission—authoritative narration through a sage—preparing the ground for later pancalakṣaṇa materials such as manvantara and vaṃśa accounts.

What is the esoteric significance?

Indra, emblematic of sovereign power and the senses’ lordship, acknowledges a higher authority: wisdom grounded in guṇa (inner excellence). Symbolically, the ‘king of gods’ defers to the seer, indicating that true resolution of turmoil comes from insight (ṛṣi-vision) rather than mere power or reactive urgency.