Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अग्निं रजस्वला वै स्त्री संस्पृशेदग्निहोत्रिकम्‌ । इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कार्या वसुमते5ग्नये,यदि अनि्निहोत्र सम्बन्धी अग्निको कोई रजस्वला स्त्री छू दे तो वसुमान्‌ अग्निके लिये मिट्टीके आठ पुरवोंमें संस्कृत चरुद्वारा आहुति देनी चाहिये

Transliteration

agniṁ rajasvalā vai strī saṁspṛśed agnihotrikam | iṣṭir aṣṭākapālena kāryā vasumate 'gnaye |

Translation

Sinabi ni Mārkaṇḍeya: “Kung ang isang babaeng may buwanang dalaw ay humipo sa banal na apoy na kaugnay ng ritwal na Agnihotra, dapat magsagawa ng iṣṭi bilang pag-aalis-dungis: gamit ang aṣṭākapāla (walong sisidlang-luwad), at maghandog ng caru (binasbasang lugaw na pang-alay) bilang oblation kay Agni sa pangalang Vasumat.”

Word by Word

अग्निम्fire

रजस्वलाmenstruating

वैindeed

स्त्रीwoman

संस्पृशेत्should touch

अग्निहोत्रिकम्connected with the Agnihotra (Agnihotra-fire/performer)

इष्टिःan oblation/ritual offering (iṣṭi)

अष्टाकपालेनwith an eight-shard (eight-pot-sherd) vessel/arrangement

कार्याto be done/should be performed

वसुमतेto Vasumat (the wealthy one; epithet/name)

अग्नयेto Agni

यदिif

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Agni

Agnihotra

Vasumat (Agni)

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 teaches that when the sanctity of the Agnihotra fire is ritually compromised (here, by contact with a menstruating woman), dharma prescribes a defined corrective rite—an iṣṭi in an eight-shard vessel offered to Agni (as Vasumat)—to restore ritual order and continuity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is laying down a rule of ritual conduct and expiation within a broader dharma-oriented discourse: he specifies what should be done if the Agnihotra-associated fire is touched in a condition considered ritually impure.