Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)
नैता: शकक््या मया द्रष्टं स्प्रष्टं वाप्पनिमित्तत: । गार्हपत्यं समाविश्य तस्मात् पश्याम्यभीक्षणश:,“मैं अकारण न तो इन्हें देख सकता हूँ और न इनका स्पर्श ही कर सकता हूँ। ऐसी दशामें यदि मैं गार्हपत्य अग्निमें प्रविष्ट हो जाऊँ तो बार-बार इनके दर्शनका अवसर पा सकता हूँ'
naitāḥ śakyā mayā draṣṭuṃ spraṣṭuṃ vāpy animittataḥ | gārhapatyaṃ samāviśya tasmāt paśyāmy abhīkṣṇaśaḥ ||
Sinabi ni Mārkaṇḍeya: “Kung walang nararapat na dahilan, hindi ko sila maaaring makita, ni mahawakan man. Kaya kung papasok ako sa apoy na Gārhapatya (apoy ng sambahayan), maaari akong magkaroon ng pagkakataong masilayan sila nang paulit-ulit.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse highlights restraint and ritual propriety: certain encounters (seeing/touching) are not available at will, and one should seek them only through an appropriate, dharmic means—here symbolized by entering the consecrated household fire, a disciplined and sanctioned act rather than impulsive desire.
Mārkaṇḍeya explains that he cannot freely see or touch “them” without a specific occasion; to obtain repeated sight of them, he proposes entering the Gārhapatya fire, invoking the sacred fire as a gateway or ritual condition for renewed vision.