Shloka 29

पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control

Devanagari script

धर्मे सत्ये दमे चैव बुद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा । अभ्यासश्न भवेद्‌ भक्त्या त्वयि नित्यं ममेश्वर,“भगवन्‌! कमलनयन! यदि आप मुझपर प्रसन्न हैं तो मेरी बुद्धि सदा धर्म, सत्य और इन्द्रियनिग्रहमें लगी रहे। मेरे स्वामी! आपके भजनका मेरा अभ्यास सदा बना रहे"

Transliteration

dharme satye dame caiva buddhir bhavatu me sadā | abhyāsaś ca bhaved bhaktyā tvayi nityaṁ mameśvara ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya thưa: “Nguyện trí hiểu của con luôn đặt nền trên dharma, chân thật và tự chế. Và, ôi Chúa Tể của con, nguyện sự tu tập thờ phụng Ngài bằng lòng sùng kính nơi con được tiếp nối không ngừng.”

Word by Word

धर्मेin dharma/righteousness

सत्येin truth

दमेin self-control

चand

एवindeed/just

बुद्धिःintellect/mind

भवतुlet it be/become

मेof me/my

सदाalways

अभ्यासःpractice/constant exercise

चand

भवेत्may it be/may it become

भक्त्याwith devotion

त्वयिin you/towards you

नित्यम्constantly

ममof me/my

ईश्वरO Lord/Master

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Īśvara (the Lord, addressed as the deity)

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 frames spiritual maturity as a union of ethical steadiness (dharma and truth), inner discipline (sense-restraint), and continuous devotional practice. It presents devotion not as a momentary emotion but as sustained abhyāsa supported by moral discernment (buddhi).

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya, speaking to the Lord, offers a prayer-like request: not for external boons, but for an enduring disposition—his intellect fixed in righteousness, truth, and self-control, and his worship maintained without interruption.