Shloka 19

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

Mārkaṇḍeya nói: Thấy vị bà-la-môn bị cơn giận thiêu đốt, rực lên như lửa bởi uy quang, người phụ nữ đức hạnh ấy, hỡi bậc chúa tể loài người, trước hết tìm cách làm dịu ông rồi mới thưa lời hòa nhã để giảng hòa.

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.