Shloka 41
Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Indra’s Intended Request
Kuṇḍala–Kavaca Discourse
मयस्य किल दैत्यस्य तदासीद्ू वेश्म राघव । तत्र प्रभावती नाम तपो$तप्यत तापसी,'रघुनन्दन! वह सुन्दर भवन दैत्यराज मयका निवासस्थान बताया जाता है। उसमें प्रभावती नामकी एक तपस्विनी तप कर रही थी
mayasya kila daityasya tad āsīd veśma rāghava | tatra prabhāvatī nāma tapo 'tapyata tāpasī ||
Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Hỡi Rāghava, tòa dinh thự huy hoàng ấy được truyền rằng là nơi cư ngụ của Daitya Maya. Tại đó, có một nữ ẩn sĩ tên Prabhāvatī đang hành trì khổ hạnh nghiêm khắc.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral power of tapas: even within a Daitya’s splendid residence, an ascetic life of self-discipline and spiritual striving can be present, suggesting that dharmic effort is not confined by place or surrounding influences.
Mārkaṇḍeya identifies a beautiful mansion as belonging to the Daitya Maya and notes that within it a woman ascetic, Prabhāvatī, is performing austerities—setting the scene for a subsequent episode involving her tapas and its consequences.