Shloka 13

Agni’s Withdrawal to the Forest and Identification with Āṅgirasa (अग्न्याङ्गिरस-इतिहासः)

Devanagari script

फिर सुन्दर स्वादिष्ट भक्ष्य-भोज्य पदार्थ परोसकर वह पतिको भोजन कराने लगी। युधिष्ठिर! वह सती स्त्री प्रतिदिन पतिको भोजन कराकर उनके उच्छिष्टको प्रसाद मानकर बड़े आदर और प्रेमसे भोजन करती थी ।। दैवतं च पतिं मेने भर्तृश्रित्तानुसारिणी । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा नान्यचित्ताभ्यगात्‌ पतिम्‌,वह पतिको देवता मानती और उनके विचारके अनुकूल ही चलती थी। उसका मन कभी पर पुरुषकी ओर नहीं जाता था। वह मन, वाणी और क्रियासे पतिपरायणा थी

Transliteration

daivataṁ ca patiṁ mene bhartṛśīlānuvartinī | karmaṇā manasā vācā nānyacittābhyagāt patim ||

Translation

马尔坎德耶说道：随后她陈设甘美佳肴，先侍夫君用食。坚战啊，那位贞淑之女每日先奉夫进食，而后将其所余视为圣赐（prāsāda），以至敬至爱而食之。她以夫为神，行止悉随夫意；其心从不向他男。于身业、语业、意业三者之中，她皆专一归向其夫。

Word by Word

दैवतम्as a deity, divine (object-predicate)

चand

पतिम्husband

मेनेconsidered, regarded

भर्तृश्रितानुसारिणीshe who follows in accordance with (what is) dependent on her husband

कर्मणाby action, through deeds

मनसाby mind, mentally

वाचाby speech, verbally

नnot

अन्यचित्ताम्having her mind elsewhere (on another)

अभ्यगात्went to, approached

पतिम्husband

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Yudhiṣṭhira

husband (pati/bhartṛ)

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 presents the ideal of single-minded marital fidelity and disciplined devotion: the wife treats her husband as a sacred focus of duty and aligns mind, speech, and action with that commitment, avoiding divided attention or desire for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a virtuous wife’s conduct to Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing her unwavering orientation toward her husband—she follows his ways and remains devoted to him in thought, word, and deed.