Shloka 28

Draupadī’s Instruction on Marital Conduct and Household Discipline (चित्तग्रहण-उपदेश)

Devanagari script

अत्रि: पुत्रान्‌ स्रष्टकामस्तानेवात्मन्यधारयत्‌

Transliteration

atriḥ putrān sraṣṭakāmas tān evāt many adhārayat

Translation

马尔坎德耶说道：渴望生出诸子，圣者阿特里先将他们蕴藏于自身之内——克制创造的冲动，直到它能够被正当地成形并得以维持。

Word by Word

• अत्रिः: Atri (the sage)
• अत्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• स्रष्टकामः: desiring to create (them)
• स्रष्टकामः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रष्टकाम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तान्: those (sons)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आत्मनि: in himself
• आत्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अधारयत्: held/retained
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Mārkaṇḍeya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined creation: even a noble aim like progeny is approached through inner containment and self-mastery, suggesting that dharmic outcomes arise from restraint and sustained intention rather than impulsive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates an episode about the sage Atri: wishing to produce sons, Atri keeps the intended offspring ‘within himself,’ indicating a yogic/ascetic mode of generating or preparing creation through tapas and inner concentration.