Shloka 2

Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 233 — Pandavas Mobilize; Arjuna’s Conciliation and the Onset of Combat

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त: पाण्डवेयेन महात्मा ऋषिसंनिधौ । उवाच भगवांस्तत्र मार्कण्डेयो महातपा:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरके इस प्रकार कहनेपर महातपस्वी महात्मा भगवान्‌ मार्कण्डेयने ऋषियोंके समीप इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktaḥ pāṇḍaveyena mahātmā ṛṣi-saṁnidhau | uvāca bhagavāṁs tatra mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：当般度之高贵之子在众圣仙面前如此发问时，德高而苦行深厚的牟尼马尔坎德耶便在彼处作答。

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

उक्तःhaving been addressed / spoken to

पाण्डवेयेनby the son of Pāṇḍu (Pāṇḍava)

महात्माthe great-souled one

ऋषि-संनिधौin the presence of the sages

उवाचsaid

भगवान्the venerable one

तत्रthere

मार्कण्डेयःMārkaṇḍeya

महातपाःthe great ascetic

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pāṇḍu

Mārkaṇḍeya

Ṛ

Ṛṣis (sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes the ethical method of the epic: a dharmic question posed by a righteous ruler is answered by a revered sage in the presence of other sages, emphasizing that guidance on dharma should be grounded in authoritative tradition and accountable discourse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that after Yudhiṣṭhira (the Pāṇḍava) speaks, the great ascetic sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins his reply before the gathered ṛṣis, signaling the start of Mārkaṇḍeya’s counsel/story.