मार्कण्डेय उवाच
अत्रैव च सरस्वत्या गीतं परपुरंजय ॥
पृष्टया मुनिना वीर शृणु तार्क्ष्येण धीमता ॥
तार्क्ष्य उवाच
किं नु श्रेयः पुरुषस्येह भद्रे; कथं कुर्वन् न च्यवते स्वधर्मात् ॥
आचक्ष्व मे चारुसर्वाङ्गि सर्वं; त्वयानुशिष्टो न च्यवेयं स्वधर्मात् ॥
कथं चाग्निं जुहुयां पूजये वा; कस्मिन् काले केन धर्मो न नश्येत् ॥
एतत् सर्वं सुभगे प्रब्रवीहि; यथा लोकान् विरजाः संचरेयम् ॥
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
एवं पृष्टा प्रीतियुक्तेन तेन; शुश्रूषुम् ईक्ष्योत्तमबुद्धियुक्तम् ॥
तार्क्ष्यं विप्रं धर्मयुक्तं हितं च; सरस्वती वाक्यम् इदं बभाषे ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
atraiva ca sarasvatyā gītaṃ parapuraṃjaya ||
pṛṣṭayā muninā vīra śṛṇu tārkṣyeṇa dhīmatā ||
tārkṣya uvāca
kiṃ nu śreyaḥ puruṣasyeha bhadre; kathaṃ kurvan na cyavate svadharmāt ||
ācakṣva me cārusarvāṅgi sarvaṃ; tvayānuśiṣṭo na cyaveyaṃ svadharmāt ||
kathaṃ cāgniṃ juhuyāṃ pūjaye vā; kasmin kāle kena dharmo na naśyet ||
etat sarvaṃ subhage prabravīhi; yathā lokān virajāḥ saṃcareyam ||
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
evaṃ pṛṣṭā prītiyuktena tena; śuśrūṣum īkṣyottamabuddhiyuktam ||
tārkṣyaṃ vipraṃ dharmayuktaṃ hitaṃ ca; sarasvatī vākyam idaṃ babhāṣe ||
Markandeya said: "Listen to the song of Sarasvati, which she uttered when the wise Tarkshya questioned her. Tarkshya said: 'What is the highest good? How may a man not fall away from his own dharma? How should one perform the agnihotra and worship, so that dharma is not lost?'"
05c033be7c0b · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:19:46 PM UTC
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Tarkshya's question is not about outward ritual apart from life. He asks how action, knowledge, and fidelity to one's own path are held together.