मार्कण्डेय उवाच
एवम् एतन् महाबाहो रामेणामिततेजसा ॥
प्राप्तं व्यसनम् अत्युग्रं वनवासकृतं पुरा ॥
मा शुचः पुरुषव्याघ्र क्षत्रियो ऽसि परंतप ॥
बाहुवीर्याश्रये मार्गे वर्तसे दीप्तनिर्णये ॥
न हि ते वृजिनं किं चिद् दृश्यते परम् अण्व् अपि ॥
अस्मिन् मार्गे विषीदेयुः सेन्द्रा अपि सुरासुराः ॥
संहत्य निहतो वृत्रो मरुद्भिर् वज्रपाणिना ॥
नमुचिश् चैव दुर्धर्षो दीर्घजिह्वा च राक्षसी ॥
सहायवति सर्वार्थाः संतिष्ठन्तीह सर्वशः ॥
किं नु तस्याजितं संख्ये भ्राता यस्य धनंजयः ॥
अयं च बलिनां श्रेष्ठो भीमो भीमपराक्रमः ॥
युवानौ च महेष्वासौ यमौ माद्रवतीसुतौ ॥
एभिः सहायैः कस्मात् त्वं विषीदसि परंतप ॥
य इमे वज्रिणः सेनां जयेयुः समरुद्गणाम् ॥
त्वम् अप्य् एभिर् महेष्वासैः सहायैर् देवरूपिभिः ॥
विजेष्यसि रणे सर्वान् अमित्रान् भरतर्षभ ॥
इतश् च त्वम् इमां पश्य सैन्धवेन दुरात्मना ॥
बलिना वीर्यमत्तेन हृताम् एभिर् महात्मभिः ॥
आनीतां द्रौपदीं कृष्णां कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् ॥
जयद्रथं च राजानं विजितं वशम् आगतम् ॥
असहायेन रामेण वैदेही पुनर् आहृता ॥
हत्वा संख्ये दशग्रीवं राक्षसं भीमविक्रमम् ॥
यस्य शाखामृगा मित्रा ऋक्षाः कालमुखास् तथा ॥
जात्यन्तरगता राजन्न् एतद् बुद्ध्यानुचिन्तय ॥
तस्मात् त्वं कुरुशार्दूल मा शुचो भरतर्षभ ॥
त्वद्विधा हि महात्मानो न शोचन्ति परंतप ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् आश्वासितो राजा मार्कण्डेयेन धीमता ॥
त्यक्त्वा दुःखम् अदीनात्मा पुनर् एवेदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
evam etan mahābāho rāmeṇāmitatejasā ||
prāptaṃ vyasanam atyugraṃ vanavāsakṛtaṃ purā ||
mā śucaḥ puruṣavyāghra kṣatriyo 'si paraṃtapa ||
bāhuvīryāśraye mārge vartase dīptanirṇaye ||
na hi te vṛjinaṃ kiṃ cid dṛśyate param aṇv api ||
asmin mārge viṣīdeyuḥ sendrā api surāsurāḥ ||
saṃhatya nihato vṛtro marudbhir vajrapāṇinā ||
namuciś caiva durdharṣo dīrghajihvā ca rākṣasī ||
sahāyavati sarvārthāḥ saṃtiṣṭhantīha sarvaśaḥ ||
kiṃ nu tasyājitaṃ saṃkhye bhrātā yasya dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
ayaṃ ca balināṃ śreṣṭho bhīmo bhīmaparākramaḥ ||
yuvānau ca maheṣvāsau yamau mādravatīsutau ||
ebhiḥ sahāyaiḥ kasmāt tvaṃ viṣīdasi paraṃtapa ||
ya ime vajriṇaḥ senāṃ jayeyuḥ samarudgaṇām ||
tvam apy ebhir maheṣvāsaiḥ sahāyair devarūpibhiḥ ||
vijeṣyasi raṇe sarvān amitrān bharatarṣabha ||
itaś ca tvam imāṃ paśya saindhavena durātmanā ||
balinā vīryamattena hṛtām ebhir mahātmabhiḥ ||
ānītāṃ draupadīṃ kṛṣṇāṃ kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram ||
jayadrathaṃ ca rājānaṃ vijitaṃ vaśam āgatam ||
asahāyena rāmeṇa vaidehī punar āhṛtā ||
hatvā saṃkhye daśagrīvaṃ rākṣasaṃ bhīmavikramam ||
yasya śākhāmṛgā mitrā ṛkṣāḥ kālamukhās tathā ||
jātyantaragatā rājann etad buddhyānucintaya ||
tasmāt tvaṃ kuruśārdūla mā śuco bharatarṣabha ||
tvadvidhā hi mahātmāno na śocanti paraṃtapa ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam āśvāsito rājā mārkaṇḍeyena dhīmatā ||
tyaktvā duḥkham adīnātmā punar evedam abravīt ||
Markandeya said: "Just such an exceedingly harsh calamity of forest exile was once endured by the mighty Rama. Therefore do not grieve, O tiger among men. You are a kshatriya; you walk a path resting on the strength of your arms and a shining resolve. Not the slightest fault is to be seen in you. On this path even the gods and asuras, together with Indra, might lose heart. Every undertaking is achieved with the help of companions. What could remain unconquered for one whose brother is Dhananjaya, who has Bhima, foremost of the mighty, and the two young great archers, the sons of Madri? With such helpers, like unto gods, you will conquer all your enemies in battle. Consider too Draupadi: the wicked Saindhava carried her off by force, and these great souls brought her back and subdued King Jayadratha. Rama, without such kinsmen to help him, brought back Vaidehi by slaying the terrible Dashagriva in battle; his friends were vanaras and bears, beings of another order. Therefore, O tiger of the Kurus, do not grieve: great souls such as you do not grieve." Vaishampayana said: "Thus consoled by the wise Markandeya, the king, his soul no longer downcast, set aside his sorrow and spoke once more."
f95660c216f7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:32:14 PM UTC
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The tale of Rama restores Yudhishthira to sobriety. If Rama restored Sita and his kingdom through the bonds of friendship, the Pandavas too must see in their brotherhood, and in Draupadi, a source of steadfastness.