Shloka 60

Adhyaya 2 — The Lineage of Garuda and the Birth of the Wise Birds: Kanka and Kandhara

Sanskrit

मार्जाराखुभयं यत्र नैषामण्डजजन्मनाम् ।

श्येनतो नकुलाद्वापि स्थाप्यन्तां तत्र पक्षिणः ॥

Transliteration

mārjārākhubhayaṃ yatra naiṣāmaṇḍajajanmanām |

śyenato nakulād vāpi sthāpyantāṃ tatra pakṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

حيث لا يكون لهذه المخلوقات المولودة من البيض خوفٌ من القطط والجرذان، فهناك وحده ينبغي أن تُحفظ الطيور—وكذلك حيث تكون آمنةً من الصقر، بل وحتى من النمس.

Word by Word

• मार्जाराखुभयम्: fear from cats and rats
• मार्जाराखुभयम्: Adhikaraṇa-nimitta (निमित्त/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जार (प्रातिपदिक) + आखु (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative): मार्जारश्च आखुश्च; तयोः भयम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: ‘fear’ as predicate)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (particle of negation)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अण्डजजन्मनाम्: of the egg-born (creatures)
• अण्डजजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अण्डजानां जन्म (अण्डज-जन्म); बहुव्रीह्यर्थे ‘अण्डजजन्मन्’ = egg-born; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (qualifying ‘एषाम्’)

• श्येनतः: from the hawk
• श्येनतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान (source of fear)

• नकुलात्: from the mongoose
• नकुलात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (समुच्चय/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: also/even)

• स्थाप्यन्ताम्: let (them) be placed
• स्थाप्यन्ताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; णिजन्त (causative passive sense): ‘let them be placed’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb: there)

• पक्षिणः: the birds
• पक्षिणः: Karta (कर्ता) / (of passive: subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Frame-dialogue instructional voice (not Devi Mahatmyam); specific named speakers not identifiable from this single verse alone

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ahimsa (practical compassion)
• Householder/keeper duties
• Protection of dependents
• Practical ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is expressed as responsible care: one should not place vulnerable beings (here, egg-born birds) into conditions where foreseeable harm from predators is likely. Ethical living includes prudent prevention of suffering, not merely reacting after harm occurs.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita material; it aligns more with ancillary dharma-upadeśa (ethical instruction) embedded within the Purana’s narrative framework.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, the ‘egg-born’ can represent nascent virtues or fragile spiritual tendencies. Cats, rats, hawks, and mongooses stand for different modes of disruption (stealthy loss, gnawing decay, sudden predation, and persistent hostility). The teaching is to cultivate a protected inner environment for what is still developing.