Shloka 44

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

सोदकैस्तु क्रियाः सर्वाः कार्याः सञ्चयनात्परम् ।

स्पर्श एव सपिण्डानां मृताहनि तथोभयोः ॥

Transliteration

sodakais tu kriyāḥ sarvāḥ kāryāḥ saṃcayanāt param | sparśa eva sapiṇḍānāṃ mṛtāhani tathobhayoḥ ||

Translation

بعد جمع (العظام) ينبغي أن تُؤدَّى جميع الشعائر مع الماء، أي بطقوس الماء. وأما أقارب السَّبِنْدَة (sapiṇḍa)، ففي يوم الوفاة تُنال النجاسة بمجرد اللمس—وهكذا يكون الحكم على كلا الجانبين.

Word by Word

• sa-udakaiḥ: with water
• sa-udakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound meaning ‘together with water’; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (udakaiḥ)

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle

• kriyāḥ: rites/ceremonies
• kriyāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with क्रियाः

• kāryāḥ: should be performed
• kāryāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धाातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्; ‘kārya’), Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with क्रियाः; obligation

• saṃcayanāt: after the collecting
• saṃcayanāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃcayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• param: afterwards
• param: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-अव्ययप्रयोग) meaning ‘after’

• sparśaḥ: touch
• sparśaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• sa-piṇḍānām: of the sapindas (kinsmen)
• sa-piṇḍānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound ‘together with piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball)’, used as designation ‘sapinda’; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• mṛta-ahani: on the day of death
• mṛta-ahani: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त, √mṛ ‘to die’) + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘on the day of death’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (एवमेव)

• ubhayoḥ: of both
• ubhayoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual; masculine/neuter; ‘of both (parties)’

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Udaka-kriyā
• Aśauca by contact
• Sapiṇḍa relations
• Funerary regulation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Kinship entails shared ritual consequence: close relatives are bound not only by affection but by common dharmic obligations and restrictions triggered by death.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma material; not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Touch’ symbolizes transmission of a liminal condition; water-rites symbolize purification and continuity, counterbalancing the rupture caused by death.