Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 15, Shloka 44

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

सत्क्रियाभ्यासनं मैत्रीमिति बुध्यते पण्डितः ।

अन्यानि चैव सद्धर्मङ्क्रियाभूतानि यानि च ॥

Transliteration

satkriyābhyāsanaṃ maitrīm iti budhyate paṇḍitaḥ | anyāni caiva saddharmaṅkriyābhūtāni yāni ca ||

Translation

বিদ্বান পুরুষকে তাঁর সদাচার-অনুশীলন ও সৌহার্দ্য দ্বারা চেনা যায়; এবং যে সকল অন্যান্য কর্ম শুভ ধর্মরূপে গণ্য, সেগুলির দ্বারাও তিনি পরিচিত হন।

Word by Word

• सत्क्रिया-अभ्यासनम्: practice of good deeds
• सत्क्रिया-अभ्यासनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘सत्क्रियायाः अभ्यासनम्’

• मैत्रीम्: friendliness
• मैत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• बुध्यते: is understood/known
• बुध्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is understood/known)

• पण्डितः: a learned man
• पण्डितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अन्यानि: other (things)
• अन्यानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘धर्माणि/गुणानि’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• सत्-धर्म-क्रिया-भूतानि: having become acts of true dharma / dharmic practices
• सत्-धर्म-क्रिया-भूतानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त; भू धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ‘भूत’ = क्त (past participle) from √भू; अर्थः ‘सद्धर्मक्रियारूपाणि’

• यानि: which
• यानि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speakers

• Narrative voice (continuation of instruction about dharmic indicators; exact speaker not explicit in this verse alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Character of the wise
• Karmic indicators

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Wisdom is not merely intellectual; it is verified through sustained righteous practice (satkriyā-abhyāsa) and a disposition of goodwill (maitrī). Dharma is framed as lived behavior, not abstract belief.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage aligns more with Ācāra/Dharma-śikṣā material than strict pañcalakṣaṇa categories; it is ancillary ethical instruction rather than sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

Maitrī functions as an inner purification that ‘softens’ karmic fruition; the text hints that subtle dispositions (bhāva) concretize into karmic outcomes alongside external ritual and conduct.