Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 57

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

न भक्षयीत सततं प्रत्यक्षलवणानि च ।

वर्ज्यं चिरोषितं पुत्र ! भक्तं पर्युषितञ्च यत् ॥

Transliteration

na bhakṣayīta satataṃ pratyakṣalavaṇāni ca | varjyaṃ ciroṣitaṃ putra! bhaktaṃ paryuṣitañ ca yat ||

Translation

অতিলবণযুক্ত আহার সর্বদা খাওয়া উচিত নয়। আর, হে প্রিয় পুত্র, দীর্ঘক্ষণ রাখা এবং বাসি/রাতের পড়ে থাকা খাদ্যও পরিহার করা উচিত।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negative particle)

• bhakṣayīta: should eat
• bhakṣayīta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• satatam: always/continually
• satatam: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative used as avyaya)

• pratyakṣa-lavaṇāni: manifest/visible salts (salty items)
• pratyakṣa-lavaṇāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• varjyam: to be avoided
• varjyam: Karma (कर्म; implied)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varjya (कृदन्त; √vṛj/varj धातु)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वर्जनीयम्’

• ciroṣitam: kept for a long time
• ciroṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + uṣita (कृदन्त; √vas/√uṣ? ‘to stay’)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्तम्)

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhaktam: cooked food
• bhaktam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paryuṣitam: stale/kept overnight
• paryuṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-uṣita (कृदन्त; √vas/√uṣ? with pari-)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्तम्)

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

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

Speakers

• Not identifiable from the provided verses alone; vocative 'putra' suggests elder-to-younger instruction.

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Dietary moderation
• Health and purity
• Avoiding stale food

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Moderation (especially in taste) is dharmic discipline, and freshness/purity of food is prioritized; habitual indulgence and stale food are treated as harmful to both body and clarity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa; it is practical dharma concerning āhāra (diet) and śauca.

What is the esoteric significance?

Over-salting and stale food can be read as metaphors for overstimulation and ‘old impressions’; avoiding them supports a calmer, more sattvic inner condition.