Shloka 79

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

Sanskrit

परोपतापकं कर्म जन्तुपीडां च वर्जयेत् ।

उदक्या सर्ववर्णानां वर्ज्या रात्रिचतुष्टयम् ॥

Transliteration

paropatāpakaṃ karma jantupīḍāṃ ca varjayet / udakyā sarvavarṇānāṃ varjyā rātricatuṣṭayam

Translation

অন্যের দুঃখ ঘটায় এমন কর্ম বর্জন করবে এবং জীবহিংসা পরিহার করবে। ঋতুমতী (উদক্যা) নারীকে চার রাত্রি পর্যন্ত সকল বর্ণের পুরুষেরাই সহবাসের জন্য এড়িয়ে চলবে।

Word by Word

• परोपतापकम्: harmful to others
• परोपतापकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + उपतापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (परस्य उपतापकः = causing trouble to others); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम्—अत्र कर्म इति नपुंसकेन सह द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative sg)

• कर्म: act/deed
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• जन्तुपीडाम्: harm to living beings
• जन्तुपीडाम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (जन्तूनां पीडा = injury to creatures); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; √वर्ज् (to avoid)

• उदक्या: a menstruating woman
• उदक्या: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचनम्; ‘menstruating woman’

• सर्ववर्णानाम्: of all castes/classes
• सर्ववर्णानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (सर्वेषां वर्णानाम्); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• वर्ज्या: to be avoided
• वर्ज्या: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वर्ज् + य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थकः (to be avoided); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; उदक्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रात्रिचतुष्टयम्: a set of four nights
• रात्रिचतुष्टयम्: Kāla-parimāṇa (कालपरिमाण/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमासः (चतस्रः रात्रयः = four nights); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्—अत्र कालपरिमाणरूपेण (accusative of extent)

Speakers

• Didactic narrator within Markandeya Purana (instructional passage; not Devi Māhātmya frame)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ahimsa
• Ritual purity norms
• Gṛhastha-ācāra

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse pairs universal ethics (non-harm, non-oppression) with household purity-regulations, implying that dharma is both social (ahimsa) and personal (regulated intimacy).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma-śikṣā (conduct teaching), not one of the five purāṇic lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ahimsa is treated as foundational; purity rules function as disciplines that train restraint and reverence for life-cycles, rather than mere external taboo.