Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 15

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

Sanskrit

शुचिन्यश्च तथैवापः स्त्रन्त्यो 'गन्धबुद्बुदाः ।

भूमिर्विशुध्यते कालाद्दाहमार्जनगोक्रमैः ॥

Transliteration

śucinyaś ca tathaivāpaḥ strantyo 'gandha-budbudāḥ /

bhūmir viśudhyate kālād dāha-mārjana-go-kramaiḥ //

Translation

তদ্রূপ দুর্গন্ধ ও ফেনহীন প্রবাহিত জলধারা শুদ্ধ বলে গণ্য। ভূমি কালের প্রবাহে, দাহে, ঝাড়ু/পরিষ্কারে এবং গোরুর পদচারণায় শুদ্ধ হয়।

Word by Word

• śucinyaḥ: pure (f.)
• śucinyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śucinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying āpaḥ

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

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

• āpaḥ: waters
• āpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); pluralia tantum

• srantyaḥ: flowing, streaming
• srantyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: srat (स्रत्/स्रंस् धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकाले शतृ), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying āpaḥ

• agandha-budbudāḥ: odorless bubbles
• agandha-budbudāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + budbuda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); used adjectivally for āpaḥ (bubbles that are odorless)

• bhūmiḥ: earth, ground
• bhūmiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• viśudhyate: becomes purified
• viśudhyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śudh (शुध् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• kālāt: by/through time, after time
• kālāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• dāha-mārjana-go-kramaiḥ: by burning, sweeping, and cow-treading
• dāha-mārjana-go-kramaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāha (प्रातिपदिक) + mārjana (प्रातिपदिक) + go-krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); collective of means

Speakers

• Instructional narrator within Dharma discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Environmental purity
• Ritual sanitation
• Role of cows in domestic sacrality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity is linked to observable qualities (flow, lack of odor) and restorative processes (time, cleaning). It encourages maintaining habitable, hygienic spaces rather than merely declaring them pure.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma instruction; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Flowing water symbolizes sāttvika movement (non-stagnation); time and cleansing symbolize the natural resolution of disturbance when supported by right action.