Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 29

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

फाल्गुन्यश्चोत्तरा हस्ता चित्रा चर्क्षत्रयं द्विज ।

कूर्मस्य दक्षिणे कुक्षौ बाह्यपादस्तथापरम् ॥

Transliteration

phālgunyaś cottarā hastā citrā carkṣatrayaṃ dvija | kūrmasya dakṣiṇe kukṣau bāhya-pādas tathāparam ||

Translation

হে দ্বিজ! উত্তরাফল্গুনী, হস্তা ও চিত্রা—এই তিন নক্ষত্র কূর্মের দক্ষিণ ‘কুক্ষি’তে স্থাপিত; আর অন্যত্র বাহ্য পাদ নির্ধারিত।

Word by Word

• फाल्गुन्यः: (the) Phālgunīs
• फाल्गुन्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); नक्षत्र-नाम (lunar mansion name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तराः: the Uttarās
• उत्तराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); नक्षत्र-नाम (e.g., Uttarā(s): Uttarā Phālgunī etc., per context)

• हस्ताः: (the) Hastas
• हस्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); नक्षत्र-नाम

• चित्रा: (the) Citrā
• चित्रा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); नक्षत्र-नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋक्षत्रयम्: the triad of asterisms
• ऋक्षत्रयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः (a group of three asterisms)

• द्विज: O Brāhmaṇa
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूर्मस्य: of (the) Kūrma
• कूर्मस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: in the southern (part)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); अत्र अधिकरणे (in the southern [part])

• कुक्षौ: in the belly/side (region)
• कुक्षौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बाह्यपादः: the outer foot
• बाह्यपादः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (outer-foot)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• अपरम्: another/other
• अपरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective: ‘other/another’)

Speakers

• Purāṇic narrator addressing a dvija (listener); exact frame-speaker not recoverable from excerpt alone

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Astral correspondences
• Nakṣatra system
• Microcosm-macrocosm mapping
• Cosmography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse presents a contemplative ordering: celestial markers (nakṣatras) are correlated with terrestrial divisions, encouraging a worldview where time (sky) and space (earth) mirror each other.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Cosmography (bhū- and jyotiṣa-oriented description) used to stabilize the Purāṇic model of the universe; ancillary to the five main topics.

What is the esoteric significance?

Nakṣatra-to-body-limb correspondences are a form of bandhu (occult linkage): aligning ritual time with mapped space is meant to harmonize human action with cosmic order.