Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 118

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

सवह्निगर्भैरशिवैः शिवारुतैर्निनादितं भीषणरावगह्वरम् ।

भयं भयस्याप्युपसञ्जनैर्भृशं श्मशानमाक्रन्दविरावदारुणम् ॥

Transliteration

sa-vahni-garbhair aśivaiḥ śivārutair nināditaṃ bhīṣaṇa-rāva-gahvaram /

bhayaṃ bhayasyāpy upasañjanair bhṛśaṃ śmaśānam ākranda-virāva-dāruṇam

Translation

অগ্নিভারে ভারী অমঙ্গল শিয়ালের ডাক-চিৎকারে সেই শ্মশান প্রতিধ্বনিত হচ্ছিল; তা ছিল ভয়ংকর গর্জনের গুহা—ভয়েরও ভয় উৎপন্নকারী—আর করুণ বিলাপ ও চিৎকারে অতিভয়াল।

Word by Word

• सवह्निगर्भैः: with fire-laden (ones); having fire within
• सवह्निगर्भैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय; सह-अर्थ) + वह्निगर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; तत्पुरुष (वह्निः गर्भे यस्य/येषाम्) used as qualifier of sounds/roars

• अशिवैः: inauspicious; dreadful
• अशिवैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• शिवारुतैः: with jackals’ howls
• शिवारुतैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आरुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; तत्पुरुष (शिवानाम् आरुतानि = cries of jackals)

• निनादितम्: made to resound; resounding
• निनादितम्: विधेय (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + नद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle/कृदन्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन — PPP (resounding)

• भीषणरावगह्वरम्: a cavern/depth of dreadful roars
• भीषणरावगह्वरम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक) + राव (प्रातिपदिक) + गह्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन — Nom/Acc singular; तत्पुरुष (भीषणः रावः यस्मिन्/यत्र, तद्गह्वरम्)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; predicative accusative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन — Nom/Acc singular

• भयस्य: of fear
• भयस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी); एकवचन — Genitive singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• उपसञ्जनैः: by causes/occasions (that bring it on)
• उपसञ्जनैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + सञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; ‘means/causes of approach/occurrence’

• भृशम्: excessively
• भृशम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• श्मशानम्: the cremation-ground
• श्मशानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन — Nominative singular

• आक्रन्दविरावदारुणम्: dreadful with wailing and loud cries
• आक्रन्दविरावदारुणम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आक्रन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + विराव (प्रातिपदिक) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन — Nom/Acc singular; तत्पुरुष (आक्रन्द-विरावैः दारुणम् = dreadful with wails and cries)

Speakers

• Narratorial description

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Poetics of fear (bhayānaka-rasa)
• Śmaśāna symbolism
• Inauspicious omens (jackals)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Fear multiplies when the mind loses anchoring in dharma; the passage implicitly urges seeking steadiness—through right counsel, self-control, and (in broader Purāṇic arc) refuge in the divine.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A narrative intensification rather than cosmological chronology; it is supportive ākhyāna material.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Fear of fear’ points to recursive mental suffering (saṃsāric loop): anxiety feeds on itself until broken by insight or higher surrender.