Shloka 17

Adhyaya 45 — Jaimini’s Cosmological Questions and the Opening of Markandeya’s Account of Primary Creation

Sanskrit

मार्कण्डेयं महात्मानमुपासीनं द्विजोत्तमैः ।

क्रौष्टुकिः परिपप्रच्छ यदेतत् पृष्टवान् प्रभो ॥

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyaṃ mahātmānam upāsīnaṃ dvijottamaiḥ | krauṣṭukiḥ paripapraccha yad etat pṛṣṭavān prabho ||

Translation

Krauṣṭuki befragte den großherzigen Mārkaṇḍeya, der von den besten Brāhmaṇas umsorgt wurde, über eben jene Sache, nach der er gefragt hatte, o Herr.

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyam: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahātmānam: the great-souled
• mahātmānam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य) used as epithet of mārkaṇḍeyam

• upāsīnam: sitting near, attending
• upāsīnam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa+ās (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying mārkaṇḍeyam

• dvija-uttamaiḥ: by/with the best of the twice-born
• dvija-uttamaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुषः (dvijānām uttamāḥ)

• krauṣṭukiḥ: Krauṣṭuki
• krauṣṭukiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṣṭuki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• paripapraccha: asked (in detail)
• paripapraccha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari+prach (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• etat: this
• etat: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative

• pṛṣṭavān: (you) have asked
• pṛṣṭavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवतु/कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); refers to the addressee (prabho)

• prabho: O lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Narrative voice describing Krauṣṭuki’s inquiry of Markandeya (within birds → Jaimini frame)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Teacher as locus of sacred knowledge
• Respectful inquiry (paripraśna)
• Assembly of brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse models the dhārmic method of learning: approach a realized teacher in a proper setting and ask carefully (paripraśna), rather than demanding or debating for vanity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Introductory narrative frame (upodghāta) preceding doctrinal content; it prepares for cosmological and genealogical exposition typical of pañcalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘teacher surrounded by the best twice-born’ signals a charged field of sat-saṅga: knowledge is not merely information but a presence transmitted in an assembly aligned to dharma.