Shloka 2

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच / रुचिः प्रजापतिः पूर्वं निर्ममो निरहङ्कृतिः / अत्रस्तो ऽमितमायी च चचार पृथिवीमिमाम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca / ruciḥ prajāpatiḥ pūrvaṃ nirmamo nirahaṅkṛtiḥ / atrasto 'mitamāyī ca cacāra pṛthivīmimām

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: Formerly, Prajāpati Ruci—free from possessiveness and ego—fearless and endowed with immeasurable power of manifestation (māyā), wandered upon this very earth.

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रुचिः: Ruci
• रुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to रुचिः)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• निर्ममः: free from possessiveness
• निर्ममः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying रुचिः)

• निरहङ्कृतिः: free from egoism
• निरहङ्कृतिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरहङ्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अत्रस्तः: unafraid
• अत्रस्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अमितमायी: of immeasurable power/illusion
• अमितमायी: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + मायी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (अमिता माया यस्य/अमितमायः)

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

• चचार: wandered, moved about
• चचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (पृथिवीम्)

Speaker

Sage Mārkaṇḍeya

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Egolessness (nirahaṅkāra) and non-possessiveness (nirmamatā) as marks of spiritual maturity; fearless wandering as freedom from bondage.

Vedantic Theme: Ahaṅkāra-tyāga and asakti as prerequisites for steadiness in Self-knowledge; the world is traversed without ownership (anāśritatva).

Application: Cultivate non-possessiveness and humility; practice detachment while engaging with life, reducing identity around ‘mine’ and ‘I’.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic-terrestrial sphere

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): teachings on vairagya and the marks of a liberated/steadfast person in dharma-moksha sections; Garuda Purana: Pitṛ dialogue context leading into gṛhastha-dharma and śrāddha obligations (adjacent verses)

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ruci
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the importance of being nirmama (without possessiveness) and nirahaṅkṛti (without ego) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents these qualities as marks of elevated dharma: a purified sense of self and ownership enables fearless, righteous living aligned with cosmic order.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to inner purification—reducing ‘I’ and ‘mine’—as foundational for spiritual progress, which the Purana elsewhere connects to better post-death outcomes and liberation-oriented conduct.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice detachment in daily duties: act responsibly while reducing ego-driven identity and possessive clinging, cultivating steadiness and fearlessness in ethical decisions.