Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 38

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

पुण्यपापोद्भवं भुङ्क्ते सुखदुःखोपलक्षणम् ।

यत्त्वं पृच्छसि मां राजन् यातनाः पापकर्मिणाम् ।

केन केनेति पापेन तत्ते वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः ॥

Transliteration

puṇyapāpodbhavaṃ bhuṅkte sukhaduḥkhopalakṣaṇam / yad tvaṃ pṛcchasi māṃ rājan yātanāḥ pāpakarmiṇām / kena keneti pāpena tat te vakṣyām aśeṣataḥ

Translation

He experiences what is born of merit and sin, characterized as pleasure and pain. Since you ask me, O king, about the torments of those who do sinful deeds—‘by which particular sin do they arise?’—that I shall tell you completely.

Word by Word

• puṇya-pāpa-udbhavam: arising from merit and sin
• puṇya-pāpa-udbhavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'puṇyapāpayor udbhavaḥ' = arising from merit and sin; विशेषण (qualifying sukhaduḥkhopalakṣaṇam)

• bhuṅkte: enjoys/experiences
• bhuṅkte: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• sukha-duḥkha-upalakṣaṇam: that which is marked by pleasure and pain
• sukha-duḥkha-upalakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + upalakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'sukhaduḥkhayoḥ upalakṣaṇam' = characterized by pleasure and pain

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

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• pṛcchasi: you ask
• pṛcchasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yātanāḥ: torments (punishments)
• yātanāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pāpa-karmiṇām: of sinful-doers
• pāpa-karmiṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक) + in (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष: 'pāpaṃ karma yeṣām/kurvanti' = of those who do sinful deeds

• kena: by which (sin)
• kena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (Neut./Masc.), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• kena: by which (in what way)
• kena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (Neut./Masc.), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिबोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• pāpena: by sin
• pāpena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); अन्वादेश (that)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Gen./Dat. Singular) enclitic; here चतुर्थी (Dative): 'to you'

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• aśeṣataḥ: completely, without omission
• aśeṣataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त: 'without remainder, entirely'

Speakers

• Sage/narrator to a King (rājan); preparing a catalog of sins and corresponding punishments

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Karmaphala
• Naraka punishments
• Ethics
• Didactic cataloging

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text frames pleasure and pain as diagnostic signs of prior merit and sin, and it treats ethics concretely by mapping specific misdeeds to specific consequences.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is dharma/karma exposition (often embedded within purāṇas) rather than the five hallmark topics.

What is the esoteric significance?

The promised ‘complete’ enumeration suggests a moral taxonomy: naming sins is meant to awaken discernment (viveka) and restraint, turning fear of consequence into ethical self-regulation.