Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 16, Shloka 69

Adhyaya 16 — The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

Sanskrit

अनसूयोवाच एते देवाः सहेन्द्रेण मामुपागम्य दुःखिताः ।

त्वद्वाख्यापास्तसत्कर्मदिननक्तनिरूपणाः ॥

Transliteration

anasūyovāca ete devāḥ sahendreṇa mām upāgamya duḥkhitāḥ | tvad-vākhyāpāsta-satkarma-dina-nakta-nirūpaṇāḥ ||

Translation

Anasūyā said: These gods, together with Indra, came to me in distress—the proper rites having been cast aside, and the order of day and night thrown into disorder, as has been declared to you.

Word by Word

• अनसूया: Anasūyā
• अनसूया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनसूया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सहेन्द्रेण: together with Indra
• सहेन्द्रेण: Sahakari (सहकारि/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: सह + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सह इन्द्रेण = with Indra)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपागम्य: having approached
• उपागम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having approached’

• दुःखिताः: distressed
• दुःखिताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दुःख + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भाववाचक विशेषण

• त्वद्वाख्यापास्तसत्कर्मदिननक्तनिरूपणाः: whose proper rites and the regulation of day and night were removed by your utterance
• त्वद्वाख्यापास्तसत्कर्मदिननक्तनिरूपणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वद् + वाख्य + अपास्त + सत्कर्म + दिन + नक्त + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (त्वद्वाख्यया अपास्तं सत्कर्म; दिननक्तयोः निरूपणं येषाम्/येषां)

Speakers

• Anasūyā speaking

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Devas

Key Themes

• Ritual order (yajña-karma)
• Cosmic rhythm (day/night)
• Devas dependent on rites
• Crisis narrative

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse links social-ritual regularity to cosmic stability: when daily cycles and prescribed acts are disrupted, even the devas are portrayed as weakened and distressed.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Touches cosmological maintenance rather than creation/genealogy; best classified as dharma-and-ṛta preservation narrative, ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Day/night stands for disciplined alternation (pravṛtti/nivṛtti). Disorder in inner rhythm leads to ‘deva’ (uplifting faculties) becoming ‘duḥkhita’ (afflicted).