Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 31, Shloka 55

Adhyaya 31 — Naimittika and Related Śrāddha Rites: Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, Eligibility, Timing, and Procedure

Sanskrit

पितृतīrthena तोयं च दद्यात्तेभ्यः समाहितः ।

पितॄniddiśya यद्भक्त्या यजमानो नृपात्मज ॥

Transliteration

pitṛtīrthena toyañca dadyāttebhyaḥ samāhitaḥ / pitṝniddiśya yadbhaktyā yajamāno nṛpātmaja

Translation

Composed and attentive, he should offer water to them using the pitṛ-tīrtha (the prescribed hand-position/channel for the ancestors). Whatever he does with devotion, dedicating it to the pitṛs, O prince’s son (nṛpātmaja), is the proper spirit of the act.

Word by Word

• पितृ-तीर्थेन: with the pitṛ-tīrtha (manner of pouring water)
• पितृ-तीर्थेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'पितॄणां तीर्थेन' (with the 'pitṛ-tīrtha' hand-position)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative)

• समाहितः: composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'collected/attentive'

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• उद्दिश्य: having dedicated (to)
• उद्दिश्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• यद्-भक्त्या: with whatever devotion
• यद्-भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; करण; (instrumental: 'with whatever devotion')

• यजमानः: the sacrificer/performer
• यजमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle used as noun); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नृप-आत्मज: O prince (son of a king)
• नृप-आत्मज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'नृपस्य आत्मजः'

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana narrative (addressed to a royal son)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Pitṛ-pūjā
• Śrāddha
• Tarpaṇa
• Bhakti
• Ritual hand-gestures (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Technique (tīrtha) and intention (bhakti) must unite: the rite is not mechanical; devotion and collectedness are explicitly foregrounded.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma instruction; not pañcalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Tīrtha’ here is a micro-crossing: the hand becomes a ford through which offering flows, encoding the idea that the body itself can be a sacred instrument when properly oriented.