Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 18

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

पूर्वां सन्ध्यां सनक्षत्रां पश्चिमां सदिवाकराम् ।

उपासीत यथान्यायं नैनां जह्यादनापदि ॥

Transliteration

pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ sanakṣatrāṃ paścimāṃ sadivākarām |

upāsīta yathānyāyaṃ naināṃ jahyādanāpadi ||

Translation

One should duly perform the morning Sandhyā while the stars are still visible, and the evening Sandhyā while the sun is still present. Sandhyā should not be abandoned except in times of calamity.

Word by Word

• pūrvām: the earlier (evening)
• pūrvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa of sandhyām

• sandhyām: twilight (sandhyā)
• sandhyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• sa-nakṣatrām: with stars
• sa-nakṣatrām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय, सहार्थक उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; avyayībhāva: 'with stars', qualifying sandhyām

• paścimām: the later (morning)
• paścimām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of sandhyām (understood)

• sa-divākarām: with the sun
• sa-divākarām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + divākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; avyayībhāva: 'with the sun', qualifying (paścimāṃ) sandhyām

• upāsīta: should worship/attend upon
• upāsīta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ās (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• yathā-nyāyam: as prescribed; properly
• yathā-nyāyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva adverbial: 'according to rule/propriety'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-particle (निषेध)

• enām: her/this (sandhyā)
• enām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; sarvanāma-prayoga

• jahyāt: should abandon
• jahyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; 'should abandon'

• an-āpadi: in the absence of emergency
• an-āpadi: Kāla/avasthā (काल/अवस्था)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āpada (प्रातिपदिक) with nañ (नञ्)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (locative-sense adverb): 'when there is no calamity'; from āpadi (सप्तमी एकवचन) with negation

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided excerpt; within an Ācāra/discipline instruction passage of Markandeya Purāṇa

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Nitya-karma
• Sandhyā-vandana
• Discipline

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Regular daily worship (nitya-karma) stabilizes the mind and anchors one in dharma; it is not optional except under genuine crisis.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not a pancalakṣaṇa topic (sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita). It belongs to ācāra-dharma instruction embedded within the Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Twilight junctions (sandhyā) are liminal times; the verse emphasizes aligning one’s inner rhythm with cosmic transitions (stars-to-sun; sun-to-night).