Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 19

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

अन्येषाञ्चैव तद्द्रव्यैर्वर्णगन्धापहारतः ।

शुचि गोत्रप्तिकृत्तोयं प्रकृतिस्थं महीगतं ॥

Transliteration

anyeṣāñ caiva tad-dravyair varṇa-gandhāpahārataḥ /

śuci go-tṛpti-kṛt toyaṃ prakṛti-sthaṃ mahī-gatam //

Translation

For other substances too, purification is by those respective cleansing agents, through the removal of discoloration and odor. Water is pure when it satisfies cows (is acceptable for them to drink), when it is in its natural state, and when it is fresh from the earth/source.

Word by Word

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• tat-dravyaiḥ: with those substances
• tat-dravyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• varṇa-gandha-apahārataḥ: by removal of color and smell
• varṇa-gandha-apahārataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + apahāra (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय) meaning ‘by/through removal of…’

• śuci: pure
• śuci: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicative adjective

• go-tṛpti-kṛt-toyam: water that satisfies cows
• go-tṛpti-kṛt-toyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृदन्त; √kṛ) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘water that causes cow-satisfaction’

• prakṛti-stham: remaining in its natural state
• prakṛti-stham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त; √sthā)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying toyaṃ

• mahī-gatam: gone into the earth, on the ground
• mahī-gatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying toyaṃ

Speakers

• Instructional narrator within Dharma discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Generalization of cleansing principles
• Water quality norms

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity is operationally defined: stains and odors indicate remaining impurity; and water’s purity is judged by naturalness and harmlessness (fit even for animals).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma material; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Natural-state water’ symbolizes an unmodified mind: clarity is not manufactured but restored by removing distortions (varṇa) and residues (gandha).