Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 52

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

Sanskrit

दानानि चैव देयानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो मनीषिभिः ।

यद्यदिष्टतमं लोके यच्चापि ययितं गृहे ॥

Transliteration

dānāni caiva deyāni brāhmaṇebhyo manīṣibhiḥ /

yady adiṣṭatamaṃ loke yac cāpi yayitaṃ gṛhe

Translation

The wise should indeed give gifts to brāhmaṇas—whatever is most desired in the world, and whatever is most cherished within one’s own home.

Word by Word

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• देयानि: to be given
• देयानि: विधेय (Predicate obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘दानानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• मनीषिभिः: by the wise
• मनीषिभिः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (correlative emphasis)

• इष्टतमम्: most desired
• इष्टतमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of implied ‘दानम्/वस्तु’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट-तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यत्: and whatever
• यत्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• ययितम्: that which has been taken/removed (from the house)
• ययितम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of implied ‘वस्तु’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; causative sense ‘caused to go/led away’; पाठभेदसम्भवः (uncertain reading)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Instructional discourse within Alarka-anuśāsana frame (speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dāna
• Brāhmaṇa-honor
• Detachment
• Śrāddha-supporting charity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

True giving is measured by sacrifice: offering what is dear loosens possessiveness and converts private attachment into public merit (puṇya).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra-oriented instruction; not a pañcalakṣaṇa narrative unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘most cherished’ gift represents surrender of ahaṃkāra’s extensions (property/status). Dāna becomes an inner offering, not merely social exchange.