Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 53

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

Sanskrit

तत्तद् गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता ।

पूर्णैस्तु दिवसैः स्पृष्ट्वा सलिलं वाहनायुधम् ॥

Transliteration

tattad guṇavate deyaṃ tadevākṣayam icchatā /

pūrṇais tu divasaiḥ spṛṣṭvā salilaṃ vāhanāyudham

Translation

Such and such a gift should be given to a worthy recipient; for one who seeks imperishable merit (akṣaya), that alone becomes inexhaustible. And after the full number of days, having touched water for purification (ācamana), one may resume the use of vehicle and weapons.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेत/अनुवादक

• तत्: each such
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive: ‘this and that’)

• गुणवते: to a worthy/virtuous person
• गुणवते: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: विधेय (Predicate obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अक्षयम्: imperishable (merit)
• अक्षयम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण ‘इच्छता’ सह

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by one desiring’

• पूर्णैः: complete/full
• पूर्णैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘दिवसैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• दिवसैः: with days / after days
• दिवसैः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वाहनायुधम्: vehicles and weapons
• वाहनायुधम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: वाहन (vehicle) + आयुध (weapon)

Speakers

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

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dāna-phala (fruit of charity)
• Guṇa (worthiness of recipient)
• Purification completion
• Resumption of normal life after impurity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Merit depends not only on giving but on discernment: gifts placed in worthy hands become ‘akṣaya’—socially fruitful and spiritually enduring.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-ācāra material embedded in narrative; outside the five-lakṣaṇa core.

What is the esoteric significance?

Touching water at the end of a period marks reintegration: water signifies restored purity and the return of agency (vehicles/weapons = capacities for worldly action).