Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 74, Shloka 28

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

इमाञ्चानुगतः प्रेम्णा वाञ्छितश्चानया वने । त्वया वियोजिता दुष्टे तस्माच्छापं ददामि ते ॥

Transliteration

imāṃ cānugataḥ premṇā vāñchitaś cānayā vane / tvayā viyojitā duṣṭe tasmāc chāpaṃ dadāmi te

Translation

“I followed this one out of love, and in the forest I was desired by her as well. You separated us, wicked girl; therefore I give you a curse.”

Word by Word

• imān: these (ones)
• imān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; conjunction

• anugataḥ: followed
• anugataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past participle: 'having followed'

• premṇā: with love, out of affection
• premṇā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental

• vāñchitaḥ: desired
• vāñchitaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāñchita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past participial adjective from √vāñch (desire): 'desired'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; conjunction

• anayā: by her/with her
• anayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental feminine of 'this'

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• viyojitā: separated
• viyojitā: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + yuj (युज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past participle passive agreeing with implied 'she/I' depending on context; here 'separated'

• duṣṭe: O wicked one
• duṣṭe: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; vocative: 'O wicked one'

• tasmāt: therefore, from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; ablative

• śāpam: a curse
• śāpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• dadāmi: I give
• dadāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 1sg

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; dative

Speakers

• Stag (Sutapā) to the girl

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Śāpa (curse) as moral enforcement
• Interference in others’ union
• Retributive justice

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The curse functions as a narrative mechanism for karmic rebalancing: deliberate harm that separates beings rebounds as suffering and altered fate for the perpetrator.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Moral upākhyāna; it supports dharma instruction rather than enumerating sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita directly.

What is the esoteric significance?

Separation (viyoga) symbolizes the ego’s disruptive intrusion into natural harmony; the śāpa externalizes the inner law that disharmony generates constricted rebirth.