Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 73

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

प्रयतानां मनुष्याणां ग्रहर्क्षोत्थान्यशेषतः ।

एष कूर्मो मया ख्यातो भारते भगवान् विभुः ॥

Transliteration

prayatānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ graharkṣotthānyaśeṣataḥ / eṣa kūrmo mayā khyāto bhārate bhagavān vibhuḥ

Translation

Para los diligentes he explicado por completo los efectos que proceden de los planetas y de las mansiones lunares (nakṣatra). Así he descrito en Bhārata a este poderoso Señor, la Tortuga (Kūrma).

Word by Word

• प्रयतानाम्: of the diligent/striving
• प्रयतानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘मनुष्याणाम्’

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• ग्रह: planet
• ग्रह: समासाङ्ग (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• ऋक्ष: star/asterism
• ऋक्ष: समासाङ्ग (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• उत्थानि: (the) risings/occurrences related to planets and stars
• उत्थानि: कर्म (कर्म/Accusative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—ग्रह+ऋक्ष+उत्थ (ग्रहऋक्षोत्थानि = ‘planets-and-asterisms-related risings/origins’)

• अशेषतः: completely, without remainder
• अशेषतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एषः: this
• एषः: कर्ता (कर्तृ/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कूर्मः: tortoise (Kūrma)
• कूर्मः: कर्ता (कर्तृ/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘एषः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• मया: by me
• मया: करण (करण/Instrumental; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ख्यातः: has been declared/expounded
• ख्यातः: क्रिया (Predicate; passive participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (लट्-समकक्षं वाक्ये) ‘प्रख्यात/वर्णित’

• भारते: in Bhārata (India/among the Bhāratas)
• भारते: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; देश/ग्रन्थ-निर्देशे अधिकरण

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: कर्ता (कर्तृ/Subject-appositive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘विभुः/कूर्मः’

• विभुः: the all-pervading one
• विभुः: कर्ता (कर्तृ/Subject-appositive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण/उपपद—‘कूर्मः’

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic discourse (cosmological exposition; speaker not explicitly re-identified in this verse)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Kūrma/Nārāyaṇa)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Astral lore (graha-nakṣatra)
• Sacred geography
• Vaiṣṇava theology

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Human life is portrayed as embedded in a meaningful cosmic order; diligence (prayatna) is implied as the proper response—one should understand cosmic influences and act with disciplined remedies rather than fatalism.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily aligns with Sarga/Pratisarga-style cosmological description (world-order and structure), with applied jyotiṣa implications (not a separate pancalakṣaṇa item, but commonly included under cosmological exposition).

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘Kūrma’ functions as a cosmic mandala: astral forces are integrated into a single divine body, implying that planetary/nakṣatra powers are subordinate limbs of Nārāyaṇa’s order.