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Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 125

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

नानामेदोवसामज्जा लिप्तपाण्यङ्गुलिः श्वसन् ।

नानाशवोदनकृता हारतृप्तिपरायणः ॥

Transliteration

nānā-medo-vasā-majjā-lipta-pāṇy-aṅguliḥ śvasan / nānā-śavodana-kṛtā-hāra-tṛpti-parāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Respirando con pesadez, con los dedos de las manos untados de diversas grasas, sebo y médula, vivía empeñado en saciar el hambre, alimentándose de arroz preparado a partir de muchos cadáveres (esto es, comida obtenida en relación con los muertos).

Word by Word
नानाvarious, many kinds of
नाना:
विशेषणम् (Qualifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाना (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विशेषणार्थे (विविध/बहु) — Indeclinable used adjectivally ‘various’
मेदस्fat
मेदस्:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootमेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular (compound member)
वसाgrease
वसा:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootवसा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Feminine, Nominative Singular (compound member)
मज्जाmarrow
मज्जा:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
TypeNoun
Rootमज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
लिप्तsmeared
लिप्त:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeAdjective
Rootलिप्त (कृदन्त; √लिप्)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Masculine, Nominative Singular; past participle
पाणिhand
पाणि:
अवयव (Body part)
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Masculine, Nominative Singular (compound member)
अङ्गुलिःfinger(s)
अङ्गुलिः:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
श्वसन्breathing
श्वसन्:
कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता) (participial)
TypeVerb
Rootश्वसन् (कृदन्त; √श्वस्)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Present active participle; Masculine, Nominative Singular
नानाvarious
नाना:
विशेषणम् (Qualifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाना (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विशेषणार्थे — Indeclinable ‘various’
शवof corpses
शव:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootशव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Genitive Plural (compound member)
उदनwater
उदन:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootउदन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular (compound member)
कृतmade, prepared
कृत:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Feminine, Nominative Singular (agreeing with implied ‘आहार/तृप्ति’ in compound)
आहारfood, intake
आहार:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootआहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Masculine, Nominative Singular (compound member)
तृप्तिsatiation
तृप्ति:
समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootतृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Feminine, Nominative Singular (compound member)
परायणःdevoted to, intent on
परायणः:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरायण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विशेषणम्
Speakers
Narrative voice within Markandeya Purana (frame-speakers not identifiable from excerpt alone)
Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes
DharmaKarmic retributionŚmaśāna/liminal transgressionDisgust as moral pedagogy

FAQs

The Purāṇic style uses revulsion to teach restraint: when one abandons dharma, the mind can normalize what is ordinarily forbidden, even living from death and pollution. Hunger and compulsion become metaphors for uncontrolled desire.

Carita (exemplum) illustrating karmic consequence; ancillary to dharma-teaching rather than cosmological Sarga/Manvantara material.

‘Food from corpses’ can be read symbolically as consuming the results of dead actions—living on residues of past karma—until insight or expiation breaks the cycle.

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