Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 55

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

वर्ज्यञ्च विदशं वस्त्रमत्यन्तोपहतञ्च यत् ।

केशकीटावपन्नञ्च क्षुण्णं श्वभिरवेक्षितम् ॥

Transliteration

varjyañ ca vidaśaṃ vastram atyantopahatañ ca yat | keśakīṭāvapannañ ca kṣuṇṇaṃ śvabhir avekṣitam ||

Translation

Il faut éviter les vêtements déchirés et ceux qui sont trop abîmés; de même les habits infestés de poux/insectes, ceux qui sont froissés ou souillés, et ceux qui ont été regardés ou profanés par des chiens.

Word by Word

• varjyam: to be avoided
• varjyam: Karma (कर्म; implied ‘(idam) varjyam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varjya (कृदन्त; √vṛj/varj धातु)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘वर्जनीयम्’ = to be avoided

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• vidaśam: torn/ragged
• vidaśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vastram)

• vastram: cloth/garment
• vastram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• atyanta-upahatam: utterly damaged
• atyanta-upahatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + upahata (कृदन्त; √han धातु with upa-)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास (‘अत्यन्तम्’ इति अव्ययपूर्वपद); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (vastram)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• keśa-kīṭa-avapannam: infested with hair-lice/insects
• keśa-kīṭa-avapannam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: keśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kīṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + avapanna (कृदन्त; √pad/āp? with ava-; ‘fallen into/infested’)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (vastram)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• kṣuṇṇam: torn/crushed
• kṣuṇṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣuṇṇa (कृदन्त; √kṣud/√kṣuṇ? धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (vastram)

• śvabhiḥ: by dogs
• śvabhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन

• avekṣitam: looked at/inspected (by)
• avekṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (vastram)

Speakers

• Not identifiable from the provided verses alone.

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca
• Avoidance of defilement
• Health and hygiene

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity includes practical hygiene: clothing is part of one’s ritual and social body, so garments that carry contamination, decay, or disorder are to be rejected.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma guidance; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Garments symbolize one’s ‘outer sheath’ (bahiraṅga); keeping them untainted mirrors the cultivation of an untainted mind and disciplined life.