Shloka 41

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

Sanskrit

शूद्रस्तु मासमासीता निजकर्मविवर्जितः ।

ततः परं निजं कर्म कुर्युः सर्वे यथोदितम् ॥

Transliteration

śūdras tu māsam āsīta nija-karma-vivarjitaḥ | tataḥ paraṃ nijaṃ karma kuryuḥ sarve yathoditam ||

Translation

Mais un śūdra doit demeurer en aśauca pendant un mois, en s’abstenant de son travail habituel. Ensuite, tous doivent accomplir leurs devoirs respectifs selon ce qui est prescrit.

Word by Word

• śūdraḥ: a Shudra
• śūdraḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय)

• māsam: for a month
• māsam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; duration (कालावधि)

• āsīta: should sit/remain
• āsīta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ās (धाातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• nija-karma-vivarjitaḥ: abstaining from his own work/duties
• nija-karma-vivarjitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + vivarjita (कृदन्त, √vṛj/varj with vi-)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘devoid of one’s own duties’ (कर्मविवर्जितः qualified by निज)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (काल/क्रमवाचक)

• param: after that
• param: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग), ‘after/then’

• nijam: one’s own
• nijam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with कर्म

• karma: duty/work
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• kuryuḥ: should do
• kuryuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धाातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural

• sarve: all (of them)
• sarve: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; used pronominally

• yathā-uditam: as prescribed/said
• yathā-uditam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + udita (कृदन्त, √vad/ud ‘to say/declare’ in sense ‘stated’)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning adverbially; neuter accusative singular form used as indeclinable meaning ‘as stated’

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca/Aśauca
• Social duty (svakarma)
• Ritual restoration

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is portrayed as time-bound regulation: mourning has a defined limit, after which social and personal responsibilities must be resumed to sustain household and community order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

As with the prior verse, it is mainly dharma/ācāra instruction rather than sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘return to svakarma’ signifies reintegration: after ritual purification, the individual’s role (dharma-function) is reactivated, reflecting restoration of harmony (ṛta) after disruption.