Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 30, Shloka 18

Adhyaya 30 — Madālasā’s Instruction on Household Duties and Naimittika–Śrāddha Rites

Sanskrit

सपिण्डीकरणं तासां पुत्राभावे न विद्यते ।

प्रतिसंवत्सरं कार्यमेकोद्दिष्टं नरैः स्त्रियाः ॥

Transliteration

sapiṇḍīkaraṇaṃ tāsāṃ putrābhāve na vidyate |

pratisaṃvatsaraṃ kāryam ekoddiṣṭaṃ naraiḥ striyāḥ ||

Translation

पुत्र के अभाव में उन स्त्रियों के लिए सपिण्डीकरण का विधान नहीं है। इसके स्थान पर पुरुषों को उस स्त्री के लिए प्रतिवर्ष एकोद्दिष्ट श्राद्ध करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• सपिण्डीकरणम्: the making into sapinda-relationship (sapindīkaraṇa rite)
• सपिण्डीकरणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डीकरण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (action-noun)

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• पुत्र-अभावे: in the absence of a son
• पुत्र-अभावे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (son’s absence = absence of a son)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists / is prescribed
• विद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/अस्तित्वार्थे प्रयोगः (exists/is found)

• प्रति-संवत्सरम्: every year
• प्रति-संवत्सरम्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial)

• कार्यम्: to be done / obligatory
• कार्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त; विधेय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तव्यतार्थक-तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (to be done)

• एक-उद्दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• एक-उद्दिष्टम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त; √दिश्/उद्दिश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (single + designated)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• स्त्रियाः: of a woman
• स्त्रियाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (also possible प्रथमा बहुवचन by form; here taken as genitive singular by sense: ‘of a woman’)

Speakers

• Didactic ritual instruction (speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pitri Puja
• Śrāddha-vidhi
• Kinship duty
• Gender and ritual eligibility

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage encodes a social-ritual dependency on descendants for certain integrative rites, while still ensuring ongoing remembrance through annual ekoddiṣṭa.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma/ācāra instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa symbolizes full ancestral assimilation; where it is not ritually ‘activated’, the annual ekoddiṣṭa serves as a compensatory channel maintaining the departed’s linkage with family merit and memory.