Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 13

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

Sanskrit

रथ्यागतमविज्ञातं दासवर्गादिनाहृतम् ।

वाक्रप्रशास्तं चिरातीतमनैकान्तरितं लघु ॥

Transliteration

rathyāgatam avijñātaṃ dāsa-vargādināhṛtam /

vākra-praśāstaṃ cirātītam anekāntaritaṃ laghu //

Translation

जो मार्ग से आया हो, जिसका उद्गम अज्ञात हो, जो दास आदि द्वारा लाया गया हो; जो विश्वसनीय वचन-प्रमाण से अनुमोदित हो, जो बहुत समय बीत जाने पर हो, और जो अनेक अंतरालों से पृथक हो—ये सब शुद्धि-विचार में ‘लघु-दूषण’ की श्रेणी में गिने जाते हैं।

Word by Word

• रथ्या-गतम्: street-found; come from the road
• रथ्या-गतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/अधिकरण: ‘gone to/come from the street’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविज्ञातम्: unknown; unrecognized
• अविज्ञातम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (negated past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• दास-वर्ग-आदिना: by slaves and the like
• दास-वर्ग-आदिना: करण (करणम् / Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-शब्देन समाहार: ‘by the group of slaves etc.’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहृतम्: brought; fetched
• आहृतम्: कर्म (कर्म / Object described)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• वक्र-प्रशास्तम्: wrongly sanctioned; improperly taught/approved
• वक्र-प्रशास्तम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशास्त (कृदन्त; √शास् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/विशेषण: ‘wrongly/obliquely instructed/approved’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिर-अतीतम्: long past; long gone
• चिर-अतीतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (कृदन्त; √इ धातु with अति-)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘long-past’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनेक-अन्तरितम्: interrupted by many gaps; long-separated
• अनेक-अन्तरितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तरित (कृदन्त; √अन्तर्/अन्तरि धातु/denom)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘separated by many intervals’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• लघु: light; small
• लघु: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speakers

• Instructional narrator within Dharma discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Social dharma
• Degrees of impurity
• Evidence/testimony in ritual law

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ethics of daily life requires judgment about provenance and risk: unknown or street-sourced items are treated cautiously, but time, separation, and reliable testimony can mitigate concern.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma-śāstra-like guidance embedded in the Purāṇa; not pancalakṣaṇa narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Intervals’ (antara) and ‘time passed’ (cirātīta) imply that contact-based impurity decays—symbolically, impressions weaken when not continually reinforced.