Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 44

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

Sanskrit

सोदकैस्तु क्रियाः सर्वाः कार्याः सञ्चयनात्परम् ।

स्पर्श एव सपिण्डानां मृताहनि तथोभयोः ॥

Transliteration

sodakais tu kriyāḥ sarvāḥ kāryāḥ saṃcayanāt param | sparśa eva sapiṇḍānāṃ mṛtāhani tathobhayoḥ ||

Translation

अस्थि संचय के बाद, सभी क्रियाएं जल के साथ (तर्पण आदि) करनी चाहिए। सपिण्ड संबंधियों के लिए, मृत्यु के दिन स्पर्श मात्र से अशौच होता है।

Word by Word

• sa-udakaiḥ: with water
• sa-udakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound meaning ‘together with water’; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (udakaiḥ)

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle

• kriyāḥ: rites/ceremonies
• kriyāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with क्रियाः

• kāryāḥ: should be performed
• kāryāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धाातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्; ‘kārya’), Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with क्रियाः; obligation

• saṃcayanāt: after the collecting
• saṃcayanāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃcayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• param: afterwards
• param: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-अव्ययप्रयोग) meaning ‘after’

• sparśaḥ: touch
• sparśaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• sa-piṇḍānām: of the sapindas (kinsmen)
• sa-piṇḍānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound ‘together with piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball)’, used as designation ‘sapinda’; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• mṛta-ahani: on the day of death
• mṛta-ahani: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त, √mṛ ‘to die’) + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘on the day of death’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (एवमेव)

• ubhayoḥ: of both
• ubhayoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual; masculine/neuter; ‘of both (parties)’

Speakers

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

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Udaka-kriyā
• Aśauca by contact
• Sapiṇḍa relations
• Funerary regulation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Kinship entails shared ritual consequence: close relatives are bound not only by affection but by common dharmic obligations and restrictions triggered by death.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma material; not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Touch’ symbolizes transmission of a liminal condition; water-rites symbolize purification and continuity, counterbalancing the rupture caused by death.