Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 39, Shloka 54

Adhyaya 39 — Yoga Discipline: Posture, Breath Control, Sense Withdrawal, and Signs of Attainment

Sanskrit

तेषां नाशाय कर्तव्यं योगिनां तन्निबोध मे ।

स्निग्धां यवागूमत्युष्णां भुक्त्वा तत्रैव धारयेत् ॥

Transliteration

teṣāṃ nāśāya kartavyaṃ yogināṃ tan nibodha me / snigdhāṃ yavāgūm aty-uṣṇāṃ bhuktvā tatraiva dhārayet

Translation

उन (दोषों) के नाश हेतु योगियों को क्या करना चाहिए—यह मुझसे जानो: बहुत गरम और स्निग्ध यवागू (दलिया) खाकर उसे भीतर ही धारण/स्थिर रखना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नाशाय: for destruction (removal)
• नाशाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: विधेय (Predicative necessity)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोग: ‘to be done/should be done’

• योगिनाम्: of yogins
• योगिनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निबोध: understand
• निबोध: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि-

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (Dative/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन (Singular) — enclitic

• स्निग्धाम्: unctuous, oily
• स्निग्धाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yavāgū)

• यवागूम्: barley gruel
• यवागूम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवागू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अति-उष्णाम्: very hot
• अति-उष्णाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (अति + उष्ण), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yavāgū)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) from भुज् ‘to eat’; ‘having eaten’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/restriction

• धारयेत्: should hold/retain
• धारयेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; causative sense not implied here

Speakers

• Instructional voice within the chapter

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Remedies
• Diet regimen
• Balancing vāta

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇa integrates bodily care with spiritual discipline: when imbalance arises, one should employ gentle, stabilizing remedies rather than stubbornly continuing harmful practice.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Therapeutic/didactic instruction; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Warm, unctuous food symbolizes restoring ‘ground’ and cohesion (saṃhati) to prāṇa and mind, countering dispersive tendencies that produce instability in meditation.