Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 50, Shloka 54

Adhyaya 50 — Mind-Born Progeny, Svayambhuva Manu’s Lineage, and Brahmā’s Ordinance to Duḥsaha (Alakṣmī’s Retinue)

Sanskrit

असच्छास्त्रक्रियालापदूषितेषु च दुःसह ।

तवाभिभवसामर्थ्यं भविष्यति सदा नृषु ॥

Transliteration

asac-chāstra-kriyā-lāpa-dūṣiteṣu ca duḥsaha |

tavābhibhava-sāmarthyaṃ bhaviṣyati sadā nṛṣu ||

Translation

मिथ्या-उपदेशों से कलुषित लोगों में—उनके कर्मकाण्ड और वाणी के कारण—हे दुर्धर्षे, मनुष्यों पर तुम्हारी अभिभव-शक्ति सदा ही प्रबल रहेगी।

Word by Word

• असत्: false/evil
• असत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण) विशेषण-प्रातिपदिकम्

• शास्त्र: treatise/doctrine
• शास्त्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण) नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम्

• क्रिया: practice/ritual act
• क्रिया: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण) स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम्

• लाप: talk/speech
• लाप: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण) पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम्

• दूषितेषु: among those corrupted by false doctrines, practices, and talk
• दूषितेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dūṣ (दूष् धातु) + -ita (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन (plural); समासः: असत्-शास्त्र-क्रिया-लाप-दूषित (तत्पुरुष; ‘असच्छास्त्रादिभिः दूषित’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दुःसह: O hard-to-bear one
• दुःसह: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥsaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• अभिभव: overpowering/defeat
• अभिभव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhibhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण) पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम्

• सामर्थ्यम्: power to overpower
• सामर्थ्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः: अभिभव-सामर्थ्य (तत्पुरुष; ‘अभिभवस्य सामर्थ्यम्’)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• नृषु: among men/people
• नृषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speakers

• Unspecified narrator addressing a Yakṣa

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Power of right doctrine
• Speech ethics
• Spiritual susceptibility

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Wrong views and degraded discourse do not remain private—they shape conduct and invite domination by harmful forces; purity of teaching and speech is a dharmic safeguard.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-ācāra and narrative moralization; not one of the five purāṇic hallmarks.

What is the esoteric significance?

Speech (vāk) is creative power; when vāk is ‘dūṣita’, it becomes a channel for coercive energies—here personified as the Yakṣa’s abhibhava.