Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 73, Shloka 10
Adhyaya 73 — The Uttama Manvantara: Classes of Devas, Indra Sushanti, and the Royal Lineage
अजः परशुचिर्दिव्यो महाबलपराक्रमः ।
पुत्रस्तस्य मनोरासन् विख्यातास्त्रिदशोपमाः ॥
ajaḥ paraśucir divyo mahābalaparākramaḥ | putras tasya manor āsan vikhyātās tridaśopamāḥ ||
उस मनु का पुत्र अज था—परशु के समान निर्मल, दिव्य, महान बल और पराक्रम वाला। उसके पुत्र भी प्रसिद्ध हुए, जो त्रिंशत् (तीस देवों) के तुल्य थे।
FAQs
Purity and prowess are presented as royal virtues: ideal kingship descends through lineages characterized by inner clarity (śuci) and outer courage (parākrama).
Vaṃśa (genealogies): the verse explicitly advances the dynastic line within the Manvantara narrative.
The epithet ‘paraśu-śuci’ suggests discriminative cutting (like an axe) that is nevertheless pure—symbolically, righteous rule ‘cuts away’ adharma without impurity of motive.