Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 11, Shloka 31

Adhyaya 11 — The Son’s Discourse on Embryogenesis, Birth, and the Wheel of Saṃsāra

Sanskrit

एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् जन्तवो घटियन्त्रवत् ।

भ्राम्यन्ते प्राकृतैर्बन्धैर्बद्ध्वा बाध्यन्ति चासकृत् ॥

Transliteration

evaṁ saṁsāra-cakre ’smin jantavo ghaṭi-yantravat | bhrāmyante prākṛtair bandhair baddhvā bādhyanti cāsakṛt ||

Translation

かくして輪廻の車輪において、衆生は水汲み機の仕掛けのごとく回転し続ける。自然（物質）の絆に縛られ、幾度となく制約されるのである。

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of transmigration
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: संसारस्य चक्रम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• जन्तवः: creatures, beings
• जन्तवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• घटियन्त्रवत्: like a mechanical device (like a pot-wheel)
• घटियन्त्रवत्: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घटि-यन्त्र-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (vat-affix adjective), प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with जन्तवः); तत्पुरुषः: घटेः/घटिकायाः यन्त्रं (a mechanism like a pot-wheel/contrivance) + वत् (like)

• भ्राम्यन्ते: they wander/are made to revolve
• भ्राम्यन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्राकृतैः: by natural/material
• प्राकृतैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) सम्भव; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण of बन्धैः

• बन्धैः: by bonds, fetters
• बन्धैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• बाध्यन्ति: they afflict/oppress
• बाध्यन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• असकृत्: repeatedly, again and again
• असकृत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb of frequency)

Speakers

• Putra to Pitṛ

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Saṃkhya-like prakṛti bondage
• Saṃsāra-cakra
• Determinism of habit
• Liberation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Worldly life runs by repetitive causal chains; without conscious discipline and insight, one merely cycles through conditioned reactions. Ethical practice and knowledge are the means to stop being ‘mechanical’.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A philosophical aside (mokṣa-oriented upadeśa) embedded in narrative dialogue; not a pancalakṣaṇa catalog item.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ghati-yantra metaphor suggests a closed loop driven by ‘weights’—guṇas and saṃskāras. Liberation is the disengagement of the driving mechanism through viveka and detachment.