Shloka 57

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

त्वगस्थिमांससङ्घाते पूयशोणितपूरिते ।

कर्तव्या न रति॒र्यत्र तत्रास्माकमियं रतिः ॥

Transliteration

tvag-asthi-māṁsa-saṅghāte pūya-śoṇita-pūrite |

kartavyā na ratir yatra tatrāsmākam iyaṁ ratiḥ ||

Translation

皮と骨と肉の寄せ集めで、膿と血に満ちたこの身—本来は喜びを求むべきでないところに、まさに我らの喜びがあるのです。

Word by Word

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• मांस: flesh
• मांस: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• सङ्घाते: in the mass/aggregate (of skin, bone, flesh)
• सङ्घाते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्वक्-अस्थि-मांस-समूहः); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• पूय: pus
• पूय: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• शोणित: blood
• शोणित: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• पूरिते: filled with pus and blood
• पूरिते: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूरित (प्रातिपदिक; from √पूर्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पूय-शोणितेन पूरितः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सङ्घाते)

• कर्तव्या: should be (done)
• कर्तव्या: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (ought to be done)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• रतिः: delight/attachment
• रतिः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: विशेषण (Demonstrative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रतिः: attachment/delight
• रतिः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely narrator/teacher voice within early Markandeya Purana ethical instruction; frame-speakers not identifiable from this single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Vairagya (dispassion)
• Dharma and self-control
• Body as impure/impermanent (aśubha-bhāvanā)
• Critique of sensuality (kāma)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse teaches a deliberate reversal of perception: the body, when analyzed as mere material constituents (skin, bone, flesh) and impure contents (pus, blood), is not a fit object for attachment or erotic fascination. The ethical thrust is restraint (saṁyama) and cultivation of dispassion by seeing through glamour to underlying reality.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse aligns most closely with Dharma/ācāra instruction rather than the five classical purāṇic markers (sarga, pratisarga, vaṁśa, manvantara, vaṁśānucarita). If mapped loosely, it supports the purāṇic function of teaching right conduct and detachment, but it is not itself a sarga/manvantara/genealogy statement.

What is the esoteric significance?

Esoterically, it is an aśubha-bhāvanā (contemplation of the unattractive/impure) used to break the spell of māyā-like projection onto the body. By stripping experience down to constituents, the mind’s rati (craving) is exposed as misplacement, enabling inward turning toward higher knowledge and steadiness.