Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 107

Adhyaya 51 — Yaksha Injunctions: Graha-Children and Female Spirits Causing Domestic and Ritual Disruptions

Sanskrit

सा जातहारीणी नाम सुघोरा पिशिताशना ।

तस्मात् संरक्षणं कार्यं यत्नतः सूतिकागृहे ॥

Transliteration

sā jātahāriṇī nāma sughorā piśitāśanā / tasmāt saṃrakṣaṇaṃ kāryaṃ yatnataḥ sūtikāgṛhe

Translation

នាងត្រូវបានហៅថា «ជាតហារិណី» (Jātahāriṇī)—គួរឱ្យភ័យខ្លាចបំផុត ជាអ្នកស៊ីសាច់។ ដូច្នេះ ត្រូវប្រឹងប្រែងយ៉ាងខ្លាំងដើម្បីការពារនៅក្នុងបន្ទប់សម្រាលកូន។

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• jāta-hāriṇī: the newborn-stealing (female)
• jāta-hāriṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (जात-प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + hāriṇī (हारिणी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: ‘jātam harati’ = newborn-stealer

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/labeling)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle indicating naming (नाम-शब्दः, नामार्थक-अव्यय)

• su-ghorā: very terrible
• su-ghorā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (सु-उपसर्ग) + ghorā (घोर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective of ‘sā’

• piśita-aśanā: flesh-eating
• piśita-aśanā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piśita (पिशित-प्रातिपदिक) + aśanā (अशना-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: ‘piśitam aśnāti’ = flesh-eating

• tasmāt: therefore/from that (reason)
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/Ablative of cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); used as causal ‘therefore/from that’

• saṃrakṣaṇam: protection/guarding
• saṃrakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃrakṣaṇa (संरक्षण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāryam: must be done
• kāryam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (कार्य-प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective: ‘to be done/should be done’ qualifying ‘saṃrakṣaṇam’

• yatnataḥ: carefully/with effort
• yatnataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (यत्न-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अर्थे क्रियाविशेषणवत्): ‘with effort/carefully’

• sūtikā-gṛhe: in the maternity chamber
• sūtikā-gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūtikā (सूतिका-प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (गृह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘sūtikāyāḥ gṛhe’

Speakers

• Not specified in input

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Rakṣā-vidhi
• Naming of afflicting entities
• Postpartum protection

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text prioritizes care ethics: the vulnerable require deliberate safeguarding. Naming the threat functions pedagogically—making vigilance concrete and actionable.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/Dharma; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘flesh-eater’ motif externalizes destructive tendencies that prey on new beginnings; protection rites represent disciplined containment of chaos at thresholds.