Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 6, Shloka 12

Adhyaya 6 — Balarama’s Dilemma, Drunken Wanderings in Revata’s Grove, and the Slaying of the Suta

Sanskrit

आम्रानाम्रातकान् भव्यान् नारिकेलान् सतिन्दुकान् । आविल्वकांस्तथा जीरान् दाडिमान् बीजपूरकान् ॥

Transliteration

āmrān āmrātakān bhavyān nārikelān satindukān / āvilvakāṃs tathā jīrān dāḍimān bījapūrakān

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾವು ಮತ್ತು ಆಮ್ರಾತಕದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಫಲಗಳು; ತೆಂಗು ಮತ್ತು ತಿಂದುಕ ಫಲಗಳು; ವಿಲ್ವಕ ಹಾಗೂ ಜೀರ; ದಾಡಿಮ ಮತ್ತು ಬೀಜಪೂರಕ (ಸಿಟ್ರನ್) ಫಲಗಳೂ ಇದ್ದವು।

Word by Word

• आम्रान्: mango trees
• आम्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• आम्रातकान्: hog-plum trees (āmrātaka)
• आम्रातकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम्रातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• भव्यान्: splendid, fine
• भव्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण—पूर्वोक्तानां वृक्षाणाम्

• नारिकेलान्: coconut trees
• नारिकेलान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारिकेल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• स-तिन्दुकान्: and tinduka trees (incl. ebony/persimmon)
• स-तिन्दुकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपपद) + तिन्दुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘स’ = सहितार्थक (along with/including)

• आ-विल्वकान्: bilva trees (āvilvaka)
• आ-विल्वकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + विल्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘आ’ उपपद—समुच्चय/आभिमुख्ये (here as prefixal form in lexeme)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक/प्रकारवाचक (and likewise)

• जीरान्: jujube/other ‘jīra’ trees
• जीरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• दाडिमान्: pomegranate trees
• दाडिमान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• बीजपूरकान्: citron trees (bījapūraka)
• बीजपूरकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीजपूरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice (not within the Devi Mahatmyam battle-dialogue frame in this verse); specific speaker not determinable from the single verse alone

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Geography / natural description
• Prosperity and abundance
• Catalogue of flora (phala-varga)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse functions as a descriptive catalogue of life-supporting abundance. In Purāṇic narrative, such enumerations underscore the ideal of a well-ordered world where nature provides diverse, wholesome resources—supporting dharma through sustenance, hospitality, and ritual offerings.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is not a direct instance of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita in itself; it most closely aligns with ancillary descriptive material often embedded within vaṃśānucarita or regional/cosmic description sections that accompany genealogical and world-structure narration.

What is the esoteric significance?

On a symbolic reading, the diversity of fruits can be taken as a metaphor for the many ‘rasas’ (flavors/experiences) of embodied life and the plurality of means by which the world (jagat) nourishes beings—hinting that dharma is sustained not by one resource alone but by balanced variety and orderly cultivation.