Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 74, Shloka 51

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।

ततः पिता यथावृत्तं स्वराज्यच्यवनादिकम् ।

तस्याचष्टे महाबाहुः पुत्रस्य जगतीपतिः ॥

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tataḥ pitā yathāvṛttaṃ svarājyacyāvanādikam / tasyācaṣṭe mahābahuḥ putrasya jagatīpatiḥ

Translation

ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಆಮೇಲೆ ತಂದೆಯು ತನ್ನ ರಾಜ್ಯಭ್ರಂಶದಿಂದ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿ ನಡೆದ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿದನು. ಜಗದೀಶ್ವರನಾದ ಮಹಾಬಾಹು ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ತನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರನಿಗೆ ಅದನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Avyaya (अव्यय/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः = ‘then/thereupon’ (adverb)

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा-वृत्तम्: as it occurred; the whole account
• यथा-वृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object/Account)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘as it happened’

• स्व-राज्य-च्यवन-आदिकम्: (events) such as the loss of his own kingdom, etc.
• स्व-राज्य-च्यवन-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object/Content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + च्यवन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘etc. beginning with the fall from his own kingdom’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आचष्टे: relates / tells
• आचष्टे: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; epithet

• पुत्रस्य: of (his) son
• पुत्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जगतीपतिः: lord of the earth (king)
• जगतीपतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगती (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Markandeya narrating (frame narration); embedded father-to-son account

Key Themes

• Royal dharma
• Fall and restoration motif
• Transmission of history (itihāsa-like narration)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Kingship is portrayed as contingent upon dharma and fate; the proper response to reversal is truthful narration, counsel, and corrective action rather than despair.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśa (dynastic narrative) in service of Manvantara (periodization by Manus): personal royal events become the causal prelude to a Manu’s era.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘loss of kingdom’ can symbolize the soul’s loss of sovereignty through adharma/ignorance, and its recovery through right knowledge and empowered action.