Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 26, Shloka 27

Adhyaya 26 — Madālasa Names Alarka and Reorients Him Toward Kshatriya Duty

Sanskrit

यदि ते मत्प्रियं कार्यं यदि ग्राह्यं वचो मम ।

तदेनं तनयं मार्गे प्रवृत्तेः सन्नियोजय ॥

Transliteration

yadi te mat-priyaṃ kāryaṃ yadi grāhyaṃ vaco mama / tad enaṃ tanayaṃ mārge pravṛtteḥ sanniyojaya //

Translation

«ຖ້າເຈົ້າປາດຖະນາເຮັດສິ່ງທີ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັກ, ແລະຖ້າຄຳຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະຖືກຮັບໄວ້—ຈົ່ງວາງລູກຊາຍນີ້ໃຫ້ໝັ້ນຄົງໃນເສັ້ນທາງແຫ່ງການປະຕິບັດພັນທະໂລກຢ່າງກະຕືລືລົ້ນ (pravṛtti)»

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त/सम्भावना (conditional particle)

• ते: your / of you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; personal pronoun

• मत्-प्रियम्: dear to me
• मत्-प्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-प्रत्ययार्थ) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम प्रियं)

• कार्यम्: a deed/thing to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थे

• ग्राह्यम्: acceptable, to be taken
• ग्राह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘to be accepted’

• वचः: word/speech
• वचः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: then, therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; तस्मात्/तर्हि-अर्थे (then/therefore)

• एनम्: this one/him
• एनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/एनद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; pronoun

• तनयम्: son
• तनयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रवृत्तेः: of proper activity/engagement
• प्रवृत्तेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• सन्नियोजय: appoint/engage (him) properly
• सन्नियोजय: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: युज् (to yoke/appoint) with उपसर्ग सम्+नि

Speakers

• Jaḍa to Madālasā

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pravṛtti vs Nivṛtti
• Rāja-dharma
• Education according to life-stage (āśrama)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text advocates stage-appropriate dharma: heirs, especially kṣatriyas, must be trained first in governance, protection, and ritual obligations before higher renunciation is introduced.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Anucarita (didactic narrative) supporting dharmaśāstric ideals; not a cosmological section.

What is the esoteric significance?

Pravṛtti here represents the disciplined channeling of desire and power into order (ṛta/dharma). Esoterically, it is the ‘right-hand’ path of integrating spirit with duty, not rejecting the world prematurely.