Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 66

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

कृतशौचावशिष्टाश्च वर्जयेत् पञ्च वै मृदः ।

प्रक्षाल्य हस्तौ पादौ च समभ्युक्ष्य समाहितः ॥

Transliteration

kṛtaśaucāvaśiṣṭāś ca varjayet pañca vai mṛdaḥ | prakṣālya hastau pādau ca samabhyukṣya samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

ຫຼັງຈາກຊຳລະຄວາມສະອາດ (śauca) ແລ້ວ ຄວນຫຼີກລ້ຽງດິນ 5 ປະເພດ (ດິນທີ່ໃຊ້ແລ້ວ/ເຫຼືອຄ້າງ/ບໍ່ບໍລິສຸດ). ເມື່ອລ້າງມືແລະຕີນແລ້ວ ແລະພອຍນ້ຳໃສ່ຕົນເອງ ຄວນຢູ່ດ້ວຍຈິດໃຈສະຫງົບສົມດຸນ.

Word by Word

• kṛta-śauca-avaśiṣṭāḥ: those remaining after cleansing (i.e., leftover impurities)
• kṛta-śauca-avaśiṣṭāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त) + śauca (प्रातिपदिक) + avaśiṣṭa (शिष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1 विभक्ति), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘remaining after (performing) purification’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛj (वृज्/वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन); parasmaipada; ‘should avoid’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective; indeclinable-like usage here; qualifying mṛdaḥ

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण)

• mṛdaḥ: clay/earth (lumps)
• mṛdaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (मृद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2 विभक्ति), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘clays/earth (for cleansing)’

• prakṣālya: having washed
• prakṣālya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kṣāl (प्र + क्षाल् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having washed’

• hastau: (both) hands
• hastau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2 विभक्ति), Dual (द्विवचन)

• pādau: (both) feet
• pādau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2 विभक्ति), Dual (द्विवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• samabhyukṣya: having sprinkled (water) upon (oneself)
• samabhyukṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-abhi-ukṣ (सम् + अभि + उक्ष् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having sprinkled (oneself) well’

• samāhitaḥ: composed, attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (सम् + आ + धा धातु) → samāhita (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (past passive participle, क्त), Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively ‘composed/attentive’

Speakers

• Unspecified in input (instructional voice)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca
• Ritual hygiene
• Post-excretion purity
• Composure (samāhita)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purification is systematic: one avoids secondary contamination (used earth), completes washing, and returns to a collected mental state—purity is both physical and psychological.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma instruction; not pañcalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The move from cleansing to ‘samāhita’ indicates that śauca culminates in restored inner steadiness; sprinkling water functions as a boundary-marking rite before re-entering sacred activities.