HomeMarkandeya PuranaAdhy. 8Shloka 188

Shloka 188

Adhyaya 8Vasu's Redemption

राजोवाच हाऽ वत्स ! सुकुमारं ते स्वक्षिभ्रूनासिकालकम् ।

पश्यतो मे मुखं दीनं हृदयं किं न दीर्यते ॥

rājovāca hā vatsa! sukumāraṃ te svakṣi-bhrū-nāsikālakam | paśyato me mukhaṃ dīnaṃ hṛdayaṃ kiṃ na dīryate ||

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു: “അയ്യോ എന്റെ കുഞ്ഞേ! നിന്റെ কোমലമുഖം—സ്വന്തം കണ്ണുകളും ഭ്രൂകളും ചെറുനാസികയും സഹിതം—എന്റെ ദീനമുഖത്തെ നോക്കുമ്പോൾ എന്റെ ഹൃദയം എന്തുകൊണ്ട് പിളരുന്നില്ല?”

rājāthe king
rājā:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
alas!
:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/exclamation)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, exclamatory particle (विस्मय/शोक-निपात)
vatsadear child
vatsa:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
TypeNoun
Rootvatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
sukumāramtender, delicate
sukumāram:
Karma (कर्म; object of address/mental reference)
TypeAdjective
Rootsukumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifies implied ‘you/child’
teyour
te:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
sva-akṣi-bhrū-nāsikā-lakamyour (dear) eyes, brows, nose, and facial marks (features)
sva-akṣi-bhrū-nāsikā-lakam:
Karma (कर्म; object in lament/description)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrū (प्रातिपदिक) + nāsikā (प्रातिपदिक) + laka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; multi-member Tatpuruṣa describing facial features: ‘(having) own eyes, eyebrows, nose, and marks/beauty-spots’ (as a collective descriptor)
paśyataḥwhile (I am) seeing
paśyataḥ:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/concomitant action)
TypeVerb
Rootpaśy (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Genitive, Singular; used in genitive absolute/‘while I am seeing’ sense with me
memy, of me
me:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/experiencer)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6th), Singular; ‘of me/my’
mukhamface
mukham:
Karma (कर्म/object of seeing)
TypeNoun
Rootmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular
dīnamwretched, pitiable
dīnam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier of mukhaṃ)
TypeAdjective
Rootdīna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with mukham
hṛdayamheart
hṛdayam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject of dīryate)
TypeNoun
Roothṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st), Singular
kimwhy?, how?
kim:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormInterrogative particle (प्रश्न-निपात) used adverbially
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
dīryateis torn apart, breaks
dīryate:
Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootdṝ (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular; passive/intransitive sense ‘is torn/splits’
The King (direct speech)

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

Parental loveLamentMortalityPathos (karuṇa-rasa)

FAQs

The verse is a vivid portrayal of karuṇa (pathos), emphasizing how love intensifies suffering when confronted with death. It functions as a moral catalyst: one must seek a meaning beyond the perishable body and beyond possessive love.

Ākhyāna; emotional narration used to lead toward later doctrinal or devotional resolution.

The ‘heart splitting’ image suggests the breaking of egoic enclosure. In a higher reading, such breaking can become the doorway to transcendence—if guided toward wisdom rather than despair.