Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 17

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

बहिरन्तश्चाप्रकाशः संवृतात्मा नगात्मकः ।

मुख्या नगा यतश्चोक्ता मुख्यसर्गस्ततस्त्वयम् ॥

Transliteration

bahirantaś cāprakāśaḥ saṃvṛtātmā nagātmakaḥ /

mukhyā nagā yataś coktā mukhyasargas tatas tv ayam

Translation

ବାହ୍ୟ ଓ ଆନ୍ତରିକ ଆଲୋକ ବିନା, ଆତ୍ମା ଆବରଣରେ ଢାକା—ଏହି ସୃଷ୍ଟି ଥିଲା ସ୍ଥାବର-ସ୍ୱଭାବର; ଏହାକୁ ‘ନାଗ’ (ଅଚଳ/ଉଦ୍ଭିଦଜୀବ) ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ। ଏହି ‘ନାଗ’ମାନେ ‘ମୁଖ୍ୟ’ ବୋଲି ଅଭିହିତ ହେବାରୁ ଏହା ‘ମୁଖ୍ୟସର୍ଗ’ (ପ୍ରାଥମିକ ସୃଷ୍ଟି) ନାମେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ।

Word by Word

• bahiḥ: externally
• bahiḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• antaḥ: internally
• antaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

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

• aprakāśaḥ: non-illumination, darkness
• aprakāśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• saṃvṛta-ātmā: with the self veiled
• saṃvṛta-ātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of aprakāśaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃvṛta (कृदन्त; √vṛ with सम्- उपसर्ग, क्त) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi 'one whose self is covered/closed'

• naga-ātmakaḥ: of mountain-like nature
• naga-ātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of aprakāśaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa 'having the nature of mountains/immobile beings'

• mukhyāḥ: principal, primary
• mukhyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of nagāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Bahuvacana

• nagāḥ: mountains; immobile beings
• nagāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Bahuvacana

• yataḥ: because, since
• yataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; causal/relative adverb ('because/whence')

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

• uktāḥ: are called, were said
• uktāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) from √vac; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; agrees with nagāḥ

• mukhya-sargaḥ: the primary creation
• mukhya-sargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya 'primary creation'

• tataḥ: therefore, then
• tataḥ: Hetu/Anantara (हेतु/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sequence marker 'therefore/then'

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता/Addressed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Pronoun), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana

• ayam: this (one), he/it here
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/Pronoun), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; deictic pronoun (often 'this')

Speakers

• Narrative voice within cosmological account

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Creator principle

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Primary creation (mukhya-sarga)
• Tamas-dominant beings
• Veiling of consciousness

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When consciousness is ‘covered’ (saṃvṛta), life expresses as inertia and minimal awareness; the passage functions as a caution that tamas leads to stagnation, while clarity (prakāśa) enables higher flourishing.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: it specifies a technical subtype—mukhya-sarga (primary creation), associated with tamas-dominant, ‘immobile’ forms.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Outer and inner unillumined’ indicates both sensory and mental obscuration; the ‘immobile’ category symbolizes consciousness fixed in identification, prior to the emergence of more articulate, self-reflective life.