Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 51

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

दार्वादा मरकाश्चैव कुरटाश्चान्नदारकाः ।

एकपादा खशा घोषाः स्वर्गभौमानवद्यकाः ॥

Transliteration

dārvādā marakāś caiva kuraṭāś cānnadārakāḥ | ekapādā khaśā ghoṣāḥ svargabhaumānavadyakāḥ ||

Translation

ଦାର୍ବାଦ, ମରକ, କୁରଟ ଓ ଅନ୍ନଦାରକ; ଏକପାଦ, ଖଶ, ଘୋଷ, ସ୍ୱର୍ଗଭୌମ ଏବଂ ଅନବଦ୍ୟକ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• दार्वादाः: the Dārvādas
• दार्वादाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार्वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ethnonym

• मरकाः: the Marakas
• मरकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ethnonym

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• कुरटाः: the Kuraṭas
• कुरटाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ethnonym

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अन्नदारकाः: the Annadārakas
• अन्नदारकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-दारक (प्रातिपदिक; components: अन्न + दारक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (descriptive epithet)

• एकपादाः: the one-footed (Ekapādas)
• एकपादाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-पाद (प्रातिपदिक; components: एक + पाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; द्विगु (‘one-footed’) used as group-name

• खशाः: the Khaśas
• खशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ethnonym

• घोषाः: the Ghoṣas
• घोषाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ethnonym/group-name

• स्वर्गभौमानवद्यकाः: the Svargabhaumānavadyakas
• स्वर्गभौमानवद्यकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-भौम-अनवद्यक (प्रातिपदिक; components: स्वर्ग + भौम + अनवद्यक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (multi-member determinative epithet)

Speakers

• Not specified in input

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Ethnography
• Mythic races (Ekapāda)
• Frontier peoples (Khaśa)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By placing ‘fabulous’ beings (Ekapāda) alongside historical ethnonyms (Khaśa), the Purāṇa treats the world as layered: empirical geography and mythic geography coexist, both serving to communicate cosmic vastness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (cosmography), especially the Purāṇic convention of including extraordinary races at the margins of the world.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘One-footed’ may symbolize one-sidedness or single-pointed drive—extreme specialization—found at the ‘edges’ of consciousness, paralleling the edges of the world-map.