Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 70, Shloka 19

Adhyaya 70 — The King Confronts the Rakshasa and Restores the Brahmin’s Wife

Sanskrit

सन्ति नः प्रमदा भूप ! रूपेणाप्सरसां समाः ।

राक्षस्यस्तासु तिष्ठत्सु मानुषीषु रतिः कथम् ॥

Transliteration

santi naḥ pramadā bhūpa rūpeṇāpsarasāṃ samāḥ | rākṣasyas tāsu tiṣṭhatsu mānuṣīṣu ratiḥ katham ||

Translation

ହେ ରାଜନ୍, ଆମ ପାଖରେ ଅପ୍ସରାମାନଙ୍କ ସମାନ ସୌନ୍ଦର୍ୟ ଥିବା ରାକ୍ଷସୀ ନାରୀମାନେ ଅଛନ୍ତି। ଏମିତି ରାକ୍ଷସୀ ଥିଲେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟୀ ନାରୀମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି କାମନା କିପରି ହେବ?

Word by Word

• santi: there are
• santi: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pramadāḥ: women
• pramadāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhūpa: O king
• bhūpa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• rūpeṇa: in beauty / by appearance
• rūpeṇa: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument; in respect of form)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• apsarasām: of apsarases
• apsarasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparison standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• samāḥ: equal (to)
• samāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• rākṣasyaḥ: rākṣasī-women (female demons)
• rākṣasyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to pramadāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tāsu: among them / in them
• tāsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tiṣṭhatsu: while (they) are present/standing
• tiṣṭhatsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative circumstance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mānuṣīṣu: in human women
• mānuṣīṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative; object of ratiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ratiḥ: desire, love
• ratiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Interrogation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)

Speakers

• Rākṣasa to the King

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Desire and justification
• Inter-species relations in Purāṇic narrative
• Rhetoric of innocence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The rākṣasa uses plausibility to deny wrongdoing. The ethical point is to scrutinize persuasive speech: dharma is not established by clever argument but by conduct and consequences.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Narrative-ethical material (upākhyāna), not directly tied to sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Apsaras-like beauty stands for refined temptation; the claim ‘no desire for humans’ masks a deeper motive—removing the wife to disable yajña—showing how kāma can be a cover for power-strategy.