Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 30

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

चिराद् गुरुतरं तद्वन् महान्तमपि कालजम् ।

एवं च सुखदुःखानि पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि वै ॥

Transliteration

cirād gurutaraṃ tadvan mahāntam api kālajam / evaṃ ca sukhaduḥkhāni puṇyāpuṇyodbhavāni vai

Translation

ਸਮੇਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਹੀ ਫਲ ਉਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਭਾਰੀ ਤੇ ਤੀਬਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਲ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਹ ਨਾਲ ਵੱਡਾ ਵੀ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ; ਇਸ ਲਈ ਸੁਖ ਤੇ ਦੁੱਖ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਪੁੰਨ ਤੇ ਪਾਪ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਜਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• चिरात्: after a long time/long afterwards
• चिरात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāt (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• गुरुतरम्: heavier/greater
• गुरुतरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तर्हि-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative)

• तद्वत्: likewise/similarly
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलनार्थक-अव्यय (like that/similarly)

• महान्तम्: great/large
• महान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

• कालजम्: time-born/produced by time
• कालजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla+ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kālasya jaḥ) ‘born of time’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• सुखदुःखानि: pleasures and pains
• सुखदुःखानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha+duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (sukhaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ ca)

• पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि: arising from merit and demerit
• पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya+apuṇya+udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (puṇyāpuṇya) + तत्पुरुष (udbhava) ‘arising from merit and demerit’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/verily)

Speakers

• Unclear from provided excerpt (later addresses 'rājan')

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Karma
• Temporal maturation of karma
• Pleasure and pain
• Ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Karma ripens with time; small causes can mature into strong effects. Pleasure and pain are traced to moral causality rather than randomness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic ethics (dharma-upadeśa), not one of the five purāṇic lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Time-born’ (kālaja) suggests that the subtle seed of action remains latent and ripens when conditions converge—an implicit theory of saṃskāra and karmic latency.