Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 92

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

Sanskrit

तिष्ठन्त्यब्दसहस्राणि सुबहूनि ततः पुनः ।

जायन्ते मानवाः कुष्ठ-क्षयरोगादिचिह्नताः ॥

Transliteration

tiṣṭhanty abdasahasrāṇi subahūni tataḥ punaḥ /

jāyante mānavāḥ kuṣṭha-kṣayarogādicihnatāḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਉੱਥੇ ਅਨੇਕ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਸਾਲ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ; ਫਿਰ ਮੁੜ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਜਨਮ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਕੋੜ੍ਹ, ਖ਼ਸਾ (ਖ਼ਯ) ਆਦਿ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹਿਤ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• तिष्ठन्ति: they remain
• तिष्ठन्ति: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √स्था → तिष्ठति (परस्मै)

• अब्दसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• अब्दसहस्राणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कालपरिमाण-accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—अब्दानां सहस्राणि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सुबहूनि: very many
• सुबहूनि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अब्दसहस्राणि)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् अर्थे (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (adverb: 'again')

• जायन्ते: they are born
• जायन्ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुष्ठक्षयरोगादिचिह्नताः: marked with signs such as leprosy, consumption, and diseases
• कुष्ठक्षयरोगादिचिह्नताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ-क्षय-रोग-आदि-चिह्नत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मानवाः); समासः—कुष्ठं च क्षयः च रोगः च आदि चिह्नानि येषां ते (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषप्रायः; 'ādi' समुच्चयार्थ)

Speakers

• Yamakiṅkara

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Karma
• Rebirth
• Disease as karmic mark
• Naraka duration

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Consequences can extend beyond a single life: after punitive experience, residual karma may manifest as embodied suffering. The verse encourages preventative dharma rather than reactive regret.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Not a core pancalakṣaṇa unit; it is moral-causal teaching about karma and rebirth used to support dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

Illness-marks symbolize impressions (saṃskāras) carried forward; the body becomes a visible ledger of past actions, urging inner purification.