Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 29, Shloka 15

Adhyaya 29 — Alarka’s Inquiry and Madalasa’s Teaching on Householder Dharma (Gārhasthya), Vaiśvadeva, and Atithi Hospitality

Sanskrit

तस्मात् स्नातः शुचिर्भूत्वा देवर्

5षिपितृतर्पणम् ।

प्रजापतेस्तथैवादिभः काले कुर्यात् समाहितः ॥

Transliteration

tasmāt snātaḥ śucir bhūtvā devarṣipitṛtarpaṇam | prajāpatestathaivādibhyaḥ kāle kuryāt samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

ਇਸ ਲਈ ਇਸ਼ਨਾਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਹੋ ਕੇ, ਢੁੱਕਵੇਂ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੇ ਇਕਾਗ੍ਰ ਮਨ ਨਾਲ, ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ, ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਪਿਤਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ—ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਜਾਪਤੀ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ—ਤਰਪਣ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), ablatival adverbial use: ‘therefore’

• snātaḥ: having bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snā (धातु) → snāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śuciḥ: pure
• śuciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhū (धातु) → bhūtvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)

• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-tarpaṇam: offering of satisfaction (libation) to gods, sages, and ancestors
• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-tarpaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + tarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (genitive-relation implied: ‘tarpaṇa for gods/sages/ancestors’), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prajāpateḥ: of Prajāpati
• prajāpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tathā: thus / likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• ādibhyaḥ: beginning with (others)
• ādibhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी) Plural (बहुवचन) (also possible Dative 4th in form; here sense ‘beginning with…’)

• kāle: at the proper time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• samāhitaḥ: composed / attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (धातु) → samāhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Instructional dialogue (elder to disciple/‘son’)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Prajāpati
• Devas
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Tarpaṇa
• Daily rites

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inner and outer cleanliness plus attentiveness are prerequisites for sustaining divine and ancestral relationships; ritual is presented as disciplined care rather than mechanical action.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-upadeśa: prescriptive conduct for householders.

What is the esoteric significance?

Bathing and ‘samādhi-like’ collectedness indicate that offerings are effective when the practitioner’s mind becomes an ordered vessel, mirroring the order offered to.