Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 32, Shloka 23

Adhyaya 32 — Rules for Parvana Śrāddha: Foods that Please the Ancestors and Items to Avoid

Sanskrit

एवं रक्षा भवेच्छ्राद्धे कृता तातोभयोरपि ।

शावसूतकसंस्पृष्टं दीर्घरोगिभिरेव च ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ rakṣā bhavec chrāddhe kṛtā tātobhayor api / śāva-sūtaka-saṃspṛṣṭaṃ dīrgha-rogibhir eva ca

Translation

ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਸ਼੍ਰਾਦ੍ਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਰਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਪਿਤਰਾਂ—ਦੋਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ (ਵਿਧੀਕ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ) ਸਥਾਪਿਤ ਮੰਨੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਪਰ ਸ਼ਾਵ ਅਸ਼ੌਚ ਜਾਂ ਸੂਤਕ ਅਸ਼ੌਚ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਲੰਬੀ ਬਿਮਾਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਪੀੜਤਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਛੁਹਿਆ ਅੰਨ ਤੇ ਕਰਮ ਤਿਆਗਣੇ ਚਾਹੀਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• रक्षा: protection; safeguarding
• रक्षा: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• भवेत्: should be; would occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• कृता: done; performed
• कृता: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'रक्षा' इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तातोभयोः: of both (father and mother/parents)
• तातोभयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta + ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'तातयोः उभयोः' (of both fathers/parents)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• शावसूतकसंस्पृष्टम्: touched by (the impurity of) a corpse/period of impurity
• शावसूतकसंस्पृष्टम्: Karma (कर्म/object—thing to be avoided)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāva + sūtaka + saṃspṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; 'शाव-सूतक-सम्स्पृष्ट' = (corpse-impurity)-touched; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP of सम्+स्पृश्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (सन्दर्भे—वर्जनीय-वस्तु/कर्म)

• दीर्घरोगिभिः: by long-term sick persons
• दीर्घरोगिभिः: Karana (करण/instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīrgha + rogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः 'दीर्घ-रोगिन्' (long-ill); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

Speakers

• Dharmic instruction within Markandeya Purana’s ritual discourse (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ Pūjā
• Ritual purity (śauca/āśauca)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Pitṛ-yajña (ancestral duty) is not merely emotional remembrance; it is a disciplined dharmic act. The verse stresses śauca (ritual integrity) so that the offering is fit to become a vehicle of benefit to the pitṛs and does not get obstructed by avoidable impurities.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

It aligns with secondary purāṇic material on ācāra/dharma (ritual law), rather than the core five (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). In database terms: ‘Dharma-śāstra style injunction embedded in Purāṇa’.

What is the esoteric significance?

Śāva and sūtaka mark liminal transitions (death/birth). Esoterically, the rite seeks a clear channel between worlds; contact with liminality and chronic affliction symbolizes ‘mixed currents’ that can blur the intended sankalpa (focused intention) of the offering.