Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 85

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

कुर्वतामविनीतानां न श्रोतव्यं कथञ्चन ।

नोत्कृष्टशय्यासनयोर्नापकृष्टस्य चारुहेत् ॥

Transliteration

kurvatām avinītānāṃ na śrotavyaṃ kathañcana / notkṛṣṭaśayyāsanayoḥ nāpakṛṣṭasya cāruhet

Translation

ਬੇਅਦਬ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਾ ਸੁਣੋ। ਬਹੁਤ ਉੱਚੀ ਸੈਜ ਜਾਂ ਆਸਨ ਨਾ ਵਰਤੋ, ਅਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਤੋਂ ਨੀਵੇਂ ਦਰਜੇ ਵਾਲੇ ਦੀ ਚੀਜ਼ ਉੱਤੇ ਨਾ ਚੜ੍ਹੋ, ਨਾ ਪੈਰ ਰੱਖੋ।

Word by Word

• कुर्वताम्: of those who act/do
• कुर्वताम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), षष्ठी (genitive) बहुवचन; 'of those who do'

• अविनीतानाम्: of the undisciplined
• अविनीतानाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविनीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (or mixed), षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्यम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be listened to/should be heard'

• कथञ्चन: at all
• कथञ्चन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/न्यूनताबोधक (adverb: 'in any way/at all')

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• उत्कृष्टशय्यासनयोः: on an excellent bed and seat
• उत्कृष्टशय्यासनयोः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्कृष्ट + शय्या + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (collective), सप्तमी/षष्ठी द्विवचन-रूप (locative/genitive dual) here in sense of locative 'on/in'; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (śayyā ca āsanaṃ ca) with विशेषण 'utkṛṣṭa'

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• अपकृष्टस्य: of an inferior (person)
• अपकृष्टस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपकृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of an inferior person'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• आरुहेत्: should mount/ascend
• आरुहेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Didactic narrator within Markandeya Purana

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Etiquette (sadācāra)
• Humility
• Speech and influence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Character is shaped by what one hears and by how one carries oneself; avoiding undisciplined influence and practicing modesty in status-symbols preserves inner steadiness.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary ācāra-dharma instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Seat/bed’ can symbolize ego-positioning; refusing undue elevation is a practice of de-centering ahaṃkāra.