Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 13

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

रथ्यागतमविज्ञातं दासवर्गादिनाहृतम् ।

वाक्रप्रशास्तं चिरातीतमनैकान्तरितं लघु ॥

Transliteration

rathyāgatam avijñātaṃ dāsa-vargādināhṛtam /

vākra-praśāstaṃ cirātītam anekāntaritaṃ laghu //

Translation

ਜੋ ਰਾਹ ਤੋਂ ਆਇਆ ਹੋਵੇ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਸਰੋਤ ਅਣਜਾਣ ਹੋਵੇ, ਜੋ ਨੌਕਰ-ਚਾਕਰ ਆਦਿ ਲਿਆਏ ਹੋਣ; ਜੋ ਭਰੋਸੇਯੋਗ ਬਚਨ-ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ ਨਾਲ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰ ਹੋਵੇ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਲੰਮਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਲੰਘ ਗਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ, ਅਤੇ ਜੋ ਕਈ ਅੰਤਰਾਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਵੱਖ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕਾ ਹੋਵੇ—ਇਹ ਸਭ ਸ਼ੁੱਧਤਾ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਹਲਕੀ ਦੂਸ਼ਣ’ ਦੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਗਿਣੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• रथ्या-गतम्: street-found; come from the road
• रथ्या-गतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/अधिकरण: ‘gone to/come from the street’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविज्ञातम्: unknown; unrecognized
• अविज्ञातम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (negated past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• दास-वर्ग-आदिना: by slaves and the like
• दास-वर्ग-आदिना: करण (करणम् / Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-शब्देन समाहार: ‘by the group of slaves etc.’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहृतम्: brought; fetched
• आहृतम्: कर्म (कर्म / Object described)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• वक्र-प्रशास्तम्: wrongly sanctioned; improperly taught/approved
• वक्र-प्रशास्तम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशास्त (कृदन्त; √शास् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/विशेषण: ‘wrongly/obliquely instructed/approved’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिर-अतीतम्: long past; long gone
• चिर-अतीतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (कृदन्त; √इ धातु with अति-)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘long-past’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनेक-अन्तरितम्: interrupted by many gaps; long-separated
• अनेक-अन्तरितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तरित (कृदन्त; √अन्तर्/अन्तरि धातु/denom)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘separated by many intervals’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• लघु: light; small
• लघु: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speakers

• Instructional narrator within Dharma discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Social dharma
• Degrees of impurity
• Evidence/testimony in ritual law

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ethics of daily life requires judgment about provenance and risk: unknown or street-sourced items are treated cautiously, but time, separation, and reliable testimony can mitigate concern.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma-śāstra-like guidance embedded in the Purāṇa; not pancalakṣaṇa narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Intervals’ (antara) and ‘time passed’ (cirātīta) imply that contact-based impurity decays—symbolically, impressions weaken when not continually reinforced.