Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 38, Shloka 4

Adhyaya 38 — Dattatreya on Non-Identification (Mamata) and the Path to Liberation

Sanskrit

मार्जारभक्षिते दुःखं यादृशं गृहकुक्कुटे ।

न तादृङ्ममताशून्ये कलविङ्केऽथ मूषिके ॥

Transliteration

mārjārabhakṣite duḥkhaṃ yādṛśaṃ gṛhakukkuṭe |

na tādṛṅ mamatāśūnye kalaviṅke 'tha mūṣike ||

Translation

ਘਰਵਾਲੇ ਦਾ ਕੁੱਕੜ ਬਿੱਲੀ ਖਾ ਜਾਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਸ਼ੋਕ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਸ਼ੋਕ ਚਿੜੀ ਜਾਂ ਚੂਹੇ ਲਈ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦਾ; ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ‘ਮੇਰਾ’ ਦਾ ਭਾਵ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• mārjāra-bhakṣite: in/for (one) eaten by a cat
• mārjāra-bhakṣite: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārjāra + √bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (mārjāreṇa bhakṣite = eaten by a cat); कृदन्तः—क्त (PPP) ‘bhakṣita’

• duḥkham: sorrow
• duḥkham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘yādṛśam’ इत्यनेन सह—प्रथमा (the sorrow is such)

• yādṛśam: such as; of what kind
• yādṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘duḥkham’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• gṛha-kukkuṭe: in the house-rooster
• gṛha-kukkuṭe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha + kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (gṛhasya kukkuṭaḥ)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• tādṛk: such (as that)
• tādṛk: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘duḥkham’ इत्यस्य अनुवृत्ति (such [sorrow])

• mamatā-śūnye: in one devoid of ‘mine-ness’
• mamatā-śūnye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mamatā + śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (mamatayā śūnyaḥ = devoid of possessiveness)

• kalaviṅke: in a sparrow/chick-bird (kalaviṅka)
• kalaviṅke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaviṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• atha: and; then
• atha: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-निपात (conjunction/then)

• mūṣike: in a mouse
• mūṣike: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūṣika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speakers

• Jaḍa to Dattātreya

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Attachment as the measure of grief
• Everyday analogy
• Detachment

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Grief is proportional to identification/ownership, not to the bare event. Training the mind away from possessiveness reduces suffering without denying compassion.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

An instructional illustration (upamā) inside narrative; not directly pancalakṣaṇa data.

What is the esoteric significance?

The example exposes a hidden ‘value-assignment’ created by egoic appropriation; liberation involves undoing this superimposition (adhyāsa).