Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 25

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

तथाभिध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्ततः ।

प्रादुर्बभौ तदाव्यक्तादर्वाक्‍स्रोतस्तु साधकः ॥

Transliteration

tathābhidhyāyatas tasya satyābhidhyāyinas tataḥ /

prādurbabhau tadāvyaktād arvākstrotas tu sādhakaḥ ||

Translation

ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਉਹ ਸਮ੍ਯਕ ਚਿੰਤਨ ਕਰਦਾ—ਸੱਚਮੁੱਚ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਦਾ—ਹੋਇਆ, ਅਵ੍ਯਕਤ ਤੋਂ ‘ਅਰਵਾਕ-ਸ੍ਰੋਤਸ’ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਸਾਧਕ (ਫਲਦਾਇਕ) ਸ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੋਈ।

Word by Word

• tathā: thus, in that manner
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• abhidhyāyataḥ: of (him) meditating
• abhidhyāyataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive absolute-like)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√dhyai (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ, present participle)
• Form: Kṛdanta (कृदन्त), Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present participle/वर्तमान कृदन्त) śatṛ; Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; ‘of him who was meditating’

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (Pronoun/सर्वनाम), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

• satya-abhidhyāyinaḥ: of the true meditator / meditating truly
• satya-abhidhyāyinaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidhyāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya samāsa (कर्मधारय), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; qualifier of tasya/abhidhyāyataḥ

• tataḥ: thereupon, from that
• tataḥ: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (ablatival sense)

• prādur: manifestly, forth
• prādur: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prādur (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, preverb/adverb used with verbs of appearance (प्रादुर्भावार्थक निपात)

• babhau: appeared, shone forth
• babhau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time

• avyaktāt: from the unmanifest (principle)
• avyaktāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Pañcamī vibhakti (Ablative/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• arvāk-srotaḥ: having downward-flowing channels
• arvāk-srotaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arvāk (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa (तत्पुरुष), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Ekavacana

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात)

• sādhakaḥ: the accomplisher/effecting (creation)
• sādhakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Ekavacana

Speakers

• Narratorial cosmology within the Markandeya Purana’s teaching context (frame-speakers not explicit in these verses)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (Creation)
• Avyakta
• Human condition (as sādhaka)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Humans (as clarified next) are framed as ‘sādhaka’—capable of purposeful practice and attainment. This grounds dharma and liberation as meaningful human possibilities.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: emergence of the arvāk-srotas class from avyakta as a new stage of creation.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘downward-flowing’ stream hints at consciousness entering dense embodiment; yet precisely there, disciplined effort (sādhana) becomes possible—an alchemy of limitation into liberation.