Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 3

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

Sanskrit

पद्मावसाने प्रलये निशासुत्पोत्थितः प्रभुः ।

सत्त्वोद्रिक्तस्तदा ब्रह्मा शून्यं लोकमवैक्षत ॥

Transliteration

padmāvasāne pralaye niśāsutpotthitaḥ prabhuḥ / sattvodriktaḥ tadā brahmā śūnyaṃ lokam avaikṣata

Translation

ਪਾਦਮ ਕਲਪ ਦੇ ਅੰਤ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਲਯ ਵੇਲੇ, ਮਹਾ-ਰਾਤ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਸਵੇਰੇ ਉੱਠ ਕੇ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਸਤ੍ਤਵ ਗੁਣ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਜਗਤ ਨੂੰ ਸੁੰਨ-ਸੁੰਨ ਦੇਖਿਆ।

Word by Word

• padma-avasāne: at the end of the lotus (Brahmā’s lotus)
• padma-avasāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + avasāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — 'पद्मस्य अवसाने' (at the end of the lotus)

• pralaye: in the dissolution
• pralaye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pralaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• niśā-suta-utpotthitaḥ: arisen from the son of night (i.e., from sleep)
• niśā-suta-utpotthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक) + utpotthita (उत्√स्था धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): 'निशायाः सुतात् उत्पोत्थितः' (arisen from the son of night)

• prabhuḥ: the Lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• sattva-udriktaḥ: abounding in sattva
• sattva-udriktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + udrikta (उद्√रिच् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सप्तमी/तृतीया-भावार्थः): 'सत्त्वेन उद्रिक्तः' (abounding in sattva)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• śūnyam: empty
• śūnyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'lokam')

• lokam: the world
• lokam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• avaikṣata: looked upon / saw
• avaikṣata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya narrating to Krauṣṭuki

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Pralaya (dissolution)
• Cosmic night and dawn
• Guṇa theory (sattva predominance)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even cosmic structures undergo dissolution; recognizing periodic emptiness undermines arrogance and supports vairāgya (dispassion) and steadiness in change.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Bridges ‘Saṃsthā’ (dissolution) to ‘Sarga’ (creation): the empty world after pralaya is the narrative starting point for the next creation.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘empty world’ reflects the meditative interval where forms subside; sattva predominance indicates clarity as the precondition for re-manifestation.