Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 76, Shloka 16

Adhyaya 76 — The Sixth Manvantara: Cakshusha Manu, the Child-Snatcher, and the Problem of Kinship

Sanskrit

जडाङ्गबाह्यकरणं शुद्धान्तः करणात्मकम् ।

जहारा तं परित्यक्तं सा तदा जातहारिणी ॥

Transliteration

jaḍāṅgabāhyakaraṇaṃ śuddhāntaḥ karaṇātmakam / jahāra taṃ parityaktaṃ sā tadā jātahāriṇī

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਉਸ ਜਾਤਹਾਰਿਣੀ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਤਿਆਗੇ ਹੋਏ ਬੱਚੇ ਨੂੰ ਚੁੱਕ ਲਿਆ—ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਗ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਇੰਦਰੀਆਂ ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਸਥਿਰ ਸਨ, ਪਰ ਜਿਸਦਾ ਅੰਤਹਕਰਨ (ਮਨ) ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• jaḍa-aṅga-bāhya-karaṇam: having dull limbs and external faculties
• jaḍa-aṅga-bāhya-karaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaḍa + aṅga + bāhya + karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-समास (तत्पुरुष-प्रधान; ‘जडानि अङ्गानि यस्य/जडाङ्ग’ इत्यादि विशेषणपूर्वपदानि + बाह्यकरण); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śuddha-antaḥ-karaṇa-ātmakam: of pure inner nature (pure mind)
• śuddha-antaḥ-karaṇa-ātmakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha + antaḥ-karaṇa + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: शुद्ध + अन्तःकरण + आत्मक (तत्पुरुष; ‘शुद्धान्तःकरणस्वरूप’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• jahāra: carried off/took away
• jahāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• parityaktam: abandoned
• parityaktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (तम् इति कर्मपदस्य विशेषणरूपेण)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• jāta-hāriṇī: the child-stealer (demoness)
• jāta-hāriṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta + hāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: जातं हरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ-प्रयोग); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator (within the Markandeya Purana’s running story)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Inner/outer distinction (antaḥkaraṇa vs bāhyakaraṇa)
• Infant vulnerability
• Adharma as predation
• Mind-body development

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes duty of guardianship: the helpless (with undeveloped ‘outer instruments’) must be protected. It also subtly affirms an inner purity in the newborn, underscoring the gravity of harming the innocent.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ākhyāna; additionally it borrows sāṃkhya/vedānta vocabulary (antaḥkaraṇa) for vivid description, but remains narrative-moral rather than doctrinal exposition.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘child’ can represent a fresh sattvic intention or spiritual birth. When outer discipline (bāhya-karaṇa control) is weak, predatory tendencies (jātahāriṇī) can seize and ‘consume’ that purity.