Shloka 2

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Birth and Boon; Puṣkara’s Glory; Rāma’s Śrāddha; Refuge-Hymn to Śiva

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेयः कस्य सुतः कथं जातो महातपाः । नाम्नोऽस्य निगमं ब्रूहि यथाभूतं महामुने

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeyaḥ kasya sutaḥ kathaṃ jāto mahātapāḥ | nāmno'sya nigamaṃ brūhi yathābhūtaṃ mahāmune

Translation

Ó grande sábio, dize-me com verdade: de quem é filho o grande asceta Mārkaṇḍeya, e como nasceu? Explica também a origem e a derivação do seu nome, exatamente como aconteceu.

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नसर्वनाम

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अजायत’ अर्थे (in sense of ‘was born’)

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

• नाम्नः: of the name
• नाम्नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of him/this (person)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• निगमम्: derivation/explanation (account)
• निगमम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (क्रिया/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Prakara (प्रकार/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable of manner: ‘as/how’)

• अभूतम्: as it happened/true
• अभूतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यथाभूतम्’ = यथावत् (as it actually was)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘महान् मुनिः’ इति

Speaker

Unspecified questioner addressing a sage (mahāmune) within the Adhyaya’s dialogue frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाम्नः+अस्य → नाम्नोऽस्य (विसर्ग/ओऽवग्रह); यथा+अभूतम् → यथाभूतम् (स्वर-सन्धि).

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is being asked about Mārkaṇḍeya in this verse?

The verse asks for three things: his parentage (whose son), the circumstances of his birth (how he was born), and the true derivation/origin of his name (nāmno nigama).

Why does the verse request the ‘nigama’ of the name?

In Purāṇic narration, a name’s ‘nigama’ often signals an etymological or story-based explanation that links the person’s identity to a specific event, vow, or lineage detail.

What is the ethical or spiritual emphasis implied by calling him ‘mahātapāḥ’?

Calling Mārkaṇḍeya ‘mahātapāḥ’ foregrounds austerity and disciplined spiritual practice, implying that his life story is exemplary and worth hearing for its dharmic and devotional significance.