Markandeya Purana 72.3 — Adhyaya 72, Shloka 3

Adhyaya 72 — The Reconciliation Rite, Sarasvati Sacrifice, and the Birth of Uttama Manu (Auttama Manvantara Prelude)

Sanskrit

राजोवाच कृतार्थस्त्वं द्विजश्रेष्ठ ! निजधर्मानुपालनात् ।

वयं सङ्कटिनो विप्र ! येषां पत्नी न वेष्मनि ॥

Transliteration

rājovāca kṛtārthas tvaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha! nijadharmānupālanāt | vayaṃ saṅkaṭino vipra! yeṣāṃ patnī na veśmani ||

Translation

Царь сказал: «Ты исполнен совершенства, о лучший из дважды-рождённых, следуя своему собственному долгу. Но мы пребываем в бедствии, о брахман, — те, чья жена не находится в доме».

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛtārthaḥ: fulfilled / successful
• kṛtārthaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + artha (प्रातिपदिक; कृत + अर्थ)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषण (adjective) of त्वम्

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• dvijaśreṣṭha: O best of the twice-born
• dvijaśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• nija-dharma-anupālanāt: because of (your) observance of one’s own duty
• nija-dharma-anupālanāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija + dharma + anupālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• saṅkaṭinaḥ: in distress / afflicted
• saṅkaṭinaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṅkaṭin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); विशेषण of वयम्

• vipra: O brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्-प्रत्यय), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• patnī: wife
• patnī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• veśmani: in the house
• veśmani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• King to Brāhmaṇa

Key Themes

• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Value of spouse in dharmic life
• Royal humility
• Social order

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse underscores the Purāṇic view that household dharma is structurally incomplete without the spouse; the king’s ‘distress’ is not romantic sentiment alone but anxiety about dharmic and social stability.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Anucarita: moral psychology and social ethics illustrated through dialogue within a Manvantara account.

What is the esoteric significance?

Home (veśman) symbolizes the inner seat of order; the ‘absent wife’ can indicate the absence of harmonizing śakti in one’s life, leading to inner and outer disorder.