Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 50

Adhyaya 51 — Yaksha Injunctions: Graha-Children and Female Spirits Causing Domestic and Ritual Disruptions

Sanskrit

दन्ताकृष्टेरभूत् कन्या विजल्पा कलहा तथा । अवज्ञानृतदुष्टोक्तिर्विजल्पा तत्प्रशान्तये ॥

Transliteration

dantākṛṣṭer abhūt kanyā vijalpā kalahā tathā | avajñānṛtaduṣṭoktīr vijalpā tatpraśāntaye ||

Translation

दन्ताकृष्टेर्दोषादुदभूता कन्या विजल्पा तथा कलहा। अवज्ञा मृषा पापवाक्यं च विजल्पायाः लक्षणम्; तस्याः शान्तिः कथ्यते॥

Word by Word

• dantākṛṣṭeḥ: from/ of ‘tooth-pulling’
• dantākṛṣṭeḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛṣṭi (आकृष् धातु से क्तिन्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: dantaiḥ ākṛṣṭiḥ (pulling by the teeth)

• abhūt: arose/was born
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Luṅ lakāra (लुङ्/Aorist), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• kanyā: a maiden
• kanyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vijalpā: Vijalpā (name)
• vijalpā: Viśeṣya-nāma (नाम/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijalpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; nāmadheya (name)

• kalahā: Kalahā (name)
• kalahā: Viśeṣya-nāma (नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; nāmadheya (name)

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction/adverb (तथा)

• avajñā-anṛta-duṣṭa-uktiḥ: contempt, falsehood, and wicked speech (personified)
• avajñā-anṛta-duṣṭa-uktiḥ: Karta/Viśeṣya-nāma (कर्ता/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avajñā (प्रातिपदिक) + anṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + duṣṭa (दुष् धातु से क्त/प्रातिपदिक) + ukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāhāra-dvandva (collective): avajñā ca anṛtaṃ ca duṣṭā uktiś ca (contempt, falsehood, and wicked speech)

• vijalpā: Vijalpā
• vijalpā: Viśeṣya-nāma (नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijalpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; appositional name

• tat-praśāntaye: for its pacification
• tat-praśāntaye: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक) + praśānti (प्रशान्ति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Caturthī vibhakti (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: tasya praśāntaye (for the pacification of that)

Speakers

• Instructional voice continuing the list of derivative doṣas

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Speech ethics
• Household conflict
• Śānti

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text links social harm to verbal misconduct: contempt, lying, and cruel speech produce disorder; dharma requires restraint of vāk (speech) as a primary social virtue.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Normative-ethical instruction (ācāra) and doṣa-taxonomy, serving practical dharma rather than cosmology or genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Vāk is creative power; corrupted speech ‘creates’ conflict-realities. Naming Vijalpā/Kalahā externalizes the vṛtti so it can be countered by deliberate saṃskāra (re-patterning).