Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 26

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

Sanskrit

नियोजयति चैवाऽन्यान् कन्या सा च नियोजिका ।

तस्याः पवित्रपठनात् क्रोधलोभादिवर्जनात् ॥

Transliteration

niyojayati caivānyān kanyā sā ca niyojikā / tasyāḥ pavitra-paṭhanāt krodha-lobhādi-varjanāt

Translation

பிறரைச் செயல்களில் ஈடுபடச் செய்வாள் அந்த கன்னி ‘ப்ரேரிகா’ என அழைக்கப்படுகிறாள்; அவளின் தாக்கத்திலிருந்து பாதுகாப்பு தூய்மையாக்கும் ஸூக்தங்களை ஜபிப்பதாலும், கோபம், பேராசை முதலியவற்றைத் துறப்பதாலும் பெறப்படுகிறது।

Word by Word

• niyojayati: appoints/engages
• niyojayati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√yuj (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• anyān: others
• anyān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• kanyā: the girl/maiden
• kanyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• niyojikā: the one who appoints/arranger
• niyojikā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyojikā (प्रातिपदिक; agent noun from ni-√yuj (धातु))
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; appositional to kanyā

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Feminine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• pavitra-paṭhanāt: from reciting the ‘Pavitra’ (purificatory text)
• pavitra-paṭhanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक) + paṭhana (प्रातिपदिक; √paṭh (धातु))
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: pavitrasya paṭhanam); Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular

• krodha-lobha-ādi-varjanāt: from avoiding anger, greed, etc.
• krodha-lobha-ādi-varjanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + lobha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + varjana (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛj/√vṛ (धातु) in sense ‘avoid’)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: (krodha-lobhādeḥ) varjanam; Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular

Speakers

• Dharmic instruction

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Self-control
• Purification
• Social influence and manipulation
• Ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The primary defense against manipulation is inner discipline: purification practices and the renunciation of anger/greed remove the leverage by which an instigator controls others.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ethical-ritual instruction (ācāra) rather than cosmological or genealogical pancalakṣaṇa material.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘instigator’ archetype represents vāsanā-driven impulses that ‘appoint’ the senses and mind into action; pavitra-recitation and abandoning krodha/lobha signify purification of the causal seeds.