Shloka 1

Adhyaya 47 — Bharata-varsha

Sanskrit

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे ब्रह्मायु-प्रमाणो नाम षट्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ।

सप्तचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ।

क्रौष्टुकिरुवाच—

यथा ससर्ज वै ब्रह्मा भगवानादिकृत् प्रजाः ।

प्रजापतिः पतिर्देवस् तन्मे विस्तरतो वद ॥

Transliteration

iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe brahmāyupramāṇo nāma ṣaṭṭatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ / saptacatvāriśo 'dhyāyaḥ / krauṣṭukir uvāca yathā sasarja vai brahmā bhagavān ādikṛt prajāḥ / prajāpatiḥ patir devas tan me vistarato vada

Translation

ఇట్లు శ్రీమార్కండేయ పురాణంలో ‘బ్రహ్మాయుష్పరిమాణం’ అనే నలభై ఆరవ అధ్యాయం ముగిసింది. ఇప్పుడు నలభై ఏడవ అధ్యాయం ప్రారంభమవుతుంది. క్రౌష్టుకి అన్నాడు—ఆదికర్త అయిన భగవాన్ బ్రహ్మ ప్రాణులను ఎలా సృష్టించాడు? ఓ ప్రజాపతీ, భూతగణాల దేవా, నాకు వివరంగా చెప్పుము।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: समाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरण (closing/quotative particle), अव्यय

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇe: in the Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + mārkaṇḍeya + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case/locative), एकवचन; समास: (श्री-)(मार्कण्डेय)पुराण

• brahmāyu-pramāṇaḥ: (chapter-title) ‘Measure of Brahmā’s lifespan’
• brahmāyu-pramāṇaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-āyu + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन; समास: ब्रह्मणः आयुः (brahmāyu) + प्रमाण

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Name-marker (नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः शीर्षकनिर्देशे अव्ययवत् (indeclinable in title construction)

• ṣaṭcatvāriṃśaḥ: forty-sixth
• ṣaṭcatvāriṃśaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ-catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (ordinal sense)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन

• saptacatvāriṃśaḥ: forty-seventh
• saptacatvāriṃśaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta-catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (ordinal sense)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन

• krauṣṭukiḥ: Krauṣṭuki
• krauṣṭukiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṣṭuki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• yathā: how/as
• yathā: Adverbial/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (how/as)

• sasarja: created/emitted
• sasarja: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), अव्यय

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (honorific)

• ādikṛt: the prime creator
• ādikṛt: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi + kṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त: कृत् (past participial adjective ‘made/done’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समास: आदि + कृत् (‘first-maker’)

• prajāḥ: creatures/subjects
• prajāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), बहुवचन

• prajāpatiḥ: lord of creatures (Prajāpati)
• prajāpatiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā-pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन; समास: प्रजाः + पति

• patiḥ: lord
• patiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• me: to me/for me
• me: Sampradana/Sambandha (सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th case: genitive/dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• vistarataḥ: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘विस्तरात्’ अर्थे

• vada: tell/speak
• vada: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Krauṣṭuki (questioner) to Mārkaṇḍeya (respondent); the verse includes a chapter colophon

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmogony
• Dialogue framework
• Puranic narration structure

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inquiry (jijñāsā) is presented as the gateway to right understanding: the student asks for ‘vistarataḥ’—not a slogan, but a coherent account of origins.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This initiates ‘Sarga’ (primary creation) exposition—one of the core Purāṇic characteristics—following the preceding time-reckoning that situates creation within a Kalpa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The shift from measuring Brahmā’s time to asking about creation mirrors an inner movement: from contemplating impermanence to seeking the source-principle behind manifestation.