Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 86, Shloka 19

Adhyaya 86 — Dhumralocana’s Mission and His Ashing by the Goddess; Shumbha Sends Chanda and Munda

Sanskrit

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि ।

तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥

Transliteration

keśeṣv ākṛṣya baddhvā vā yadi vaḥ saṃśayo yudhi / tadāśeṣāyudhaiḥ sarvair asurair vinihanyatām

Translation

‘หากยังมีความลังเลในศึก ก็จงฉุดนางด้วยการจับเส้นผมแล้วมัดไว้; จากนั้นให้อสูรทั้งปวงประหารนางด้วยอาวุธทุกประการ’

Word by Word

• केशेषु: by the hair
• केशेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘in/by the hair’ (locative)

• आकृष्य: having dragged
• आकृष्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + कृष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having dragged/pulled’

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having bound’

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Śarti (हेतु/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वः: your
• वः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) बहुवचन; enclitic ‘of you/your’

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in battle’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अशेष-आयुधैः: with all weapons
• अशेष-आयुधैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘with all weapons’

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; adjective to asuraiḥ

• असुरैः: by the demons
• असुरैः: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; agent in passive ‘by the demons’

• विनिहन्यताम्: let (her) be killed
• विनिहन्यताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘let (her) be slain’

Speakers

• Śumbha (as reported)

Primary Deities

• Śumbha
• Caṇḍa
• Muṇḍa
• Devī

Shakti Aspects

• Devī as inviolable śakti contrasted with asuric violence

Key Themes

• Adharma and brutality
• Hubris
• Consequences of violence
• Śāktism

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Cruelty and contempt for the sacred are shown as marks of adharma; the verse intensifies the moral contrast—those who seek to dominate the Divine invite their own destruction.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Didactic narrative within Manvantara framing; it is not sarga/pratisarga but a dharma-illustrating episode.

What is the esoteric significance?

Hair-dragging symbolizes assault on śakti’s ‘manifest form’ (prakṛti). The command to use ‘all weapons’ represents the ego exhausting every strategy—yet none can conquer the transcendent.