Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 30

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

चिराद् गुरुतरं तद्वन् महान्तमपि कालजम् ।

एवं च सुखदुःखानि पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि वै ॥

Transliteration

cirād gurutaraṃ tadvan mahāntam api kālajam / evaṃ ca sukhaduḥkhāni puṇyāpuṇyodbhavāni vai

Translation

Sa paglipas ng panahon, sa gayon ding paraan, ito’y nagiging mas mabigat at mas matindi—at lumalaki pa dahil sa pagdaan ng panahon. Kaya ang ligaya at dusa ay tunay na nagmumula sa kabutihan at kasamaan.

Word by Word

• चिरात्: after a long time/long afterwards
• चिरात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāt (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• गुरुतरम्: heavier/greater
• गुरुतरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तर्हि-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative)

• तद्वत्: likewise/similarly
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलनार्थक-अव्यय (like that/similarly)

• महान्तम्: great/large
• महान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

• कालजम्: time-born/produced by time
• कालजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla+ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kālasya jaḥ) ‘born of time’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• सुखदुःखानि: pleasures and pains
• सुखदुःखानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha+duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (sukhaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ ca)

• पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि: arising from merit and demerit
• पुण्यापुण्योद्भवानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya+apuṇya+udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (puṇyāpuṇya) + तत्पुरुष (udbhava) ‘arising from merit and demerit’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/verily)

Speakers

• Unclear from provided excerpt (later addresses 'rājan')

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Karma
• Temporal maturation of karma
• Pleasure and pain
• Ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Karma ripens with time; small causes can mature into strong effects. Pleasure and pain are traced to moral causality rather than randomness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic ethics (dharma-upadeśa), not one of the five purāṇic lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Time-born’ (kālaja) suggests that the subtle seed of action remains latent and ripens when conditions converge—an implicit theory of saṃskāra and karmic latency.