Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 23, Shloka 61

Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati

Sanskrit

प्रातर्निशायां मध्याह्ने सन्ध्ययोश्चापि तत्परौ ।

तयोः कालेन महता स्तूयमानो वृषध्वजः ॥

Transliteration

prātarniśāyāṃ madhyāhne sandhyayoścāpi tatparau / tayoḥ kālena mahatā stūyamāno vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Sa umaga, sa gabi, sa katanghalian, at maging sa mga sandhyā (takipsilim), nakatuon sa pagsamba, sa mahabang panahon ay pinupuri nila si Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, na may bandilang may toro).

Word by Word

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• niśāyām: at night
• niśāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• madhyāhne: at midday
• madhyāhne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyāhna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• sandhyayoḥ: at the two twilights (dawn and dusk)
• sandhyayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Dual (द्विवचन)

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

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya/Emphasis (समुच्चय/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), additive/emphatic

• tat-parau: intent on that; devoted
• tat-parau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन); ‘devoted to that (worship)’; qualifying the two Nāgas

• tayoḥ: of the two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

• kālena: with time; in the course of time
• kālena: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahatā: great; long
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘kālena’

• stūyamānaḥ: being praised
• stūyamānaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु) + yamāna (यमान/शानच्)
• Form: Present passive participle (कर्मणि वर्तमान कृदन्त, शानच्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘vṛṣadhvajaḥ’

• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, bull-bannered)
• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi epithet of Śiva: ‘he whose banner is the bull’

Speakers

• Narrative voice

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Śiva

Key Themes

• Daily discipline
• Sandhyā times
• Long-term devotion
• Śiva worship

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is sustained by regularity: worship aligned with daily temporal junctions (sandhyā) trains steadiness and sanctifies time itself.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa; it is practice-oriented narrative illustrating vrata-like perseverance.

What is the esoteric significance?

The repeated time-points map outer time to inner rhythms; praising Śiva at ‘junctions’ signifies turning consciousness at transitions toward the Absolute.