Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 24, Shloka 24

Adhyaya 24 — Kuvalayashva’s Refusal of Gifts and the Vision of Madalasa’s Maya

Sanskrit

तथाप्यवश्यं मद्गेहमागतॆन त्वयाधुना ।

ग्राह्यं यन्मानुषे लोके दुष्प्राप्तं भवतो मतम् ॥

Transliteration

tathāpy avaśyaṃ mad-geham āgatena tvayādhunā / grāhyaṃ yan mānuṣe loke duṣprāptaṃ bhavato matam

Translation

Gayunman, yamang ikaw ay dumating na ngayon sa aking tahanan, kailangan mong tumanggap ng isang bagay—yaong itinuturing mong mahirap makamtan sa daigdig ng tao.

Word by Word

• tathā: even so
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) expressing concession ‘even/also’

• avaśyam: certainly
• avaśyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: avaśyam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय) ‘certainly/necessarily’

• mat-geham: my house
• mat-geham: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘my house’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āgatena: by (you) who have come
• āgatena: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past participle used adjectivally ‘having come’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta/Agent (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Kāla/Time (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय) ‘now’

• grāhyam: should be accepted
• grāhyam: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grah (धातु) → grāhya (कृदन्त, यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय; gerundive)
• Form: Gerundive (ग्राह्य) ‘to be accepted/taken’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha/Relative (सम्बन्ध-यत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• mānuṣe: human
• mānuṣe: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘loke’ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa/Location (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• duṣprāptam: hard to obtain
• duṣprāptam: Viśeṣaṇa of implied ‘(tat)’/‘matam’ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus + prāpta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय; pra-√āp)
• Form: Past participle used adjectivally; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavataḥ: of you (sir)
• bhavataḥ: Sambandha/Genitive (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक, आदरार्थ-प्रोनाउन)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• matam: opinion / intention
• matam: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय; √man)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Aśvatara (host) to the human guest

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Atithi-dharma (guest hospitality)
• Reciprocity and gift-giving
• Testing the guest’s desire

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Hospitality carries a dharmic insistence: a guest should not leave empty-handed, and the host seeks to honor the guest’s perceived need.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Social-dharma instruction within narrative; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘difficult-to-obtain’ gift motif externalizes an inner test: whether the seeker will choose transient rarity or lasting dharmic saṃskāra.