Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 19

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

अन्येषाञ्चैव तद्द्रव्यैर्वर्णगन्धापहारतः ।

शुचि गोत्रप्तिकृत्तोयं प्रकृतिस्थं महीगतं ॥

Transliteration

anyeṣāñ caiva tad-dravyair varṇa-gandhāpahārataḥ /

śuci go-tṛpti-kṛt toyaṃ prakṛti-sthaṃ mahī-gatam //

Translation

Para sa iba pang mga sangkap, ang paglilinis ay sa kani-kanilang angkop na panlinis, sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalis ng pagkupas/pagbabago ng kulay at ng amoy. Ang tubig ay dalisay kapag ito’y nakalulugod sa mga baka (katanggap-tanggap na inumin), kapag nasa likás na kalagayan, at kapag (sariwa) mula sa lupa o pinagmumulan.

Word by Word

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• tat-dravyaiḥ: with those substances
• tat-dravyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• varṇa-gandha-apahārataḥ: by removal of color and smell
• varṇa-gandha-apahārataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + apahāra (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय) meaning ‘by/through removal of…’

• śuci: pure
• śuci: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicative adjective

• go-tṛpti-kṛt-toyam: water that satisfies cows
• go-tṛpti-kṛt-toyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृदन्त; √kṛ) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘water that causes cow-satisfaction’

• prakṛti-stham: remaining in its natural state
• prakṛti-stham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त; √sthā)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying toyaṃ

• mahī-gatam: gone into the earth, on the ground
• mahī-gatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying toyaṃ

Speakers

• Instructional narrator within Dharma discourse (frame-speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Generalization of cleansing principles
• Water quality norms

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity is operationally defined: stains and odors indicate remaining impurity; and water’s purity is judged by naturalness and harmlessness (fit even for animals).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma material; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Natural-state water’ symbolizes an unmodified mind: clarity is not manufactured but restored by removing distortions (varṇa) and residues (gandha).