Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 43, Shloka 13

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

यस्य वै स्त्रमात्रस्य हृत्पादमवशुष्यते ।

पिबतश्च जलं शोषो दशाहं सोऽपि जीवति ॥

Transliteration

yasya vai stramātrasya hṛtpādamavaśuṣyate / pibataśca jalaṃ śoṣo daśāhaṃ so 'pi jīvati

Translation

Kung kahit sa bahagyang pagsisikap ay nanunuyo at nanghihina ang bahagi ng dibdib (pook ng puso) at ang mga paa ng tao, at kahit umiinom ng tubig ay nakararanas pa rin ng pagkatuyo, siya’y mabubuhay na lamang ng sampung araw.

Word by Word

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भाव्य (pronoun form)

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (निपात/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• स्त्रमात्रस्य: of one who is only a woman (i.e., merely female)
• स्त्रमात्रस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्र + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृत्पादम्: the heart and the feet
• हृत्पादम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् + पाद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवशुष्यते: dries up
• अवशुष्यते: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग: अव-

• पिबतः: of one who is drinking
• पिबतः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘while drinking/of one drinking’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शोषः: drying up; desiccation
• शोषः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दशाहम्: for ten days
• दशाहम्: कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/temporal extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); काल-अवधि (duration)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), समुच्चय/अपवादार्थ (also/even)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speakers

• Dialogue-context unspecified in given excerpt

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Physiological decline as omen
• Time-to-death prognosis
• Ariṣṭa diagnosis

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When basic supports of life (water, vitality) fail to restore balance, the teaching points to acceptance and urgent inner alignment—truthfulness, forgiveness, charity, and remembrance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary omen/diagnostic material; not within the five defining Purāṇic characteristics.

What is the esoteric significance?

Water commonly symbolizes rasa/prāṇa; ‘dryness even while drinking’ signifies that the subtle channels no longer assimilate life-force—an image of karmic ‘fuel’ being exhausted.