Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 43, Shloka 56

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

Sanskrit

सर्वस्वे जीवनायालं निखाते पुरुषस्य या ।

चेष्टा तां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा योगिनः कृतकृत्यता ॥

Transliteration

sarvasve jīvanāyālaṃ nikhāte puruṣasya yā | ceṣṭā tāṃ tattvato jñātvā yoginaḥ kṛtakṛtyatā ||

Translation

Kapag ang isang tao ay ibinaon ang buong yaman para sa ikabubuhay, at anumang pagsisikap ang kanyang gawin—sa pagkaalam sa tunay na kalikasan ng pagsisikap na iyon, ang yogin ay nagiging ganap ang layunin.

Word by Word

• sarvasve: in/with respect to one's all-possessions
• sarvasve: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvasva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• jīvanāya: for living/survival
• jīvanāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative-purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; purpose

• alam: enough/adequate
• alam: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Pragmatic marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) expressing sufficiency/adequacy

• nikhāte: when (it is) buried/hidden
• nikhāte: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + khan (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; agrees with sarvasve (locative absolute-like setting)

• puruṣasya: of a man/person
• puruṣasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun referring to ceṣṭā

• ceṣṭā: effort/endeavor
• ceṣṭā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ceṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to yā

• tām: that (effort)
• tām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; refers to ceṣṭā

• tattvataḥ: truly/in essence
• tattvataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative-form adverb (तत्त्वतः), 'in truth/essentially'

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), 'having known'

• yoginaḥ: of a yogin
• yoginaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; 'of the yogin'

• kṛta-kṛtyatā: fulfilled accomplishment
• kṛta-kṛtyatā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta + kṛtya + tā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; abstract noun; 'state of having done what is to be done'

Speakers

• Didactic narrator

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dispassion toward wealth
• Understanding human motivation
• Freedom from anxiety
• Fulfillment through knowledge

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Seeing the desperate mechanics of survival-driven striving, the yogin understands its limits and transcends anxiety by grounding life in knowledge rather than hoarding.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa; it is a reflection on artha and jīvana in service of mokṣa/yoga.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Buried wealth’ can also indicate latent saṃskāras stored within; by knowing their operation (ceṣṭā) truthfully, the yogin becomes free (kṛtakṛtya).