Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 43, Shloka 78

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

Sanskrit

चिच्छक्तिरेक एवायं यदा नान्योऽस्ति कश्चन ।

तदा का नृपते ज्ञानान्मित्रारिप्रभुभृत्यता ॥

Transliteration

cicchaktir eka evāyaṃ yadā nānyo 'sti kaścana |

tadā kā nṛpate jñānān mitrāri-prabhu-bhṛtyatā ||

Translation

O hari, kapag ang iisang Kapangyarihan ng Kamalayan (Śakti ng Kamalayan) lamang ang umiiral at wala nang iba pa, kung gayon, sa paglitaw ng tunay na kaalaman, saan pa may puwang ang mga guniguni ng “kaibigan” at “kaaway,” o ng “panginoon” at “alipin”?

Word by Word

• चित्-शक्तिः: the power of consciousness
• चित्-शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): चितः शक्तिः

• एकः: one, single
• एकः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• अस्ति: exists, is
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• कश्चन: anyone at all
• कश्चन: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); अनिश्चित-प्रश्न/अनिर्दिष्ट (indefinite pronoun)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• का: what?
• का: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Voc.), एकवचन (sg.)

• ज्ञानात्: from knowledge
• ज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Abl. 5), एकवचन (sg.)

• मित्र-अरि-प्रभु-भृत्यता: (the notions of) friend, enemy, master, and servant
• मित्र-अरि-प्रभु-भृत्यता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अरि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective copulative): मित्रत्वम्/अरित्वम्/प्रभुत्वम्/भृत्यत्वम् (states of friend/enemy/lord/servant)

Speakers

• Subāhu (instructing the king Kāśīśvara/Kākhirāja in the narrative)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Advaita/Non-duality
• Jnana (liberating knowledge)
• Detachment
• Resolution of enmity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Realization of the one Consciousness dissolves social and psychological binaries (friend/enemy, ruler/ruled). Ethically, it urges the king to act without egoic hostility and to see conflict as arising from misapprehension.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Dharma/Upadeśa within Itihāsa-style narrative; it is not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita proper, but an instructive passage embedded in royal genealogy-like storytelling (vaṃśānucarita-adjacent).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Cit-śakti’ as the sole reality implies that all relational identities are superimpositions (adhyāropa). The verse points to inner sovereignty: conquering the sense of ‘other’ is the true conquest.