Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 44, Shloka 35

Adhyaya 44 — Subahu’s Counsel to the King of Kashi and Alarka’s Renunciation through Yoga

Sanskrit

ततोऽहमपि यास्यामि किं यज्ञैः किं जपेन मे ।

कृतकृत्यस्य करणं ब्रह्मभावाय कल्पते ॥

Transliteration

tato 'ham api yāsyāmi kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ japena me /

kṛtakṛtyasya karaṇaṃ brahmabhāvāya kalpate

Translation

“Kaya ako man ay aalis na sa landas ng saṃnyāsa (pagwawaksi). Ano pa ang kailangan ko sa mga handog na sakripisyo, ano pa ang kailangan sa pag-uulit ng mantra (japa)? Para sa nakatupad na ng dapat gawin, ang karagdagang ‘pagkilos’ ay para lamang sa pagkatatag sa kalikasan ng Brahman.”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• yāsyāmi: I shall go
• yāsyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• kim: what (use)?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्न (interrogative used adverbially: ‘what use?’)

• yajñaiḥ: by sacrifices / with sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kim: what (use)?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्न (interrogative used adverbially)

• japena: by recitation (japa)
• japena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: for me / of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (Singular) / मम-आदेश (enclitic)

• kṛtakṛtyasya: of one who has fulfilled his duty
• kṛtakṛtyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta-kṛtya (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘कृतं कृत्यं येन’ = one who has done what is to be done)

• karaṇam: the doing/act; means
• karaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• brahmabhāvāya: for Brahman-state / for becoming Brahman
• brahmabhāvāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘ब्रह्मणः भावः’ = state of Brahman)

• kalpate: is fit/suffices/leads
• kalpate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kḷp (कॢप् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थः ‘समर्थं भवति/उपपद्यते’

Speakers

• Son (speaker in the pitā–putra dialogue within the Jaḍopākhyāna); narrated in the frame by the birds

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Moksha
• Nivṛtti-mārga
• Renunciation
• Limits of ritualism
• Brahma-jñāna

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse contrasts external ritual action (yajña, japa) with inner completion (kṛtakṛtyatā). Once discernment and detachment are mature, ritual is no longer pursued as a means of worldly merit, but the remaining ‘action’ is oriented solely to steady abidance in Brahman—i.e., liberation rather than reward.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage is not primarily sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita material; it belongs to didactic-dharma and mokṣa instruction embedded in narrative (often treated under vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling, but functionally an upadeśa on nivṛtti).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Kṛtakṛtya’ indicates the inner sacrifice is complete: egoic striving is relinquished. Yajña and japa symbolize disciplined means; their culmination is silence/steadiness in Brahman (brahmabhāva), where the doer-sense dissolves.