Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 11

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

ततः क्षितिं समीक्ष्य पृथिव्यां सोऽसृजद् गिरिन् ।

प्राक् सर्गे दह्यमाने तु तदा संवर्तकाग्निना ॥

Transliteration

tataḥ kṣitiṃ samīkṛtya pṛthivyāṃ so 'sṛjad girīn /

prāk sarge dahyamāne tu tadā saṃvartakāgninā

Translation

Pagkaraan, pinantay Niya ang lupa at nilikha ang mga bundok sa daigdig—sapagkat sa naunang paglikha, ang mga ito’y nasunog noon sa apoy ng pralaya, ang pagkalusaw ng sangnilikha.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: काल (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• क्षितिम्: the earth
• क्षितिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (fem acc sg)

• समीक्ष्य: having observed
• समीक्ष्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having looked at/observed’

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (fem loc sg)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masc nom sg pronoun)

• असृजत्: created/emitted
• असृजत्: क्रिया (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गिरिन्: mountains
• गिरिन्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (masc acc pl)

• प्राक्: formerly/before
• प्राक्: काल (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/before)

• सर्गे: in the creation
• सर्गे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (masc loc sg)

• दह्यमाने: while being burnt
• दह्यमाने: सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसंबन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘while (it was) being burnt’ (locative absolute with सर्गे)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: काल (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: at that time)

• संवर्तकाग्निना: by the fire of dissolution
• संवर्तकाग्निना: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्तक-अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक; संवर्तक + अग्नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (masc instr sg)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within cosmological account

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Vishnu / the Creator principle (as described here)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Pralaya-fire
• Re-creation
• Geography (mountains)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text emphasizes cyclicality: forms perish in saṃvarta and reappear in pratisarga; this supports a worldview of impermanence of structures yet continuity of cosmic law.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Pratisarga: reconstruction of terrestrial features (girayaḥ) after pralaya is a classic re-creation element.

What is the esoteric significance?

Mountains represent fixed ‘granthi’-like structures (stabilities) arising after the leveling of undifferentiated terrain—symbolic of differentiation after dissolution.