Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 114

Adhyaya 51 — Yaksha Injunctions: Graha-Children and Female Spirits Causing Domestic and Ritual Disruptions

Sanskrit

प्रसूते कन्यके द्वे तु स्त्रीपुंसोर्‍बोजहारिणी ।

वातरूपामरूपाञ्च तस्याः प्रहरणन्तु ते ॥

Transliteration

prasūte kanyake dve tu strīpuṃsor bojahāriṇī /

vātarūpām arūpāṃ ca tasyāḥ praharaṇan tu te

Translation

وہ دو بیٹیوں کو جنم دیتی ہے جو عورتوں اور مردوں کی تولیدی قوت چرا لیتی ہیں۔ ایک کا نام واتروپا ہے اور دوسری کا اَروپا؛ یہ دونوں اس کے آلات (ہتھیار/کارندے) ہیں۔

Word by Word

• प्रसूते: gives birth
• प्रसूते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√सू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• कन्यके: two girls/daughters
• कन्यके: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन); numeral qualifying कन्यके

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय)

• स्त्री-पुंसोः: of woman and man (female and male)
• स्त्री-पुंसोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); द्वन्द्वसमासः (स्त्री च पुमान् च)

• बोज-हारिणी: seed/virility-stealing (one)
• बोज-हारिणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बोज + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः ‘बोजं हरति’ (one who takes away seed/virility)

• वात-रूपा: wind-formed
• वात-रूपा: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन) or Nominative Dual by form; here appositional to कन्यके (two girls): ‘having the form of wind’

• अ-रूपा: formless
• अ-रूपा: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन) or Nominative Dual by form; appositional to कन्यके: ‘formless’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• प्रहरणम्: weapon/means
• प्रहरणम्: Karya/Upaya (उपाय/Instrumental sense by meaning)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) or Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); here as predicate/nominal: ‘weapon/means’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

Speakers

• Narrative voice

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Etiology of disease/affliction
• Sexual vitality and its loss
• Moralized physiology (purity/impurity)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text frames certain harms as consequences mediated by personified forces. The ethical thrust is indirect: improper conduct and impurity are portrayed as opening one to forces that diminish vitality and well-being.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is a localized 'origin of afflictions' narrative, adjacent to sarga/pratisarga modes (mythic causation), not a manvantara genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Vātarūpā (wind-like) suggests instability and dispersal of vital essence; Arūpā (formless/beautyless) suggests loss of embodied radiance/śrī. Together they symbolize depletion of prāṇa and tejas.