Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 17

Adhyaya 10 — Jaimini’s Questions on Birth, Death, Karma, and the Embodied Journey

Sanskrit

शत्रुमित्रकलत्राणां वियोगाः सङ्गमास्तथा ।

मातरो विविधा दृष्टाः पितरो विविधास्तथा ॥

Transliteration

śatru-mitra-kalatrāṇāṃ viyogāḥ saṅgamās tathā | mātaro vividhā dṛṣṭāḥ pitaro vividhās tathā ||

Translation

Đã có những cuộc chia ly và đoàn tụ với kẻ thù, bạn bè và vợ chồng. Đã thấy nhiều người mẹ khác nhau, và cả những người cha khác nhau nữa.

Word by Word

• शत्रु: of enemies
• शत्रु: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• मित्र: of friends
• मित्र: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• कलत्राणाम्: of spouses
• कलत्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• वियोगाः: separations
• वियोगाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• सङ्गमाः: meetings, unions
• सङ्गमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध-बोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise/also)

• मातरः: mothers
• मातरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• विविधाः: various, diverse
• विविधाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with मातरः by sense; feminine plural)

• दृष्टाः: were seen
• दृष्टाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (seen)

• पितरः: fathers
• पितरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with पितरः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध-बोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise)

Speakers

• Son (within the embedded story); reported by the birds

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Impermanence of relationships
• Rebirth
• Detachment
• Saṃsāra cycles

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Relationships are not ultimate anchors; across saṃsāra they change repeatedly. The ethical implication is to perform duties without clinging, recognizing the transient configuration of social bonds.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Didactic teaching (dharma/vairāgya) embedded in narrative; not sarga or vaṃśa listing, though it critiques over-identification with lineage and relational identity.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Many mothers and fathers’ points to the non-absoluteness of personal identity; the self is not reducible to any single relational role, aiding inward turning toward the unconditioned.