Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 27

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

Sanskrit

विज्ञाते यत्र सर्वोऽयमृग्यजुः सामसंज्ञितः ।

क्रियाकलापो विगुणो न सम्यक् प्रतिभाति मे ॥

Transliteration

vijñāte yatra sarvo 'yam ṛg-yajuḥ sāma-saṃjñitaḥ /

kriyā-kalāpo viguṇo na samyak pratibhāti me

Translation

Nơi chân lý ấy được biết—nhờ đó toàn bộ hệ thống hành nghiệp nghi lễ gọi là Ṛg, Yajus và Sāman được thấu hiểu—thì tại đó, đối với ta, toàn bộ nghi quỹ ấy dường như không có công đức tối hậu và không hiện ra là đầy đủ trọn vẹn.

Word by Word

• विज्ञाते: when (it is) known
• विज्ञाते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन), Neuter/impersonal locative absolute sense

• यत्र: where/wherein
• यत्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), relative adverb (सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय)

• सर्वः: entire
• सर्वः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies क्रियाकलापः

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); deictic qualifier

• ऋग्यजुः: (called) Ṛg and Yajus
• ऋग्यजुः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक्-यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक; components: ṛk + yajus)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); dvandva used adjectivally with सामसंज्ञितः

• सामसंज्ञितः: designated as Sāma
• सामसंज्ञितः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साम-संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक; components: sāma + saṃjñita)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies क्रियाकलापः

• क्रियाकलापः: ritual activity/collection of rites
• क्रियाकलापः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया-कलाप (प्रातिपदिक; components: kriyā + kalāpa)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• विगुणः: defective
• विगुणः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective of क्रियाकलापः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• प्रतिभाति: appears
• प्रतिभाति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-भा (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient-Experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी) or Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); here dative sense ‘to me’

Speakers

• Unspecified speaker; jñāna-oriented critique of ritualism

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Jnana over ritualism
• Vedic karmakāṇḍa vs mokṣa
• Inner realization

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual has a place within dharma, but after awakening to the highest truth, ritual action is seen as incapable of granting final liberation; knowledge becomes primary.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is a mokṣa-oriented doctrinal passage (upabṛṃhaṇa) rather than a five-lakṣaṇa topic.

What is the esoteric significance?

The shift from external ‘kriyā’ to internal ‘jñāna’ indicates the movement from pravṛtti (outward engagement) to nivṛtti (inward freedom).