Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 31

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

Sanskrit

तस्माद्यास्याम्यहं तात त्यक्त्वेमां दुःखसन्ततिम् ।

त्रयीधर्ममधर्माढ्यं किं पापफलसन्निभम् ॥

Transliteration

tasmād yāsyāmy ahaṃ tāta tyaktvemāṃ duḥkha-santatim | trayī-dharmam adharma-āḍhyaṃ kiṃ pāpa-phala-sannibham ||

Translation

Vì vậy, thưa cha kính yêu, con sẽ ra đi, từ bỏ chuỗi sầu khổ này. Pháp thế gian được Tam Veda ca ngợi có ích gì, khi nó đầy bất pháp và giống như quả báo của tội lỗi?

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative sense used adverbially; तस्मात् = ‘therefore/from that’ (तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभावार्थः)

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष? actually उत्तमपुरुष (1st person/उत्तमपुरुष), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; (अहम्)

• तात: dear father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यबन्त); ‘having abandoned’

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• दुःखसन्ततिम्: continuity/series of sorrow
• दुःखसन्ततिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + सन्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘santati of duḥkha’)

• त्रयीधर्मम्: Vedic (threefold) dharma
• त्रयीधर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘dharma of the three Vedas/त्रयी’

• अधर्माढ्यम्: abounding in unrighteousness
• अधर्माढ्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying (त्रयीधर्मम्); ‘rich in adharma’

• किम्: why?/what (indeed)
• किम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle used adverbially (प्रश्नाव्यय)

• पापफलसन्निभम्: like the fruit of sin
• पापफलसन्निभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + फल + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying (त्रयीधर्मम्); ‘resembling the fruit of sin’

Speakers

• Son (a bird) speaking to his father (bird)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Vairagya (dispassion)
• Karma and its fruits
• Critique of hollow ritualism
• Dharma vs adharma
• Renunciation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Mere adherence to externally ‘Vedic’ practice is not sufficient if it is mixed with adharma or motivated by selfish ends; discernment (viveka) and dispassion (vairāgya) arise when one sees repetitive worldly suffering and the karmic cost of compromised conduct.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Dharma/Ācāra teaching within narrative discourse; not a direct Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita passage, but an ethical-philosophical instruction embedded in the Purāṇic frame.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘departure’ symbolizes turning from pravṛtti (outward action) to nivṛtti (inward realization). ‘Trayī-dharma’ here points to ritual identity without inner purification; the verse urges alignment of action with truth and liberation-oriented insight.