Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 12, Shloka 23

Adhyaya 12 — The Son Describes the Narakas: Mahāraurava, Tamas, Nikṛntana, Apratiṣṭha, Asipatravana, and Taptakumbha

Sanskrit

भ्राम्यन्ते मानवाः रक्तमुदिगरन्तः पुनः पुनः ।

अस्त्रैर्मुखविनिष्क्रान्तैः नेत्रैरश्रुविलम्बिभिः ॥

Transliteration

bhrāmyante mānavāḥ raktam udigarantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ /

astrair mukha-viniṣkrāntaiḥ netrair aśru-vilambibhiḥ

Translation

Những người đàn ông quay cuồng, nôn ra máu hết lần này đến lần khác—trong khi vũ khí trồi ra từ miệng họ, và đôi mắt họ trĩu xuống đầm đìa nước mắt.

Word by Word

• bhrāmyante: they whirl about
• bhrāmyante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (they spin/wander)

• mānavāḥ: men; humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (masc. nominative plural)

• raktam: blood
• raktam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (neut. accusative singular)

• udigarantaḥ: vomiting out
• udigarantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: udi-√gṝ (गॄ/गिर् धातु) + udigirat (शतृ/कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्तरि (present active participle: vomiting/spitting out)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (again)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय; पुनः पुनः = repeatedly (again and again)

• astraiḥ: with weapons
• astraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (neut. instrumental plural)

• mukha: mouth
• mukha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (as first member in compound)

• viniṣkrāntaiḥ: that have come out
• viniṣkrāntaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viniḥ-√kram (क्रम् धातु) + viniṣkrānta (क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; ‘अस्त्रैः’ इति विशेषण (with weapons that have come out)

• netraiḥ: with eyes
• netraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (neut. instrumental plural)

• aśru: tears
• aśru: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (first member in compound)

• vilambibhiḥ: with tears hanging down
• vilambibhiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vilambin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् ‘अश्रुविलम्बिन्’ (instrumental plural: with eyes that are tear-hanging)

Speakers

• Narrator (frame-speakers not determinable from excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama (implicit)

Key Themes

• Graphic naraka imagery
• Karmic suffering
• Deterrence from pāpa

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The violent imagery functions as moral pedagogy: harmful speech and harmful deeds rebound upon the doer. The ‘weapons from the mouth’ especially warns against destructive use of speech (vāg-doṣa).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma instruction through karmaphala depiction, embedded within cosmographic narration of narakas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Weapons issuing from the mouth can symbolize words turned into instruments of harm; tears suggest the delayed awakening of remorse. The revolving motion indicates bondage to repetitive mental patterns until purification occurs.