Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 16, Shloka 54

Adhyaya 16 — The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

Sanskrit

अनसूयोवाच कच्चिन्नन्दसि कल्याणि स्वभर्तुर्मुखदर्शनात् ।

कच्चिच्चाखिलदेवेभ्यो मन्यसेऽभ्यधिकं पतिम् ॥

Transliteration

anasūyovāca kaccin nandasi kalyāṇi svabhartur mukha-darśanāt | kaccic cākhila-devebhyo manyase 'bhyadhikaṃ patim ||

Translation

Anasūyā nói: Ôi người cát tường, nàng có hoan hỷ khi được thấy dung nhan của phu quân chăng? Và nàng có xem phu quân mình là bậc tối thượng, vượt trên hết thảy chư thiên chăng?

Word by Word

• अनसूया: Anasūyā
• अनसूया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनसूया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/Parokṣa-bhūta), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कच्चित्: whether (indeed)
• कच्चित्: Prashna-nipata (प्रश्न-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक निपात (interrogative particle: ‘whether?’)

• नन्दसि: you rejoice/are happy
• नन्दसि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वभर्तुः: of your own husband
• स्वभर्तुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘one’s own husband’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मुखदर्शनात्: from seeing (his) face
• मुखदर्शनात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान: cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (face + seeing); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कच्चित्: whether
• कच्चित्: Prashna-nipata (प्रश्न-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक निपात

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

• अखिलदेवेभ्यः: than all the gods
• अखिलदेवेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अखिलाः देवाः = all gods); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मन्यसे: you consider/think
• मन्यसे: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• अभ्यधिकम्: superior
• अभ्यधिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पतिम्: (your) husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speakers

• Anasūyā addressing the lady

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pativratā
• Bhakti framed as spousal devotion
• Social ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The teaching elevates fidelity and service (śuśrūṣā) into a devotional hierarchy: for a devoted wife, the husband becomes the primary locus of dharma and worship.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ethical instruction embedded in narrative (adjacent to vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling rather than cosmological sarga/manvantara material).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Seeing the face’ can be read as darśana: the household relationship becomes a ritualized space where devotion is practiced through proximity, attention, and reverence.