Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 27, Shloka 25

Adhyaya 27 — Madālasa’s Instruction to King Alarka: Royal Ethics, Self-Conquest, and Statecraft

Sanskrit

पूर्णेन्दुमालोक्य यथा प्रीतिमान् जायते नरः ।

एवं यत्र प्रजाः सर्वा निर्वत्ता स्तच्छशिव्रतम् ॥

Transliteration

pūrṇendum ālokya yathā prītimān jāyate naraḥ | evaṃ yatra prajāḥ sarvā nirvattās tac chaśi-vratam ||

Translation

Như người ta hoan hỷ khi thấy trăng tròn, cũng vậy (lý tưởng) là nơi mọi thần dân đều mãn nguyện và an cư vững bền—đó gọi là “lời nguyện như Trăng” (lối trị vì theo Trăng).

Word by Word

• pūrṇa-indum: the full moon
• pūrṇa-indum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + indu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; कर्मधारय: pūrṇaḥ induḥ = 'full moon'

• ālokya: having seen
• ālokya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + lok (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्), avyaya-kṛdanta; 'having seen'

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (उपमान-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; comparative conjunction

• prītimān: joyful/filled with delight
• prītimān: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīti-mant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्/मन्त)

• jāyate: is born/arises
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; ātmanepada

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• evam: so/thus
• evam: Sambandha (उपमेय-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; correlative adverb

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; relative adverb of place/condition (देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक)

• prajāḥ: subjects/people
• prajāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; qualifying prajāḥ

• nirvattāḥ: well-governed/fulfilled
• nirvattāḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + vṛt (धातु) + tṛ (तृच्/तृन्; agent noun)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agentive/participial usage meaning 'well-conducted/fulfilled' (context: well-managed)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• śiva-vratam: (is) an auspicious observance/vow
• śiva-vratam: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpurusha: śivasya vratam / śivaṃ vratam (contextual: auspicious vow/observance)

Speakers

• Didactic narrator within rājadharma teaching

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Soma (Chandra)

Key Themes

• Rājadharma
• Welfare and contentment
• Royal gentleness (saumyatā)
• Public happiness as legitimacy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The success metric of rule is the settled well-being of the people. Like the full moon that cools and delights, the king should create social calm, security, and emotional trust in governance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma/nīti instruction; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The full moon symbolizes the mind at clarity and fullness; ‘Moon-vow’ implies rulership that pacifies collective anxiety, stabilizing the social ‘mind’ so dharma can flourish.