Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 38

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

यस्य चानुदिनं हानिर्गृहे नित्यस्य कर्मणः । यश्च ब्राह्मणसंत्यक्तः किल्विषी स नराधमः ॥

Transliteration

yasya cānudinaṃ hānir gṛhe nityasya karmaṇaḥ / yaś ca brāhmaṇa-santyaktaḥ kilviṣī sa narādhamaḥ

Translation

Kẻ mà trong nhà mình các nghi lễ bắt buộc hằng ngày bị suy giảm từng ngày, và bị các brāhmaṇa ruồng bỏ (vì đáng trách), kẻ tội lỗi ấy là hạng thấp nhất trong loài người.

Word by Word

• yasya: whose/of whom
• yasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• anudinam: daily
• anudinam: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण: time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu-dina (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय); समास: अनु + दिनम् → 'day by day'

• hāniḥ: loss/neglect
• hāniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• gṛhe: in the house
• gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• nityasya: of the daily/regular
• nityasya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; qualifies karmaṇaḥ

• karmaṇaḥ: of the duty/rite
• karmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• brāhmaṇa-santyaktaḥ: abandoned by Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-santyaktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-tyakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past passive participle (क्त) of √tyaj (धातु) with upasarga sam-; समास: ब्राह्मणैः संत्यक्तः (instrumental-tatpuruṣa)

• kilviṣī: sinful
• kilviṣī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kilviṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त): 'having sin'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• nara-adhamaḥ: a lowest of men
• nara-adhamaḥ: Pratijñā (प्रत्यय/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय: नरः अधमः (an inferior man)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction voice within the Purāṇic discourse (didactic narration; not Devi Māhātmya)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Nitya-karma (daily duties)
• Gṛhastha discipline
• Karmic consequence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Daily duties are portrayed as the backbone of dharmic life; steady neglect erodes both spiritual merit and social trust. Dharma is sustained more by consistency than by occasional intensity.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma/ācāra instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Daily rites’ symbolize daily recollection (smṛti) of the sacred. Their decline mirrors the gradual fall of awareness into forgetfulness (pramāda).