Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 42

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

Sanskrit

प्रोताय सलिलं देयं बहिर्दग्ध्वा तु गोत्रिकैः ।

प्रथमे 'ह्नि चतुर्थे च सप्तमे नवमे तथा ॥

Transliteration

protāya salilaṃ deyaṃ bahir dagdhvā tu gotrikaiḥ | prathame 'hni caturthe ca saptame navame tathā ||

Translation

Nên dâng nước (udaka) cho người đã khuất; và sau khi hỏa táng ở bên ngoài khu cư trú, các thân quyến cùng một gotra (dòng tộc) phải cử hành các nghi lễ đã định vào ngày thứ nhất, thứ tư, thứ bảy, và cũng như vậy vào ngày thứ chín.

Word by Word

• protāya: to/for the (corpse) laid out/strung
• protāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prota (कृदन्त, √vī/ve ‘to weave/string’ with pra-, ‘strung’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) used as adjective; Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (masc./neut. context-dependent); ‘for the one who is strung/laid out’ i.e., the corpse

• salilam: water
• salilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: Gerundive/obligative (तव्यत्/यत्; here -य ‘deya’), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular agreeing with सलिलम्; expresses obligation

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• dagdhvā: having burned (it)
• dagdhvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धाातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having burnt/cremated’

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक)

• gotrikaiḥ: by the clan-members/agnates
• gotrikaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotrika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• prathame: on the first
• prathame: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; elliptical with अह्नि

• ahni: day
• ahni: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

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

• caturthe: on the fourth
• caturthe: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular; elliptical with अह्नि

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

• saptame: on the seventh
• saptame: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular; elliptical with अह्नि

• navame: on the ninth
• navame: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular; elliptical with अह्नि

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (तुल्य/एवमेव अर्थे)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Pitṛ-related rites
• Antyeṣṭi (cremation)
• Udaka-dāna (water offering)
• Gotra obligations

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes communal responsibility: gotra-kin assist the transition of the deceased through scheduled observances, turning private loss into shared dharmic duty.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa narrative; it is ritual-legal instruction (ācāra) embedded in purāṇic teaching.

What is the esoteric significance?

Udaka (water) functions as a liminal offering—cooling, sustaining, and symbolically guiding the departed through transitional states marked by specific day-counts.