Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 50

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

Sanskrit

तत्रापि शुद्धिरुद्दिष्टा पूर्वजन्मवतो दिनैः ।

दशद्वादशमासार्ध-माससङ्ख्यैर्दिनैर्गतैः ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpi śuddhir uddiṣṭā pūrvajanmavato dinaiḥ /

daśadvādaśamāsārdha-māsasaṃkhyair dinair gataiḥ

Translation

Ngay cả trong trường hợp ấy, thời hạn thanh tịnh (śuddhi) đã được quy định tùy theo số ngày đã trôi qua—tính theo các chu kỳ mười hoặc mười hai tháng, và cũng theo đơn vị nửa tháng và tháng, khi ngày tháng lần lượt qua đi.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: देशाधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb of place)

• अपि: also
• अपि: समुच्चय/अन्वय (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/conjunction)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उद्दिष्टा: is prescribed/indicated
• उद्दिष्टा: विधेय/क्रियाविशेषण (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शुद्धिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• पूर्वजन्मवतः: of one having a former birth (i.e., the deceased)
• पूर्वजन्मवतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व-जन्म-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः: पूर्व (adj) + जन्म (noun) + वत् (possessive suffix)

• दिनैः: by days / with days
• दिनैः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दशद्वादशमासार्धमाससङ्ख्यैः: by days counted as ten or twelve months and a half-month
• दशद्वादशमासार्धमाससङ्ख्यैः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘दिनैः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-द्वादश-मास-अर्ध-मास-सङ्ख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (निर्धारण/विशेषण): दश-द्वादश (10–12) + मास (month) + अर्धमास (half-month) + सङ्ख्य (numbered/amount)

• दिनैः: by days
• दिनैः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गतैः: elapsed/passed
• गतैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘दिनैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speakers

• Instructional discourse within Alarka-anuśāsana frame (speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity rules)
• Ritual time-reckoning

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is not merely intention; it is also precision in observance. The verse emphasizes that purification is time-bound and rule-governed, encouraging disciplined conformity to śāstric measures of time.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This passage is primarily ācāra/dharma-śāstra material rather than pañcalakṣaṇa narrative. It relates secondarily to “vaṃśānucarita” only insofar as it appears inside a didactic-legend frame, but its direct function is prescriptive conduct.

What is the esoteric significance?

Purification periods symbolize the gradual re-stabilization of sattva after disruption (death-impurity/ritual disturbance). The calendrical counting mirrors the idea that inner clarity is restored through measured, repeated restraint.