Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 42, Shloka 14

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

तृतीया च प्लुतार्धाख्या वचसः सा न गोचरा ।

इत्येतदक्षरं ब्रह्म परमोङ्कारसंज्ञितम् ॥

Transliteration

tṛtīyā ca plutārdhākhyā vacasaḥ sā na gocarā /

ityetadakṣaraṃ brahma paramoṅkārasaṃjñitam

Translation

Mātrā thứ ba được gọi là “pluta-ardha” (kéo dài quá mức và vượt thêm nửa), không nằm trong phạm vi lời nói thông thường. Vì vậy, đây là Brahman bất hoại, được biết là Oṅkāra Tối Thượng.

Word by Word

• तृतीया: third
• तृतीया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; qualifies 'मात्रा' (understood)

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

• प्लुत: prolated (three-mora length)
• प्लुत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pluta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as first member in compound

• अर्ध: half
• अर्ध: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as second member in compound

• आख्या: called/named
• आख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; 'named/called' (as adjective)

• वचसः: of speech
• वचसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Feminine, Nominative Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle (निषेध)

• गोचरा: within range/perceptible
• गोचरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; predicate adjective with 'सा'

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative particle

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; qualifies 'अक्षरम्'

• अक्षरम्: syllable/imperishable
• अक्षरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular; in apposition/predicate to 'अक्षरम्'

• परम: supreme
• परम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as first member in compound

• ओङ्कार: Oṅkāra (the syllable Oṃ)
• ओङ्कार: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine stem as second member in compound

• संज्ञितम्: is designated
• संज्ञितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃjñita (कृदन्त; √jñā ज्ञा)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative Singular; predicate: 'named/called'

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided extract (didactic narration within Markandeya Purana’s philosophical instruction)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahman (Absolute)

Key Themes

• Praṇava
• Transcendence beyond speech
• Akṣara-Brahman
• Mantra esotericism

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ultimate reality exceeds verbal formulation: scripture guides up to the threshold, but realization requires silence-like inward knowing—fostering humility and contemplative seriousness.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A mokṣa/tattva conclusion within a teaching passage; not a sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Not in the range of speech’ indicates the transition from articulated mantra to unstruck sound (anāhata) and finally to silence (turīya-like). ‘Paramoṅkāra’ names Oṁ’s culmination as identity with Akṣara-Brahman.