Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 43, Shloka 58

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

अभ्यार्थितोऽपि तैः कार्यं करोति करणैर्यथा ।

तथा बुद्ध्यादिभिर्योगी पारक्यैः साधयेत्परम् ॥

Transliteration

abhyārthito ’pi taiḥ kāryaṃ karoti karaṇair yathā /

tathā buddhyādibhir yogī pārakyaiḥ sādhayet param

Translation

Cũng như một người, dù bị người khác thúc giục, vẫn thực hiện hành động nhờ các công cụ của hành động, thì vị du-già cũng nên thành tựu Đấng Tối Thượng bằng trí tuệ (buddhi) và các phần còn lại (tâm, căn), xem chúng như thể ở ngoài chính mình.

Word by Word

• अभ्यार्थितः: (he who is) requested
• अभ्यार्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि+अर्थ् (धातु) → अभ्यार्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), ‘requested/entreated’

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive ‘even/although’

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कार्यम्: the task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• करणैः: with instruments/means
• करणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative manner)

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदनुरूप (correlative)

• बुद्धि-आदिभिः: by intellect and the like
• बुद्धि-आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग ‘बुद्धि’ + ‘आदि’ (समासे), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘बुद्ध्यादि’ = ‘बुद्धि आदि येषां तैः’ (with intellect etc.)

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पारक्यैः: with others’ (means)/foreign (means)
• पारक्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘belonging to another/foreign’

• साधयेत्: should accomplish
• साधयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• परम्: the highest (goal)
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative instruction immediately preceding Alarka’s response (contextual teacher-voice within the Alarka episode)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Vairagya (detachment)
• Instrumentality of mind and senses
• Self-knowledge

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Mind and senses are to be handled as tools rather than as the Self. The ethical corollary is non-identification: one acts without being possessed by the instruments of action, which supports steadiness, restraint, and clarity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily aligns with Dharma/ācāra and upadeśa (didactic instruction) rather than the cosmological lakṣaṇas; it is ancillary teaching embedded in narrative (not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita as a main unit).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Treating buddhi and the rest as belonging to another’ encodes the sāṃkhya-yogic discrimination (viveka): prakṛti’s evolutes (mind/intellect/senses) are not puruṣa. Realization of the Supreme is stabilized by sustained disidentification.