Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 18

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

तं दृष्ट्वासाधकं सर्गममन्यदपरं पुनः ।

तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गं तिर्यक्‍स्रोतो ह्यवर्तत ॥

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvāsādhakaṃ sargam amanyad aparaṃ punaḥ /

tasyābhidhyāyataḥ sargaṃ tiryakstroto hy avartata ||

Translation

Thấy rằng sự sáng tạo ấy không hữu hiệu (không phù hợp với mục đích đã định), Ngài lại khởi niệm một sự sáng tạo khác. Khi Ngài quán tưởng, sự sáng tạo gọi là “tiryak-srotas” (dòng chảy ngang) liền phát sinh.

Word by Word

• तम्: that (it/him)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• असाधकम्: non-accomplishing, ineffective
• असाधकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सर्गम्: creation, emanation
• सर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अमन्यत्: thought, considered
• अमन्यत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अपरम्: another, different
• अपरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• अभिध्यायतः: of (him) meditating/pondering
• अभिध्यायतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-dhyai (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग; षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन—‘while he was meditating/pondering’

• सर्गम्: creation
• सर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तिर्यक्-स्रोतः: the sideways stream (creation)
• तिर्यक्-स्रोतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryak (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘तिर्यक्’ (sideways) + ‘स्रोतस्’ (stream); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• अवर्तत: came into being, proceeded
• अवर्तत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial cosmology within the Markandeya Purana’s teaching context (frame-speakers not explicit in these verses)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (Creation)
• Guṇa theory
• Classification of beings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Creation is presented as a graded manifestation: when a form of manifestation does not serve the intended telos (ordered life, knowledge, or dharma), Brahmā ‘re-conceives’ further orders. The text implies a hierarchy of capacity for knowledge and purposeful action among beings.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Sarga (primary creation): successive emanations of categories of beings from Brahmā’s contemplation.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Srotas’ (stream/flow) symbolizes the directional tendency of consciousness: sideways (instinct-bound), upward (sattva-illumined), and downward (mixed, effortful). The verse introduces the ‘sideways’ current as a mode of embodied awareness.