Shloka 1

Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture

Sanskrit

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सृष्टिप्रकारणनामाष्टचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ।

ऊनपञ्चाशोऽध्यायः- ४९ ।

क्रौष्टुकिरुवाच ।

अर्वाक्स्रोतस्तु कथितो भवता यस्तु मानुषः ।

ब्रह्मन् ! विस्तरतो ब्रूहि ब्रह्मा समसृजद्यथा ॥

Transliteration

iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sṛṣṭiprakāraṇanāmāṣṭacatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ / ūnapañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ- 49 / krauṣṭukir uvāca / arvākstrotas tu kathito bhavatā yas tu mānuṣaḥ / brahman ! vistarato brūhi brahmā samasṛjad yathā

Translation

Như vậy, trong Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, chương thứ bốn mươi tám mang tên «Phương pháp tạo hóa» đã kết thúc. Nay bắt đầu Chương 49. Krauṣṭuki thưa rằng: «Ngài đã trình bày dòng tạo hóa của loài người (arvāk-srotas). Bạch Bà-la-môn, xin giải thích tường tận Phạm Thiên đã tạo dựng (dòng ấy) như thế nào».

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-समाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरण अव्यय)

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇe: in the Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) title-compound

• sṛṣṭi-prakāraṇa-nāmā: named ‘Creation-Procedure’
• sṛṣṭi-prakāraṇa-nāmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + prakāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘named (as) sṛṣṭi-prakāraṇa’ qualifying adhyāyaḥ

• aṣṭa-catvāriṃśaḥ: forty-eighth
• aṣṭa-catvāriṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Dvigu (द्विगु) numeral compound = forty-eight

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ūna-pañcāśaḥ: forty-ninth
• ūna-pañcāśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūna (प्रातिपदिक) + pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘one less than fifty’ = forty-nine, qualifying adhyāyaḥ

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• krauṣṭukiḥ: Krauṣṭuki
• krauṣṭukiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṣṭuki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• arvāk-srotaḥ: the downward stream/current
• arvāk-srotaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arvāk (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘downward-flowing stream’

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

• kathitaḥ: has been told/described
• kathitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavatā: by you
• bhavatā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक; honorific pronoun)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yaḥ: which
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• mānuṣaḥ: human
• mānuṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahman: O Brahmin (sage)
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• vistarataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial form (क्रियाविशेषण; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• samasṛjat: created/produced
• samasṛjat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु) with prefix sam-
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathā: how/as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय) introducing manner

Speakers

• Krauṣṭuki (questioner) addressing Mārkaṇḍeya (respondent) within the Purāṇic dialogue framework

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Human creation (arvāk-srotas)
• Dialogue structure
• Textual colophon

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inquiry is framed as a disciplined request for systematic explanation. The Purāṇa models learning: first a general account, then a focused question on the human order and its proper structure.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga/Pratisarga-oriented transition: moving from general creation description to the specific formation of human society (often linked to dharma and varṇa-karmas).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Arvāk-srotas’ signals a particular directional flow of manifestation—toward embodied, action-bound existence—setting up the linkage between cosmology and ethical order (social/ritual duties).