Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 50, Shloka 52

Adhyaya 50 — Mind-Born Progeny, Svayambhuva Manu’s Lineage, and Brahmā’s Ordinance to Duḥsaha (Alakṣmī’s Retinue)

Sanskrit

तथैव यक्ष ! पुष्ट्यर्थमसच्छास्त्रक्रियाश्च याः ।

यच्चार्थनिर्वृतं किञ्चिदधीताṃ यन्न सत्यतः ॥

Transliteration

tathaiva yakṣa puṣṭy-artham asac-chāstra-kriyāś ca yāḥ |

yac cārtha-nirvṛtaṃ kiñcid adhītaṃ yan na satyataḥ ||

Translation

“Cũng vậy, hỡi Yakṣa, những nghi lễ dựa trên giáo thuyết sai lạc/không vững, được làm để (nuôi dưỡng) ngươi; và bất cứ sự học nào được theo đuổi chỉ vì thỏa mãn nơi tài sản, chứ không vì chân lý—(điều ấy cũng thuộc về ngươi).”

Word by Word

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (particle)

• yakṣa: O Yakṣa
• yakṣa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• puṣṭi-artham: for nourishment/prosperity
• puṣṭi-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘puṣṭyartham’ = puṣṭeḥ artham; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• asat-śāstra-kriyāḥ: rites based on false scriptures
• asat-śāstra-kriyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘asat-śāstra’ (false scripture) qualifying ‘kriyāḥ’; Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• yāḥ: which (rites)
• yāḥ: Anuyogī (अनुयोगी/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; relative pronoun (refers to kriyāḥ)

• yat: which
• yat: Anuyogī (अनुयोगी/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• artha-nirvṛtam: done/learned for the sake of profit
• artha-nirvṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + nirvṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘artha-nirvṛta’ = arthena nirvṛtam (motivated by gain); Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of adhītam/kiñcit

• kiñcit: something
• kiñcit: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; indefinite pronoun

• adhītam: studied/learned
• adhītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-ī (इ धातु) → adhīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta (क्त/PPP), Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• yat: which
• yat: Anuyogī (अनुयोगी/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• na: not
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta (negation)

• satyataḥ: in truth/truly
• satyataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satyataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Tasil-anta avyaya (तसिलन्त-अव्यय), adverb of manner/source

Speakers

• Unspecified narrator addressing a Yakṣa

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Authority of śāstra
• Right motivation for study
• Critique of pseudo-ritualism

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Learning and ritual are validated by satya (truth) and right śāstra; when pursued for display or material complacency, they are spiritually barren and depicted as feeding lower tendencies.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is dharma-śikṣā (instruction on conduct), not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘False śāstra’ signifies misaligned cognition; misaligned cognition shapes misaligned ritual energy, which gravitates toward tamasic beneficiaries.