Shloka 1

Adhyaya 53 — Rudrasarga and the Measure of the Manvantaras: Svayambhuva Manu, Priyavrata’s Line, and the Seven Dvipas

Sanskrit

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे रुद्रसर्गाभिधानो नाम द्विपञ्चाशोऽध्यायः ।

त्रिपञ्चाशोऽध्यायः—

क्रौष्टुकिरुवाच—

स्वायम्भुवं त्वयाख्यातमेतन्मन्वन्तरञ्च यत् ।

तदहं भगवन् सम्यक् श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम् ॥

Transliteration

iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe rudrasargābhidhāno nāma dvipañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ | tripañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ— krauṣṭukir uvāca svāyambhuvaṃ tvayākhyātam etan manvantarañ ca yat | tad ahaṃ bhagavan samyak śrotum icchāmi kathyatām

Translation

Như vậy, trong Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, chương thứ năm mươi hai mang tên “Rudra-sarga” đã kết thúc. (Nay bắt đầu) chương năm mươi ba. Krauṣṭuki thưa: “Ngài đã thuật về Svāyambhuva (Manu) và Manvantara ấy. Con mong được nghe đầy đủ, đúng đắn, bạch Đấng Cát Tường—xin Ngài giảng cho.”

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative/section-ending particle

• 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)

• rudra-sarga-abhidhānaḥ: named ‘Rudra-sarga’
• rudra-sarga-abhidhānaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'having the designation Rudra-sarga' (chapter)

• nāma: called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Particle indicating name (नाम-निपात)

• dvi-pañcāśaḥ: fifty-second
• dvi-pañcāśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ordinal sense 'fifty-second'

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

• tri-pañcāśaḥ: fifty-third
• tri-pañcāśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; ordinal sense 'fifty-third'

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• krauṣṭukiḥ: Krauṣṭuki
• krauṣṭukiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṣṭuki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

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

• svāyambhuvam: (about) Svāyambhuva (Manu/period)
• svāyambhuvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāyambhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) or Masculine depending on referent; Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); 2nd person pronoun

• ākhyātam: told/related
• ākhyātam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+√khyā (धातु; ख्या)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter Accusative Singular agreeing with svāyambhuvam/etat; 'told'

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• manvantaram: Manvantara (epoch of a Manu)
• manvantaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; relative pronoun referring to 'which'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; correlative pronoun

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 1st person pronoun

• bhagavan: O Lord/Venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• samyak: properly, fully
• samyak: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• śrotum: to hear
• śrotum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन; purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु; श्रु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्)

• icchāmi: I wish
• icchāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु; इष्/इच्छ्)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada

• kathyatām: let it be told
• kathyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु; कथ्)
• Form: Imperative/benedictive passive-style: Loṭ (लोट्) 3rd person Singular, Ātmanepada; passive sense 'let it be told'

Speakers

• Krauṣṭuki → (Mārkaṇḍeya as respondent in subsequent verses)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Manvantara chronology
• Dialogue frame (question-answer instruction)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text models śravaṇa (disciplined listening): even after an initial account, the student requests a fuller, more accurate exposition—an ethic of careful learning rather than superficial hearing.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is the transition into Manvantara: the Purāṇic characteristic that details successive Manus, their gods, sages, and kings.

What is the esoteric significance?

The shift from ‘sarga’ (emanation) to ‘manvantara’ (ordered governance of time) signals movement from ontological origin to dhārmic administration—cosmos becoming intelligible through cycles and lawful rulership.