Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 53, Shloka 14

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

Sanskrit

कन्ये द्वे दश पुत्रांश्च सम्राट्कुक्षी च ते उभे ।

तयोर्वै भ्रातरः शूराः प्रजापतिसमा दश ॥

Transliteration

kanye dve daśa putrāṃś ca samrāṭkukṣī ca te ubhe |

tayor vai bhrātaraḥ śūrāḥ prajāpatisamā daśa ||

Translation

Có hai người con gái—Samrāṭ và Kukṣi—và cũng có mười người con trai. Các anh em của họ là mười vị anh hùng, uy nghi ngang hàng các Prajāpati.

Word by Word

• kanye: two daughters
• kanye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Dual (प्रथमा-द्विवचन)

• dve: two
• dve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: Feminine/Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Dual (प्रथमा/द्वितीया-द्विवचन); numeral qualifying kanye

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: Numeral (संख्यावाचक), used adjectivally

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

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

• samrāṭ-kukṣī: Samrāṭ and Kukṣi
• samrāṭ-kukṣī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samrāṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + kukṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative Dual (प्रथमा-द्विवचन); द्वन्द्व: two names 'Samrāṭ' and 'Kukṣi' (as daughters)

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

• te: those (two)
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Dual (प्रथमा-द्विवचन); pronoun referring to the two

• ubhe: both
• ubhe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Dual (प्रथमा-द्विवचन); agreeing with te/kanye

• tayoḥ: of those two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Genitive (6th—षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• bhrātaraḥ: brothers
• bhrātaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śūrāḥ: valiant
• śūrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying bhrātaraḥ

• prajāpati-samāḥ: equal to Prajāpati
• prajāpati-samāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); 'equal to Prajāpati'

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: Numeral (संख्यावाचक), used predicatively with bhrātaraḥ

Speakers

• Narrative section (genealogical listing)

Key Themes

• Genealogy
• Prajapatis
• Royal progeny

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text frames exemplary progeny as a measure of dharmic success: valor and generative capacity (Prajāpati-like) are ideals of rulership and household continuity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita: enumeration of descendants and their status.

What is the esoteric significance?

Calling them ‘Prajāpati-like’ suggests archetypal roles: each descendant embodies a facet of ordering/creating within the cosmic-social fabric.