Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 31

Adhyaya 10 — Jaimini’s Questions on Birth, Death, Karma, and the Embodied Journey

Sanskrit

तस्माद्यास्याम्यहं तात त्यक्त्वेमां दुःखसन्ततिम् ।

त्रयीधर्ममधर्माढ्यं किं पापफलसन्निभम् ॥

Transliteration

tasmād yāsyāmy ahaṃ tāta tyaktvemāṃ duḥkha-santatim | trayī-dharmam adharma-āḍhyaṃ kiṃ pāpa-phala-sannibham ||

Translation

因此，亲爱的父亲，我将离去，舍弃这连绵的忧苦。那被三部吠陀所称颂的世间法（dharma），若充满非法（adharma），并如罪业之果一般，又有何用？

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative sense used adverbially; तस्मात् = ‘therefore/from that’ (तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभावार्थः)

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष? actually उत्तमपुरुष (1st person/उत्तमपुरुष), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; (अहम्)

• तात: dear father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यबन्त); ‘having abandoned’

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• दुःखसन्ततिम्: continuity/series of sorrow
• दुःखसन्ततिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + सन्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘santati of duḥkha’)

• त्रयीधर्मम्: Vedic (threefold) dharma
• त्रयीधर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘dharma of the three Vedas/त्रयी’

• अधर्माढ्यम्: abounding in unrighteousness
• अधर्माढ्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying (त्रयीधर्मम्); ‘rich in adharma’

• किम्: why?/what (indeed)
• किम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle used adverbially (प्रश्नाव्यय)

• पापफलसन्निभम्: like the fruit of sin
• पापफलसन्निभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + फल + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying (त्रयीधर्मम्); ‘resembling the fruit of sin’

Speakers

• Son (a bird) speaking to his father (bird)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Vairagya (dispassion)
• Karma and its fruits
• Critique of hollow ritualism
• Dharma vs adharma
• Renunciation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Mere adherence to externally ‘Vedic’ practice is not sufficient if it is mixed with adharma or motivated by selfish ends; discernment (viveka) and dispassion (vairāgya) arise when one sees repetitive worldly suffering and the karmic cost of compromised conduct.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Dharma/Ācāra teaching within narrative discourse; not a direct Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita passage, but an ethical-philosophical instruction embedded in the Purāṇic frame.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘departure’ symbolizes turning from pravṛtti (outward action) to nivṛtti (inward realization). ‘Trayī-dharma’ here points to ritual identity without inner purification; the verse urges alignment of action with truth and liberation-oriented insight.