Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 10, Shloka 89

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

Sanskrit

अवशिष्टेन पापेन पुण्येन च समन्वितः ।

ततश्चारोहणीं जातिं शूद्रवैश्यनृपादिकाम् ॥

Transliteration

avaśiṣṭena pāpena puṇyena ca samanvitaḥ | tataś cārohaṇīṃ jātiṃ śūdra-vaiśya-nṛpādikām ||

Translation

具足残余之罪，亦兼有福德，于是他获得上升的出生——如生于首陀罗（Śūdra）、吠舍（Vaiśya）、诸王等类之中。

Word by Word

• अवशिष्टेन: with remaining
• अवशिष्टेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avaśiṣṭa (अवशिष्ट-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (here with pāpena), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: “with remaining”)

• पापेन: with sin
• पापेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (पाप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (means/association)

• पुण्येन: with merit
• पुण्येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (पुण्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• समन्वितः: endowed; accompanied
• समन्वितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+अनु√इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “endowed/combined (with)”

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमसूचक (thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• आरोहणीम्: ascending (higher-going)
• आरोहणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārohaṇī (आरोहणी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying jātiṃ: “ascending”)

• जातिम्: birth; caste; class
• जातिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (जाति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• शूद्र-वैश्य-नृप-आदिकाम्: such as (that of) śūdra, vaiśya, king, etc.
• शूद्र-वैश्य-नृप-आदिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (आदि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (…ādikā = “beginning with …/etc.”), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying jātiṃ)

Speakers

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Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Karma
• Puṇya-pāpa mixture
• Saṃsāra
• Social order (varṇa schema as textually presented)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Human destiny is depicted as a composite of residues: even when pāpa remains, puṇya can elevate circumstances, underscoring the practical value of cultivating merit at any stage.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ethical-karmic exposition; not a vaṃśa list but a generalized model of karmic ascent/descent within saṃsāra.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Ascending birth’ is an inner ascent of guṇas: puṇya increases sattva, enabling clearer discernment and broader responsibility, while residual pāpa still requires resolution.