Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 63

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

गुरु-देव-द्विजातीनां वेदानाञ्च नराधमैः ।

निन्दा निशामिता यैश्च पापानामभिनन्दताम् ॥

Transliteration

guru-deva-dvijātīnāṃ vedānāñ ca narādhamaiḥ /

nindā niśāmitā yaiś ca pāpānām abhinandatām

Translation

凡卑劣之人听闻对师长、诸神、二生者（dvija）与吠陀之诋毁，并且赞同此等罪人者——皆受惩罚。

Word by Word

• guru-deva-dvijātīnām: of teachers, gods, and the twice-born
• guru-deva-dvijātīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + dvijāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर) ‘गुरवः देवाः द्विजातयः’; Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन)

• vedānām: of the Vedas
• vedānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन)

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

• narādhamaiḥ: by the vilest men
• narādhamaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्राय) ‘अधमाः नराः’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• nindā: censure/blame
• nindā: Karma (कर्म/Patient; in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nindā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• niśāmitā: was witnessed/heard
• niśāmitā: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-śamita (कृदन्त from √śam/√śam? here √śam ‘to notice/observe’ in causative sense; lexical niśāmita ‘seen/heard’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); agrees with निन्दा

• yaiḥ: by whom
• yaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय/अन्वय)

• pāpānām: of sins/evil deeds
• pāpānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन)

• abhinandatām: of those who applaud
• abhinandatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-nand (धातु √nand with अभि-)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ) in Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of those who rejoice/approve’

Speakers

• Naraka narration (ethical prohibitions around speech and assent)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama (implied)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śabda-aparādha (offenses of speech)
• Respect for Veda
• Karma-phala
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ethics includes complicity: not only speaking harmfully but also endorsing or enjoying it is karmically binding. The verse warns against passive participation in adharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma instruction (ācāra and its phala). It supports Purāṇic social theology rather than cosmic genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Speech is creative power; to corrupt it through blasphemy (or approval) is to misuse śakti of vāk, leading to inner ‘piercing’ consequences described next.