Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 15, Shloka 67

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

धर्म उवाच नयामि त्वामहं स्वर्गं त्वया सम्यगुपासितः ।

विमानमेतदारुह्य मा विलम्बस्व गम्यताम् ॥

Transliteration

dharma uvāca nayāmi tvām ahaṃ svargaṃ tvayā samyag upāsitaḥ |

vimānam etad āruhya mā vilambasva gamyatām ||

Translation

达摩曰：“我将引汝至天界，因汝已如法恭敬于我。登此天车（vimāna）；勿复迟延——我们启行。”

Word by Word

• dharmaḥ: Dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) of uvāca
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• nayāmi: I lead
• nayāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया); Karta=aham
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म) of nayāmi
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता) of nayāmi
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• svargam: to heaven
• svargam: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म) destination of nayāmi
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता) in passive with upāsitaḥ
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘properly’

• upāsitaḥ: (I) have been worshipped
• upāsitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) predicate in subordinate sense
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ās (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with aham; passive sense ‘I have been worshipped/served’

• vimānam: the celestial car
• vimānam: Karma (कर्म) of āruhya
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of vimānam
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; demonstrative adjective qualifying vimānam

• āruhya: having mounted
• āruhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; ल्यप्) ‘having mounted’

• mā: do not
• mā: Nishedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prohibitive particle

• vilambasva: delay
• vilambasva: Kriyā (क्रिया) prohibition target
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-lamb (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• gamyatām: let (us/you) go
• gamyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया) injunction
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada; polite/passive-style ‘let (it) be gone / please go’

Speakers

• Dharma to the king

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Dharma

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Merit (puṇya)
• Heaven (svarga)
• Divine recognition of right conduct

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is presented as personal and responsive: ethical life is not abstract but a relationship with righteousness itself. Proper upāsanā here is lived conduct—truthfulness, protection, generosity—recognized as svarga-qualifying merit.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic narrative reinforcing dharma and phala; ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa rather than a core cosmological/genealogical passage.

What is the esoteric significance?

The vimāna can signify a ‘vehicle’ of refined merit and mind: when conduct is purified, consciousness gains a higher mode of travel—lighter, faster, and luminous.