Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 16, Shloka 40

Adhyaya 16 — The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

Sanskrit

अधो हि वर्षाम वयं मर्त्याश्चोर्ध्वप्रवर्षिणः ।

तोयवर्षेण हि वयं हविर्वर्षेण मानवाः ॥

Transliteration

adho hi varṣāma vayaṃ martyāś cordhvapravarṣiṇaḥ |

toyavarṣeṇa hi vayaṃ havirvarṣeṇa mānavāḥ ||

Translation

我们向下降雨，而凡人则“向上降雨”。我们以降下雨水而为之；人类以倾献供物（havis，祭献之酥乳等）而为之。

Word by Word

• अधः: downwards, below
• अधः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable); क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle); निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• वर्षामः: we rain, we pour down
• वर्षामः: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present indicative); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun); बहुवचन (Plural); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st case)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुवचन (Plural); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st case)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (Conjunction)

• ऊर्ध्व-प्रवर्षिणः: raining upward (sending offerings upward)
• ऊर्ध्व-प्रवर्षिणः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवर्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (Descriptive: ‘upward-raining’); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुवचन (Plural); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (qualifying मर्त्याः)

• तोय-वर्षेण: by rain of water
• तोय-वर्षेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: तोयस्य वर्षः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); एकवचन (Singular); तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd case)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; बहुवचन; प्रथमा

• हविः-वर्षेण: by rain of oblations (offerings)
• हविः-वर्षेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्/हविः (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: हविषः वर्षः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); एकवचन (Singular); तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd case)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुवचन (Plural); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st case)

Speakers

• Devas (collective voice)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devas (collective)
• Indra (implied)
• Agni (implied as carrier of havis)

Key Themes

• Yajña
• Cosmology
• Reciprocity
• Symbolism

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The cosmos is framed as an exchange system: humans contribute upward through offerings; devas contribute downward through rain. Ethical life is participation in this exchange, not extraction without return.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A dharma-cosmology bridge: it explains the sustaining mechanism of the world (maintenance of sarga) using ritual language rather than genealogical narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Upward rain’ is the ascent of refined intention through fire (Agni) and mantra; ‘downward rain’ is descent of grace and manifestation. The verse encodes a two-way flow between gross and subtle realms.