Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 16, Shloka 42

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

Sanskrit

विनाशाय वयं तेषां तोयसूर्याग्निमारुतान् ।

क्षितिञ्च सन्दूषयामः पापानामपकारिणाम् ॥

Transliteration

vināśāya vayaṃ teṣāṃ toyasūryāgnimārutān |

kṣitiṃ ca sandūṣayāmaḥ pāpānām apakāriṇām ||

Translation

为毁灭他们，我们使那些作恶害人的罪人之水、日、火、风，乃至大地，都变得败坏失调。

Word by Word

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); एकवचन (Singular); चतुर्थी (Dative, 4th case); प्रयोजनार्थ (dative of purpose)

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

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th case)

• तोय-सूर्य-अग्नि-मारुतान्: water, sun, fire, and winds
• तोय-सूर्य-अग्नि-मारुतान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (Copulative list); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुवचन (Plural); द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd case)

• क्षितिम्: the earth
• क्षितिम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); एकवचन (Singular); द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd case)

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

• सन्दूषयामः: we corrupt, we defile
• सन्दूषयामः: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दूष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present indicative); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• पापानाम्: of the sinful (people)
• पापानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th case)

• अपकारिणाम्: of wrongdoers, of those who harm
• अपकारिणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप + कृ (धातु) → अपकारिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, णिनि/agent noun)
• Form: कृदन्त (Agent noun with णिनि/इन्); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th case); विशेष्य (dependent on पापानाम्: ‘of sinful wrongdoers’)

Speakers

• Devas (collective voice)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devas (collective)
• Pañca-mahābhūtas (as affected elements)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karmic consequence
• Cosmology
• Environmental order (elements)
• Ritual reciprocity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Adharma is depicted as having ecological/cosmic consequences: when humans violate the sacrificial-social contract and harm others, the supporting elements turn adverse. The teaching motivates ethical restraint and faithful performance of duties.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A dharma-phala (result of conduct) teaching embedded in Purāṇic cosmology; it complements sarga by showing how the stability of created elements is contingent on right action.

What is the esoteric significance?

The five supports of embodied life—water, solar vitality, fire (transformation), wind (breath), and earth (grounding)—become ‘polluted’ when one’s life is oriented to harm and greed. Esoterically, it describes psychosomatic/spiritual collapse when the inner elements lose harmony.