Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 18, Shloka 53

Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi

Sanskrit

शिरोगता सन्त्यजति ततो 'न्यं याति चाश्रयम् ।

सेयं शिरोगता चैतान् परित्यक्ष्यति साम्प्रतम् ॥

Transliteration

śirogatā santyajati tato 'nyaṃ yāti cāśrayam / seyaṃ śirogatā caitān parityakṣyati sāmpratam

Translation

当吉祥天女拉克什米到达头顶时，她便舍离此人，转而投向别的依止。如今，这位已至头顶的拉克什米，将在此刻舍弃这些仇敌。

Word by Word

• śirogatā: having gone to the head
• śirogatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras + gata (प्रातिपदिक; गत- from √gam धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘gata’ used adjectivally; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śirasya gatā = gone to/on the head)

• santyajati: abandons
• santyajati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध/क्रम (then/from there)

• anyam: another
• anyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (implied ‘āśrayam’)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• āśrayam: refuge/support
• āśrayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• sā: she/that (one)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• iyam: this (she)
• iyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (deictic)

• śirogatā: having gone to the head
• śirogatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras + gata (प्रातिपदिक; गत- from √gam धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• etān: these (ones)
• etān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• parityakṣyati: will abandon
• parityakṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• sāmpratam: now/at present
• sāmpratam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāmprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Dattātreya to Devas

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Lakṣmī

Shakti Aspects

• Śrī/Lakṣmī

Key Themes

• Impermanence of fortune
• Pride and downfall (implied by ‘head’)
• Turning point before battle

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Fortune that ‘goes to the head’ becomes unstable—an ethical warning against intoxication by prosperity; pride precipitates the departure of śrī.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Moral instruction expressed through personified Lakṣmī; ancillary narrative teaching rather than one of the five formal purāṇic categories.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Head’ symbolizes ahaṅkāra (ego). When śrī is appropriated by ego, it cannot remain; it migrates to a humbler ‘support’ (āśraya).