Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 19, Shloka 20

Adhyaya 19 — Kartavirya Arjuna at Dattatreya’s Ashram: Boons, Sovereignty, and Vaishnava Praise

Sanskrit

जड उवाच प्रणिपत्य ततस्तस्मै दत्तात्रेयाय सोऽर्जुनः ।

आनाय्य प्रकृतीः सम्यगभिषेकमगृह्णत ॥

Transliteration

jaḍa uvāca praṇipatya tatastasmai dattātreyāya so 'rjunaḥ / ānāyya prakṛtīḥ samyagabhiṣekamagṛhṇata

Translation

贾荼说道：其后，阿周那向达多特雷耶俯首致敬，召集群臣与国度之诸构成要素（prakṛti），并依仪受取灌顶加冕之礼（abhiṣeka）。

Word by Word

• jaḍaḥ: Jaḍa (name)
• jaḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive in -tvā), ‘having bowed down’

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anukrama (काल/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• dattātreyāya: to Dattātreya
• dattātreyāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dattātreya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• arjunaḥ: Arjuna (Kārtavīrya)
• arjunaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ānāyya: having brought
• ānāyya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having brought’

• prakṛtīḥ: materials/ingredients (for consecration)
• prakṛtīḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• abhiṣekam: consecration/anointing
• abhiṣekam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• agṛhṇata: accepted/received
• agṛhṇata: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speakers

• Jaḍa (narrator) speaking within the broader Markandeya Purana narrative frame

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya

Key Themes

• Rajadharma
• Legitimacy through consecration
• Guru-blessing and kingship
• Statecraft (prakṛtis)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Political authority is shown as requiring humility before spiritual authority: the king first bows to the sage-deity Dattātreya, then receives abhiṣeka with the realm’s ‘prakṛtis’ assembled—signaling consent, order, and dharmic legitimacy rather than mere force.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Vaṃśānucarita (accounts of dynasties and royal deeds), with an implicit dharma teaching (how kingship should be established).

What is the esoteric significance?

Abhiṣeka symbolizes the alignment of personal power with cosmic/orderly power: the ‘prakṛtis’ represent the king’s external limbs, while obeisance to Dattātreya represents inner restraint—power sanctified by wisdom.