Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 20, Shloka 40

Adhyaya 20 — Ritadhvaja’s Companionship with the Naga Princes and the Origin of the Horse Kuvalaya

Sanskrit

तत् कथ्यतां महाभाग कार्यवान् येन पुत्रकौ ।

स भूपालसुतः साधुर्येनानृण्यं भवेत वाम् ॥

Transliteration

tat kathyatāṃ mahābhāga kāryavān yena putrakau | sa bhūpāla-sutaḥ sādhur yenānṛṇyaṃ bhavet vām ||

Translation

噢有福者，请告知那一事——凭借何法使两位儿子在所行之业中得以成就；并请述说那位具德的王子，藉由他使你们二人得以脱离债负（即偿还所负之恩义）。

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/object of 'kathyatām')
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; 'that (matter)'

• kathyatām: let (it) be told
• kathyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया/imperative passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'let it be told'

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'great-fortuned' (address)

• kāryavān: having a purpose
• kāryavān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having a task/purpose'

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; relative pronoun 'by which/whereby'

• putrakau: the two sons
• putrakau: Karta (कर्ता/understood beneficiaries/participants)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), द्विवचन; 'two sons/boys'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• bhūpāla-sutaḥ: son of a king
• bhūpāla-sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpāla (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'son of a king'

• sādhuḥ: virtuous
• sādhuḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'by which/whereby'

• anṛṇyam: freedom from debt
• anṛṇyam: Karma (कर्म/result/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anṛṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; 'freedom from debt/obligation'

• bhavet: may become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'may be/should become'

• vām: of you two
• vām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/षष्ठी (Acc/Gen) द्विवचन; enclitic pronoun 'of you two/for you two' (here genitive sense with anṛṇyam)

Speakers

• A request addressed to a ‘mahābhāga’ teacher/elder; dual pronouns indicate two addressees/listeners in the scene.

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma of obligation (ṛṇa)
• Instruction-request
• Virtuous exemplar (prince)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames learning as purposeful: instruction should lead to effective action and to discharge of obligations (ṛṇa). ‘Anṛṇya’ reflects the purāṇic-vedic ethic of repaying debts—especially to parents/teachers/tradition—through right conduct.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Prepares for vaṃśānucarita-style exemplum (story of a virtuous prince), though the verse itself is a dialogic hinge rather than genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Debt’ can be read inwardly as karmic residue; the sought exemplar becomes a template for action that clears inner arrears through dharmic alignment.