Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 23, Shloka 52

Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati

Sanskrit

तालाश्चैकोनपञ्चाशत्तथा ग्रामत्रयं च यत् ।

एतत्सर्वं भवान् गाता कंबलश्च तथानघ ॥

Transliteration

tālāścaikonapañcāśattathā grāmatrayañca yat / etatsarvaṃ bhavān gātā kambalaśca tathānagha !

Translation

“四十九种塔拉（tāla）与三种格拉玛（grāma）亦复如是——关于这一切，你将成为通晓者与歌咏者；无罪者啊，甘婆罗（Kambala）亦将如此。”

Word by Word

• tālāḥ: tālas (rhythmic beats/measures)
• tālāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• ekona-pañcāśat: forty-nine
• ekona-pañcāśat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekona + pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral, Indeclinable-stem used as adjective/noun; here Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); meaning ‘one less than fifty’ (=49)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

• grāma-trayam: a set of three villages
• grāma-trayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu ‘three villages’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Anuyogin (अनुयोगी/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with etat

• bhavān: you (honored)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Honorific pronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• gātā: (has) sung/recited
• gātā: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (धाातु) + kta (क्त) → gāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively with bhavān = ‘have sung’

• kambalaḥ: Kambala (proper name)
• kambalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kambala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

• anagha: O blameless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); commonly Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) as address ‘O sinless one’

Speakers

• Sarasvatī (as teacher) addressing a Nāga (and including Kambala)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Sarasvatī

Shakti Aspects

• Sarasvatī (Sarvajihvā Sarasvatī is explicitly named later in 23.57)

Key Themes

• Transmission of knowledge
• Śāstra of music
• Sacred arts
• Nāga traditions

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Knowledge (vidyā), especially sacred arts like music, is portrayed as a divine bestowal: mastery is not merely technical but arises from grace (prasāda) and disciplined receptivity.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This passage is not primarily sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita; it belongs to narrative instruction (vaṃśānucarita-style cultural episode) illustrating how śāstric knowledge is transmitted in the world.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘three grāmas’ and many ‘tālas’ symbolize an ordered cosmos of sound: the universe is intelligible as rhythm and tone when approached through the Goddess of speech and learning.