Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 23, Shloka 61

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

Sanskrit

प्रातर्निशायां मध्याह्ने सन्ध्ययोश्चापि तत्परौ ।

तयोः कालेन महता स्तूयमानो वृषध्वजः ॥

Transliteration

prātarniśāyāṃ madhyāhne sandhyayoścāpi tatparau / tayoḥ kālena mahatā stūyamāno vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

清晨、夜间、正午以及诸黄昏时分，他们专注于彼等供奉，历时久远，恒常赞颂弗利沙陀伐阇（湿婆，旗帜饰以公牛者）。

Word by Word

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• niśāyām: at night
• niśāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• madhyāhne: at midday
• madhyāhne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyāhna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• sandhyayoḥ: at the two twilights (dawn and dusk)
• sandhyayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Dual (द्विवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya/Emphasis (समुच्चय/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), additive/emphatic

• tat-parau: intent on that; devoted
• tat-parau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन); ‘devoted to that (worship)’; qualifying the two Nāgas

• tayoḥ: of the two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

• kālena: with time; in the course of time
• kālena: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahatā: great; long
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘kālena’

• stūyamānaḥ: being praised
• stūyamānaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु) + yamāna (यमान/शानच्)
• Form: Present passive participle (कर्मणि वर्तमान कृदन्त, शानच्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘vṛṣadhvajaḥ’

• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, bull-bannered)
• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi epithet of Śiva: ‘he whose banner is the bull’

Speakers

• Narrative voice

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Śiva

Key Themes

• Daily discipline
• Sandhyā times
• Long-term devotion
• Śiva worship

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is sustained by regularity: worship aligned with daily temporal junctions (sandhyā) trains steadiness and sanctifies time itself.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa; it is practice-oriented narrative illustrating vrata-like perseverance.

What is the esoteric significance?

The repeated time-points map outer time to inner rhythms; praising Śiva at ‘junctions’ signifies turning consciousness at transitions toward the Absolute.