Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 26, Shloka 30
Adhyaya 26 — Madālasa Names Alarka and Reorients Him Toward Kshatriya Duty
Sanskrit
सपुण्यानसपुण्यांश्च क्षुत्क्षामान् तृट्परिप्लुतान् ।
पिण्डोदकप्रदानेन नरः कर्मण्यवस्थितः ॥
Transliteration
sapuṇyān asapuṇyāṃś ca kṣut-kṣāmān tṛṭ-pariplutān / piṇḍodaka-pradānena naraḥ karmaṇy avasthitaḥ //
Translation
“无论其有福德与否，无论为饥饿所耗或为干渴所苦——以饭团（piṇḍa）与清水施供，安住于法（dharma）之人便能资养扶持他们。”
Word by Word
स-पुण्यान्the meritorious (with merit)
स-पुण्यान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; उपसर्गसदृश ‘स-’ = ‘with’
अ-सपुण्यान्the non-meritorious (without merit)
अ-सपुण्यान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootसपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेध-पूर्वपद ‘अ-’ = ‘without’
चand
च:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय
क्षुत्-क्षामान्emaciated by hunger
क्षुत्-क्षामान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (क्षुत्या क्षामाः = emaciated by hunger)
तृट्-परिप्लुतान्overwhelmed by thirst
तृट्-परिप्लुतान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootतृट् (प्रातिपदिक) + परि + प्लु (धातु) → परिप्लुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (तृष्णया/तृटा परिप्लुताः = overwhelmed by thirst)
पिण्ड-उदक-प्रदानेनby the offering of rice-balls and water
पिण्ड-उदक-प्रदानेन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; समास: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (पिण्ड + उदक) + तत्पुरुष (तयोः प्रदानम्)
नरःa man
नरः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन
कर्मणिin duty/ritual action
कर्मणि:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन
अवस्थितःis established/engaged
अवस्थितः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootअव + स्था (धातु)
Formकृदन्त: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘standing/remaining engaged’
Speakers
Jaḍa to Madālasā
Key Themes
Pitṛ PujaŚrāddha efficacyCompassionate dutyKarmic responsibility
FAQs
Ritual giving is presented as humanitarian across moral status: one’s duty is to support the departed without judging their merit. Dharma functions as care, not merely reward.
Dharma-upadeśa embedded in narrative (Anucarita).
Hunger and thirst signify subtle deprivation in post-mortem states; piṇḍa and udaka become archetypes of ‘form’ and ‘life-fluid’ offered back into the ancestral stream, restoring balance.