Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 28, Shloka 21

Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties

Sanskrit

एष धर्मो गृहस्थस्य ऋतावभिगमस्तथा ।

पञ्चयज्ञविधानन्तु यथाशक्त्या न हापयेत् ॥

Transliteration

eṣa dharmo gṛhasthasya ṛtāv abhigamas tathā /

pañcayajñavidhānaṃ tu yathāśaktyā na hāpayet //

Translation

此乃居家者（家住期，gṛhastha）之法：亦包括在适当时节行夫妻之合。并且，应尽己所能，不可怠慢所规定的五种祭献（pañca-yajña）的修持。

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मः: duty/law
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृहस्थस्य: of the householder
• गृहस्थस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ऋतौ: in the proper season (of menstruation)
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अभिगमः: conjugal approach
• अभिगमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु) → अभिगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (act of approaching/sexual union)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक (also/likewise)

• पञ्च-यज्ञ-विधानम्: the ordinance of the five sacrifices
• पञ्च-यज्ञ-विधानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चानां यज्ञानां विधानम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• यथा-शक्त्या: according to one's ability
• यथा-शक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — adverbial: 'according to ability'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• हापयेत्: should not neglect/omit
• हापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु) caus. हापय (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/imperative sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; causative: 'should cause to be abandoned/should neglect'

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction narrative voice (contextual teacher-speaker within Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devas
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pañca-yajña
• Gṛhastha duties
• Ritual practice
• Household ethics

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Household life is not merely economic; it is ritually and ethically structured. The pañca-yajñas institutionalize gratitude and responsibility, while ‘ṛtāv abhigama’ frames sexuality within dharma and progeny-oriented order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra-dharma material embedded in Purāṇic teaching; supports societal continuity that Purāṇas often assume as the ground for vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita narratives.

What is the esoteric significance?

The five yajñas can be read as five directions of offering: upward (deva), backward (pitṛ), outward (bhūta), inward-social (manuṣya/atithi), and inward-transcendent (brahma/adhyāya).