Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 29, Shloka 14

Adhyaya 29 — Alarka’s Inquiry and Madalasa’s Teaching on Householder Dharma (Gārhasthya), Vaiśvadeva, and Atithi Hospitality

Sanskrit

तस्मात् पुत्र ! मनुष्येण देवर्

5षिपितृमानवाः ।

भूतानि चानुदिवसं पोष्याणि स्वतनुर्यथा ॥

Transliteration

tasmāt putra manuṣyeṇa devarṣipitṛmānavāḥ | bhūtāni cānudivasaṃ poṣyāṇi svatanur yathā ||

Translation

因此，孩子啊，人应当每日供养诸天、圣仙（ṛṣi）、祖先、同类之人，以及诸有情众生（bhūta），如同谨慎养护自身之躯。

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), ablatival adverbial use: ‘therefore/from that’ (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः)

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• manuṣyeṇa: by a man / by a human
• manuṣyeṇa: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-mānavāḥ: gods, sages, ancestors, and humans
• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-mānavāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva-samāsa (द्वन्द्व), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhūtāni: living beings
• bhūtāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

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

• anudivasaṃ: daily
• anudivasaṃ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-samāsa (अव्ययीभाव) used adverbially; sense: ‘day by day’ (प्रतिदिनम्)

• poṣyāṇi: to be nourished / should be maintained
• poṣyāṇi: Vidhi (विधेय/आज्ञा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣ (धातु) → poṣya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kṛtya (कृत्य) gerundive/future passive participle (भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थ), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative Plural (प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन)

• svatanūḥ: one’s own body
• svatanūḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + tanū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘own body’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathā: as / just like
• yathā: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा/प्रकारबोधक अव्यय)

Speakers

• Instructional dialogue (elder to disciple/‘son’)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devas
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pañca-mahāyajña ethos (implicit)
• Daily discipline
• Ahimsā and care for beings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The householder’s dharma is relational: one must sustain multiple orders of life and lineage daily, with the same seriousness as self-care.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-upadeśa (conduct) and social ethics embedded within Purāṇic instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘As one’s own body’ implies non-duality in practice: widening identity from ‘self’ to a network of beings, making compassion and offering a spiritual discipline.