Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 32, Shloka 17

Adhyaya 32 — Rules for Parvana Śrāddha: Foods that Please the Ancestors and Items to Avoid

Sanskrit

तद्वर्ज्यं सलिलं तात ! सदैव पितृकर्मणि ।

मार्गमाविकमौष्ट्रञ्च सर्वमैैकशपफञ्च यत् ॥

Transliteration

tad varjyaṃ salilaṃ tāta sadaiva pitṛ-karmaṇi / mārga-māvika-mauṣṭraṃ ca sarvam aika-śaphaṃ ca yat

Translation

是故，亲爱者，此类之水于为诸Pitṛ（祖灵）所行之仪轨中，当恒常避之。又当避鹿肉、羊肉、骆驼肉，并总而言之，一切单蹄之兽肉。

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• varjyam: to be avoided
• varjyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varjya (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛj/√varj धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• salilam: water
• salilam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• tāta: dear son/child
• tāta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/emphasis (अवधारणार्थक अव्यय)

• pitṛ-karmaṇi: in the rites for the ancestors
• pitṛ-karmaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pitṝṇāṃ karma)

• mārga: deer (meat)
• mārga: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); used collectively with following adjectives (meat)

• āvika: ovine/sheep (meat)
• āvika: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āvika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘of sheep’ qualifying implied māṃsa

• auṣṭram: camel (meat)
• auṣṭram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: auṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘of camel’ qualifying implied māṃsa

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

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying eka-śapha

• eka-śapham: single-hoofed animals (equines etc.)
• eka-śapham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + śapha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—कर्मधारय (ekaḥ śaphaḥ yasya/jātiḥ)

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

• yat: whatever/that which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun referring to preceding items

Speakers

• Ritual instruction voice within the Purāṇic dharma discourse (frame-speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Pitṛ Pūjā
• Dietary rules
• Ritual exclusions

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Śrāddha is not a venue for indiscriminate consumption; it is regulated by suitability. The text encodes a conservative ritual diet, restricting certain animal categories.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma/ācāra material.

What is the esoteric significance?

Single-hoofed animals are symbolically linked with specific guṇic/temperamental qualities in later dharma traditions; the restriction aims at maintaining a calm, sattvic ritual atmosphere for Pitṛs.