Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 32, Shloka 29

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

Sanskrit

योगिनश्च सदा श्राद्धे भोजनीया विपश्चिता ।

योगाधारा हि पितरस्तस्मात् तान् पूजयेत् सदा ॥

Transliteration

yoginaś ca sadā śrāddhe bhojanīyā vipaścitā / yogādhārā hi pitaraḥ tasmāt tān pūjayet sadā

Translation

在śrāddha之中，常应供养明智的瑜伽行者。因为诸祖灵（Pitṛs）由瑜伽之力所资持；故当恒常礼敬此类瑜伽者。

Word by Word

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala/Time (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• श्राद्धे: at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana/Occasion (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• भोजनीयाः: should be fed
• भोजनीयाः: Vidhi/Obligation (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजनीय (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् + अनीय; कृदन्त)
• Form: Gerundive (अनीय), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; predicate adjective = ‘to be fed’

• विपश्चिताः: the wise
• विपश्चिताः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; apposition to योगिनः

• योगाधाराः: supported by yoga
• योगाधाराः: Visheshana/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग + आधार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: योगस्य आधाराः = ‘having yoga as support / supported by yoga’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), causal/emphatic

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative-form used adverbially (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; pronoun referring to योगिनः

• पूजयेत्: should honor
• पूजयेत्: Kriya/Predicate (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु √पूज् ‘to honor’)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala/Time (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

Speakers

• Dharmic instruction within Markandeya Purana’s ritual discourse (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śrāddha
• Yoga
• Honor to saints
• Pitṛ support

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text links ancestral welfare with the presence of realized or disciplined persons. Honoring yogins is framed not as social prestige but as strengthening the spiritual ‘infrastructure’ that benefits multiple planes of beings.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A teaching on dharma and yoga within ritual context; not pancalakṣaṇa proper, but a doctrinal bridge between pitṛ-yajña and yogic merit.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Pitṛs supported by yoga’ suggests that subtle realms are stabilized by tapas and yogic order (ṛta). Feeding yogins is symbolically feeding the axis (support) that sustains inter-world reciprocity.