Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 22

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

अजाश्वौ मुखतो मेध्यौ न गोर्वत्सस्य चाननम् ।

मातुः प्रस्त्रवणं मेध्यं शकुनिः फलपातने ॥

Transliteration

ajāśvau mukhato medhyau na gor vatsasya cānanam | mātuḥ prastravaṇaṃ medhyaṃ śakuniḥ phala-pātane ||

Translation

山羊与马在口部被视为清净（medhya）；但牛犊之口不作如是观。母牛流出的乳汁为清净；而果实因鸟而落时，鸟亦不被责为污秽之因。

Word by Word

• अजा-अश्वौ: a goat and a horse
• अजा-अश्वौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajā (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (goat and horse)

• मुखतः: at/from the mouth
• मुखतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘from/at the mouth’

• मेध्यौ: pure/fit (for ritual)
• मेध्यौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• गोः: of a cow
• गोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वत्सस्य: of a calf
• वत्सस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आननम्: mouth/face
• आननम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रस्त्रवणम्: flow/oozing (e.g., milk discharge)
• प्रस्त्रवणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-stravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; from √stru (स्रु/स्त्रु) with pra-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मेध्यम्: pure/ritually clean
• मेध्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शकुनिः: a bird
• शकुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakuni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• फल-पातने: when fruits fall / in fruit-falling
• फल-पातने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + pātana (प्रातिपदिक; from √pat (पत्) caus./noun)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (phalānāṃ pātane = in the dropping of fruits)

Speakers

• Dharma-instructional narration within the Purāṇic discourse (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Medhya substances
• Householder rules

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity is context-sensitive: the same category (animal contact) yields different rulings depending on customary assessment of cleanliness and practical use. It also protects ordinary life (milk, fruit) from being rendered unusable by overbroad impurity rules.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma material; not a pancalakṣaṇa narrative unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

Milk’s ‘flow’ as medhya hints at the idea that what is life-sustaining and naturally produced (sāttvika nourishment) carries an inherent purity, paralleling spiritual ‘flow’ (prasāda) that remains undefiled.