Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 28

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

Sanskrit

उदक्याश्वशृगालादीन् सूतिकान्त्यवसायिनः ।

स्पृष्ट्वा स्नायीत शौचार्थं तथैव मृतहारिणः ॥

Transliteration

udakyāśva-śṛgālādīn sūtikānty-avasāyinaḥ | spṛṣṭvā snāyīta śaucārthaṃ tathaiva mṛta-hāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

若触及经期之妇、马、豺（jackal）等类，或产妇/产后之妇，或被视为贱民之外族者（avasāyin），为求清净当沐浴；同样，触及抬运尸体之人之后亦当沐浴。

Word by Word

• उदक्याः: menstruating women
• उदक्याः: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• अश्व: horses
• अश्व: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (in dvandva-like list)

• शृगाल: jackals
• शृगाल: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (in list)

• आदीन्: and the like/others
• आदीन्: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; ‘and others’

• सूतिका: a woman in childbirth
• सूतिका: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (in compound sense with अन्त्य)

• अन्त्य: of the lowest/outcaste
• अन्त्य: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (in compound sense)

• अवसायिनः: workers/people engaged in (impure) occupations
• अवसायिनः: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; agent noun

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभाव (gerund/क्त्वा), prior action

• स्नायीत: should bathe
• स्नायीत: क्रिया (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, 3rd person, Singular

• शौच: for purity/cleanliness
• शौच: सम्प्रदान (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (in purpose-compound)

• अर्थम्: for the sake of
• अर्थम्: प्रयोजन (हेतु/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; प्रयोजन-तत्पुरुष: शौचस्य अर्थः

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• मृत: dead
• मृत: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: PPP of मृ (धातु), used adjectivally; in compound sense with हारिन्

• हारिणः: those who carry (the dead)
• हारिणः: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; ‘carriers’

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)
• Contact impurity
• Snāna (bath)
• Aśauca around death/birth

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text treats birth- and death-adjacent contexts as requiring heightened ritual care; bathing functions as a reset after liminal contact, reaffirming boundaries important to Vedic domestic rites.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/dharma instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

Birth and death are thresholds where ordinary identity is destabilized; bathing symbolizes returning to centeredness and re-entry into ordered ritual life.