Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 35, Shloka 53

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

Sanskrit

तत्तद् गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता ।

पूर्णैस्तु दिवसैः स्पृष्ट्वा सलिलं वाहनायुधम् ॥

Transliteration

tattad guṇavate deyaṃ tadevākṣayam icchatā /

pūrṇais tu divasaiḥ spṛṣṭvā salilaṃ vāhanāyudham

Translation

此此之施当授与堪受之人；求不坏功德（akṣaya）者，唯此布施成为无尽。及至日数圆满之后，触水行净（ācamana），便可复用车乘与兵器。

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेत/अनुवादक

• तत्: each such
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive: ‘this and that’)

• गुणवते: to a worthy/virtuous person
• गुणवते: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: विधेय (Predicate obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable (merit)
• अक्षयम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण ‘इच्छता’ सह

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by one desiring’

• पूर्णैः: complete/full
• पूर्णैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘दिवसैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• दिवसैः: with days / after days
• दिवसैः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वाहनायुधम्: vehicles and weapons
• वाहनायुधम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: वाहन (vehicle) + आयुध (weapon)

Speakers

• Instructional discourse within Alarka-anuśāsana frame (speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dāna-phala (fruit of charity)
• Guṇa (worthiness of recipient)
• Purification completion
• Resumption of normal life after impurity

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Merit depends not only on giving but on discernment: gifts placed in worthy hands become ‘akṣaya’—socially fruitful and spiritually enduring.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-ācāra material embedded in narrative; outside the five-lakṣaṇa core.

What is the esoteric significance?

Touching water at the end of a period marks reintegration: water signifies restored purity and the return of agency (vehicles/weapons = capacities for worldly action).