Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 42, Shloka 17

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

उत्क्रान्तिकाले संस्मृत्य पुनर्योगित्वमृच्छति ।

तस्मादसिद्धयोगेन सिद्धयोगेन वा पुनः ।

ज्ञेयान्यरिष्टानि सदा येनोत्क्रान्तौ न सीदति ॥

Transliteration

utkrānti-kāle saṃsmṛtya punar yogitvam ṛcchati /

tasmād asiddha-yogena siddha-yogena vā punaḥ /

jñeyāny ariṣṭāni sadā yenotkrāntau na sīdati //

Translation

于临终之际忆念（此教法），他复得瑜伽行者之境。因此——无论自修之瑜伽尚未圆满，或已臻圆满——都应常知将死之征兆，使人在命终之时不致动摇失措。

Word by Word

• utkrānti-kāle: at the time of departure (from the body)
• utkrānti-kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utkrānti (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: ‘utkrānteḥ kālaḥ’

• saṃsmṛtya: having recollected
• saṃsmṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having remembered’

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• yogitvam: the state of being a yogin
• yogitvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogitva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṛcchati: attains/reaches
• ṛcchati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ṛcch (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• asiddha-yogena: by imperfect yoga
• asiddha-yogena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa/Karmadhāraya sense: ‘asiddhaḥ yogaḥ’

• siddha-yogena: by perfected yoga
• siddha-yogena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya sense: ‘siddhaḥ yogaḥ’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• jñeyāni: are to be known
• jñeyāni: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñeya (कृदन्त, √jñā)
• Form: Future passive participle/gerundive (तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थ), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ariṣṭāni: omens/portents
• ariṣṭāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ariṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) or Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• utkrāntau: at the time of departure
• utkrāntau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utkrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध निपात)

• sīdati: sinks/falters
• sīdati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sad (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Dattatreya (transitioning to the ‘ariṣṭa’ catalogue)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Death-awareness
• Smṛti (recollection)
• Ariṣṭa (portents)
• Spiritual preparedness

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Spiritual practice is tested at death; recollection steadies consciousness. The text also legitimizes preparatory knowledge (ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa) for both advanced and beginner practitioners, emphasizing readiness over panic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is instructional yoga material (upadeśa) rather than the five marks. It functions as practical soteriology embedded within Purāṇic narration.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Not faltering at utkrānti’ points to preserving lucidity at the liminal moment when prāṇa and mind disengage. Ariṣṭa-knowledge is framed as a support for maintaining dhāraṇā/smṛti when ordinary identity collapses.