Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 43, Shloka 10

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

अनभ्रे विद्युतं दृष्ट्वा दक्षिणां दिशमाश्रिताम् ।

रात्राविन्द्रधनुश्चापि जीवितं द्वित्रिमासिकम् ॥

Transliteration

anabhre vidyutaṃ dṛṣṭvā dakṣiṇāṃ diśamāśritām / rātrāvindradhanuścāpi jīvitaṃ dvitrimāsikam

Translation

若无云而见闪电，尤以其在南方者为甚；又若夜间见虹——则说其余寿仅二三个月。

Word by Word

• अनभ्रे: in a cloudless (sky)
• अनभ्रे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative absolute sense: “in a cloudless (sky)”)

• विद्युतम्: lightning
• विद्युतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): “having seen”

• दक्षिणाम्: southern
• दक्षिणाम्: कर्म-विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आश्रिताम्: having taken refuge in / occupying
• आश्रिताम्: कर्म-विशेषण (participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “resorted to/occupying” (agreeing with विद्युतम् understood as going to the southern direction)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• इन्द्रधनुः: rainbow
• इन्द्रधनुः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रधनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: इन्द्रस्य धनुः

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय-सूचक (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध-सूचक (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• जीवितम्: life-span
• जीवितम्: विधेय (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here predicate-noun

• द्वित्रिमासिकम्: of two or three months
• द्वित्रिमासिकम्: विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + त्रि + मासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (dvandva) used adjectivally: द्वि-मासिकं त्रि-मासिकं च (two- or three-month)

Speakers

• Dialogue-context unspecified in given excerpt (omen-catalogue)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Indra (via 'Indradhanuḥ' as a term)

Key Themes

• Unseasonal phenomena as omens
• Directional symbolism (south as Yama’s quarter)
• Mortality and time

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text uses ‘viparīta’ (contrary) natural signs to urge sobriety and dharmic readiness—do not postpone duties, as time can contract suddenly.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not Pancalakṣaṇa; it is practical lore embedded in Purāṇic teaching, often grouped with dharma and nimitta traditions.

What is the esoteric significance?

The southern quarter is culturally linked to Yama; anomalous lightning and a nocturnal rainbow symbolize disruption of ṛta (cosmic order), mirroring the nearing end of one’s embodied order.