Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 45, Shloka 69

Adhyaya 45 — Jaimini’s Cosmological Questions and the Opening of Markandeya’s Account of Primary Creation

Sanskrit

महांस्तैः सहितः सर्वैरव्यक्तेन समावृतः ।

एभिरावरणैरण्डं सप्तभैः प्राकृतैर्वृतम् ॥

Transliteration

mahāṃs taiḥ sahitaḥ sarvair avyaktena samāvṛtaḥ | ebhir āvaraṇair aṇḍaṃ saptabhaiḥ prākṛtair vṛtam

Translation

Mahat与诸原理同在，复为“不显”（avyakta）所覆。以此七种物质性（prākṛta）覆层，宇宙卵遂被封闭围裹。

Word by Word

• महान्: great
• महान्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; agrees with implied subject (अण्डः/सः)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (अव्यय) + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) / सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘accompanied/associated’

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental ‘by all’

• अव्यक्तेन: by the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; instrumental; ‘the unmanifest (prakṛti)’

• समावृतः: was completely covered
• समावृतः: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; predicate

• एभिः: by these
• एभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental ‘by these’

• आवरणैः: coverings/envelopes
• आवरणैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental

• अण्डम्: the cosmic egg
• अण्डम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here as subject of vṛtam (Ppp)

• सप्तभिः: by seven
• सप्तभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental ‘by seven’

• प्राकृतैः: material/primal
• प्राकृतैः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया बहुवचन; instrumental; qualifies आवरणैः

• वृतम्: was enclosed/covered
• वृतम्: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; predicate agreeing with अण्डम्

Speakers

• Cosmological narration; speaker not explicitly marked here

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Sāṃkhya cosmology
• Avyakta and Mahat
• Seven coverings
• Prakṛti framework

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The manifest rests upon the unmanifest: visible reality is dependent on subtler causal strata, encouraging humility about sensory knowledge.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: enumeration of tattvas and their enclosing function around the cosmos.

What is the esoteric significance?

Avyakta as the ultimate veil implies that liberation/knowledge requires penetrating beyond even cosmic intellect (mahat) into the unmanifest causal ground.