Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 115

Adhyaya 51 — Yaksha Injunctions: Graha-Children and Female Spirits Causing Domestic and Ritual Disruptions

Sanskrit

वातरूपा निषेकान्ते सा यस्मै क्षिपते सुतम् ।

स पुमान् वातशुक्रत्वं प्रयाति वनितापि वा ॥

Transliteration

vātarūpā niṣekānte sā yasmai kṣipate sutam /

sa pumān vātaśukratvaṃ prayāti vanitāpi vā

Translation

在交合/受胎将尽之时，伐多卢婆（Vātarūpā）把一个孩子投向她所拣选的任何人；那男子便成了精液“如风一般”（无效）之人，女子亦复如是（被损其能）。

Word by Word

• वात-रूपा: the wind-formed (female)
• वात-रूपा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective used substantively (the wind-formed one)

• निषेक-अन्ते: at the end of insemination/coitus
• निषेक-अन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषेक + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘निषेकस्य अन्तः’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• यस्मै: to whom
• यस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• क्षिपते: throws/casts
• क्षिपते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• सुतम्: a son/child
• सुतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• स: he
• स: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to स

• वात-शुक्रत्वम्: wind-semen state (impotence)
• वात-शुक्रत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात + शुक्रत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘वातस्य शुक्रत्वम्’ (state of wind-like semen/impotence)

• प्रयाति: attains/comes to
• प्रयाति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• वनिता: a woman
• वनिता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (विकल्प/Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक अव्यय)

Speakers

• Narrative voice

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Etiology of infertility/impotence
• Personification of ailments
• Purity codes (implied)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Vitality is depicted as contingent and ethically conditioned: when one is vulnerable (through adharma/impurity), subtle forces disrupt procreation and bodily order.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A subsidiary mythic-etiological strand within pratisarga-like narration (explaining the spread of conditions in the world).

What is the esoteric significance?

'Wind-like seed' symbolizes dissipation of creative potency—prāṇa unmoored from śukra/ojas—hinting at the linkage between disciplined life (brahmacarya/śauca) and conserved vital essence.