Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 87

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

Sanskrit

भ्रश्यन्त्याभिः प्रविष्टाभिः पुरुषार्थात् पृथङ्नराः ।

तासां प्रवेशश्च गृहे संध्यारक्ते ह्यथाम्बरे ॥

Transliteration

bhraśyanty ābhiḥ praviṣṭābhiḥ puruṣārthāt pṛthaṅ-narāḥ / tāsāṃ praveśaś ca gṛhe sandhyā-rakte hy athāmbare

Translation

当她们入身之后，个别之人便从人生四义（puruṣārtha）中堕离。她们进入某家之时，乃在黄昏天际泛红之际。

Word by Word

• भ्रश्यन्ति: they fall away, deviate
• भ्रश्यन्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रंश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• आभिः: by them (those women)
• आभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/एतद्? (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) here 'आभिः' = 'by those (fem.)' from 'अदस्/इदम्' pronominal base 'अ'
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रविष्टाभिः: having entered
• प्रविष्टाभिः: करण-विशेषण (Instrument-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) + प्रविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'having entered' (instrumental plural agreeing with आभिः)

• पुरुषार्थात्: from the human goals (dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa)
• पुरुषार्थात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('aim of man' = human goals)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• नराः: men
• नराः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• प्रवेशः: entry
• प्रवेशः: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• संध्या-रक्ते: when (the sky) is twilight-red
• संध्या-रक्ते: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('reddened at twilight')

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal)

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रारम्भ-बोधक अव्यय (then/now)

• अम्बरे: in the sky
• अम्बरे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not explicit in provided excerpt; didactic voice

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Puruṣārthas
• Twilight (sandhyā) discipline
• Household vulnerability

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Sandhyā is a liminal time requiring restraint and worship; negligence at transitions (day/night) is portrayed as opening the door to forces that derail all four puruṣārthas.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Householder ācāra and time-discipline; not a pancalakṣaṇa cosmological element.

What is the esoteric significance?

Twilight symbolizes psychological transition; when attention is diffuse, latent tendencies ‘enter’ and redirect life-goals away from dharma and toward confusion.