Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 90

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

Sanskrit

तमः प्रच्छादकश्चान्यस्तत्स्वरूपं शृणुष्व मे ।

प्रदीपदैलसंसर्गदूषिते लङ्घिते खले ॥

Transliteration

tamaḥ pracchādakaś cānyas tat-svarūpaṃ śṛṇuṣva me / pradīpa-daila-saṃsarga-dūṣite laṅghite khale

Translation

另有一者名为昏暗遮蔽者——多摩ḥ·普罗遮达迦（Tamaḥ-pracchādaka，“以黑暗覆蔽者”）；请听我说其性相。凡物因触及灯火与油而受污，或行卑劣之举如跨越、逾犯之时，彼即起作用。

Word by Word

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रच्छादकः: a coverer
• प्रच्छादकः: विशेषण (Predicate/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + छद् (धातु) + अक (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (ण्वुल्/अक-प्रत्यय: agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (समास-पूर्वपद/निर्देशक)

• स्वरूपम्: true nature, form
• स्वरूपम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (my)

• प्रदीपतैलसंसर्गदूषिते: in/when (it is) tainted by contact with lamp-oil
• प्रदीपतैलसंसर्गदूषिते: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदीप + तैल + संसर्ग + दूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रदीपस्य तैलस्य संसर्गेण दूषिते), भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण)

• लङ्घिते: when transgressed/overstepped
• लङ्घिते: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• खले: in/with a wicked person
• खले: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not explicit in provided excerpt; didactic narrator

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca/impurity
• Household omens
• Tamas (ignorance)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Impurity and boundary-violations invite ‘darkening’—loss of clarity and right judgment. The text links mundane negligence (defilement) with moral consequence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/niṣedha (conduct and prohibitions), outside pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Lamp (light) plus oil (fuel) symbolize knowledge sustained by practice; when ‘contact’ becomes defilement, illumination itself is corrupted, yielding tamas (obscuration).