Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 77, Shloka 24

Adhyaya 77 — Sanjna’s Withdrawal from Surya: The Birth of Yama and Yamuna, and the Emergence of Chhaya

Sanskrit

संज्ञेयमिति मन्वानो द्वितीयायामहस्पतिः ।

जनयामास तनयौ कन्याञ्चैकां मनोरमाम् ॥

Transliteration

saṃjñeyam iti manvāno dvitīyāyām ahaspatiḥ /

janayāmāsa tanayau kanyāñ caikāṃ manoramām

Translation

他以为她就是娑ṃjñā（Saṃjñā），于是阿哈斯帕提（太阳神）在第二位妻子——影身恰雅（Chāyā）——处生下两位儿子与一位娇美的女儿。

Word by Word

• संज्ञेयम्: (as) ‘to be named’
• संज्ञेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñeya (प्रातिपदिक; √jñā + ya, कृतप्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg); कृत (भाव्य/योग्य) — ‘to be named/known’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• मन्वानः: thinking
• मन्वानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘thinking/supposing’

• द्वितीयायाम्: in/with the second (wife)
• द्वितीयायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvitīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc sg)

• अहस्पतिः: Ahaspati (lord of the day)
• अहस्पतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahas-pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अह्नः पतिः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• जनयामास: begot / produced
• जनयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तनयौ: two sons
• तनयौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया द्विवचन (Acc du)

• कन्याम्: a daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg); विशेषण

• मनोरमाम्: charming
• मनोरमाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manorama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg); विशेषण

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Mārkaṇḍeya’s telling (frame not explicit in this verse-set)

Primary Deities

• Sūrya (Ahaspati)

Key Themes

• Genealogy
• Household dynamics
• Dharma
• Karma (curse as consequence)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Mistaken identity and concealment in family life produce downstream ethical tensions; lineage narratives often illustrate how private household dharma (fairness to children, restraint in anger) affects cosmic order through the births of major deities/administrators like Yama.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Vaṃśa (genealogies) and Vaṃśānucarita (accounts of dynasties/descendants), rather than Sarga/Pratisarga.

What is the esoteric significance?

Chāyā (‘shadow’) functioning as Saṃjñā (‘true recognition/name’) hints at the metaphysics of appearance vs. essence: actions proceed on perceived identity, yet latent truth later asserts itself through karmic rupture (the curse episode).