Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 19

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

अग्निहोत्रमधीतं वा दानाद्याश्चाखिलाः क्रियाः ।

भजन्ते तस्य वैफल्यम् यस्य वाक्यमकारणम् ॥

Transliteration

agnihotram adhītaṃ vā dānādyāś cākhilāḥ kriyāḥ |

bhajante tasya vaiphalyaṃ yasya vākyam akāraṇam ||

Translation

无论是阿耆尼护摩（Agnihotra）祭、吠陀研习，或一切以布施为首的行为——对于那言语无因（无目的、无根据）之人，皆成无果。

Word by Word

• agnihotram: Agnihotra sacrifice
• agnihotram: Karma (कर्म/thing mentioned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni + hotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (agnic rite)

• adhītam: studied
• adhītam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhi + i (धातु) → adhīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (studied/learned)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• dāna-ādyāḥ: beginning with charity
• dāna-ādyāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (dāna as first: beginning with charity)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• akhilāḥ: all, entire
• akhilāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kriyāḥ: acts, rites
• kriyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• bhajante: partake of / incur / result in
• bhajante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tasya: of him / of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive: of him/that)

• vaiphalyam: futility, fruitlessness
• vaiphalyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiphala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative: whose)

• vākyam: word, statement
• vākyam: Karta (कर्ता/subject of predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• akāraṇam: without reason, groundless
• akāraṇam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (without cause/reason)

Speakers

• Uncertain from the isolated verse; likely within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic narrative voice (not within Devi Mahatmyam proper).

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics of speech (vāg-dharma)
• Karma and ritual efficacy
• Householder discipline

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual merit is not merely mechanical; it depends on inner discipline, especially truthful and purposeful speech. If one’s words are ‘akāraṇa’—idle, baseless, or irresponsible—then even major merits like Agnihotra, śāstra-study, and charity lose their intended fruit, because speech reflects intention (saṅkalpa) and character (śīla), which condition karmic outcomes.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse belongs to dharma-nīti instruction rather than the five classical purāṇic markers (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It is best classified as ancillary dharma-śikṣā (ethical teaching) embedded within the Purāṇa’s narrative framework.

What is the esoteric significance?

Speech (vāk) is treated as a subtle power that shapes reality; purposeless or ungrounded speech dissipates spiritual energy and fractures the integrity of vow and rite. Esoterically, the verse implies that mantra, yajña, and dāna require alignment of vāk (speech), manas (mind), and karma (act); when vāk becomes ‘akāraṇa’, the triad is broken and the rite becomes ineffective.