Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 8, Shloka 94

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

Sanskrit

भवेयं वित्तशेषेण सर्वकर्मकरॊ वशः ।

तवैव मुनिशार्दूल ! प्रेष्यश्चित्तानुवर्तकः ॥

Transliteration

bhaveyaṃ vittaśeṣeṇa sarvakarmakaro vaśaḥ | tavaiva muniśārdūla preṣyaś cittānuvartakaḥ ||

Translation

凭我所余下的一切财物，我将成为你的顺从仆从，承担一切差遣——噫，诸仙中之猛虎——为你侍从，凡事遵循你的意旨。

Word by Word

• भवेयम्: may I become
• भवेयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• वित्त-शेषेण: by the remainder of wealth
• वित्त-शेषेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वित्तस्य शेषः)

• सर्व-कर्म-करः: doer of all tasks
• सर्व-कर्म-करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां कर्मणां करः)

• वशः: submissive/under control
• वशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मुनि-शार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनि-शार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मुनिः एव शार्दूलः)

• प्रेष्यः: a servant
• प्रेष्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चित्त-अनुवर्तकः: one who follows (your) will/mind
• चित्त-अनुवर्तकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चित्तस्य अनुवर्तकः)

Speakers

• A supplicant/disciple-figure addressing a sage (muni) within the Markandeya Purana’s dialogic frame (exact named speaker not explicit from the single verse).

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Seva (service)
• Humility
• Guru-bhakti / obedience to the wise
• Karma (work as duty)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse models dharmic humility: even when one’s wealth is reduced, one can still offer oneself through service (śuśrūṣā). True merit is not only in donations but in disciplined, obedient action aligned with the counsel of the wise.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse aligns most with Vaṃśānucarita (conduct of notable persons) in the broad sense—illustrating ideal behavior and ethical disposition within narrative dialogue—rather than cosmological Sarga/Pratisarga or Manvantara chronology.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Remaining wealth’ symbolizes the residual ego and attachments; offering oneself as ‘cittānuvartaka’ indicates surrender of personal will to dharma embodied by the sage. The movement is from possession (vitta) to submission (vaśatā), a hallmark of inner discipline.