Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 9, Shloka 11

Adhyaya 9 — Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra’s Mutual Curse: The Āḍi–Baka Battle and Brahmā’s Pacification

Sanskrit

अन्यो 'न्यशापात् तौ प्राप्तौ तिर्यक्त्वं परमद्युतī ।

वशिष्ठः स महातेजा विश्वामित्रश्च कौशिकः ॥

Transliteration

anyo 'nyaśāpāt tau prāptau tiryaktvaṃ paramadyutī / vaśiṣṭhaḥ sa mahātejā viśvāmitraś ca kauśikaḥ

Translation

由于彼此诅咒，那两位具至上光辉者——大光明的婆悉吒与毗湿瓦密多·考希迦——遂至于非人之生类（tiryak，旁生）之境。

Word by Word

• अन्यः: one
• अन्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “one (of them)”

• अन्य: other/mutual
• अन्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used with शापात् in compound-splitting sense “mutual”

• शापात्: from (a) curse
• शापात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative “from/through a curse”

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; “those two”

• प्राप्तौ: having reached
• प्राप्तौ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; “having attained/reached”

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animal state/being an animal
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; abstract in -त्व

• परमद्युतिः: of supreme splendor
• परमद्युतिः: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (परमा द्युतिः यस्य) used adjectivally “of supreme splendor”

• वशिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वशिष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; pronoun

• महातेजाः: mighty, radiant
• महातेजाः: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “greatly radiant”

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• कौशिकः: Kauśika
• कौशिकः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• The Birds (Dharmapakṣīs) narrating

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Fall through conflict
• Tiryak-yoni
• Tapas and its misuse
• Ethics of speech

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Spiritual brilliance (dyuti/tejas) does not guarantee moral infallibility. When speech is weaponized, even the great can ‘descend’—a reminder that dharma is sustained by restraint, not merely power.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ānucarita: a moral episode illustrating how actions (especially vāk-karma) determine birth and status.

What is the esoteric significance?

The juxtaposition ‘paramadyutī’ with ‘tiryaktva’ teaches that luminosity is an inner potential that can be obscured by rāga-dveṣa. The ‘fall’ is the condensation of mental conflict into gross form.