Markandeya Puranam
CHAPTER - 1
OM! Salutation unto the Divine
Vasudeva.
May those two lotus feet of Hari,
capable of dissipating the affliction consequent upon the
fear of existence, which, being got
at, are adored by the ascetics of composed minds, and
which coming into view, have in
order enveloped heaven and earth and the nether region,
purify you. May he, who is capable
of destroying all sins, who reposed on the serpent
(Ananta) living in the interior of
the Milky ocean, and in whose company, the ocean, although
having the billows of its waters
rendered terrific by its breath, seemed to dance, protect you.
Having saluted the Supreme Deity
(Narayana), and the highest of male beings (Nara) as also
the goddess of learning, Saraswati,
let us cry success. The highly energetic Jaimini, the
disciple of Vyasa, asked the great
ascetic Markandeya, engaged in hard austerities and the
study of Vedas.
(1)
"O Reverend Sir, the story of
Bharata, that has been related by the high-
souled Vyasa, is full of many
brilliant expressions collected from various scriptures, and
consists of divine metres and
figures of speech, excellent words, questions and their
solutions.
(2-3)
As Vishnu is amongst the celestials,
a Brahmana amongst men, the peerless
jewel amongst all ornaments, the
thunder-bolt amongst all weapons and mind amongst all
organs, so is the most excellent
Mahabharata amongst all sacred writings.
(4-5)
In it are
described both collectively and
separately wealth, virtue desire and liberation.
(6)
It is the
foremost of all religious
scriptures, the most excellent of all treatises treating of wealth, the
foremost of all works relating to
desire and the best of all discoursing on liberation.
(7)
O great
Sir, in it have been described by
the intelligent Veda Vyasa, the practices, mode of living and
the attainment of object belonging
to the four conditions (of life).
(8)
O Sir, this has been so
composed by the generous Vyasa that
this great scripture, albeit very extensive, is not
assailed by contradictions.
(9)
The earth has been freed from dust
by the watery billows of
Vyasa's words coming down from the
mount of the Vedas and capable of destroying the
trees of false arguments.
(10)
The huge lake of the Vedas composed
by Krishna (Dwaipayana
Vyasa) has the sweet words for its
big swans, the great stories for its excellent lotuses and
the saying for expansive water.
(11)
Being desirous of learning (from
you) faithfully this story
of Bharata instinct with deep import
and full of Srutis, I have approached you, O reverend Sir.
(12)
Why did Janardana, the son of
Vasudeva, although devoid of qualities, assume a human
form for the creation, preservation
and destruction of this universe?
(13)
Why did Krishna, the
daughter of Drupada, alone become
the queen of the five sons of Pandu? I have a great
doubt in this.
(14)
How did the highly-powerful
Balarama, having a plough for his weapon,
atone for the sin of Brahmanacide by
visiting holy shrines?
(15)
Why did the mighty car-
warriors, the high-souled sons of
Draupadi, having the Pandavas as their lords, die before
they were married like forlorn
(persons)?
(16)
It behoves you to describe all this
in detail to
me, for you always enlighten
ignorant people".
(17)
Hearing those his words, the great
ascetic
Markandeya, freed from the eighteen
shortcomings
1
, addressed himself to speak.
(18)
MARKANDEYA said: "O foremost of
Munis, the hour for performing my rites is present; this
is not the proper time for
describing it in detail.
(19)
I shall name now some birds, O
Jaimini,
that shall describe (this to you)
and remove your doubt.
(20)
Those best of birds, conversant
with true knowledge, who always
think upon scriptures, and whose understanding is ever
free in entering into knowledge of
the Vedic scriptures, Drona's sons, Pingaksha, Vibodha,
Suputra and Sumukha are living in a
cave of the Vindhya (mountain); go there and ask them
(about what you seek to
learn)."
(21-22)
Being thus accosted by the
intelligent Markandeya,
that best of ascetics, having his
eyes expanded with wonderment, replied.
(23)
JAIMINI said: "Highly wonderful
it is, O Brahman, that birds speak like men (and greater it is)
that they should attain to knowledge
which it is so difficult to acquire.
(24)
If they have sprung
from the species of birds wherefrom
have they attained to his knowledge? Where are these
birds called the sons of Drona?
(25)
Who again is Drona who has these
four sons born to
1
sleep, lassitude, fear, anger,
stupefaction, pride, insanity, negligence, surprise, doubt, covetousness,
malice,
envy, insincerity, falsehood,
faithlessness, partiality and ignorance
righteousness?"
(26)
MARKANDEYA said: "Listen
attentively to what took place in Nandana (the garden of gods)
when Sakra, Narada and Apsaras met.
(27)
Narada saw Sakra, the king of
celestials, in the
midst of the courtesans with his
looks firmly fixed upon their faces.
(28)
As soon as he was
espied by that best of ascetics,
Sachi's lord (Indra) at once rose up and respectfully offered
him his own seat.
(29)
Beholding that destroyer of Vala and
Vitra rise up, the celestial
damsels, bending low with humility,
bowed to that celestial saint.
(30)
Being honoured by them
and on the performer of hundred
sacrifices taking his seat, (the ascetic), duly welcomed,
started a pleasant conversation.
After it had ended, the performer of hundred sacrifices said
to the great ascetic.
(31)
SAKRA said: "Command, let one
of them, whom you like, dance - Rambha, Misrakesi,
Urvasi, Tilottama, Ghritachi,
Menaka, or (any one else) whom you choose
(32)
". Hearing the
words of Sakra, Narada, the foremost
of the twice-born, thinking (for a while) said to the
Apsaras who stood (before him).
(33)
"Let her, amongst you, who
considers herself as
superior in beauty and nobility -
dance before me.
(34)
One, devoid of beauty and
accomplishments, cannot attain to
consummation in dancing. A dancing which is
accompanied by gestures is (real)
dancing - any thing else is but infliction
(35)
".
MARKANDEYA said: "Immediately
after he had spoken this, each, bowing, said: 'I am
superior in accomplishments.' while
the other said 'not you, not you'.
(36)
Seeing their
bewilderment the Divine chastiser of
Paka said: 'Ask you the ascetic and he will say who
amongst you is superior in
accomplishments'.
(37)
Hear from me, O Jaimini, what Narada
then
said on being asked by them,
following the direction of Sakra.
(38)
"I shall consider her to be
the foremost in accomplishments,
who, by her charm, shall agitate the foremost of ascetics
Durvasa, carrying on hard
austerities on the mountain-chief
(39)
". Hearing his words, they all,
shaking their heads said: "We
are all incapable of doing this
(40)
". Amongst them one Apsara,
by name Vapu, proud of (her
capability) to agitate the sage, said: "I shall go where the
anchoret is.
(41)
I shall make to-day that driver (of
the chariot) of the body who has controlled
the horses of the senses, lose the
hold of reins and become an unskilled driver.
(42)
Even if
Brahma, Janardana, and the blue-red
(deity Siva) come to me I shall make to-day their
hearts pierced with the shafts of
desire".
(43)
Having said this Vapu then went to
the mount
Praleya, (where) by the power of the
ascetic's penances the ferocious beasts and asylums
were rendered quiet.
(44)
Remaining at a distance of two miles
from where the great ascetic
was, that excellent Apsara, having
the sweet voice of a male coel, began to sing.
(45)
Hearing
her music, the ascetic, having his
mind filled with surprise, went where that damsel, of sweet
voice was.
(46)
Beholding her, all whose limbs were
graceful, the ascetic, controlling his mind
and knowing that she had come to
agitate it, was filled with wrath and indignation. Then the
great sage of hard austerities, told
her the following.
(47)
"Since, O ranger of the sky, O
you
intoxicated with pride, you have
come to cause me woe and to put impediments in my
austerity acquired by pain, you
shall, therefore, O you of vicious understanding, sullied by my
wrath, be born in the species of
birds (and remain such) for sixteen years.
(48-49)
O wretch of
an Apsara, renouncing own form and
assuming that of a bird four sons will be born to you.
(50)
And not obtaining delight in them,
and purified by (the stroke of an) weapon you shall
again acquire your residence in
heaven. There is nothing for you to say in reply".
(51)
Making
that damsel of tremulous bangles,
hear of this unbearable speech, that Brahmana, of eyes
reddened with anger, leaving the
earth containing the Ganga of liquid waves, went to the
celestial Ganga endued with
well-known virtues.
(52)
