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Markandeyapurana 1

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1.1

To the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, devoted to asceticism and Vedic study, / Vyāsa’s disciple Jaimini, endowed with great splendor, addressed a question:

1.2

“O venerable one, the narrative of the Mahābhārata spoken by the great-souled Vyāsa / is completely filled with pure, bright collections of various treatises.

1.3

It is endowed with purity of style and adorned with elegant words; / it is furnished with the definitive conclusions of prima facie views and doctrines.

1.4

As Viṣṇu is foremost among the gods, as the brahmin is among bipeds, / and as the crest-jewel is the best among all ornaments,

1.5

as the thunderbolt is foremost among weapons, as the mind is among the senses, / just so in this world the Mahābhārata is the highest among all treatises.

1.6

In it are described wealth, dharma, desire, and liberation, / both in their mutual connections and distinct along with their consequences.

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It is the supreme treatise on dharma, the highest treatise on wealth, / the foremost treatise on desire, and likewise the ultimate treatise on liberation.

1.8

The means of establishing the conduct of the duties of the four stages of life / has been declared here, O illustrious one, by the wise Veda Vyāsa.

1.9

Indeed, dear friend, it was composed by Vyāsa of noble deeds in such a way / that this vast, all-encompassing treatise is not overcome by contradictions.

1.10

By the flood of Vyāsa’s words, which sweeps away the trees of false reasoning / and descends from the mountain of the Vedas, the earth has been cleansed of dust.

1.11

The great lake composed by Kṛṣṇa [Dvaipāyana], the Veda whose waters are the extensive narrative, / has sweet-sounding voices as its great swans and various episodes as its excellent lotuses.

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Desiring to know the truth of this narrative of the Mahābhārata, / which possesses many meanings and is an expansion of revelation, I have come before you, O venerable one.

1.13

Why did Janārdana attain human state, although he is devoid of qualities— / Vāsudeva, the cause of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe?

1.14

And why did that single daughter of Drupada, Kṛṣṇā, / become the common queen of the five sons of Pāṇḍu? Here indeed is our great doubt.

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Why did the mighty Baladeva undertake an expiation for the killing of a brahmin

1.15

on the occasion of a pilgrimage, he who bears the plow as weapon?

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And how did those sons of Draupadī, great chariot-warriors without wives, / whose protectors were the Pandavas, met their death like orphans, though they were noble-souled?

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You ought to tell me all this in detail here; / you are always the awakeners of those whose intellects are confounded.”

1.18

Having heard his speech, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, / free from the eighteen faults, began to speak.

1.19

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
“The time for our ritual actions has arrived, O best of ascetics, / and this is not a commendable time for speaking at length.

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I will tell you today, Jaimini, of those who will tell you; / and in this way those birds will dispel your doubt:

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Piṅgākṣa, Vibodha, Suputra, and Sumukha—

1.21

the sons of Droṇa, best of birds, knowers of the truth, contemplative students of treatises,

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whose intellect is unhindered in understanding the meaning of the Vedas and treatises. / Residing in the caves of the Vindhya mountains, attend upon them and ask.”

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Thus addressed at that time by the wise Mārkaṇḍeya, / that tiger among ṛṣis, his eyes wide with astonishment, replied.

1.24

Jaimini said:
“This is exceedingly wondrous, O holy one, like a human voice from birds, / that those birds attained wisdom that is exceedingly difficult to attain.

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If their birth was in the womb of animals, whence came their knowledge? / And why are those winged creatures called the sons of Droṇa?

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And who is that renowned Droṇa, whose four sons were born / virtuous, knowing dharma, and noble-minded?”

1.27

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
“Listen attentively to what happened long ago in Nandana, / at the meeting of Śakra, the apsarases, and Nārada.

1.28

Nārada saw in Nandana the sovereign of the gods, Śakra, / sitting amidst a troop of courtesans, his eyes fixed on their faces.

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As soon as he was seen by that best of ṛṣis, the husband of Śacī / arose and respectfully offered him his own seat.

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Seeing that the slayer of Bala and Vṛtra had stood up, the celestial women / bowed down to the divine sage and stood bent with humility.

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Worshipped by them, when Śatakratu had sat down, / [Nārada], having conversed appropriately, initiated delightful stories.

1.32

Śakra said:
Then, in the course of conversation, Śakra said to the great sage: / ‘Give the order for dancing to whichever of these is pleasing to you,

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whether Rambhā, Karkaśā, Urvaśī, Tilottamā, / Ghṛtācī, or Menakā, or wherever your preference lies.’

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Hearing this speech of Śakra, Nārada, the best of brahmins, / reflected and spoke to the apsarases who stood bowed with humility:

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‘Whichever among all of you here considers herself superior in beauty, nobility, and virtue, / let her dance before me.

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Indeed, for one devoid of virtues and beauty, there is no perfection in dramatic dance; / dance possessing a lovely foundation is true dance; any other is mere mockery.’

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The moment those words were spoken, each of those bowing women then said: / ‘I am superior in virtue, not you!’ and the other said, ‘Not you!’

1.38

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Seeing their agitation, the venerable subduer of Pāka said: / ‘Let the sage be asked; he will tell which of you is superior in virtue.’

1.39

Questioned by them who were conforming to Śakra’s wish, Nārada / spoke those words at that time, O Jaimini; hear them from me:

1.40

‘Whichever of you forcefully disturbs the foremost sage Durvāsas, / who is performing austerities on the king of mountains, her I shall consider superior in virtue.’

1.41

Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Having heard his speech, all of them, their necks trembling, / discussed amongst themselves: ‘This is impossible for us!’”

1.42

There, an apsaras named Vapuṣ, proud of her ability to agitate sages, / replied: 'Today I will go where that sage stays.

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Today, I shall make that charioteer of the body, whose horses of the senses are harnessed, / a bad charioteer whose reins slip from the weapon of the god of love.

1.44

Whether he be Brahmā, Janārdana, or even Nīlalohita, / today I will wound his inner heart with the arrows of desire.'

1.45

Having said this, Vapuṣ then set out for the Himalaya mountain, / whose hermitage, through the power of the sage's asceticism, had pacified wild beasts.

1.46

Possessing the sweet voice of a male cuckoo, the excellent apsaras / stood a krośa away from where that great sage sat, and began to sing.

1.47

Hearing the sound of her singing, the sage's mind was astonished; / he went to the place where that lovely-faced girl was.

1.48

Seeing her of lovely limbs all over, the sage restrained his mind; / realizing that she had come to disturb him, filled with wrath and indignation,

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the great sage of vast austerities then spoke these words to her:

1.50

'Since you have come here, intoxicated with pride, O sky-wanderer, to cause obstacle / to my austerities acquired with difficulty, and to bring me distress,

1.51

therefore, defiled by my anger, O foolish one, / you shall take birth in the lineage of Garuḍa for sixteen years.

1.52

Abandoning your own form and assuming the form of a bird, / you shall bring forth four sons, O base apsaras!

1.53

Without obtaining pleasure in them, and purified by a weapon, you shall once again / obtain dwelling in heaven; you must give no answer whatsoever!'

1.54

Having made that proud maiden, whose bracelets jingled softly, hear these unbearable words / with eyes reddened by wrath, the brahmin abandoned the earth / with its constantly dancing waves and went to the heavenly Gaṅgā, whose torrent of renowned virtues is abundant.

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Thus ends the first chapter, titled 'The Curse of Vapuṣ', in the glorious Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa.

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Second Chapter

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