Markandeyapurana 85
English (machine translation) 85
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- English
Contents
85.1
The sage said:
Formerly, the three worlds and the sacrificial shares of the husband of Śacī / were seized by the two Asuras Śumbha and Niśumbha, relying on the power of their pride.
85.2
Those very two assumed the role of the sun, and likewise the authority of the moon, / as well as Kubera's, Yama's, and Varuṇa's.
85.3
Those two exercised the power of the wind and the function of fire; / and he himself presided over the authorities of the others as well. / Then the gods, cast down, deprived of their kingdom, and defeated,
85.4
their offices taken away, all discarded by those two great Asuras, / remembered that invincible goddess:
85.5
"A boon was given to us by her: 'Whenever remembered in misfortunes, / I shall destroy all your supreme calamities in that very instant.'"
85.6
Resolving thus in their minds, the gods went to Himavat, king of mountains; / and there they praised the goddess Viṣṇumāyā.
85.7
The gods said:
Salutation to the goddess, to the great goddess, to Śivā constant salutation! / Salutation to Prakṛti, the auspicious; restrained, we bow to her!
85.8
To the terrible one salutation, to the eternal, to Gaurī, to the supporter salutation, salutation! / Salutation to the foundation of the world, to the goddess, to action, salutation, salutation!
85.9
To moonlight, to the one who has the form of the moon, to happiness constant salutation! / To the auspicious one, bowed down, we pay salutations to growth and to siddhi!
85.10
To Nairṛtī, to the fortune of kings, to Śarvāṇī, salutation, salutation to you! / To Durgā, who takes across difficulty, to the essence, to the maker of all, / to fame, and likewise to the dark one, to the smoke-colored one, constant salutation!
85.11
To the exceedingly gentle and exceedingly terrible, bowed to her, salutation, salutation! / Salutation to the foundation of the world, to the goddess, to action, salutation, salutation!
85.12
To that goddess who in all beings is called Viṣṇumāyā, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.13
To that goddess who in all beings is called consciousness, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.14
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of intellect, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.15
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of sleep, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.16
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of hunger, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.17
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of shadow, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.18
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of power, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.19
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of thirst, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.20
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of patience, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.21
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of genus, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.22
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of modesty, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.23
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of peace, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.24
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of faith, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.25
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of beauty, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.26
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of good fortune, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.27
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of steadfastness, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.28
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of activity, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.29
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of memory, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.30
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of compassion, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.31
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of right conduct, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.32
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of contentment, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.33
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of nourishment, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.34
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of the mother, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.35
To that goddess who stands abiding in all beings in the form of error, / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.36
Presiding over the senses of beings, and in all / beings constantly abiding—to that all-pervading goddess, salutation, salutation!
85.37
Who, in the form of consciousness, stands pervading this entire world— / salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation, salutation!
85.38
Praised of old by the gods because of their attainment of desires, / and served by the lord of the gods over days— / may she, the sovereign goddess, the cause of auspiciousness, / bring about auspicious blessings and destroy misfortunes!
85.39
And who is now bowed down to by us gods, tormented by arrogant Daityas, / as sovereign, and who, remembered by those whose bodies are bent in devotion, / destroys all misfortunes in that very moment—
85.39.p1
The sage said:
85.40
As the gods were thus engaged in praise and other rites there, O prince, / Pārvatī came to bathe in the water of the Jāhnavī.
85.41
That fair-browed [goddess] said to those gods: “Who is being praised here by you?” / And from her bodily sheath arose the auspicious [goddess], who said:
85.42
“This hymn is being made to me by the assembled gods, / who were cast down by the Daitya Śumbha and defeated in battle by Niśumbha.”
85.43
Because Ambikā came forth from the bodily sheath of that Pārvatī, / she is therefore sung in all the worlds as Kauśikī.
85.44
When she had come forth, that Pārvatī also became black; / taking up her abode on the Himācala mountain, she is celebrated as Kālikā.
85.45
Then Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, the two servants of Śumbha and Niśumbha, / beheld Ambikā bearing a supreme, exceedingly captivating form.
85.46
And both of them related to Śumbha: “O great king, an extraordinary / and exceedingly captivating woman sits illuminating the Himācala mountain.
85.47
Such an exquisite form has never been seen anywhere by anyone. / O lord of the Asuras, let it be found out who that goddess is, and let her be seized!
85.48
A jewel of a woman, with exceedingly charming limbs, illuminating the quarters with her radiance, / she indeed abides there, O lord of Daityas; you should look upon her.
85.49
Whatever jewels, precious gems, elephants, horses, and the like exist, O lord, / throughout the three worlds, all of them now shine in your abode.
85.50
Airāvata, the jewel among elephants, was brought away from Purandara, / as was this Pārijāta tree, and likewise the steed Uccaiḥśravas.
85.51
This celestial chariot drawn by swans stands in your courtyard; / having become a jewel, this wondrous [vehicle] that once belonged to the Creator was brought here.
85.52
This treasure, the Mahāpadma, was carried off from the Lord of Wealth; / and the ocean gave a garland containing lotus filaments whose lotuses never fade.
85.53
Varuṇa's umbrella that sheds gold stands in your house, / as does this best of chariots, which formerly belonged to Prajāpati.
85.54
The spear named Utkrāntidā belonging to Death was taken by you, O lord; / the noose of the king of waters is in the possession of your brother.
85.55
To Niśumbha belong all kinds of gems produced in the ocean; / Agni also gave to you two garments purified by fire.
85.56
In this way, O lord of Daityas, all precious things have been procured by you. / Why is this jewel of a woman, this auspicious one, not taken by you?”
85.57
The sage said: / Hearing this speech of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, the great Asura Śumbha / then sent Sugrīva as a messenger to the goddess.
85.58
Śumbha said: / “Going there, she must be spoken to thus and thus in my name, / and you must act quickly so that she comes with affection.”
85.59
Going there to the very beautiful region of the mountain where she was, / he then spoke to that goddess gently in sweet speech.
85.60
The messenger said: / “O goddess, Śumbha, lord of the Daityas, is supreme ruler in the three worlds. / I am a messenger sent by him, and have come here to your presence.
85.61
Listen to that which is spoken by him whose command is ever unimpeded / among all classes of gods, and who has vanquished every enemy of the Daityas:
85.62
‘All the three worlds are mine, the gods follow my will; / I enjoy all the sacrificial shares, each one separately.
85.63
The choicest jewels in the three worlds are entirely subject to me, / as is the jewel among elephants, the mount of the lord of gods, which was seized by me.
85.64
The jewel of horses named Uccaiḥśravas, produced from the churning of the milk ocean, / was offered to me by the immortals after bowing down.
85.65
Whatever other precious things exist among the gods, Gandharvas, and Uragas, / those belong only to me, O beautiful lady.
85.66
We consider you, O goddess, to be a jewel of a woman in the world; / as such, come to us, since we are the enjoyers of jewels.
85.67
Choose either me or my younger brother Niśumbha of immense prowess, / O lady of tremulous glances, since you are indeed a gem among women.
85.68
You will attain supreme, matchless sovereignty from taking me [as husband]; / having considered this with your intellect, come into my possession!’”
85.69
The sage said: / Thus addressed, that goddess, the blessed and auspicious Durgā / by whom this world is sustained, smiled deeply within and sang out.
85.70
The goddess said: / “Truth was spoken by you; nothing false was said by you here. / Śumbha is master of the three worlds, and Niśumbha is likewise so.
85.71
Yet how can that which has been vowed here be made false? / Hear what vow was made previously out of my small intellect:
85.72
‘He who conquers me in battle, who dispels my pride, / and who is my equal in strength in the world, he shall be my husband.’
85.73
Therefore let Śumbha come here, or the great Asura Niśumbha; / having conquered me, why delay here? Let him take my hand at once!”
85.74
The messenger said: / “You are haughty; do not speak thus before me, O goddess! / What male in the three worlds can stand before Śumbha and Niśumbha?
85.75
All the gods indeed cannot stand facing even the other Daityas in battle, / O goddess; how much less can you, a lone woman?
85.76
Before whom Indra and all the gods did not stand in battle, / how will you, a woman, go to face those such as Śumbha?
85.77
As you have been spoken to by me, go to the side of Śumbha and Niśumbha, / lest you go having your dignity shaken off by being dragged by the hair!”
85.78
The goddess said: / “It is so: Śumbha is mighty, and Niśumbha is exceedingly heroic. / What can I do, since my vow was made without reflection long ago?
85.79
Go, and respectfully report to the lord of Asuras / all of this that has been spoken by me to you, and let him do whatever is fitting.”
85.79.p1
Thus ends the eighty-fifth chapter in the Devīmāhātmya of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa during the Sāvarṇika manvantara.
85.79.p2
Chapter Eighty-six.
Translations (1)
- The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa — Frederick Eden Pargiter 1888, English
Commentaries (1)
- Guptavatī — Bhāskararāya Makhin 1741, Sanskrit
Linked texts (1)
- Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit