by Bibek Debroy
Chapter 48
‘Markandeya said, “Duhsaha had a wife whose name was Nirmarshti. She was born through Kali’s wife when she happened to see a chandala at the time of her season. They 569 had sixteen terrible offspring who covered the world. Eight were sons and eight were daughters. Their sons were Dantakrishti, Ukti, Parivarta as the next, Angadhruk, Shakuni, Gandaprantarati, Garbhaha and Sasyaha as the last. Hear about the names of their eight daughters—Niyojika was the first, Virodhini was another, Svayamharika, Bhramani, Rituharika, Smritihara, and Bijahara. These were extremely terrible daughters. The eighth was Vidveshani, who caused terror to the worlds. I will tell you about their deeds and how their taints can be pacified. O supreme among brahmanas! Hear about the eight sons. Dantakrishti 570 dwells in the teeth of newborn babies and makes them gnash their teeth, wishing to ensure Duhsaha’s arrival. He can be pacified by sprinkling white mustard seed on the bed and on the teeth of the sleeping child. The child must be bathed in water mixed with radiant herbs, the sacred texts must be chanted, an amulet made out of the bone of a camel or rhinoceros must be slung around the child’s neck 571 and the child must be made to wear a silk garment. The other son exists and repeatedly says, ‘This is it’, making men engage in the good and the bad. 572 The learned always speak of the auspicious, so as to counter his taints. When wicked things are heard or spoken, Janardana’s name must be chanted, or that of the family deity, or of Brahma, the preceptor of mobile and immobile objects. Parivarta 573 is known as the one who always transfers the foetus from one womb to another, or takes delight in converting the meaning of a spoken word into its opposite. A person who knows about the truth must protect himself against this through white mustard, or by chanting a mantra that destroys rakshasas. The fourth, Angadhruk, 574 acts like the wind and causes throbbing in the limbs of men, leading to good and bad. He is countered by striking the limb with kusha grass. Another son, Shakuni, resides in the bodies of crows and other birds, dogs and jackals, announcing good and bad portents. 575 Prajapati has said that when there are bad omens, one must desist from action. When there are good omens, one must quickly undertake the act. O supreme among brahmanas! Another son 576 resides inside the cheek for half a muhurta and destroys the foundation of everything that has been undertaken, everything a brahmana has said and every worship to a god. Gandaprantarati can be pacified by bathing in water mixed with cow’s urine and mustard, worshipping nakshatras and planets, listening to sacred texts of dharma like the Upanishads, which lead to indifference towards birth in this world. There is an extremely terrible son, Garbhaha. 577 He resides in the wombs of women and destroys their fruits. One must always protect oneself against him by observing purification, etching famous mantras, 578 wearing garlands, dwelling in pure homes and refraining from over-exhaustion. O brahmana! Another one, Sasyaha, destroys the growth of crops. 579 One must protect oneself against him through wearing old footwear, walking towards the left, making a chandala enter, offering sacrifices outside and chanting hymns to Soma and water. 580 The daughter Niyojika 581 urges men towards robbing others of their wives and others of their possessions. A wise and learned person counters her by reading sacred texts, renouncing anger and avarice, realizing that Niyojika is doing this, avoiding conflict even when one is abused by others, not coming under Niyojika’s control and shunning attraction towards the wives of others. Couples, well-wishers, fathers and sons and those from the same varna should be affectionate towards each other. However, Virodhini 582 causes conflict between them. One must protect oneself against her through sacrificial deeds, tolerating abuse and practising the good conduct mentioned in the sacred texts. The daughter known as Svayamharika 583 steals grain from houses and stores, milk from cows, ghee from milk and prosperity from all objects. She is known as Svayamharika. Having stolen, she always disappears. She steals food that has not yet been cooked from the kitchen, grain from the granary and food that has been served. She eats with the ones who are eating. She is hard to restrain and steals leftover food from men. O brahmana! She steals prosperity from houses where deeds have brought success and milk from the breasts of women and cows. She always steals milk, ghee from curds, oil from oilseeds, liquor from the places where liquor is stored, colour from flowers and fibres from cotton. O brahmana! Since she is engaged in stealing, she is known by the name of Svayamharika. To protect against her, it has been said that the images of a couple of peacocks and a woman must be kept in the house, there must be auspicious etchings in the house, leftover food must not be scattered around and the vessels used for milk must be cleaned with ashes and incense from oblations offered to the fire and to gods. There is another daughter known as Bhramani. 584 Though she remains in one place, she causes anxiety among men. To protect against her, a man must scatter white mustard on his couch, seat and the ground where he resides. The man must reflect that the wicked one is causing this evil agitation in his senses. He must guard against the bewilderment by controlling himself and chanting the bhuva sukta. 585 There is another daughter who steals the menses of women, before they have started, or after they have started. She is impossible to control. Since she is engaged in this task, she is known as Rituharika. 586 To pacify her, at dawn and on auspicious days, a woman must bathe in tirthas sacred to the gods, chaityas, slopes of mountains and the confluences of rivers, with mantras being chanted by those who know the truth about them. O brahmana! They 587 must be worshipped with incense and other objects. Physicians who know about medication must use excellent herbs to treat the women. There is another daughter who steals memory. Since she is engaged in the task of stealing the memory of men, she is known as Smritihara. 588 To counter her, one should reside in solitude in a deserted spot. There is an extremely terrible daughter who steals the seed of men and women. 589 To counter her, one should eat pure food and bathe. She is horrible, extremely dreadful in conduct. She gives rise to great fear. To pacify her, one should worship auspicious brahmanas. The eighth daughter is named Dveshini 590 and she causes terror among men. She causes enmity between men and women. To pacify her, oblations of honey, milk and ghee mixed with sesamum must be offered through the sacrifice known as mitravinda.
‘“O supreme among brahmanas! These sons and daughters have thirty-eight offspring. 591 Hear their names from me. Dantakrishti had two daughters known as Vijalpa and Kalaha. Vijalpa 592 causes disrespect and false and wicked statements. To pacify her, a wise householder will control himself and think about her. Kalaha 593 incessantly creates quarrels in the houses of men. She is the reason behind the destruction of the family. Hear about the means to pacify her—offering oblations of durva grass mixed with honey, ghee and milk; offering oblations into the fire; and chanting the following hymn to Mitra. ‘This is for the pacification of creatures, mothers, children, learning, austerities, self-control, discipline and gains through agriculture and trade. May I always have peace everywhere. Worshipped in the proper way, let everyone obtain satisfaction. Let the kushmandas, yatudhanas and all the other categories 594 be satisfied, through the favours of Mahadeva and the sanction of Maheshvara. Let all these men quickly obtain satisfaction. Let all of them be satisfied. Let all the wicked deeds that lead to hell be destroyed. Let all the great sins be destroyed and every other kind of impediment. Through their favours, let every kind of obstruction be destroyed in the course of marriages, tasks for prosperity, attempts to undertake sacred rites, worship of preceptors and gods, meditation, sacrifices and the fourteen kinds of journey. 595 May my body be healthy and may I be happy through objects of pleasure, wealth and donations. May the moon, the water, the ocean, the sun, the fire and the wind always confer peace on me, the aged, the young and the afflicted.’ Ukti had a son known as Kalijihva. He dwells in palm trees. When he resides in the tongues of wicked people, he causes quarrels among them. O brahmana! Parivarta had two sons, Virupa and Vikrita. They live on the tops of trees, moats, walls and oceans. O Kroushtuki! When pregnant women walk amidst trees, they exchange foetuses from one womb to another. Therefore, women
who are expecting should not walk amidst trees, in mountains, along moats and walls and along the great ocean. Angadhruk had a son named Pishuna. He enters the bones and marrow of men who have not conquered themselves and devours their strength. Shakuni had five sons—the hawk, the crow, the pigeon, the vulture and the owl. These were accepted by the suras and the asuras. Mrityu accepted the hawk, Kala the crow, Nirriti the terrible owl, Vyadhi the vulture and Yama himself accepted the pigeon. These are said to result in wickedness in creatures. O supreme among brahmanas! Therefore, if the hawk and the others alight on the head or enter the house, for the sake of protection, rites of pacification are required. A man must abandon a house where they breed or build their nests. O brahmana! If the top of a house is occupied by a hawk, crow, pigeon, vulture or owl, that house must be avoided. If they enter a house, the days of the occupant are numbered. A learned person avoids such a house and arranges for pacification. The sight of a pigeon, even in the course of a dream, is not praised. Gandaprantarati’s offspring are said to number six. They reside in the menses of women. Hear about their duration from me. One resides four days before menstruation, the second on the thirteenth day, the third offspring on the eleventh day, the fourth at dawn, the fifth when shraddha ceremonies are performed or alms are given and the sixth on special festive parva days. Therefore, the learned avoid intercourse on these days. Garbhaha had a son named Nighna and a daughter named Mohini. The first enters the womb of an expecting woman and eats the foetus, the second confounds the woman. Because of the confusion, the woman delivers snakes, frogs, tortoises, reptiles and creatures that feed on excrement. In this way, if a pregnant woman eats flesh, spends the night under the shadow of a tree or at a place where three or four roads meet, visits a cremation ground or a similar foul place, discards her upper garment or weeps in the night, they assail such a woman for six months. Sasyaha had a son named Kshudraka. Whenever he finds an opportunity, he destroys the strength of crops. Hear about him. If a man sows when he is dissatisfied, or sows on an inauspicious day, he enters that field and other fields that border on that field, thus ensuring the inauspicious and preventing the auspicious. Those associated with him suffer from great fear. Therefore, after worshipping the moon, the sowing should take place on an auspicious day. One must be content and cheerful at heart and take the help of others. Duhsaha had a daughter named Niyojika. I have spoken about her earlier. Niyojika had four daughters named Prachodika, Matta, Unmatta and Pramatta. These terrible ones enter men and women and goad them towards their destruction. They present adharma as dharma, kama as lack of kama, that which is not artha as artha and lack of moksha as moksha to insolent men who lack purification. When they enter, men deviate from the objectives of human existence. They cross the threshold and enter a house in the evening, when offerings are not rendered to Dhatri and Vidhatri at the right time. They suddenly attack men and women who are eating and drinking together, with water still clinging to their bodies. 596 Virodhini had three sons—Chodaka, Grahaka and Tamahpracchadaka. Hear about their natures from me. Virodhini’s sons spread and sport themselves in houses where the mortar and pestle, footwear, seats and women are polluted by contact with oil from lamps; where winnowing baskets, hatchets, other implement and seats are drawn by the foot; where one sports in a house without it having been smeared first; and where fire is conveyed with the tip of a ladle. The one known as Chodaka enters the tongues of men and women, causing the utterances of lies and falsehood and engendering calumny. Another known as Grahaka is extremely evil-minded. He resides in the ears and accepts these wicked words. Tamahpracchadaka is evil-minded and attacks the minds of men. He envelops them in darkness and generates anger. Through Chourya, Svayamharika had three sons—Sarvahari, Ardhahari and Viryahari. As they will, they take pleasure and delight in houses where there is deviant and wicked conduct; where inmates enter the kitchen without washing the feet; and where there are quarrels in granaries, cattle pens and homes. Bhramani had one son and he was known as Kalajangha. O sage! Those possessed by him can find no pleasure. O brahmana! He enters men who sing while eating, those who laugh and sing with their friends while eating and those who have intercourse during sandhya. The daughter known as Rituharika had three daughters—the first daughter was Kuchahara, the second was Vyanjanaharika and the third daughter was known as Jataharini. Kuchahara 597 robs the breasts of women whose marriage rites are not performed properly and of those whose marriage rites are performed after the due course of time. If a woman is married without a funeral ceremony having been duly performed for her dead mother, Vyanjanaharika robs her of the marks of womanhood. 598 O brahmana! Vyanjanaharika enters a delivery chamber that doesn’t have fire, water, incense, a lamp, a weapon, a pestle, ashes or mustard seed. She instantly steals the infant who has been delivered and leaves a dead infant in its place. The one named as Jataharini is extremely terrible and feeds on flesh. Therefore, the delivery chamber must be carefully guarded against her. Smritihara’s son was known as Prachanda. He steals the memories of those who do not control themselves and inhabit empty houses. Prachanda had hundreds and thousands of grandchildren known as Likas. Eight different categories of chandalas were descended from him. Wielding staffs and nooses, they were extremely terrible. Those born as Likas and chandalas were afflicted by hunger. Wishing to eat each other up, they rushed against each other. Prachanda restrained those born as chandalas and established rules for them to follow. Listen. ‘From today, if anyone gives shelter to a Lika, there is no doubt that I will bring down unmatched punishment on him. If a Lika has a child through a chandala woman, the child will instantly die first and the woman will die the same day.’ Bijahara robs men and women of their seed and she had two daughters, Vatarupa and Arupa. They are her weapons. After impregnation, if Vatarupa decides to attack a man, because of disease of the wind, the man’s semen dries up and the woman also suffers. 599 If a man eats without bathing, or has intercourse with someone he shouldn’t have intercourse with, Arupa immediately makes him sterile. The daughter known as Dveshini has a terrible frown on her face. She had two sons, Apakara and Prakashaka. If men or women do not observe purification, they make them sterile. Dveshini’s sons attack and reside with men who use impure water and make them fickle and fond of calumny. Such a man is hated by his mother, brother, friends, well-wishers, relatives and enemies and his dharma and artha are destroyed. Prakashaka makes a man reveal his wicked qualities to the world. The other, Apakara, takes away the quality of friendship among men. These are all the offspring of Duhsaha and the yaksha. They are known for their wicked conduct and they pervade the entire world.”’
Chapter 49
‘Markandeya said, “Brahma’s birth is not manifest and this was his tamasa creation. I will now describe Rudra creation. Listen attentively. I will speak about his eight sons and their wives. At the beginning of the kalpa, the lord thought about a son who would be exactly like him. O supreme among brahmanas! A son, Nilalohita, 600 manifested himself on his lap. He wept in a melodious voice and started to run around. Hearing him cry, Brahma asked, ‘Why are you crying?’ He replied to the lord of the universe, ‘Give me a name.’ Brahma said, ‘O god! Your name will be Rudra. 601 Do not cry. Be patient.’ Thus addressed, he again cried seven times. At this, the lord gave him seven other names. O brahmana! The lord gave him eight places to reside in, wives and sons. The lord, the grandfather, conferred these eight names—Bhava, Sharva, Ishana, Pashupati, Bhima, Ugra and Mahadeva. 602 In addition to names, he gave them places to reside in. In due order, the abodes were the sun, water, the earth, the fire, the wind, space, an initiated brahmana and the moon. In due order, the wives were Suvarchala, Uma, Vikeshi, Svadha, Svaha, Disha, Diksha and Rohini. O best among brahmanas! These were the abodes, the sun and others. These were the names, Rudra and others. In due order, the sons were Shanaishchara, Shukra, Lohitanga, Monajava, Skanda, Sarga, Santana and Budha. In this way, Rudra obtained Sati as his wife. Because of her anger with Daksha, Sati gave up her own body. 603 O supreme among brahm
anas! She became the daughter of Himavat and Mena. Her brother was Mainaka, the great friend of the ocean. In this form, the illustrious Bhava married her again. Bhrigu’s wife, Khyati, gave birth to the divinities Dhatri and Vidhatri and to Shri, the wife of Narayana, the god of the gods. The great-souled Meru’s daughters were Ayati and Niryati and they became the wives of Dhatri and Vidhatri. They had two sons—Prana and my immensely illustrious father, Mrikandu. My mother is Manasvini and through Dhumravati, I have a son named Vedashira. Hear about those who were born from Prana. Prana had a son named Dyutiman and he also had another son known as Ajara. Many sons and grandsons were born through them. Sambhuti, Marichi’s wife, gave birth to Pournamasa and this great-souled one had two sons—Viraja and Parvata. O brahmana! I will tell you about their sons when I recount the lineages. Smriti, the wife of Angiras, had daughters—Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati. Through Atri, Anasuya had sons who were without blemish—Soma, Durvasa and the yogi, Dattatreya. Priti, Pulastya’s wife, had a son known as Dattya. In an earlier birth, during Svayambhuva manvantara, he used to be Agastya. Kshama, Prajapati Pulaha’s wife, gave birth to three sons—Kardama, Arvavira and Sahishnu. Sannati, Kratu’s wife, gave birth to the valakhilyas. These were sixty thousand rishis who held up their seed. Urja, Vasishtha’s wife, had seven sons—Raja, Gatra, Urddhabahu, Sabala, Anagha, Sutapa and Shukla. These are known as the saptarshis. O brahmana! Through the proud Agni, Brahma’s eldest son, Svaha had three energetic sons—Pavaka, Pavana and Shuchi. They subsist on water. They also had forty-five other sons. But the father and these three sons are spoken about the most. Together, the forty-nine are spoken of as those who cannot be vanquished. I have described to you the ancestors whom Brahma created—Agnishvatta and Barhishad, those who did not maintain the fire and those who maintained the fire. 604 Through them, Svadha had the daughters known as Mena and Dharini. O brahmana! Both of them were yoginis 605 and knew about the brahman.”’