by Bibek Debroy
Chapter 64
‘Markandeya said, “The illustrious Svarochisha, 705 known by the name of Prajapati Dyutimat, became the Manu. Hear about that manvantara, those who were gods, sages, his sons and the kings at the time. O Kroushtuki! Listen attentively. O brahmana! The gods were the Paravatas and the Tushitas. During Svarochisha manvantara, the name of Indra was Vipashchit. The saptarshis were Urja, Tamba, Prana, Dattoli, Rishabha, Nishchara and Charvavira. The great-souled one’s sons were Chaitra, Kimpurusha and others. These seven sons were extremely valiant and ruled over the earth. As long as that manvantara continued, their lineages extended. All of them enjoyed the earth. This then was the second manvantara. If a man listens faithfully to Svarochisha’s conduct and Svaarochisha’s birth, he is cleansed from sins.”’
Chapter 65
‘Kroushtuki said, “O illustrious one! You have told me everything in detail about the conduct of Svarochisha and the birth of Svaarochisha. There was the knowledge by the name of Padmini, which provided all the objects of pleasure. All the nidhis were based on it. Tell me about this in detail. O guru! Tell me about the eight nidhis, their nature and what objects they resorted to. I wish to hear all this properly.”
‘Markandeya replied, “For the knowledge known by the name of Padmini, the presiding divinity is Lakshmi. The nidhis are based on it. Attentively, hear from me about them. The nidhis are Padma, Mahapadma, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Nandaka, Nila and Shankha as the eighth. They exist where there is prosperity, and success is attained through them. O Kroushtuki! I have spoken to you about the eight nidhis. O sage! Through the favours of the gods and by association with the virtuous, the wealth of a man is always illuminated by these. I will tell you about their nature. Listen attentively. O brahmana! If a man initially possesses the nidhi known by the name of Padma, it is always passed on to his sons and grandsons. When a person possesses this, he is full of generosity. Since this nidhi is sattvika, such an immensely fortunate person is full of sattva. He receives large quantities of gold, silver, copper and other metals and buys and sells these. He performs sacrifices and gives dakshina. In due order, he accomplishes everything he wishes for. He turns his mind towards getting assembly halls and temples of the gods constructed. The nidhi known as Mahapadma is also supported by sattva. A man who possesses this is mostly full of sattva. He receives jewels like padmaraga, 706 pearls and coral and buys and sells these. He gives to those who practise yoga and are of good conduct, getting houses constructed for them. His own conduct is good and those he gives birth to, sons and grandsons, are also of good conduct. This nidhi results from prior prosperity and remains in the lineage for seven generations. The nidhi by the name of Makara is tamasa in nature. When it glances towards a man, even if he has been born in a good lineage, he becomes enveloped in darkness. He receives arrows, swords, double-edged swords, bows, shields and armour. 707 He is excessively friendly with kings and donates to those who are loved by kings and earn a living through the prowess of their arms and valour. He buys and sells weapons, but this does not bring him pleasure. This nidhi remains with the man alone and his sons do not possess it. He comes about his destruction when bandits desire his possessions, or in the field of battle. The nidhi known as Kacchapa is also full of tamasa. When it glances towards a man, he predominantly becomes full of tamasa. Along with those who are auspicious in conduct, he does undertake many tasks. But despite this, all these are mere rituals and he does not trust anyone. A tortoise 708 draws in its limbs. Just like that, though the nidhi is in his possession, his mind is always distracted and he is anxious with fear. Therefore, he does not give and nor does he enjoy. This nidhi remains on earth only for one generation. The nidhi known by the name of Mukunda is full of the quality of rajas. O brahmana! If it glances towards a man, he imbibes those qualities. He receives veenas, flutes, drums and other percussion instruments. 709 He gives his riches to those who sing and dance—bandis, magadhas, sutas, jesters and actors. O brahmana! Night and day, he gives objects of pleasure to them and enjoys himself with them. He has intercourse with harlots and others who are like them. This nidhi serves a single man and does not pass on to his descendants. The great nidhi known by the name of Nandaka has qualities of rajas and tamas. When it glances towards a man, he is stupefied. He receives all kinds of metals, jewels, auspicious grain and other articles and buys and sells these. He is a refuge for his relatives and guests who arrive. O great sage! He cannot tolerate the slightest bit of disrespect. He is greatly pleased when he is praised and gives a lot to those who praise him. However, he is mild and gives to those who wish for something. He has many extremely beautiful wives and they give him sons. When a man possesses the nidhi Nandaka, it remains in the lineage for seven generations. O excellent one! Thereafter, the next generation only receives an eighth part. This nidhi always gives men long lifespans. He sustains relatives and those who have come from a long distance away. However, Nandaka makes the person ignore the world hereafter. Nor is he affectionate towards the people he lives with. He is indifferent towards his former friends and contracts friendship with others. Similarly, there is a great nidhi which has qualities of both sattva and rajas. This is known as Nila and a man who possesses it becomes good in conduct. O sage! He receives garments, cotton, grain and similar articles, fruits, flowers, pearls, coral, conch shells, mother of pearl, wooden objects and articles produced from the water. His mind finds no delight in buying and selling other things. Such a man has lakes, ponds, pleasure-gardens and bridges over rivers constructed and plants trees. He enjoys unguents, flowers and other objects of pleasure. The nidhi named Nila remains with him for three generations. The other nidhi, known by the name of Shankha, has qualities of rajas and tamas. O brahmana! The possessor of this nidhi therefore comes to acquire similar attributes. It is only owned by one man and does not pass on to anyone else. 710 O Kroushtuki! Hear about Shankha’s nature. He eats excellent food alone and wears excellent garments alone. His relatives eat bad food and do not wear fine garments. He does not give anything to his well-wishers, wife, brothers, sons, daughters-in-law and others. A man with Shankha is always engrossed in his own subsistence. The nidhis are divinities who bring men wealth and they have thus been described. When their glances are mixed, depending on their nature, their fruits are also mixed. Their glances are said to depend on their nature. O brahmana! The one who presides over all of them is Shri, the divinity of Padmini.”’
Chapter 66
‘Kroushtuki said, “O brahmana! You have described Svarochisha manvantara to me in detail and also the eight nidhis I had asked you about. Earlier, you have described Svayambhuva manvantara. Now tell me about the third manvantara, the one known as Outtama.”
‘Markandeya replied, “The son of Uttanapada and Suruchi was famous by the name of Uttama. He was immensely strong and powerful. The great-souled king had dharma in his soul and he possessed the wealth of valour. He was like the sun in his valour and surpassed all other creatures. He knew about dharma and was impartial between friend and foe and between his own sons and others. O great sage! He was like Yama to the wicked and like Soma to the virtuous. Uttama, Uttanapada’s son, who knew about dharma married Babhru’s daughter, known by the name of Bahula, just as Indra married Shachi. O noble brahmana! His mind was extremely attached to her in love, just as the moon is attached to Rohini. 711 His mind never felt the need to be attached to anyone else. Even in his dreams, the lord of the earth’s mind was solely on her. As soon as the king saw the one with the excellent limbs, he would embrace her. He devoured his body with his eyes. As soon as he touched her body, he would become completely immersed in her. However, she found the lord of the earth’s pleasant words to be disagreeable to her ears. When he showed her a great deal of respect, she thought she was being humiliated. She disregarded the garlands and auspicious ornaments she was given. When he drank the best of wine, she got up, as if that caused her pain. O brahmana! While eating, if the Indra among men held her by the hand even for a short while and asked her t
o eat, she would not eat. In this way, she was not favourably inclined towards the great-souled one. However, the lord of the earth showed her a great deal of affection. Once, the king was drinking, while the best of courtesans were singing sweet and melodious songs. Affectionately, the king picked up a vessel filled with liquor and offered it to her. While the lords of the earth and the courtesans looked on, she did not want it and turned her face away from the vessel of liquor. At this, in the presence of the lords of the earth, the king became angry. Sighing like a serpent, he summoned the doorkeeper and said, ‘This queen does not love a husband who loves her. She has dishonoured me. O doorkeeper! She is wicked of heart. Take her and leave her in a desolate forest. Swiftly abandon her. There is no need to reflect on my words.’ At this, the doorkeeper did not reflect on the king’s words. He placed the one with the excellent eyebrows on a chariot and left her in the forest. Having been taken to the desolate forest and abandoned there, she thought that a supreme favour had been done to her. She would not have to see the lord of the earth again.
‘“However, the lord of the earth who was Uttanapada’s son was still devoted to her and his mind was tormented. He did not take another wife. Night and day, he incessantly thought about her beautiful limbs. He followed his own dharma and protected the kingdom and the subjects. Like a father towards his own sons, he protected the subjects. On one occasion, a brahmana, who was afflicted in his mind, arrived. The brahmana said, ‘O great king! I am suffering greatly. Listen to my words. Other than a lord of men, there is no one else who can save men from their affliction. While I was asleep in the night, someone abducted my wife, though the door of the house was closed. You should bring her back.’ The king replied, ‘O brahmana! You do not know who has abducted her and where she has been taken. Whom will I seek to fight with? Where will I bring her back from?’ The brahmana said, ‘I was asleep, with the door to my house closed. My wife has been abducted. It is for you to find out who has abducted her and why. You are the king who receives one-sixth of our earnings as a share. Following dharma, it is your job to protect, so that people can peacefully sleep in the night.’ The king replied, ‘I have not seen your wife. What is her form like? What is her age? Tell me about the brahmani’s 712 conduct.’ The brahmana said, ‘Her eyes are hard and she is tall. Her arms are short and her face is thin. O king! Her stomach hangs down. Her buttocks and breasts are small. O lord of the earth! I am not maligning her. She is ugly in form. O lord of the earth! Her words are harsh. She is not amiable and she does not possess good conduct. Her glance is cruel. I have thus described my wife. O lord of the earth! Her youth is long over. My wife is terrible in form. I have told you the truth.’ The king replied, ‘O brahmana! Enough. I will give you another wife. A fortunate wife brings happiness. If the wife is not like that, she is the cause of misery. A wife who is not the least bit ugly also ensures good conduct. If a wife is devoid of beauty and good conduct, she deserves to be abandoned.’ The brahmana said, ‘O lord of the earth! The supreme sacred texts have said that the wife must be protected. When the wife is protected, the offspring are protected. O lord of men! One’s own self is born through her. 713 Therefore, she must be protected. When the offspring are protected, one’s own self is protected. Hence, she must be protected. Otherwise, a mixture of varnas takes place. O lord of the earth! In that event, one’s ancestors are cast down from heaven. O king! With the permission of the seniors, I offered kindling into a fire and accepted her as my wife, even though her conduct is harsh. How can I abandon her and roam around with another wife? It is through following the dharma of a householder that a man obtains the eternal brahman. If a householder practices dharma with the wife he has formerly married, he never suffers. If she is abandoned, there will be no fruits from the rites and karma. Along with the fire, that auspicious one was certainly brought to my house. A former wife who has been accepted in accordance with dharma is to be praised. If one acts deceitfully towards her, those of mixed varnas are born. Without my wife, every day, my dharma will suffer. I will deviate from my nitya rites and that will lead to my downfall. O protector of the earth! I will obtain offspring through her. In the cause of dharma, she will give you a sixth part of the share. 714 O lord! The one who is known as my wife has been abducted. I have given you the reasons why you should bring her back. You are in a position of power so that you can protect us.’ Hearing his words, the lord of men was immersed in thought.
‘“But he ascended a great chariot that was stocked with all the necessary objects. On that, he roamed around, here and there on earth. He saw a great forest and an excellent hermitage. He got down and entered and saw a sage there. He was seated on a mat of kusha grass and blazed in his energy. On seeing the king approach, he quickly got up and honoured and welcomed him, asking his disciple to fetch the arghya. In a low tone, the disciple replied, ‘O sage! It should be considered whether he deserves to be given an arghya. Tell me and I will act according to your instructions.’ The brahmana knew about the atman and was therefore conversant about the king’s conduct. He honoured him only through words of welcome and by offering him a seat. The rishi asked, ‘Why have you come here? What do you wish for? I know that you are King Uttama, the son of Uttanapada.’ The king replied, ‘O sage! Someone has abducted a brahmana’s wife from his house. It is not known who he is. Wishing to find out, I have come here. O illustrious one! I am a guest who has come to your house. I am prostrating myself before you. Therefore, out of compassion, you should tell me whatever I ask you.’ The rishi replied, ‘O protector of the earth! Without any hesitation, ask me whatever you want. If it is something that I can tell you about, I shall certainly tell you the truth.’ The king said, ‘O sage! When you first saw me come to your house, you got ready to offer me arghya. But it was not given. Why was that?’ The rishi replied, ‘O king! On seeing you, I issued that instruction out of impetuosity. However, when my disciple spoke to me, my understanding was restored. Just as I know everything about the universe, the past, the present and the future, through my favours, so does my disciple. When he said I should think before ordering, I got to know everything. Therefore, following the norms, you cannot be given arghya. O king! It is true that having been born in the lineage of Svayambhuva, you deserve arghya. Nevertheless, we did not think that you deserved the best of arghya.’ The king asked, ‘O brahmana! Knowingly or unknowingly, what is it that I have done? Despite my having come here after a long time, why did I not deserve arghya?’ The rishi replied, ‘Have you forgotten that you abandoned your wife in the forest? O king! With her abandoned, you have also cast aside all your acts of dharma. Even if a man forsakes his rites for a fortnight, he should not be touched. What need be said about a man whose nitya rites have suffered for a year? O lord of men! Whatever be the husband’s conduct, the wife must be favourably disposed towards him. Similarly, even if the wife is wicked in conduct, she must be nurtured. O king! The brahmana’s wife, who has been abducted, is not kindly disposed towards him. Nevertheless, for dharma and kama, he wishes to get her back. O lord of the earth! You establish others when they deviate from their own dharma. However, when you deviate from your own dharma, who is the person who will establish you? If wild wolves invade a field and the king is wicked in conduct, who will restrain the wicked? When a learned person behaves like an animal, who will control him?’ As the intelligent one spoke to him in this way, the lord of the earth looked at him and accepted what he had said. He proceeded to ask about the person who had abducted the brahmana’s wife. ‘O illustrious one! You know everything in the universe, the past and the future. Who has abducted the brahmana’s wife and where?’ The rishi replied, ‘There is a rakshasa named Balaka. He is Adri’s son. He has abducted her. O lord of the earth! You will be able to see her now in the forest known as Utpalavataka. Go there quickly and unite the excellent brahmana with his wife. From one day to another day, you are suffering from sin. Let him not be like that.’”’
Chapter 67
‘Markandeya said, “At this, he
prostrated himself before the great sage and mounted his own chariot. He went to the forest named Utapalavata 715 that he had been told about. The lord of men saw the brahmana’s wife and her nature and form were exactly as her husband had described. She was eating the fruit of a bilva tree. 716 He asked, ‘O fortunate one! How have you come to this forest? Tell me clearly. Are you the wife of Susharma, the son of Vishala?’ The brahmani replied, ‘I am the daughter of the brahmana Atiratra, who lives in the forest. I am the wife of Vishala’s son, whose name has been mentioned by you. 717 The evil-souled rakshasa, Balaka, has brought me here, while I was asleep in my house. I have been separated from my brothers and my mother. May the rakshasa who has caused this separation from my brothers, mother and others, be reduced to ashes. I am extremely miserable here. I do not know why he has brought me to this extremely desolate forest. He does not eat me, nor does he enjoy me in any other way.’ The king asked, ‘After leaving you here, do you know where the rakshasa has gone? O daughter of a brahmana! I have been sent here by your husband.’ The brahmani replied, ‘The roamer in the night resides near the boundaries of this forest. If you are not scared, enter and see him.’ He entered along the path indicated by her and saw the rakshasa, surrounded by his family.