The Markandeya Purana

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘“On hearing this, Vivasvat became angry and went to his father-in-law. The one who was excellent in his vows saw that he wished to burn everything down in his rage. Following the norms, he worshipped Divakara and comforted him. Vishvakarma said, ‘This form of yours is excessive in energy and pervades everything. It is extremely difficult to tolerate. Unable to tolerate it, Samjna has gone to the forest and is performing austerities there. Your wife is auspicious in her conduct and you will see her there today. For the sake of your form, she is performing extremely difficult austerities in the forest. O god! O lord of the day! I remember Brahma’s words. If the idea appeals to you, I will reduce your form and make it beautiful.’ Earlier, the radiant one’s form used to be circular. The illustrious Ravi agreed and requested Tvashta to reduce him to that form. Having received the consent, Vishvakarma took Vivasvat to Shaka-dvipa. Placing him on the wheel, he started to pare down the energy. The radiant one was the nave of the entire universe. As he was whirled around, the earth, with its oceans, mountains and forests, rose up into the sky. O brahmana! O immensely fortunate one! The entire firmament, with the moon, the planets and the stars, moved downwards. Everything was agitated and anxious. All the water in the oceans was hurled up. The giant mountains were shattered and the summits were severed from their moorings. O supreme among sages! Dhruva and the nakshatras lost their foundations. With their bonds cut loose, thousands of them fell down. As he was whirled around with great force, in every direction, the winds were agitated. The gigantic clouds thundered as they were dispersed. O supreme among sages! As the radiant one was whirled around, the earth, the sky and Rasatala rolled around. Everything was filled with great anxiety. O brahmana! The three worlds, with the gods and the rishis, were whirled around. Along with Brahma, the gods praised the radiant one. ‘Among all the gods, you are the original god. Your true nature has been known. You remain stationed here, demarcating the three divisions of periods of creation, preservation and destruction. O protector of the universe! O creator of heat, rain and cold! May everything be well. O god of the gods! O Divakara! May all be well with you. May there be peace in the worlds.’ As the god was being pared down, Indra approached and praised him. ‘O god! Victory to you. O one who pervades the entire universe! O lord of the universe! Victory to you.’ With Vasishtha and Atri at the forefront, the saptarshis praised him with many kinds of stotrams, pronouncing benedictions of peace. As the radiant one was being pared down, the valakhilyas were filled with great delight and praised him with the best of hymns from the Rig Veda. ‘O protector! You are emancipation for those who seek emancipation. You are the supreme object of meditation for those who meditate. You are the destination for all creatures who are engaged in karma kanda. 920 O lord of the gods! May there be blessings for the subjects. O lord of the universe! May there be blessings for us. May there always be blessings for the bipeds. May there be blessings for the quadrupeds.’ Similarly, the large number of vidyadharas, yakshas, rakshasas and uragas joined their hands in salutation. All of them lowered their heads and prostrated themselves before Ravi. They uttered many kinds of words that were pleasant to the mind and to the ears. ‘O creator of creatures! May creatures be able to tolerate your energy.’ Haha, Huhu, Narada, Tumburu, the accomplished gandharvas, 921 started to sing songs to Ravi, with the three notes of shadaja, madhyama and gandhara. Skilful melodies and rhythms were used and they brought pleasure. As Vibhavasu, the lord of the universe, was being pared down, Vishvachi, Ghritachi, Urvashi, Tilottama, Menaka, Sahajanya, Rambha and other supreme apsaras danced. They exhibited many kinds of dramatic gestures, with gestures and glances. Flutes, veenas, jharjharas, 922 drums, kettledrums, tambourines, double-sided drums, larger drums, the drums of the gods and conch shells were sounded, in hundreds and thousands. The gandharvas sang and large numbers of apsaras danced. All the trumpets and the sound of musical instruments generated a tumultuous sound. Their hands were joined in salutation and their forms were lowered, full of devotion. As the one with the one thousand rays was pared down, all the gods bowed down to him. Because all the gods assembled, there was a great uproar. Placing him on the wheel, Vishvakarma gradually pared down his energy. The cause behind heat, rain and cold was praised by Hara, 923 the one seated on a lotus and Vishnu. If one hears the account of Bhanu’s body being pared down, after the end of one’s lifespan, one goes to Divakara’s world.”’

  Chapter 104

  ‘Markandeya said, “Prajapati Vishvakarma pared Bhanu down. His body hair stood up in delight and he recited a stotram to Vivasvat. ‘O Vivasvat! O great-souled one! You are compassionate towards those who prostrate themselves before you. O one who has seven horses who are equal in speed! O extremely energetic one! O one who makes the large number of lotuses wake up! I bow down to you. O one who tears apart the veil of darkness! O one who is the greatest of purifiers! O one who is auspicious in deeds! O one who does not grant only one object of desire! O radiant one! O one who lies down amidst flames of dazzling fire! O one who is the cause behind all the welfare in the worlds! I bow down to you. O one without birth! O one who is the cause behind the three worlds! O one who is in the atman of beings! O lord of the rays! O bull! 924 I bow down to the extremely compassionate one. O excellent one! O Surya! O one who is the source of the powers of the eye! O Vivasvat! O one who is nothing but knowledge! O one present in the inner atman! O one in whom the universe is established! O one who wishes for the welfare of the universe! You are your own origin. You are in the eyes of all the worlds. O excellent god! O one who is infinite in energy! I bow down to you. For an instant, you are like the jewels on the crest of Mount Udaya. 925 Along with the large number of gods, you intend the welfare of the universe. Your form consists of one thousand rays that you use to illuminate and drive away the darkness. The darkness is like asava liquor. After drinking it up, you are intoxicated and turn deep red. O Mihira! 926 You use your radiant rays to illuminate and bring the three worlds to life. Your beautiful chariot is symmetrical and pleasing. With you astride it, it moves in harmony. You constantly travel on horses that are never exhausted. For the welfare of the worlds, you extend yourself. You are the one who is full of amrita and soma juice, using these to satisfy the gods and the ancestors. For the sake of the destruction of the large number of enemies, I am prostrating myself before you and paring you down. I bow down to your steeds, which have the complexion of parrots. I have been purified by the dust on your feet. O one devoted to those who bow down before you! I am prostrate before you. O Ravi! O one who purifies the universe! Save me. You are the seed behind the origin of everything in the universe. You are the single cause behind the creation of the three worlds. O Ravi! The entire universe is illuminated because of you. O supreme among the gods. I always prostrate myself before you.’”’

  Chapter 105

  ‘Markandeya said, “Having praised Surya in this way, Vishvakarma placed the lord of the day, with all sixteen parts of his energy, on the wheel. He then shaved off fifteen parts of this energy. After this, Bhanu’s body became extremely charming and beautiful. Using the energy that had been shaved off, Vishvakarma constructed Vishnu’s chakra, Sharva’s trident, Dhanada’s palanquin, the staff of the lord of the ancestors, 927 the javelin for the commander of the divine army 928 and all the other weapons of the gods. Bhanu’s energy was thus used for pacifying the enemies of the gods. With some of the energy pared off, he no longer possessed excessive energy and became resplendent. Martanda assumed a body that was beautiful in every limb. He meditated and saw his own wife in the form of a mare. Because of her austerities and her rituals, no being had been able to assail her. Bhanu went to Uttara Kuru, assumed the form of a horse and followed her. She saw him advancing and was scared, taking him to be someone else’s husband. While she was busy guarding her rear, he appeared in front of her. As they met, their noses touched each other. Through the noses, Vivasvat’s energy passed into the mare. The two gods, the Ashvins, were born from this and they were the best among physicians. These two sons, Nasat
ya and Dasra, were born from the mare’s mouth. Indeed, they were Martanda’s sons, from when he had assumed the form of a horse. Revanta was born from the last bit of the semen. He was born wielding a sword and a bow, and clad in armour. He was born with a quiver full of arrows, seated astride a horse. Bhanu then displayed his own radiant and unblemished form. Seeing that his form had become milder, she was filled with great delight.

  ‘“Once Samjna, the beloved wife, had assumed her own form, Bhaskara, the stealer of water, took her back to his own house. The eldest son became Vaivasvata Manu. The second, Yama, had been cursed. However, because of the favour shown to him, 929 he possessed insight about dharma. Because of the curse, Yama’s mind suffered a great deal. Accordingly, he took delight in dharma. That is the reason he is known as Dharmaraja. His father had himself found a way of mitigating the curse by saying that worms would devour flesh from his feet, which would then fall down on the ground. With the insight of dharma, he is impartial and treats friends and those who cause him injury in the same way. Therefore, the dispeller of darkness engaged him in the role of Yama. 930 O brahmana! His illustrious father made him a guardian of the world. Satisfied, Divakara made him the lord of the ancestors. Yamuna became a river, with her source in Mount Kalinda. Their great-souled father made the two Ashvins the physicians of the gods. Revanta was engaged as a lord over the guhyakas. The illustrious creator of the worlds spoke the following words. 931 ‘O child! All the worlds will worship you. When mortals face great fear in forests from conflagrations and other things, or from enemies or bandits, if they remember you, they will be freed from those great calamities. When men worship you properly and satisfy you, you will bestow peace, intelligence, happiness, kingdoms, freedom from disease, fame and advancement on them.’ Chhaya-Samjna’s son, Savarni, obtained extremely extensive fame. In a future era, he will be the eighth Manu—Savarnika. On the slopes of Mount Meru, the lord is now undertaking extremely terrible austerities. Following Ravi’s commands, his brother, Shanaishchara, became a planet. O supreme among brahmanas! The youngest daughter, Tapati, became the best of rivers and purifies the world. 932 The eldest brother was extremely fortunate and it is his creation that is the current one. I will tell you in detail about Vaivasvata Manu. If a person reads, or hears, about the origin of the gods, about Vivasvat’s sons and Ravi’s greatness, he is freed from calamities he faces and obtains great fame. If a person hears about the greatness of the great-souled Martanda, the original god, he is freed from sins that are committed during the day or during the night.”’

  Chapter 106

  ‘Kroushtuki said, “O illustrious one! You have properly described to me the birth of Bhanu’s children. You have also described in great detail the original god’s nature and greatness. O supreme among sages! Nevertheless, I want to hear about the radiant one’s greatness yet again. You should be pleased with me and describe it to me.”

  ‘Markandeya replied, “Hear about the greatness of the original god, Vivasvat, and what he did earlier, when he was worshipped by the people. I will tell you about it. Dama had a famous son and this was King Rajyavardhana. This lord of the earth protected the earth properly. O brahmana! The great-souled one protected the kingdom in accordance with dharma and every day, it prospered, in people and in wealth. All the subordinate kings were happy and nourished. Everyone on earth, the residents of cities and the countryside, were without fear. There were no evil portents, no disease. There was no fear from predatory creatures. As long as Dama’s son was the lord of the earth, there was no fear from drought. He performed an extremely great sacrifice and donated to all those who sought for it. He also enjoyed objects of pleasure, but without violating the principles of good dharma. In this way, he ruled over the kingdom and protected the subjects properly. Seven thousand years passed, as if it was but a single day.

  ‘“Viduratha was the king of the southern regions 933 and he had a daughter. His spirited daughter, named Manini, became his 934 wife. There was an occasion when Manini, the one with the excellent eyebrows, had not decorated her eyes with collyrium. While the king’s people looked on, she shed tears and these fell on the king’s head. When the tears fell on his body, the lord of the earth looked up and saw that her face was bathed in tears. When he saw that she was weeping silently and shedding tears, he asked Manini about this. Asked by her husband, the spirited one replied, ‘It is nothing.’ But the lord of the earth asked her repeatedly. The slender-waisted one was repeatedly asked by the lord of the earth. She again told Rajyavardhana, ‘It is nothing.’ The lord of the earth again asked Manini, ‘What is it?’ Her husband kept asking the beautiful lady again and again. She then showed him a grey strand that had grown amidst his mass of hair. ‘O protector of the earth! Look at this. Do I need any other reason? I am extremely unfortunate.’ The king laughed at this. While all the major kings, minor kings, citizens and others who had assembled heard, he laughed and spoke to his wife. ‘O large-eyed one! Enough of grief. O auspicious one! This is not something to weep about. All living beings are subject to birth, growth, decay and other transformations. I have studied all the Vedas. I have performed thousands of sacrifices. I have donated to brahmanas. O one with the beautiful face! I have had sons. With you, I have enjoyed all the objects of pleasure that mortals find it extremely difficult to come by. I have protected the earth properly. I have been stationed in battles and have exhibited my valour. I have laughed with my friends. I have sported in the interiors of forests. O fortunate one! Since you are frightened at this grey hair, what else is there that I have not done? O auspicious one! Let there be grey hair. Let there be wrinkles. Let my body turn weak. O Manini! I have accomplished what needed to be done. O fortunate one! If you have seen grey hair on my head, I will treat it by retiring to the forest. Earlier, childish pursuits were pursued during childhood, youthful pastimes during youth and also those appropriate for adults. In old age, it is appropriate that one should retire to the forest. O fortunate one! This is what my ancestors did and their ancestors before them. Therefore, I do not see any reason to shed tears. O fortunate one! Enough of being vexed. The grey hair you have seen is a reason for my upliftment. There is no reason to weep.’ O maharshi! The assembled kings and citizens bowed down and addressed King Rajyavardhana in these conciliatory words. ‘O lord of men! There is no reason for your wife to weep. But all us should weep. Indeed, so should all living beings. O protector! You have spoken words indicating that you will resort to the forest. O king! We have been nurtured by you and if you do that, we will lose our lives. O lord of the earth! If you do leave, all of us will follow you there. O protector! If you retire to the forest, there is no doubt that all the rites of all those who reside on earth will be destroyed. Since this will lead to dharma suffering, let this idea be discarded. You have protected the earth for seven thousand years. O lord of men! Behold the great and auspicious merits this has led to. O great king! O lord of the earth! If you reside in the forest and perform austerities, the merits you reap will not be one-sixteenth of the merits you obtain from protecting the earth.’ The king replied, ‘I have protected the earth for seven thousand years. The time has now come for me to reside in the forest. My children have been born and I have seen the children of my children. Death will not tolerate me for more than a few days now. O citizens! Recognize that this grey hair on my head is a messenger from ignoble Death, who is fierce in his deeds. I will bestow the kingdom on my son. After that, I will give up objects of pleasure and resort to the forest. Until Yama’s soldiers arrive, I will torment myself through austerities.’ Desiring to leave for the forest, the king asked those who knew about astrology. He asked them about the right day and the right time to instate his son in the kingdom.

  ‘“Hearing the king’s words, their minds became anxious. Though they were learned in the sacred texts, they did not know about the day, the time or the hour. 935 Their voices choking with tears, the astrologers spoke to the lord of the earth. ‘O king! On hearing your words, all our learning has been des
troyed.’ People arrived from other cities and from vassal kingdoms. O sage! They brought a lot of wealth from those cities and approached the king, who had made up his mind to retire to the forest. With trembling heads, excellent brahmanas spoke to him. ‘Be pleased and save us. Rule over the kingdom, as you used to do earlier. O lord of the earth! If you retire to the forest, all the worlds will suffer. O king! You should act so that the entire world does not suffer. O valiant one! O lord! For the very short period of time that we are going to remain alive, we do not wish to see the throne empty, without you there.’ With these and other brahmanas at the forefront, the citizens, kings, servants and advisers repeatedly requested the king. But he did not go back on his resolution of residing in the forest. He only offered the reply, ‘The Destroyer will not pardon me.’ At this, the advisers, kings, senior citizens and brahmanas got together, to consult about what could be done. O brahmana! As they consulted, they arrived at a decision. They were devoted to the king, who was extremely devoted to dharma. They would control themselves, meditate and attentively pray to the radiant one, worshipping him through austerities, so that the king would have a longer lifespan. Single-minded in their determination, they worshipped Bhaskara in their houses. They worshipped him properly, offering him arghya and other objects of worship. Some were silent and meditated in their minds, using Rig hymns. Some used Yajur hymns, others used Sama hymns. In this way, they sought to satisfy Ravi. Other brahmanas fasted and lay down on the banks of a river. Desiring to worship Bhaskara, they performed austerities. Some performed agnihotra sacrifices, others chanted hymns to Ravi, day and night. Others stood and chanted, their eyes fixed on Bhaskara. In this way, they made up their minds to worship Bhaskara. They acted accordingly, resorting to many kinds of different modes.