यथाप्रतिज्ञं विहृतश्च कालः सर्वाः समा द्वादश निर्जनेषु। अज्ञातचर्यां विधिवत्समाप्य भवद्गताः केशव पाण्डवेयाः
The time has been spent exactly as promised, all twelve years in seclusion; having properly completed the year of living incognito, the sons of Pandu have come to you, O Kesava.
एषैव बुद्धिर्जुषतां सदा त्वां सत्ये स्थिताः केशव पाण्डवेयाः। सदानधर्माः सजलाः सदाराः सबान्धवास्त्वच्छरणा हि पार्थाः
This alone is the resolve that always pleases you: the sons of Pandu, steadfast in truth, O Kesava, ever righteous, ever generous, ever with their wives and kin, have taken refuge in you, O Partha.
तथा वदतिवार्ष्णेये धर्मराजे च भारत। अथ पश्चात्तपोवृद्धो बहुवर्षसहस्रधृक्। प्रत्यदृश्यत धर्मात्मा मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः
As the son of Vrishni and the king of righteousness thus spoke, O Bharata, then appeared the great ascetic Markandeya, devoted to austerities for thousands of years, righteous in soul.
अजरश्चामरंश्चैव रूपौदार्यगुणान्वितः। व्यदृश्यत तथा युक्तो यथा स्यात्पञ्चविंशकः
Ageless and free from decay, endowed with beauty, nobility, and virtue, he appeared so composed as if he were twenty-five years old.
तमागतमृषिं वृद्धं बहुवर्षसहस्रिणम्। उपातिष्ठन्त ते सर्वेपाण्डवाः सहयादवाः
All the Pandavas, along with the Yadavas, attended upon that venerable sage, who had lived for thousands of years, when he arrived.
तमर्चितं सुविश्वस्तमासीनमृषिसत्तमम्। ब्राह्मणानां मतेनाह पाण्डवानां च केशवः
Honored and fully trusted, the best of sages sat down; then, with the agreement of the Brahmanas and the Pandavas, Kesava spoke.
शुश्रूपवः पाण्डवास्ते ब्राह्मणाश्च समागताः। द्रौपदी सत्यभामा च तथाऽहंपरमं वचः
The Pandavas, the assembled Brahmanas, Draupadi, Satyabhama, and I myself listened attentively to the supreme words.
पुरावृत्ताः कथाः पुण्याः सदाचारान्सनातनान्। राज्ञांस्त्रीणामृषीणां च मार्कणअडेय प्रचक्ष्व नः
O Markandeya, recount to us the ancient, virtuous stories of kings, women, and sages, which are meritorious and uphold eternal conduct.
तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु देवर्षिरपि नारदः। आजगाम विशुद्धात्मा पाण्डवानवलोककः
As they were seated there, the divine sage Narada, pure in spirit and observer of the Pandavas, also arrived.
तमप्यथ महात्मानं सर्वे ते पुरुषर्षभाः। पाद्यार्ध्याभ्यां यथान्यायमुपतस्थुर्मनीषिणः
All those eminent men, with due honor and offerings of water for the feet and hospitality, attended upon that great soul as was proper.
नारदस्त्वथ देवर्षिर्ज्ञात्वा तांस्तु कृतक्षणान्। मार्कण्डेयस्य वदतस्तां कथामन्वमोदत
Then the divine sage Narada, knowing the moment was right, listened with delight to the tale that Markandeya was about to tell.
उवाच चैनं कालज्ञं स्मयन्निव सनारदः। ब्रह्मर्षे कथ्यतां यत्ते पाण्डवेषु विवक्षितम्
Then, smiling, Narada said to that knower of time: 'O Brahmarshi, speak what you wish to say to the Pandavas.'
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः। क्षणं कुरुध्वंविपुलमाख्यातव्यं भविष्यति
Thus addressed, the great ascetic Markandeya replied: 'Wait a moment; what is to be told is vast.'
एवमुक्ताः क्षणं चक्रुः पाण्डवाः सह तैर्द्विजैः। मध्यंदिने यथादित्यं प्रेक्षन्तस्ते महामुनिम्
Thus addressed, the Pandavas, along with those Brahmanas, waited for a moment, gazing at the great sage as one looks at the midday sun.
तं विवक्षन्तमालक्ष्यकुरुराजो महामुनिम्। कथासंजननार्थाय चोदयामास पाण्डवः
Seeing the great sage preparing to speak, the Kuru king, desiring the start of stories, encouraged him.
भवान्दैवतदैत्यानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्। राजर्षीणां च सर्वेषां चरितज्ञः पुरातनः
You, revered one, know the ancient deeds of gods, asuras, great sages, and all royal sages.
सेव्यश्चोपासितव्यश् मतो नः काङ्क्षितश्चिरम्। अयं च देवकीपुत्रः प्राप्तोऽस्मानवलोककः
You are to be served and worshipped, and have long been desired by us; and this son of Devaki has come to see us.
भ्रमत्येव हि मे बुद्धिर्दृष्ट्वाऽऽत्मानं सुखाच्च्युतम्। धार्तराष्ट्रांश्च रदुर्त्तानृद्ध्यतः प्रेक्ष्य सर्वशः
My mind wanders, seeing myself deprived of happiness, and seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra flourishing in every way.
कर्मणः पुरुषः कर्ता शुभस्याप्यशुभस्य वा। स्वफलं तदुपाश्नापि कथं कर्ता स्विदीश्वरः
A person is the agent of action, whether good or bad; since he himself experiences its result, how then can God be called the doer?
अथवा सुखदुःखेषु नृणां ब्रह्मविदांवर। इह वा कृतमन्वेति परदेहेऽथवा पुनः
Or, O best knower of Brahman, do pleasure and pain follow a person here in this life, or do they accompany him into another body, or again after death?
देही च देहं संत्यज्य मृग्यमाणः शुभाशुभैः। कथं संयुज्यतेप्रेत्य इह वा द्विजसत्तम
And when the embodied soul abandons the body, being pursued by good and bad deeds, how is it joined with them after death, or here, O best of twice-born?
ऐहलौकिकमेवैतदुताहो पारलौकिकम्। क्व वा कर्माणि तिष्ठन्ति जन्तोः प्रेतस्य भार्गव
Is this (result) only of this world, or is it otherworldly? Where indeed do the deeds of a being remain after death, O Bhargava?
त्वद्युक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नो यथावद्वदतांवर। विदितं वेदितव्यं ते स्थित्यर्थं त्वं तु पृच्छसि
This question you have asked is timely, O best of speakers; what is to be known is known to you, yet you ask for the sake of understanding.
अत्र ते कथयिष्यामि तदिहैकमनाः शृणु। यथेहामुत्र च नर सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते
Here I will explain this to you; listen with focused mind, how a man experiences pleasure and pain both here and hereafter.
निर्मलानि शरीराणि विशुद्धानि शरीरिणाम्। ससर्ज धऱ्मतन्त्राणि पूर्वोत्पन्नः प्रजापतिः
The Lord of creatures, born in the beginning, created bodies for embodied beings that were pure, spotless, and governed by righteousness.
अमोघफलसंकल्पाः सुव्रताः सत्यवादिनः। ब्रह्मभूता नराः पुण्याः पुराणाः कुरुसत्तम
Those ancient, virtuous men, O best of Kurus, were steadfast in vows, speakers of truth, their intentions never failed, and they were of the nature of Brahman.
सर्वे देवैः समायान्ति स्वच्छन्देन नभस्तलम्। ततश्च पुनरायान्ति सर्वे स्वच्छन्दचारिणः
All of them, at will, would ascend to the sky with the gods, and then, moving freely, they would return again.
स्वच्चन्दमरणाश्चासन्नराः स्वच्छन्दजीविनः। अल्पबाधा निरातङ्काः सिद्धार्था निरुपद्रवाः
They lived and died at will, free in their lives, with little suffering, free from affliction, accomplished, and undisturbed.
द्रष्टारोदेवसङ्घानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्। प्रत्यक्षाः सर्वधर्माणां दान्ता विगतमत्सराः
They were seers of the assemblies of gods and great sages, perceiving all dharmas directly, self-controlled, and free from envy.
आसन्वर्षसहस्राणि तथा पुत्रसहस्रिणः। ततः कालान्तरे तस्मिन्पृथिवीतलचारिणः
For thousands of years they lived, having thousands of sons; then, in the course of time, they began to move about on the earth.