एवं बहुविधं दत्त्वा राज्यं कृत्वा यथोचितम् इष्ट्वा च विविधैर् यज्ञैर् दत्त्वा दानान्य् अनेकशः
Thus, having given many kinds of gifts, having ruled the kingdom as was proper, having performed various sacrifices and given many charities,
कृतकृत्यस् ततो राजा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः जगाम परमं स्थानं तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम्
Then the king, his purpose fulfilled and having renounced all possessions, went to the supreme abode, that highest realm of Viṣṇu.
एवं मया मुनिश्रेष्ठाः कथितो वो नृपोत्तमः क्षेत्रस्य चैव माहात्म्यं किम् अन्यच् छ्रोतुम् इच्छथ
Thus, O best of sages, I have told you about the noble king and the greatness of the field; what else do you wish to hear?
श्रुत्वैवं वचनं तस्य ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः आश्चर्यं मेनिरे विप्राः पप्रच्छुश् च पुनर् मुदा
Hearing these words of Brahmā, the one of unmanifest birth, the brahmins considered it wondrous and joyfully inquired further.
कस्मिन् काले सुरश्रेष्ठ गन्तव्यं पुरुषोत्तमम् विधिना केन कर्तव्यं पञ्चतीर्थम् इति प्रभो
O lord, at what time should one go to Puruṣottama, O best of gods, and by what rite should the Pañcatīrtha be performed?
एकैकस्य च तीर्थस्य स्नानदानस्य यत् फलम् देवताप्रेक्षणे चैव ब्रूहि सर्वं पृथक् पृथक्
Tell us, one by one, the fruit of bathing and giving at each tīrtha, and also of beholding the deities, all separately.
निराहारः कुरुक्षेत्रे पादेनैकेन यस् तपेत् जितेन्द्रियो जितक्रोधः सप्तसंवत्सरायुतम्
He who, fasting, performs austerity at Kurukṣetra standing on one foot, with senses and anger subdued, for seven thousand years,
दृष्ट्वा सदा ज्येष्ठशुक्लद्वादश्यां पुरुषोत्तमम् कृतोपवासः प्राप्नोति ततो ऽधिकतरं फलम्
Having always beheld Puruṣottama on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha, and having observed a fast, he attains a result even greater than that.
तस्माज् ज्येष्ठे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः प्रयत्नेन सुसंयतैः स्वर्गलोकेप्सुविप्राद्यैर् द्रष्टव्यः पुरुषोत्तमः
Therefore, O best of sages, the supreme person should be seen with effort and discipline by Brahmins and others desiring the heavenly world, in the month of Jyeshtha.
पञ्चतीर्थं तु विधिवत् कृत्वा ज्येष्ठे नरोत्तमः शुक्लपक्षस्य द्वादश्यां पश्येत् तं पुरुषोत्तमम्
Having performed the rite of the five sacred waters according to rule in Jyeshtha, the best of men should behold that supreme person on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight.
ये पश्यन्त्य् अव्ययं देवं द्वादश्यां पुरुषोत्तमम् ते विष्णुलोकम् आसाद्य न च्यवन्ते कदाचन
Those who see the imperishable deity, the supreme person, on the twelfth day, attain the world of Vishnu and never fall from it at any time.
तस्माज् ज्येष्ठे प्रयत्नेन गन्तव्यं भो द्विजोत्तमाः कृत्वा तस्मिन् पञ्चतीर्थं द्रष्टव्यः पुरुषोत्तमः
Therefore, O best of twice-born, one should go with effort in Jyeshtha, and having performed the five sacred waters there, the supreme person should be seen.
सुदूरस्थो ऽपि यो भक्त्या कीर्तयेत् पुरुषोत्तमम् अहन्य् अहनि शुद्धात्मा सो ऽपि विष्णुपुरं व्रजेत्
Even one who is very far away, who praises the supreme person with devotion day after day, with a pure mind, will also reach the city of Vishnu.
यात्रां करोति कृष्णस्य श्रद्धया यः समाहितः सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोकं व्रजेन् नरः
Whoever undertakes a pilgrimage to Krishna with faith and concentration, freed from all sins, that man will reach the world of Vishnu.
चक्रं दृष्ट्वा हरेर् दूरात् प्रासादोपरि संस्थितम् सहसा मुच्यते पापान् नरो भक्त्या प्रणम्य तत्
Having seen the discus of Hari from afar, situated atop the temple, a man who bows to it with devotion is instantly freed from sins.
आसीत् कल्पे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः संप्रवृत्ते महाक्षये नष्टे ऽर्कचन्द्रे पवने नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे
O best of sages, when the great destruction began in the cycle, with the sun and moon lost, the wind gone, and all that is stationary and moving destroyed—
उदिते प्रलयादित्ये प्रचण्डे घनगर्जिते विद्युदुत्पातसंघातैः संभग्ने तरुपर्वते
When the fierce dissolution sun had risen, thunderclouds roared, and the trees and mountains were shattered by masses of lightning strikes—
लोके च संहृते सर्वे महदुल्कानिबर्हणे शुष्केषु सर्वतोयेषु सरःसु च सरित्सु च
When the whole world was absorbed, all things removed by great meteors, and all waters dried up in lakes and rivers—
ततः संवर्तको वह्निर् वायुना सह भो द्विजाः लोकं तु प्राविशत् सर्वम् आदित्यैर् उपशोभितम्
Then, O Brahmins, the fire of dissolution, together with the wind, entered the entire world, adorned by the suns.
पश्चात् स पृथिवीं भित्त्वा प्रविश्य च रसातलम् देवदानवयक्षाणां भयं जनयते महत्
Afterwards, breaking through the earth and entering the underworld, it caused great fear among gods, demons, and yakshas.
निर्दहन् नागलोकं च यच् च किंचित् क्षिताव् इह अधस्तान् मुनिशार्दूलाः सर्वं नाशयते क्षणात्
Burning up the realm of serpents and whatever else was here on earth below, O tiger among sages, it destroyed everything in an instant.
ततो योजनविंशानां सहस्राणि शतानि च निर्दहत्य् आशुगो वायुः स च संवर्तको ऽनलः
Then, the swift wind and the fire of dissolution burned hundreds of thousands of yojanas.
सदेवासुरगन्धर्वं सयक्षोरगराक्षसम् ततो दहति संदीप्तः सर्वम् एव जगत् प्रभुः
That blazing lord burned everything—the world with gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, serpents, and rākṣasas.
प्रदीप्तो ऽसौ महारौद्रः कल्पाग्निर् इति संश्रुतः महाज्वालो महार्चिष्मान् संप्रदीप्तमहास्वनः
That blazing, terribly fierce fire is known as the dissolution fire, with great flames, great brilliance, and a mighty roar.
सूर्यकोटिप्रतीकाशो ज्वलन्न् इव स तेजसा त्रैलोक्यं चादहत् तूर्णं ससुरासुरमानुषम्
Shining like ten million suns, blazing with its radiance, it swiftly burned the three worlds, with gods, demons, and humans.
एवंविधे महाघोरे महाप्रलयदारुणे ऋषिः परमधर्मात्मा ध्यानयोगपरो ऽभवत्
In such a terrible, dreadful, great dissolution, a sage of supreme righteousness became absorbed in meditation and yoga.
एकः संतिष्ठते विप्रा मार्कण्डेयेति विश्रुतः मोहपाशैर् निबद्धो ऽसौ क्षुत्तृष्णाकुलितेन्द्रियाः
There stands alone, O Brahmins, the renowned Markandeya, bound by the snares of delusion, his senses disturbed by hunger and thirst.
स दृष्ट्वा तं महावह्निं शुष्ककण्ठौष्ठतालुकः तृष्णार्तः प्रस्खलन् विप्रास् तदासौ भयविह्वलः
Seeing that great fire, his throat, lips, and palate parched, tormented by thirst, the Brahmin stumbled, overcome with fear.
बभ्राम पृथिवीं सर्वां कांदिशीको विचेतनः त्रातारं नाधिगच्छन् वै इतश् चेतश् च धावति
He wandered across the whole earth, disoriented and aimless, unable to find a savior, his mind running here and there.
न लेभे च तदा शर्म यत्र विश्राम्यता द्विजाः करोमि किं न जानामि यस्याहं शरणं व्रजे
He found no comfort then, nor a place where the Brahmins could rest. 'What shall I do? I do not know to whom I should turn for refuge.'