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.'
कथं पश्यामि तं देवं पुरुषेशं सनातनम् इति संचिन्तयन् देवम् एकाग्रेण सनातनम्
'How can I see that eternal Lord of beings?' Thus reflecting, he concentrated his mind on the eternal God.
प्राप्तवांस् तत् पदं दिव्यं महाप्रलयकारणम् पुरुषेशम् इति ख्यातं वटराजं सनातनम्
He attained that divine state, the cause of the great dissolution, the Lord of beings, known as the eternal banyan tree.
त्वरायुक्तो मुनिश् चासौ न्यग्रोधस्यान्तिकं ययौ आसाद्य तं मुनिश्रेष्ठास् तस्य मूले समाविशत्
Driven by urgency, the sage went to the vicinity of the banyan tree, and, having reached it, the foremost sage sat at its root.
न कालाग्निभयं तत्र न चाङ्गारप्रवर्षणम् न संवर्तागमस् तत्र न च वज्राशनिस् तथा
There was no fear of the fire of time, nor any shower of embers, nor the arrival of the dissolution, nor thunderbolts and lightning.
ततो गजकुलप्रख्यास् तडिन्मालाविभूषिताः समुत्तस्थुर् महामेघा नभस्य् अद्भुतदर्शनाः
Then, clouds resembling herds of elephants, adorned with garlands of lightning, rose up in the sky, wondrous to behold.
केचिन् नीलोत्पलश्यामाः केचित् कुमुदसंनिभाः केचित् किञ्जल्कसंकाशाः केचित् पीताः पयोधराः
Some were dark like blue lotuses, some resembled white water lilies, some were like pollen, and some were yellow rain clouds.
केचिद् धरितसंकाशाः काकाण्डसंनिभास् तथा केचित् कमलपत्त्राभाः केचिद् धिङ्गुलसंनिभाः
Some were green like grass, some like crow eggs, some shone like lotus petals, and some were like vermilion.
केचित् पुरवराकाराः केचिद् गिरिवरोपमाः केचिद् अञ्जनसंकाशाः केचिन् मरकतप्रभाः
Some took the shape of cities, some resembled great mountains, some were dark as collyrium, and some shone with emerald brilliance.
विद्युन्मालापिनद्धाङ्गाः समुत्तस्थुर् महाघनाः घोररूपा महाभागा घोरस्वननिनादिताः
Great clouds, their bodies bound with garlands of lightning, rose up, formidable in form, mighty, and resounding with terrifying voices.
ततो जलधराः सर्वे समावृण्वन् नभस्तलम् तैर् इयं पृथिवी सर्वा सपर्वतवनाकरा
Then all the rain clouds covered the sky, and with them, the entire earth, along with its mountains, forests, and lakes.