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.
आपूरिता दिशः सर्वाः सलिलौघपरिप्लुताः ततस् ते जलदा घोरा वारिणा मुनिसत्तमाः
All directions were filled, flooded by torrents of water; then those fierce clouds, O best of sages, inundated everything with water.
सर्वतः प्लावयाम् आसुश् चोदिताः परमेष्ठिना वर्षमाणा महातोयं पूरयन्तो वसुंधराम्
Urged by the Supreme Lord, they began to flood everywhere, pouring forth great waters and filling the earth.
सुघोरम् अशिवं रौद्रं नाशयन्ति स्म पावकम् ततो द्वादश वर्षाणि पयोदाः समुपप्लवे
They destroyed the dreadful, inauspicious, and fierce fire; then for twelve years, the rain clouds prevailed in the deluge.
धाराभिः पूरयन्तो वै चोद्यमाना महात्मना ततः समुद्राः स्वां वेलाम् अतिक्रामन्ति भो द्विजाः
Urged by the great soul, they filled everything with streams of water; then, O Brahmins, the oceans crossed their own shores.
पर्वताश् च व्यशीर्यन्त मही चाप्सु निमज्जति सर्वतः सुमहाभ्रान्तास् ते पयोदा नभस्तलम्
The mountains were shattered, and the earth sank into the waters; everywhere, the great clouds, bewildered, filled the sky.
संवेष्टयित्वा नश्यन्ति वायुवेगसमाहताः ततस् तं मारुतं घोरं स विष्णुर् मुनिसत्तमाः
Swept up by the force of the wind, they vanished; then that terrible wind, O best of sages, was restrained by Viṣṇu.
आदिपद्मालयो देवः पीत्वा स्वपिति भो द्विजाः तस्मिन्न् एकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे
The god who dwells in the primeval lotus, having drunk the waters, sleeps, O twice-born ones, upon that dreadful single ocean, where all that is moving and unmoving is destroyed.
नष्टे देवासुरनरे यक्षराक्षसवर्जिते ततो मुनिः स विश्रान्तो ध्यात्वा च पुरुषोत्तमम्
With gods, asuras, men, yakṣas, and rākṣasas all perished, the sage, having rested, meditated upon the Supreme Person.
ददर्श चक्षुर् उन्मील्य जलपूर्णां वसुंधराम् नापश्यत् तं वटं नोर्वीं न दिगादि न भास्करम्
Opening his eyes, he beheld the earth filled with water; he saw neither the banyan tree, nor the land, nor the directions, nor the sun.
न चन्द्रार्काग्निपवनं न देवासुरपन्नगम् तस्मिन्न् एकार्णवे घोरे तमोभूते निराश्रये
There was neither moon, nor sun, nor fire, nor wind, nor gods, asuras, or serpents—only that dreadful, single ocean, pervaded by darkness, without support.