Markandeya Purana

प्रविश्य गर्भमत्त्येको भुक्त्वा मोहयतेऽपरा । जायन्ते मोहनात्तस्याः सर्पमण्डूककच्छपाः॥५१.

One enters the womb and consumes it; another, after eating, causes delusion. From her delusion are born serpents, frogs, and turtles.

सरीसृपाणि चान्यानि पुरीषमथवा पुनः । षण्मासान् गुर्विणीं मांसमश्नुवानामसंयताम्॥५१.

Other reptiles and creatures are born, or again from excrement. For six months, a pregnant woman who eats meat without restraint—

वृक्षच्छायाश्रयां रात्रावथवा त्रिचतुष्पथे । श्मशानकटभूमिष्ठामुत्तरीयविवर्जिताम्॥५१.

—who stays at night beneath a tree's shade, or at a crossroads, or in a cemetery or a place of bones, or without an upper garment—

रुदमानां निशीथेऽथ आविशेत्तामसौ स्त्रियम् । शस्यहन्तुस्तथैवैकः क्षुद्रको नाम नामतः॥५१.

—or who weeps at midnight, then a dark spirit enters that woman. Likewise, there is one called Kṣudraka, the destroyer of crops by name.

शस्यर्धिं स सदा हन्ति लब्ध्वा रन्ध्रं शृणुष्व तत् । अमङ्गल्यदिनारम्भे अतृप्तो वपते च यः॥५१.

He always destroys the crop, having found a breach; listen to this. On an inauspicious day, whoever begins, unsatisfied, loses the yield.

क्षेत्रेष्वनुप्रवेशं वै करोत्यन्तोपसङ्गिषु । तस्मात् कल्पः सुप्रशस्ते दिनेऽभ्यर्च्य निशाकरम्॥५१.

He enters the fields at the end of the season. Therefore, the rite should be performed on an auspicious day, after worshipping the moon.

कुर्यादारम्भमुप्तिञ्च हृष्टस्तुष्टः सहायवान् । नियोजिकेति या कन्या दुः सहस्य मयोदिता॥५१.

One should begin and complete the work, joyful, satisfied, and with companions. The maiden called Niyojikā is described by me as difficult to endure.

जातं प्रचोदिकासंज्ञं तस्याः कन्याचतुष्टयम् । मत्तोन्मत्तप्रमत्तास्तु नरान् नारीस्तु ताः सदा॥५१.

Her four daughters are known as Pracodikā. Intoxicated, mad, and careless, these women always incite men.

समाविशन्ति नाशाय चोदयन्तीह दारुणम् । अधर्मं धर्मरूपेण कामञ्चाकामरूपिणम्॥५१.

They enter to destroy, urging here what is harsh: unrighteousness disguised as righteousness, and desire disguised as lack of desire.

अनर्थञ्चार्थरूपेण मोक्षञ्चामोक्षरूपिणम् । दुर्विनीता विना शौचं दर्शयन्ति पृथङ्नरान्॥५१.

Adversity disguised as prosperity, bondage disguised as liberation. Unruly and without purity, they separately mislead men.

भ्रश्यन्त्याभिः प्रविष्टाभिः पुरुषार्थात् पृथङ्नराः । तासां प्रवेशश्च गृहे संध्यारक्ते ह्यथाम्बरे॥५१.

Men, entered by them, fall away from their goals. Their entry into the house occurs when the sky is red at dusk.

धाताविधात्रोश्च बलिर्यत्र काले न दीयते । भुञ्जतां पिबतां वापि सङ्गिभिर्जलविप्रुषैः॥५१.

Where offerings to Dhātā and Vidhātṛ are not given at the proper time, while eating or drinking with companions, with drops of water—

नवनारीषु संक्रान्तिस्तासामाश्वभिजायते । विरोधिन्यास्त्रयः पुत्राश्चोदको ग्राहकस्तथा॥५१.

Among nine women, their transmission occurs, and offspring are quickly born. Of the hostile ones, three sons: the water-taker and likewise the receiver.

तमः प्रच्छादकश्चान्यस्तत्स्वरूपं शृणुष्व मे । प्रदीपदैलसंसर्गदूषिते लङ्घिते खले॥५१.

Another is the darkness-coverer; listen to its nature from me. When polluted by contact with lamp oil, or when the threshing floor is crossed—

मुषलोलूखले यत्र पादुके वासने स्त्रियः । शूर्पदात्रादिकं यत्र पदाकृष्य तथासनम्॥५१.

Where there are pestle and mortar, footwear, garments of women, winnowing baskets and similar items, or where a seat is dragged by the foot—

यत्रोपलिप्तञ्चानर्च्य विहारः क्रियते गृहे। दर्वोमुखेन यत्राग्निराहृतोऽन्यत्र नीयते॥५१.

Where, having neglected worship, people engage in leisure within the house, and where fire is brought facing south and then carried elsewhere—

विरोधिनीसुतास्तत्र विजृम्भन्ते प्रचोदिताः । एको जिह्वागतः पुंसां स्त्रीणाञ्चालीकसत्यवान्॥५१.

There, the daughters of hostility, incited, become active; one, dwelling on the tongue of men and women, is a liar who speaks falsehood.

चोदको नाम स प्रोक्तः पैशुन्यं कुरुते गृहे । अवधानगतश्चान्यः श्रवणस्थोऽतिदुर्मतिः॥५१.

She is called the Instigator, who causes slander in the house; another, who listens inattentively, is exceedingly wicked.

करोति ग्रहणन्तेषां वचसां ग्राहकस्तु सः । आक्रम्यान्यो मनो नॄणां तमसाच्छाद्य दुर्मतिः॥५१.

One of them seizes upon the words spoken and acts as the receiver; another, overtaking the minds of people, covers them with darkness and is evil-minded.

क्रोधं जनयते यस्तु तमः प्रच्छादकस्तु सः । स्वयंहार्यास्तु चौर्येण जनितन्तनयत्रयम्॥५१.

The one who gives rise to anger is the concealer with darkness; and there are three daughters born of theft, who take for themselves.

सर्वहार्यर्धहारी च वीर्यहारी तथैव च । अनाचान्तगृहेष्वेते मन्दाचारगृहेषु च॥५१.

One who takes everything, one who takes half, and one who takes strength—these dwell in houses lacking proper conduct and in homes of bad behavior.

अप्रक्षालितपादेषु प्रविशत्सु महानसम् । खलेषु गोष्ठेषु च वै द्रोहो येषु गृहेषु वै॥५१.

When people with unwashed feet enter the kitchen, or when there are wicked ones in the assembly, or in those houses where betrayal occurs—

तेषु सर्वे यथान्यायं विहरन्ति रमन्ति च । भ्रामण्यास्तनयस्त्वेकः काकजङ्घ इति स्मृतः॥५१.

In all those places, they freely move and take pleasure as they wish; but the son of Wandering, known as Kākajaṅgha, is unique.

तेनाविष्टो रतिं सर्वो नैव प्राप्नोति वै पुरे । भुञ्जन् यो गायते मैत्रे गायते हसते च यः॥५१.

When possessed by him, no one in the city attains enjoyment; he who sings while eating, or sings and laughs, O friend—

सन्ध्यामैथुनिनञ्चैव नरमाविशति द्विज । कन्यात्रयं प्रसूता सा या कन्या ऋतुहारिणी॥५१.

The man who engages in intercourse at twilight is entered by him, O twice-born; and she who menstruates gives birth to three daughters.

एका कुचहरा कन्या अन्या व्यञ्जनहारिका । तृतीया तु समाख्याता कन्यका जातहारिणी॥५१.

One daughter is called the breast-taker, another the ornament-taker, and the third is known as the birth-taker.

यस्या न क्रियते सर्वः सम्यग् वैवाहिको विधिः । कालातीतोऽथवा तस्या हरत्येका कुचद्वयम्॥५१.

If the full marriage rites are not properly performed for her, or if they are delayed, one of them takes away both her breasts.

सम्यक् श्राद्धमदत्त्वा च तथानर्च्य च मातरम् । विवाहितायाः कन्याया हरति व्यञ्जनं तथा॥५१.

If the proper śrāddha is not offered, or if the mother is not worshipped, the ornament is taken from the married maiden.

अग्न्यम्बुशून्ये च तथा विधूपे सूतिकागृहे । अदीपशस्त्रमुसले भूतिसर्षपवर्जिते॥५१.

In a lying-in chamber devoid of fire, water, or incense, without a lamp, weapon, pestle, or mustard seeds—