Markandeya Purana

किङ्करोमि क्व गच्छामि क्व गतायाश्च निर्वृतिः । भवेन्मम कथं भर्ता कोपमर्कश्च नैष्यति ॥ ७७.

What shall I do? Where shall I go? Where can I find relief? How will my husband not be angry with me?

इति संचिन्त्य बहुधा प्रजापतिसुता तदा । बहु मेने महाभागा पितृसंश्रयमेव सा ॥ ७७.

Thinking in many ways, the daughter of the Lord of creatures then, that blessed lady, considered the shelter of her father to be best.

ततः पितृगृहे गन्तुं कृतबुद्धिर्यशस्विनी । छायामयीमात्मतनुं निर्ममे दयितां रवेः ॥ ७७.

Then, resolved to go to her father's house, the illustrious one created from herself a shadow-form, dear to the Sun.

ताञ्चोवाच त्वया वेश्मन्यत्र भानोर्यथा मया । तथा सम्यगपत्येषु वर्तितव्यं यथा रवौ ॥ ७७.

She said to her: 'Just as I have behaved in the house of Bhanu, so you must conduct yourself properly with his children, as with the Sun himself.'

पृष्टयापि न वाच्यन्ते तथैतद्गमनं मम । सैवास्मि नाम संज्ञेति वाच्यमेतत्सदा वचः ॥ ७७.

'Even if questioned, you must not speak of my departure in this way; always say only this: I am Sanjna by name.'

छायसंज्ञोवाच आकेशग्रहणाद्देवि ! आशापाच्च वचस्तव । करिष्ये कथयिष्यामि वृत्तन्तु शापकर्षणात् ॥ ७७.

The one called Chaya said: 'O goddess, by grasping my hair and by your command, I will do as you say and tell the truth when the curse compels me.'

इत्युक्ता सा तदा देवी जगाम भवनं पितुः । ददर्श तत्र त्वष्टारं तपसा धूतकल्मषम् ॥ ७७.

Thus addressed, the goddess then went to her father's house and there saw Tvashtar, purified of sin by his austerities.

बहुमानाच्च तेनापि पूजिता विश्वकर्मणा । तस्थौ पितृगृहे सा तु कञ्चित्कालमनिन्दिता ॥ ७७.

Honored with great respect by Vishvakarman as well, she remained in her father's house for some time, blameless.

ततस्तां प्राह चार्वङ्गी पिता नातिचिरोषिताम् । स्तुत्वा च तनयां प्रेमबहुमानपुरः सरम् ॥ ७७.

Then her father, seeing her not staying long, addressed his beautiful-limbed daughter, praising her with love and great respect.

त्वान्तु मे पश्यतो वत्से दिनानि सुबहून्यपि । मुहूर्तार्धसमानि स्युः किन्तु धर्मो विलुप्यते ॥ ७७.

'O child, even if I see you for many days, to me those days seem like only half a moment; but righteousness is diminished.'

बान्धवेषु चिरं वासो नारीणां न यशस्करः । मनोरथो बान्धवानां नार्या भर्तृगृहे स्थितिः ॥ ७७.

'For women, a long stay among relatives does not bring honor; the wish of relatives is that a woman should remain in her husband's house.'

सा त्वं त्रैलोक्यनाथेन भर्त्रा सूर्येण सङ्गता । पितृगेहे चिरं कालं वस्तुं नार्हसि पुत्रिके ॥ ७७.

'You, united with your husband, the lord of the three worlds, the Sun, should not, my daughter, dwell long in your father's house.'

सा त्वं भर्तृगृहं गच्छ तुष्टोऽहं पूजितासि मे । पुनरागमनं कार्यं दर्शनाय शुभे मम ॥ ७७.

'Go, therefore, to your husband's house; I am pleased, you have honored me. But you must return again to see me, O auspicious one.'

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इत्युक्ता सा तदा पित्रा तथेत्युक्त्वा च सा मुने । संपूजयित्वा पितरं जगामाथोत्तरान् कुरून् ॥ ७७.

Markandeya said: Thus addressed by her father, she replied, 'So be it,' and after honoring her father, she went to the northern Kurus.

सूर्यतापमनिच्छन्ती तेजसस्तस्य बिभ्यती । तपश्चचार तत्रापि वडवारूपधारिणी ॥ ७७.

Not wishing the heat of the Sun and fearing his radiance, she performed austerities there as one assuming the form of a mare.

संज्ञेयमिति मन्वानो द्वितीयायामहस्पतिः । जनयामास तनयौ कन्याञ्चैकां मनोरमाम् ॥ ७७.

Thinking she was Sanjna, the Sun, for his second wife, begot two sons and one beautiful daughter.

छायासंज्ञा त्वपत्येषु यथा स्वेष्वतिवत्सला । तथा न संज्ञाकन्यायां पुत्रयोश्चान्ववर्तत ॥ ७७.

Chaya, in regard to her own children, was exceedingly affectionate, but not so toward Sanjna's daughter and her two sons.

लालनाद्युपभोगेषु विशेषमनुवासरम् । मनुस्तत्क्षान्तवानस्य यमस्तस्या न चक्षमे ॥ ७७.

In caressing and enjoyment, she made distinctions day by day; Manu, being patient, endured it, but Yama could not tolerate it.

ताडनाय च वै कोपात्पादस्तेन समुद्यतः । तस्याः पुनः क्षान्तिमता न तु देहे निपातितः ॥ ७७.

In anger, he raised his foot to strike her, but she, being forbearing, did not let it fall upon her body.

ततः शशाप तं कोपाच्छायासंज्ञा यमं द्विज । किञ्चित्प्रस्फुरमाणौष्ठी विचलत्पाणिपल्लवा ॥ ७७.

Then, Chāyā, her lips slightly trembling and her hands unsteady with anger, cursed Yama, O twice-born one.

पितुः पत्नीममर्यादं यन्मां तर्जयसे पदा । भुवि तस्मादयं पदास्तवाद्यैव पतिष्यति ॥ ७७.

Because you, disregarding propriety, threaten me, your father's wife, with your foot, therefore today your foot will fall to the earth.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य यमः शापं मात्रा दत्तं भयातुरः । अभ्येत्य पितरं प्राह प्रणिपातपुरः सरम् ॥ ७७.

Markandeya said: Hearing this curse pronounced by his mother, Yama, filled with fear, approached his father and spoke, bowing down before him.

यम उवाच तातैतन्महदाश्चर्यं न दृष्टमिति केनचित् । माता वात्सल्यमुत्सृज्य शापं पुत्रे प्रयच्छति ॥ ७७.

Yama said: Father, this is a great wonder, unheard of by anyone— that a mother, abandoning affection, should lay a curse upon her son.

यथा मनुर्ममाचष्टे नेयं मता तथा मम । विगुणेष्वपि पुत्रेषु न माता विगुणा भवेत् ॥ ७७.

As Manu has declared, and so is my own view: even if her sons are at fault, a mother herself does not become faulty.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच यमस्यैतद्वचः श्रुत्वा भगवांस्तिमिरापहः । छायासंज्ञां समाहूय पप्रच्छ क्व गतेति सा ॥ ७७.

Markandeya said: Hearing these words of Yama, the blessed dispeller of darkness summoned Chāyā and asked her where she had gone.

सा चाह तनया त्वष्टुरहं संज्ञा विभावसो । पत्नी तव त्वयापत्यान्येतानि जनितानि मे ॥ ७७.

She replied: I am Saṃjñā, daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, wife of Vivasvat; these children of yours were born from me.

इत्थं विवस्वतः सा तु बहुशः पृच्छतो यदा । नाचचक्षे ततः क्रुद्धो भास्वांस्तां शप्तुमुद्यतः ॥ ७७.

Thus, when Vivasvat repeatedly questioned her, she did not reveal the truth; then, angered, the radiant one prepared to curse her.

ततः सा कथयामास यथावृत्तं विवस्वतः । विदितार्थश्च भगवान् जगाम त्वष्टुरालयम् ॥ ७७.

Then she told Vivasvat everything as it had happened; and when the blessed one understood, he went to the house of Tvaṣṭṛ.

ततः स पूजयामास तदा त्रैलोक्यपूजितम् । भास्वन्तं परया भक्त्या निजगेहमुपागतम् ॥ ७७.

There, he who is worshipped throughout the three worlds was honored with supreme devotion by Tvaṣṭṛ, when he arrived at his home.