Markandeya Purana

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.

संज्ञां पृष्टस्तदा तस्मै कथयामास विश्वकृत् । आगतैवेह मे वेश्म भवतः प्रेषितेति वै ॥ ७७.

When asked about Saṃjñā, Viśvakarman, the creator, told him: 'She has come here to my house, sent by you.'

दिवाकरः समाधिस्थो वडवारूपधारिणीम् । तपश्चरन्तीं ददृशे उत्तरेषु कुरुष्वथ ॥ ७७.

The sun, absorbed in meditation, saw her, taking the form of a mare, practicing austerities in the northern Kurus.

सौम्यमूर्तिः शुभाकारो मम भर्ता भवेदिति । अभिसन्धिञ्च तपसो बुबुधेऽस्या दिवाकरः ॥ ७७.

The sun understood her intention in performing austerities: 'May my husband have a gentle form and auspicious appearance.'

शातनं तेजसो मेऽद्य क्रियतामिति भास्करः । तञ्चाह विश्वकर्माणं संज्ञायाः पितरं द्विज ॥ ७७.

The radiant one said to Viśvakarman, Saṃjñā's father: 'Let my brilliance be diminished today.'

संवत्सरभ्रमेस्तस्य विश्वकर्मा करवेस्ततः । तेजसः शातनञ्चक्रे स्तूयमानश्च दैवतैः ॥ ७७.

Then Viśvakarman, praised by the gods, after a year of effort, reduced the sun's brilliance.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच सावर्णिः सूर्यतनयो यो मनुः कथ्यतेऽष्टमः । निशामय तदुत्पत्तिं विस्तराद् गदतो मम॥८१.

Markandeya said: Hear now in detail from me the origin of Sāvarṇi, the eighth Manu, son of the sun, as it is recounted.

महामायानुभावेन यथा मन्वन्तराधिपः । स बभूव महाभागः सावर्णिस्तनयो रवेः॥८१.

By the power of the great Māyā, Sāvarṇi, the illustrious son of the sun, became the lord of a Manvantara.

स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे पूर्वं चैत्रवंशसमुद्भवः । सुरथो नाम राजाभूत् समस्ते क्षितिमण्डले॥८१.

In the previous Svārociṣa Manvantara, there was a king named Suratha, born in the lineage of Citrā, who ruled the entire earth.

तस्य पालयतः सम्यक् प्रजाः पुत्रानिवौरसान् । बभूवुः शत्रवो भूपाः कोलाविध्वंसिनस्तथा॥८१.

While he was properly protecting his subjects, like sons born from his own body, there arose enemies for him—kings who destroyed his lineage and power.

तस्य तैरभवद् युद्धमतिप्रबलदण्डिनः । न्यूनैरपि स तैर्युद्धे कोलाविध्वंसिभिर्जितः॥८१.

A battle occurred between him, who wielded great authority, and those destroyers of his line, even though they were fewer; yet, in that battle, he was defeated by them.

ततः स्वपुरमायातो निजदेशाधिपोऽभवत् । आक्रान्तः स महाभागस्तैस्तदा प्रबलारिभिः॥८१.

Then, returning to his own city, he became the ruler of his own land; but at that time, he was beset by those powerful enemies.

अमात्यैर्बलिभिर्दुष्टैर्दुर्बलस्य दुरात्मभिः । कोषो बलञ्चापहृतं तत्रापि स्वपुरे ततः॥८१.

There, in his own city, his treasury and army were seized by his ministers, who were strong but wicked, and by evil-minded men, taking advantage of his weakness.

ततो मृगयाव्याजेन हृतस्वाम्यः स भुपतिः । एकाकी हयमारुह्य जगाम गहनं वनम्॥८१.

Then, under the pretext of hunting, that king, having lost his sovereignty, mounted a horse alone and went into the dense forest.

स तत्राश्रममद्राक्षीद् द्विजवर्यस्य मेधसः । प्रशान्तश्वापदाकीर्णं मुनिश्ष्योपशोभितम्॥८१.

There he saw the hermitage of the illustrious sage Medhas, peaceful and free from wild beasts, adorned by the presence of the sage and his disciples.

तस्थौ कञ्चित् स कालञ्च मुनिना तेन सत्कृतः । इतश्चैतश्च विचरंस्तस्मिन् मुनिवराश्रमे॥८१.

He stayed there for some time, honored by that sage, and wandered here and there within the great sage’s hermitage.

सोऽचिन्तयत् तदा तत्र ममत्वाकृष्टचेतनः । मत्पूर्वैः पालितं पूर्वं मया हीनं पुरं हि तत् । मद्भृत्यैस्तैरसद्वृत्तैर्धर्मतः पाल्यते न वा॥८१.

There, his mind drawn by attachment, he began to reflect: 'The city once protected by my ancestors and by me is now lost; those servants of mine, with their wicked conduct, may or may not be protecting it righteously.'

न जाने स प्रधानो मे शूरहस्ती सदामदः । मम वैरिवशं यातः कान् भोगानुपलप्स्यते॥८१.

'I do not know whether my chief, the brave and ever-proud elephant-warrior, now under the power of my enemies, will enjoy any pleasures.'

ये ममानुगता नित्यं प्रसादधनभोजनैः । अनुवृत्तिं ध्रुवं तेऽद्य कुर्वन्त्यन्यमहीभृताम्॥८१.

'Those who always followed me, receiving my favor, wealth, and food, surely now serve other kings.'

असम्यग्व्ययशीलैस्तैः कुर्वद्भिः सततं व्ययम् । संचितः सोऽतिदुः खेन क्षयं कोशो गमिष्यति॥८१.

'Because of their constant wastefulness and improper spending, the treasury, accumulated with great difficulty, will soon be depleted.'

एतच्चान्यच्च सततं चिन्तयामास पार्थिवः । तत्र विप्राश्रमाभ्यासे वैश्यमेकं ददर्श सः॥८१.

The king kept thinking about this and other matters; then, near the sage’s hermitage, he saw a merchant.