Markandeya Purana

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.

स पृष्टस्तेन कस्त्वं भोः हेतुश्चागमनेऽत्र कः । सशोक इव कस्मात्त्वं दुर्मना इव लक्ष्यसे॥८१.

He was questioned by the king: 'Who are you, sir, and what is the reason for your coming here? Why do you appear sorrowful and troubled in mind?'

इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य भूपतेः प्रणयोदितम् । प्रत्युवाच स तं वैश्यः प्रश्रयावनतो नृपम्॥८१.

Hearing these words, spoken kindly by the king, the merchant replied to him, bowing respectfully.

वैश्य उवाच समाधिर्नाम वैश्योऽहमुत्पन्नो धनिनां कुले । पुत्रदारैर्निरस्तश्च धनलोभादसाधुभिः॥८१.

The merchant said: 'I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family; but I have been cast out by my sons and wife, who, greedy for wealth, have acted unrighteously.'

विहीनश्च धनैर्दारैः पुत्रैरादाय मे धनम् । वनमभ्यागतो दुः खी निरस्तश्चाप्तबन्धुभैः॥८१.

'Deprived of my wealth, wife, and sons—my wealth taken away—I have come to the forest, sorrowful and abandoned by my relatives and friends.'

सोऽहं न वेद्मि पुत्राणां कुशलाकुशलात्मिकाम् । प्रवृत्तिं स्वजनानाञ्च दाराणाञ्चात्र संस्थितः॥८१.

'Here, I do not know what my sons are doing, whether they are well or not, nor do I know about my family or my wife.'

किं नु तेषां गृहे क्षेममक्षेमं किं नु साम्प्रतम् । कथं ते किं नु सद्वृत्ताः दुर्वृत्ताः किं नु मे सुताः॥८१.

'Are things now secure or insecure in their home? How are they? Are my sons of good conduct or bad?'

राजोवाच यैर्निरस्तो भवांल्लुब्धैः पुत्रदारादिभिर्धनैः । तेषु किं भवतः स्नेहमनुबध्नाति मानसम्॥८१.

The king said: By those greedy for wealth—such as sons, wives, and others—you have been cast aside; why, then, does your mind still cling with affection to them?

वैश्य उवाच एवमेतद्यथा प्राह भवानस्मद्गतं वचः । किं करोमि न बध्नाति मम निष्ठुरतां मनः॥८१.

The merchant said: It is just as you have said, your words about me are true; but what can I do? My mind does not become hard-hearted toward them.

यैः सन्त्यज्य पितृस्नेहं धनलुब्धैर्निराकृतः । पतिस्वजनहार्दं च हार्दि तेष्वेव मे मनः॥८१.

By those who, greedy for wealth, have abandoned their filial affection and rejected me, my heart remains attached to them alone, to my wife, my kin, and my own people.

किमेतन्नाभिजानामि जानन्नपि महामते । यत्प्रेमप्रवणं चित्तं विगुणेष्वपि बन्धुषु॥८१.

I do not understand this, O wise one—even knowing it, I cannot grasp why the heart is drawn with love to relatives, even when they are without virtue.

तेषां कृते मे निः श्वासो दौर्मनस्यं च जायते । करोमि किं यन्न मनस्तेष्वप्रीतिषु निष्ठुरम्॥८१.

Because of them, I sigh and feel distress; what can I do, that my mind does not become harsh toward those who show me no affection?

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततस्तौ सहितौ विप्र तं मुनिं समुपस्थितौ । समाधिर्नाम वैश्योऽसौ स च पार्थिवसत्तमः॥८१.

Markandeya said: Then, O brahmin, the two of them together approached that sage—the merchant named Samadhi and that best of kings.

कृत्वा तु तौ यथान्यायं यथार्हं तेन संविदम् । उपविष्टौ कथाः काश्चिच्चक्रतुर्वैश्य-पार्थिवौ॥८१.

Having properly greeted him as was fitting, the merchant and the king sat down and began to converse.

राजोवाच भगवंस्त्वामहं प्रष्टुमिच्चाम्येकं वदस्व तत् । दुःखाय यन्मे मनसः स्वचित्तायत्ततां विना॥८१.

The king said: Revered one, I wish to ask you a question—please tell me this: what is it that causes my mind to suffer, being subject to its own impulses?

ममत्वं गतराज्यस्य राज्याङ्गेष्वखिलेष्वपि । जानतोऽपि यथाज्ञस्य किमेतन्मुनिसत्तम॥८१.

Even after losing my kingdom, I still feel possessiveness toward all its parts; though I know better, I am like one ignorant—O best of sages, what is this?

अयं च निकृतः पुत्रैर्दारैर्भृत्यैस्तथोज्झितः । स्वजनेन च सन्त्यक्तस्तेषु हार्दे तथाप्यति॥८१.

And this man, too, has been deceived by his sons, abandoned by his wife and servants, forsaken by his own people—yet his heart remains bound to them.

एवमेष तथाहं च द्वावप्यत्यन्तदुः खितौ । दृष्टदोषेऽपि विषये ममत्वाकृष्टमानसौ॥८१.

Thus, both he and I are deeply afflicted; though we see the faults in these matters, our minds are drawn by attachment.

तत्किमेतन्महाभाग यन्मोहो ज्ञानिनोरपि । ममास्य च भवत्येषा विवेकान्धस्य मूढता॥८१.

So what is this, O greatly fortunate one, this delusion that arises even in the wise? Why does this blindness of discernment, this folly, occur in me and in him?

ऋषिरुवाच ज्ञानमस्ति समस्तस्य जन्तोर्विषयगोचरे । विषयश्च महाभाग याति चैवं पृथक् पृथक्॥८१.

The sage said: Knowledge exists in all living beings within the range of their senses, O greatly fortunate one, but the objects of sense appear to each as distinct.

दिवान्धाः प्राणिनः केचिद्रात्रावन्धास्तथापरे । केचिद् दिवा तथा रात्रौ प्राणिनस्तुल्यदृष्टयः॥८१.

Some living beings are blind by day, others are blind by night; some see equally well by day and night.