Markandeya Purana

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.

ज्ञानिनो मनुजाः सत्यं किन्तु ते न हि केवलम् । यतो हि ज्ञानिनः सर्वे पशु-पक्षि-मृगादयः॥८१.

It is true that humans are knowledgeable, but not exclusively so; for all creatures—animals, birds, and beasts—possess knowledge.

ज्ञानं च तन्मनुष्याणां यत्तेषां मृगृपक्षिणाम् । मनुष्याणां च यत्तेषां तुल्यमन्यत्तथोभयोः॥८१.

The knowledge that humans have is also found in animals and birds; and what they possess, humans have as well—there is a similarity in both.

ज्ञानेऽपि सति पश्यैतान् पतङ्गाञ्छावचञ्चुषु । कणमोक्षादृतान् मोहात्पीड्यमानानपि क्षुधा॥८१.

Even with knowledge, look at these moths: though tormented by hunger, out of delusion they rush into flames, unable to escape destruction.

मानुषा मनुजव्याघ्र साभिलाषाः सुतान् प्रति । लोभात्प्रत्युपकाराय नन्वेतान् किं न पश्यसि॥८१.

Humans, O tiger among men, are similarly attached to their children out of desire; out of greed, they seek reciprocation—do you not see this?

तथापि ममतावर्ते मोहगर्ते निपातिताः । महामायाप्रभावेण संसारस्थितिकारिणा॥८१.

Yet, even so, people are cast into the whirlpool of attachment and the pit of delusion, by the power of the great Māyā, which sustains worldly existence.

तन्नात्र विस्मयः कार्यो योगनिद्रा जगत्पतेः । महामाया हरेश्चैतत्तथा संमोह्यते जगत्॥८१.

Therefore, no wonder should be felt here, for it is the Yogic Sleep of the Lord of the world; this is the great Māyā of Hari, by which the world is thus bewildered.

ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि देवी भगवती हि सा । बलादाकृष्य मोहाय महामाया प्रयच्छति॥८१.

Even the minds of the wise are forcibly drawn by that Goddess, the Blessed One, and the great Māyā bestows delusion.

तया विसृज्यते विश्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम् । सैषा प्रसन्ना वरदा नृणां भवति मुक्तये॥८१.

By her, this entire universe, both moving and unmoving, is projected; when she is pleased, she grants boons and becomes the cause of liberation for people.

सा विद्या परमा मुक्तेर्हेतुभूता सनातनी । संसारबन्धहेतुश्च सैव सर्वेश्वरेश्वरी॥८१.

She is the supreme knowledge, the eternal cause of liberation; she is also the cause of bondage in worldly existence, and the sovereign of all sovereigns.

राजोवाच भगवन् ! का हि सा देवी महामायेति यां भवान् । ब्रवीति कथमुत्पन्ना सा कर्मास्याश्च किं द्विज॥८१.

The king said: O revered one! Who is that Goddess called Mahāmāyā, whom you speak of? How was she born, and what are her deeds, O twice-born?