Markandeya Purana

ऋषिरुवाच नित्यैव सा जगन्मूर्तिस्तया सर्वमिदं ततम् । तथापि तत्समुत्पत्तिर्बहुधा श्रुयतां मम॥८१.

The sage said: She is eternal, the embodiment of the universe, and by her all this is pervaded; yet, her origin is manifold—listen to it from me.

देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमाविर्भवति सा यदा । उत्पन्नेति तदा लोके सा नित्याप्यभिधीयते॥८१.

Whenever she appears for the accomplishment of the gods' purposes, she is said to be born; yet she is always called eternal in the world.

योगनिद्रां यदा विष्णुर्जगत्येकार्णवीकृते । आस्तीर्य शेषमभजत् कल्पान्ते भगवान् प्रभुः॥८१.

When Viṣṇu, at the end of the cycle, spread out Yogic Sleep upon the world turned into a single ocean, the Blessed Lord rested upon Śeṣa.

तदा द्वावसुरौ घोरौ विख्यातौ मधुकैटभौ । विष्णुकर्णमलोद्भूतौ हन्तुं ब्रह्माणमुद्यतौ॥८१.

Then, two fierce demons, renowned as Madhu and Kaiṭabha, arose from the dirt of Viṣṇu's ears, intent on killing Brahmā.

स नाभिकमले विष्णोः स्थितो ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः । दृष्ट्वा तावसुरौ चोग्रौ प्रसुप्तं च जनार्दनम्॥८१.

Brahmā, the lord of creatures, seated in the lotus from Viṣṇu's navel, saw those two fierce demons and Janārdana lying asleep.

तुष्टाव योगनिद्रां तामेकाग्रहृदयस्थितः । विबोधनार्थाय हरेर्हरिनेत्रकृतालयाम्॥८१.

With focused heart, he praised that Yogic Sleep, dwelling in the eyes of Hari, for the purpose of awakening Hari.

ब्रह्मोवाच विश्वेश्वरीं जगद्धात्रीं स्थिति-संहारकारिणीम् । निद्रां भगवतीं विष्णोरतुलां तेजसः प्रभुः॥८१.

Brahmā said: O Lady of the universe, O sustainer of the world, O cause of preservation and destruction, O blessed Sleep of Viṣṇu, O incomparable radiance of the Lord!

त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषट्कारः स्वरात्मिका । सुधा त्वमक्षरे नित्ये त्रिधा मात्रात्मिका स्थिता॥८१.

You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, you are indeed the Vaṣaṭ call, the essence of the sounds; you are nectar, O eternal imperishable one, established as the threefold measure.

अर्धमात्रा स्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्या विशेषतः । त्वमेव सन्ध्या सावित्री त्वं देवि जननी परा॥८१.

You are eternally established as the half-measure, which is especially unutterable; you alone are the twilight, the Sāvitrī, O Goddess, the supreme mother.

त्वयैव धार्यते सर्वं त्वयैतत्सृज्यते जगत् । त्वयैतत्पाल्यते देवि त्वमत्स्यन्ते च सर्वदा॥८१.

By you, all is sustained; by you, this world is created; by you, it is protected, O Goddess, and by you, it is always dissolved.

विसृष्टौ सृष्टिरूपा त्वं स्थितिरूपा च पालने । तथा संहृतिरूपान्ते जगतोऽस्य जगन्मये॥८१.

In creation, you are the form of creation; in preservation, the form of preservation; likewise, at the end, you are the form of dissolution, O embodiment of the universe.

महाविद्या महामाया महामेधा महास्मृतिः । महामोहा च भवती महादेवी महेश्वरी॥८१.

You are the great knowledge, the great illusion, the great wisdom, the great memory; you are also the great delusion, the great goddess, and the supreme sovereign.

प्रकृतिस्त्वञ्च सर्वस्य गुणत्रयविभाविनी । कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मोहरात्रिश्च दारुणा॥८१.

You are the primal nature of all, manifesting the three qualities; you are the night of time, the great night, and the dreadful night of delusion.

त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीस्त्वं बुद्धिर्बोधलक्षणा । लज्जा पुष्टिस्तथा तुष्टिस्त्वं शान्तिः क्षान्तिरेव च॥८१.

You are fortune, you are sovereignty, you are modesty, you are intelligence marked by understanding; you are shame, nourishment, contentment, peace, and forbearance as well.

खडिगनी शूलिनी घोरा गदिनी चक्रिणी तथा । शङ्खिनी चापिनी बाण-भुशुण्डी परिघायुधा॥८१.

You wield the sword, the spear, you are fierce, you carry the mace and the discus; you bear the conch, the bow, arrows, the slingshot, and the iron club as weapons.

सौम्या सौम्यतराशेष-सौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी । परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी॥८१.

You are gentle, more gentle than all the gentle ones, supremely beautiful; you alone are the highest among the transcendent and the non-transcendent, O supreme goddess.

यच्च किञ्चित् क्वचिद्वस्तु सदसद्वाखिलात्मिके । तस्य सर्वस्य या शिक्तिः सा त्वं किं स्तूयते तदा॥८१.

Whatever thing exists anywhere, whether real or unreal, O essence of all, the power of all that is you—so what praise can be offered to you?

यया त्वया जगत्स्त्रष्टा जगत्पात्यत्ति यो जगत् । सोऽपि निद्रावशं नीतः कस्त्वां स्तोतुमिहेश्वरः॥८१.

By you, even the creator of the world, the sustainer, and the devourer of the world is overcome by sleep; who then, O goddess, is able to praise you here?

विष्णुः शरीरग्रहणमहामीशान एव च । कारितास्ते यतोऽतस्त्वां कः स्तोतुं शक्तिमान् भवेत्॥८१.

Vishnu, the one who takes form, and the great lord Ishana, are made to act by you; therefore, who could be capable of praising you?

सा त्वमित्थं प्रभावैः स्वैरुदारैर्देवि संस्तुता । मोहयैतौ दुराधर्षावसुरो मधुकैटभौ॥८१.

Thus praised by your own magnificent powers, O goddess, bewilder these two unassailable demons, Madhu and Kaitabha.

प्रबोधञ्च जगत्स्वामी नीयतामच्युतो लघु । बोधश्च क्रियतामस्य हन्तुमेतौ महासुरौ॥८१.

Let the lord of the world, Achyuta, be quickly awakened, and let awareness be brought to him, so that he may slay these two great demons.

ऋषिरुवाच एवं स्तुता तदा देवी तामसी तत्र वेधसा । विष्णोः प्रबोधनार्थाय निहन्तुं मधुकैटभौ॥८१.

The sage said: Thus praised at that time by the creator, the dark goddess appeared there for the purpose of awakening Vishnu, to slay Madhu and Kaitabha.

नेत्रास्यनासिका-बाहु-हृदयेभ्यस्तथोरसः । निर्गम्य दर्शने तस्थौ ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः॥८१.

Emerging from the eyes, mouth, nose, arms, heart, and chest of Brahma, the one of unmanifest birth, she stood visible.

उत्तस्थौ च जगन्नाथस्तया मुक्तो जनार्दनः । एकार्णवेऽहिशयनात्ततः स ददृशे च तौ॥८१.

Then, released by her, the lord of the universe, Janardana, rose from his serpent couch on the single ocean, and saw those two.

मधुकैटभौ दुरात्मानावतिवीर्यपराक्रमौ । क्रोधरक्तेक्षणावत्तुं ब्रह्माणं जनितोद्यमौ॥८१.

Madhu and Kaitabha, evil-minded and exceedingly powerful, with eyes red with anger, intent on killing Brahma, were filled with energy.

समुत्थाय ततस्ताभ्यां युयुधे भगवान् हरिः । पञ्चवर्षसहस्राणि बाहुप्रहरणो विभुः॥८१.

Then the blessed Hari rose up and fought with them, armed only with his arms, for five thousand years.

तावप्यतिबलोन्मत्तौ महामायाविमोहितौ । उक्तवन्तौ वरोऽस्मत्तो व्रियतामिति केशवम्॥८१.

Those two, intoxicated by their immense strength and deluded by the great illusion, said to Keshava: 'Choose a boon from us.'

भगवानुवाच भवनेतामद्य मे तुष्टौ मम वध्यावुभावपि । किमन्येन वरेणात्र एतावद्धि वृतं मम॥८१.

The Blessed Lord said: 'You two are pleased with me—let both of you be slain by me today. What other boon is needed here? This alone is my wish.'

ऋषिरुवाच वञ्चिताभ्यामिति तदा सर्वमापोमयं जगत् । विलोक्य ताभ्यां गदितो भगवान् कमलेक्षणः॥८१.

The sage said: Then, realizing they had been deceived, and seeing the whole world composed of water, those two were addressed by the lotus-eyed Lord.