Markandeya Purana

एवमुक्त्वा समाश्लिष्य कण्ठं राज्ञो नृपात्मजा । कष्टशोकशताधारा विललापार्तया गिरा॥८.

Having spoken thus, the king’s daughter embraced his neck and, overwhelmed by a hundred streams of grief, wailed in a voice full of pain.

; राजपत्न्युवाच राजन् ! स्वप्नोऽथ तथ्यं वा यदेतन्मन्यते भवान् । तत् कथ्यतां महाभाग मनो वै मुह्यते मम॥८.

The queen said: O King! Is this a dream, or is it reality? Please tell me, O blessed one, for my mind is bewildered.

यद्येतदेवं धर्मज्ञ नास्ति धर्मे सहायता । तथैव विप्रदेवादिपूजने पालने भुवः॥८.

If this is so, O knower of dharma, then there is no support in righteousness, nor in the worship and protection of Brahmins, gods, and the earth.

नास्ति धर्मः कुतः सत्यमार्जवं चानृशंसता । यत्र त्वं धर्मपरमः स्वराज्यादवरोपितः॥८.

There is no righteousness, nor truth, nor honesty, nor compassion, when you, devoted to dharma, have been cast down from your own kingdom.

इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा निश्वस्योष्णं सगद्गदम् । कथयामास तन्वङ्ग्या यथा प्राप्ता श्वपाकता॥८.

Hearing her words, he sighed hotly and, with a faltering voice, told his slender wife how he had come to this state among outcastes.

रुदित्वा सापि सुचिरं निश्वस्योष्णञ्च दुः खिता । स्वपुत्रमरणं भीरुर्यथावृत्तं न्यवेदयत्॥८.

She too, after weeping for a long time and sighing in distress, fearfully recounted the death of her son as it had happened.

; राजोवाच प्रिये ! न रोचये दीर्घं कालं क्लेशमुपासितुम् । नात्मायत्तश्च तन्वङ्गि पश्य मे मन्दभाग्यताम्॥८.

The king said: Beloved, I do not wish to endure suffering for a long time; my fate is not in my own hands, slender one—see my misfortune.

चण्डालेनाननुज्ञातः प्रवेक्ष्ये ज्वलनं यदि । चण्डालदासतां यास्ये पुनरप्यन्यजन्मनि॥८.

If I enter the fire without the permission of the outcaste, I will become a slave to the outcaste again in another birth.

नरके च तपिष्यामि कोटकः कृमिभोजनः । वैतरण्यां महापूय-वसासृक्-स्नायुपिच्छिले॥८.

In hell I will suffer, eaten by worms, in the Vaitarani river, thick with pus, blood, fat, and slippery with sinews.

असिपत्रवने प्राप्य छेदं प्राप्स्यामि दारुणम् । तापं प्राप्स्यामि वा प्राप्य महारौरवरौरवौ॥८.

In the forest of sword-leaves I will undergo terrible mutilation, or I will suffer torment in the great hells Raurava and Maharaurava.

मग्नस्य दुः खजलधौ पारः प्राणवियोजनम् । एकोऽपि बालको योऽयमासीद्वंशकरः सुतः॥८.

For one who is sunk in the ocean of sorrow, the only shore is death; and this one son, the perpetuator of the line, is gone.

मम दैवाम्बुवेगेन मग्नः सोऽपि बलीयसा । कथं प्राणान् विमुञ्चामि परायत्तोऽस्मि दुर्गतः॥८.

Even I, though strong, am overwhelmed by the force of my fate, like water; how can I give up my life, when I am helpless and afflicted?

अथवा नार्तिना क्लिष्टो नरः पापमवेक्षते । तिर्यक्त्वे नास्ति तद्दुः शं नासिपत्रवने तथा॥८.

Or perhaps, when tormented by suffering, a man considers sinful acts; but in the state of an animal, there is not such pain, nor in a forest of sword-leaves.

वैतरण्याङ्कुतस्तादृग् यादृशं पुत्रविप्लवे । सोऽहं सुतशिरीरेण दीप्यमाने हुताशने॥८.

Such is the torment of Vaitarani with its hooks, as is the grief of losing a son; thus I am, with my son's body burning in the sacrificial fire.

निपतिष्यामि तन्वङ्गि क्षन्तव्यं कुकृतं मम । अनुज्ञाता च गच्छ त्वं विप्रवेश्म सुछिस्मिते॥८.

I will fall, slender one; forgive my misdeeds. Having been permitted, you may go, lovely-smiling one, to the brahmin's house.

मम वाक्यञ्च तन्वङ्गि निबोधादृतमानसा । यदि दत्तं यदि हुतं गुरवो यदि तोषिताः॥८.

Hear my words, slender one, with a devoted mind: if I have given, if I have offered, if I have pleased the elders—

परत्र सङ्गमो भूयात् पुत्रेण सह च त्वया । इह लोके कुतस्त्वेतद् भविष्यति ममेङ्गितम्॥८.

May there be reunion in the next world with my son and with you; for in this world, how could such a wish of mine come to pass?

त्वया सह मम श्रेयो गमनं पुत्रमार्गणे । यन्मया हसता किञ्चिद्रहस्ये वा शुचिस्मिते॥८.

It is better for me to go with you, seeking our son; and if, smiling one, I have ever spoken anything improper, even in jest or in secret—

अश्लीलमुक्तं तत् सर्वं क्षन्तव्यं मम याचतः । राजपत्नीति गर्वेण नावज्ञेयः स ते द्विजः । सर्वयत्नेन ते तोष्यः स्वामिदैवतवच्छुभे॥८.

All that which was spoken improperly should be forgiven by you, as I ask. Do not, out of pride as a queen, disregard that brahmin; by every effort, you must please him, as you would your lord and deity, O auspicious one.

; राजपत्न्युवाच अहमप्यत्र राजर्षे दीप्यमाने हुताशने । दुः खभारासहाद्यैव सह यास्यामि वै त्वया॥८.

The queen said: I too, O royal sage, unable to bear the weight of sorrow, will go with you today into the blazing fire.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः ततः कृत्वा चितां राजा आरोप्य तनयं स्वकम् । भार्यया सहितश्चासौ बद्धाञ्जलिपुटस्तदा॥८.

The birds said: Then, having prepared the funeral pyre, the king placed his son upon it; together with his wife, he stood there with hands joined in reverence.

चिन्तयन् परमात्मानमीशं नारायणं हरिम् । हृत्कोटरगुहासीनं वासुदेवं सुरेश्वरम् । अनादिनिधनं ब्रह्म कृष्णं पीताम्बरं शुभम्॥८.

Contemplating the Supreme Self, the Lord Narayana, Hari, who dwells in the cave of the heart, Vasudeva, Lord of the gods, the beginningless and endless Brahman, Krishna, clad in yellow robes, the auspicious one—

तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । धर्मं प्रमुखतः कृत्वा समाजग्मुस्त्वरान्विताः॥८.

As he was meditating, all the gods, along with Indra, came swiftly, placing Dharma at their head.

आगत्य सर्वे प्रोचुस्ते भो भो राजन् ! शृणु प्रभो । अयं पितामहः साक्षाद्धर्मश्च भगवान् स्वयम्॥८.

Having arrived, they all said: 'O king, listen, lord! Here is the Grandfather himself, and Dharma, the Blessed One, in person.'

साध्याश्च विश्वे मरुतो लोकपालाः सवाहनाः । नागाः सिद्धाः सगन्धर्वा रुद्राश्चैव तथाश्विनौ॥८.

The Sadhyas, the Visvedevas, the Maruts, the guardians of the worlds with their vehicles, the Nagas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Rudras, and the Ashvins as well—

एते चान्ये च बहवो विश्वामित्रस्तथैव च । विश्वत्रयेण यो मित्रं कर्तुं न शकितः पुरा॥८.

And many others also, including Vishvamitra, who once was unable to make friendship with the threefold universe—

विश्वामित्रस्तु ते मैत्रीमिष्टञ्चाहर्तुमिच्छति । आरुरोह ततः प्राप्तो धर्मः शक्रोऽथ गाधिजः॥८.

Now Vishvamitra wishes to establish friendship with you; then Dharma, Indra, and the son of Gadhi ascended and arrived.

; धर्मि उवाच मा राजन् ! साहसं कार्षोर्धर्मोऽहं त्वामुपागतः । तितिक्षा-दम-सत्याद्यैः स्वगुणैः परितोषितः॥८.

Dharma said: 'Do not act rashly, O king! I, Dharma, have come to you, pleased by your virtues of forbearance, self-control, truth, and others.'

; इन्द्र उवाच हरिश्चन्द्र माहभाग ! प्राप्तः शक्रोऽस्मितेऽन्तिकम् । त्वया सभार्यपुत्रेण जिता लोकाः सनातनाः॥८.

Indra said: 'O Harishchandra, greatly fortunate one! I, Shakra, have come to you; with your wife and son, you have conquered the eternal worlds.'