Markandeya Purana

तस्माद् दुरात्मा ब्रह्मद्विट् प्राज्ञानामवरोपितः । मच्छापोपहतो मूढः स बकत्वमवाप्स्यति॥९.

Therefore, that wicked soul, enemy of Brahmins, who was cast down by the wise, struck by my curse, will become a crane.

पक्षिण ऊचुः श्रुत्वा शापं महातेजा विश्वामित्रोऽपि कौशिकः । त्वमप्याडिर्भवस्तेवति प्रतिशापमयच्छत॥९.

The birds said: Hearing the curse, the mighty Vishvamitra, descendant of Kusha, also cursed you in return, saying, 'You too shall become a heron.'

अन्योऽन्यशापात् तौ प्राप्तौ तिर्यक्त्वं परमद्युती । वशिष्ठः स महातेजा विश्वामित्रश्च कौशिकः॥९.

By cursing each other, those two of great brilliance—Vashishtha and Vishvamitra, the descendant of Kusha—attained the state of animals.

अन्यजातिसमायोगं गतावप्यमितौजसौ । युयुधातेऽतिसंरब्धौ महाबलपराक्रमौ॥९.

Though they had entered other forms, those two of boundless energy, filled with intense wrath, fought fiercely, displaying immense strength and valor.

योजनानां सहस्रे द्वे प्रमाणेनाडिरुच्छ्रितः । यन्नवत्यधिकं ब्रह्मन् ! सहस्रत्रितयं बकः॥९.

The heron stood two thousand yojanas tall, O Brahmin, while the crane measured three thousand and ninety yojanas.

तौ तु पक्षप्रहाराभ्यामन्योन्यस्योरुविक्रमौ । प्रहरन्तौ भयं तीव्रं प्रजानाञ्चक्रतुस्तदा॥९.

With blows from their wings, those two mighty ones struck each other, causing intense fear among all creatures.

विधूय पक्षाणि बको रक्तोद्वृत्ताक्षिराहनत् । आडिं सोऽप्युन्नतग्रीवो बकं पद्भ्यामताडयत्॥९.

The crane, shaking its wings, struck with bloodshot eyes; the heron, with its neck held high, struck the crane with its feet.

तयोः पक्षानिलापास्ताः प्रपेतुर्गिरयो भुवि । गिरिप्रपाताभिहता चकम्पे च वसुन्धरा॥९.

Driven by the wind from their wings, mountains fell to the earth; struck by the mountain falls, the earth trembled.

क्ष्मा कम्पमाना जलधीनुद्वृत्ताम्बूंश्चकार च । ननाम चैकपार्श्वेन पातालगमनोन्मुखी॥९.

The trembling earth caused the oceans to surge with rising waters, and she leaned to one side, ready to descend into the netherworld.

केचिदिगरिनिपातेन केचिदम्भोधिवारिणा । केचिन्महीसञ्चलनात् प्रययुः प्राणिनः क्षयम्॥९.

Some perished from falling mountains, some from the waters of the ocean, and some from the shaking of the earth.

इति सर्वं परित्रस्तं हाहाभूतमचेतनम् । जगदासीत् सुसम्भ्रान्तं पर्यस्तक्षितिमण्डलम्॥९.

Thus, everything became terrified, lifeless, and confused; the world was greatly disturbed, and the earth's sphere was overturned.

हा वत्स ! हा कान्त ! शिशो ! प्रयाह्येषोऽस्मि संस्थितः । हा प्रिये ! कान्त ! शैलोऽयं पतत्याशु पलायताम्॥९.

'Alas, child! Alas, beloved! O infant, flee, for I am about to perish! Alas, dear one! Beloved! This mountain is falling—run swiftly!'

इत्याकुलीकृते लोके संत्रासविमुखे तदा । सुरैः परिवृतः सर्वैराजगाम पितामहः॥९.

When the world was thus thrown into turmoil and terror, surrounded by all the gods, the Grandfather (Brahma) arrived.

प्रत्युवाच च विश्वेशास्तावुभावतिकोपितौ । युद्धं वा विरमत्वेतल्लोकाः स्वास्थ्यं व्रजन्तु च॥९.

The Lord of all the worlds addressed them both, who were greatly enraged, saying: 'Cease this battle, and let the worlds return to their peace.'

शृण्वन्तावपि तौ वाक्यं ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । कोपामर्षसमाविष्टो युयुधाते न तस्थतुः॥९.

Though they heard the words of Brahmā, the one born from the Unmanifest, both, overcome by anger and wrath, did not desist but continued to fight.

ततः पितामहो देवस्तं दृष्ट्वा लोकसंक्षयम् । तयोश्च हितमन्विच्छन् तिर्यग्भावमपानुदत्॥९.

Then the god, Grandfather (Brahmā), seeing the destruction of the worlds and wishing for their welfare, dispelled the hostile state between the two.

ततस्तौ पूर्वदेहस्थौ प्राह देवः प्रजापतिः । व्युदस्ते तामसे भावे वशिष्ठ०-कौशिकर्षभौ॥९.

Then the god Prajāpati, seeing them in their former bodies, spoke: 'O Vasiṣṭha and Kauśika, you have been freed from the state of darkness.'

जहि वत्स वशिष्ठ त्वं त्वञ्च कौशिक सत्तम । तामसं भावमाश्रित्य ईदृग्युद्धं चिकीर्षितम्॥९.

'Desist, dear Vasiṣṭha, and you too, noble Kauśika; under the influence of darkness you both sought such a battle.'

राजसूयविपाकोऽयं हरिश्चन्द्रस्य भूपतेः । युवयोर्विग्रहश्चायं पृथिवीक्षयकारकः॥९.

'This conflict is the result of the rājasūya sacrifice of King Hariścandra; your quarrel is causing the destruction of the earth.'

न चापि कौशिकश्रेष्ठस्तस्य राज्ञोऽपरध्यते । स्वर्गप्राप्तिकरो ब्रह्मन्नपकारपदे स्थितः॥९.

'Nor, O best of Kauśikas, has that king committed any offense; he stands in the position of one who brings about attainment of heaven, not in wrongdoing, O Brāhmaṇa.'

तपो विघ्नस्य कर्तारौ कामक्रोधवशं गतौ । परित्यजत भद्रं वो ब्रह्म हि प्रचुरं बलम्॥९.

'You both, under the sway of desire and anger, have become obstacles to asceticism; abandon this, may good befall you, for Brahman is indeed of great power.'

एवमुक्तौ ततस्तेन लज्जितौ तावुभावपि । क्षमयामासतुः प्रीत्या परिष्वज्य परस्परम्॥९.

Thus addressed by him, both became ashamed, and with affection, forgiving each other, they embraced.

ततः सुरैर्वन्द्यमानो ब्रह्मा लोकं निजं ययौ । वशिष्ठोऽप्यात्मनः स्थानं कौशिकोऽपि स्वामाश्रयम्॥९.

Then, honored by the gods, Brahmā returned to his own world; Vasiṣṭha too went to his own place, and Kauśika to his own refuge.

एतदाडिबकं युद्धं हरिश्चन्द्रकथां तथा । कथयिष्यन्ति ये मर्त्याः सम्यक् श्रोष्यन्ति चैव ये॥९.

Whoever among mortals will recite or properly listen to this battle of the Āḍibakas and the tale of Hariścandra—

तेषां पापापनोदन्तु श्रुतं ह्येव करिष्यति । न चैव विघ्नकार्याणि भविष्यन्ति कदाचन॥९.

For them, hearing this will indeed remove their sins, and obstacles to their undertakings will never arise.

पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः यमकिङ्कर उवाच पतितात्प्रतिगृह्यार्थं खरयोनिं व्रजेद्द्विजः । नरकात्प्रतिमुक्तस्तु कृमिः पतितयाजकः ॥ १५.

The fifteenth chapter. Yamakiṅkara said: If a twice-born accepts anything from one fallen, he is born as a donkey; but if released from hell, the fallen sacrificer is born as a worm.

उपाध्यायव्यलीकन्तु कृत्वा श्वा भवति द्विजः । तज्जायां मनसावाञ्छन् तद्द्रव्यञ्चाप्यसंशयम् ॥ १५.

If a twice-born commits an offense against his teacher, he becomes a dog; if he desires the teacher's wife or his property in his mind, there is no doubt of this.

गर्दभो जायते जन्तुः पित्रोश्चाप्यवमानकः । मातापितरावाक्रुश्य शारिका सम्प्रजायते ॥ १५.

A creature who insults his parents is born as a donkey; if he abuses his mother and father, he is born as a myna bird.

भ्रातुः पत्न्यवमन्ता च कपोतत्वं प्रपद्यते । तामेव पीडयित्वा तु कच्छपत्वं प्रपद्यते ॥ १५.

He who insults his brother's wife becomes a pigeon; but if he harms her, he becomes a tortoise.