Markandeya Purana

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.

भर्तृपिण्डमुपाश्नन् यस्तदिष्टं न निषेवते । सोऽपि मोहसमापन्नो जायते वानरो मृतः ॥ १५.

He who eats the funeral offering of his husband but does not perform the prescribed rite, being deluded, is born as a monkey after death.

न्यासापहर्ता नरकाद्विमुक्तो जायते कृमिः । असूयकश्च नरकान्मुक्तो भवति राक्षसः ॥ १५.

He who steals a deposit, when released from hell, is born as a worm; and one who is envious, when freed from hell, becomes a demon.

विश्वासहन्ता च नरो मीनयोनौ प्रजायते । धान्यं यवांस्तिलान्माषान् कुलत्थान् सर्षपांश्चणान् ॥ १५.

A man who betrays trust is born in the womb of a fish; one who steals grain, barley, sesame, black gram, horse gram, mustard, or chickpeas—

कलायान कलमान्मुद्गान् गोधूमानतसीस्तथा । शस्यान्यन्यानि वा हृत्वा मोहाज्जन्तुरचेतनः ॥ १५.

—or who steals peas, rice, green gram, wheat, or lentils, or any other crops out of delusion, is born as an insentient creature.

सञ्जायते महावक्त्रो मूषिको बभ्रुसन्निभः । परदाराभिमर्षात्तु वृको घोरोऽभिजायते ॥ १५.

He is born as a large-mouthed mouse, tawny in appearance; but one who covets another's wife is born as a fierce wolf.

श्वा शृगालो वको गृध्रो व्याडः कङ्कस्तथा क्रमात् । भ्रातृभार्याञ्च दुर्बुद्धिर्यो धर्षयति पापकृत् ॥ १५.

A wicked man who violates his brother's wife is born, in order, as a dog, jackal, crane, vulture, snake, or heron.

पुंस्कोकिलत्वमाप्नोति स चापि नरकाच्च्युतः । सखिभार्यां गुरोर्भार्यां राजभार्याञ्च पापकृत् ॥ १५.

He attains the state of a male cuckoo after falling from hell, if he violates the wife of a friend, a teacher, or a king.

प्रधर्षयित्वा कामात्मा शूकरो जायते नरः । यज्ञदानविवाहानां विघ्रकर्ता भवेत्कृमिः ॥ १५.

After violating them out of lust, a man is born as a boar; one who disrupts sacrifices, gifts, or marriages becomes a worm.

पुनर्दात्च कन्यायाः कृमिरेवोपजायते । देवतापितृविप्राणामदत्वा योऽन्नमश्नुते ॥ १५.

One who gives away a girl and then takes her back is also born as a worm; whoever eats food without offering it to gods, ancestors, or Brahmins—

प्रमुक्तो नरकात्सोऽपि वायसः सम्प्रजायते । ज्येष्ठं पितृसमं वापि भ्रातरं योऽवमन्यते ॥ १५.

—even after being released from hell, is born as a crow; one who disrespects his eldest brother or a brother equal to his father—