Markandeya Purana

एकान्तराशी वश्यात्मा भव भिक्षुरतन्द्रितः । तत्र योगापरो भूत्वा बाह्यस्पर्शविवर्जितः॥१६.

Be one who eats little, self-controlled, a tireless mendicant; there, devoted to yoga, avoid contact with external objects.

ततः प्राप्स्यति तं योगं दुः शसंयोगभेषजम् । मुक्तिहेतुमनौपम्यमनाख्येयमसङ्गिनम् । यत्संयोगान्न ते योगो भूयो भूतैर्भविष्यति॥१६.

Then you will attain that yoga, the remedy for the suffering of union with pain, the incomparable and indescribable cause of liberation, unattached; and by that union, you will not again be joined with the elements.

पितोवाच वत्स योगं ममाचक्ष्व मुक्तिहेतुमतः परम् । येन भूतैः पुनर्भूतो नेदृगः खमवाप्नुयाम्॥१६.

The father said: My child, explain to me that yoga, the supreme cause of liberation, by which, having become free from the elements, I will not again enter such a state.

यत्रासक्तिपरस्यात्मा मम संसारबन्धनैः । नैति योगमयोगोऽपि तं योगमधुना वद॥१६.

Tell me now of that yoga in which, even for one attached, the self is not bound by the fetters of worldly existence, whether in yoga or not.

संसारादित्यतापार्ति-विप्लुष्यद्देहमानसम् । ब्रह्मज्ञानाम्बुशीतेन सिञ्च मां वाक्यवारिणा॥१६.

My body and mind are scorched by the burning pain and distress of worldly existence; sprinkle me with the cool water of words, the water of knowledge of Brahman.

अविद्याकृष्णसर्पेण दष्टं तद्विषपीडितम् । स्ववाक्यामृतपानेन मां जीवय पुनर्मृतम्॥१६.

Bitten by the black serpent of ignorance, tormented by its poison, revive me—who am as if dead—by the nectar of your words.

पुत्र-दार-गृह-क्षेत्र-ममत्वनिगजडार्दितम् । मां मोचयेष्टसद्भाव-विज्ञानोद्घाटनैस्त्वरन्॥१६.

Afflicted by the stupefying elephant of attachment to son, wife, house, and land, quickly free me by unlocking the true knowledge of the real and the good.

पुत्र उवाच शृणु तात ! यथा योगो दत्तात्रेयेण धीमता । अलर्काय पुरा प्रोक्तः सम्यक् पृष्टेन विस्तरात्॥१६.

The son said: Listen, father, to the yoga as taught by the wise Dattatreya to Alarka long ago, when he was properly questioned in detail.

पितोवाच दत्तात्रेयः सुतः कस्य कथं वा योगमुक्तवान् । कश्चालर्को महाभागो यो यौगं परिपृष्टवान्॥१६.

The father said: Whose son is Dattatreya, and how did he teach yoga? Who is this fortunate Alarka who questioned him about yoga?

पुत्र उवाच कौशिको ब्राह्मणः कश्चित् प्रतिष्ठानेऽभवत् पुरे । सोऽन्यजन्मकृतैः पापैः कुष्ठरोगातुरोऽभवत्॥१६.

The son said: There was a certain Brahmin named Kaushika in the city of Pratishthana; because of sins from previous births, he became afflicted with leprosy.

तं तथा व्याधितं भार्या पतिं देवमिवार्च्चयत् । पादाभ्यङ्गाङ्गसंवाह-स्त्रानाच्छादनभोजनैः॥१६.

Though he was thus diseased, his wife served her husband like a god, with foot massages, rubbing his limbs, bathing, clothing, and feeding him.

श्लेष्म-मूत्र-पुरीषासृक्-प्रवाहक्षालनेन च । रहश्चैवोपचारेण प्रियसम्भाषणेन च॥१६.

By washing away phlegm, urine, feces, and blood, and by attending to him in private, and by speaking affectionately to him.

स तया पूज्यमानोऽपि सदातीव विनीतया । अतीव तीव्रकोपत्वान्निर्भर्त्सयति निष्ठुरः॥१६.

Even though he was honored by her, always exceedingly humble, he, because of his intense anger, harshly rebuked her.

तथापि प्रणता भार्या तममन्यत दैवतम् । तं तथाप्यतिबीभत्सं सर्वश्रेष्ठममन्यत॥१६.

Nevertheless, the devoted wife regarded him as her deity; even though he was exceedingly dreadful, she considered him the greatest of all.

अचङ्क्रमणशोलोऽपि स कदाचिद् द्विजोत्तमः । प्राह भार्यां नयस्वेति त्वं मां तस्या निवेशनम्॥१६.

Although unable to walk, that best of twice-born at some time said to his wife, 'Take me to her dwelling.'

या सा वेश्या मया दृष्टा राजमार्गे गृहोषिता । तां मां प्रापय धर्मज्ञे ! सैव मे हृदि वर्तते॥१६.

'That courtesan whom I saw on the royal road, who lives in a house—bring me to her, O knower of dharma! She alone dwells in my heart.'

दृष्टा सूर्योदये बाला रात्रिश्चेयमुपागता । दर्शनानन्तरं सा मे हृदयान्नापसर्पति॥१६.

'The girl seen at sunrise has now arrived at night; after seeing her, she does not depart from my heart.'

यदि सा चारुसर्वाङ्गी पीनश्रोणिपयोधरा । नोपगूहति तन्वङ्गी तन्मां द्रक्ष्यसि वै मृतम्॥१६.

'If that beautiful woman, with full hips and breasts, does not embrace me, O slender one, you will surely see me dead.'

वामः कामो मनुष्याणां बहुभिः प्रार्थ्यते च सा । ममाशक्तिश्च गमने सङ्कुलं प्रतिभाति मे॥१६.

'Desire is fickle among men, and she is sought by many; my inability to go makes the path seem difficult to me.'

तत् तदा वचनं श्रुत्वा भर्तुः कामातुरस्य सा । तत्पत्नी सत्कुलोत्पन्ना महाभागा पतिव्रता॥१६.

Then, hearing her husband's words, who was overwhelmed by desire, his wife, born in a noble family, greatly fortunate and devoted to her husband,

गाग्ं परिकरं बद्ध्वा शुल्कमादाय चाधिकम् । स्कन्धे भर्तारमादाय जगाम मृदुगामिनी॥१६.

Tied up her garments, took extra payment, and, carrying her husband on her shoulder, the gentle-moving woman set out.

निशि मेघास्तृते व्योम्नि चलद्विद्युत्प्रदर्शिते । राजमार्गे प्रियं भर्तुश्चिकीर्षन्ती द्विजाङ्गना॥१६.

At night, with the sky covered by clouds and flashes of lightning, the twice-born woman, wishing to please her husband, walked along the royal road.

पथि शूले तथा प्रोतमचौरं यौरशङ्कया । माण्डव्यमतिदुः खार्तमन्धकारेऽथ स द्विजः॥१६.

On the path, impaled on a stake, was a thief, suspected of theft; Māṇḍavya, suffering greatly in the darkness, was there, that twice-born.

पत्नीस्कन्धे समारूढश्चालयामास कौशिकः । पादावमर्षणात् क्रुद्धो माण्डव्यस्तमुवाच ह॥१६.

With her husband mounted on her shoulder, Kauśika moved along; Māṇḍavya, angry from the pain in his feet, spoke to him.

येनाहमेवमत्यर्थं दुः खितश्चालितः पदा । दशां कष्टामनुप्राप्तः स पापात्मा नराधमः॥१६.

'By whom I have been so greatly distressed and shaken by the feet, and have reached this terrible condition—that sinful, vile man—'

सूर्योदयेऽवशः प्राणैर्विमोक्ष्यति न संशयः । भास्करालोकनादेव स विनाशमवाप्स्यति॥१६.

'At sunrise, he will lose his life, without doubt; merely by seeing the sun, he will meet his destruction.'

तस्य भार्याततः श्रुत्वा तं शापमतिदारुणम् । प्रोवाच व्यथिता सूर्यो नैवोदयमुपैष्यति॥१६.

Hearing that dreadful curse upon her husband, his wife, distressed, said, 'The sun will not rise.'

ततः सूर्योदयाभावादभवत् सन्तता निशा । बहून्यहः प्रमाणानि ततो देवा भयं ययुः॥१६.

Then, because the sun did not rise, night continued unbroken; for many days this persisted, and the gods became fearful.

निः स्वाध्यायवषट्कार-स्वधास्वाहाविवर्जितम् । कथं नु खल्विदं सर्वं न गच्छेत् संक्षयं जगत्॥१६.

Without recitation, oblations, offerings to ancestors and gods—how can all this not bring destruction to the world?