Markandeya Purana

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?

अहोरात्रव्यवस्थाया विना मासर्तुसंक्षयः । तत्संक्षयान्न त्वयने ज्ञायेते दक्षिणोत्तरे॥१६.

Without the division of day and night, the months and seasons would not come to an end; and without their completion, the southern and northern courses would not be known.

विना चायनविज्ञानात् कालः संवत्सरः कुतः । संवत्सरं विना नान्यत् कालज्ञानं प्रवर्तते॥१६.

And without knowledge of these courses, how could the year, which is time, be understood? Without the year, no other knowledge of time proceeds.

पतिव्रताया वचसा नोद्गच्छति दिवाकरः । सूर्योदयं विना नैव स्त्रानदानादिकाः क्रियाः॥१६.

By the word of the devoted wife, the sun does not rise; and without sunrise, acts such as bathing, giving gifts, and others are not performed.

नाग्नेर्विहरणञ्चैव क्रात्वभावश्च लक्ष्यते । नैवाप्ययनमस्माकं विना होमेन जायते॥१६.

Without the movement of fire, the performance of sacrifices is not observed; nor does our course proceed without the offering of oblations.

वयमाप्यायिता मर्त्यैर्यज्ञभागैर्यथोचितैः । वृष्ट्या ताननुगृह्णीमो मर्त्यान् शस्यादिसिद्धये॥१६.

We too are nourished by mortals with proper shares of sacrifice; and with rain, we favor mortals for the attainment of crops and the like.

निष्पादितास्वोषधीषु मर्त्या यज्ञैर्यजन्ति नः । तेषां वयं प्रयच्छामः कामान् यज्ञादिपूजिताः॥१६.

Mortals worship us with sacrifices using the plants they have produced; and being honored by sacrifice and the like, we grant them their desires.

अधो हि वर्षाम वयं मर्त्याश्चोर्ध्वप्रवर्षिणः । तोयवर्षेण हि वयं हविर्वर्षेण मानवाः॥१६.

We send rain down below, and mortals offer upwards; for we with water, and humans with oblations, each offer in their own way.

ये नास्माकं प्रयच्छन्ति नित्यनैमित्तकीः क्रियाः । क्रतुभागं दुरात्मानः स्वयञ्चाश्नन्ति लोलुपाः॥१६.

Those wicked ones who do not offer us the regular and occasional rites, but greedily consume the sacrificial portion themselves—

विनाशाय वयं तेषां तोयसूर्याग्निमारुतान् । क्षितिञ्च सन्दूषयामः पापानामपकारिणाम्॥१६.

For the destruction of such sinful wrongdoers, we corrupt their water, sun, fire, wind, and earth.

दुष्टतोयादिभोगेन तेषां दुष्कृतकर्मिणाम् । उपसर्गाः प्रवर्तन्ते मरणाय सुदारुणाः॥१६.

By consuming corrupted water and the like, for those who perform evil deeds, fierce calamities arise, leading to death.