Markandeya Purana

मयारिशातनं कार्यं राज्ञः शुश्रुषणं पितुः । जीवितं तस्य चायत्तं सन्त्याज्यं तत्कथं मया ॥ २३.

'I must destroy the enemies, serve the king, my father; his life depends on me—how, then, could I abandon it?'

किन्त्वत्र मन्ये कर्तव्यस्त्यागो भागस्य योषितः । स चापि नोपकाराय तन्वङ्ग्याः किन्तु सर्वथा ॥ २३.

However, I think here the duty is to renounce the share belonging to the woman; and this too is not for her benefit, O slender one, but in every way.

मया नृशंस्यं कर्तव्यं नोपकार्यपकारि च । या मदर्थेऽत्यजत्प्राणांस्तदर्थेऽल्पमिदं मम ॥ २३.

I must perform this act of compassion, not for reward or harm; she gave up her life for my sake—this small thing is for her.

पुत्रावूचतुः इति कृत्वा मतिं सोऽथ निष्पाद्योदकदानिकम् । क्रियाश्चानन्तरं कृत्वा प्रत्युवाच ऋतध्वजः ॥ २३.

The sons spoke thus. Then, having made up his mind, he performed the water-offering; and after completing the subsequent rites, Ṛtadhvaja spoke.

ऋतध्वज उवाच यदि सा मम तन्वङ्गी न स्याद्भार्या मदालसा । अस्मिन् जन्मनि नान्या मे भवित्री सहचारिणी ॥ २३.

Ṛtadhvaja said: If that slender-limbed woman, Madālasā, is not my wife, then in this life I shall have no other companion.

तामृते मृगशावाक्षीं गन्धर्वतनयामहम् । न भोक्ष्ये योषितं काञ्चिदिति सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥ २३.

Except for her, the fawn-eyed daughter of the Gandharva, I will not enjoy any other woman—this is the truth I declare.

सद्धर्मचारिणीं पत्नीं तां मुक्त्वा गजगामिनीम्,। काञ्चिन्नाङ्गीकरिष्यामीत्येतत्सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥ २३.

Leaving aside that elephant-gaited wife, who walks in righteousness, I will not accept any other—this is the truth I declare.

पुत्रावूचतुः परित्यज्य च स्त्रीभोगान् तात ! सर्वंस्तया विना । क्रीडन्नास्ते समं तुल्यैर्वयस्यैः शीलसम्पदा ॥ २३.

The sons spoke: Having renounced all pleasures with women, father, he lives, playing with his peers of equal virtue, without her.

एतत्तस्य परं कार्यं तात ! तत्केन शक्यते । कर्तुमत्यर्थदुष्प्राप्यमीश्वरैः किमुतेतरैः ॥ २३.

This is his highest duty, father! Who is able to accomplish it? It is extremely difficult to attain, even for gods, let alone others.

जड उवाच इति वाक्यं तयोः श्रुत्वा विमर्शमगमत्पिता । विमृश्य चाह तौ पुत्रौ नागराट्प्रहसन्निव ॥ २३.

Jaḍa spoke: Hearing these words from the two, their father reflected; and after considering, he spoke to his sons, the king of Nāgas, as if smiling.

नागराडश्वतर उवाच यद्यशक्यमिति ज्ञात्वा न करिष्यन्ति मानवाः । कर्मण्युद्यममुद्योगहान्या हानिस्ततः परम् ॥ २३.

The Nāga king Aśvatara said: If, knowing something is impossible, men do not act, then all effort and enterprise in action is lost, and that is the greatest loss.

आरभेत नरः कर्म स्वपौरुषमहापयन् । निष्पत्तिः कर्मणो दैवे पौरुषे च व्यवस्थिता ॥ २३.

A man should undertake action, pouring forth his own strength; the outcome of action depends both on destiny and on human effort.

तस्मादहं तथा यत्नं करिष्ये पुत्रकावितः । तपश्चर्यां समास्थाय यथैतत्साध्यतेऽचिरात् ॥ २३.

Therefore, my sons, I will exert myself accordingly; undertaking austerity, I will strive so that this may soon be accomplished.

जड उवाच एवमुक्त्वा स नागेन्द्रः प्लक्षावतरणं गिरेः । तीर्थं हिमवतो गत्वा तपस्तेपे सुदुश्चरम् ॥ २३.

Jaḍa spoke: Thus having spoken, the lord of Nāgas went to the sacred place Plakṣāvataraṇa on the Himavat mountain, and performed severe austerities.

तुष्टाव गीर्भिश्च ततस्तत्र देवीं सरस्वतीम् । तन्मना नियताहारो भूत्वा त्रिषवणाप्लुतः ॥ २३.

There, with his mind focused, observing regulated food, and bathing three times daily, he praised the goddess Sarasvatī with hymns.

अश्वतर उवाच जगद्धात्रीमहं देवीमारिराधयिषुः शुभाम् । स्तोष्ये प्रणम्य शिरसा ब्रह्मयोनिं सरस्वतीम् ॥ २३.

Aśvatara said: I wish to propitiate the auspicious goddess, the mother of the world; I will praise Sarasvatī, the source of Brahmā, bowing my head.

सदसद्देवि ! सत्किञ्चिन्मोक्षवच्चार्थवत्पदम् । तत्सर्वं त्वय्यसंयोगं योगवद्देवि ! संस्थितम् ॥ २३.

O goddess, existent and non-existent! The true, the little, the liberating, the meaningful—everything that is not united with you, O goddess, is established as if by yoga.

त्वमक्षरं परं देवि ! यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । अक्षरं परमं देवि ! संस्थितं परमाणुवत् ॥ २३.

You are the imperishable, supreme goddess, in whom all is established; the imperishable, supreme, established as the ultimate atom.

अक्षरं परमं ब्रह्म विश्वञ्चैतत्क्षरात्मकम् । दारुण्यवस्थितो वह्निर्भौमाश्च परमाणवः ॥ २३.

The imperishable, supreme Brahman, and this entire universe is of the nature of the perishable; fire abides in wood, and the ultimate atoms are in the earth.

तथा त्वयि स्थितं ब्रह्म जगच्चेदमशेषतः । ओङ्काराक्षरसंस्थानं यत्तु देवि ! स्थिरास्थिरम् ॥ २३.

Thus, in you abides Brahman, and this entire universe without remainder; O Goddess, the form of the syllable Om, both stable and unstable, is established in you.

तत्र मात्रात्रयं सर्वमस्ति यद्देवि नास्ति च । त्रयो लोकास्त्रयो वेदास्त्रैविद्यं पावकत्रयम् ॥ २३.

There, O Goddess, all that exists and does not exist is contained within the three measures; the three worlds, the three Vedas, the threefold knowledge, and the three kinds of fire.

त्रीणि ज्योतींषि वर्णाश्च त्रयो धर्मागमास्तथा । त्रयो गुणास्त्रयः शब्दस्त्रयो वेदास्तथाश्रमाः ॥ २३.

Three lights, three colors, and likewise three sources of Dharma; three qualities, three sounds, three Vedas, and the three stages of life.

त्रयः कालास्तथावस्थाः पितरोऽहर्निशादयः । एतन्मात्रात्रयं देवि ! तव रूपं सरस्वति ॥ २३.

Three times, three states, the ancestors, day and night, and so on—this triple measure, O Goddess Sarasvati, is your very form.

विभिन्नदर्शिनामाद्या ब्रह्मणो हि सनातनाः । सोमसंस्था हविः संस्थाः पाकसंस्थाश्च सप्त याः ॥ २३.

The original, eternal forms of Brahman are seen differently by various seers: the seven Soma sacrifices, the seven oblations, and the seven cooked offerings.

तास्त्वदुच्चारणाद्देवि ! क्रियन्ते ब्रह्मवादिभिः । अनिर्देश्यं तथा चान्यदर्धमात्रान्वितं परम् ॥ २३.

These, O Goddess, are performed by speakers of Brahman through your utterance; and there is another, indescribable, supreme form, endowed with the half-measure.

अविकार्यक्षयं दिव्यं परिणामविवर्जितम् । तवैतत्परमं रूपं यन्न शक्यं मयोदितुम् ॥ २३.

Unchanging, imperishable, divine, free from transformation—this is your supreme form, which I am unable to describe.

न चास्ये न च तज्जिह्वा ताम्रोष्ठादिभिरुच्यते । इन्द्रोऽपि वसवो ब्रह्मा चन्द्रार्कौ ज्योतिरेव च ॥ २३.

It is not said to have a tongue, nor red lips, nor any such features; even Indra, the Vasus, Brahma, the Moon, the Sun, and the very light itself—

विश्वावासं विश्वरूपं विश्वेशं परमेश्वरम् । सांख्यवेदान्तवादोक्तं बहुशाखास्थिरीकृतम् ॥ २३.

The universal abode, the universal form, the Lord of the universe, the Supreme Lord—spoken of in the doctrines of Samkhya and Vedanta, established in many branches.

अनादिमध्यनिधनं सदसन्न सदेव यत् । एकन्त्वनेकं नाप्येकं भवभेदसमाश्रैतम् ॥ २३.

Without beginning, middle, or end; existent and nonexistent, and yet only existent; one and yet many, not even one, embracing all forms of becoming.