Markandeya Purana

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.

अनाख्यं षड्गुणाख्यञ्च वर्गाख्यं त्रिगुणाश्रयम् । नानाशक्तिमतामेकं शक्तिवैभविकं परम् ॥ २३.

Nameless, called the sixfold, classified as groups, based on the three qualities; the one among those with manifold powers, the supreme, endowed with the glory of power.

सुखासुखं महासौख्यरूपं त्वयि विभाव्यते । एवं देवि ! त्वया व्याप्तं सकलं निष्कलञ्च यत् । अद्वैतावस्थितं ब्रह्म यच्च द्वैते व्यवस्थितम् ॥ २३.

Both happiness and unhappiness, the form of supreme bliss, are perceived in you; thus, O Goddess, all that is manifest and unmanifest is pervaded by you—Brahman established in nonduality, and that which is established in duality.

येऽर्था नित्या ये विनश्यन्ति चान्ये ये वा स्थूला ये च सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्माः । ये वा भूमौ येऽन्तरीक्षेऽन्यतो वा तेषां तेषां त्वत्त एवोपलब्धिः ॥ २३.

Whatever objects are eternal, and others that perish; those that are gross, and those that are subtle or most subtle; those on earth, in the sky, or elsewhere—all these are known only through you.

यच्चामूर्तं यच्च मूर्तं समस्तं यद्वा भूतेष्वेकमेकञ्च किञ्चित् । यद्दिव्यस्ति क्ष्मातले खेऽन्यतो वा त्वत्सम्बद्धं त्वत्स्वरैर्व्यञ्जनैश्च ॥ २३.

Whatever is formless and whatever is formed, all of it; whatever is one or manifold among beings; whatever is divine, on earth, in the sky, or elsewhere—all is connected to you, expressed through your sounds and letters.

जड उवाच एवं स्तुता तदा देवी विष्णोर्जिह्वा सरस्वती । प्रत्युवाच महात्मानं नागमश्वतरं ततः ॥ २३.

Jaḍa said: Thus praised, the Goddess Sarasvati, the tongue of Vishnu, then addressed the great-souled serpent Ashvatara.

सरस्वत्युवाच वरं ते कम्बलभ्रातः प्रयच्छाम्युरगाधिप ! । तदुच्यतां प्रदास्यामि यत्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥ २३.

Sarasvati said: O brother of Kambala, lord of serpents, I grant you a boon; speak, and I will give whatever is in your mind.

अश्वतर उवाच सहायं देहि देवि ! त्वं पूर्वं कम्बलमेव मे । समस्तस्वरसम्बन्धमुभयोः संप्रयच्छ च ॥ २३.

Ashvatara said: O Goddess, first grant me Kambala as a companion; and bestow upon both of us the connection with all the notes.

सरस्वत्युवाच सप्त स्वरा ग्रामरागाः सप्त पन्नगसत्तम ! । गीतकानि च सप्तैव तावतीश्चापि मूर्च्छनाः ॥ २३.

Sarasvati said: O best of serpents, the seven notes, the musical modes, the seven songs, and likewise the same number of scales.

तालाश्चैकोनपञ्चाशत्तथा ग्रामत्रयञ्च यत् । एतत्सर्वं भवान् गाता कम्बलश्च तथानघ ! ॥ २३.

Fifty-one tālas, as well as three grāmas—this entire knowledge, O sinless one, you and Kambala shall receive.

ज्ञास्यसे मत्प्रसादेन भुजगेन्द्रापरं तथा । चतुर्विधं पदं तालं त्रिः प्रकारं लयत्रयम् ॥ २३.

By my grace you shall also know the supreme art of serpent-music, the fourfold measure, the tāla, the three kinds of tempo, and the threefold rhythm.