Markandeya Purana

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.

गतित्रयं तथा तालं मया दत्तं चतुर्विधम् । एतद्भवान्मत्प्रसादात्पन्नगेन्द्रापरञ्च यत् ॥ २३.

The three types of gait and the fourfold tāla have been given by me; all this, together with the supreme serpent-music, you shall receive by my favor.

अस्यान्तर्गतमायत्तं स्वरव्यञ्जनसंमितम् । तदशेषं मया दत्तं भवतः कम्बलस्य च ॥ २३.

All that is contained within it, dependent on it, and marked by notes and accents—I have given it all, to you and to Kambala.

तथा नान्यस्य भूर्लोके पाताले चापि पन्नग । प्रणेतारौ भवन्तौ च सर्वस्यास्य भविष्यतः । पाताले देवलोके च भूर्लोके चैव पन्नगौ ॥ २३.

And, O serpent, in the world of mortals or in the netherworld, there will be no others; you two alone shall be the masters of all this, in Pātāla, in the world of gods, and among mortals, O serpents.

जड उवाच इत्युक्त्वा सा तदा देवी सर्वजिह्वा सरस्वती । जगामादर्शनं सद्यो नागस्य कमलेक्षणा ॥ २३.

Jaḍa said: Having spoken thus, the goddess Sarasvatī, mistress of all speech, vanished at once from the sight of the serpent, her eyes like lotuses.

तयोश्च तद्यथावृत्तं भ्रात्रोः सर्वमजायत । विज्ञानमुभयोरग्र्यं पदतालस्वरादिकम् ॥ २३.

And all that had transpired became manifest to the two brothers; supreme knowledge of meter, measure, notes, and the rest arose in both.

ततः कैलासशैलेन्द्रशिखरस्थितमीश्वरम् । गीतकैः सप्तभिर्नागौ तन्त्रीलयसमन्वितौ ॥ २३.

Then the two serpents, skilled in the seven modes of song and endowed with string and rhythm, sought to worship the Lord who dwells atop Mount Kailāsa.

आरिराधयिषू देवमनङ्गाङ्गहरं हरम् । प्रचक्रतुः परं यत्नमुभौ संहतवाक्कलौ ॥ २३.

Desiring to please the god, the destroyer of Kāma, both together exerted the utmost effort, uniting their voices and skill.

प्रातर्निशायां मध्याह्ने सन्ध्ययोश्चापि तत्परौ । तयोः कालेन महता स्तूयमानो वृषध्वजः ॥ २३.

In the morning, at night, at midday, and at the twilights, they remained devoted; over a long time, as they sang his praises, the bull-bannered Lord was pleased.

तुतोष गीतकैस्तौ च प्राहेशो गृह्यतां वरः । ततः प्रणम्याश्वतरः कम्बलेन समं तदा ॥ २३.

Pleased by their songs, the Lord spoke: 'Choose a boon.' Then, bowing together, Aśvatara and Kambala addressed him.

व्यज्ञापयन्महादेवं शितिकण्ठमुमापतिम् । यदि नौ भगवान् प्रीतो देवदेवस्त्रिलोचनः ॥ २३.

They petitioned the great god, the blue-throated Lord, husband of Umā: 'If the three-eyed God of gods is pleased with us—'

ततो यथाभिलषितं वरमेनं प्रयच्छ नौ । मृता कुवलयाश्वस्य पत्नी देव ! मदालसा ॥ २३.

'Then grant us this boon as we desire: O god, let Madālasā, wife of the deceased Kuvalayāśva, become—'

तेनैव वयसा सद्यो दुहितृत्वं प्रयातु मे । जातिस्मरा यथा पूर्वं तद्वत्कान्तिसमन्विता । योगिनी योगमाता च मद्गेहे जायतां भव ॥ २३.

'—my daughter at once, in the same age as before, with memory of her past life, endowed with the same beauty, and let her be born in my house as a yoginī and mother of yogins.'

महादेव उवाच यथोक्तं पन्नगश्रेष्ठ ! सर्वेमेतद्भविष्यति । मत्प्रसादादसन्दिग्धं श्रुणु चेदं भुजङ्गम ॥ २३.

Mahādeva said: 'As you have spoken, O best of serpents, so shall it be, without doubt, by my grace. Now hear this, O serpent.'

श्राद्धे तु समनुप्राप्ते मध्यमं पिण्डमात्मना । भक्षयेथाः फणिश्रेष्ठ ! शुचिः प्रयतमानसः ॥ २३.

'When the śrāddha ceremony is performed, you, O best of serpents, should eat the middle rice-ball yourself, with purity and focused mind.'

भक्षिते तु ततस्तस्मिन् भवतो मध्यमात्फणात् । समुत्पत्स्यति कल्याणी तथारूपा यथामृता ॥ २३.

'When you have eaten it, from the middle of your hood, she of auspicious form, just as before, shall arise.'

कामञ्चेममभिध्याय कुरु त्वं पितृतर्पणम् । तत्क्षणादेव सा सुभ्रूः श्वसतो मध्यमात्फणात् ॥ २३.

'While thinking of her, perform the ancestral offering; at that very moment, she of beautiful brows will emerge from the middle of your hood, breathing forth.'

समुत्पत्स्यति कल्याणी तथारूपा यथामृता । एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततस्तौ तु प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् ॥ २३.

A virtuous woman will arise, just as beautiful as Amrita; hearing this, the two then bowed to the great Lord.

रसातलं पुनः प्राप्तौ परितोषसमन्वितौ । तथा च कृतवान् श्राद्धं स नागः कम्बलानुजः ॥ २३.

They returned again to the netherworld, filled with satisfaction; and thus the serpent Kambala’s younger brother performed the śrāddha ritual.

पिण्डञ्च मध्यमं तद्वद्यथावदुपभुक्तवान् । तञ्चापि ध्यायः कामं ततः सा तनुमध्यमा ॥ २३.

He properly consumed the middle portion of the rice-ball offering, and as he meditated upon her with desire, that slender-waisted woman—

जज्ञे निश्वसतः सद्यस्तद्रूपा मध्यमात्फणात् । न चापि कथयामास कस्यचित्स भुजङ्गमः ॥ २३.

Was instantly born from the middle hood as he exhaled, taking that very form; and the serpent did not tell anyone about her.