Markandeya Purana

याः शाखाः कल्पवृक्षाणां पूर्वमासन् द्विजोत्तम । ता एव शाखा गेहानां शालात्वं तेन तासु तत्॥४९.

Those branches which once belonged to the wish-fulfilling trees, O best of twice-born, became the branches of homes, thus they acquired the nature of timber.

कृत्वा द्वन्द्वोपघातन्ते वार्तोपायमचिन्तयन् । नष्टेषु मधुना सार्धं कल्पवृक्षेष्वशेषतः॥४९.

After suffering mutual destruction, they considered means of livelihood, for when the honey was lost, the wish-fulfilling trees were entirely gone.

विषादव्याकुलास्ता वै प्रजास्तृष्णाक्षुधार्दिताः । ततः प्रादुर्बभौ तासां सिद्धिस्त्रेतामुखे तदा॥४९.

Distressed and overwhelmed by sorrow, the people were afflicted by thirst and hunger; then, at the beginning of the Treta age, success appeared for them.

वार्तास्वसाधिता ह्यन्या वृष्टिस्तासां निकामतः । तासां वृष्ट्युदकानीह यानि निम्नगतानि वै॥४९.

When other means of livelihood failed, abundant rain came for them; from that rain, the waters that flowed into low places became available.

वृष्ट्यावरुद्धैरभवत् स्त्रोतः खातानि निम्नगाः । ये पुरस्तादपां स्तोका आपन्नाः पृथिवीतले॥४९.

With the streams blocked by rain, channels formed in the lowlands; those small amounts of water that had previously reached the earth's surface.

ततो भूमेश्च संयोगादोषध्यस्तास्तदा भवन् । अफालकृष्टाश्चानुप्ता ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश॥४९.

Then, from the union of earth, plants arose; fourteen kinds, both cultivated and wild, grew without being sown or plowed.

ऋतुपुष्पफलाश्चैव वृक्षा गुल्माश्च जज्ञिरे । प्रादुर्भावस्तु त्रेतायामाद्योऽयमौषधस्य तु॥४९.

Trees and shrubs bearing flowers and fruits according to the seasons were produced; and this was the first appearance of medicinal plants in the Treta age.

तेनौषधेन वर्तन्ते प्रजास्त्रेतायुगे मुने । रागलोभौ समासाद्य प्रजाश्चाकस्मिकौ तदा॥४९.

By means of those medicinal plants, people lived in the Treta age, O sage; but then, suddenly, desire and greed arose among them.

ततस्ताः पर्यग्वह्णन्त नदीक्षेत्राणि पर्वतान् । वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैवमात्मन्यायाद्यथाबलम्॥४९.

Because of this, they appropriated rivers, fields, mountains, trees, shrubs, and medicinal plants for themselves, each according to their strength and means.

तेन दोषेण ता नेशुरौषध्यो मिषतां द्विज । अग्रसद् भूर्युगपत्तास्तदौषध्यो महामते॥४९.

Due to that fault, O twice-born, the medicinal plants did not thrive; many were lost simultaneously, O wise one.

पुनस्तासु प्रणष्टासु विभ्रान्तास्ताः पुनः प्रजाः । ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुः क्षुधार्ताः परमेष्ठिनम्॥४९.

When those were again destroyed, the people, confused and afflicted by hunger, sought refuge in Brahma, the supreme lord.

स चापि तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा तदा ग्रस्तां वसुन्धराम् । वत्सं कृत्वा सुमेरुन्तु दुदोह भगवान् विभुः॥४९.

And he, understanding the situation, seeing the earth consumed, made Mount Sumeru the calf and milked her, the Lord, the mighty one.

दुग्धेयं गौस्तदा तेन शस्यानि पृथिवीतले । जज्ञिरे तानि बीजानि ग्राम्यारण्यास्तु ताः पुनः॥४९.

Thus, the earth was milked by him, and grains appeared upon the surface; those seeds, both cultivated and wild, were produced again.

ओषध्यः फलपाकान्ता गणाः सप्तदशा स्मृताः । व्रीहयश्च यवाश्चैव गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः॥४९.

The groups of medicinal plants that ripen with fruit are said to be seventeen; rice, barley, wheat, millet, and sesame.

प्रियङ्गवो ह्युदाराश्च कोरदूषाः सचीनकाः । माषा मुद्गा मसूराश्च निष्पावाः सकुलत्थकाः॥४९.

Priyangu, udara, koradusha, and chinaka; masha, mudga, masura, nishpava, and kulattha.

आढकाश्चणकाश्चैव गणाः सप्तदश स्मृताः । इत्येता ओषधीनान्तु ग्राम्याणां जातयः पुरा॥४९.

Adhaka and chanaka, making up seventeen groups; thus these are the ancient varieties of cultivated medicinal plants.

ओषध्यो जज्ञियाश्चैव ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश । व्रीहयश्च यवाश्चैव गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः॥४९.

Fourteen kinds of medicinal plants, both cultivated and wild, were produced; rice, barley, wheat, millet, and sesame.

प्रियङ्गुसप्तमा ह्येते अष्टमास्तु कुलत्थकाः । श्यामाकास्त्वथ नीवारा यत्तिला सगवेधुकाः॥४९.

Priyangu is the seventh, and kulattha is the eighth; then come shyamaka, nivara, yava, tila, and gavedhuka.

कुरुविन्दा मर्कटकास्तथा वेणुयवाश्च ये । ग्राम्यारण्याः स्मृता ह्येता ओषध्यश्च चतुर्दश॥४९.

Kuruvinda, markataka, and also venu-yava—these are the fourteen cultivated and wild plants that are remembered.

यदा प्रसृष्टा ओषध्यो न प्ररोहन्ति ताः पुनः । ततः स तासां वृद्ध्यर्थं वार्तोपायञ्चकार ह॥४९.

When these plants, though sown, did not sprout again, then he devised means of agriculture for their growth.

ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर्भगवान् हस्तसिद्धिञ्च कर्मजाम् । ततः प्रभृत्यथौषध्यः कृष्टपच्यास्तु जज्ञिरे॥४९.

Brahma, the self-born Lord, then established the accomplishment of work by hand; from that time, cultivated plants began to be produced.

संसिद्धायान्तु वार्तायां ततस्तासां स्वयं प्रभुः । मर्यादां स्थापयामास यथान्यायं यथागुणम्॥४९.

When agriculture was perfected, then the Lord himself established proper boundaries for them, according to justice and their qualities.

वर्णानामाश्रमाणाञ्च धर्मान् धर्मभृतांवर । लोकानां सर्ववर्णानां सम्यग्धर्मार्थपालिनाम्॥४९.

He established the duties of the classes and stages of life, O best of the righteous, for all the worlds and all classes, who rightly uphold dharma and wealth.

प्राजापत्यं ब्राह्मणानां स्मृतं स्थानं क्रियावताम् । स्थानमैन्द्रं क्षत्रियाणां संग्रामेष्वपलायिनाम्॥४९.

The place of the Brahmanas engaged in rites is remembered as Prajapatya; the place of Kshatriyas who do not flee in battle is Indra's.

वैश्यानां मारुतं स्थानं स्वधर्ममनुवर्तताम् । गान्धर्वं शूद्रजातीनां परिचर्यानुवर्तताम्॥४९.

For the Vaishyas who follow their own duty, the place is Maruta; for the Shudra castes who engage in service, the place is Gandharva.

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणामृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । स्मृतं तेषान्तु यत् स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्॥४९.

The place remembered for the eighty-eight thousand ascetic sages is the same as that of those who dwell with their teachers.

सप्तर्षोणान्तु यत् स्थानं स्मृतं तद्वै वनौकसाम् । प्राजापत्यं गृहस्थानां न्यासिनां ब्रह्मणः क्षयम् । योगिनाममृतं स्थानमिति वै स्थानकल्पना॥४९.

The place remembered for the seven seers is that of the forest-dwellers; Prajapatya is for householders, the abode of Brahman for renunciants, and the immortal place for yogis—thus is the arrangement of places.

46(43) षट्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः क्रौष्टुकिरुवाच भगवंस्त्वण्डसम्भूतिर्यथावत् कथिता मम । ब्रह्माण्डे ब्रह्मणो जन्म तथा चोक्तं महात्मनः॥४६.

Kraustuki said: O Lord, you have told me in detail about the origin of the egg, and also about the birth of Brahma, the great soul, within the cosmic egg.

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तो भृगुकुलोद्भव । यदान सृष्टिर्भूतानामस्ति किन्नु न चास्ति वा । काले वै प्रलयस्यान्ते सर्वस्मिन्नुपसंहृते॥४६.

This I wish to hear from you, O descendant of Bhrigu: at the end of the dissolution, when everything is withdrawn, does the creation of beings exist or not?