Markandeya Purana

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

O best of twice-born, the branches that once belonged to the wish-fulfilling trees became the beams of houses; thus, those branches became rafters.

कृत्वा द्वन्द्वोपघातन्ते वार्तोपायमचिन्तयन् । नष्टेषु मधुना सार्धं कल्पवृक्षेष्वशेषतः॥४९.

Having destroyed the pairs, they considered means of livelihood, since the wish-fulfilling trees, along with their honey, had entirely perished.

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

Distressed by sorrow, afflicted by thirst and hunger, those people then, at the beginning of the Treta age, attained success.

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

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

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

With the rain, streams and channels formed, and rivers flowed; those small amounts of water that had previously reached the earth increased.

ततो भूमेश्च संयोगादोषध्यस्तास्तदा भवन् । अफालकृष्टाश्चानुप्ता ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश॥४९.

Then, by the union of earth and water, plants arose—fourteen kinds, both cultivated and wild, without plowing or sowing.

ऋतुपुष्पफलाश्चैव वृक्षा गुल्माश्च जज्ञिरे । प्रादुर्भावस्तु त्रेतायामाद्योऽयमौषधस्य तु॥४९.

Trees and shrubs bearing flowers and fruits in season were born; but this first appearance of plants occurred at the beginning of the Treta age.

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

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

ततस्ताः पर्यग्वह्णन्त नदीक्षेत्राणि पर्वतान् । वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैवमात्मन्यायाद्यथाबलम्॥४९.

Then they began to appropriate rivers, fields, mountains, trees, shrubs, and herbs for themselves, each according to their own strength and sense of justice.

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

Because of that fault, O twice-born, the medicinal herbs disappeared before their eyes; many of them perished at once, O wise one, and thus the herbs were lost.

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

When those herbs were thus lost and the people became bewildered, again, afflicted by hunger, they sought refuge in Brahma, the supreme lord.

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

Then, having truly understood that the earth had been consumed, the blessed and mighty Lord made Mount Sumeru into a calf and milked the earth.

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

At that time, the earth was milked in this way, and grains appeared upon the surface of the earth; those seeds, both of cultivated and wild plants, were produced again.

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

The groups of herbs that bear 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; mashas, mudgas, masuras, nishpavas, and kulatthakas.

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

Adhakas and chanakas as well—these are also counted among the seventeen groups; thus, these are the ancient kinds of cultivated herbs.

ओषध्यो जज्ञियाश्चैव ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश । व्रीहयश्च यवाश्चैव गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः॥४९.

The herbs that are to be produced, both cultivated and wild, are fourteen: rice, barley, wheat, millet, and sesame.

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

Priyangu is the seventh, and kulattha is the eighth; shyamaka, nivara, yattilla, and gavedhuka are also included.

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

Kuruvinda, markataka, and venuyava as well—these are remembered as the fourteen cultivated and wild herbs.

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

When the scattered herbs did not sprout again, then, for their growth, he devised the means of agriculture.

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

Brahma, the self-born Lord, bestowed skill of hand and actions; from that time, the herbs that are sown and cultivated came into being.

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

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

वर्णानामाश्रमाणाञ्च धर्मान् धर्मभृतांवर । लोकानां सर्ववर्णानां सम्यग्धर्मार्थपालिनाम्॥४९.

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

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

The place of Prajapati is remembered for Brahmanas who perform rites; the place of Indra for Kshatriyas who do not flee in battle.

वैश्यानां मारुतं स्थानं स्वधर्ममनुवर्तताम् । गान्धर्वं शूद्रजातीनां परिचर्यानुवर्तताम्॥४९.

For Vaishyas who follow their own dharma, the place of Marut; for Shudras who engage in service, the place of Gandharva.

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणामृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । स्मृतं तेषान्तु यत् स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्॥४९.

For the eighty-eight thousand sages of pure celibacy, their place is remembered 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 of the seven sages is remembered as that of forest-dwellers; the place of Prajapati for householders, the abode of Brahma for renunciants, and the immortal place for yogis—thus is the arrangement of places.

भास्करादृष्टशय्यानि नित्याग्निसलिलानि च । सूर्यावलोकदीपानि लक्ष्म्या गेहानि भाजनम्॥५०.

Where beds are exposed to sunlight, where fire and water are always present, where lamps are lit by the sun’s rays, and where the house is the vessel of Lakshmi—such a dwelling is not your abode.

यत्रोक्षा चन्दनं वीणा आदर्शो मधुसर्पिषी । विषाज्यताम्रपात्राणि तद्गृहं न तवाश्रयः॥५०.

Where there are sprinklings of sandalwood, the sound of the lute, mirrors, honey and ghee, and where copper vessels are set aside—such a house is not your shelter.