Markandeya Purana

पौरजानपदैर्यत्र प्राक्प्रसिद्धमहोत्सवाः । क्रियन्ते पूर्ववद् गेहे न त्वं तत्र गृहे चर॥५०.

Where great festivals, renowned among townsfolk and villagers, are held as before in the house—do not remain in such a home.

शूर्पवातघटाम्भोभिः स्त्रानं वस्त्राम्बुविप्रुषैः । नखाग्रसलिलैश्चैव तान् याहि हतलक्षणान्॥५०.

Where women bathe with water from winnowing baskets, pots, or with drops from their clothes, or with water from the tips of their nails—go to those of ill fortune.

देशाचारान् समयान् ज्ञातिधर्मं जपं होपं मङ्गलं देवतेष्टिम् । सम्यक्शौचं विधिवल्लोकवादान् पुंसस्त्वया कुर्वतो मास्तु सङ्गः॥५०.

Where people properly observe local customs, agreements, family duties, recitation, sacrifice, auspicious rites, worship of gods, proper cleanliness, rituals, and worldly conventions—do not associate with such men.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इत्युक्त्वा दुः सहं ब्रह्मा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । चकार शासनं सोऽपि तथा पङ्कजजन्मनः॥५०.

Markandeya said: Having spoken thus, Brahma vanished right there, and he (the Yaksha) carried out the command of the lotus-born one accordingly.

एकपञ्चाशोऽध्यायः- ५१ मार्कण्डेय उवाच दुः सहस्याभवद्भार्या निर्माष्टिर्नाम नामतः । जाता कलेस्तु भार्यायामृतौ चाण्डालदर्शनात्॥५१.

Markandeya said: The wife of Duhsaha was named Nirmashti; she was born in the Kali age as his wife, after seeing a Chandal woman at the time of death.

तयोरपत्यान्यभवने जगद्व्यापीनि षोडश । अष्टौ कुमाराः कन्याश्च तथाष्टावतिभीषणाः॥५१.

From those two were born sixteen offspring who pervade the world: eight sons and likewise eight daughters, all exceedingly fearsome.

तन्ताकृष्टिस्तथोक्तिश्च परिवर्तस्तथापरः । अङ्गध्रुक् शकुनिश्चैव गण्डप्रान्तरतिस्तथा॥५१.

The sons are Dantākṛṣṭi, Ukti, Parivarta, Aṅgadhruk, Śakuni, and Gaṇḍaprāntarati.

गर्भहा सस्यहा चान्यः कुमारास्तनयास्तयोः । कन्याश्चान्यास्तथैवाष्टौ तासां नामानि मे शृणु॥५१.

Another son is Garbhahā, and another is Sasyahā—these are the sons of those two. There are also eight daughters; listen to their names from me.

नियोजिका वै प्रथमा तथैवान्या विरोधिनी । स्वयंहारकरी चैव भ्रामणी ऋतुहारिका॥५१.

The first is Niyojikā, and the next is Virodhinī; then Svayaṃhārakarī, Bhrāmaṇī, and Ṛtuhārikā.

स्मृतिबीजहरे चान्ये तयोः कन्येऽतिदारुणे । विद्वेषण्यष्टमी नाम कन्या लोकभयावहा॥५१.

There are also two other daughters, Smṛtibījaharā and another most dreadful one named Vidveṣaṇī, the eighth, who brings fear to the world.

एतासां कर्म वक्ष्यामि दोषप्रशमनञ्च यत् । अष्टानाञ्च कुमाराणां श्रुयतां द्विजसत्तम॥५१.

I will now describe the actions of these and the means to counteract their faults, as well as those of the eight sons—listen, best of twice-born.

दन्ताकृष्टिः प्रसुप्तानां बालानां दशनस्थितः । करोति दन्तसंघर्षं चिकीर्षुर्दुः सहागमम्॥५१.

Dantākṛṣṭi dwells in the teeth of sleeping children, causing them to grind their teeth, bringing about unbearable suffering.

तस्योपशमनं कार्यं सुप्तस्य सितसर्षपैः । शयनस्योपरि क्षिप्तैर्मानुषैर्दशनोपरि॥५१.

To pacify him, one should scatter white mustard seeds over the bed and on the teeth of the sleeping person.

सुवार्च्चलौषधीस्नानात्तथा सच्छास्त्रकीर्तनात् । उष्ट्रकण्टकखड्गास्थि-क्षौमवस्त्रविधारणात्॥५१.

Bathing with auspicious herbs, reciting sacred texts, and wearing cloths with camel-thorn, sword, or bone of a swordfish are also prescribed.

तिष्ठत्यन्यकुमारस्तु तथास्त्त्वित्यसकृद् ब्रुवन् । शुभाशुभे नृणां युङ्क्ते तथोक्तिस्तच्च नान्यथा॥५१.

Another son, Ukti, remains by repeatedly saying, 'Let it be so,' and he brings about good or bad for people accordingly; thus is his name, and not otherwise.

तस्माददुष्टं मङ्गल्यं वक्तव्यं पण्डितैः सदा । दुष्टे श्रुते तथैवोक्ते कीर्तनीयो जनार्दनः॥५१.

Therefore, the learned should always speak what is pure and auspicious; if something inauspicious is heard or spoken, Janārdana should be praised.

चराचरगुरुर्ब्रह्मा या यस्य कुलदेवता । अन्यगर्भे परान् गर्भान् सदैव परिवर्तयन्॥५१.

Brahmā, the guru of all moving and unmoving beings, who is the family deity of each, always transfers other embryos into different wombs.

रतिमाप्नोति वाक्यञ्च विवक्षोरन्यदेव यत् । परिवर्तकसंज्ञोऽयं तस्यापि सितसर्षपैः॥५१.

He attains pleasure and utters words different from what is intended; this one is called Parivartaka, and for him too, white mustard seeds are used.

रक्षोघ्नमन्त्रजप्यैश्च रक्षां कुर्वोत तत्त्ववित् । अन्यश्चानिलवन्नृणामङ्गेषु स्फुरणोदितम्॥५१.

One who knows the truth should perform protection by reciting mantras that destroy demons; another, like the wind, manifests as twitching in the limbs of people.

शुभाशुभं समाचष्टे कुशैस्तस्याङ्गताडनम् । काकादिपक्षिसंस्थोऽन्यः श्वादेरङ्गगतोऽपि वा॥५१.

He declares good or bad; striking his limbs with kuśa grass is prescribed. Another dwells in birds like crows, or even in the bodies of dogs and others.

शुभाशुभञ्च शकुनिः कुमारोऽन्यो ब्रवीति वै । तत्रापि दुष्टे व्याक्षेपः प्रारम्भत्याग एव च॥५१.

Śakuni, another son, also declares good or bad omens; in his case, if it is inauspicious, one should abandon the undertaking at the start.

शुभे द्रुततरं कार्यमिति प्राह प्रजापतिः । गण्डान्तेषु स्थितश्चान्यो मुहूर्तार्धं द्विजोत्तम॥५१.

If it is auspicious, Prajāpati says the action should be performed quickly; another son dwells at the edge of the cheek for half a muhūrta, O best of twice-born.

सर्वारम्भान् कुमारोऽत्ति शस्ताताञ्चानसूयताम् । विप्रोक्त्या देवतास्तुत्या मूलोत्खातेन च द्विज॥५१.

This son consumes all undertakings and brings about their destruction; through recitation by a brāhmaṇa, praise of the gods, or uprooting at the root, he is appeased.

गोमूत्रसर्षपस्त्रानैस्तदृक्षग्रहपूजनैः । पुनश्च धर्मोपनिषत्करणैः शास्त्रदर्शनैः॥५१.

By means of cow urine, mustard seeds, sacred grass, worship of such planets, and again by performing the Dharmopanishad rites and study of scripture—

अनज्ञया जन्मनश्च प्रशमं याति गण्डवान् । गर्भे स्त्रीणां तथान्यस्तु फलनाशी सुदारुणः॥५१.

A person afflicted with glandular disease attains relief through ignorance of its origin; likewise, in the womb of women, another type, which destroys the fruit, is exceedingly severe.

तस्य रक्षा सदा कार्या नित्यं शौचनिषेवणात् । प्रसिद्धमन्त्रलिखनाच्छस्तमाल्यादिधारणात्॥५१.

For him, protection must always be undertaken: by constant observance of purity, by inscribing renowned mantras, and by wearing auspicious garlands and the like.

विशुद्धगेहावसथादनायासाच्च वै द्विज । तथैव सस्यहा चान्यः सस्यर्धिमुपहन्ति यः॥५१.

By dwelling in a purified house, by avoiding exertion, O twice-born, and likewise, there is another spirit that destroys crops and diminishes their yield.

तस्यापि रक्षां कुर्वोत जीर्णोपानद्विधारणात् । तथापसव्यगमनाच्छाण्डालस्य प्रवेशनात्॥५१.

For that too, protection should be performed: by wearing old sandals, by moving counterclockwise, and by the entry of a person of low caste.

बहिर्बलिप्रदानाच्च सोमाम्बुपरिकीर्तनात् । परदारपहद्रव्यहरणादिषु मानवान्॥५१.

Also, by offering oblations outside, by reciting the names of Soma and water, and in acts such as taking another's wife or property, men—