स्वपित्येकार्णवे चैव यदाश्चर्यमभूत्पुरा श्रूयतां तद्यथा विप्रा मार्कण्डेयकुतूहलम्
Now hear, O Brahmins, the wondrous event that once occurred when he slept alone upon the primeval ocean, which aroused the curiosity of Markandeya.
गीर्णो भगवतस्तस्य कुक्षावेव महामुनिः बहुवर्षसहस्रायुस् तस्यैव वरतेजसा
Swallowed by the Blessed One, the great sage remained in his belly for many thousands of years, sustained by his very radiance.
अटंस्तीर्थप्रसङ्गेन पृथिवीं तीर्थगोचराम् आश्रमाणि च पुण्यानि देवतायतनानि च
He wandered, visiting sacred fords across the earth, entering holy hermitages and abodes of the gods.
देशान्राष्ट्राणि चित्राणि पुराणि विविधानि च जपहोमपरः शान्तस् तपो घोरं समास्थितः
He saw many lands, kingdoms, and ancient, diverse places, devoted to recitation and offering, peaceful, and engaged in severe austerity.
मार्कण्डेयस्ततस्तस्य शनैर्वक्त्राद्विनिःसृतः स निष्क्रामन्न चात्मानं जानीते देवमायया
Then Markandeya, emerging slowly from his mouth, did not recognize himself, bewildered by the divine illusion.
निष्क्रम्याप्यस्य वदनाद् एकार्णवमथो जगत् सर्वतस्तमसाच्छन्नं मार्कण्डेयो ऽन्ववैक्षत
Having come out from his mouth, Markandeya beheld the entire world covered everywhere by darkness, upon the primeval ocean.
तस्योत्पन्नं भयं तीव्रं संशयश्चात्मजीविते देवदर्शनसंहृष्टो विस्मयं परमं गतः
A sharp fear arose in him, and he doubted for his own life; delighted by the vision of the god, he was filled with supreme wonder.
चिन्तयञ्जलमध्यस्थो मार्कण्डेयो विशङ्कितः किं नु स्यान्मम चिन्तेयं मोहः स्वप्नो ऽनुभूयते
Standing with folded hands, Markandeya, anxious, pondered: 'What could this be for me? Is this confusion, or am I experiencing a dream?'
व्यक्तमन्यतमो भावस् तेषां संभावितो मम न हीदृशं जगत्क्लेशम् अयुक्तं सत्यमर्हति
It is clear that another state of being is possible for them, as I have considered; for such suffering in the world, unfitting and real, should not be deserved.
नष्टचन्द्रार्कपवने नष्टपर्वतभूतले कतमः स्यादयं लोक इति चिन्तामवस्थितः
With the moon and sun lost to the wind, and the mountains vanished from the earth, he wondered, 'What kind of world could this be?' and remained in anxious thought.
ददर्श चापि पुरुषं स्वपन्तं पर्वतोपमम् सलिले ऽर्धमथो मग्नं जीमूतमिव सागरे
And he saw a man, immense as a mountain, sleeping—half his body submerged in the waters, like a raincloud in the ocean.
ज्वलन्तमिव तेजोभिर् गोयुक्तमिव भास्करम् शर्वर्यां जाग्रतमिव भासन्तं स्वेन तेजसा
He appeared to blaze with radiance, like the sun yoked to cows, shining in the night as if awake, illumined by his own splendor.
देवं द्रष्टुमिहायातः को भवानिति विस्मयात् तथैव स मुनिः कुक्षिं पुनरेव प्रवेशितः
Amazed, he wondered, 'Who are you who has come here to see the god?' And just then, that sage was once again drawn into the belly.
सम्प्रविष्टः पुनः कुक्षिं मार्कण्डेयो ऽतिविस्मयः तथैव तु पुनर्भूयो विजानन्स्वप्नदर्शनम्
Entering the belly again, Mārkaṇḍeya was filled with great wonder, yet once more he recognized it as a vision seen in a dream.
स तथैव यथापूर्वं यो धरामटते पुरा पुण्यतीर्थजलोपेतां विविधान्याश्रमाणि च
Just as before, he wandered the earth as in ancient times, filled with sacred waters and various hermitages.
क्रतुभिर्यजमानाश्च समाप्तवरदक्षिणान् अपश्यद्देवकुक्षिस्थान् याजकाञ्छतशो द्विजान्
He saw hundreds of priests, dwelling in the divine womb, who had completed their sacrifices and received their gifts, along with sacrificers and their rituals.
सद्वृत्तमास्थिताः सर्वे वर्णा ब्राह्मणपूर्वकाः चत्वारश्चाश्रमाः सम्यग् यथोद्दिष्टा मया तव
All the classes, led by the Brāhmaṇas, were established in good conduct; and the four stages of life, just as I have described to you, were properly observed.
एवं वर्षशतं साग्रं मार्कण्डेयस्य धीमतः चरतः पृथिवीं सर्वां न कुक्ष्यन्तः समीक्षितः
Thus, for more than a hundred years, the wise Mārkaṇḍeya traveled the whole earth, yet saw nothing within the belly.
ततः कदाचिदथ वै पुनर्वक्त्राद्विनिःसृतः सुप्तं न्यग्रोधशाखायां बालमेकं निरैक्षत
Then, at some point, he emerged again from the mouth, and saw a single child sleeping on the branch of a banyan tree.
तथैवैकार्णवजले नीहारेणावृताम्बरे अव्यग्रः क्रीडते लोके सर्वभूतविवर्जिते
In the same way, in the one ocean of water, with the sky covered in mist, the child played untroubled in a world devoid of all beings.
स मुनिर्विस्मयाविष्टः कौतूहलसमन्वितः बालमादित्यसंकाशं नाशक्नोदभिवीक्षितुम्
That sage, filled with wonder and curiosity, could not bring himself to gaze directly at the child, who shone like the sun.
स चिन्तयंस्तथैकान्ते स्थित्वा सलिलसंनिधौ पूर्वदृष्टमिदं मेने शङ्कितो देवमायया
Standing apart, reflecting by the water, he thought, 'This is what I saw before,' and, suspicious, considered it the work of divine illusion.
अगाधसलिले तस्मिन् मार्कण्डेयः सविस्मयः प्लवंस्तथार्तिम् अगमद् भयात्संत्रस्तलोचनः
In those deep waters, Mārkaṇḍeya, astonished, began to float, overcome by distress, his eyes wide with fear.
स तस्मै भगवानाह स्वागतं बालयोगवान् बभाषे मेघतुल्येन स्वरेण पुरुषोत्तमः
Then the Blessed Lord, the supreme person, spoke to him: 'Welcome, child, endowed with yoga,' in a voice like thunderclouds.
मा भैर्वत्स न भेतव्यम् इहैवायाहि मे ऽन्तिकम् मार्कण्डेयो मुनिस्त्वाह बालं तं श्रमपीडितः
'Do not fear, my child, there is nothing to be afraid of. Come here to me.' So spoke the Lord, and the sage Mārkaṇḍeya, weary and afflicted, addressed the child.
को मां नाम्ना कीर्तयति तपः परिभवन्मम दिव्यं वर्षसहस्राख्यं धर्षयन्निव मे वयः
'Who calls me by name, as if scorning my asceticism, as if challenging my divine thousand-year penance and my age?'
न ह्येष वः समाचारो देवेष्वपि ममोचितः मां ब्रह्मापि हि देवेशो दीर्घायुरिति भाषते
For this conduct of yours is not fitting, not even among the gods, nor is it proper for me; even Brahmā, the lord of the gods, though long-lived, does not speak to me in this way.
कस्तमो घोरमासाद्य मामद्य त्यक्तजीवितः मार्कण्डेयेति मामुक्त्वा मृत्युमीक्षितुमर्हति
Who, having encountered such terror, would abandon his life for my sake? Who, after calling me Mārkaṇḍeya, would wish to look upon Death?
एवमाभाष्य तं क्रोधान् मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः तथैव भगवान्भूयो बभाषे मधुसूदनः
Having spoken thus in anger to him, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, the blessed Madhusūdana again addressed him in the same manner.
अहं ते जनको वत्स हृषीकेशः पिता गुरुः आयुष्प्रदाता पौराणः किं मां त्वं नोपसर्पसि
I am your father, dear child, Hṛṣīkeśa, your teacher, the ancient giver of life; why do you not approach me?