ब्रह्माणं ब्राह्माणाच्छंसि स्तोतारौ चैव सर्वशः। मेढ्राच्च मैत्रावरुणं प्रतिष्ठातारमेव च
The Brahman, the Brāhmaṇa, the Chāṃsin, and all the Stotṛs, and from the genitals, the Maitrāvaruṇa and the Pratiṣṭhātṛ as well.
उदरात्प्रतिहर्तारं पोतारं चैव पार्थिव। पाणिभ्यामथ चाग्नीध्रमुन्नेतारं च याजुषम्
From the abdomen, the Pratīhārtṛ and the Potṛ, O King, and then from the hands, the Agnīdhra and the Yājñika Unnetṛ.
अच्छावाकमथोरुभ्यां सुब्रह्मण्यं च सामगम्। एवमेवं स भगवान्षोडशैतान्जगत्पतिः
From the thighs, the Acchāvāka and the Sāmagin Subrahmaṇya; thus, in this way, the Blessed Lord, the Lord of the world, created these sixteen.
स्वयंभूः सर्वयज्ञानामृत्विजोऽसृजदुत्तमान्। तदा चैष महायोगी पुरुषो यज्ञसंज्ञितः
The self-born one created the supreme officiating priests for all sacrifices; then that great yogin, the person known as Yajña, was present.
वेदाश्चैव तथा सर्वे सहांगोपनिषत्क्रियाः। स्वपित्येकार्णवे चैव यदाश्चर्यमभूत्पुरा
And likewise, all the Vedas, together with their limbs, the Upaniṣads, and the ritual acts, existed when he lay asleep in the single ocean, as was wondrous in ancient times.
श्रूयतां तु तदा विप्रो मार्कंडेयः कुतूहलात्। गीर्णो भगवता तेन कुक्षावासीन्महामुनिः
Now listen: at that time, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya, out of curiosity, was swallowed by the Blessed Lord and dwelled in his belly, O great sage.
बहुवर्षसहस्रायुस्तस्यैव वरतेजसः। अटंस्तीर्थप्रसंगेन पृथिवीतीर्थगोचरः
Endowed with great splendor and a lifespan of many thousands of years, he wandered among the sacred fords, traversing the holy places of the earth.
आश्रमाणि च पुण्यानि देवतायतनानि च। देशाद्राष्ट्राणि चित्राणि पुराणि विविधानि च
He saw holy hermitages, abodes of the gods, and various wondrous lands, kingdoms, and ancient places.
जपहोमपराः शांतास्तपोभिरमलाः स्मृताः। मार्कंडेयस्ततस्तस्य शनैर्वक्त्राद्विनिर्गतः
Those devoted to recitation and oblation, peaceful and pure through austerities, were remembered; then Mārkaṇḍeya slowly emerged from his mouth.
निष्क्रामन्तं न चात्मानं जानीते देवमायया। निष्क्रम्य तस्य उदरादेकार्णवमथो जगत्
As he was coming out, by the divine illusion, he did not recognize himself; having emerged from his belly, he saw the single ocean and the world.
सर्वतस्तमसाछन्नं मार्कंडेयोन्ववैक्षत। तस्योत्पन्नं भयं तीव्रं व्यत्ययं चात्मजीवितम्
Mārkaṇḍeya beheld everything covered in darkness on all sides; intense fear and anxiety for his own life arose in him.
देवदर्शनसंहृष्टो विस्मयं परमं गतः। सोऽचिंतयदमोघात्मा मार्कंडेयोथ शंकितः
Delighted by the vision of the god, he was filled with supreme wonder; that unfailing-souled Mārkaṇḍeya then became doubtful.
किं नु स्याच्चित्तसंमोहः किं नु स्वप्नोनुभूयते। व्यक्तमन्यतरो भाव एतयोर्भविता मम
Is this confusion of mind? Or am I experiencing a dream? Clearly, one of these two states must be occurring to me.
न हि स्वप्नो ह्ययं सत्ययुक्तं यत्सत्यमर्हति। नष्टचंद्रार्कपवनो नष्टपर्वतभूतलः
But this is not a dream, for it is connected with reality, and what is real is fitting; the moon, sun, wind, mountains, and earth have all vanished.
कतमः स्यादयं लोक इति शोकमुपागतः। ददर्श चापि पुरुषं स्वपंतं पर्वतोपमम्
What world could this be?—thus he was overcome with sorrow; and he saw a man lying asleep, immense as a mountain.
सलिलेऽधमथो मग्नं जीमूतमिव सागरे। तपंतमिव तेजोभिरामुक्तशशिभास्करम्
Immersed and sunk in the water, like a cloud in the ocean, shining with radiance, illuminating the moon and sun.
गांभीर्यात्सागरमिव भासमानम्मवौजसा। देवं द्रष्टुमिहायातः को भवानिति विस्मयात्
With depth like the ocean and radiant with great energy, he wondered in amazement, 'Who are you who has come here to see the god?'
तथैव च मुनिः कुक्षिं पुनरेव प्रवेशितः। संप्रविष्टः पुनः कुक्षिं मार्कंडेयः सविस्मयम्
And then, just as before, the sage was once again drawn into the womb; Markandeya, filled with wonder, entered the womb again.
तथैव च पुनर्भूयो विजानन्स्वप्नदर्शनम्। स तथैव यथापूर्वं पृथिवीमटते वनम्
And again, realizing it was a vision like a dream, he wandered the earth and the forest just as before.
पुण्यतीर्थजलोपेतं विविधान्याश्रमाणि च। क्रतुभिर्यजमानांश्च समाप्तगुरुदक्षिणैः
He saw various hermitages and holy places filled with sacred waters, and sacrificers who had completed their rituals and given the proper gifts to their teachers.
अपश्यद्देवकुक्षिस्थान्यज्ञस्थान्शतशो द्विजान्। सद्वृत्तमाश्रिताः सर्वे वर्णा ब्राह्मणपूर्वकाः1.39.
He saw hundreds of sacrificial rites performed by twice-born men within the divine womb; all the classes, led by Brahmins, were established in good conduct.
चत्वार आश्रमाः सम्यग्यथापूर्वं विलोकिता। एवं वर्षशतं साग्रं मार्कंडेयेन धीमता
He saw the four stages of life, all just as before; in this way, the wise Markandeya spent more than a hundred years.
चरता पृथिवी सर्वा तत्कुक्षौ हि समीक्ष्यते। ततः कदाचिदथ वै पुनः कुक्षेर्विनिर्गतः
As he wandered the whole earth, all of it was seen within that womb; then, at some point, he again emerged from the womb.
सुप्तं न्यग्रोधशाखाय ांबालमेकं निरीक्ष्य च। तथैवैकार्णवजले नीहारेणावृतांतरे
He saw a child sleeping on a branch of a banyan tree, and the same single ocean covered with mist all around.
अव्यक्तक्रीडिते लोके सर्वभूतविवर्जिते। स मुनिर्विस्मयाविष्टः कौतूहलसमन्वितः
In a world where play was unmanifest and all beings were absent, the sage, filled with amazement and curiosity, gazed.
बालमादित्यसंकाशं न शक्नोत्यभिवीक्षितुम्। सोप्यचिंतयदेकांते स्थित्वा सलिलसन्निधौ
He could not bear to look at the child, radiant as the sun; standing alone by the water, he reflected.
पूर्वदृष्टमिदं मेने शंकितो देवमायया। अगाधे सलिले शेते मार्कंडेयः सविस्मयः
He thought, 'This is what I saw before,' suspecting it to be the god's illusion; Markandeya, amazed, lay in the deep water.
पूर्ववत्तमथो द्रष्टुमव्रजत्त्रस्तलोचनः। स तस्मै भगवानाह स्वागतो बाल भो इति
Then, as before, he approached to see, his eyes filled with fear; and the Blessed Lord said to him, 'Welcome, child.'
बभाषे मेघतुल्येन स्वरेण पुरुषोत्तमः। मार्कंडेय न भेतव्यमागच्छस्व ममांतिकम्
The Supreme Person spoke with a voice like thunderclouds: 'Markandeya, do not be afraid. Come near to me.'
मार्कंडेय उवाच। को नाम्ना कीर्तयति मां कुर्वन्परिभवं मम। दिव्यवर्षसहस्राख्यं धर्षयंश्चैव मे वयः
Markandeya said: 'Who calls me by name, treating me with disrespect, and challenges my divine, thousand-year age?'