किं संज्ञश्चैव भगवान्लोके विज्ञायसे प्रभो। तर्कयेहं महात्मानं को ह्यन्यः स्थातुमर्हसि
And by what name, O Lord, are you known in the world? I ponder, who else but you, O great one, is fit to remain thus?
श्रीभगवानुवाच। अहं नारायणो ब्रह्मन्सर्वभूतविनाशनः। अहं सहस्रशीर्षास्यः सहस्रपदसंयुतः
The Blessed Lord said: I am Narayana, O Brahmin, the destroyer of all beings; I am the one with a thousand heads and faces, endowed with a thousand feet.
आदित्यवर्णः पुरुषो मुखे ब्रह्ममयो ह्यहम्। अहमग्निर्हव्यवहः सप्तसप्तिभिरन्वितः
I am the Purusha of the color of the sun, I am filled with Brahman in my mouth; I am Agni, the carrier of offerings, accompanied by the seven sevens.
अहमिंद्रपदः शक्र ॠतूनां परिवत्सरः। अहं योगिषु सांख्याख्यो युगांतावर्त एव च
I am the station of Indra, Shakra; among seasons, I am the year; among yogis, I am called Sankhya; I am also the cycle at the end of the ages.
अहं सर्वाणि सत्वानि दैवतान्यखिलानि च। भुजगानामहं शेषस्तार्क्ष्योऽहं सर्वपक्षिणाम्
I am all beings, and all the deities without exception; among serpents, I am Sesha; among all birds, I am Garuda.
कृतांतः सर्वभूतानां विज्ञेयः कालसंज्ञितः। अहं धर्मस्तपश्चाहं सर्वाश्रमनिवासिनाम्
I am Death for all beings, known as Time; I am Dharma and I am austerity among all who dwell in the ashramas.
अहं दया परोधर्मः क्षीरोदोहं महार्णवः। यत्सत्यं तत्परं त्वेक अहमेव प्रजापतिः
I am compassion, the highest virtue; I am the ocean of milk, the great expanse of water; whatever is supreme truth, I alone am that, and I am the Lord of creatures.
अहं सांख्यमहं योगो ह्यहं तत्परमं पदम्। अहमिज्या क्रिया चाहमहं विद्याधिपः स्मृतः
I am Sankhya, I am Yoga, I am that supreme state; I am sacrifice and ritual, and I am known as the lord of knowledge.
अहं ज्योतिरहं वायुरहं भूमिरहं जलम्। आकाशोहं समुद्राश्च नक्षत्राणि दिशो दश
I am light, I am wind, I am earth, I am water; I am space, the oceans, the stars, and the ten directions.
अहं वर्षमहं सोमः पर्जन्योहमहं रविः। अहं पुराणं परमं तथैवाहं परायणम्
I am rain, I am Soma, I am the rain-cloud, I am the sun; I am the ancient, the supreme, and likewise I am the ultimate refuge.
भविष्ये चापि सर्वत्र भविष्यत्सर्वसंग्रहः। यत्किंचित्पश्यसे विप्र यच्छृणोषि च किंचन
In the future also, everywhere, I will be the sum of all that will exist; whatever you see, O sage, and whatever you hear,
यच्चानुभवसे लोके तत्सर्वं मामनुस्मर। विश्वं सृष्टं मया पूर्वं सृजेद्यापि च पश्य माम्
And whatever you experience in the world, remember all that as me; the universe was created by me in the beginning, and even now, see me as the creator.
युगे युगे च रक्षामि मार्कंडेयाखिलं जगत्। तदेतत्कथितं सर्वं मार्कंडेयावधारय
In every age, O Markandeya, I protect the entire world; all this has now been told to you, Markandeya, understand it well.
शुश्रूषुरपि धर्मेषु कुक्षौ चरसुखं मम। मम ब्रह्मा शरीरस्थो देवाश्च ॠषिभिः सह
Even while listening to the teachings of dharma, I found delight within; Brahma abides in my body, along with the gods and the sages.
व्यक्तमव्यक्तयोगं मामवगच्छ मुरद्विषम्। अहमेकाक्षरो मंत्रस्त्र्यक्षरश्च पितामहः
Understand me, the enemy of Mura, as the manifest and unmanifest union; I am the single imperishable syllable, the three-syllabled mantra, and the grandsire.
परस्त्रिवर्गओंकारः परमात्मप्रदर्शनः। एवमादिपुराणं च वदतेमां महामते
The supreme Om, the threefold aim, the revelation of the supreme self—all this, O wise one, is spoken of in the ancient Purana.
वक्त्रं यातो भगवतो मार्कंडेयो महामुनिः। ततो भगवतः कुक्षिं प्रविष्टो मुनिसत्तमः
The great sage Markandeya entered the mouth of the Blessed Lord; then that best of sages entered the belly of the Lord.
तस्यासम्मुखमेकान्ते शुश्रूषुर्हंसमव्ययम्। यदक्षयं विविधमुपाश्रितं तु तन्महार्णवे व्यपगतचंद्रभास्करे
There, before him and apart, he listened to the imperishable Hamsa; all that was imperishable and manifold was sheltered in that great ocean, where the moon and sun had vanished.
शनैश्चरन्प्रभुरथ हंससंज्ञितः सृजन्जगद्विहरति कालपर्यये। अथ चैवं शुचिर्भूत्वा वरयामास वै तपः
Slowly moving, the Lord known as Hamsa creates and wanders through the worlds in the course of time; then, having become pure, he undertook austerities.
छादयित्वात्मनो देहं पयसांबुजसंभवः। ततो महात्मातिबलो मर्त्यलोकविसर्जने
Covering his own body, the one born from the lotus of the waters, that great and exceedingly powerful soul then set forth the world of mortals.
महतां चैव भूतानां विश्वो विश्वमचिंतयत्। तस्य चिंतयमानस्य नियते संस्थितेर्णवे
He, the universe, contemplated the existence of the great beings; as he pondered the destined dissolution in the ocean,
निराकाशे तोयमये सूक्ष्मे जगति संक्षये। ईशः संक्षोभयामास सोर्णवं सलिलं गतः
In the subtle, water-filled, skyless void, as the world was dissolving, the Lord, having entered the waters, began to stir the ocean.
अथांतरादपां सूक्ष्ममथ च्छिद्रमभूत्पुरा। शब्दं प्रति ततो भूतो मारुतश्छिद्रसंभवः
Then, from within the waters, a subtle opening appeared; from that, in response to sound, arose the wind, born from the opening.
संलब्ध्वांतरसंक्षोभं व्यवर्धत समीरणः। नभस्वता बलवता वेगाद्विक्षोभितोर्णवः
Having obtained inner agitation, the wind grew; with force and speed, the powerful air disturbed the ocean.
तस्यार्णवस्य क्षुब्धस्य तस्मिन्नंभसि मथ्यतः। कृष्णवर्त्मा समभवत्प्रभुर्वैश्वानरो महान्
As that ocean was churned and agitated, from those waters arose the great Lord Vaishvanara, with a dark path.
ततः संशोषयामास पावकः सलिलं बहु। समस्तजलधिश्छिद्रमभवद्विसृतं नभः
Then the fire began to dry up the abundant waters; all the oceans became pierced, and the sky was revealed.
आत्मतेजोभवाः पुण्या आपोमृतरसोपमाः। आकाशं छिद्रसंभूतं वायुराकाशसंभवः
Pure waters, born from his own radiance and resembling the nectar of immortality; space arose from the opening, and wind from space.
अथ संघर्षसम्भूतं पावकं चास्य संभवम्। दृष्ट्वा पितामहो देवो महाभूतविभावनः
Then, seeing the fire that arose from friction, the god Pitamaha, the revealer of the great elements, beheld its origin.
दृष्ट्वा भूतानि भगवान्लोकसृष्ट्यर्थमुत्तमम्। ब्रह्मणो जन्मसहितं बहुरूपो ह्यचिंतयत्
Seeing the elements, the Blessed Lord, for the sake of creating the worlds, contemplated the manifold birth of Brahma.
चतुर्युगानां संख्यातं सहस्रं युगपर्यये। यत्पृथिव्यां द्विजेंद्राणां तपसा भावितात्मनाम्
A thousand cycles of four ages, counted in succession, which, on earth, belong to the twice-born lords whose souls are purified by austerity.