॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Srimad Bhagavatam - Skandha XII.08 Part A, Friday, 18 August 2023 - Markandeya conquers death, and what's more, Indra's temptations. He then receives Nara-Narayana's Darshan!
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श्रीशौनक उवाच
सूत जीव चिरं साधो वद नो वदतां वर । तमस्यपारे भ्रमतां नृणां त्वं पारदर्शन: ॥
आहुश्चिरायुषमृषिं मृकण्डतनयं जना: । य: कल्पान्ते ह्युर्वरितो येन ग्रस्तमिदं जगत् ॥
स वा अस्मत्कुलोत्पन्न: कल्पेऽस्मिन् भार्गवर्षभ: । नैवाधुनापि भूतानां सम्प्लव: कोऽपि जायते ॥
एक एवार्णवे भ्राम्यन् ददर्श पुरुषं किल । वटपत्रपुटे तोकं शयानं त्वेकमद्भुतम् ॥
एष न: संशयो भूयान् सूत कौतूहलं यत: । तं नश्छिन्धि महायोगिन् पुराणेष्वपि सम्मत: ॥
Sage Shaunaka pleaded thus:
Oh, great Suta! You are the raconteur nonpareil!
Oh, Expert in all Puranas, pray tell us if this is true
That the deathless Sage of Bhrigu descent,
Sage Markandeya, did indeed witness the Lord
At the end of Pralaya
As a little baby boy floating on a Banyan leaf
In the Tumultous ocean!?
Markendeya is from my own Bhrigu line, in this very epoch.
There have been no Pralayas so far as I know yet!
सूत जीव चिरं साधो वद नो वदतां वर । तमस्यपारे भ्रमतां नृणां त्वं पारदर्शन: ॥
आहुश्चिरायुषमृषिं मृकण्डतनयं जना: । य: कल्पान्ते ह्युर्वरितो येन ग्रस्तमिदं जगत् ॥
स वा अस्मत्कुलोत्पन्न: कल्पेऽस्मिन् भार्गवर्षभ: । नैवाधुनापि भूतानां सम्प्लव: कोऽपि जायते ॥
एक एवार्णवे भ्राम्यन् ददर्श पुरुषं किल । वटपत्रपुटे तोकं शयानं त्वेकमद्भुतम् ॥
एष न: संशयो भूयान् सूत कौतूहलं यत: । तं नश्छिन्धि महायोगिन् पुराणेष्वपि सम्मत: ॥
Sage Shaunaka pleaded thus:
Oh, great Suta! You are the raconteur nonpareil!
Oh, Expert in all Puranas, pray tell us if this is true
That the deathless Sage of Bhrigu descent,
Sage Markandeya, did indeed witness the Lord
At the end of Pralaya
As a little baby boy floating on a Banyan leaf
In the Tumultous ocean!?
Markendeya is from my own Bhrigu line, in this very epoch.
There have been no Pralayas so far as I know yet!
सूत उवाच
प्रश्नस्त्वया महर्षेऽयं कृतो लोकभ्रमापह: । नारायणकथा यत्र गीता कलिमलापहा ॥
प्राप्तद्विजातिसंस्कारो मार्कण्डेय: पितु: क्रमात् । छन्दांस्यधीत्य धर्मेण तप:स्वाध्यायसंयुत: ॥
बृहद्व्रतधर: शान्तो जटिलो वल्कलाम्बर: । बिभ्रत् कमण्डलुं दण्डमुपवीतं समेखलम् ॥
कृष्णाजिनं साक्षसूत्रं कुशांश्च नियमर्द्धये । अग्न्यर्कगुरुविप्रात्मस्वर्चयन् सन्ध्ययोर्हरिम् ॥
सायं प्रात: स गुरवे भैक्ष्यमाहृत्य वाग्यत: । बुभुजे गुर्वनुज्ञात: सकृन्नो चेदुपोषित: ॥
एवं तप:स्वाध्यायपरो वर्षाणामयुतायुतम् । आराधयन् हृषीकेशं जिग्ये मृत्युं सुदुर्जयम् ॥
The Suta smiled and said in reply:
Indeed you have heard right, oh sage! Glad am I
To tell this tale, as it concerns Bhagavan Narayana himself!
Markandeya was initiated into Vedic learning and ritual.
Most assiduous was he, saved from death in youth (by Lord Shiva).
A life-long celibate, wearing but a bark, with matted locks,
He roamed eating very little by means of alms he received.
Revering sages, contemplating the self,
Always in meditation on the Paramatma within.
He worshipped thus three times a day with due ritual,
And grew from strength to strength spiritually.
He lived for millennia thus, conquering death.
ब्रह्मा भृगुर्भवो दक्षो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च येऽपरे । नृदेवपितृभूतानि तेनासन्नतिविस्मिता: ॥
इत्थं बृहद्व्रतधरस्तप:स्वाध्यायसंयमै: । दध्यावधोक्षजं योगी ध्वस्तक्लेशान्तरात्मना ॥
Lord Brahma, Sage Bhrigu, Bhagavan Shiva, Daksha Prajapati,
The Kumaras, the gods, the Pitris and others too
Marvelled at this perfect sage, totally lost in Bhagavan,
Untouched by Time, unshaken by this world.
Indeed, six Manu epochs passed thus!
He worshipped thus three times a day with due ritual,
And grew from strength to strength spiritually.
He lived for millennia thus, conquering death.
ब्रह्मा भृगुर्भवो दक्षो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च येऽपरे । नृदेवपितृभूतानि तेनासन्नतिविस्मिता: ॥
इत्थं बृहद्व्रतधरस्तप:स्वाध्यायसंयमै: । दध्यावधोक्षजं योगी ध्वस्तक्लेशान्तरात्मना ॥
Lord Brahma, Sage Bhrigu, Bhagavan Shiva, Daksha Prajapati,
The Kumaras, the gods, the Pitris and others too
Marvelled at this perfect sage, totally lost in Bhagavan,
Untouched by Time, unshaken by this world.
Indeed, six Manu epochs passed thus!
***
Indra noticed this during the seventh Manu epoch. He was disturbed.
He wanted to spoil Markandeya’s penance and cause his downfall.
He sent forth, as was his wont, Manmatha, with Spring, and Song,
Maidens of irresistible beauty, Temptresses who never failed to stir lowly passions.
Surrounding this sage, with song and dance,
The damsels danced, with heaving bosoms and slipping garments,
Enough to provoke even a stone statue into lust.
Manmatha stood poised with his five deadly arrows of lust and temptation,
About to strike, with the soft breeze carrying Spring’s tantalising fragrances.
But Lo and Behold! Markandeya sat unmoved. Indeed his spiritual glow
Was ready to scorch these heavenly marauders, and burn them down.
Thus, they scooted at last in great dismay for their own safety, and Indra was defeated.
सर्वं तत्राभवन्मोघमनीशस्य यथोद्यम:
Indra and his exertions were as futile as the cogitations of an atheist!
***
Now, something wonderful occurred.
तस्यैवं युञ्जतश्चित्तं तप:स्वाध्यायसंयमै: । अनुग्रहायाविरासीन्नरनारायणो हरि: ॥
तौ शुक्लकृष्णौ नवकञ्जलोचनौ चतुर्भुजौ रौरववल्कलाम्बरौ ।
पवित्रपाणी उपवीतकं त्रिवृत् कमण्डलुं दण्डमृजुं च वैणवम् ॥
पद्माक्षमालामुत जन्तुमार्जनं वेदं च साक्षात्तप एव रूपिणौ ।
तपत्तडिद्वर्णपिशङ्गरोचिषा प्रांशू दधानौ विबुधर्षभार्चितौ ॥
Sriman Narayana, Bhagavan Sri Hari, wanted to grace
The indubitable Sage Markandeya.
Tapas, Self-contemplation and conquest of body-mind.
Each four-armed, one fair and one dark in complexion.
With eyes like lustrous lotus petals, dressed as ascetics in blackbuck skin.
Sporting the sacred thread, carrying holy water in the Kamandalu,
Holding the bamboo staff and prayer beads.
Darbha grass in hand, signifying all Vedas, the two divine incarnations descended.
Markandeya's prayer continues in Part B.
