Udanka Praises Vishnu and Receives a Boon

Verse 1 (3.204.1)

श्रुत्वा तु राजा राजर्षेरिन्द्रद्युम्नस्य तत्तथा । मार्कण्डेयान्महाभागात्स्वर्गस्य प्रतिपादनम् ॥

śrutvā tu rājā rājarṣerindradyumnasya tattathā | mārkaṇḍeyānmahābhāgātsvargasya pratipādanam

Having heard from the illustrious Markandeya how the royal sage Indradyumna had been restored to heaven, the king —

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets and the inner double danda with which Wikisource marks this verse as an interpolation. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition's apparatus has it as star passage 970*, before 3.192.1 (reading śrutvā sa rājā … tat tadā).

Verse 2 (3.204.2)

युधिष्ठिरो महाराज पप्रच्छ भरतर्षभ । मार्कण्डेयं तपोवृद्धं दीर्घायुषमकल्मषम् ॥

yudhiṣṭhiro mahārāja papraccha bharatarṣabha | mārkaṇḍeyaṃ tapovṛddhaṃ dīrghāyuṣamakalmaṣam

Yudhishthira, O great king, bull of the Bharatas — questioned Markandeya, the long-lived and sinless sage, grown great in austerity.

Verse 3 (3.204.3)

विदितास्तव धर्मज्ञ देवदानवरक्षसाम् । राजवंशाश्च विविधा ऋषिवंशाश्च शाश्वताः ॥

viditāstava dharmajña devadānavarakṣasām | rājavaṃśāśca vividhā ṛṣivaṃśāśca śāśvatāḥ

You know, O knower of dharma, the lineages of the gods, the Danavas and the Rakshasas, the many lines of kings and the everlasting lines of the seers.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.192.2a and 2c (the automatic alignment missed them). Speaker set to युधिष्ठिर: verses 3–7 are his question to Markandeya.

Verse 4 (3.204.4)

न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिदस्मिँल्लोके द्विजोत्तम । अथ वेत्सि मुने वंशान्मनुष्योरगरक्षसाम् ॥

na te'styaviditaṃ kiṃcidasmim̐lloke dvijottama | atha vetsi mune vaṃśānmanuṣyoragarakṣasām

There is nothing in this world unknown to you, best of the twice-born. You know too, O sage, the lineages of men, serpents and Rakshasas,

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.192.2e; the second is CE 3.192.3a in a different wording (kathāṃ vetsi mune divyāṃ for अथ वेत्सि मुने वंशान्).

Verse 5 (3.204.5)

देवगन्धर्वयक्षाणां किन्नराप्सरसां तथा । इदमिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वे द्विजसत्तम ॥

devagandharvayakṣāṇāṃ kinnarāpsarasāṃ tathā | idamicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ tattve dvijasattama

and those of the gods, Gandharvas and Yakshas, of the Kinnaras and Apsarases. This is what I wish to hear from you truly, best of the twice-born:

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus star passage 971*); the second is CE 3.192.3c in a different wording (tattvena kathitaṃ dvija for तत्त्वे द्विजसत्तम).

Verse 6 (3.204.6)

कुवलाश्व इति ख्यात इक्ष्वाकुकुलसंभवः । कथं नाम विपर्यासाद्धुन्धुमारत्वमागतः ॥

kuvalāśva iti khyāta ikṣvākukulasaṃbhavaḥ | kathaṃ nāma viparyāsāddhundhumāratvamāgataḥ

The one renowned as Kuvalashva, born in the line of Ikshvaku — how did he come, by a change of name, to be Dhundhumara?

Verse 7 (3.204.7)

एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन ज्ञातुं भार्गवसत्तम । विपर्यस्तं यथा नाम कुवलाश्वस्य धीमतः ॥

etadicchāmi tattvena jñātuṃ bhārgavasattama | viparyastaṃ yathā nāma kuvalāśvasya dhīmataḥ

This I wish to know truly, best of the Bhargavas: how the name of the wise Kuvalashva came to be changed.

Note on the text: Corrected कुवलाश्वस् धीमतः → कुवलाश्वस्य धीमतः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara य, the critical edition reads kuvalāśvasya dhīmataḥ).

Verse 8 (3.204.8)

युधिष्ठिरेणैवमुक्तो मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः । धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं कथयामास भारत ॥

yudhiṣṭhireṇaivamukto mārkaṇḍeyo mahāmuniḥ | dhaundhumāramupākhyānaṃ kathayāmāsa bhārata

Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, the great sage Markandeya told the tale of Dhundhumara, O Bharata.

Note on the text: The speaker heading वैशंपायन उवाच had slipped into the verse text; made it the speaker. Removed the square brackets and the inner double danda with which Wikisource marks the verse as an interpolation. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition's apparatus has it as star passage 972*, placed after 3.192.4.

Verse 9 (3.204.9)

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि शृणु राजन्युधिष्ठिर । धर्मिष्ठमिदमाख्यानं धुन्धुमारस्य तच्छृणु ॥

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi śṛṇu rājanyudhiṣṭhira | dharmiṣṭhamidamākhyānaṃ dhundhumārasya tacchṛṇu

Listen, King Yudhishthira, I shall tell you. This tale of Dhundhumara is full of dharma; hear it.

Verse 10 (3.204.10)

यथा स राजा ऐक्ष्वाकः कुवलाश्वो महीपतिः । धुन्धुमारत्वमगमत्तच्छृणुष्व महीपते ॥

yathā sa rājā aikṣvākaḥ kuvalāśvo mahīpatiḥ | dhundhumāratvamagamattacchṛṇuṣva mahīpate

Hear, lord of the earth, how that king of Ikshvaku's line, Kuvalashva, ruler of the earth, became Dhundhumara.

Verse 11 (3.204.11)

महर्षिर्विश्रुतस्तात उदङ्क इति भारत । मरुधन्वसु रम्येषु आश्रमस्तस्य कौरव ॥

maharṣirviśrutastāta udaṅka iti bhārata | marudhanvasu ramyeṣu āśramastasya kaurava

There was a renowned great seer named Udanka, my son, O Bharata. His hermitage, O Kaurava, lay in the pleasant desert lands.

Verse 12 (3.204.12)

उदङ्कस्तु महाराज तपोऽतप्यत्सुदुश्चरम् । आरिराधयिषुर्विष्णुं बहून्वर्षगणान्विभुः ॥

udaṅkastu mahārāja tapo'tapyatsuduścaram | ārirādhayiṣurviṣṇuṃ bahūnvarṣagaṇānvibhuḥ

Udanka, great king, the mighty one, practised austerities very hard to perform for many long years, seeking to win the favour of Vishnu.

Note on the text: Corrected तपोतप्यत् → तपोऽतप्यत् (misprint in Wikisource; the missing avagraha turns अतप्यत् "he practised" into a non-word, the critical edition reads tapo 'tapyat).

Verse 13 (3.204.13)

तस्य प्रीतः स भगवान्साक्षाद्दर्शनमेयिवान् । दृष्ट्वा महर्षिस्तद्ब्रह्म तुष्टाव विविधैः स्तवैः ॥

tasya prītaḥ sa bhagavānsākṣāddarśanameyivān | dṛṣṭvā maharṣistadbrahma tuṣṭāva vividhaiḥ stavaiḥ

Pleased with him, the Blessed Lord appeared before him in person. Beholding that Brahman, the great seer praised him with many hymns.

Verse 14 (3.204.14)

त्वया देव प्रजाः सर्वाः ससुरासुरमानवाः । स्थावराणि च भूतानि जङ्गमानि तथैव च ॥

tvayā deva prajāḥ sarvāḥ sasurāsuramānavāḥ | sthāvarāṇi ca bhūtāni jaṅgamāni tathaiva ca

By you, O God, all creatures were made — gods, asuras and men — all beings that stand still and all that move,

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.192.11a and 11c (ससुरासुर- for sadevāsura- is a recension variant). Wikisource divides the hymn (verses 14–16 and 21–23) differently from the critical edition.

Verse 15 (3.204.15)

ब्रह्म वेदाश्च वेद्यं च त्वया सृष्टं महाद्युते । शिरस्ते गगनं देव नेत्रे शशिदिवाकरौ ॥

brahma vedāśca vedyaṃ ca tvayā sṛṣṭaṃ mahādyute | śiraste gaganaṃ deva netre śaśidivākarau

Brahman, the Vedas and what the Vedas make known were created by you, O radiant one. The sky is your head, O God, the moon and the sun your eyes;

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.192.11e, the second CE 3.192.12a.

Verse 16 (3.204.16)

निःश्वासः पवनश्चापि तेजोऽग्निश्च तवाच्युत । बाहवस्ते दिशः सर्वाः कुक्षिश्चापि महार्णवः ॥

niḥśvāsaḥ pavanaścāpi tejo'gniśca tavācyuta | bāhavaste diśaḥ sarvāḥ kukṣiścāpi mahārṇavaḥ

the wind is your breath and fire your splendour, O Achyuta; all the quarters are your arms and the great ocean your belly.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.192.12c and 12e.

Verse 17 (3.204.17)

ऊरू ते पर्वता देव खं नाभिर्मधुसूदन । पादौ ते पृथिवी चैव रोमाण्योषधयस्तथा ॥

ūrū te parvatā deva khaṃ nābhirmadhusūdana | pādau te pṛthivī caiva romāṇyoṣadhayastathā

The mountains are your thighs, O God, the sky your navel, slayer of Madhu; the earth is your feet and the plants are your hair.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वं नाभिः → खं नाभिः (misprint in Wikisource; स्व for the similar-looking ख, the hymn names the sky as the navel, and the critical edition reads khaṃ nābhir).

Verse 18 (3.204.18)

इन्द्रसोमाग्निवरुणा देवासुरमहोरगाः । प्रह्वास्त्वामुपतिष्ठन्ति स्तुवन्तो विविधैः स्तवैः ॥

indrasomāgnivaruṇā devāsuramahoragāḥ | prahvāstvāmupatiṣṭhanti stuvanto vividhaiḥ stavaiḥ

Indra, Soma, Agni and Varuna, the gods, the asuras and the great serpents bow and wait upon you, praising you with many hymns.

Verse 19 (3.204.19)

त्वया व्याप्तानि सर्वाणि भूतानि भुवनेश्वर । योगिनः सुमहावीर्याः स्तुवन्ति त्वां महर्षयः ॥

tvayā vyāptāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni bhuvaneśvara | yoginaḥ sumahāvīryāḥ stuvanti tvāṃ maharṣayaḥ

All beings are pervaded by you, lord of the worlds. Yogis of great power and the great seers sing your praise.

Verse 20 (3.204.20)

त्वयि तुष्टे जगच्छान्तं त्वयि क्रुद्धे महद्भयम् । भयानामपनेतासि त्वमेकः पुरुषोत्तम ॥

tvayi tuṣṭe jagacchāntaṃ tvayi kruddhe mahadbhayam | bhayānāmapanetāsi tvamekaḥ puruṣottama

When you are pleased the world is at peace; when you are angry there is great fear. You alone, Supreme Person, are the remover of fears.

Verse 21 (3.204.21)

देवानां मानुषाणां च सर्वभूतसुखावहः । त्रिभिर्विक्रमणैर्देव त्रयो लोकास्त्वया वृताः ॥

devānāṃ mānuṣāṇāṃ ca sarvabhūtasukhāvahaḥ | tribhirvikramaṇairdeva trayo lokāstvayā vṛtāḥ

You bring happiness to gods, to men and to all beings. With three strides, O God, you encompassed the three worlds.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.192.17a and 17c (वृताः for āhṛtāḥ is a recension variant).

Verse 22 (3.204.22)

असुराणां समृद्धानां विनाशश्च त्वया कृतः । तव विक्रमणैर्देवा निर्वाणमगमन्परम् ॥

asurāṇāṃ samṛddhānāṃ vināśaśca tvayā kṛtaḥ | tava vikramaṇairdevā nirvāṇamagamanparam

You brought destruction on the asuras in their prosperity. Through your strides the gods attained supreme peace,

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.192.17e, the second CE 3.192.18a.

Verse 23 (3.204.23)

पराभवं च दैत्येन्द्रास्त्वयि क्रुद्धे महाद्युते । त्वं हि कर्ता विकर्ता च भूतानामिह सर्वशः । आराधयित्वा त्वां देवाः सुखमेधन्ति नित्यशः ॥

parābhavaṃ ca daityendrāstvayi kruddhe mahādyute | tvaṃ hi kartā vikartā ca bhūtānāmiha sarvaśaḥ | ārādhayitvā tvāṃ devāḥ sukhamedhanti nityaśaḥ

and the lords of the Daityas met their defeat when you were angry, O radiant one. You are the maker and the unmaker of all beings here; by worshipping you the gods prosper in happiness for ever.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.192.18c; the other two are CE 3.192.19a and 19c (नित्यशः for sarvaśaḥ is a recension variant).

Verse 24 (3.204.24)

एवं स्तुतो हृषीकेश उदङ्केन महात्मना । उदङ्कमब्रवीद्विष्णुः प्रीतस्तेऽहं वरं वृणु ॥

evaṃ stuto hṛṣīkeśa udaṅkena mahātmanā | udaṅkamabravīdviṣṇuḥ prītaste'haṃ varaṃ vṛṇu

Thus praised by the great-souled Udanka, Hrishikesha — Vishnu — said to Udanka, "I am pleased with you; choose a boon."

Note on the text: Speaker set to मार्कण्डेय: verses 24, 27 and 34 are narration within the tale; verse 28 is Udanka's own request.

Verse 25 (3.204.25)

पर्याप्तो मे वरो ह्येष यदहं दृष्टवान्हरिम् । पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यं स्रष्टारं जगतः प्रभुम् ॥

paryāpto me varo hyeṣa yadahaṃ dṛṣṭavānharim | puruṣaṃ śāśvataṃ divyaṃ sraṣṭāraṃ jagataḥ prabhum

This is boon enough for me, that I have seen Hari, the eternal and divine Person, creator and lord of the world.

Verse 26 (3.204.26)

प्रीतस्तेऽहमलौल्येन भक्त्या तव च सत्तम । अवश्यं हि त्वया ब्रह्मन्मत्तो ग्राह्यो वरो द्विज ॥

prītaste'hamalaulyena bhaktyā tava ca sattama | avaśyaṃ hi tvayā brahmanmatto grāhyo varo dvija

I am pleased with you, good man, for your freedom from greed and for your devotion. You must surely take a boon from me, brahmin, twice-born one.

Verse 27 (3.204.27)

एवं स च्छन्द्यमानस्तु वरेण हरिणा तदा । उदङ्कः प्राञ्जलिर्वव्रे वरं भरतसत्तम ॥

evaṃ sa cchandyamānastu vareṇa hariṇā tadā | udaṅkaḥ prāñjalirvavre varaṃ bharatasattama

Pressed thus by Hari with the offer of a boon, Udanka joined his palms and chose a boon, best of the Bharatas:

Verse 28 (3.204.28)

यदि मे भगवन्प्रीतः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षण । धर्मे सत्ये दमे चैव बुद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा । अभ्यासश्च भवेद्भक्त्या त्वयि नित्यं ममेश्वर ॥

yadi me bhagavanprītaḥ puṇḍarīkanibhekṣaṇa | dharme satye dame caiva buddhirbhavatu me sadā | abhyāsaśca bhavedbhaktyā tvayi nityaṃ mameśvara

If you are pleased with me, Blessed Lord with eyes like the lotus, may my mind always abide in dharma, in truth and in self-restraint, and may I ever be practised in devotion to you, my Lord.

Verse 29 (3.204.29)

सर्वमेतद्धि भविता मत्प्रसादात्तव द्विज ॥

sarvametaddhi bhavitā matprasādāttava dvija

All this will come to pass for you by my grace, twice-born one.

Note on the text: A single line in Wikisource: it is CE 3.192.25a, and the next verse carries 25c and 25e. Nothing is missing.

Verse 30 (3.204.30)

प्रतिभास्यति योगश्च येन युक्तो दिवौकसाम् । त्रयाणामपि लोकानां महत्कार्यं करिष्यसि ॥

pratibhāsyati yogaśca yena yukto divaukasām | trayāṇāmapi lokānāṃ mahatkāryaṃ kariṣyasi

The yoga will also dawn in you, joined with which you will accomplish a great task for the dwellers of heaven and for all three worlds.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.192.25c and 25e.

Verse 31 (3.204.31)

उत्सादनार्थं लोकानां धुन्धुर्नाम महासुरः । तपस्यति तपो घोरं शृणु यस्तं हनिष्यति ॥

utsādanārthaṃ lokānāṃ dhundhurnāma mahāsuraḥ | tapasyati tapo ghoraṃ śṛṇu yastaṃ haniṣyati

A great asura named Dhundhu is practising terrible austerities in order to destroy the worlds. Hear who will slay him.

Verse 32 (3.204.32)

राजा हि वीर्यवांस्तात इक्ष्वाकुरपराजितः । बृहदश्व इति ख्यातो भविष्यति महीपतिः ॥

rājā hi vīryavāṃstāta ikṣvākuraparājitaḥ | bṛhadaśva iti khyāto bhaviṣyati mahīpatiḥ

A mighty and unconquered king of Ikshvaku's line, my son, will be a lord of the earth renowned as Brihadashva.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets around the first line (editorial marks in Wikisource). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus star passage 973*); the second is CE 3.192.27a.

Verse 33 (3.204.33)

तस्य पुत्रः शुचिर्दान्तः कुवलाश्व इति श्रुतः । स योगबलमास्थाय मामकं पार्थिवोत्तमः । शासनात्तव विप्रर्षे धुन्धुमारो भविष्यति ॥

tasya putraḥ śucirdāntaḥ kuvalāśva iti śrutaḥ | sa yogabalamāsthāya māmakaṃ pārthivottamaḥ | śāsanāttava viprarṣe dhundhumāro bhaviṣyati

His son, pure and self-controlled, will be known as Kuvalashva. That best of kings, taking up the power of my yoga, will at your command, brahmin seer, become Dhundhumara.

Note on the text: Corrected योगबलामास्थाय → योगबलमास्थाय (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ा, the critical edition reads yogabalam āsthāya). The first line is CE 3.192.27c; the other two are CE 3.192.28.

Verse 34 (3.204.34)

उदङ्कमेवमुक्त्वा तु विष्णुरन्तरधीयत ॥

udaṅkamevamuktvā tu viṣṇurantaradhīyata

Having spoken thus to Udanka, Vishnu vanished.