The Story of Karandhama

Verse 1 (markandeya.118.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततः स नृपतिर्गत्वा गोमतीं पापनाशिनीम् । तत्र तुष्टाव नियतो भूत्वा देवं पुरन्दरम् ॥ 118.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tataḥ sa nṛpatirgatvā gomatīṁ pāpanāśinīm tatra tuṣṭāva niyato bhūtvā devaṁ purandaram

Markandeya said: Then that king went to the Gomati, destroyer of sins; there, restrained in vow, he propitiated the god Purandara.

Verse 2 (markandeya.118.2)

तप्यमानस्तपश्चोग्रं यतवाक्कायमानसः । तुष्टाव प्रयतः शक्रमपत्यार्थं महीपतिः ॥ 118.2 ॥

tapyamānastapaścograṁ yatavākkāyamānasaḥ tuṣṭāva prayataḥ śakramapatyārthaṁ mahīpatiḥ

Practicing fierce austerity, with speech, body, and mind restrained, that lord of the earth, self-controlled, propitiated Shakra for the sake of offspring.

Verse 3 (markandeya.118.3)

तस्य स्तोत्रेण तपसा भक्त्या चापि सुरेश्वरः । तुतोष भगवानिन्द्रः प्राह चैनं महामुने ॥ 118.3 ॥

tasya stotreṇa tapasā bhaktyā cāpi sureśvaraḥ tutoṣa bhagavānindraḥ prāha cainaṁ mahāmune

By his hymn, his austerity, and also his devotion, the lord of the gods was pleased; the blessed Indra, well satisfied, spoke to him, O great sage.

Verse 4 (markandeya.118.4)

अनेन तपसा भक्त्या स्तोत्रेणोच्चारितेन च । परितुष्टोऽस्मि ते भूप व्रियतां भवता वरः ॥ 118.4 ॥

anena tapasā bhaktyā stotreṇoccāritena ca parituṣṭo ’smi te bhūpa vriyatāṁ bhavatā varaḥ

"By this austerity, devotion, and the hymn you have recited, I am well pleased with you, O king; choose a boon."

Verse 5 (markandeya.118.5)

राजोवाच अपुत्रस्य सुतो मेऽस्तु सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः । सदा चाव्याहतैश्वर्यो धर्मकृद्धर्मवित्कृती ॥ 118.5 ॥

rājovāca aputrasya suto me ’stu sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ sadā cāvyāhataiśvaryo dharmakṛddharmavitkṛtī

The king said: "Though I am sonless, let a son be born to me, foremost among all bearers of weapons, ever of unimpeded sovereignty, a doer and knower of dharma, skilled in action."

Verse 6 (markandeya.118.6)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच तथेति चोक्तः शक्रेण राजा प्राप्तमनोरथः । प्रजाः पालयितुं भूप आजगाम निजं पुरम् ॥ 118.6 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tatheti coktaḥ śakreṇa rājā prāptamanorathaḥ prajāḥ pālayituṁ bhūpa ājagāma nijaṁ puram

Markandeya said: Having been told "So be it" by Shakra, the king, his wish fulfilled, returned to his own city to protect his subjects.

Verse 7 (markandeya.118.7)

तत्रास्य कुर्वतो यज्ञं सम्यक्पालयतः प्रजाः । अजायत सुतो विप्र तदा शक्रप्रसादतः ॥ 118.7 ॥

tatrāsya kurvato yajñaṁ samyakpālayataḥ prajāḥ ajāyata suto vipra tadā śakraprasādataḥ

There, while he performed sacrifice and well protected his subjects, O brahmin, a son was then born to him by the grace of Shakra.

Verse 8 (markandeya.118.8)

तस्य नाम पिता चक्रे बलाश्व इति भूपतिः । अस्त्रग्राममशेषं च ग्राहयामास तं सुतम् ॥ 118.8 ॥

tasya nāma pitā cakre balāśva iti bhūpatiḥ astragrāmamaśeṣaṁ ca grāhayāmāsa taṁ sutam

His father, the king, gave him the name Balashva, and had that son instructed in the entire body of weaponry.

Verse 9 (markandeya.118.9)

पितर्युपरते विप्र सोऽधिराज्ये स्थितो नृपः । स बलाश्वो वशं निन्ये भुवि सर्वमहीक्षितः ॥ 118.9 ॥

pitaryuparate vipra so ’dhirājye sthito nṛpaḥ sa balāśvo vaśaṁ ninye bhuvi sarvamahīkṣitaḥ

When his father died, O brahmin, and he was established as king in the sovereignty, that Balashva brought all the rulers of the earth under his sway.

Verse 10 (markandeya.118.10)

करं च दापयामास सारग्रहणपूर्वकम् । स सर्वभूमिपान्राजा पालयामास च प्रजाः ॥ 118.10 ॥

karaṁ ca dāpayāmāsa sāragrahaṇapūrvakam sa sarvabhūmipānrājā pālayāmāsa ca prajāḥ

He had them pay tribute, first taking the essence of their wealth; that king protected all the rulers of the earth as well as his own subjects.

Verse 11 (markandeya.118.11)

अथाखिलनरेन्द्रास्ते दायादास्तस्य दुर्मदाः । न चाभ्युत्थाय सततं त चास्मै प्रददुः करान् ॥ 118.11 ॥

athākhilanarendrāste dāyādāstasya durmadāḥ na cābhyutthāya satataṁ ta cāsmai pradaduḥ karān

Then all those proud royal heirs, insolent, neither consistently rose in respect for him, nor did they pay him tribute.

Verse 12 (markandeya.118.12)

व्युत्थिताः स्वेषु राष्ट्रेषु न सन्तोषपरास्ततः । भुवं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य जगृहुस्ते नराधिपाः ॥ 118.12 ॥

vyutthitāḥ sveṣu rāṣṭreṣu na santoṣaparāstataḥ bhuvaṁ tasya narendrasya jagṛhuste narādhipāḥ

Rising up in rebellion in their own realms and no longer content, those kings seized that lord's territory.

Verse 13 (markandeya.118.13)

स गृहीत्वा स्वकं राज्यं पृथिवीशो बलान्मुने । तस्थौ स्वनगरे भूपैर्विरोधो बहुभिः कृतः ॥ 118.13 ॥

sa gṛhītvā svakaṁ rājyaṁ pṛthivīśo balānmune tasthau svanagare bhūpairvirodho bahubhiḥ kṛtaḥ

That lord of the earth, having taken back his own kingdom by force, O sage, remained in his own city; but great opposition was raised against him by many kings.

Verse 14 (markandeya.118.14)

समेत्य सुमहावीर्याः ससाधनधनास्ततः । रुरुधुस्तं महीपालं पुरे तत्र नरेश्वराः ॥ 118.14 ॥

sametya sumahāvīryāḥ sasādhanadhanāstataḥ rurudhustaṁ mahīpālaṁ pure tatra nareśvarāḥ

Then, assembling together, those kings of very great might, with their forces and their wealth, besieged that protector of the earth in his own city.

Verse 15 (markandeya.118.15)

पुररोधेन तेनाथ कुपितः स महीपतिः । स्वल्पकोशोऽल्पदण्डश्च वैक्लव्यं परमं गतः ॥ 118.15 ॥

purarodhena tenātha kupitaḥ sa mahīpatiḥ svalpakośo ’lpadaṇḍaśca vaiklavyaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ

Then, angered by that siege of his city, that lord of the earth, his treasury very meager and his forces slight, fell into the utmost distress.

Verse 16 (markandeya.118.16)

अपश्यमानः शरणं सबलो द्विजसत्तम । करौ मुखाग्रतः कृत्वा निशश्वासार्तमानसः ॥ 118.16 ॥

apaśyamānaḥ śaraṇaṁ sabalo dvijasattama karau mukhāgrataḥ kṛtvā niśaśvāsārtamānasaḥ

Seeing no refuge, O best of brahmins, though still possessed of an army, he placed his hands before his face and sighed, his mind stricken with grief.

Verse 17 (markandeya.118.17)

ततोऽस्य हस्तविवरान्मुखानिलसमाहताः । निर्जग्मुः शतशो योधा रथनागतुरङ्गमाः ॥ 118.17 ॥

tato ’sya hastavivarānmukhānilasamāhatāḥ nirjagmuḥ śataśo yodhā rathanāgaturaṅgamāḥ

Then, driven forth by the breath of his mouth through the gaps of his hands, hundreds of warriors, along with chariots, elephants, and horses, issued out.

Verse 18 (markandeya.118.18)

ततः क्षणेन तत्सर्वं नगरं तस्य भूपतेः । व्याप्तमासीद्बलौघेन सारेणातिबलान्मुने ॥ 118.18 ॥

tataḥ kṣaṇena tatsarvaṁ nagaraṁ tasya bhūpateḥ vyāptamāsīdbalaughena sāreṇātibalānmune

Then in an instant that entire city of that king, O great sage, became filled with that mass of forces, of great substance and exceeding might.

Verse 19 (markandeya.118.19)

अथ सोऽतिबलौघेन महता तेन संवृतः । निर्मथ्यनगरात्तस्मात्तान्विजिग्ये नराधिपः ॥ 118.19 ॥

atha so ’tibalaughena mahatā tena saṁvṛtaḥ nirmathyanagarāttasmāttānvijigye narādhipaḥ

Then, surrounded by that great and exceedingly mighty force, that lord of men, sallying forth from that city, conquered them.

Verse 20 (markandeya.118.20)

जित्वा च वशमानीय चकार करदान्पुनः । यथापूर्वं महाभाग महाभाग्यो नरेश्वरः ॥ 118.20 ॥

jitvā ca vaśamānīya cakāra karadānpunaḥ yathāpūrvaṁ mahābhāga mahābhāgyo nareśvaraḥ

Having conquered them and brought them under his sway, that highly fortunate lord of men made them once again tribute-payers, as before.

Verse 21 (markandeya.118.21)

धुतयोः करयोर्जज्ञे यतस्तस्यारिदाहदम् । बलं करन्धमस्तस्मात्स बलाश्वोऽभिधीयते ॥ 118.21 ॥

dhutayoḥ karayorjajñe yatastasyāridāhadam balaṁ karandhamastasmātsa balāśvo ’bhidhīyate

Because that fiery, enemy-consuming might arose from his shaken hands, therefore that Balashva came to be called Karandhama.

Verse 22 (markandeya.118.22)

स धर्मात्मा महात्मा च स मैत्रः सर्वजन्तुषु । करन्धमोऽभवद्भूपस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः ॥ 118.22 ॥

sa dharmātmā mahātmā ca sa maitraḥ sarvajantuṣu karandhamo ’bhavadbhūpastriṣu lokeṣu viśrutaḥ

That righteous, great-souled king, friendly toward all beings, became renowned as Karandhama throughout the three worlds.

Verse 23 (markandeya.118.23)

सम्प्रास्तस्य परामार्त्तिं ददावरिविनाशनम् । बलं धर्मेण चाक्षिप्तमभ्युपेत्य स्वयं नृपम् ॥ 118.23 ॥

samprāstasya parāmārttiṁ dadāvarivināśanam balaṁ dharmeṇa cākṣiptamabhyupetya svayaṁ nṛpam

When the greatest affliction came upon him, that enemy-destroying might, drawn forth by righteousness, of its own accord came to that king's aid.