The Story of Marutta

Verse 1 (markandeya.125.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततः स राजपुत्रस्तमादाय दयितं सुतम् । पत्नीं चानुगतो विप्र गन्धर्वैराययौ पुरम् ॥ 125.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tataḥ sa rājaputrastamādāya dayitaṁ sutam patnīṁ cānugato vipra gandharvairāyayau puram

Markandeya said: Then that son of the king, taking his beloved son and followed by his wife, came, together with the gandharvas, O brahmin, to the city.

Verse 2 (markandeya.125.2)

स पितुर्भवनं प्राप्य ववन्दे पितुरादरात् । चरणौ सा च तन्वङ्गी ह्रीमती नृपते सुता ॥ 125.2 ॥

sa piturbhavanaṁ prāpya vavande piturādarāt caraṇau sā ca tanvaṅgī hrīmatī nṛpate sutā

He, approaching his father's palace, bowed with reverence at his father's feet; and that slender, modest daughter of the king did likewise.

Verse 3 (markandeya.125.3)

तथाह राजपुत्रोऽसौ गृहीत्वा बालकं सुतम् । धर्मासनगतं भूपं राज्ञां मध्ये करन्धमम् ॥ 125.3 ॥

tathāha rājaputro ’sau gṛhītvā bālakaṁ sutam dharmāsanagataṁ bhūpaṁ rājñāṁ madhye karandhamam

Then that son of the king, taking his infant son, spoke thus to Karandhama, the king seated on the throne of righteousness, amid the assembled kings.

Verse 4 (markandeya.125.4)

मुखं पौत्रस्य पश्यैतदुत्सङ्गस्थस्य यन्मया । किमिच्छके प्रतिज्ञातं तुभ्यं मातुः कृते पुरा ॥ 125.4 ॥

mukhaṁ pautrasya paśyaitadutsaṅgasthasya yanmayā kimicchake pratijñātaṁ tubhyaṁ mātuḥ kṛte purā

"Behold the face of this grandson, seated upon your own lap; this was the vow I once made to you, for my mother's sake, in the kimicchaka rite."

Verse 5 (markandeya.125.5)

इत्युक्त्वा पितुरुत्सङ्गे तं कृत्वा तनयं ततः । यथावृत्तमशेषं स कथयामास तस्य तत् ॥ 125.5 ॥

ityuktvā piturutsaṅge taṁ kṛtvā tanayaṁ tataḥ yathāvṛttamaśeṣaṁ sa kathayāmāsa tasya tat

Having said this, and placing that son upon his father's lap, he then related to him everything that had happened, in its entirety.

Verse 6 (markandeya.125.6)

स परिष्वज्य तं पौत्रमानन्दास्राविलेक्षणः । स भाग्योऽस्मीत्यथात्मानं प्रशशंस पुनः पुनः ॥ 125.6 ॥

sa pariṣvajya taṁ pautramānandāsrāvilekṣaṇaḥ sa bhāgyo ’smītyathātmānaṁ praśaśaṁsa punaḥ punaḥ

He, embracing that grandson, his eyes overflowing with tears of joy, praised himself again and again, saying, "I am fortunate!"

Verse 7 (markandeya.125.7)

ततः सोऽर्घ्यादिना सम्यग्गन्धर्वान्समुपागतान् । सम्मानयामास मुदा विस्मृतान्यप्रयोजनः ॥ 125.7 ॥

tataḥ so ’rghyādinā samyaggandharvānsamupāgatān sammānayāmāsa mudā vismṛtānyaprayojanaḥ

Then, with offerings of respect and other honors, he duly honored the gandharvas who had come there, with joy, all other business forgotten.

Verse 8 (markandeya.125.8)

ततः पुरे महानासीदानन्दः पौरवेश्मसु । अस्माकं सन्ततिर्जाता नाथस्येति महामुने ॥ 125.8 ॥

tataḥ pure mahānāsīdānandaḥ pauraveśmasu asmākaṁ santatirjātā nāthasyeti mahāmune

Then in the city there arose great joy in every household of the citizens: "A son has been born to our lord!" — O great sage.

Verse 9 (markandeya.125.9)

हृष्टपुष्टे पुरे तस्मिन्गीतवाद्यैर्वराङ्गनाः । विलासिन्योऽतिचार्वङ्ग्यो ननृतुर्लास्यमुत्तमम् ॥ 125.9 ॥

hṛṣṭapuṣṭe pure tasmingītavādyairvarāṅganāḥ vilāsinyo ’ticārvaṅgyo nanṛturlāsyamuttamam

In that flourishing city, lovely women, courtesans of exceedingly graceful form, danced the finest lasya with song and instrumental music.

Verse 10 (markandeya.125.10)

राजा च द्विजमुख्येभ्यो रत्नानि च वसूनि च । गावो वस्त्राण्यलङ्कारानददाद्धृष्टमानसः ॥ 125.10 ॥

rājā ca dvijamukhyebhyo ratnāni ca vasūni ca gāvo vastrāṇyalaṅkārānadadāddhṛṣṭamānasaḥ

And the king, his mind filled with joy, gave to the foremost brahmins jewels, wealth, cows, garments, and ornaments.

Verse 11 (markandeya.125.11)

ततः स बालो ववृधे शुक्लपक्षे यथा शशी । पितॄणां प्रीतिजनको जनस्येष्टश्च सोऽभवत् ॥ 125.11 ॥

tataḥ sa bālo vavṛdhe śuklapakṣe yathā śaśī pitṝṇāṁ prītijanako janasyeṣṭaśca so ’bhavat

Then that child grew, like the moon in its waxing fortnight; he became a source of delight to his elders and beloved of the people.

Verse 12 (markandeya.125.12)

आचार्याणां सकाशात्स प्राग्वेदाञ्जगृहे मुने । ततः शास्त्राण्यशेषाणि धनुर्वेदं ततः परम् ॥ 125.12 ॥

ācāryāṇāṁ sakāśātsa prāgvedāñjagṛhe mune tataḥ śāstrāṇyaśeṣāṇi dhanurvedaṁ tataḥ param

From his teachers, O sage, he first received the Vedas, and thereafter all the sciences entire, and after that the science of archery.

Verse 13 (markandeya.125.13)

कृतोद्योगो यदा सोऽभूत्खड्गकार्मुककर्मणि । अन्येषु च तथा वीरः शस्त्रेषु विजितश्रमः ॥ 125.13 ॥

kṛtodyogo yadā so ’bhūtkhaḍgakārmukakarmaṇi anyeṣu ca tathā vīraḥ śastreṣu vijitaśramaḥ

When that hero became accomplished in the practice of sword and bow, and likewise in other weapons, his effort ever unwearied —

Verse 14 (markandeya.125.14)

ततोऽस्त्राणि स जग्राह भार्गवाद्भृगुसम्भवात् । विनयावनतो विप्र गुरोः प्रीतिपरायणः ॥ 125.14 ॥

tato ’strāṇi sa jagrāha bhārgavādbhṛgusambhavāt vinayāvanato vipra guroḥ prītiparāyaṇaḥ

— then he received the celestial weapons from that descendant of Bhrigu, of the line of Bhargava, bowed in humility, O brahmin, devoted to his guru's favor.

Verse 15 (markandeya.125.15)

गृहीतास्त्रः कृती वेदे धनुर्वेदस्य पारगः । निष्णातः सर्वविद्यासु न बभूव ततः परः ॥ 125.15 ॥

gṛhītāstraḥ kṛtī vede dhanurvedasya pāragaḥ niṣṇātaḥ sarvavidyāsu na babhūva tataḥ paraḥ

Having received the celestial weapons, accomplished in the Veda, versed in the science of archery, proficient in every branch of knowledge — none surpassed him thereafter.

Verse 16 (markandeya.125.16)

विशालोऽपि सुतावार्त्तामुपलभ्याखिलामिमाम् । हर्षनिर्भरचित्तोऽभूद्दौहित्रस्य च योग्यताम् ॥ 125.16 ॥

viśālo ’pi sutāvārttāmupalabhyākhilāmimām harṣanirbharacitto ’bhūddauhitrasya ca yogyatām

Vishala too, having received this entire account concerning his daughter, became filled with joy, and likewise at the worthiness of his grandson.

Verse 17 (markandeya.125.17)

अथ राजा सुतसुतं दृष्ट्वा प्राप्तमनोरथः । यज्ञाननेकान्निष्याद्य दत्त्वा दानानि चार्थिनाम् ॥ 125.17 ॥

atha rājā sutasutaṁ dṛṣṭvā prāptamanorathaḥ yajñānanekānniṣyādya dattvā dānāni cārthinām

Then the king, seeing his son's son and his wish now fulfilled, having accomplished many sacrifices and given gifts to petitioners —

Verse 18 (markandeya.125.18)

कृतशेषक्रियो युक्तः स वर्णेर्धर्मतो महीम् । परिपाल्यारिविजयी बलबुद्धिसमन्वितः ॥ 125.18 ॥

kṛtaśeṣakriyo yuktaḥ sa varṇerdharmato mahīm paripālyārivijayī balabuddhisamanvitaḥ

— his remaining duties fulfilled, righteously protecting the earth according to the social orders, victorious over his enemies, endowed with strength and wisdom —

Verse 19 (markandeya.125.19)

स यियासुर्वनं पुत्रमविक्षितमभाषत । पुत्र वृद्धोऽस्मि गच्छामि वनं राज्यं गृहाण मे ॥ 125.19 ॥

sa yiyāsurvanaṁ putramavikṣitamabhāṣata putra vṛddho ’smi gacchāmi vanaṁ rājyaṁ gṛhāṇa me

— wishing to depart to the forest, said to his son Avikshit: "My son, I have grown old; I go to the forest — take the kingdom from me."

Verse 20 (markandeya.125.20)

कृतकृत्योऽस्मि नास्त्यन्यत्किञ्चित्त्वदभिषेचनात् । सुनिष्पन्नमतो राज्यं त्वं गृहाण मयार्पितम् ॥ 125.20 ॥

kṛtakṛtyo ’smi nāstyanyatkiñcittvadabhiṣecanāt suniṣpannamato rājyaṁ tvaṁ gṛhāṇa mayārpitam

"I have accomplished all I sought; there is nothing else left for me but your consecration. This well-established kingdom, therefore, entrusted by me, take."

Verse 21 (markandeya.125.21)

इत्युक्तः पितरं प्राह सोऽविक्षिन्नृपनन्दनः । प्रश्रयावनतो भूत्वा यियासुस्तपसे वनम् ॥ 125.21 ॥

ityuktaḥ pitaraṁ prāha so ’vikṣinnṛpanandanaḥ praśrayāvanato bhūtvā yiyāsustapase vanam

Thus addressed, Avikshit, joy of the king, bowing in deference and himself wishing to go to the forest for austerity, spoke to his father.

Verse 22 (markandeya.125.22)

नाहं तात करिष्यामि पृथिव्याः परिपालनम् । नापैति ह्रीर्मे मनसि राज्येऽयं त्वं नियोजय ॥ 125.22 ॥

nāhaṁ tāta kariṣyāmi pṛthivyāḥ paripālanam nāpaiti hrīrme manasi rājye ’yaṁ tvaṁ niyojaya

"I shall not undertake the protection of the earth, father; shame does not depart from my mind — appoint this one instead to the kingdom."

Verse 23 (markandeya.125.23)

तातेन मोक्षितो बद्धो न स्ववीर्यादहं यतः । ततः कियत्पौरुषं मे पुरुषैः पाल्यते मही ॥ 125.23 ॥

tātena mokṣito baddho na svavīryādahaṁ yataḥ tataḥ kiyatpauruṣaṁ me puruṣaiḥ pālyate mahī

"Since I was released from bondage by my father, not by my own valor — what manliness, then, is there in me, that the earth should be protected by such a man?"

Verse 24 (markandeya.125.24)

योऽहं न पालनायालमात्मनोऽपि वसुन्धराम् । स कथं पालयिष्यामि राज्यमन्यत्र विक्षिप ॥ 125.24 ॥

yo ’haṁ na pālanāyālamātmano ’pi vasundharām sa kathaṁ pālayiṣyāmi rājyamanyatra vikṣipa

"I, who was not even capable of protecting myself, how shall I protect the earth? Assign the kingdom elsewhere."

Verse 25 (markandeya.125.25)

स स्त्रीसधर्मा पुरुषो यश्चान्येनावद्रुह्यते । आत्माऽमोहाय भवता बन्धनाद्येन मोक्षितः ॥ 125.25 ॥

sa strīsadharmā puruṣo yaścānyenāvadruhyate ātmā ’mohāya bhavatā bandhanādyena mokṣitaḥ

"That man is of the same condition as a woman, who is wronged by another and, deluded about himself, is freed from bondage by someone else."

Verse 26 (markandeya.125.26)

सोऽहं कथं भविष्यामि स्त्रीसधर्मा महीपतिः । स्त्रियः पुमान्भवेद्भर्त्ता य शूरः स महीपतिः ॥ 125.26 ॥

so ’haṁ kathaṁ bhaviṣyāmi strīsadharmā mahīpatiḥ striyaḥ pumānbhavedbharttā ya śūraḥ sa mahīpatiḥ

"How then shall I, being of the same condition as a woman, become a lord of the earth? He alone should be a woman's husband, and the earth's lord, who is truly heroic."

Verse 27 (markandeya.125.27)

पितोवाच न भिन्न एव पुत्रस्य पिता पुत्रस्तथा पितुः । नान्येन मोक्षितो वीर यस्त्वं पित्रा विमोक्षितः । पुत्र उवाच । हृदयं नान्यथा नेतुं मया शक्यं नरेश्वर ॥ 125.27 ॥

pitovāca na bhinna eva putrasya pitā putrastathā pituḥ nānyena mokṣito vīra yastvaṁ pitrā vimokṣitaḥ putra uvāca hṛdayaṁ nānyathā netuṁ mayā śakyaṁ nareśvara

The father said: "A father is not indeed different from his son, nor a son from his father; you were not freed by another, O hero — you were freed by your own father." The son said: "My heart, O lord of men, cannot be led otherwise."

Verse 28 (markandeya.125.28)

हृदये ह्रीर्ममातीव यस्त्वहं मोक्षितस्त्वया ॥ 125.28 ॥

hṛdaye hrīrmamātīva yastvahaṁ mokṣitastvayā

"In my heart there is exceeding shame, that I was freed by you."

Verse 29 (markandeya.125.29)

पित्रोपात्तां श्रियं भुङ्क्ते पित्रा कृच्छ्रात्समुद्धृतः । विज्ञायते च यः पित्रा मानवः सोऽस्तु नो कुले ॥ 125.29 ॥

pitropāttāṁ śriyaṁ bhuṅkte pitrā kṛcchrātsamuddhṛtaḥ vijñāyate ca yaḥ pitrā mānavaḥ so ’stu no kule

"One who enjoys prosperity gained by his father, is raised up by his father from difficulty, and is known as a man only through his father — let him not be counted in our lineage."

Verse 30 (markandeya.125.30)

स्वयमर्जितवित्तानां ख्यातिं स्वयमुपेयुषाम् । स्वयं निस्तीर्णकृच्छ्राणां या गतिः साऽस्तु मे गतिः ॥ 125.30 ॥

svayamarjitavittānāṁ khyātiṁ svayamupeyuṣām svayaṁ nistīrṇakṛcchrāṇāṁ yā gatiḥ sā ’stu me gatiḥ

"The destiny of those who have themselves earned their wealth, themselves attained renown, themselves crossed over hardship — let that destiny be mine."

Verse 31 (markandeya.125.31)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इत्याह बहुशः पित्रा यदाप्युक्त्वाऽप्यसौ मुने । तदा तस्य सुतं राज्ये मरुत्तमकरोन्नृपः ॥ 125.31 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ityāha bahuśaḥ pitrā yadāpyuktvā ’pyasau mune tadā tasya sutaṁ rājye maruttamakaronnṛpaḥ

Markandeya said: When he had spoken thus repeatedly, and, though addressed many times by his father, remained firm, O sage, then that king established his grandson Marutta upon the throne.

Verse 32 (markandeya.125.32)

स पित्रा समनुज्ञातं राज्यं प्राप्य पितामहात् । चकार सम्यक्सुहृदामानन्दमुपपादयन् ॥ 125.32 ॥

sa pitrā samanujñātaṁ rājyaṁ prāpya pitāmahāt cakāra samyaksuhṛdāmānandamupapādayan

He, having obtained the kingdom permitted by both his father and his grandfather, ruled well, bringing joy to his well-wishers.

Verse 33 (markandeya.125.33)

राजा करन्धमश्चापि वीरामादाय तां तथा । वनं जगाम तपसे यतवाक्कायमानसः ॥ 125.33 ॥

rājā karandhamaścāpi vīrāmādāya tāṁ tathā vanaṁ jagāma tapase yatavākkāyamānasaḥ

King Karandhama too, taking Vira with him, went to the forest for austerity, his speech, body, and mind restrained.

Verse 34 (markandeya.125.34)

तत्र वर्षसहस्रं स तपस्तप्त्वा सुदुश्चरम् । विहाय देहं नृपतिः शक्रस्याप सलोकताम् ॥ 125.34 ॥

tatra varṣasahasraṁ sa tapastaptvā suduścaram vihāya dehaṁ nṛpatiḥ śakrasyāpa salokatām

There, having practiced most severe austerity for a thousand years, that king, giving up his body, attained fellowship with Indra's world.

Verse 35 (markandeya.125.35)

सास्य पत्नी तदा वीरा वर्षाणामपरं शतम् । तपश्चचार विप्रर्षे जटिलामलपङ्किनी । सालोक्यमिच्छती भर्त्तुः स्वर्गतस्य महात्मनः । फलमूलकृताहारा भार्गवाश्रमसंश्रया । द्विजातिपत्नीमध्यस्था द्विजशुश्रूषणादृता ॥ 125.35 ॥

sāsya patnī tadā vīrā varṣāṇāmaparaṁ śatam tapaścacāra viprarṣe jaṭilāmalapaṅkinī sālokyamicchatī bharttuḥ svargatasya mahātmanaḥ phalamūlakṛtāhārā bhārgavāśramasaṁśrayā dvijātipatnīmadhyasthā dvijaśuśrūṣaṇādṛtā

His wife Vira, O sage among brahmins, then practiced austerity for a hundred years more, matted-haired and stainless, desiring fellowship with that great-souled husband who had gone to heaven — subsisting on fruits and roots, sheltering in Bhargava's hermitage, dwelling among the wives of the twice-born, honored in their service.