The Story of Marutta (II): The Serpents Take Refuge

Verse 1 (markandeya.127.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इति तापसवाक्यं स श्रुत्वा लज्जापरो नृपः । धिङ्मां चारान्धमित्युक्त्वा निःश्वस्य जगृहे धनुः ॥ 127.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti tāpasavākyaṁ sa śrutvā lajjāparo nṛpaḥ dhiṅmāṁ cārāndhamityuktvā niḥśvasya jagṛhe dhanuḥ

Markandeya said: Having heard the ascetic woman's words, the king was overcome with shame. "Shame on me, blind to my own spies!" he said, and with a sigh he took up his bow.

Verse 2 (markandeya.127.2)

ततः स त्वरितं गत्वा तमौर्वस्याश्रमं प्रति । ववन्दे शिरसा वीरां मातरं पितुरात्मनः ॥ 127.2 ॥

tataḥ sa tvaritaṁ gatvā tamaurvasyāśramaṁ prati vavande śirasā vīrāṁ mātaraṁ piturātmanaḥ

Then, going swiftly to Aurva's hermitage, he bowed his head to Vira, the mother of his own father.

Verse 3 (markandeya.127.3)

तापसांश्च यथान्यायं तैश्चाशीर्भिरभिष्टुतः । दृष्ट्वा च तापसान्सप्त नागैर्दष्टान्मृतान्भुवि ॥ 127.3 ॥

tāpasāṁśca yathānyāyaṁ taiścāśīrbhirabhiṣṭutaḥ dṛṣṭvā ca tāpasānsapta nāgairdaṣṭānmṛtānbhuvi

He duly greeted the ascetics and was honored by their blessings; and he saw the seven ascetic sons, bitten by serpents, lying dead on the ground.

Verse 4 (markandeya.127.4)

निनिन्दात्मानमसकृत्पुरस्तेषां महीपतिः । उवाच चैतदद्याहं मद्वीर्यमवमन्यताम् ॥ 127.4 ॥

ninindātmānamasakṛtpurasteṣāṁ mahīpatiḥ uvāca caitadadyāhaṁ madvīryamavamanyatām

The king repeatedly reproached himself before them, and said: 'Today, let my own valor hold itself in contempt...'

Verse 5 (markandeya.127.5)

यत्करोमि भुजङ्गानां दुष्टानां ब्राह्मणद्विषाम् । तत्पश्यतु जगत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम् ॥ 127.5 ॥

yatkaromi bhujaṅgānāṁ duṣṭānāṁ brāhmaṇadviṣām tatpaśyatu jagatsarvaṁ sadevāsuramānuṣam

'...if it does not witness what I now do to these wicked, brahmin-hating serpents — let the whole world, with its gods, asuras and men, behold it!'

Verse 6 (markandeya.127.6)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इत्युक्त्वा जगृहे कोपादस्त्रं संवर्तकं नृपः । नाशायाशेषनागानां पातालोर्वीविचारिणाम् ॥ 127.6 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ityuktvā jagṛhe kopādastraṁ saṁvartakaṁ nṛpaḥ nāśāyāśeṣanāgānāṁ pātālorvīvicāriṇām

Markandeya said: Having said this, the king in fury took up the Samvartaka missile, for the destruction of all the serpents that roam through the netherworld and the earth.

Verse 7 (markandeya.127.7)

ततो जज्वाल सहसा नागलोकः समन्ततः । महास्त्रतेजसा विप्र दह्यमानो निवारितः ॥ 127.7 ॥

tato jajvāla sahasā nāgalokaḥ samantataḥ mahāstratejasā vipra dahyamāno nivāritaḥ

Then, all at once, O brahmin, the entire serpent-world blazed up on every side, burning under the power of the great weapon, its final blow still held back.

Verse 8 (markandeya.127.8)

हा हा तातेति हा मातर्हा हा वत्सेति संभ्रमे । तस्मिन्नस्त्रकृते वाचः पन्नगानामथाभवन् ॥ 127.8 ॥

hā hā tāteti hā mātarhā hā vatseti saṁbhrame tasminnastrakṛte vācaḥ pannagānāmathābhavan

In the confusion caused by that weapon, cries arose among the serpents: 'Alas, father! Alas, mother! Alas, my child!'

Verse 9 (markandeya.127.9)

केचिज्ज्वलद्भिः पुच्छाग्रैः फणैरन्ये भुजङ्गमाः । गृहीतपुत्रदाराश्च त्यक्ताभरणवाससः ॥ 127.9 ॥

kecijjvaladbhiḥ pucchāgraiḥ phaṇairanye bhujaṅgamāḥ gṛhītaputradārāśca tyaktābharaṇavāsasaḥ

Some serpents, their tail-tips ablaze, others with their hoods burning, taking hold of their wives and children and abandoning their ornaments and garments...

Verse 10 (markandeya.127.10)

पातालमुत्सृज्य ययुः शरणं भामिनीं तदा । मरुत्तमातरं पूर्वं यया दत्तं तदाभयम् ॥ 127.10 ॥

pātālamutsṛjya yayuḥ śaraṇaṁ bhāminīṁ tadā maruttamātaraṁ pūrvaṁ yayā dattaṁ tadābhayam

...abandoned the netherworld and went for refuge to that lady, Marutta's mother, by whom protection had earlier been granted to them.

Verse 11 (markandeya.127.11)

तामुपेत्योरगाः सर्वे सप्रणामं भयातुराः । सगद्गदमिदं प्रोचुः स्मर्यतां नः पुरोदितम् ॥ 127.11 ॥

tāmupetyoragāḥ sarve sapraṇāmaṁ bhayāturāḥ sagadgadamidaṁ procuḥ smaryatāṁ naḥ puroditam

All the serpents, tormented by fear, approached her with reverence and, their voices choked, said: 'Remember what was said to us before —'

Verse 12 (markandeya.127.12)

प्रणम्याभ्यर्थितं पूर्वं यदस्माभिः रसातले । तस्य कालोऽयमायातस्त्राहि वीरप्रजायिनि ॥ 127.12 ॥

praṇamyābhyarthitaṁ pūrvaṁ yadasmābhiḥ rasātale tasya kālo’yamāyātastrāhi vīraprajāyini

'—what we entreated of you, bowing, in the netherworld before. That time has now come; save us, O mother of heroes!'

Verse 13 (markandeya.127.13)

पुत्रो निवार्यतां राज्ञि प्राणैः संयोज्यमस्तु नः । दह्यते सकलो लोको नागानामस्त्रवह्निना ॥ 127.13 ॥

putro nivāryatāṁ rājñi prāṇaiḥ saṁyojyamastu naḥ dahyate sakalo loko nāgānāmastravahninā

'O queen, let your son be restrained; let us be reunited with our lives. The whole world of serpents is burning in the fire of that weapon.'

Verse 14 (markandeya.127.14)

एवं संदह्यमानानामस्माकं तनयेन ते । त्वामृते शरणं नान्यत्कृपां कुरु यशस्विनि ॥ 127.14 ॥

evaṁ saṁdahyamānānāmasmākaṁ tanayena te tvāmṛte śaraṇaṁ nānyatkṛpāṁ kuru yaśasvini

'We are thus being burned by your son; other than you, we have no refuge — show us mercy, O glorious lady!'

Verse 15 (markandeya.127.15)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इति श्रुत्वा वचस्तेषां संस्मृत्यादौ च भाषितम् । भर्त्तारमाह सा साध्वी ससम्भ्रममिदं वचः ॥ 127.15 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti śrutvā vacasteṣāṁ saṁsmṛtyādau ca bhāṣitam bharttāramāha sā sādhvī sasambhramamidaṁ vacaḥ

Markandeya said: Having heard their words, and recalling what had been said before, that virtuous lady spoke this to her husband, in agitation:

Verse 16 (markandeya.127.16)

पूर्वमेव तवाख्यातं पाताले यद्भुजङ्गमैः । प्रोक्तमभ्यर्थनापूर्वं ममासीत्तनयं प्रति ॥ 127.16 ॥

pūrvameva tavākhyātaṁ pātāle yadbhujaṅgamaiḥ proktamabhyarthanāpūrvaṁ mamāsīttanayaṁ prati

'I told you before what the serpents had said to me in the netherworld — an entreaty made in advance, concerning our son.'

Verse 17 (markandeya.127.17)

त इमेऽभ्यागता भीता दह्यन्ते तस्य तेजसा । मामेते शरणं पूर्वं दत्तमेभ्यो मयाऽभयम् ॥ 127.17 ॥

ta ime’bhyāgatā bhītā dahyante tasya tejasā māmete śaraṇaṁ pūrvaṁ dattamebhyo mayā’bhayam

'These very ones have now come, terrified, being burned by his power. They took refuge in me before; protection was granted to them by me.'

Verse 18 (markandeya.127.18)

ये मां शरणमापन्नास्ते त्वां शरणमागताः । अपृथग्धर्मचरणा याताहं शरणं तव ॥ 127.18 ॥

ye māṁ śaraṇamāpannāste tvāṁ śaraṇamāgatāḥ apṛthagdharmacaraṇā yātāhaṁ śaraṇaṁ tava

'Those who have taken refuge in me have thereby taken refuge in you; for we do not follow separate paths of dharma — I too have come to you for refuge.'

Verse 19 (markandeya.127.19)

तन्निवारय पुत्रं त्वं मरुत्तं वचनात्तव । मया चाभ्यर्थितोऽवश्यं शममभ्युपयास्यति ॥ 127.19 ॥

tannivāraya putraṁ tvaṁ maruttaṁ vacanāttava mayā cābhyarthito’vaśyaṁ śamamabhyupayāsyati

'Therefore, restrain our son Marutta by your own word; entreated by me, he will surely come to peace.'

Verse 20 (markandeya.127.20)

राजोवाच महापराधे नियतं मरुत्तः क्रोधमागतः । दुर्निर्वर्त्यमहं मन्ये तस्य क्रोधं सुतस्य ते ॥ 127.20 ॥

rājovāca mahāparādhe niyataṁ maruttaḥ krodhamāgataḥ durnirvartyamahaṁ manye tasya krodhaṁ sutasya te

The king said: 'Marutta has certainly grown angry over a grave offense; I think our son's anger will be hard to turn back.'

Verse 21 (markandeya.127.21)

नागा ऊचुः शरणागतास्तव वयं प्रसादः क्रियतां नृप । क्षत्रस्यार्तपरित्राणनिमित्तं शस्त्रधारणम् ॥ 127.21 ॥

nāgā ūcuḥ śaraṇāgatāstava vayaṁ prasādaḥ kriyatāṁ nṛpa kṣatrasyārtaparitrāṇanimittaṁ śastradhāraṇam

The serpents said: 'We have come to you for refuge, O king; show us your favor. A kshatriya bears weapons for the very purpose of protecting the afflicted.'

Verse 22 (markandeya.127.22)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच नागानां तद्वचः श्रुत्वा भूतानां शरणैषिणाम् । तया चाभ्यर्थितः पत्न्या प्राहावीक्षिन्महायशाः ॥ 127.22 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca nāgānāṁ tadvacaḥ śrutvā bhūtānāṁ śaraṇaiṣiṇām tayā cābhyarthitaḥ patnyā prāhāvīkṣinmahāyaśāḥ

Markandeya said: Having heard the words of the serpents, those beings seeking refuge, and entreated too by his wife, the greatly renowned Avikshit spoke:

Verse 23 (markandeya.127.23)

गत्वा ब्रवीमि तं भद्रे तनयं त्वरया तव । परित्राणाय नागानां न त्याज्याः शरणागताः ॥ 127.23 ॥

gatvā bravīmi taṁ bhadre tanayaṁ tvarayā tava paritrāṇāya nāgānāṁ na tyājyāḥ śaraṇāgatāḥ

'O gentle lady, I shall go quickly and tell your son this — for the protection of the serpents: those who have taken refuge must not be forsaken.'

Verse 24 (markandeya.127.24)

नोपसंहरते सोऽस्त्रं यदि मद्वचनान्नृपः । तदास्त्रैर्वारयिष्यामि तस्यास्त्रं तनयस्य ते ॥ 127.24 ॥

nopasaṁharate so’straṁ yadi madvacanānnṛpaḥ tadāstrairvārayiṣyāmi tasyāstraṁ tanayasya te

'If the king does not withdraw his weapon at my word, then I shall ward off our son's weapon with weapons of my own.'

Verse 25 (markandeya.127.25)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततो गृहीत्वा स धनुरविक्षित्क्षत्रियोत्तमः । भार्यया सहितः प्रायात्त्वरावान्भार्गवाश्रमम् ॥ 127.25 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tato gṛhītvā sa dhanuravikṣitkṣatriyottamaḥ bhāryayā sahitaḥ prāyāttvarāvānbhārgavāśramam

Markandeya said: Then Avikshit, that foremost of kshatriyas, took up his bow and, together with his wife, hastened toward Bhargava's hermitage.