The Granting of the Boon

Verse 1 (markandeya.93.1)

ऋषिरुवाच एतत्ते कथितं भूप देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । एवंप्रभावा सा देवी ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ 93.1 ॥

ṛṣiruvāca etatte kathitaṁ bhūpa devīmāhātmyamuttamam evaṁprabhāvā sā devī yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

The sage said: Thus, O king, has this supreme greatness of the Goddess been told to you; such is the power of that Goddess by whom this world is sustained.

Verse 2 (markandeya.93.2)

विद्या तथैव क्रियते भगवद्विष्णुमायया । तथा त्वमेष वैश्यश्च तथैवान्ये विवेकिनः । मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे ॥ 93.2 ॥

vidyā tathaiva kriyate bhagavadviṣṇumāyayā tathā tvameṣa vaiśyaśca tathaivānye vivekinaḥ mohyante mohitāścaiva mohameṣyanti cāpare

By the Maya of the illustrious Vishnu, knowledge itself is likewise brought about; thus you, and this Vaishya here, and other discerning men as well, are deluded—and, once deluded, others still to come shall likewise fall into delusion.

Verse 3 (markandeya.93.3)

तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम् । आराधिता सैव नृणां भोगस्वर्गापवर्गदा ॥ 93.3 ॥

tāmupaihi mahārāja śaraṇaṁ parameśvarīm ārādhitā saiva nṛṇāṁ bhogasvargāpavargadā

Go, O great king, for refuge to that Supreme Goddess; when worshipped, she alone grants to men enjoyment, heaven, and final liberation.

Verse 4 (markandeya.93.4)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं शंसितव्रतम् ॥ 93.4 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā surathaḥ sa narādhipaḥ praṇipatya mahābhāgaṁ tamṛṣiṁ śaṁsitavratam

Markandeya said: Having heard these words of his, King Suratha bowed down before that most fortunate sage, whose vows were ever faithfully kept,

Verse 5 (markandeya.93.5)

निर्विण्णोऽतिममत्वेन राज्यापहरणेन च । जगम सद्यस्तपसे स च वैश्यो महामुने ॥ 93.5 ॥

nirviṇṇo 'timamatvena rājyāpaharaṇena ca jagama sadyastapase sa ca vaiśyo mahāmune

and, disillusioned by his excessive attachment and by the loss of his kingdom, set out at once to perform austerities, O great sage; and that Vaishya went along with him too.

Verse 6 (markandeya.93.6)

संदर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनसंस्थितः । स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन् ॥ 93.6 ॥

saṁdarśanārthamambāyā nadīpulinasaṁsthitaḥ sa ca vaiśyastapastepe devīsūktaṁ paraṁ japan

In order to behold the Mother, he took his stand upon a sandbank by a river; and that Vaishya, too, performed austerities there, reciting the supreme hymn to the Goddess.

Verse 7 (markandeya.93.7)

तौ तस्मिन् पिलिने देव्याः कृत्वा मूर्ति महीमयीम् । अर्हणां चक्रतुस्तस्याः पुष्पधूपाग्नितर्पणैः ॥ 93.7 ॥

tau tasmin piline devyāḥ kṛtvā mūrti mahīmayīm arhaṇāṁ cakratustasyāḥ puṣpadhūpāgnitarpaṇaiḥ

The two of them, having fashioned an image of the Goddess out of earth upon that sandbank, performed worship of her with flowers, incense, and offerings into the fire.

Verse 8 (markandeya.93.8)

निराहारौ यतात्मानौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ । ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम् ॥ 93.8 ॥

nirāhārau yatātmānau tanmanaskau samāhitau dadatustau baliṁ caiva nijagātrāsṛgukṣitam

Fasting, their senses controlled, their minds fixed upon her alone, deeply absorbed, the two of them offered an oblation moistened with the very blood of their own bodies.

Verse 9 (markandeya.93.9)

एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः । परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री प्रत्यक्षं प्राह चण्डिका ॥ 93.9 ॥

evaṁ samārādhayatostribhirvarṣairyatātmanoḥ parituṣṭā jagaddhātrī pratyakṣaṁ prāha caṇḍikā

Thus, as the two of them, their senses restrained, worshipped her for three years, Chandika, the sustainer of the world, well pleased, appeared before them in person and spoke.

Verse 10 (markandeya.93.10)

श्रीदेव्युवाच यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन । मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि तत् ॥ 93.10 ॥

śrīdevyuvāca yatprārthyate tvayā bhūpa tvayā ca kulanandana mattastatprāpyatāṁ sarvaṁ parituṣṭā dadāmi tat

The Goddess said: Whatever you, O king, and you, O joy of your family, desire to ask of me—let all of it be obtained from me; I am well pleased, and I grant it.

Verse 11 (markandeya.93.11)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततो वव्रे नृपो राज्यमविभ्रंश्यन्यजन्मनि । अत्रैव च निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात् ॥ 93.11 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tato vavre nṛpo rājyamavibhraṁśyanyajanmani atraiva ca nijaṁ rājyaṁ hataśatrubalaṁ balāt

Markandeya said: Then the king asked for a kingdom that would not fail him even in another birth, and also, here in this very life, for his own kingdom, its enemies' strength destroyed by force.

Verse 12 (markandeya.93.12)

सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः । ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम् ॥ 93.12 ॥

so 'pi vaiśyastato jñānaṁ vavre nirviṇṇamānasaḥ mametyahamiti prājñaḥ saṅgavicyutikārakam

That Vaishya, too, his mind now free of worldly disillusionment, wisely asked instead for the knowledge that severs one's attachment to the notions of 'mine' and 'I'.

Verse 13 (markandeya.93.13)

श्रीदेव्युवाच स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यते भवान् । हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति ॥ 93.13 ॥

śrīdevyuvāca svalpairahobhirnṛpate svaṁ rājyaṁ prāpsyate bhavān hatvā ripūnaskhalitaṁ tava tatra bhaviṣyati

The Goddess said: In but a few days, O king, you shall regain your own kingdom, having slain your enemies; and there your rule shall remain unbroken.

Verse 14 (markandeya.93.14)

मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः । सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान् भुवि भविष्यति ॥ 93.14 ॥

mṛtaśca bhūyaḥ samprāpya janma devādvivasvataḥ sāvarṇiko nāma manurbhavān bhuvi bhaviṣyati

And when you die, you shall obtain a further birth from the sun-god Vivasvat, and you shall become, upon this earth, the Manu named Savarni.

Verse 15 (markandeya.93.15)

वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छतः । तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति ॥ 93.15 ॥

vaiśyavarya tvayā yaśca varo 'smatto 'bhivāñchataḥ taṁ prayacchāmi saṁsiddhyai tava jñānaṁ bhaviṣyati

O foremost of Vaishyas, and the boon that you have desired from me—that too I grant, for your perfection; you shall attain that knowledge.

Verse 16 (markandeya.93.16)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच बभूवान्तर्हिता सद्यो भक्त्या ताभ्यामभिष्टुता ॥ 93.16 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti dattvā tayordevī yathābhilaṣitaṁ varam babhūvāntarhitā sadyo bhaktyā tābhyāmabhiṣṭutā

Markandeya said: Having thus granted to the two of them the boon each had desired, the Goddess, praised by them with devotion, vanished at once.

Verse 17 (markandeya.93.17)

एवं देव्या वरं लब्ध्वा सुरथः क्षत्रियर्षभः । सूर्याज्जन्म समासाद्य सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः ॥ 93.17 ॥

evaṁ devyā varaṁ labdhvā surathaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ sūryājjanma samāsādya sāvarṇirbhavitā manuḥ

Thus, having obtained his boon from the Goddess, Suratha, that bull among kshatriyas, shall in time obtain birth from the Sun, and become the Manu named Savarni.