The Glory of Martanda

Verse 1 (markandeya.99.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच तस्मादण्डाद्विभिन्नात्तु ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । ऋचो बभूवुः प्रथमं प्रथमाद्वदनान्मुने ॥ 99.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tasmādaṇḍādvibhinnāttu brahmaṇo ’vyaktajanmanaḥ ṛco babhūvuḥ prathamaṁ prathamādvadanānmune

Markandeya said: O sage, from that egg of Brahma — whose birth was itself unmanifest — once it split apart, the verses of the Rig Veda first arose from his first face.

Verse 2 (markandeya.99.2)

जपापुष्पनिभाः सद्यस्तेजोरूपा ह्यसंहताः । पृथक्पृथग्विभिन्नाश्च रजोरूपवहास्ततः ॥ 99.2 ॥

japāpuṣpanibhāḥ sadyastejorūpā hyasaṁhatāḥ pṛthakpṛthagvibhinnāśca rajorūpavahāstataḥ

Radiant like the japa flower, forms of pure light, unmingled from the very first moment — each one separate and distinct, and bearing the quality of rajas.

Verse 3 (markandeya.99.3)

यजूंषि दक्षिणाद्वक्त्रादनिरुद्धानि कानिचित् । यादृग्वर्णं तथा वर्णान्यसंहतिधराणि च ॥ 99.3 ॥

yajūṁṣi dakṣiṇādvaktrādaniruddhāni kānicit yādṛgvarṇaṁ tathā varṇānyasaṁhatidharāṇi ca

From the southern face there arose certain unrestrained Yajur verses, syllables of every hue and character, each retaining its own separate nature, not fused into a single mass.

Verse 4 (markandeya.99.4)

पश्चिमं यद्विभोर्वक्त्रं ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । आविर्भूतानि सामानि तत्तच्छन्दांसि तान्यथ ॥ 99.4 ॥

paścimaṁ yadvibhorvaktraṁ brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ āvirbhūtāni sāmāni tattacchandāṁsi tānyatha

From the western face of the mighty Brahma, the Lord Supreme, there appeared the Sama verses, each in its own particular metre.

Verse 5 (markandeya.99.5)

अथर्वणामशेषं च भृङ्गाञ्जनचयप्रभम् । यावद्धोरस्वरूपं तदाभिचारिकशान्तिकम् ॥ 99.5 ॥

atharvaṇāmaśeṣaṁ ca bhṛṅgāñjanacayaprabham yāvaddhorasvarūpaṁ tadābhicārikaśāntikam

And the entire body of the Atharva verses appeared, radiant like a swarm of black bees or like collyrium, terrible in form to the utmost — verses meant for both the fierce, destructive rites and the peace-bestowing rites.

Verse 6 (markandeya.99.6)

उत्तरात्प्रकटीभूतं वदनात्तस्य वेधसः । सुखसत्त्वतमःप्रायं सौम्यासौम्यस्वरूपवत् ॥ 99.6 ॥

uttarātprakaṭībhūtaṁ vadanāttasya vedhasaḥ sukhasattvatamaḥprāyaṁ saumyāsaumyasvarūpavat

Manifested from the Creator's northern face, made up chiefly of ease, of sattva and of tamas, their nature partly gentle and partly fierce.

Verse 7 (markandeya.99.7)

ऋचो रजोगुणाः सत्त्वं यजुषां च गुणा मुने । तमोगुणानि सामानि तमःसत्त्वमथर्वसु ॥ 99.7 ॥

ṛco rajoguṇāḥ sattvaṁ yajuṣāṁ ca guṇā mune tamoguṇāni sāmāni tamaḥsattvamatharvasu

O sage, the verses of the Rig have the quality of rajas, and those of the Yajur have the quality of sattva; the verses of the Sama have the quality of tamas, while in the Atharva both tamas and sattva are present.

Verse 8 (markandeya.99.8)

एतानि ज्वलमानानि तेजसाऽप्रतिमेन वै । पृथक्पृथगवस्थानभाञ्जि पूर्वमिवाभवन् ॥ 99.8 ॥

etāni jvalamānāni tejasā ’pratimena vai pṛthakpṛthagavasthānabhāñji pūrvamivābhavan

All these, blazing with matchless radiance, each occupying its own separate station — thus they came to be, just as they had in the ages before.

Verse 9 (markandeya.99.9)

ततस्तदाद्यं यत्तेज ओमित्युक्त्वाभिशब्द्यते । तस्य स्वभावाद्यत्तेजस्तत्समावृत्य संस्थितम् ॥ 99.9 ॥

tatastadādyaṁ yatteja omityuktvābhiśabdyate tasya svabhāvādyattejastatsamāvṛtya saṁsthitam

Then that primal radiance which is uttered and named as 'Om' — the light that belongs to its own true nature — came to stand enveloping it.

Verse 10 (markandeya.99.10)

यथा यजुर्मयं तेजस्तद्वत्साम्नां महामुने । एकत्वमुपयातानि परे तेजसि संश्रये ॥ 99.10 ॥

yathā yajurmayaṁ tejastadvatsāmnāṁ mahāmune ekatvamupayātāni pare tejasi saṁśraye

O great sage, just as the radiance composed of the Yajur, so too that composed of the Sama — both attained oneness, taking shelter in that supreme radiance.

Verse 11 (markandeya.99.11)

शान्तिकं पौष्टिकं चैव तथा चैवाभिचारिकम् । ऋगादिषु लयं ब्रहमंस्त्रितयं त्रिष्वथागमत् ॥ 99.11 ॥

śāntikaṁ pauṣṭikaṁ caiva tathā caivābhicārikam ṛgādiṣu layaṁ brahamaṁstritayaṁ triṣvathāgamat

The pacifying, the nourishing, and likewise the fierce rite — O Brahmin, this triad then came to merge into the three Vedas beginning with the Rig.

Verse 12 (markandeya.99.12)

ततो विश्वमिदं सद्यस्तमोनाशात्सुनिर्मलम् । विभावनीयं विप्रर्षे तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्तथा ॥ 99.12 ॥

tato viśvamidaṁ sadyastamonāśātsunirmalam vibhāvanīyaṁ viprarṣe tiryagūrdhvamadhastathā

Then, at once, through the dispelling of darkness, this whole universe became utterly pure and fit to be illumined, O sage among Brahmins — crosswise, above, and below alike.

Verse 13 (markandeya.99.13)

ततस्तन्मण्डलीभूतं छान्दसं तेज उत्तमम् । परेण तेजसा ब्रह्मन्नेकत्वमुपगम्य तत् ॥ 99.13 ॥

tatastanmaṇḍalībhūtaṁ chāndasaṁ teja uttamam pareṇa tejasā brahmannekatvamupagamya tat

Then that supreme Vedic radiance, having taken a rounded, orb-like form, O Brahmin, came to merge in oneness with the still higher radiance.

Verse 14 (markandeya.99.14)

आदित्यसंज्ञामगमदादावेव यतोऽभवत् । विश्वस्यास्य महाभाग कारणं चाव्ययात्मकम् ॥ 99.14 ॥

ādityasaṁjñāmagamadādāveva yato ’bhavat viśvasyāsya mahābhāga kāraṇaṁ cāvyayātmakam

It came to bear the name Aditya, the Sun, right from the very beginning — since it was from this that the imperishable cause of this whole universe, O illustrious one, had come into being.

Verse 15 (markandeya.99.15)

प्रातर्मध्यन्दिने चैव तथा चैवापराह्णिके । त्रयी तपति सा काले ऋग्यजुःसामसंज्ञिता ॥ 99.15 ॥

prātarmadhyandine caiva tathā caivāparāhṇike trayī tapati sā kāle ṛgyajuḥsāmasaṁjñitā

That threefold Veda — known by the names Rig, Yajur, and Sama — burns and shines each in its own hour: in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon.

Verse 16 (markandeya.99.16)

ऋचस्तपन्ति पूर्वाह्णे मध्याह्ने च यजूंषि वै । सामानि चापराह्णे वै तपन्ति मुनिसत्तम ॥ 99.16 ॥

ṛcastapanti pūrvāhṇe madhyāhne ca yajūṁṣi vai sāmāni cāparāhṇe vai tapanti munisattama

The verses of the Rig shine in the forenoon, those of the Yajur at midday, and O best of sages, the verses of the Sama shine in the afternoon.

Verse 17 (markandeya.99.17)

शान्तिकमृक्षु पूर्वाह्णे यजुःष्वेव च पौष्टिकम् । विन्यस्तं साम्नि सायाह्ने ह्याभिचारिकमन्ततः ॥ 99.17 ॥

śāntikamṛkṣu pūrvāhṇe yajuḥṣveva ca pauṣṭikam vinyastaṁ sāmni sāyāhne hyābhicārikamantataḥ

The pacifying rite is set within the Rig verses in the forenoon, and the nourishing rite within the Yajur verses; finally, in the evening, the fierce rite is placed within the Sama.

Verse 18 (markandeya.99.18)

मध्यन्दिनेऽपराह्णे च समे चैवाभिचारिकम् । अपराह्णे पितॄणां तु साम्ना कार्याणि तानि वै ॥ 99.18 ॥

madhyandine ’parāhṇe ca same caivābhicārikam aparāhṇe pitṝṇāṁ tu sāmnā kāryāṇi tāni vai

At midday and equally in the afternoon the fierce rite likewise applies; and in the afternoon the rites owed to the ancestors are indeed to be performed with the Sama verses.

Verse 19 (markandeya.99.19)

विसृष्टौ ऋङ्मयो ब्रह्मा स्थितौ विष्णुर्यजुर्मयः । रुद्रः साममयोऽन्ते च तस्मात्तस्याशुचिर्ध्वनिः ॥ 99.19 ॥

visṛṣṭau ṛṅmayo brahmā sthitau viṣṇuryajurmayaḥ rudraḥ sāmamayo ’nte ca tasmāttasyāśucirdhvaniḥ

At creation Brahma, consisting of the Rig, is present; at preservation, Vishnu, consisting of the Yajur; and at the end, Rudra, consisting of the Sama — and for that very reason its sound at that hour is held to be inauspicious.

Verse 20 (markandeya.99.20)

तदेवं भगवान्भास्वान्वेदात्मा वेदसंस्थितः । वेदविद्यात्मकश्चैव परः पुरुष उच्यते ॥ 99.20 ॥

tadevaṁ bhagavānbhāsvānvedātmā vedasaṁsthitaḥ vedavidyātmakaścaiva paraḥ puruṣa ucyate

Thus the resplendent Lord, whose very self is the Veda, who is established in the Veda, and whose nature is Vedic knowledge itself, is spoken of as the Supreme Being.

Verse 21 (markandeya.99.21)

सर्गस्थित्यन्तहेतुश्च रजःसत्त्वादिकान्गुणान् । आश्रित्य ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिसंज्ञामभ्येति शाश्वतः ॥ 99.21 ॥

sargasthityantahetuśca rajaḥsattvādikānguṇān āśritya brahmaviṣṇvādisaṁjñāmabhyeti śāśvataḥ

The eternal one — the cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution — resorting to the qualities of rajas, sattva, and the rest, comes to bear the names of Brahma, Vishnu, and so on.

Verse 22 (markandeya.99.22)

देवैः सदेड्यः स तु वेदमूर्तिरमूर्तिराद्योऽखिलमर्त्यमूर्तिः । विश्वाश्रयं ज्योतिरवेद्यधर्मा वेदान्तगम्यः परमः परेशः ॥ 99.22 ॥

devaiḥ sadeḍyaḥ sa tu vedamūrtiramūrtirādyo ’khilamartyamūrtiḥ viśvāśrayaṁ jyotiravedyadharmā vedāntagamyaḥ paramaḥ pareśaḥ

Ever worthy of praise by the gods, embodied in the Veda yet without form, the primal one whose form is every mortal being, the light that shelters the universe, whose nature lies beyond ordinary knowing, reachable only through Vedanta — he is the supreme Lord above all lords.