Yudhishthira's Doubt and Markandeya's Answer on Faith

Verse 1 (padma.3.46.1)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । श्रुतं मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं पुराणे पुण्यसम्मितम् । तीर्थानां तु सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca śrutaṁ me brahmaṇā proktaṁ purāṇe puṇyasammitam tīrthānāṁ tu sahasrāṇi śatāni niyutāni ca

Yudhishthira said: I have heard what Brahma declared, held sacred in the Purana — that of tirthas there are thousands, hundreds, and millions.

Verse 2 (padma.3.46.2)

सर्वे पुण्याः पवित्राश्च गतिश्च परमा स्मृता । पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यमंतरिक्षे च पुष्करम् ।

sarve puṇyāḥ pavitrāśca gatiśca paramā smṛtā pṛthivyāṁ naimiṣaṁ puṇyamaṁtarikṣe ca puṣkaram

All are meritorious and pure, and their destiny is remembered as supreme. On earth, Naimisha is meritorious; in the intermediate space, Pushkara;

Verse 3 (padma.3.46.3)

प्रयागमपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते । सर्वाणि संपरित्यज्य कथमेकं प्रशंससि ।

prayāgamapi lokānāṁ kurukṣetraṁ viśiṣyate sarvāṇi saṁparityajya kathamekaṁ praśaṁsasi

and among worlds, Prayaga and Kurukshetra are distinguished. Having set aside all of these, how is it that you praise just one?

Verse 4 (padma.3.46.4)

अप्रमाणमिदं प्रोक्तमश्रद्धेयमनुत्तमम् । गतिं च परमां दिव्यां भोगांश्चैव यथेप्सितान् ।

apramāṇamidaṁ proktamaśraddheyamanuttamam gatiṁ ca paramāṁ divyāṁ bhogāṁścaiva yathepsitān

This seems unwarranted, hard to believe, this unsurpassed claim — that the supreme, divine destiny, and enjoyments just as desired,

Verse 5 (padma.3.46.5)

किमर्थमल्पयोगेन बहुधर्मं प्रशंससि । एतं मे संशयं ब्रूहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ।

kimarthamalpayogena bahudharmaṁ praśaṁsasi etaṁ me saṁśayaṁ brūhi yathādṛṣṭaṁ yathāśrutam

why do you praise so much merit as obtainable through so little effort? Resolve this doubt of mine, as you have seen and as you have heard.

Verse 6 (padma.3.46.6)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । अश्रद्धेयं न वक्तव्यं प्रत्यक्षमपि तद्भवेत् । नरस्य श्रद्दधानस्य पापोपहतचेतसः ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca aśraddheyaṁ na vaktavyaṁ pratyakṣamapi tadbhavet narasya śraddadhānasya pāpopahatacetasaḥ

Markandeya said: What is hard to believe should not be spoken in vain, even if it be directly witnessed — for a faithless man whose mind is stricken with sin,

Verse 7 (padma.3.46.7)

अश्रद्दधानो ह्यशुचिर्दुर्मतिस्त्यक्तमंगलः । एते पातकिनः सर्वे तेनेदं भाषितं मया ।

aśraddadhāno hyaśucirdurmatistyaktamaṁgalaḥ ete pātakinaḥ sarve tenedaṁ bhāṣitaṁ mayā

the faithless man is impure, of evil mind, devoid of auspiciousness. All such are sinners — that is why I have spoken this.

Verse 8 (padma.3.46.8)

शृणु प्रयागमाहात्म्यं यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । प्रत्यक्षं च परोक्षं च यथान्यत्संभविष्यति ।

śṛṇu prayāgamāhātmyaṁ yathādṛṣṭaṁ yathāśrutam pratyakṣaṁ ca parokṣaṁ ca yathānyatsaṁbhaviṣyati

Hear the greatness of Prayaga as I have seen and as I have heard it, both directly and indirectly, and as other things shall come to be.

Verse 9 (padma.3.46.9)

यथैवान्यन्मया दृष्टं पुरा राजन्यथाश्रुतम् । शास्त्रं प्रमाणं कृत्वा तु पूज्यते योगमात्मनः ।

yathaivānyanmayā dṛṣṭaṁ purā rājanyathāśrutam śāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ kṛtvā tu pūjyate yogamātmanaḥ

Just as other things were seen by me formerly, O king, and as I heard them — having made the scripture the authority, one attains and honors the yoga of the self.

Verse 10 (padma.3.46.10)

क्लिश्यते चापरस्तत्र नैव योगमवाप्नुयात् । जन्मांतरसहस्रेभ्यो योगो लभ्येत मानवैः ।

kliśyate cāparastatra naiva yogamavāpnuyāt janmāṁtarasahasrebhyo yogo labhyeta mānavaiḥ

And another struggles there and does not attain yoga at all. Yoga is obtained by men only after a thousand other births —

Verse 11 (padma.3.46.11)

यथायोगसहस्रेण योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । यस्तु सर्वाणि रत्नानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ।

yathāyogasahasreṇa yogo labhyeta mānavaiḥ yastu sarvāṇi ratnāni brāhmaṇebhyaḥ prayacchati

just as yoga is obtained by men through a thousand disciplines of yoga. But whoever gives all manner of jewels to Brahmins —

Verse 12 (padma.3.46.12)

तेन दानेन दत्तेन योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । प्रयागे तु मृतस्येदं सर्वं भवति नान्यथा ।

tena dānena dattena yogo labhyeta mānavaiḥ prayāge tu mṛtasyedaṁ sarvaṁ bhavati nānyathā

by that gift given, yoga is obtained by men. But for one who dies at Prayaga, all this same result comes about — not otherwise.

Verse 13 (padma.3.46.13)

प्रधानहेतुं वक्ष्यामि श्रद्दधत्सु च भारत । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु सर्वत्रैव तु दृश्यते ।

pradhānahetuṁ vakṣyāmi śraddadhatsu ca bhārata yathā sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarvatraiva tu dṛśyate

I shall tell the principal reason, O Bharata, for those who have faith. Just as in all beings, everywhere indeed, it is seen —

Verse 14 (padma.3.46.14)

ब्रह्म नैवास्ति वै किंचिद्यद्वक्तुं त्विदमुच्यते । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्म सर्वत्र पूज्यते ।

brahma naivāsti vai kiṁcidyadvaktuṁ tvidamucyate yathā sarveṣu bhūteṣu brahma sarvatra pūjyate

that there is indeed nothing that is not Brahman — this is what is said. Just as Brahman is worshipped everywhere, in all beings,

Verse 15 (padma.3.46.15)

एवं सर्वेषु लोकेषु प्रयागः पूज्यते बुधैः । पूज्यते तीर्थराजस्य सत्यमेतद्युधिष्ठिर ।

evaṁ sarveṣu lokeṣu prayāgaḥ pūjyate budhaiḥ pūjyate tīrtharājasya satyametadyudhiṣṭhira

so too, in all the worlds, Prayaga is worshipped by the wise. The king of tirthas is worshipped — this is true, O Yudhishthira.

Verse 16 (padma.3.46.16)

ब्रह्मापि स्मरते नित्यं प्रयागं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । तीर्थराजमनुप्राप्य नैवान्यत्किंचिदिच्छति ।

brahmāpi smarate nityaṁ prayāgaṁ tīrthamuttamam tīrtharājamanuprāpya naivānyatkiṁcidicchati

Even Brahma constantly remembers Prayaga, the excellent tirtha. Having attained the king of tirthas, one desires nothing else at all.

Verse 17 (padma.3.46.17)

को हि देवत्वमासाद्य मानुषत्वं चिकीर्षति । अनेनैवानुमानेन त्वं ज्ञास्यसि युधिष्ठिर ।

ko hi devatvamāsādya mānuṣatvaṁ cikīrṣati anenaivānumānena tvaṁ jñāsyasi yudhiṣṭhira

For who, having attained divinity, would wish for the state of a man? By this very reasoning you shall understand, O Yudhishthira.

Verse 18 (padma.3.46.18)

यथा पुण्यमपुण्यं वा तथैव कथितं मया । युधिष्ठिर उवाच । श्रुतं तद्यत्त्वया प्रोक्तं विस्मितोऽहं पुनः पुनः ।

yathā puṇyamapuṇyaṁ vā tathaiva kathitaṁ mayā yudhiṣṭhira uvāca śrutaṁ tadyattvayā proktaṁ vismito'haṁ punaḥ punaḥ

Just as merit or demerit functions, so exactly have I explained it to you. Yudhishthira said: I have heard what you have said, and I am astonished again and again.

Verse 19 (padma.3.46.19)

कथं योगेन तत्प्राप्तिः स्वर्गलोकस्तु कर्मणा । तदा च लभते भोगान्गां च तत्कर्मणां फलम् ।

kathaṁ yogena tatprāptiḥ svargalokastu karmaṇā tadā ca labhate bhogāngāṁ ca tatkarmaṇāṁ phalam

How is it attained through yoga, and Svargaloka through deeds? And then he obtains enjoyments, and the earth as the fruit of those deeds.

Verse 20 (padma.3.46.20)

तानि कर्माणि पृच्छामि पुनर्यैः प्राप्यते महीम् । मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणुराजन्महाबाहो यथोक्तकर्म्मणा मही ।

tāni karmāṇi pṛcchāmi punaryaiḥ prāpyate mahīm mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇurājanmahābāho yathoktakarmmaṇā mahī

I ask again about those deeds by which the earth is obtained. Markandeya said: Listen, O king, mighty-armed one — by the deeds thus described, the earth is obtained;

Verse 21 (padma.3.46.21)

गामग्निं ब्राह्मणं शास्त्रं कांचनं सलिलं स्त्रियः । मातरं पितरं चैव यो निंदति नराधिप ।

gāmagniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ śāstraṁ kāṁcanaṁ salilaṁ striyaḥ mātaraṁ pitaraṁ caiva yo niṁdati narādhipa

but, O lord of men, whoever reviles a cow, fire, a Brahmin, scripture, gold, water, women, or his own mother and father —

Verse 22 (padma.3.46.22)

नैतेषामूर्ध्वगमनमेवमाह प्रजापतिः । एवं योगस्य संप्राप्तिः स्थानं परमदुर्लभम् ।

naiteṣāmūrdhvagamanamevamāha prajāpatiḥ evaṁ yogasya saṁprāptiḥ sthānaṁ paramadurlabham

for such a person there is no ascent to higher worlds — so declared Prajapati. Thus the attainment of yoga, of that supremely hard-to-reach state —

Verse 23 (padma.3.46.23)

गच्छंति नरकं घोरं ये नराः पापकारिणः । हस्त्यश्वं गामनड्वाहं मणिमुक्तादि कांचनम् ।

gacchaṁti narakaṁ ghoraṁ ye narāḥ pāpakāriṇaḥ hastyaśvaṁ gāmanaḍvāhaṁ maṇimuktādi kāṁcanam

such sinful men go to terrible hell. Whoever steals, in secret, an elephant, a horse, a cow, a draft-ox, jewels, pearls, or gold and the like —

Verse 24 (padma.3.46.24)

परोक्षं हरते यस्तु पश्चाद्दानं प्रयच्छति । न ते गच्छंति वै स्वर्गं दातारो यत्र भोगिनः ।

parokṣaṁ harate yastu paścāddānaṁ prayacchati na te gacchaṁti vai svargaṁ dātāro yatra bhoginaḥ

and afterward gives some of it as a gift — such givers do not go to that heaven where the true enjoyers of merit go.

Verse 25 (padma.3.46.25)

अनेन कर्म्मणा युक्ताः पच्यंते नरकेऽधमाः । एवं योगं च धर्म्मं च दातारं च युधिष्ठिर ।

anena karmmaṇā yuktāḥ pacyaṁte narake'dhamāḥ evaṁ yogaṁ ca dharmmaṁ ca dātāraṁ ca yudhiṣṭhira

Joined to such deeds, the lowest of men are cooked in hell. Thus, O Yudhishthira, I have described yoga, dharma, and the true giver —

Verse 26 (padma.3.46.26)

यथा सत्यमसत्यं वा अस्ति नास्तीति यत्फलम् । निरुक्तं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि यथायं स्वयमाप्नुयात् ।

yathā satyamasatyaṁ vā asti nāstīti yatphalam niruktaṁ tu pravakṣyāmi yathāyaṁ svayamāpnuyāt

and whatever fruit belongs to truth or falsehood, to what 'is' or 'is not.' I shall now explain it clearly, so that one may obtain it for himself.