Description of the Tales of the Twenty-One Kalpas

Verse 1 (skanda.5.168.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। एवं भगवती पुण्या स्तुता सा मुनिपुंगवैः। चिन्तयामास सर्वेषां दास्यामि वरमुत्तमम्॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| evaṁ bhagavatī puṇyā stutā sā munipuṁgavaiḥ| cintayāmāsa sarveṣāṁ dāsyāmi varamuttamam||

Sri Markandeya said: Thus praised by the bulls among sages, that holy Blessed Goddess thought: 'I shall give an excellent boon to all of them.'

Verse 2 (skanda.5.168.2)

ततः प्रसुप्तांस्ताञ्ज्ञात्वा रात्रौ देवी जगाम ह। एकैकस्य ऋषेः स्वप्ने दर्शनं चारुहासिनी॥

tataḥ prasuptāṁstāñjñātvā rātrau devī jagāma ha| ekaikasya ṛṣeḥ svapne darśanaṁ cāruhāsinī||

Then, knowing them to be asleep, the goddess, of lovely smile, went in the night and gave a vision, in dream, to each single sage.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.168.3)

ततोऽर्धरात्रे सम्प्राप्त उत्थिता जलमध्यतः। विमलाम्बरसंवीता दिव्यमालाविभूषिता॥

tato'rdharātre samprāpta utthitā jalamadhyataḥ| vimalāmbarasaṁvītā divyamālāvibhūṣitā||

Then, at midnight, having arrived, she rose up from the midst of the water, clad in stainless garments, adorned with divine garlands,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.168.4)

घृतातपत्रा सुश्रोणी पद्मरागविभूषिता। जगाद मा भैरिति तानेकैकं तु पृथक्पृथक्॥

ghṛtātapatrā suśroṇī padmarāgavibhūṣitā| jagāda mā bhairiti tānekaikaṁ tu pṛthakpṛthak||

with a shining parasol over her, lovely-hipped, adorned with rubies; she said to each of them separately, 'Do not fear.'

Verse 5 (skanda.5.168.5)

वसध्वं मम पार्श्वे तु भयं त्यक्त्वा क्षुधादिजम्॥

vasadhvaṁ mama pārśve tu bhayaṁ tyaktvā kṣudhādijam||

'Dwell by my side, abandoning the fear born of hunger and the like.'

Verse 6 (skanda.5.168.6)

एवमुक्त्वा तदा देवी स्वप्नान्ते तान्महामुनीन्। जगामादर्शनं पश्चात्प्रविश्य जलमात्मिकम्॥

evamuktvā tadā devī svapnānte tānmahāmunīn| jagāmādarśanaṁ paścātpraviśya jalamātmikam||

Having thus spoken, then, at the end of the dream, the goddess passed out of sight of those great sages, having afterward entered into her own watery form.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.168.7)

ततः प्रभाते मुनयो मिथ ऊचुर्मुदन्विताः। तथा दृष्टा मया दृष्टा स्वप्ने देवी सुदर्शना॥

tataḥ prabhāte munayo mitha ūcurmudanvitāḥ| tathā dṛṣṭā mayā dṛṣṭā svapne devī sudarśanā||

Then, at dawn, the sages, filled with joy, said to one another: 'Thus have I seen her! I have seen the beautiful goddess in a dream!'

Verse 8 (skanda.5.168.8)

अभयं दत्तमस्माकं सिद्धिश्चाप्यचिरेण तु। प्रशस्तं दर्शनं तस्या नर्मदाया न संशयः॥

abhayaṁ dattamasmākaṁ siddhiścāpyacireṇa tu| praśastaṁ darśanaṁ tasyā narmadāyā na saṁśayaḥ||

'Fearlessness has been granted to us, and perfection too, before long. Auspicious indeed is the sight of that Narmada — there is no doubt.'

Verse 9 (skanda.5.168.9)

अथान्यदिवसे राजन्मत्स्यानां रूपमुत्तमम्। पश्यन्ति सपरीवाराः स्वकीयाश्रमसन्निधौ॥

athānyadivase rājanmatsyānāṁ rūpamuttamam| paśyanti saparīvārāḥ svakīyāśramasannidhau||

Then, on another day, O king, they, together with their families, saw an excellent form of fishes near their own hermitages.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.168.10)

तान्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयाविष्टा मत्स्यांस्तत्र महर्षयः। पूजयामासुरव्यग्रा हव्यकव्येन देवताः॥

tāndṛṣṭvā vismayāviṣṭā matsyāṁstatra maharṣayaḥ| pūjayāmāsuravyagrā havyakavyena devatāḥ||

Seeing those fish, the great sages there, filled with wonder, worshipped the deities, undisturbed, with oblations to gods and ancestors.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.168.11)

तान्मत्स्यसङ्घान्सम्प्राप्य महादेव्याः प्रसादतः। सपुत्रदारभृत्यास्ते वर्तयन्ति पृथक्पृथक्॥

tānmatsyasaṅghānsamprāpya mahādevyāḥ prasādataḥ| saputradārabhṛtyāste vartayanti pṛthakpṛthak||

Having obtained those schools of fish, by the grace of the great Goddess, they, together with their sons, wives, and servants, sustained themselves, each separately.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.168.12)

दिने दिने तथाप्येवमाश्रमेषु द्विजातयः। मत्स्यानां सञ्चयं दृष्ट्वा विस्मिताश्चाभवंस्तदा॥

dine dine tathāpyevamāśrameṣu dvijātayaḥ| matsyānāṁ sañcayaṁ dṛṣṭvā vismitāścābhavaṁstadā||

Day after day, likewise, the twice-born in their hermitages, seeing the abundance of fish, were filled with wonder.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.168.13)

मृतांस्तांस्तु सुपुष्टाङ्गान् पाठीनांश्च विशेषतः। द्वारे द्वारे चाश्रमाणां तापसानां युधिष्ठिर॥

mṛtāṁstāṁstu supuṣṭāṅgān pāṭhīnāṁśca viśeṣataḥ| dvāre dvāre cāśramāṇāṁ tāpasānāṁ yudhiṣṭhira||

O Yudhishthira, they found those fish dead, their bodies well-nourished, especially the pathina fish, at the very doors of the hermitages of the ascetics.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.168.14)

हृष्टपुष्टास्तदा सर्वे नर्मदातीरवासिनः। ऋषयस्ते भयं सर्वे तत्यजुः क्षुत्तृषोद्भवम्॥

hṛṣṭapuṣṭāstadā sarve narmadātīravāsinaḥ| ṛṣayaste bhayaṁ sarve tatyajuḥ kṣuttṛṣodbhavam||

Then all the sages dwelling on the bank of Narmada, delighted and well-nourished, abandoned all the fear born of hunger and thirst.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.168.15)

ते जपन्तस्तपन्तश्च तिष्ठन्ति भरतर्षभ। अर्चयन्ति पितॄन्देवान्नर्मदातटमाश्रिताः॥

te japantastapantaśca tiṣṭhanti bharatarṣabha| arcayanti pitḥndevānnarmadātaṭamāśritāḥ||

O bull of the Bharatas, they remained there reciting mantras and performing austerity, worshipping the ancestors and the gods, resorting to the bank of Narmada.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.168.16)

तैर्जपद्भिस्तपद्भिश्च सततं द्विजसत्तमैः। भ्राजते सा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा ताराभिर्द्यौर्ग्रहैरिव॥

tairjapadbhistapadbhiśca satataṁ dvijasattamaiḥ| bhrājate sā saricchreṣṭhā tārābhirdyaurgrahairiva||

By those best of brahmins, ever reciting mantras and performing austerity, that excellent river shone, like the sky with its stars and planets.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.168.17)

तत्र तैर्बहुलैः शुभ्रैर्ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपरागैः। नर्मदा धर्मदा पूर्वं संविभक्ता यथाक्रमम्॥

tatra tairbahulaiḥ śubhrairbrāhmaṇairvedaparāgaiḥ| narmadā dharmadā pūrvaṁ saṁvibhaktā yathākramam||

There, by those numerous, pure brahmins, learned in the Veda, Narmada, the giver of dharma, was formerly divided in due order,

Verse 18 (skanda.5.168.18)

ऋषिभिर्दशकोटिभिर्नर्मदातीरवासिभिः। विभक्तेयं विभक्ताङ्गी नर्मदा शर्मदा नृणाम्॥

ṛṣibhirdaśakoṭibhirnarmadātīravāsibhiḥ| vibhakteyaṁ vibhaktāṅgī narmadā śarmadā nṛṇām||

by ten crores of sages dwelling on the bank of Narmada; thus Narmada, of divided form, giver of happiness to men, was divided.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.168.19)

यज्ञोपवीतैश्च शुभैरक्षसूत्रैश्च भारत। कूलद्वये महापुण्या नर्मदोदधिगामिनी॥

yajñopavītaiśca śubhairakṣasūtraiśca bhārata| kūladvaye mahāpuṇyā narmadodadhigāminī||

O descendant of Bharata, she flows with auspicious sacrificial threads and rosary-strings on both her banks — the greatly holy Narmada, going to the ocean,

Verse 20 (skanda.5.168.20)

पृथगायतनैः शुभ्रैर्लिङ्गैर्वालुकमृन्मयैः। भ्राजते या सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा नक्षत्रैरिव शर्वरी॥

pṛthagāyatanaiḥ śubhrairliṅgairvālukamṛnmayaiḥ| bhrājate yā saricchreṣṭhā nakṣatrairiva śarvarī||

shining with separate pure shrines, with lingas made of sand and clay — that excellent river shone like the night with its stars.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.168.21)

एवं त ऋषयः सर्वे तर्पयन्तः सुरान्पितॄन्। न्यवसन्नर्मदातीरे यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्॥

evaṁ ta ṛṣayaḥ sarve tarpayantaḥ surānpitḥn| nyavasannarmadātīre yāvadābhūtasamplavam||

Thus all those sages, offering satisfaction to the gods and ancestors, dwelt on the bank of Narmada until the final dissolution of all beings.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.168.22)

किंचिद्गते ततस्तस्मिन्घोरे वर्षशताधिके। अर्धरात्रे तदा कन्या जलादुत्तीर्य भारत॥

kiṁcidgate tatastasminghore varṣaśatādhike| ardharātre tadā kanyā jalāduttīrya bhārata||

When a little more than a hundred terrible years had passed, then, at midnight, O descendant of Bharata, the maiden, rising up from the water,

Verse 23 (skanda.5.168.23)

विद्युत्पुंजसमाभासा व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनी। त्रिशूलाग्रकरा सौम्या तानुवाच ऋषींस्तदा॥

vidyutpuṁjasamābhāsā vyālayajñopavītinī| triśūlāgrakarā saumyā tānuvāca ṛṣīṁstadā||

radiant as a mass of lightning, wearing a serpent as her sacred thread, gentle, holding the tip of a trident in her hand, then spoke to those sages:

Verse 24 (skanda.5.168.24)

आगच्छध्वं मुनिगणा विशध्वं मामयोनिजाम्। समेताः पुत्रदारैश्च ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यथ॥

āgacchadhvaṁ munigaṇā viśadhvaṁ māmayonijām| sametāḥ putradāraiśca tataḥ siddhimavāpsyatha||

'Come, O hosts of sages; enter into me, the one not born of a womb, together with your sons and wives; then you shall attain perfection.'

Verse 25 (skanda.5.168.25)

यस्य यस्य हि या वाञ्छा तस्य तां तां ददाम्यहम्। विष्णुं ब्रह्माणमीशानमन्यं वा सुरमुत्तमम्॥

yasya yasya hi yā vāñchā tasya tāṁ tāṁ dadāmyaham| viṣṇuṁ brahmāṇamīśānamanyaṁ vā suramuttamam||

'Whatever the desire of each one, I grant that very thing — whether it be Vishnu, Brahma, Ishana, or any other excellent god.'

Verse 26 (skanda.5.168.26)

तत्र सर्वान्नयिष्यामि प्रसन्ना वरदा ह्यहम्। प्राणायामपरा भूत्वा मां विशध्वं समाहिताः॥

tatra sarvānnayiṣyāmi prasannā varadā hyaham| prāṇāyāmaparā bhūtvā māṁ viśadhvaṁ samāhitāḥ||

'I shall lead you all there, being pleased, granting boons. Having become devoted to pranayama, enter into me, well composed,'

Verse 27 (skanda.5.168.27)

सह पुत्रैश्च दारैश्च त्यक्त्वाश्रमपदानि च। कालक्षेपो न कर्तव्यः प्रलयोऽयमुपस्थितः॥

saha putraiśca dāraiśca tyaktvāśramapadāni ca| kālakṣepo na kartavyaḥ pralayo'yamupasthitaḥ||

'—together with your sons and wives, abandoning the sites of your hermitages. No time should be wasted; this dissolution is now at hand.'

Verse 28 (skanda.5.168.28)

संहारः सर्वभूतानां कल्पदाहः सुदारुणः। एकाहमभवं पूर्वं महाघोरे जनक्षये॥

saṁhāraḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ kalpadāhaḥ sudāruṇaḥ| ekāhamabhavaṁ pūrvaṁ mahāghore janakṣaye||

'The destruction of all beings, the most terrible burning of the kalpa is coming. I alone remained before, in that great and terrible destruction of creatures;'

Verse 29 (skanda.5.168.29)

शेषा नद्यः समुद्राश्च सर्व एव क्षयंगताः। वरदानान्महेशस्य तेनाहं न क्षयं गता॥

śeṣā nadyaḥ samudrāśca sarva eva kṣayaṁgatāḥ| varadānānmaheśasya tenāhaṁ na kṣayaṁ gatā||

'—all the other rivers and oceans went to destruction; by the boon-giving of Mahesha, I alone did not go to destruction.'

Verse 30 (skanda.5.168.30)

अमृतः शाश्वतो देवः स्थाणुरीशः सनातनः। स पूजितः प्रार्थितो वा किं न दद्याद्द्विजोत्तमाः॥

amṛtaḥ śāśvato devaḥ sthāṇurīśaḥ sanātanaḥ| sa pūjitaḥ prārthito vā kiṁ na dadyāddvijottamāḥ||

'The immortal, eternal god, the unmoving Ishvara, the eternal one — being worshipped or entreated, O best of brahmins, what would he not grant?'

Verse 31 (skanda.5.168.31)

एवमुक्त्वा ऋषीव्रेवा प्रविवेश जलं ततः। करात्तशूला सा देवी व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनी॥

evamuktvā ṛṣīvrevā praviveśa jalaṁ tataḥ| karāttaśūlā sā devī vyālayajñopavītinī||

Having thus spoken to the sages, Reva then entered the water — that goddess, trident in hand, wearing a serpent as her sacred thread.

Verse 32 (skanda.5.168.32)

ततस्ते तद्वचः श्रुत्वा विस्मयापन्नमानसाः। अभिवन्द्य च मां सर्वे क्षामयन्तः पुनः पुनः॥

tataste tadvacaḥ śrutvā vismayāpannamānasāḥ| abhivandya ca māṁ sarve kṣāmayantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ||

Then they, hearing her words, their minds filled with astonishment, all bowed to me, asking forgiveness again and again,

Verse 33 (skanda.5.168.33)

क्षम्यतां नो यदुक्तं हि वसतां तव संश्रये। गृहांस्त्यक्त्वा महाभागाः सशिष्याः सहबान्धवाः॥

kṣamyatāṁ no yaduktaṁ hi vasatāṁ tava saṁśraye| gṛhāṁstyaktvā mahābhāgāḥ saśiṣyāḥ sahabāndhavāḥ||

'Forgive us for what was said while dwelling under your protection.' Then those greatly fortunate ones, together with their disciples and kinsmen, abandoning their homes,

Verse 34 (skanda.5.168.34)

जप्त्वा चैकाक्षरं ब्रह्म हृदि ध्यात्वा महेश्वरम्। स्नात्वा च मन्त्रपूताभिरथ चाद्भिर्जितव्रताः॥

japtvā caikākṣaraṁ brahma hṛdi dhyātvā maheśvaram| snātvā ca mantrapūtābhiratha cādbhirjitavratāḥ||

having recited the one-syllabled Brahman, and meditated on Maheshvara in their hearts, and bathed in the waters purified by mantras, their vows fulfilled,

Verse 35 (skanda.5.168.35)

विविशुर्नर्मदातोयं सपक्षा इव पर्वताः। द्योतयन्तो दिशः सर्वाः कुशहस्ताः सहाग्रयः॥

viviśurnarmadātoyaṁ sapakṣā iva parvatāḥ| dyotayanto diśaḥ sarvāḥ kuśahastāḥ sahāgrayaḥ||

entered the waters of Narmada, like winged mountains, illumining all the directions, kusha grass in hand, with their foremost leaders.

Verse 36 (skanda.5.168.36)

गतेषु तेषु राजेन्द्र अहमेकः स्थितस्तदा। अमरेशं समासाद्य पूजयन्नर्मदां नदीम्॥

gateṣu teṣu rājendra ahamekaḥ sthitastadā| amareśaṁ samāsādya pūjayannarmadāṁ nadīm||

When they had gone, O lord of kings, I alone remained then, having approached Amareshvara, worshipping the river Narmada.

Verse 37 (skanda.5.168.37)

अनुभूताः सप्तकल्पा मायूराद्या मया नृप। प्रसादाद्वेधसः सर्वे रेवया सह भारत॥

anubhūtāḥ saptakalpā māyūrādyā mayā nṛpa| prasādādvedhasaḥ sarve revayā saha bhārata||

O king, seven kalpas, beginning with the Mayura, were experienced by me, O descendant of Bharata, all by the grace of the Creator, together with Reva.

Verse 38 (skanda.5.168.38)

जन्मतोऽद्य दिनं यावन्न जानेऽस्याः पुरास्थितिम्॥

janmato'dya dinaṁ yāvanna jāne'syāḥ purāsthitim||

From my birth until this very day, I do not fully know her former state.

Verse 39 (skanda.5.168.39)

इयं हि शांकरी शक्तिः कला शम्भोरिलाह्वया। नर्मदा दुरितध्वंसकारिणी भवतारिणी॥

iyaṁ hi śāṁkarī śaktiḥ kalā śambhorilāhvayā| narmadā duritadhvaṁsakāriṇī bhavatāriṇī||

For she is Shankara's own shakti, a portion of Shambhu, called Ila; Narmada, the destroyer of sin, the one who ferries beings across worldly existence.

Verse 40 (skanda.5.168.40)

यदाहमपि नाभूवं पुराकल्पेषु पाण्डव। चतुर्दशसु कल्पेषु तेष्वियं सुखसंस्थिता॥

yadāhamapi nābhūvaṁ purākalpeṣu pāṇḍava| caturdaśasu kalpeṣu teṣviyaṁ sukhasaṁsthitā||

O Pandava, even when I myself did not exist in the former kalpas, in fourteen of those kalpas she remained, established in happiness.

Verse 41 (skanda.5.168.41)

चतुर्दश पुरा कल्पा न मृता येषु नर्मदा। तानहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवी प्राह यथा मम॥

caturdaśa purā kalpā na mṛtā yeṣu narmadā| tānahaṁ sampravakṣyāmi devī prāha yathā mama||

Those fourteen former kalpas in which Narmada did not perish, I shall now tell, as the goddess told them to me.

Verse 42 (skanda.5.168.42)

कापिलं प्रथमं विद्धि प्राजापत्यं द्वितीयकम्। ब्राह्मं सौम्यं च सावित्रं बार्हस्पत्यं प्रभासकम्॥

kāpilaṁ prathamaṁ viddhi prājāpatyaṁ dvitīyakam| brāhmaṁ saumyaṁ ca sāvitraṁ bārhaspatyaṁ prabhāsakam||

Know the Kapila as the first, the Prajapatya as the second; the Brahma, the Saumya, the Savitra, the Barhaspatya, the Prabhasaka,

Verse 43 (skanda.5.168.43)

माहेन्द्रमग्निकल्पं च जयन्तं मारुतं तथा। वैष्णवं बहुरूपं च ज्यौतिषं च चतुर्दशम्॥

māhendramagnikalpaṁ ca jayantaṁ mārutaṁ tathā| vaiṣṇavaṁ bahurūpaṁ ca jyautiṣaṁ ca caturdaśam||

the Mahendra, and the Agni-kalpa, the Jayanta, and likewise the Marutta, the Vaishnava, the Bahurupa, and the Jyautisha as the fourteenth.

Verse 44 (skanda.5.168.44)

एते कल्पा मया ख्याता न मृता येषु नर्मदा। मायूरं पञ्चदशमं कौर्मं चैवात्र षोडशम्॥

ete kalpā mayā khyātā na mṛtā yeṣu narmadā| māyūraṁ pañcadaśamaṁ kaurmaṁ caivātra ṣoḍaśam||

These are the kalpas declared by me, in which Narmada did not perish. The Mayura is the fifteenth, and the Kaurma here the sixteenth,

Verse 45 (skanda.5.168.45)

बकं मात्स्यं च पाद्मं च वटकल्पं च भारत। एकविंशतिमं चैतं वाराहं सांप्रतीनकम्॥

bakaṁ mātsyaṁ ca pādmaṁ ca vaṭakalpaṁ ca bhārata| ekaviṁśatimaṁ caitaṁ vārāhaṁ sāṁpratīnakam||

the Baka, and the Matsya, and the Padma, and the Vata-kalpa, O descendant of Bharata; and this twenty-first, the present Varaha kalpa —

Verse 46 (skanda.5.168.46)

इमे सप्त मया साकं रेवया परिशीलिताः। एकविंशतिकल्पास्तु नर्मदायाः शिवाङ्गतः॥

ime sapta mayā sākaṁ revayā pariśīlitāḥ| ekaviṁśatikalpāstu narmadāyāḥ śivāṅgataḥ||

these seven have been experienced by me together with Reva. These twenty-one kalpas of Narmada, sprung from Shiva's body,

Verse 47 (skanda.5.168.47)

संजाताया नृपश्रेष्ठ मया दृष्टा ह्यनेकशः। कथिता नृपतिश्रेष्ठ भूयः किं कथयामि ते॥

saṁjātāyā nṛpaśreṣṭha mayā dṛṣṭā hyanekaśaḥ| kathitā nṛpatiśreṣṭha bhūyaḥ kiṁ kathayāmi te||

—O best of kings, have indeed been seen by me many times over. I have told this, O best of kings; what more shall I tell you?