03.182
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśaṁpāyana said.
मार्कण्डेयं महात्मानमूचुः पाण्डुसुतास्तदा। माहात्म्यं द्विजमुख्यानां श्रोतुमिच्छाम कथ्यताम् ॥०३-१८२-१॥
Then the sons of Pandu said to the great-souled Markandeya: "We wish to hear the greatness of the foremost of the twice-born; let it be told." (03-182-1)
एवमुक्तः स भगवान्मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः। उवाच सुमहातेजाः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः ॥०३-१८२-२॥
Thus addressed, the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya, possessed of great austerity, very great brilliance, and expert in all śāstras, spoke. (03-182-2)
हैहयानां कुलकरो राजा परपुरञ्जयः। कुमारो रूपसम्पन्नो मृगयामचरद्बली ॥०३-१८२-३॥
The king, the head of the Haihaya clan and conqueror of enemy cities, a prince endowed with beauty and strength, wandered in the hunt. (03-182-3)
चरमाणस्तु सोऽरण्ये तृणवीरुत्समावृते। कृष्णाजिनोत्तरासङ्गं ददर्श मुनिमन्तिके ॥ स तेन निहतोऽरण्ये मन्यमानेन वै मृगम् ॥०३-१८२-४॥
But as he was walking in the forest covered with grass and shrubs, he saw near him a sage wearing a black antelope-skin upper garment. Mistaking the sage for a beast, he killed him in the forest. (03-182-4)
व्यथितः कर्म तत्कृत्वा शोकोपहतचेतनः। जगाम हैहयानां वै सकाशं प्रथितात्मनाम् ॥०३-१८२-५॥
Having performed that deed and afflicted with grief, his mind overwhelmed by sorrow, he went to the Haihayas, the renowned ones. (03-182-5)
राज्ञां राजीवनेत्रोसौ कुमारः पृथिवीपते। तेषां च तद्यथावृत्तं कथयामास वै तदा ॥०३-१८२-६॥
O lord of the earth, this lotus-eyed prince narrated to them what had happened at that time. (03-182-6)
तं चापि हिंसितं तात मुनिं मूलफलाशिनम्। श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा च ते तत्र बभूवुर्दीनमानसाः ॥०३-१८२-७॥
Having heard and seen, O dear one, that the sage who subsisted on roots and fruits had also been harmed, they there became dejected in mind. (03-182-7)
कस्यायमिति ते सर्वे मार्गमाणास्ततस्ततः। जग्मुश्चारिष्टनेमेस्ते तार्क्ष्यस्याश्रममञ्जसा ॥०३-१८२-८॥
“Whose is this?”—thus thinking, all of them, searching here and there, Ariṣṭanemi and the others went straight to the hermitage of Tārkṣya. (03-182-8)
तेऽभिवाद्य महात्मानं तं मुनिं संशितव्रतम्। तस्थुः सर्वे स तु मुनिस्तेषां पूजामथाहरत् ॥०३-१८२-९॥
Having saluted that great-souled sage of firm vows, all of them stood still; but the sage thereupon rendered honor to them. (03-182-9)
ते तमूचुर्महात्मानं न वयं सत्क्रियां मुने। त्वत्तोऽर्हाः कर्मदोषेण ब्राह्मणो हिंसितो हि नः ॥०३-१८२-१०॥
They said to the great-souled one: "O sage, we are not worthy of your proper rites. Because of the fault of action, the Brāhmaṇa has indeed been harmed by us." (03-182-10)
तानब्रवीत्स विप्रर्षिः कथं वो ब्राह्मणो हतः। क्व चासौ ब्रूत सहिताः पश्यध्वं मे तपोबलम् ॥०३-१८२-११॥
He, the greatest of brāhmaṇas, said to them, "How was the brāhmaṇa killed by you? Where is he now? Tell me together; behold my ascetic power." (3-182-11)
ते तु तत्सर्वमखिलमाख्यायास्मै यथातथम्। नापश्यंस्तमृषिं तत्र गतासुं ते समागताः ॥ अन्वेषमाणाः सव्रीडाः स्वप्नवद्गतमानसाः ॥०३-१८२-१२॥
But after relating everything entirely to him just as it happened, they did not see the sage there—he was dead; then those assembled, searching with embarrassment, their minds as if lost in a dream. (03-182-12)
तानब्रवीत्तत्र मुनिस्तार्क्ष्यः परपुरञ्जयः। स्यादयं ब्राह्मणः सोऽथ यो युष्माभिर्विनाशितः ॥ पुत्रो ह्ययं मम नृपास्तपोबलसमन्वितः ॥०३-१८२-१३॥
Then the sage Tārkṣya, the conqueror of enemy cities, spoke to them: "It may be that this Brāhmaṇa—he whom you destroyed—is my son, O king, endowed with great ascetic power." (03-182-13)
ते तु दृष्ट्वैव तमृषिं विस्मयं परमं गताः। महदाश्चर्यमिति वै विब्रुवाणा महीपते ॥०३-१८२-१४॥
But they, having seen that sage, became filled with supreme astonishment; saying, “This is a great wonder indeed,” O king. (03-182-14)
मृतो ह्ययमतो दृष्टः कथं जीवितमाप्तवान्। किमेतत्तपसो वीर्यं येनायं जीवितः पुनः ॥ श्रोतुमिच्छाम विप्रर्षे यदि श्रोतव्यमित्युत ॥०३-१८२-१५॥
Indeed, this person was seen to be dead here; how has he regained life? What is this power of penance by which he has come to life again? We wish to hear it, O best of Brāhmaṇas, if it is to be told. (03-182-15)
स तानुवाच नास्माकं मृत्युः प्रभवते नृपाः। कारणं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि हेतुयोगं समासतः ॥०३-१८२-१६॥
He said to them, "Death does not befall us, O kings. I will tell you the cause—the connection of causes—in brief." (03-182-16)
सत्यमेवाभिजानीमो नानृते कुर्महे मनः। स्वधर्ममनुतिष्ठामस्तस्मान्मृत्युभयं न नः ॥०३-१८२-१७॥
We recognize only the truth and do not fix our minds on falsehood. We perform our own duty; therefore, we do not have fear of death. (03-182-17)
यद्ब्राह्मणानां कुशलं तदेषां कथयामहे। नैषां दुश्चरितं ब्रूमस्तस्मान्मृत्युभयं न नः ॥०३-१८२-१८॥
We speak only of the welfare of Brāhmaṇas, not of their wicked deeds; therefore, we do not have any fear of death. (03-182-18)
अतिथीनन्नपानेन भृत्यानत्यशनेन च। तेजस्विदेशवासाच्च तस्मान्मृत्युभयं न नः ॥०३-१८२-१९॥
By feeding guests, not overfeeding servants, and by living in the land of the powerful, therefore, we have no fear of death. (03-182-19)
एतद्वै लेशमात्रं वः समाख्यातं विमत्सराः। गच्छध्वं सहिताः सर्वे न पापाद्भयमस्ति वः ॥०३-१८२-२०॥
This is only a little I have explained to you, O those free from envy. All of you go together; there is no fear of evil for you. (03-182-20)
एवमस्त्विति ते सर्वे प्रतिपूज्य महामुनिम्। स्वदेशमगमन्हृष्टा राजानो भरतर्षभ ॥०३-१८२-२१॥
“Let it be so”—having thus honoured the great sage, all the kings joyfully returned to their own countries, O best of the Bharatas. (03-182-21)
