03.182
Vaiśaṁpāyana said.
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)
Thus addressed, the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya, possessed of great austerity, very great brilliance, and expert in all śāstras, spoke. (03-182-2)
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)
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)
Having performed that deed and afflicted with grief, his mind overwhelmed by sorrow, he went to the Haihayas, the renowned ones. (03-182-5)
O lord of the earth, this lotus-eyed prince narrated to them what had happened at that time. (03-182-6)
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)
“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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
But they, having seen that sage, became filled with supreme astonishment; saying, “This is a great wonder indeed,” O king. (03-182-14)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
“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)
