Markandeya Purana

By B.K. Chaturvedi

Puranas are not Itihas or history as it is understood in the West. A proper interpretation of Itihas and the Puranas would be to regard them as the words of seers who availed themselves of the available literature and classified it into various tomes of ancient life that contributed handsomely in forming the psyche of the East. In truth, there is a body of writings which are popular expositions of inherited truths amongst the people at large. Dharma, as the chief factor in shaping of human life, is the underlying motive of these ancient scriptures. Nevertheless, whatever the content and period of several Puranas including the Markandeya Purana may be, they embody ancient legends as the very name Purana signifies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9788128829628

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Preface

Puranas are not ‘Itihas’ or history as it is understood in the West. A proper interpretation of ‘Itihas’ and the Puranas would be to regard them as the words of seers who availed themselves of the available literature and classified it into various tomes of ancient life that contributed handsomely in forming the psyche of the East. In truth, there is a body of writings which are popular expositions of inherited truths amongst the people at large. Dharma, as the chief factor in shaping of human life, is the underlying motive of these ancient scriptures.

Nevertheless, whatever the content and period of several Puranas including the Markandeya Purana may be, they embody ancient legends as the very name Purana signifies. They deal mainly with the actions of mortal heroes and embody as also illustrate both human frailty and virtues, as well as celebrate the power and work of various super-human personages and deities. Even though all the Puranas may not be containing the Pancha Lakshan (five symptoms) of being the standard Purana, yet they reveal before the modern humanity the basic parameters that had gone into making the tenets of our righteous conduct or Dharma. They are, nevertheless, a valuable record of Hindu belief which originated next in order to the Vedas and incorporated hero-worship as well as divine worship and they may rightly be described to be essentially pantheistic in character. Although a particular divinity may, in particular Puranas be seen to be glorified, nevertheless, there is an underlying quest for unity of life and of Supreme reality.

The present work, ‘Markandeya Purana’, is no different in this respect. This Purana, along with the Bhagwat Purana, is considered to be quite a celebrated work. Ranking seventh in the list of the Mahapuranas, the Markandeya Purana is one of the most important, interesting and probably one of the oldest works. It is claimed that its recitation frees one from taints of sin. It was named after sage Markandeya who acquired its knowl-edge from Brahma, the creator. It starts with Sage Jaimini, the celebrated author of the Mimansa Sutras, approaching the wise birds to get answer to his queries after being directed by Sage Markandeya. Then it appeared to have developed in three different stages which appear to have evolved in different parts of India. Perhaps the revision that all the Puranas had undergone has diluted much of their difference in glorifying the different deities; otherwise they seem to be devoted to one primal deity.

Initially the Purana sets to answer the five basic questions: How was Vishnu born as a mortal? How Draupadi became the wife of the five Pandavas? Why did Baladeva undertake the penance (pilgrimage) for having committed brahmanicide and why were the children of Draupadi destroyed so unceremoniously? And there start the queries which make the reader cover the whole gamut of ancient history, logic, morality, astronomy and what not.

At many places, owing to paucity of space, the compiler has taken the liberty to abridge the off-repeated and very well-known stories. The chapter-wise division has also been made with a view to allow easier comprehension of the lay reader. At times explanations have been provided in the footnotes.

It is hoped that our discerning readers would welcome this Purana as they have accorded to the other Puranas of the same series. The compiler is particularly grateful to Mr Narendra Kumar of Diamond Pocket Books for allowing him all the liberty to make this Purana interesting and enlightening in equal measure. May the tribe multiply.

—B.K. Chaturvedi

1

Raja Harishchandra’s Tale And

Other Stories

Long long ago once Sage Jaimini reached the hermitage of the great seer Markandeya to get a satisfying answer to some of the queries that kept assailing his mind. After having reverenced the great seer he asked Markandeya ji: O best of the seers! Everybody knows that the Mahabharat, created by Maharshi Vedavyasa, is complete in all respects. It has the essence of all the Vedas and treated as an incomparable poetic work replete with knowledge of every kind. There is hardly any doubt which Vedavyasa has not clarified in his ‘magnum opus’. This great tome which grants merit to all the four categories of persons when read regularly is verily the fount of all kinds of knowledge. But O great sage, owing to my insufficient comprehensive capacity I have not been able to get to the bottom of its real purport. I have failed to understand as to why the Lord Supreme Vasudeva had to appear as a Personal God—i.e., God with a form and attributes—and why Draupadi, the legally wedded wife of Arjuna, had also to accept four other men as her husbands?

Getting this question seer Markandeya kept quiet for a moment and then said: You should seek shelter under the grace of the Dronaputras—appearing as birds and dwelling over the Vindhya Range. Only they can satisfy your queries. At present they are engrossed in their meditation in the caves of that mountain range and they are truly omniscient. They are well versed in all the scriptures. Out of them Pingaaksha, Vivodha and son of Sumukha, Prabriti Mahatma shall surely quell your queries as they are entirely capable.

Upon which Jaimini developed another query as to what made these learned ones dwell in the form of birds. What was their fault which reduced them to the birds’ form? And how could they speak human language and dwell on Scriptural knowledge so authoritatively? Getting these questions from Jaimini, sage Markandeya explained:

In olden times once the Lord of Gods, Indra, was enjoying his time in the heavenly garden, ‘Nandana Vana’ in the company of the Apsaras (divine danseuses) when the divine sage Narada reached there while moving about the universe. He was accorded a rousing welcome by the divinities. Then, while talking to the divine sage, Indra said: You may choose any Apsara for your enjoyment from this lot. You may choose any of them whom you think to be the best in all qualities. She whom you choose would display her dancing powers. Getting this offer, Narada ji asked the Apsaras: She who considers herself to be the best may display her dancing prowess.

His remark created a stir among the Apsaras. The problem was: everyone of them thought herself to be the best. This caused quite a competition among them. Whereupon, in order to devise a solution Indra asked Narad that it was better he himself made the choice. Then Narad offered a condition: She among you who could deviate the attention of the most fiery tempered sage, Durvasa, from his worship he is performing in the Himalayas would be my choice. This condition shuddered the Apsaras with fright. They knew that sage Durvasa was a very fastidious and short-tempered sage. Should he get angry his curse could end the disturbers’ life. However, there was still an Apsara called Vapu’ who was very proud of her charms and intelligence. Previously also she had the credit of disturbing many a renowned sages’ penance. So, accepting Narada’s condition she merrily proceeded towards her destination. She was confident that with her charms and seductive tactics she could disturb sage Durvasa’s penance.

The hermitage in which Durvasa dwelt was extremely picturesque. The atmosphere was so congenial that even the violent beasts, shedding their basic nature, lived in amity with other beings. Even the trees and creepers entwined each other in loving embrace. Seeing the ambience so much suiting to her designs, she started cooing in a most enchanting voice which was followed by a mellifluous song. Her voice really charmed the entire atmosphere. When Durvasa heard her voice, he almost felt enchanted and started moving towards the source of that song. Seeing the Apsara showing her seductive charms, he realised her intention of disturbing his penance. So the fiery sage cursed her: Hey you sinful lady! In the arrogance of your charm and looks you have tried to disturb my concentration. I curse you to become a bird, here and now. You may get four male issues but they would be deprived of receiving your motherly affection for ever.

Pulverised with the curse the arrogant Apsara began to beg and beseech the sage to either dilute the curse or reveal to her any way out of it. The sage thawed at her for her simplicity and said: After 16 years you may be killed by some weapon’s blow after which you shall be redeemed and you will go back to heaven with your natural form. Saying so the sage immediately left, giving her no margin for any further request. Cursed this way, Apsara ‘Vapu’ also returned to suffer the curse.

While continuing the tale further, sage Markandeya told Jaimini: Those four male issues of that Apsara came to be known as Dronaputras. How they came to that form is a story that I tell you now. Then he told the following story:

The lord of birds, Garuda, was the son of the Mighty Arishthanemi. Garuda’s one son was Sampati who had a son called Suparshva. Suparshva had a son, Kunti, who had a son called Pralolup. Pralolup had two male issues called Kanka and Kandhar. Once Kanka reached up to mount Kailash. In one part of the revered mount, Yaksharaj Kubera’s son Vidyudrup was enjoying amorous dalliance in the company of his wife when Kanka’s presence disturbed his privacy. So Vidyudrup got angry and he said many harsh words to Kanka who protested as this section of the mount was not private part under anybody’s exclusive authority. But maddened in his sexual charge Vidyudrup killed Kanka With his dagger.

When Kandhar heard of his elder brother’s death in such a sorry way, in order to avenge his brother’s death he rushed to Kailash Mount’s that part. He found Vidyudrup lying on a cozy couch, annointed with sandalwood paste and engrossed in copulation with his wife. Kandhar challenged the Yaksha who almost behaved like a demon and both were engaged in a bloody duel. Once such a duel had taken place between Indra and Garuda also. At last Kandhar managed to kill Vidyudrup. Seeing her husband gone, Madavika, the wife of Vidyudrup married Kandhar at last. Thus after killing his brother’s slayer and marrying his wife Madavika, Kandhar returned home. Madavika was the daughter of the most beautiful Apsara, Menaka, who could take any form at will. It was from the Madvika’s womb that the Apsara ‘Vapu’