38 verses
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, may you live a long life! O saintly one, best of speakers! Please continue speaking to us. Only you can show men wandering within insurmountable saṁṣara the way to cross beyond it.
sa vā asmat-kulotpannaḥ kalpe 'smin bhārgavarṣabhaḥ naivādhunāpi bhūtānāṁ samplavaḥ ko 'pi jāyate
eka evārṇave bhrāmyan
dadarśa puruṣaṁ kila
vaṭa-patra-puṭe tokaṁ
śayānaṁ tv ekam adbhutam
eṣa naḥ saṁśayo bhūyān
sūta kautūhalaṁ yataḥ
taṁ naś chindhi mahā-yogin
purāṇeṣv api sammataḥ
Authorities say that Mārkaṇòeya, the son of Mṛkaṇòu, was an exceptionally long-lived sage who was the only survivor at the end of Brahmā's day, when the entire universe was merged in the flood of annihilation. But this same Mārkaṇòeya, the foremost descendant of Bhṛgu, took birth in my own family during the current day of Brahmā, and we have not yet seen any total annihilation in this day of Brahmā. Also, it is well known that Mārkaṇòeya, while wandering helplessly in the great ocean of annihilation, saw a wonderful personalityan infant boy lying alone within the fold of a banyan leaf. O Sūta, I am most bewildered and curious about this great sage, Mārkaṇòeya. O great yogī, you are accepted as the authority on all the Purāṇas. Therefore kindly dispel my confusion.
Urvāritaḥ means remaining. During the devastation by which (yena) the universe was swallowed up, he remained. That is well known. But there is no devastation now. That is my doubt. Otherwise how could it happen that he saw a small boy on a banyan leaf during devastation? Because of this doubt, I have curiosity. Cut this doubt and curiosity. Not only are you a great yogī but are acknowledged as an authority on the Purāṇas.
Suta said: Your question, which will remove everyone's illusion, has within it topics of Lord Nārāyaṇa, which destroy the contamination of Kal-yuga.
bṛhad-vrata-dharaḥ śānto jaṭilo valkalāmbaraḥ bibhrat kamaṇòaluṁ daṇòam upavītaṁ sa-mekhalam
kṛṣṇājinaṁ sākṣa-sūtraṁ
kuśāṁś ca niyamarddhaye
agny-arka-guru-viprātmasv
arcayan sandhyayor harim
sāyaṁ prātaḥ sa gurave
bhaikṣyam āhṛtya vāg-yataḥ
bubhuje gurv-anujñātaḥ
sakṛn no ced upoṣitaḥ
evaṁ tapaḥ-svādhyāya-paro
varṣāṇām ayutāyutam
ārādhayan hṛṣīkeśaṁ
jigye mṛtyuṁ su-durjayam
After being purified by his father's performance of second birth saṁskāra, Mārkaṇòeya studied the Vedic hymns and strictly observed the regulative principles. A lifelong celibate, he was peaceful and endowed with austerity and Vedic knowledge. With his matted hair, clothing made of bark, a waterpot, staff, sacred thread, brahmacārī belt, black deerskin, lotus-seed prayer beads and bundles of kuśa grass. At the sacred junctures of the day he regularly worshiped the Supreme Lord in five formsthe sacrificial fire, the sun, guru, the brāhmaṇas and Paramātmā within his heart. Morning and evening he would go out begging, and upon returning he would present all the food he had collected to his guru. Only when his guru invited him would he silently take his one meal of the day; otherwise he would fast. Thus devoted to austerity and Vedic study, Mārkaṇòeya worshiped the supreme master of the senses for a hundred million years, and in this way he conquered unconquerable death.
Brahmā, Bhṛgu, Śiva, Prajāpati Dakṣa, the great sons of Brahmā, and many others among the human beings, devatās, Pitṛs and ghostly spirits were astonished by Mārkaṇòeya.
In this way, maintaining rigid celibacy through penance, study of the Vedas and self-discipline, the yogī meditated on the Lord with his mind free of all material attractions.
He meditated with a mind (antarātmanā) freed of all kleśas such as attachment.1
While the yogī concentrated his mind by powerful yoga practice, the great expanse of six Manvantaras passed.
O brāhmaṇa, during the reign of the seventh Manu, the current age, Indra came to know of Mārkaṇòeya's austerities, and being fearful, he began to obstruct the sage's penance.
Indra became fearful that by his austerity he would take Indras post.
Indra sent Cupid, Gandharvas, Apsarās, the season of spring and the sandalwood-scented breeze from the Malaya Hills, along with greed and intoxication personified.
He sent the son of passion, greed (rajas-toka) and intoxication.
O most powerful Śaunaka! They went to Mārkaṇòeya's hermitage, on the northern side of the Himālaya Mountains near the Puṣpabhadrā River and Mount Citrā.
matta-bhramara-saḍgītaṁ matta-kokila-kūjitam matta-barhi-naṭāṭopaṁ matta-dvija-kulākulam
vāyuḥ praviṣṭa ādāya
hima-nirjhara-śīkarān
sumanobhiḥ pariṣvakto
vavāv uttambhayan smaram
It was a pure hermitage, filled with pure trees and creepers, pure groups of brāhmaṇas, and pure, clear lakes. Intoxicated bees were humming, intoxicated cuckoos were cooing, intoxicated peacocks were dancing, and intoxicated birds were flying everywhere. The breeze, embraced by flowers, holding drops of cool water from waterfalls, entering that place, agitating Cupid, began to blow.
Springtime, with a network of trees and creepers covered by clumps of flowers and sprouts, whose face was the rising moon at night, appeared in the hermitage.
Spring had night as its face with a rising moon. The spring was endowed with a network of creepers and trees which protected the rays of the moon (gopa) and lines of flower clumps.
Cupid, the master of many heavenly women, followed by groups of Gandharvas playing musical instruments and singing, appeared, holding his bow and arrow.
He came with persons who had groups of instrument players and singers. The suffix kaiḥ has the sense of possessing. The sage realized their presence somewhat in his mind, and began to tremble. This can be understood from later verses. Verse 29 mentions he was a like suddenly awakened snake, and the word dharṣitaḥ (violated) in verse 30 indicates awareness of their attack.
These servants of Indra saw the sage sitting in meditation, with closed eyes, having just offered his prescribed oblations into the sacrificial fire. He seemed invincible, like fire personified.
They saw the sage sitting (samupāsīnam).
The women danced before the sage, the celestial singers sang, and attractive instruments played with drums, strings and cymbals.
While greed personified, spring and the other servants of Indra all tried to agitate Mārkaṇòeya's mind, Cupid fixed his five-headed arrow on his bow.
The five heads of the arrow are drying up, bewilderment, agitation, suffering, and exhilaration.
itas tato bhramad-dṛṣṭeś calantyā anu kandukam vāyur jahāra tad-vāsaḥ sūkṣmaṁ truṭita-mekhalam
While Puñjikasthalī, with waist bent over by the weight of her breasts, garlands falling from her hair, was playing with some balls, glancing here and there, and was chasing a ball, the wind blew at her fine dress with its loose belt.
Cupid, thinking he had conquered the sage, then shot his arrow. But all these attempts proved futile, just like the useless endeavors of a person with bad luck.
Anīśasya means of a person with bad fortune.
O learned Śaunaka! While Cupid and his followers tried to harm the sage, they became burned by his potency. Thus they desisted, just like children who have aroused a sleeping snake.
They became frightened, thinking, We do not know what will happen now. From the example of the snake, it is understood that the sage first became angry on the arousal of lust and then he controlled both lust and anger.
O brāhmaṇa! Though the followers of Indra had impudently attacked the saintly Mārkaṇòeya, he did not succumb to false ego. For great souls such tolerance is not surprising.
Ahamaḥ means of ahaḍkāra.
The mighty King Indra, seeing the impotence of Cupid and his followers, and hearing of the power of the great sage, became very astonished.
Svarāṭ means Indra.
While Mārkaṇòeya was fixing his mind through penance, Vedic study and observance of regulative principles, the Supreme Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa appeared before the sage by his mercy.
padmākṣa-mālām uta jantu-mārjanaṁ vedaṁ ca sākṣāt tapa eva rūpiṇau tapat-taòid-varṇa-piśaḍga-rociṣā prāṁśū dadhānau vibudharṣabhārcitau
One form was white and the other black. They had four arms and eyes resembling the lotus petals. They wore garments of black deerskin and bark, along with the three-stranded sacred thread, and had pavitras of kuśa on their hands. They carried the mendicant's waterpot, straight bamboo staff and lotus-seed prayer beads, as well as the all-purifying Vedas in the symbolic form of bundles of darbha grass. The tall figures, austerity personified, flashing with yellow rays like lightning, were being worshiped by the foremost devatās.
They wore skin of the black deer and bark for clothing and a sacred thread of newly woven thread in three strands. They held water pots in their hands. They held the Vedas which purify men. Some say this means they held darbha, representing the Vedas. They were the personification of austerity. They were tall. Their yellow effulgence looked like flashing lightning.
Seeing these two sages, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, forms of the Supreme Lord, Mārkaṇòeya stood up and with great respect offered them obeisances by falling down flat on the ground.
Mārkaṇòeya's body, mind and senses became blissful on seeing them. His eyes filled with tears and his hairs stood on end. He could not gaze upon them.
Na sehe means he could not.
Standing with his hands folded in supplication and his head bowed in humility, Mārkaṇòeya out of eagerness imagined he was embracing the two Lords. In a voice choked with ecstasy, he repeatedly said, "I offer my humble obeisances."
Pravhaḥ means with humility.
He gave them sitting places and washed their feet, and then he worshiped them with presentations of arghya, sandalwood pulp, fragrant oils, incense and flower garlands.
Mārkaṇòeya, once again bowing down at the lotus feet of those two most worshipable sages, who were sitting at ease, ready to bestow all mercy upon him, he addressed them as follows.
Mārkaṇòeya said: O Almighty Lord, how can I possibly describe you? You awaken the vital air, which then impels the mind, senses and power of speech to act. This is true for all ordinary conditioned souls and even Brahmā and Śiva. So it is certainly true for me. Nevertheless, you become the intimate friend of those who worship you.
By you, the life air is made to move, and the voice, mind and senses. Śruti says śrotrasya śrotram: the lord is the ear of the ear. (Kena Upaniṣad 1.2) Vai means certainly. You enliven the senses not only of ordinary beings, but of Brahmā and Śiva as well, what to speak of me. Like a friend, you are controlled by the love of those who worship you. You alone enable them to worship you by enlivening their minds and senses, yet you feel unable to repay the debt of their worship and become indebted and controlled by their love. That is most astonishing. That is the greatness of your mercy.
Just as you appear in various other forms, you assume these two forms for the benefit of the three worlds, for removing suffering and for giving liberation. Having manifested these forms, you make them disappear, like a spider that produces thread and then consumes it.
Therefore you appear in this world to allow us to worship you and to let yourself be controlled by the prema of your devotees with matured bhakti. But not only for this purpose do you appear. You come to protect the universe. That is explained in this verse. Mṛtyu-jityai means for giving liberation. Just as you assume various other forms like Matsya and Kūrma, you now appear in these two forms. However, having accepted these forms (sṛṣtvā) you then make them disappear, just as a spider produced and devours his web. This verse praises the greatness of the Lords pastimes.
I worship the lotus feet of you, who are the protector and controller of all beings moving and non-moving, whose fixed devotees are not touched by karma, guṇas or time, and whom the sages, with continuous silence, knowing the conclusion of the Vedas, praise, respect, worship and meditate upon, in order to attain you.
I worship your lotus feet. The verb occurs in verse 44. The contamination of bad conduct, arising from karma, guṇas and time do not touch the devotees situated at your feet. This expresses the greatness of bhakti dedicated to the Lord. Actions, either pious or sinful, recent or ancient, do not touch the devotee, just as water does not touch the lotus leaf. The plural verb is poetic license. The devotees, always silent (munayaḥ), who know the conclusion of the Vedas, meditate on the Lord to attain him.
O Lord! For people fearing saṁsāra I do not know any auspiciousness other than the lotus feet of you, the form of liberation, since even Brahmā who lives for two parārdhas also fears time. What to speak of the creatures created by him!
I do not know any auspiciousness other than your lotus feet for persons fearing saṁsāra (parito bhīyaḥ), since even Brahmā fears time, what to speak of others created by Brahmā fearing time.
I worship the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the guru of the jīva, who has true knowledge, after I have given up the covering on the ātmā such as possessiveness of body and house, which are all useless, insignificant, and temporary. A person should attain you alone, who know the devotees service, and he will attain all his desires.
Ṛta-dhiyaḥ means the Lord who has true knowledge. Giving up the covering on the ātmāpossessiveness of body and house, which is useless (apārtham), insignificant (asat) and temporary (antyam), I worship the lotus feet of you, who have true knowledge. One who worships you also attains you, who know the service of the devotee. Then let those without material desire worship me. Let those with desires worship some one else. No, if someone attains you, he attains all desirable objects.
O master of life forms! O friend of the jīva! The causes of creation, maintenance and destruction, of the universe of all beings, including the devatās, are the three guṇas, made of māyā. Though you accept pastimes of sattva-guṇa for auspiciousness, you do not accept rajas and tamas at all, since they produce pain, illusion and fear for mankind.
If a person has material desires, let him worship devatās. Worshipping them is worshipping me, since the devatās are my representatives. O friend of the jīva! O master of life forms! The causes of this universe made of men, animals and devatās like Indra and Candra are the three guṇas which are made of māyā. How will I attain you, beyond māyā, by worshipping the effects of māyā, the devatās, who are all temporary? Though you accept sattva-guṇa pastimes among all pastimes for auspiciousness, you do not accept the others, rajas and tamas actions, by which suffering, illusion and fear arise. However, all three pastimes are made of māyā.
O Lord! Therefore in this world, the wise worship your pure form and the pure form of your devotee, and not the forms made of material guṇas, since the devotees like Nārada recognize your form as śuddha-sattva, from which arises Vaikuṇṭha, a place which has no fear of falling and is endowed spiritual bliss.
Therefore the wise give up the impure forms of Indra and others made of māyā and worship the śuddha-sattva forms of the Lord and his devotees. Devotees like Nārada (sātvatāḥ) recognize the form of Viṣṇu which is sattva. What type of sattva is this? From this Lord arises Vaikuṇṭha, with no fear of falling. There is fear of falling from Svarga. Because there is no fear of falling there is spiritual happiness, not happiness from results of karma. Therefore, it is śuddha-sattva, not material sattva.
I offer respects to the Supreme Lord, the supreme, the all-pervading person, who assumes all forms in the universe, who teaches the universe, who is most worthy of worship, who is the sage Nārāyaṇa and Nara, who is completely detached from worldly life, who is controlled in speech and who teaches the Vedas.
Though you have a form of a human (puruṣāya), you are all pervading (bhumne), and you take the forms of animals, men and devatās (viśvāya). The purpose of the Lords appearance is described. You teach bhakti, jñāna and vairāgya (viśva-gurave). Not only are you a teacher, but you are worthy of worship. You are most worthy of worship (para-daivatyāya). You appear in two forms. You are the sage Nārāyaṇa and the best of humans as a sage. You have given up all possessiveness (hamṣāya). You remain with a vow of silence (saṁyata-gire). However, you preach the Vedas (nigameśvarāya).
Persons with intelligence bewildered by deceptive sense perception cannot know you who are situated in their senses, life airs and hearts. Persons whose intelligence is covered by māyā cannot even know you when you appear as avatāra within their vision. Even Brahmā who obtained the Vedas from you, the guru of all beings, cannot know you.
This verse explained that the Lord is difficult to realize. A person with bewildered intelligence caused by deceptive sense perception (vitathākṣa-pathaih) does not know the Lord situated as the controller in the heart, in the life air and the senses. The person whose intelligence is covered by māyā does not know you, who are present visibly (dik-patheṣu) now as avatāra. What to speak of others, even Brahmā (ādyaḥ), though he obtained the Vedas from you, who are the guru of all beings, does not know you.
Knowledge of the Lord is revealed in the Vedas, but indirectly. Even the great sages headed by Brahmā, though endeavoring to understand the Lord, are bewildered about the Lord by studying the Vedas. I offer respects to the great Lord, who is conceived differently by various philosophies presented in the Vedas, whose real nature is hidden, who is understood only by himself.
Though you are known by the Vedic scriptures, you are still difficult to understand. Knowledge of you is in the Vedas. That knowledge reveals you, who are secret (ātma-rahaḥ). Then those who study the Vedas can know me. The sages, the best of whom is Brahmā ((aja-parāḥ), though they endeavor, are bewildered concerning the nature of the Lord. Because the Vedas speak indirectly, they are bewildered about you as the only object of knowledge. The reason is explained. The Lord has a form which is not the form (prati-rūpam) which becomes the subject of various philosophies like vivarta-vāda described in the Vedas. Therefore I offer respects to he whose real nature is hidden from understanding, hidden within himself.
Thus ends the commentary on Eighth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Eighth Chapter Mārkaṇòeya performs austerity and the Apasarās attempt to disturb his vows. Mārkaṇòeya Purāṇa was mentioned in verse 24 of the last chapter. That brought to Śaunakas mind the story of Mārkaṇòeya. Thus he asks about this now. Tamasi means in saṁsāra.