novelraw Arc 6 - Markandeya-Samasya Parva Chapter 1 - Mārkaṇḍeya’s Arrival
Arc 6 - Markandeya-Samasya Parva Chapter 1 - Mārkaṇḍeya’s Arrival
Vaiśampāyana said:
While the sons of Pāṇḍu dwelt in that lonely retreat, there came the season of rains—the time that ends the scorching heat and brings delight to all creatures. Dark clouds, countless in number, rose like vast domes in the sky, their deep rumbling filling the quarters. Night and day, they poured forth torrents unceasing, veiling the sun and replacing his light with the flashing brilliance of lightning.
The earth, clad in new grass and teeming with insects and creeping things, became fresh and cool. Rain-washed, tranquil, and fragrant, she rejoiced like a bride adorned. Waters spread over every hollow, so that none could tell whether the ground was even or uneven, whether there were rivers, hills, or trees. The rivers, filled to overflowing, roared like serpents in their fury, dashing against their banks with hissing voices.
In the forest tracts the stags, the boars, and many a bird uttered strange cries as the rain fell upon them. Peacocks danced with outspread plumes, the thirsty chataka called ceaselessly to the clouds, frogs croaked in joyous chorus, and the koel sang in ecstasy.
The forests rang with cries of life,
Of bird and beast in stormy strife;
The sky was veiled in lightning’s flame,
And rivers roared with serpent’s name.
Thus did the Pāṇḍavas wander in sandy wastes and wilderness, while the rainy season—rich in sounds and sights—rolled by.
Then came the season of autumn, O King, thronged with cranes and wild geese, bright with clear stars, and cooled by dustless nights. The grass stood green upon the plains; the rivers ran pure and transparent; the sky shone resplendent, adorned with constellations. The sons of Pāṇḍu rejoiced in its beauty.
The autumn nights shone calm and fair,
With moonlight flooding earth and air;
Lotus and lily crowned the streams,
Reflecting stars with silver beams.
Roving along the Sarasvatī—whose banks, vast and shining, were thick with cane groves and holy bathing-places—the heroes felt great joy. That sacred river, clear and brimful, seemed to them a path of heaven upon the earth.
And when the full moon of Kārtika rose in that bright season, the sons of Kuntī spent the holy night in the company of sages devoted to penance. In their fellowship they tasted peace, hearing the hymns of sacrifice and the chants of dharma.
When the dark fortnight set in thereafter, the sons of Pāṇḍu, led by Dhanañjaya and attended by their charioteers and cooks, entered the deep woods of the Kāmyaka forest.
Thus did the exiled princes go,
Where Kāmyaka’s deep forests grow;
With saints they passed the autumn bright,
And journeyed on by moon’s cool light.
Vaiśampāyana said:
O son of the Kurus, when the sons of Pāṇḍu reached the Kāmyaka forest, they were welcomed by many ascetics who dwelt there in holy austerities. Together with Kṛṣṇā, Draupadī of noble fame, they took shelter in that tranquil place. Soon, many Brahmanas came to attend upon them, bearing words of solace.
One among them declared: “The beloved friend of Arjuna, mighty of arms, self-restrained, sprung from the race of Sūra, lofty in intellect—he will surely come. For Hari ever longs for your sight and seeks your welfare. And before long, the ancient ṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya, long-lived and steadfast in penance, will also approach you.”
Even as those words were spoken, behold—Kṛṣṇa himself arrived, riding upon a car drawn by the swift steeds Śaivya and Sugrīva. At his side was Satyabhāmā, radiant as Śacī beside Indra.
The dark-hued Lord, with lotus eyes,
Appeared like cloud in autumn skies;
With Satyabhāmā by his side,
He shone in majesty and pride.
The son of Devakī descended with joy, his heart swelling to behold the Pāṇḍavas. With reverence, he bowed before Yudhiṣṭhira, the righteous king, and to Bhīma of mighty arms. He saluted Dhaumya, the priest, while the twin brothers fell at his feet. To Arjuna of curling hair he gave a loving embrace, and to Draupadī words of comfort. Again and again did Vāsudeva clasp Partha, whom he had not seen for long. And Satyabhāmā also embraced Kṛṣṇā, the daughter of Drupada.
Thus surrounded by the sons of Pāṇḍu, their wife, and their priests, Kṛṣṇa shone like Rudra united with Skanda, his beauty heightened in the company of Arjuna.
Arjuna then recounted to him all that had befallen in the forest, and asked with tenderness of Subhadrā and of his son Abhimanyu. Kṛṣṇa, the elder brother of Gada, seated with them in the hermitage, spoke words of solace and praise to Yudhiṣṭhira.
“O King, more blest is virtue’s way
Than crowns or kingdoms won in fray;
By truth, by sacrifice, by prayer,
Thou hast gained merit rich and rare.
Though wealth and kingdoms once were thine,
Thou soughtest truth, the law divine;
Therefore men hail thee, noble King,
Virtue’s unfailing offering.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus Kṛṣṇa reminded Yudhiṣṭhira of his steadfast adherence to dharma, praising his patience, forbearance, and devotion to truth. “When Kṛṣṇā was insulted in the assembly hall,” said Kṛṣṇa, “who but you endured with calm what was against dharma and all righteous usage? Fear not—soon shall you rule over men with justice, when the time appointed by vow is complete. And we, with the tribes of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, stand ready to chastise the Kurus at your command.”
He turned also to Draupadī, saying: “Fortunate art thou, O daughter of Drupada, that thou art reunited with Arjuna. Thy sons are safe, well-trained in arms under the care of Subhadrā and the son of Rukmiṇī. They take joy among the Vṛṣṇis, learning every weapon, every art of war, from a preceptor who loves them as his own. Cared for with vigilance, they grow in strength and virtue, awaiting the day of destiny.”
And to Yudhiṣṭhira he added: “Let the warriors of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, led by Balarāma with his plough, place themselves at thy command. Resistless like the wind, let them drive Duryodhana and his sinful host to the path of Saubha’s king. Abide by your pledge, O King, but know that the city of Hastināpura shall soon be made ready for you, after the hosts of evil are slain.”
Thus spoke Kṛṣṇa, friend and guide,
With truth and power unified;
A refuge sure for Pāṇḍu’s line,
Protector strong, of will divine.
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing these words of assurance, Yudhiṣṭhira bowed with folded palms and said: “O Keśava, thou art indeed the refuge of the sons of Pāṇḍu. In thee is our trust, and when the time comes, thou wilt surely accomplish what thou hast spoken—and more besides. We have endured the twelve years in the forest, and soon the year of incognito shall be fulfilled. Then shall we, unbending in truth, take refuge in thee, O Vāsudeva, for the sons of Pṛthā find in thee their eternal protector.”
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Vaiśampāyana said:
O descendant of Bharata, while Keśava of the Vṛṣṇis and Yudhiṣṭhira the just conversed thus, there appeared the ancient ṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya—grey with tapas, though ageless in form. He had practiced austerities through countless millennia, deathless and radiant, free of decay. Though he had lived for ages beyond measure, he shone with the beauty of one in the bloom of youth, like a man of five-and-twenty summers.
When this sage of immense austerities entered, all the Brahmanas rose to honour him. Kṛṣṇa of the Vṛṣṇis bowed, and so too did the sons of Pāṇḍu. Seated among them in friendship, Mārkaṇḍeya was addressed by Vāsudeva:
“O venerable one, the sons of Pāṇḍu, the Brahmanas assembled here, Draupadī, Satyabhāmā, and I myself—we all long to hear your words. Tell us, O saint, the holy histories of times gone by, and speak of the eternal rules of dharma by which kings, women, and sages guide their lives.”
Even as these words were spoken, the divine Nārada also appeared, radiant and serene, honoured with water for his feet and the arghya offering. Hearing that Mārkaṇḍeya was about to discourse, Nārada smiled and said, “Speak, O Brāhmaṇa, unto the sons of Pāṇḍu.”
Then Yudhiṣṭhira, king of dharma, bowed and questioned the ancient sage:
“O revered one, thou knowest the deeds of gods, demons, ṛṣis, and kings. How is it that men suffer or prosper? Do their actions bind them in this life, or in another? Where do deeds rest when the body falls? Is it the hand of the gods, or the will of man, that shapes destiny?”
Thus questioned, Mārkaṇḍeya, shining like the midday sun, spoke with gravity.
“Men reap as they have sown before,
Their deeds pursue them, less or more;
From birth to birth the soul is bound,
Till wisdom’s light breaks all around.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Mārkaṇḍeya explained that the Lord of beings first created men pure and stainless, desiring virtue, truthful, and godlike. They could ascend the skies at will, free from fear, masters of life and death. But in time, overcome by lust and greed, they fell into falsehood and violence, bound to the earth, afflicted by disease and misery, hurled into hell by their unrighteous acts. Again and again they were reborn into suffering, their knowledge darkened, their desires unfulfilled.
“As shadow clings where light is cast,
So deeds pursue us, first to last;
No moment free, the soul must bear,
The fruit of acts wrought here or there.”
And the sage declared: Man carries a subtle body, woven of his karma, through death into rebirth. No soul is ever annihilated; at once it takes new form, and its deeds, whether good or evil, follow it unfailingly. Only those who conquer the passions, who live in yoga, forgiveness, and truth, who worship their teachers and practice dharma, can break this chain and return to the celestial abode.
“The wise who rule their heart and mind,
No bonds of passion round them find;
Through yoga’s fire their sins are slain,
And heaven’s own dwelling they attain.”
Mārkaṇḍeya then spoke of the fourfold destiny of men: some gain joy only in this world, some only in the next, some in both, and some in neither. The wealthy who pursue only pleasures shine here, but fall thereafter. Those who mortify the body in tapas and study attain heaven but not earthly joy. Those who combine righteous wealth, sacrifice, and family life reap bliss in both worlds. But the foolish, who do neither, know happiness in neither.
Then turning to Yudhiṣṭhira, the sage consoled him:
“O King, thy grief shall pass away,
This trial serves thy good, I say;
For gods and ṛṣis, by thy birth,
Have sent thee forth to cleanse the earth.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus did Mārkaṇḍeya, ancient and immortal, speak of karma, destiny, and dharma to the sons of Pāṇḍu. By his words their hearts were steadied, for they understood that their trials were but steps toward the supreme region where all virtuous men dwell.
Vaiśampāyana said:
O King, the sons of Pāṇḍu then said to the high-souled Mārkaṇḍeya, “We long to hear of the greatness of the Brāhmaṇas. Do thou tell us of it!”
Thus entreated, the venerable sage, steadfast in tapas and radiant with spiritual power, spoke of an ancient tale:
In former times, a young prince of the Haihaya race, strong-limbed, handsome, and victorious over foes, once went out hunting in the forest. As he roamed among thickets and towering trees, he beheld at a distance a Muni, clad in the skin of a black antelope. Mistaking him for a deer, the prince struck him down.
When the truth was revealed, his heart was struck with grief, his limbs weakened with sorrow. He hastened back to his kinsmen, the chiefs of the Haihayas, and related all. Together they went to the hermitage of Ariṣṭanemi, son of Kaśyapa, and saluted the sage with reverence.
There, trembling, they confessed: “By a cruel stroke of fate, we have slain a Brāhmaṇa. We are unworthy of thy welcome!”
The saint, constant in austerities, replied: “Show me where he lies, that I may see what hath befallen.” But when the princes returned to the spot, the body of the slain was gone. Bewildered and ashamed, they came back, as men lost in dream.
Then appeared Ṛṣi Tārkṣya, radiant and serene, and said to them: “Behold, princes—this is my son whom ye thought dead. By the power of tapas, he hath risen again.”
Struck with awe, the princes said: “What wonder is this! How can the slain return to life? Is it through the might of his austerities? Tell us the truth, O Brāhmaṇa.”
The sage replied:
“Death holds no sway o’er those who keep
Their vows unbroken, pure and deep;
Who honour Brāhmaṇas, speak no ill,
And live in truth, serene of will.
Who feed the guest, then humbly share
The remnant meal with pious care;
Who dwell in holy places blest,
In charity and peaceful rest.
Such men no terror know of death,
No fear pursues their fleeting breath;
For dharma’s shield is theirs to stay,
And sin is washed, and fear away.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus did the sage explain that righteousness alone grants freedom from fear. Those who serve guests with food before themselves, who honour the twice-born with reverence, who abide in sacred places and restrain their passions—such men are beyond the grasp of Death.
Having heard his words, the Haihaya princes bowed low, and, cured of vanity, returned joyfully to their land.
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then Mārkaṇḍeya, steadfast in tapas, continued:
“Listen yet again, O sons of Pāṇḍu, to the glory of the Brāhmaṇas. Long ago, a royal ṛṣi named Vainya performed the great horse-sacrifice, celebrated with all rites. At that time, Atri, lord of austerities, thought to approach the king for alms. Yet his mind turned to higher restraint, for he reflected, ‘Wealth may bind the spirit; I will rather dwell in the forest, content with penance.’
Gathering his wife and sons, he said: ‘Let us turn to the woods, where true peace dwells. There shall we attain the fulfilment of our desires.’
But his wife, versed also in dharma, counselled him otherwise: ‘Go thou to Vainya, O sage. Ask of him riches, for he is generous. Then, having given wealth to thy sons and servants, thou mayst choose the forest path, thy duties discharged. This too is a higher virtue, praised by those who know the law.’
Yet Atri answered her with caution, recalling the words of Gautama: ‘The king indeed is pious and righteous, but there are Brāhmaṇas near him who envy me. Should I speak truth in their midst, they would oppose me with words of no merit. Yet for the sake of duty, I will go. The king will grant me kine and gold.’
Thus resolved, the sage went to Vainya’s sacrifice. He bowed to the king and praised him with noble speech: ‘Blessed art thou, O sovereign! Lord of men, foremost among kings, honoured by the Munis. Truly there is none equal to thee in righteousness.’
But Gautama, of fierce ascetic power, rebuked him harshly.
“O Atri, cease this idle praise,
Thy words are folly, not the wise;
Among all rulers, great and small,
Indra alone is lord of all.”
To this Atri, unshaken, replied:
“As Indra rules the gods on high,
So doth this king beneath the sky;
Blind art thou, Gautama, to see
The truth of sovereign destiny.”
Gautama retorted:
“Thou flatterest, sage, to win his grace,
And bringest shame upon thy race;
Virtue thou knowest not, nor truth—
Why wear old age without its fruit?”
Vaiśampāyana said:
While the two sages contended in the assembly, their voices rising like thunderclouds, the Munis wondered at their dispute. Then Vainya, pausing in his sacrifice, enquired, “What matter stirs such quarrel?”
At that moment, Kaśyapa, venerable and wise, approached the disputants and sought to know their cause. And Gautama, turning to the host of ascetics, said:
“O Brāhmaṇas, hear the matter. Atri declares that this king is the ruler of our destinies. In this claim lies our great doubt.”
Mārkaṇḍeya then continued:
“O conqueror of cities, in this connection I shall tell thee also of the words once spoken by the goddess Sarasvatī herself. Long ago, the sage Tārkṣya, eager to know the path of dharma, questioned her thus:
‘O radiant one, what is the highest good for man upon this earth? How should he act so that he may never fall from virtue? Tell me of worship, of sacrifice, of the sacred fire, that I may live without passion, free from craving, rooted in righteousness.’
Hearing him, Sarasvatī, compassionate and wise, spoke to that Brāhmaṇa these holy and beneficial words.”
“He who studies with steadfast mind,
The Veda’s truth, pure and refined;
Who sees the Highest in its sphere,
With gods immortal dwelleth near.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Sarasvatī taught that he who studies the Veda with sanctity, seeing the Supreme in its rightful place, ascends to heavenly regions. There he beholds shining lakes filled with lilies and golden lotuses, where Apsarases minister to the virtuous with joy.
“Giver of kine the heights shall gain,
Where endless fruits reward the fain;
Who gives the bull shall brighter shine,
In solar worlds of light divine.
Cloth-givers find the moon’s fair ray,
Gold-givers reach the gods’ highway;
Each gift bestowed in dharma’s name,
Brings after death eternal fame.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Sarasvatī declared that the gift of cows leads to the highest regions; the gift of a bull to the radiant sphere of the sun; garments to the realm of the moon; gold to the abode of the Immortals. Especially praiseworthy is the gift of a gentle cow with calf, yielding milk, for such a gift yields merit as many years as there are hairs upon her body.
“He who to Brāhmaṇa gives a cow,
With pail of brass, with gift and vow,
That cow in heaven by her grace,
Stands ever by her master’s place.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus the gift of kine saves seven generations, past and future, from the fate of darkness. Even one who errs, by such charity, is rescued from peril in the next world, as a ship is saved from the storm by a strong rudder.
“Give daughters duly wed with care,
Give land and gifts with rites and prayer;
Such men ascend to Indra’s throne,
Where virtue reaps its harvest sown.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Sarasvatī further taught that he who gives a daughter in marriage according to Brahma rite, who donates land and wealth to Brāhmaṇas, who offers gifts with sincerity—such a one attains to the regions of Purandara himself.
And she added:
“Seven years the sacred fire maintained,
Seven lines of kin are thereby gained;
From sire to son, from son to sire,
All sanctified by holy fire.”
Vaiśampāyana said: Sarasvatī proclaimed that he who maintains the sacred fire with offerings for seven years sanctifies seven generations above and below. Thus she revealed to Tārkṣya the greatness of dharma, of sacrifice, of gifts, and of the Brāhmaṇas who uphold them.
Then Tārkṣya said: “O goddess, declare unto me the rule for maintaining the sacred fire, as enjoined by the Vedas. Teach me the time-honoured law for tending the flame that never dies.”