Adhyaya 10

Verse 1

सूत उवाच स एवमनुभूयेदं नारायणविनिर्मितम् । वैभवं योगमायायास्तमेव शरणं ययौ ॥ १ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: This was the opulent display of Yogamāyā arranged by the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa. Having experienced it, Ṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya took shelter of the Lord.

Verse 2

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच प्रपन्नोऽस्म्यङ्‍‍घ्रिमूलं ते प्रपन्नाभयदं हरे । यन्माययापि विबुधा मुह्यन्ति ज्ञानकाशया ॥ २ ॥

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: O Hari, I surrender at the soles of Your lotus feet, which grant fearlessness to all who take refuge. Even the demigods are bewildered by Your māyā, which appears in the guise of knowledge.

Verse 3

सूत उवाच तमेवं निभृतात्मानं वृषेण दिवि पर्यटन् । रुद्राण्या भगवान् रुद्रो ददर्श स्वगणैर्वृत: ॥ ३ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Traveling through the sky upon his bull, Lord Rudra—accompanied by Rudrāṇī and surrounded by his own attendants—saw Mārkaṇḍeya absorbed in trance.

Verse 4

अथोमा तमृषिं वीक्ष्य गिरिशं समभाषत । पश्येमं भगवन् विप्रं निभृतात्मेन्द्रियाशयम् ॥ ४ ॥

Goddess Umā, seeing the sage, addressed Giriśa: My lord, behold this learned brāhmaṇa—his body, mind, and senses are motionless in samādhi.

Verse 5

निभृतोदझषव्रातो वातापाये यथार्णव: । कुर्वस्य तपस: साक्षात् संसिद्धिं सिद्धिदो भवान् ॥ ५ ॥

He is calm like the ocean when the wind has ceased and the schools of fish lie still. Therefore, O lord who grants perfection to ascetics, please bestow upon this sage the evident siddhi that is due to him.

Verse 6

श्रीभगवानुवाच नैवेच्छत्याशिष: क्‍वापि ब्रह्मर्षिर्मोक्षमप्युत । भक्तिं परां भगवति लब्धवान् पुरुषेऽव्यये ॥ ६ ॥

The Lord (Śiva) said: This brahmarṣi desires no boon at all, not even liberation, for he has attained the supreme, pure devotion to Bhagavān, the inexhaustible and imperishable Supreme Person.

Verse 7

अथापि संवदिष्यामो भवान्येतेन साधुना । अयं हि परमो लाभो नृणां साधुसमागम: ॥ ७ ॥

Still, dear Bhavānī, let us speak with this saintly person, for the greatest gain for human beings is the association of sādhus.

Verse 8

सूत उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तमुपेयाय भगवान् स सतां गति: । ईशान: सर्वविद्यानामीश्वर: सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ ८ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Having spoken thus, Lord Śaṅkara—the shelter of pure souls, master of all spiritual sciences, and controller of all embodied beings—approached the sage.

Verse 9

तयोरागमनं साक्षादीशयोर्जगदात्मनो: । न वेद रुद्धधीवृत्तिरात्मानं विश्वमेव च ॥ ९ ॥

Because Mārkaṇḍeya’s material mind had ceased to function, the sage did not notice that the two Īśvaras—Śiva and Pārvatī, the soul and rulers of the universe—had personally arrived; absorbed in meditation, he was unaware of himself and the outer world.

Verse 10

भगवांस्तदभिज्ञाय गिरिशो योगमायया । आविशत्तद्गुहाकाशं वायुश्छिद्रमिवेश्वर: ॥ १० ॥

Understanding the situation fully, Bhagavān Girīśa (Śiva) employed his yogamāyā to enter the sky-like space within the cave of Mārkaṇḍeya’s heart, just as wind passes through an opening.

Verse 11

आत्मन्यपि शिवं प्राप्तं तडित्पिङ्गजटाधरम् । त्र्यक्षं दशभुजं प्रांशुमुद्यन्तमिव भास्करम् ॥ ११ ॥ व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरं शूलधनुरिष्वसिचर्मभि: । अक्षमालाडमरुककपालं परशुं सह ॥ १२ ॥ बिभ्राणं सहसा भातं विचक्ष्य हृदि विस्मित: । किमिदं कुत एवेति समाधेर्विरतो मुनि: ॥ १३ ॥

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya suddenly saw Lord Śiva appear within his own heart—his lightning-golden matted hair, three eyes, ten arms, and tall form blazing like the rising sun. Clad in tiger skin, he bore a trident, bow, arrows, sword and shield, along with prayer beads, a ḍamaru drum, a skull and an ax. Astonished, the sage withdrew from samādhi and thought, “Who is this, and from where has he come?”

Verse 12

आत्मन्यपि शिवं प्राप्तं तडित्पिङ्गजटाधरम् । त्र्यक्षं दशभुजं प्रांशुमुद्यन्तमिव भास्करम् ॥ ११ ॥ व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरं शूलधनुरिष्वसिचर्मभि: । अक्षमालाडमरुककपालं परशुं सह ॥ १२ ॥ बिभ्राणं सहसा भातं विचक्ष्य हृदि विस्मित: । किमिदं कुत एवेति समाधेर्विरतो मुनि: ॥ १३ ॥

Within his heart the sage beheld Lord Śiva, clad in tiger skin and bearing the trident, bow, arrows, sword and shield, along with japa beads, a ḍamaru drum, a skull and an ax. His splendor was like the sun at dawn. Amazed, the sage withdrew from samādhi and asked within himself, “From where has he come?”

Verse 13

आत्मन्यपि शिवं प्राप्तं तडित्पिङ्गजटाधरम् । त्र्यक्षं दशभुजं प्रांशुमुद्यन्तमिव भास्करम् ॥ ११ ॥ व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरं शूलधनुरिष्वसिचर्मभि: । अक्षमालाडमरुककपालं परशुं सह ॥ १२ ॥ बिभ्राणं सहसा भातं विचक्ष्य हृदि विस्मित: । किमिदं कुत एवेति समाधेर्विरतो मुनि: ॥ १३ ॥

Seeing Śiva suddenly shining within his heart, the sage was struck with wonder. He came out of samādhi and pondered, “What is this—who is he, and from where has he come?”

Verse 14

नेत्रे उन्मील्य दद‍ृशे सगणं सोमयागतम् । रुद्रं त्रिलोकैकगुरुं ननाम शिरसा मुनि: ॥ १४ ॥

Opening his eyes, the sage saw Lord Rudra—the sole spiritual master of the three worlds—arrived with Umā and his gaṇas. He then bowed his head and offered reverent obeisance.

Verse 15

तस्मै सपर्यां व्यदधात् सगणाय सहोमया । स्वागतासनपाद्यार्घ्यगन्धस्रग्धूपदीपकै: ॥ १५ ॥

Mārkaṇḍeya worshiped Lord Śiva, together with Umā and his gaṇas, offering words of welcome, seats, water to wash their feet, arghya, fragrant scents, flower garlands, incense, and ārati lamps.

Verse 16

आह त्वात्मानुभावेन पूर्णकामस्य ते विभो । करवाम किमीशान येनेदं निर्वृतं जगत् ॥ १६ ॥

Mārkaṇḍeya said: O mighty Lord, You are fully satisfied within Your own divine ecstasy—what could I possibly do for You? Indeed, by Your mercy this entire world becomes peaceful and fulfilled.

Verse 17

नम: शिवाय शान्ताय सत्त्वाय प्रमृडाय च । रजोजुषेऽथ घोराय नमस्तुभ्यं तमोजुषे ॥ १७ ॥

Again and again I offer my obeisances unto You, O Śiva—peaceful and all-auspicious. As the lord of goodness You grant delight; in touch with passion You appear most fearsome; and to You also, associated with ignorance, I bow.

Verse 18

सूत उवाच एवं स्तुत: स भगवानादिदेव: सतां गति: । परितुष्ट: प्रसन्नात्मा प्रहसंस्तमभाषत ॥ १८ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus praised, Lord Śiva—the foremost of the gods and the shelter of the saintly—became satisfied. Pleased at heart, he smiled and spoke to the sage.

Verse 19

श्रीभगवानुवाच वरं वृणीष्व न: कामं वरदेशा वयं त्रय: । अमोघं दर्शनं येषां मर्त्यो यद् विन्दतेऽमृतम् ॥ १९ ॥

Lord Śiva said: Ask of me a boon. Among all bestowers of benedictions, we three—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and I—are foremost. Our darśana is never fruitless, for simply by seeing us a mortal attains immortality.

Verse 20

ब्राह्मणा: साधव: शान्ता नि:सङ्गा भूतवत्सला: । एकान्तभक्ता अस्मासु निर्वैरा: समदर्शिन: ॥ २० ॥ सलोका लोकपालास्तान् वन्दन्त्यर्चन्त्युपासते । अहं च भगवान् ब्रह्मा स्वयं च हरिरीश्वर: ॥ २१ ॥

Those brāhmaṇas who are saintly—ever peaceful, free from attachment, compassionate to all beings, exclusively devoted to us, without hatred, and endowed with equal vision—are honored, worshiped, and served by the inhabitants and ruling demigods of all worlds; and so too by me, by Lord Brahmā, and by Hari Himself, the Supreme Lord.

Verse 21

ब्राह्मणा: साधव: शान्ता नि:सङ्गा भूतवत्सला: । एकान्तभक्ता अस्मासु निर्वैरा: समदर्शिन: ॥ २० ॥ सलोका लोकपालास्तान् वन्दन्त्यर्चन्त्युपासते । अहं च भगवान् ब्रह्मा स्वयं च हरिरीश्वर: ॥ २१ ॥

Those brāhmaṇas are saintly—ever peaceful, free from attachment, compassionate to all beings, exclusively devoted to us, without enmity, and endowed with equal vision. The residents and ruling demigods of all worlds, and also I, Lord Brahmā, and Śrī Hari Himself, the Supreme Īśvara, glorify them, worship them, and render them service.

Verse 22

न ते मय्यच्युतेऽजे च भिदामण्वपि चक्षते । नात्मनश्च जनस्यापि तद् युष्मान् वयमीमहि ॥ २२ ॥

Such devotees perceive not even the slightest difference between me, Acyuta Viṣṇu, and Brahmā the unborn; nor do they distinguish between themselves and other living beings. Therefore, because you are a saintly devotee of this kind, we worship you.

Verse 23

न ह्यम्मयानि तीर्थानि न देवाश्चेतनोज्झिता: । ते पुनन्त्युरुकालेन यूयं दर्शनमात्रत: ॥ २३ ॥

Mere bodies of water are not truly tīrthas, nor are lifeless images of the demigods actual worshipable deities. Since external sight fails to grasp their higher essence, they purify only after a long time; but devotees like you purify at once, simply by being seen.

Verse 24

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्यामो येऽस्मद्रूपं त्रयीमयम् । बिभ्रत्यात्मसमाधानतप:स्वाध्यायसंयमै: ॥ २४ ॥

We offer obeisances to the brāhmaṇas who, by samādhi upon the Supreme Soul, by austerity, by Vedic study, and by disciplined restraint, uphold within themselves the three Vedas—nondifferent from our own form: Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and I.

Verse 25

श्रवणाद् दर्शनाद् वापि महापातकिनोऽपि व: । शुध्येरन्नन्त्यजाश्चापि किमु सम्भाषणादिभि: ॥ २५ ॥

Even the greatest sinners and the outcast are purified simply by hearing of you or by seeing you. How much more purified, then, must they become by speaking with you directly and associating with you.

Verse 26

सूत उवाच इति चन्द्रललामस्य धर्मगुह्योपबृंहितम् । वचोऽमृतायनमृषिर्नातृप्यत् कर्णयो: पिबन् ॥ २६ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Drinking with his ears the nectarean words of Lord Śiva, the moon-crested one, enriched with the confidential essence of dharma, Ṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya could not be satiated.

Verse 27

स चिरं मायया विष्णोर्भ्रामित: कर्शितो भृशम् । शिववागमृतध्वस्तक्लेशपुञ्जस्तमब्रवीत् ॥ २७ ॥

Driven for a long time by Viṣṇu’s māyā to wander in the waters of dissolution, he became utterly exhausted; but Śiva’s nectarean words destroyed his amassed distress, and thus he addressed Lord Śiva.

Verse 28

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच अहो ईश्वरलीलेयं दुर्विभाव्या शरीरिणाम् । यन्नमन्तीशितव्यानि स्तुवन्ति जगदीश्वरा: ॥ २८ ॥

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: Alas, for embodied beings it is most difficult to fathom the līlās of the universal rulers, for those very lords bow down to and praise the living beings they govern.

Verse 29

धर्मं ग्राहयितुं प्राय: प्रवक्तारश्च देहिनाम् । आचरन्त्यनुमोदन्ते क्रियमाणं स्तुवन्ति च ॥ २९ ॥

Generally, to lead embodied souls to accept dharma, authorized teachers themselves act as ideals, while encouraging and praising the proper conduct of others.

Verse 30

नैतावता भगवत: स्वमायामयवृत्तिभि: । न दुष्येतानुभावस्तैर्मायिन: कुहकं यथा ॥ ३० ॥

This apparent humility is simply mercy on display. The power of Bhagavān and His personal associates, enacted through His own māyā, is not diminished—just as a magician’s skill is not spoiled by exhibiting tricks.

Verse 31

सृष्ट्वेदं मनसा विश्वमात्मनानुप्रविश्य य: । गुणै: कुर्वद्भ‍िराभाति कर्तेव स्वप्नद‍ृग् यथा ॥ ३१ ॥ तस्मै नमो भगवते त्रिगुणाय गुणात्मने । केवलायाद्वितीयाय गुरवे ब्रह्ममूर्तये ॥ ३२ ॥

I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by His will created this universe and then entered it as the Paramātmā. Setting the modes of nature into action, He appears to be the direct creator, like a dreamer acting within a dream. He is the Lord of the three guṇas, yet He remains pure, alone, without a second—the supreme spiritual master and the original personal form of the Absolute Truth.

Verse 32

सृष्ट्वेदं मनसा विश्वमात्मनानुप्रविश्य य: । गुणै: कुर्वद्भ‍िराभाति कर्तेव स्वप्नद‍ृग् यथा ॥ ३१ ॥ तस्मै नमो भगवते त्रिगुणाय गुणात्मने । केवलायाद्वितीयाय गुरवे ब्रह्ममूर्तये ॥ ३२ ॥

I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by His will created this universe and then entered it as the Paramātmā. Setting the modes of nature into action, He appears to be the direct creator, like a dreamer acting within a dream. He is the Lord of the three guṇas, yet He remains pure, alone, without a second—the supreme spiritual master and the original personal form of the Absolute Truth.

Verse 33

कं वृणे नु परं भूमन् वरं त्वद् वरदर्शनात् । यद्दर्शनात् पूर्णकाम: सत्यकाम: पुमान् भवेत् ॥ ३३ ॥

O all-pervading Lord, having received the benediction of beholding You, what other boon could I ask? Simply by seeing You, a person becomes fully satisfied, and every true desire can be fulfilled.

Verse 34

वरमेकं वृणेऽथापि पूर्णात् कामाभिवर्षणात् । भगवत्यच्युतां भक्तिं तत्परेषु तथा त्वयि ॥ ३४ ॥

Yet, though You are perfect and can shower the fulfillment of all desires, I ask only one boon: unfailing bhakti to Bhagavān, and the same devotion to His fully surrendered devotees—especially to you.

Verse 35

सूत उवाच इत्यर्चितोऽभिष्टुतश्च मुनिना सूक्तया गिरा । तमाह भगवाञ्छर्व: शर्वया चाभिनन्दित: ॥ ३५ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus worshiped and praised by the sage Mārkaṇḍeya with well-spoken words, and encouraged by his consort Śarvāṇī, Bhagavān Śarva (Śiva) replied to him as follows.

Verse 36

कामो महर्षे सर्वोऽयं भक्तिमांस्त्वमधोक्षजे । आकल्पान्ताद् यश: पुण्यमजरामरता तथा ॥ ३६ ॥

O great sage, because you are devoted to Lord Adhokṣaja, all your desires will be fulfilled. Until the end of this kalpa you will enjoy pious fame and be free from old age and death.

Verse 37

ज्ञानं त्रैकालिकं ब्रह्मन् विज्ञानं च विरक्तिमत् । ब्रह्मवर्चस्विनो भूयात् पुराणाचार्यतास्तु ते ॥ ३७ ॥

O brāhmaṇa, may you attain perfect knowledge of past, present and future, and transcendental realization of the Supreme enriched by renunciation. Since you shine with the splendor of an ideal brāhmaṇa, may you obtain the post of ācārya of the Purāṇas.

Verse 38

सूत उवाच एवं वरान् स मुनये दत्त्वागात् त्र्यक्ष ईश्वर: । देव्यै तत्कर्म कथयन्ननुभूतं पुरामुना ॥ ३८ ॥

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Having thus granted benedictions to the sage, the three-eyed Lord (Śiva) went on his way, continuing to describe to Goddess Devī the sage’s accomplishments and the direct manifestation of the Lord’s wondrous māyā that he had experienced.

Verse 39

सोऽप्यवाप्तमहायोगमहिमा भार्गवोत्तम: । विचरत्यधुनाप्यद्धा हरावेकान्ततां गत: ॥ ३९ ॥

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, the best of the descendants of Bhṛgu, is glorious for attaining the perfection of mahā-yoga. Even today he wanders this world, fully absorbed in exclusive, unalloyed devotion to Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Verse 40

अनुवर्णितमेतत्ते मार्कण्डेयस्य धीमत: । अनुभूतं भगवतो मायावैभवमद्भ‍ुतम् ॥ ४० ॥

Thus I have narrated to you the deeds of the highly intelligent sage Mārkaṇḍeya, especially how he directly experienced the amazing power and splendor of the Supreme Lord’s māyā.

Verse 41

एतत् केचिदविद्वांसो मायासंसृतिरात्मन: । अनाद्यावर्तितं नृणां कादाचित्कं प्रचक्षते ॥ ४१ ॥

Although this event was unique and without precedent, some unintelligent persons compare it to the illusory cycle of material existence the Supreme Lord has created for the conditioned souls—an endless turning that has continued since time immemorial.

Verse 42

य एवमेतद् भृगुवर्य वर्णितं रथाङ्गपाणेरनुभावभावितम् । संश्रावयेत् संश‍ृणुयादु तावुभौ तयोर्न कर्माशयसंसृतिर्भवेत् ॥ ४२ ॥

O best of the Bhṛgus, this narration about Ṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya is imbued with the transcendental potency of the Supreme Lord, the wielder of the disc. Whoever properly recites it or faithfully hears it will never again enter material existence, which rests on the desire for fruitive action.