Shloka 1
Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu
इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे औत्तममन्वन्तरे त्रिसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः चतुःसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः—७४ ।
मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।
राजाभूद्विख्यातः स्वराष्ट्रो नाम वीर्यवान् ।
अनेकयज्ञकृत् प्राज्ञः संग्रामेष्वपराजितः ॥
iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe auttamamanvantare trisaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ catuḥ saptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ- 74 / mārkaṇḍeya uvāca rājābhūd vikhyātaḥ svarāṣṭro nāma vīryavān / anekayajñakṛt prājñaḥ saṃgrāmeṣv aparājitaḥ
Demikianlah, dalam Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, pada Auttama Manvantara, bab ketujuh puluh tiga berakhir; bab ketujuh puluh empat bermula. Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: Ada seorang raja termasyhur bernama Svarāṣṭra, gagah perkasa—yang telah melaksanakan banyak yajña, bijaksana, dan tidak terkalahkan dalam peperangan.
FAQs
The Purāṇa introduces the king through markers of rājarṣi-ideal: valor restrained by wisdom, and public religion through yajña. Fame is grounded not in conquest alone but in dharmic governance and sacrificial responsibility.
Vaṃśānucarita (accounts of kings and exemplary rulers) situated within Manvantara (since the chapter is explicitly placed in the Auttama Manvantara).
The king’s ‘many sacrifices’ can be read as harmonizing the microcosm (kingdom) with the macrocosm (cosmic order). Being ‘unconquered’ symbolizes inner sovereignty—steadfastness in dharma amid conflict.