Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

Devanagari script

श्रूयते च पुराणेषु मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः । अपश्यद्वैष्णवीं मायां चिरञ्जीव्यस्य संप्लवे ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

śrūyate ca purāṇeṣu mārkaṇḍeyo mahāmuniḥ | apaśyadvaiṣṇavīṃ māyāṃ cirañjīvyasya saṃplave || 2 ||

Translation

诸往世书亦传闻：大圣者马尔坎ḍेय在临于那位长寿者的宇宙大洪水（劫坏）之时，曾目睹毗湿奴的神圣幻力——毗湿奴幻（Vaiṣṇavī māyā）。

Word by Word

• श्रूयते: is heard / is said
• श्रूयते: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Verb (तिङन्त), Present (लट्), 3rd person Singular, Ātmanepada; passive sense ‘is heard/it is said’; √श्रु

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• पुराणेषु: in the Purāṇas
• पुराणेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी) Plural (बहुवचन)

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; कर्मधारय: महान् मुनिः

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Verb, Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person Singular, Parasmaipada; √दृश् with prefix अ (apa- in meaning ‘saw’ as simple past)

• वैष्णवीम्: Vishnu’s, Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative Singular; adjective qualifying मायाम्

• मायाम्: illusion, divine power
• मायाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative Singular

• चिरञ्जीव्यस्य: of the long-lived one
• चिरञ्जीव्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिरञ्जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive Singular; ‘of the long-lived (one)’

• संप्लवे: in the deluge
• संप्लवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative Singular; ‘at the deluge’

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It frames Purāṇic testimony that even a perfected sage like Mārkaṇḍeya directly encounters the Lord’s Vaiṣṇavī māyā during pralaya, emphasizing that cosmic dissolution and creation operate under Viṣṇu’s sovereign power.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By attributing the overwhelming experience of pralaya to “Vaiṣṇavī māyā,” the verse directs the mind toward Viṣṇu as the ultimate refuge and controller—an implicit bhakti teaching: surrender to the Lord whose power governs even dissolution.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is Purāṇic pramāṇa (authoritative tradition) used to convey cosmology (saṃplava/pralaya) within dharma instruction.