The Markandeya Purana

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘“‘Thinking about dharma and artha, one must get up at the time of brahma muhurta. 432 He must reflect on true knowledge and on the roots behind physical hardship. Having got up, he must control himself and perform the necessary ablutions. When he has got up, he must purify himself and rinse his mouth. He must sit with his face towards the east and perform the morning sandhya while the nakshatras are still in the sky. In a similar way, the evening sandhya must be performed while the sun is still in the sky. Unless there is a calamity, performing worship through such rites must not be abandoned. O son! One must avoid conversing with the wicked, falsehood and harsh words. One must always shun wicked texts, wicked words and service of the wicked. Every morning and evening, a self-controlled person must offer oblations into the fire. At the time of sunrise or sunset, he must not look at the solar disc. When dressing his hair, he should look at the mirror. The cleaning of the teeth and the worship of the gods must be undertaken in the forenoon. Urine and excrement must not be passed within the village, inside the house, in a tirtha, in a kshetra, on a road, in a cultivated field or in a pasture for cattle. 433 One must never look at another person’s wife when she is naked, or at one’s own excrement. One should not see, touch or converse with a woman when she is going through her monthly period. Urine or excrement should not be released in water, nor should one indulge in sexual intercourse inside water. A wise person must never sit on urine, excrement, hair, ashes, potsherds, chaff, embers, bones, ropes, torn garments, the road or the bare ground. According to his capacity, a householder must first worship gods, ancestors, humans and creatures, eating thereafter. Before sitting down to eat his food, a man must cleanse himself. He must be seated with his face facing the east or the north. He must restrain his speech, control his mind and always eat with his knees folded. A learned person will not point out the evident taints in the food. He should not directly add salt. Nor should he eat food that is excessively hot. He should not pass urine while he is walking or seated. While he is rinsing his mouth, he should not eat anything. After eating, he should not converse or study before rinsing his mouth. Nor should he touch cattle, brahmanas, the fire or his own head. 434 Nor should he voluntarily look at the sun, the moon or nakshatras. A broken seat, a broken bed, or a broken vessel must always be avoided. Getting up, a senior 435 must be honoured by offering him a seat. Having first worshipped a senior, he must address him in agreeable words. A senior must always be followed and must never be crossed in speech. One should not eat while donning a single garment. 436 Nor must the gods be worshipped in this state. An intelligent person will not censure brahmanas, nor will he pass urine on fire. A man must never bathe, or lie down, naked. He must never scratch his head with both of his hands. Without any reason, men should not wash their hair. After having washed the hair, oil must not be smeared on the limbs. Studying must be avoided on days when studying is prohibited. Urine must never be passed before brahmanas, the fire, cattle or the sun. As one wishes, urine and excrement must be passed in a spot that is free of disturbances, facing the north during the day and the south at night. One must not speak about the wicked deeds of seniors and one must pacify them when they are angry. When others speak ill of them, one must not listen. Right of way must be granted to a brahmana, a king, a grieving person, a distressed person, a person who is superior in learning, a preceptor’s wife, a junior who is bearing a burden, a dumb person, a blind person, a deaf person, a mad person, an intoxicated person, a pumshchali, an enemy, a child and an outcaste. A learned person must circumambulate 437 the temple of a god, a chaitya tree, 438 a spot where four roads meet, a person who is superior in learning and a guru. One should not wear footwear, garments or garlands worn by another. Such a sacred thread, ornament or waterpot must also be avoided. If one performs these praiseworthy tasks, one obtains a long life.

  ‘“‘On the eighth, fourteenth or fifteenth lunar day, or on auspicious days, one should not smear the limbs with oil. On these days, one must also avoid intercourse with a woman. A wise person will never sit with his legs or feet extended. One should not fling one’s legs around. Nor should one rub one leg against another leg. A discriminating person will avoid hurting another’s inner organs with his words, rage, calumny, insolence, pride or sharpness. He should not laugh at or revile those who are stupid, mad, distressed, malformed, suffering from delusion, lacking a limb, or possessing an extra limb. He should not impose punishment on anyone else. Nor, for the sake of instruction, should he punish a son or a disciple. When he is about to sit, a wise person will not drag the seat towards him with a foot. He should not prepare samyava, 439 krisara or flesh for himself. In the morning and in the evening, he should eat only after the guests have been honoured. Without speaking, he must clean his teeth with his face towards the east or the north. O son! Forbidden wood must never be used for cleaning the teeth. A man must not sleep with his head facing the north or the west. One should sleep with the head facing the south or the east. 440 One should not bathe in water that smells. Nor should one bathe in the night. Bathing at night is permissible only on days when there is an eclipse. After bathing, one should not use one’s hands or a piece of cloth to wipe the water from the body. After bathing, one should not get rid of the water by shaking one’s head or shaking one’s garment. Unless he has bathed, a learned person will never apply unguents on his body. He should not wear a red garment, a black garment, or a garment that is multicoloured. Garments or ornaments must not be contrary to the rules. A damaged or torn garment must never be used. One should not eat food that has hair or lice in it, food that has been trodden upon, or food that a dog has looked at. O son! Food that has been licked, or food where the essence has been tainted, must not be used. The flesh from the back and flesh cooked in vain 441 must be avoided. The direct use of salt must always be shunned. O son! Food that is stale, or food that is leftover, must not be eaten. O son of a king! Cakes, vegetables, sugar cane and milk that is stale must be avoided. Meat that is stale or tainted must be avoided. One should not sleep between sunrise and sunset. A man must not sleep after a bath. He should not sleep when his mind is distracted. He should not sleep when seated. When he sits down, or when he lies down, he must not make a sound. A man must not eat without wearing an upper garment, while speaking, or without giving a share to those who are looking. According to the injunctions, he must eat after he has bathed in the morning and in the evening. A learned man will not have intercourse with another person’s wife. If a man has intercourse with another man’s wife, his good merits from sacrifices and civic works are destroyed. In this world, there is nothing that destroys a man’s good deeds as much as intercourse with the wife of another. After eating, the mouth must be properly and reverentially rinsed with pure water that is without foam, with a smell and without dirt. The rinsing must be done with the head facing the north or the east. For cleaning oneself, 442 five kinds of earth must be avoided—earth from inside a waterbody, from the habitation, from a termite hill, from a rat hole and leftover earth from an earlier act of cleaning. After cleaning oneself, the hands and the feet must be cleaned attentively. Seated, with his knees next to each other, he must sip water three or four times. With an attentive mind, a man must always do this. He must clean the corners of the mouth, the inside of the mouth, his head and the genital organs or the anus twice. Following these rites, he purifies himself properly with water. With an attentive mind, a man must always perform the rites for the gods, the rishis and the ancestors. After sneezing, spitting, wearing a garment or vomiting, a man must rinse his mouth, touch a cow’s ear, look at the sun and touch his right ear. To the extent he can, he must follow this in the due order. If one act in the order is missing, he should proceed with the next one. It is said that if a preceding act is missing, one should proceed with the subsequent one. One should not gnash one’s teeth. Nor should one strike one’s own body. At the time of the two sandhyas, one should not sleep, study or eat. One should not indulge in sexual intercourse or depart at the time of sandhya. O son! One
should faithfully worship the gods in the forenoon, humans at mid day and the ancestors in the afternoon. Shaving must be done while facing the north or the east. Even when she has been born in a good lineage, a woman who is diseased, without a limb, malformed, tawny in complexion, loquacious and full of taints must be avoided. A man who desires his benefit must always marry a maiden who possesses all her limbs, is known as amiable and has all the auspicious marks. The girl one marries should not be related on the father’s side for seven generations and on the mother’s side for five generations. It is necessary to avoid all jealousy and protect the wife. Sleep during the day and sexual intercourse during the day must be avoided. Acts that cause torment to others and affliction to creatures must be shunned. During the four days when a woman goes through her period, all the varnas must avoid association with her. O son! If the birth of a daughter is to be avoided, one must avoid intercourse on the fifth night and indulge in it on the sixth night. Even nights are the best for intercourse. O son! Therefore, a man should have intercourse with a woman on even nights, avoiding the time when she is going through her period. Special auspicious days 443 must always be shunned. Sons are born through intercourse on even nights and daughters through intercourse on odd nights. That is the reason a man who desires sons must always have intercourse on even nights. Intercourse in the forenoon gives birth to a son who is against dharma. Intercourse in the evening gives birth to a eunuch. O son! A wise person has a bath after shaving, after intercourse with a woman, after vomiting and after visiting a cremation ground. O son! The gods, the Vedas, brahmanas, virtuous and great-souled ones, preceptors, women who are faithful to their husbands, those who perform sacrifices and ascetics must not be criticized. Nor should one laugh at them. If an insolent person does this, one must never listen to it. A learned person must perform the rites for gods, ancestors and guests. One must attentively study, according to one’s capacity. One should not lie down on the bed, or sit down on the seat, of a person who is superior or inferior. One should not wear inauspicious clothes. One should not indulge in inauspicious speech. One should wear white garments and adorn oneself with white flowers. A learned person must never associate with, or contract a friendship with, a person who is insolent, mad, foolish, proud, wicked in conduct, tainted as a thief, a spendthrift, an avaricious person, an enemy, a fraud, a cruel person, a prostitute and the husband of a prostitute. He should not associate with, or contract a friendship with, a powerful person, one who is inferior, a person who is condemned, one who is always suspicious and a man who only believes in destiny. Instead, a learned person will always associate with, and contract a friendship with, a virtuous person, a man who is good in conduct, a wise person, one who does not indulge in calumny, a person who is capable, one who displays enterprise in every act, one who possesses the learning of the Vedas and one who observes the vows. A well-wisher, an accomplished person, a king, an assistant priest, a father-in-law and an officiating priest—when they come to the house, these six must always be worshipped with arghya. O son! When brahmanas visit the house after more than a year, according to one’s wealth, at the right time, one must attentively worship them with madhuparka. 444 A supreme brahmana who desires his welfare must obey their instructions. Even if they censure him, an intelligent person will never have a dispute with them. After having honoured them in the due order, he must worship the house and worshipping the fire, progressively render oblations into it. With their permission, the first offering must be given to Brahma, the second to Prajapati, the third to the guhyakas, the fourth to Kashyapa and the last to Anumati. 445 This is the way offerings must be made in the house. I have already described to you the recommended nitya rituals. Hear about how offerings must be made to the Vishvadevas. In separate regions, there must be separate offerings for the divinities. Three offerings must be made to Parjanya, the earth and the waterpot. 446 Offerings to Dhatri and Vidhatri must be given at the door of the house. After this, an offering will be given to Vayu and, beginning with the east, each cardinal direction must progressively be given offerings. Progressive offerings are rendered to Brahma, the sky, the sun, the Vishvadevas and all the creatures in the universe. Offerings are given to Usha and the lord of creatures 447 in the northern direction. Uttering “svadha”, offerings to the ancestors are given in the southern direction. If he so wishes, he will then take the remaining bit of food and water from the vessel and offer it in the north-western direction to Vayu, uttering, “To Yakshma.” Taking the tip of a grain of rice and imagining it to be the utterance of “hanta”, he will follow the recommended rites and offer it to a brahmana. After this, he will follow the rituals and perform the rites for the respective tirthas. 448 Brahma-tirtha is used for oblations and for rites meant for the gods. The line at the base of the right thumb is known as Brahma-tirtha and is used for such oblations. The region between the right thumb and the right forefinger is known as pitri-tirtha. With the exception of the nandimukha ritual, this is used to offer water to the ancestors. The tips of the fingers are known as deva-tirtha and are used for rites connected with the gods. The base of the little finger is known as kaya-tirtha and is used for rites connected with Prajapati. The rites for the gods and the ancestors must always be performed with these tirthas and an inappropriate tirtha must never be used. Brahma-tirtha is best for rinsing the mouth and pitri-tirtha must always be used for the ancestors. Deva-tirtha must be used for the gods and kaya-tirtha must be used for rites connected with Prajapati. During the nandimukha ritual, a wise person will use kaya-tirtha to perform the pinda and water rites. Everything connected with Prajapati must be through kaya-tirtha. A learned person must not hold water and fire at the same time. In front of preceptors and gods, he will not stretch out his legs. He should not call a cow that is suckling her calf. He should not drink water from the cup of his palms. The rites of purification, whether the transgression is major or minor, must be undertaken at the right time. There must not be a delay in a rite of purification. One should not use one’s mouth to blow into a fire. O son! One should not reside in a region that does not have four things—a person who lends money, a physician, a learned brahmana and a river full of water. A wise person will always reside in a place where there is a powerful king who is devoted to dharma. How can there be happiness when the king is wicked? There is happiness from residing in a place where the king is powerful, the land is fertile, the self-controlled citizens always follow law and the people are devoid of jealousy. A learned person should live in a kingdom where the farmers are strong and not excessively devoted to pleasure and where there is no dearth of crops. O son! One should never live in a place where three kinds of people exist—those who are always eager to conquer, those who are always addicted to festivities and where former enemies dwell. A learned person will always reside with those who are good in conduct. O son! For the sake of your welfare, I have described all this to you.’”’

  Chapter 32

  ‘“Madalasa said, ‘After this, I will tell you about what is permitted and the remedies for things that are not permitted. Stale rice, oily substances stored for a long time must not be eaten. O son! Wheat or barley without oil, curds and the meat of hares, tortoises, lizards, porcupines and rhinoceroses can be eaten. However, the meat of domesticated pigs and domesticated hens should not be eaten. There is no taint from eating meat that is leftover after offerings have been given to brahmanas at sacrifices to the gods and ancestors or at shraddha ceremonies, once it has been purified, 449 or meat that is for medication. Conch shells, stones, gold, silver, ropes, garments, vegetables, roots, fruits, wickerwork baskets, leather objects, jewels, diamonds, coral, pearls and the bodies of men are best cleaned with water. Vessels and spoons are also best cleaned with water. Copper, brass, tin and lead must be properly cleaned in acid or alkaline solutions of water. Iron is cleaned with water, stone through rubbing and oily vessels with warm water. Winnowing baskets, grain, deer skin, pestles and worn garments are cleaned with water. All kinds of bark are properly cleaned wi
th water and earth. Grass, wood and herbs are purified by sprinkling with water. Objects made of wool or hair are cleaned with the oil of sesamum seeds. O son! A cotton garment is always purified with water and ashes. Objects made of ivory, bones or horn are in any case pure. An earthen vessel is purified when it is baked again. Something obtained as alms, an object fashioned through the hand of an artisan, an article traded, a woman’s face, a child’s face, one’s own face and an aged person’s face are naturally pure. Something brought in a carriage, an object that is unknown, something that has been collected by servants, something that is ancient, an object that has passed through many hands and a light object is purified as soon as one pronounces it to be pure. Something that is plentiful, anything obtained through the efforts of a child, an aged or afflicted person, a store of coal when the required task is over, a woman whose child does not let go of her breast and odourless and foamless water that has a flow are said to be pure. The ground is purified over time and when cattle roam over it. A dwelling house is purified by smearing, 450 scraping, sweeping and worshipping. O son! Something tainted with hair, worms or flies, or smelt by cattle, is purified with earth, water and ashes. Objects made of udumbara 451 wood are cleaned with acid, those made of tin through a caustic solution, those of copper with water and ashes and through repeated washing. Something with a bad smell is purified by using earth and water to remove the bad smell. Other objects are thus purified when their bad complexion and bad odour has been removed. Something touched by a chandala, mlechchha or outcaste must be shunned. Paddy that has already been washed must not be used in any tasks. Paddy that amounts to less than a drona is also regarded in the same way. 452 Paddy that amounts to more than a drona is cleaned by washing. If one sees paddy lying on a road, one must carefully worship it. It must be picked up and placed on one’s head. Otherwise, Lakshmi will be angry. Water that is in the ground and can satisfy cattle is naturally pure. This is also true of meat that has been killed by a chandala or predatory creature. O son! It has been said that garments lying on the road are purified by the wind. An elephant, a fire, a horse, a cow, a shadow, rays, 453 the wind, the earth and a drop of water do not get polluted even if they come into contact with something vile like a fly. The mouth of a goat or the mouth of a horse is pure, but this is not true of the mouth of a calf, when its mother is still suckling it. A fruit brought down by a bird is pure. Like an object that is traded, a seat, a bed, a vehicle, a boat, a road and grass are pure because the rays of the sun and the moon fall on them and the air passes over them. After travelling on the road, bathing, eating, drinking and other tasks, one must change one’s garment and rinse one’s mouth in the proper way. If one comes into contact with a bad road, mud or clay, nothing needs to be done. They, and objects made of brick or clay, are purified by the wind. If a large quantity of rice has been tainted, a bit from the top should be thrown away. The remainder is purified by sprinkling some earth and water on it. If one eats something that should not be eaten, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, to atone for this sin, one should fast for three nights. If a person touches a woman who is going through her period, a horse, a jackal, a woman who has just delivered, an outcaste or one who has borne a dead body, he must purify himself by having a bath. If a man touches a human bone that has fat in it, he is purified by bathing. However, if he touches a human bone without fat, he should rinse his mouth with water, touch a cow and look at the sun. A wise person will never walk over blood or spit, or leap over an obstacle. Nor will he remain in a garden during the evening. It is not proper to converse with a woman who is a widow, or one who is censured. Leftovers, urine, excrement and water used to wash the feet must be cast away, outside the house. One should not bathe in another person’s water without taking up five pindas of clay from there. One should bathe in natural ponds, the Ganga and rivers and lakes. One should not touch or have a conversation with those who criticize the gods, the ancestors, the sacred texts, sacrifices and mantras. If one happens to do this, one should purify oneself by looking at the sun. A wise person who looks at a woman going through her period, an outcaste, a fallen person, a dead body, a person who is against dharma, a woman who has just delivered, a eunuch, a naked person, an outcaste, a person who carries dead bodies or an adulterer, should purify himself in the same way. When a person who knows about dharma touches something that should not be eaten, a woman who has just delivered, a eunuch, a cat, a rat, a horse, a cock, a fallen person, a chandala, a person who carries dead bodies, a woman who is going through her period or a domesticated pig, he is polluted and purifies himself by having a bath.