The Markandeya Purana

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘“‘After this, listen in detail to what is dharma for women. Bhavani and all the gods always reside in the threshold of the house. Therefore, every day, it must be worshipped with fragrances, flowers and rice that has not been winnowed. In particular, the doorway must never be left empty in the morning. If the doorway is empty, then the entire lineage will be empty. Without worshipping, the threshold must never be crossed or touched with the feet. If this is done, the person goes to hell. Therefore, this must be avoided. In the morning, it is the task of the women to smear it with cowdung. If this is done every day, the house will never witness any unhappiness. If the sun’s rays touch a house that has not been swept, the mothers and fathers of the gods are displeased. Because of delusion, if a woman cleans the paddy in the last yama of the night, she remains barren from one birth to another birth. When it is evening, if a woman does not sweep the house, she does not have a husband and is without riches from one birth to another birth. Because of being addicted to desire, if a woman does not draw the auspicious svastika mark on the ground, her riches, lifespan and fame are destroyed. If a man kicks the broom, the stove or the grinding stone with his foot, his son, wife and riches are destroyed. If a wicked man kicks the mortar and pestle with his foot, he does not obtain an excellent end. O son! A householder who wishes to have sons should not use a broken seat, a torn yogapatta, 454 a torn deer skin or the torn hide of a sheep. If the face is towards the south or towards a perverse direction when one is dressing the hair, that mortal person’s wealth is destroyed. Without cleaning the teeth, one should not have intercourse with an unmarried woman. As long as the father is alive, one should not wear wooden footwear, cover the head with half of the upper garment, or offer oblations of sesamum. As long as the father is alive, one should not perform a funeral ceremony at the time of darsha, take a bath at the time of darsha, wear wooden footwear, sit on a yogapatta, or perform a shraddha in Gaya. O son! If you wish to remain alive, you must always avoid the shadow of a lamp, the vibhitaka myrobalan and the red amaranth. 455 A brahmana should not fan his head with his lower garment. If he uses his plate or leather winnowing baskets to fan himself, all his good deeds are destroyed.’

  ‘“Alarka said, ‘You have mentioned food eaten by a sutika. 456 I wish to hear the truth about who is a sutika.’

  ‘“Madalasa continued, ‘When a brahmana has impregnated a brahmana woman, both of them are regarded as sutika and their food must never be touched. If a man does not offer oblations, eat, donate, or worship the gods and the ancestors at the right time, he is regarded as a eunuch. If a person performs sacrifices and torments himself through austerities only because of his pride and not because of the next world, the learned speak of him as a cat. If a person possesses riches, but does not offer oblations or donate, he is known as a rat. After having partaken of his food, one must purify himself through hardships. If a mortal person displays partiality in an assembly, the gods have referred to him as a cock and his food must not be touched. If a person abandons his own dharma and resorts to the dharma of another, even when there is no calamity, the learned have spoken of him as a person who has fallen. If a person has abandoned the gods, the guru and the guru’s wife, if he has killed a cow, a brahmana or a woman, he is spoken of as an outcast. If the Vedas, the sacred texts and vows do not exist in a person’s family, the virtuous describe him as naked and his food is to be shunned. Having offered hope, if a person doesn’t follow through with what he has promised as an antidote, if he abandons someone who has sought refuge with him, he is the worst among men and is a chandala. He is shunned by his relatives and by virtuous brahmanas. Having had a share from his food, one must perform the chandrayana vrata as atonement. If a man happens to eat food from a person who has not observed nitya or naimittika rites, he must purify himself by fasting for three nights. If the nitya rites are never observed in a person’s house, he is a sinner, worst among men, and the brahmanas abandon him. The nitya rites must never suffer. If he stops them, except at the time of birth and death, he creates bondage for himself. In the case of birth and death, a brahmana can refrain from these nitya rites for ten days, a kshatriya for twelve days, a vaishya for fifteen days and a shudra for a month. There can also be deviation from the nitya rites when there is disease and when the planets cause impediments. In such cases, one should purify oneself by donating a cow and observing the vow of padakrichchha. 457 Thereafter, as instructed, one should engage in one’s own tasks. The dead body must be cremated outside the house by people who belong to the same gotra. After this, water is offered to the departed spirit on the first, third, seventh or ninth day. On the fourth day, the ashes and bones are collected by people who belong to the same gotra. After they have undertaken the task of collection, it is recommended that their upper bodies be touched. After the collection, all the rites should be performed by those who are entitled to the water rites. On the day of death, only those who are entitled to offer pinda and perform the water rites should be touched. When death is caused by a tree, a snake, a cow, a predatory animal, a weapon, water, hanging, a fire, poison, falling down, an act of praya, 458 when the person dies when he is in some other country or when the dead person is a child, the period of impurity lasts for one day, though some say it lasts for three days. Their funeral rites and water rites are not performed. This is also true of a miscarriage. Purification takes in the course of time, with one day and night for a brahmana, three days for a kshatriya, six nights for a vaishya and twelve days for a shudra. If a sapinda dies after another sapinda’s death, the period of impurity is reckoned from the day on which the first sapinda has died. After birth, the following rites are given for the sutakas, sapindas and sahodakas. When a son is born, it is recommended that the father should have a bath with his clothes on. The illustrious Bhrigu has said that after death, all the relatives should bathe in this way. If after the birth of the first son another son is born, the period of impurity is reckoned from the day of the first birth. After ten, twelve, fifteen days and a month, 459 all the varnas should perform their respective rites. Thereafter, for the departed spirit, an ekoddishta 460 ceremony must be performed. At the end of a year, men must perform the ceremony at which pindas are offered. After this, the departed spirit moves to the category of ancestor and the three sacrifices, darshapurna and the others, must be performed. 461 As has been instructed in the sacred texts, these must be observed lovingly. As gifts to brahmanas, learned people give whatever is cherished in the world and whatever is loved in the house. Desiring one’s undecaying prosperity, in the name of the departed spirits, one should give all that possesses qualities, the land and the cattle that one possesses. O son! If one donates in this way, the ancestors are satisfied. When those days are over, one touches water, a mount, a weapon or a goad. Each varna undertakes the proper completion of the rites. Using the right materials, if one observes all the rites recommended for one’s own varna and one’s own dharma and purifies oneself, one obtains prosperity in this world and in the next world. If one studies the three Vedas every day, one becomes learned. Having accumulated riches according to dharma, one must make efforts to undertake sacrifices. O son! One must act so that one is not condemned. One must unhesitatingly do whatever need not be kept a secret from great people. O son! If a householder acts in this way, he obtains dharma, artha and kama in this world and all that is auspicious in the world hereafter.’”’

  Chapter 33

  ‘The dumb one said, “Thus instructed by his mother, Ritadhvaja’s son became a youth. In the proper way, he married a wife. The lord obtained sons through her and performed sacrifices. He always followed the commands of his father, the king. After a long period of time had passed, King Ritadhvaja became really old and instated his son in the kingdom. With his wife, the one with dharma in his soul left for the forest, so that he could perform austerities. The immensely fortunate king 462 was born to protect the earth. To ensure that her son did not get attached to desire and enjoyment, Madalasa spoke her final words to her son. Mad
alasa said, ‘When you are ruling the kingdom as a house, you may suffer from intolerable grief because of separation from one you love or separation from a relative. Since a householder suffers from notions of “I” and “mine”, such misery may occur. O son! I am giving you this ring. At that time, take it out and read what is written on it in fine letters.’ Having said this, she gave him the golden ring. She also pronounced the benedictions that were appropriate for a man who was a householder. Having bestowed the kingdom on their son, Kuvalayashva and Queen Madalasa left for the forest, so as to practice austerities.”’

  Chapter 34

  ‘The dumb one said, “Alarka ruled over the subjects properly, as if they were his sons. When the one with dharma in his soul ruled over them, they were delighted and were engaged in their own respective tasks. He punished the wicked and justly protected the virtuous. He delighted them through the performance of many great sacrifices. He had extremely strong and valiant sons. They were great-souled, with dharma in their souls, and they were against wicked paths. He acquired artha through dharma and dharma through artha. He enjoyed the kingdom without there being any conflict between the two. In this way, he ruled the earth for many years, without becoming attached to dharma, artha or kama. It was as if a single day had passed. As he enjoyed material objects, there was no sense of non-attachment. Nor was he disinterested in accumulating dharma or artha. He was still attached to enjoyment. He had not yet conquered his senses. He was still distracted. He had a brother named Subahu who had left for the forest and this intelligent one thought for a long time about how he would generate understanding in him. 463 He thought that if he were to seek refuge with the king’s enemies, this would be best. The king of Kashi possessed a large number of soldiers and mounts. To get his own kingdom 464 back, there were many occasions when he sought refuge with him. That king raised an enemy against Alarka and sent a messenger with the message, ‘Hand over the kingdom to him.’ 465 However, since he was engaged in his own dharma, 466 he was unwilling to hand over the kingdom and ignored this instruction. Alarka replied to the messenger sent by the king of Kashi. ‘Let my elder brother humbly ask me for the kingdom. Because I have been attacked and because I am scared, I will not give the slightest bit of territory.’ Subahu had no intention of asking. A kshatriya’s dharma is not to ask. His wealth is in the form of his valour. The lord of Kashi surrounded himself with all his soldiers and advanced to attack King Alarka’s kingdom. He brought the vassals who were in the extremities of the kingdom under his subjugation and used them to mount an attack. He did not make these vassal kings suffer, but allowed them to retain their kingdoms and riches. In that way, he also brought the keepers of the forts and the forest dwellers under his subjugation. Some kings were won over with gifts, others through engendering dissension. There were others who were neutralized and brought under subjugation through conciliation. Suffering from this encirclement brought about by the enemy, the king’s forces were weakened in strength. His treasury was exhausted and there was a siege against the city. Suffering in this way, the treasury diminished every day. He suffered from great sorrow and his mind was anxious.

  ‘“When he was extremely depressed, he remembered the ring. This was the one about which his mother Madalasa had instructed him earlier. He bathed and purified himself, making the best of brahmanas pronounce benedictions. He took out the instructions and saw that they were written in clear letters. The king saw the words that his mother had written down. As they became clear, his limbs were delighted and his eyes dilated in joy. ‘Attachment of every sort must be given up. If you are incapable of doing this, associate with the virtuous. Association with the virtuous is medication. Desire of every sort must be given up. If one is incapable of doing this, one should engage in acts that lead to liberation. That is the medication.’ Having read the words several time, he made up his mind that this was the best for men. He made up his mind to strive for liberation and non-attachment. But how should one go about it? The king pondered about association with the virtuous. Suffering from great misery, he decided to go to the immensely fortunate Dattatreya. He met the great-souled and unblemished one, who was without any attachment. He bowed down and worshipped him, addressing him in the appropriate way. ‘O brahmana! O refuge! Show me your favours. I am seeking refuge with you. I am suffering greatly from being excessively attached to desire. Please dispel my misery.’ Dattatreya replied, ‘O king! I will dispel your misery today. O lord of the earth! But tell me truthfully. What has caused this grief? Whom do you belong to? Whose misery is this? One should reflect on the truth about this. Body, another body, without a body, all bodies—one should reflect on this.’ The intelligent king thought about this, the atman, its habitation and the three kinds of grief. 467 For a long time, the king repeatedly used his intelligence to reflect on this. The patient one used his own atman to reflect on the atman. Eventually, he smiled and said, ‘I am not earth. I am not water. I am not fire. I am not wind. I am not space. With all these having gathered in the body, I desire happiness. The five elements have an excess or deficit in the body and give rise to sensations of happiness and unhappiness. However, if this belongs to me, there can be nothing beneficial for me. There can always be a lot of happiness or unhappiness. There is an excess or deficit, an increase or decrease. Hence, I should discard any sense of ownership and realize what is distinctive. That can be discerned in the subtle tanmatras, which represent the third. 468 My body is the union of the elements. What do happiness and unhappiness of the body have anything to do with me? Happiness and unhappiness are states of the mind. That is the nature of the mind. Since I am not the mind, I do not experience happiness or unhappiness. I am not ahamkara. I am not the mind. I am not intelligence. 469 The sense of unhappiness results from my inner faculties. Since I am beyond these, what does it have to do with me? I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am distinct from the body and the mind. Thus, if there is happiness or unhappiness experienced by the body, what does that have to do with me? The one who desires this kingdom is my father’s son, born from an accumulation of the five elements. 470 Since I am not the body, but am something else, the qualities of the body have nothing to do with me. I do not possess hands and other limbs. I do not possess flesh. I do not possess bones and the divisions into nerves and arteries. Whom do these elephants, horses, chariots and other things belong to? A man has nothing to do with things in this world. Therefore, I have no enemies. I have no pleasure. I have no pain. I have no city. I have no treasury. I have no horses. I have no elephants. I have no soldiers. I do not possess these. Who has them? Just as they do not belong to me, they do not belong to anyone else. Inside a jug, a pitcher or a water pot, space can be seen in many different forms. Like that, because of differences in bodies, Subahu and the king of Kashi appear in different forms.’”’