Markandeya Purana — Chapter 47

MkP 47.1

यथा ससर्ज वै ब्रह्मा भगवानादिकृत् प्रजाः । प्रजापतिः पतिर्देवस्तन्मे विस्तरतो वद

yathā sasarja vai brahmā bhagavānādikṛt prajāḥ / prajāpatiḥ patirdevastanme vistarato vada

Tell me in detail how the Lord Brahmā, the first maker, the Prajāpati, the lord, the god, created the creatures.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.2

कथयाम्येष ते ब्रह्मन् ससर्ज भगवान् यथा । लोककृच्छाश्वतः कृत्स्नं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम्

kathayāmyeṣa te brahman sasarja bhagavān yathā / lokakṛcchāśvataḥ kṛtsnaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam

I shall relate to you, O brahman, how the eternal Lord, the world-maker, created the whole universe, moving and unmoving.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.3

पद्मावसाने प्रलये निशासुत्पोत्थितः प्रभुः । सत्त्वोद्रिक्तस्तदा ब्रह्मा शून्यं लोकमवैक्षत

padmāvasāne pralaye niśāsutpotthitaḥ prabhuḥ / sattvodriktastadā brahmā śūnyaṃ lokamavaikṣata

At the dissolution at the close of the Pādma (kalpa), the Lord, having risen up at the end of the night, then Brahmā, with sattva predominant, looked upon the empty world.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.4

इमञ्चोदाहरन्त्यत्र श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति । ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणं देवं जगतः प्रभवाप्ययम्

imañcodāharantyatra ślokaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ prati / brahmasvarūpiṇaṃ devaṃ jagataḥ prabhavāpyayam

And here they recite this verse concerning Nārāyaṇa, the god whose own form is Brahman, the arising and the passing away of the world:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.5

आपो नारा वै तनव इत्यपां नाम शुश्रुम । तासु शेते स यस्माच्च तेन नारायणः स्मृतः

āpo nārā vai tanava ityapāṃ nāma śuśruma / tāsu śete sa yasmācca tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

"The waters are indeed called nārā, (being) the bodies (of the divine)" — thus we have heard the name of the waters; and since he lies in them, he is therefore called Nārāyaṇa.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.6

विबुद्धः सलिले तस्मिन् विज्ञायान्तर्गतां महीम् । अनुमानात् समुद्धारं कर्तुकामस्तदा क्षिते

vibuddhaḥ salile tasmin vijñāyāntargatāṃ mahīm / anumānāt samuddhāraṃ kartukāmastadā kṣite

Awakened in that water, and knowing that the earth had gone within (it), by inference he then wished to raise the earth up.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.7

अकरोत् स तनूरन्याः कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा । मत्स्यकूर्मादिकास्तद्वद्वाराहं वपुरास्थितः

akarot sa tanūranyāḥ kalpādiṣu yathā purā / matsyakūrmādikāstadvadvārāhaṃ vapurāsthitaḥ

He assumed other bodies, as formerly at the beginnings of the (previous) kalpas — the fish, the tortoise and the rest — and so he took on the boar's form.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.8

वेदयज्ञमयं दिव्यं वेदयज्ञमयो विभुः । रूपं कृत्वा विवेशाप्सु सर्वगः सर्वसम्भवः

vedayajñamayaṃ divyaṃ vedayajñamayo vibhuḥ / rūpaṃ kṛtvā viveśāpsu sarvagaḥ sarvasambhavaḥ

Made of the Vedas and sacrifice, the mighty one, having made a divine form consisting of the Vedas and sacrifice, entered the waters — he who goes everywhere, from whom all things arise.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.9

समुद्धृकत्य च पातालान्मुमोच सलिले भुवम् । जनलोकस्थितैः सिद्धैश्चिन्त्यमानो जगत्पतिः

samuddhṛkatya ca pātālānmumoca salile bhuvam / janalokasthitaiḥ siddhaiścintyamāno jagatpatiḥ

And having lifted the earth up out of the netherworld, he released it upon the water, the lord of the world, meditated upon by the Siddhas dwelling in the Jana-world.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.10

तस्योपरि जलौघस्य महती नैरिव स्थिता । विततत्वात्तु देहस्य न मही याति संप्लवम्

tasyopari jalaughasya mahatī nairiva sthitā / vitatatvāttu dehasya na mahī yāti saṃplavam

Upon that flood of water it stood, the great (earth), like a boat; and because of the extension of its body, the earth does not sink.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.11

ततः क्षितिं समीकृत्य पृथिव्यां सो ऽसृजद् गिरीन् । प्राक् सर्गे दह्यमाने तु तदा संवर्तकाग्निना

tataḥ kṣitiṃ samīkṛtya pṛthivyāṃ so 'sṛjad girīn / prāk sarge dahyamāne tu tadā saṃvartakāgninā

Then, having leveled the ground, he created the mountains on the earth; for in the former creation, when (all) was being burnt by the fire of dissolution,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.12

तेनाग्निना विशीर्णास्ते पर्वता भुवि सर्वशः । शैला एकार्णवे मग्ना वायुनापस्तु संहताः

tenāgninā viśīrṇāste parvatā bhuvi sarvaśaḥ / śailā ekārṇave magnā vāyunāpastu saṃhatāḥ

those mountains were shattered by that fire everywhere on the earth; the rocks, sunk in the single ocean, were compacted together by the wind and the water.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.13

निषक्ता यत्र यत्रासंस्तत्र तत्राचलाभवन् । भूविभागन्ततः कृत्वा सप्तद्वीपोपशोभितम्

niṣaktā yatra yatrāsaṃstatra tatrācalābhavan / bhūvibhāgantataḥ kṛtvā saptadvīpopaśobhitam

Wherever they settled fast, there they became mountains. Then, having made the division of the earth adorned with the seven continents,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.14

भूराद्यांश्चतुरो लोकान् पूर्वंवत् समकल्पयत् । सृष्टिञ्चिन्तयतस्तस्य कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा

bhūrādyāṃścaturo lokān pūrvaṃvat samakalpayat / sṛṣṭiñcintayatastasya kalpādiṣu yathā purā

he fashioned the four worlds beginning with Bhūr, as before. As he thought upon creation, as formerly at the beginnings of the kalpas,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.15

अबुद्धिपूर्वकस्तस्मात् प्रादुर्भूतस्तमोमयः । तमो मोहो महामोहस्तामिस्त्रो ह्यन्धसंज्ञितः

abuddhipūrvakastasmāt prādurbhūtastamomayaḥ / tamo moho mahāmohastāmistro hyandhasaṃjñitaḥ

there appeared from him, not preceded by intelligence, (a creation) made of darkness: darkness (tamas), delusion, great delusion, gloom, and that called blindness —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.16

अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः । पञ्चधावस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतो ऽप्रतिबोधवान्

avidyā pañcaparvaiṣā prādurbhūtā mahātmanaḥ / pañcadhāvasthitaḥ sargo dhyāyato 'pratibodhavān

this fivefold-jointed ignorance appeared from the great one. As he meditated, the creation established itself in five ways, devoid of awakening,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.17

बहिरन्तश्चाप्रकाशः संवृतात्मा नगात्मकः । मुख्या नगा यतश्चोक्ता मुख्यसर्गस्ततस्त्वयम्

bahirantaścāprakāśaḥ saṃvṛtātmā nagātmakaḥ / mukhyā nagā yataścoktā mukhyasargastatastvayam

unillumined without and within, its self enclosed, of the nature of trees; and since trees are called "the principal ones" (mukhya), therefore this is the principal creation (mukhya-sarga).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.18

तं दृष्ट्वासाधकं सर्गममन्यदपरं पुनः । तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गं तिर्यक्स्त्रोतो ह्यवर्तत

taṃ dṛṣṭvāsādhakaṃ sargamamanyadaparaṃ punaḥ / tasyābhidhyāyataḥ sargaṃ tiryakstroto hyavartata

Seeing that creation to be ineffective, he thought again of another; and as he meditated on creation, the "sideways-flowing" (creation) came forth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.19

यस्मात्तिर्यक्प्रवृत्तिः सा तिर्यक्स्त्रोतस्ततः स्मृतः । पश्वादयस्ते विख्यातास्तमः प्रायो ह्यवेदिनः

yasmāttiryakpravṛttiḥ sā tiryakstrotastataḥ smṛtaḥ / paśvādayaste vikhyātāstamaḥ prāyo hyavedinaḥ

Since its activity is sideways, it is therefore called "sideways-flowing" (tiryak-srotas). Those are known as the beasts and the rest, being mostly of darkness and without knowledge,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.21

अत्पथग्राहिनश्चैव ते ऽज्ञाने ज्ञानमानिनः । अहङ्कृता अहंमाना अष्टाविशशद्विधात्मकाः ॥ मर्क्प्_४७।२० ॥ अन्तः प्रकाशास्ते सर्वे आवृतास्तु परस्परम् । तमप्यसाधकं मत्वा ध्यायतो ऽन्यस्ततो ऽभवत्

atpathagrāhinaścaiva te 'jñāne jñānamāninaḥ / ahaṅkṛtā ahaṃmānā aṣṭāviśaśadvidhātmakāḥ // markp_47.20 // antaḥ prakāśāste sarve āvṛtāstu parasparam / tamapyasādhakaṃ matvā dhyāyato 'nyastato 'bhavat

taking wrong paths, and in their ignorance imagining themselves to have knowledge, self-assertive, full of self-conceit, of twenty-eight kinds. (47.20) All of them are illumined within, but mutually veiled. Considering that too ineffective, as he meditated another came forth from him.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.22

ऊर्ध्वस्त्रोतस्तृतीयस्तु सात्त्विकः समवर्तत । ते सुखप्रीतिबहुला बहिरन्तस्त्वनावृताः

ūrdhvastrotastṛtīyastu sāttvikaḥ samavartata / te sukhaprītibahulā bahirantastvanāvṛtāḥ

The third, the "upward-flowing," of the nature of sattva, came into being. Those (beings) abound in pleasure and joy, and are unveiled without and within.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.23

प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश्च ऊर्ध्वस्त्रोतः समुद्भवाः । तुष्टात्मकस्तृतीयस्तु देवसर्गो हि स स्मृतः

prakāśā bahirantaśca ūrdhvastrotaḥ samudbhavāḥ / tuṣṭātmakastṛtīyastu devasargo hi sa smṛtaḥ

Luminous without and within are those born of the upward stream; and this third one, whose nature is contentment, is indeed called the creation of the gods.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.24

तस्मिन् सर्गे ऽभवत् प्रीतिर्निष्पन्ने ब्रह्मणस्तदा । ततो ऽन्यं स तदा दध्यौ साधकं सर्गमुत्तमम्

tasmin sarge 'bhavat prītirniṣpanne brahmaṇastadā / tato 'nyaṃ sa tadā dadhyau sādhakaṃ sargamuttamam

When that creation was accomplished, Brahmā then felt delight; thereupon he meditated on another, an effective and excellent creation.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.25

तथाभिध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्ततः । प्रादुर्बभौ तदाव्यक्तादर्वाक्स्त्रोतस्तु साधकः

tathābhidhyāyatastasya satyābhidhyāyinastataḥ / prādurbabhau tadāvyaktādarvākstrotastu sādhakaḥ

As he was meditating thus, meditating upon truth, there then appeared from the unmanifest the downward-flowing stream, which is effective (sādhaka).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MkP 47.26

यस्मादर्वाग् व्यवर्तन्त ततोर्ऽवाक्स्त्रोतसस्तु ते । ते च प्रकाशबहुलास्तमोद्रिक्ता रजो ऽधिकाः

yasmādarvāg vyavartanta tator'vākstrotasastu te / te ca prakāśabahulāstamodriktā rajo 'dhikāḥ

Because they turned downward, therefore they are the downward-flowing ones; and they have much light, an excess of darkness, and abundant rajas.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.27

तस्मात् ते दुः खबहुला भूयोभूयश्च कारिणः । प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश्च मनुष्याः साधकाश्च ते

tasmāt te duḥ khabahulā bhūyobhūyaśca kāriṇaḥ / prakāśā bahirantaśca manuṣyāḥ sādhakāśca te

Therefore they abound in suffering and are doers again and again; bright outside and within — they are men, and they are the effective ones (sādhakas).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.28

पञ्चमो ऽनुग्रहः सर्गः स चतुर्धा व्यवस्थितः । विपर्ययेण सिद्ध्या च शान्त्या तुष्ट्या तथैव च

pañcamo 'nugrahaḥ sargaḥ sa caturdhā vyavasthitaḥ / viparyayeṇa siddhyā ca śāntyā tuṣṭyā tathaiva ca

The fifth is the creation of grace (anugraha), and it is arranged in four ways: by inversion, by attainment, by tranquillity, and likewise by contentment.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.29

निर्वृत्तं वर्तमानञ्च तेर्ऽथं जानन्ति वै पुनः । भूतादिकानां भूतानां षष्ठः सर्ग स उच्यते

nirvṛttaṃ vartamānañca ter'thaṃ jānanti vai punaḥ / bhūtādikānāṃ bhūtānāṃ ṣaṣṭhaḥ sarga sa ucyate

And again they know the object (or: purpose) that is finished and that is present; that is called the sixth creation, the creation of the beings beginning with the elemental beings.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MkP 47.30

ते परिग्राहिणः सर्वे संविभागरतास्तथा । चोदनाश्चाप्यशीलाश्च ज्ञेया भूतादिकाश्च ते

te parigrāhiṇaḥ sarve saṃvibhāgaratāstathā / codanāścāpyaśīlāśca jñeyā bhūtādikāśca te

They are all acquisitive and likewise fond of sharing out; they are urging (others) and also of bad conduct — thus are the bhūtādikas to be known.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MkP 47.31

प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मणस्तु सः । तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयस्तु भूतसर्गः स उच्यते

prathamo mahataḥ sargo vijñeyo brahmaṇastu saḥ / tanmātrāṇāṃ dvitīyastu bhūtasargaḥ sa ucyate

The first creation is that of Mahat, and it is to be known as belonging to Brahmā; the second is that of the subtle elements, and it is called the creation of the elements.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.32

वैकारिकस्तृतीयस्तु सर्गश्चैन्द्रियकः स्मृतः । इत्येष प्राकृतः सर्गः संभूतो बुद्धैपूर्वकः

vaikārikastṛtīyastu sargaścaindriyakaḥ smṛtaḥ / ityeṣa prākṛtaḥ sargaḥ saṃbhūto buddhaipūrvakaḥ

And the third creation is the modificatory one, which is remembered as pertaining to the senses; thus this is the primary (prākṛta) creation, which came about preceded by intelligence.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.33

मुख्यः सर्गश्चतुर्थस्तु मुख्या वै स्थावराः स्मृताः । तिर्यक्स्त्रोतस्तु यः प्रोक्तस्तिर्यग्योन्यः स पञ्चमः

mukhyaḥ sargaścaturthastu mukhyā vai sthāvarāḥ smṛtāḥ / tiryakstrotastu yaḥ proktastiryagyonyaḥ sa pañcamaḥ

And the fourth is the principal (mukhya) creation; the immovable things are remembered as the 'principal' ones. And the one that was called the transverse-flowing stream, that of the animal wombs, is the fifth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.34

तथोर्ध्वस्त्रोतसां षष्ठो देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः । ततोर्ऽवाक्स्त्रोतसां सर्गः सप्तमः स तु मानुषः

tathordhvastrotasāṃ ṣaṣṭho devasargastu sa smṛtaḥ / tator'vākstrotasāṃ sargaḥ saptamaḥ sa tu mānuṣaḥ

Likewise the sixth is that of the upward-flowing ones, and it is remembered as the creation of the gods; then the creation of the downward-flowing ones is the seventh, and that is the human one.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.35

अष्टमो ऽनुग्रहः सर्गः सात्त्विकस्तामसश्च सः । पञ्चैते वैकृताः सर्गाः प्राकृतास्तु त्रयः स्मृताः

aṣṭamo 'nugrahaḥ sargaḥ sāttvikastāmasaśca saḥ / pañcaite vaikṛtāḥ sargāḥ prākṛtāstu trayaḥ smṛtāḥ

The eighth is the creation of grace, and it is both sāttvika and tāmasa; these five are the derivative (vaikṛta) creations, while three are remembered as primary (prākṛta).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 47.36

प्राकृतो वैकृतश्चैव कौमारो नवमः स्मृतः । इत्येते वै समाख्याता नव सर्गाः प्रजापतेः

prākṛto vaikṛtaścaiva kaumāro navamaḥ smṛtaḥ / ityete vai samākhyātā nava sargāḥ prajāpateḥ

The ninth, remembered as the Kumāra creation, is both primary and derivative; thus these nine creations of the Lord of Creatures have been fully declared.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition