Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 12 - Chapter 8

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीशौनक उवाचसूत जीव चिरं साधो वद नो वदतां वर ।तमस्यपारे भ्रमतां नृणां त्वं पारदर्शन: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-śaunaka uvācasūta jīva ciraṁ sādhovada no vadatāṁ varatamasy apāre bhramatāṁnṝṇāṁ tvaṁ pāra-darśanaḥ Translation: Śrī Śaunaka said: O Sūta, may you live a long life! O saintly one, best of speakers, please continue speaking to us. Indeed, only you can show men the path out of the ignorance in which they are wandering....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2-5 Sanskrit: आहुश्चिरायुषमृषिं मृकण्डतनयं जना: ।य: कल्पान्ते ह्युर्वरितो येन ग्रस्तमिदं जगत् ॥ २ ॥स वा अस्मत्कुलोत्पन्न: कल्पेऽस्मिन् भार्गवर्षभ: ।नैवाधुनापि भूतानां सम्प्लव: कोऽपि जायते ॥ ३ ॥एक एवार्णवे भ्राम्यन् ददर्श पुरुषं किल ।वटपत्रपुटे तोकं शयानं त्वेकमद्भ‍ुतम् ॥ ४ ॥एष न: संशयो भूयान् सूत कौतूहलं यत: ।तं नश्छिन्धि महायोगिन् पुराणेष्वपि सम्मत: ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: āhuś cirāyuṣam ṛṣiṁmṛkaṇḍu-tanayaṁ janāḥyaḥ kalpānte hy urvaritoyena grastam idaṁ jagat...

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: सूत उवाचप्रश्न‍स्त्वया महर्षेऽयं कृतो लोकभ्रमापह: ।नारायणकथा यत्र गीता कलिमलापहा ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: sūta uvācapraśnas tvayā maharṣe ’yaṁkṛto loka-bhramāpahaḥnārāyaṇa-kathā yatragītā kali-malāpahā Translation: Sūta Gosvāmī said: O great sage Śaunaka, your very question will help remove everyone’s illusion, for it leads to the topics of Lord Nārāyaṇa, which cleanse away the contamination of this Kali age. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7-11 Sanskrit: प्राप्तद्विजातिसंस्कारो मार्कण्डेय: पितु: क्रमात् ।छन्दांस्यधीत्य धर्मेण तप:स्वाध्यायसंयुत: ॥ ७ ॥बृहद्‌व्रतधर: शान्तो जटिलो वल्कलाम्बर: ।बिभ्रत् कमण्डलुं दण्डमुपवीतं समेखलम् ॥ ८ ॥कृष्णाजिनं साक्षसूत्रं कुशांश्च नियमर्द्धये ।अग्‍न्यर्कगुरुविप्रात्मस्वर्चयन् सन्ध्ययोर्हरिम् ॥ ९ ॥सायं प्रात: स गुरवे भैक्ष्यमाहृत्य वाग्यत: ।बुभुजे गुर्वनुज्ञात: सकृन्नो चेदुपोषित: ॥ १० ॥एवं तप:स्वाध्यायपरो वर्षाणामयुतायुतम् ।आराधयन् हृषीकेशं जिग्ये मृत्युं सुदुर्जयम् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: prāpta-dvijāti-saṁskāromārkaṇḍeyaḥ pituḥ kramātchandāṁsy adhītya dharmeṇatapaḥ-svādhyāya-saṁyutaḥ Translation: After being purified by his father’s performance of the prescribed rituals leading to Mārkaṇḍeya’s brahminical initiation, Mārkaṇḍeya studied the Vedic hymns and strictly observed the regulative principles....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा भृगुर्भवो दक्षो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च येऽपरे ।नृदेवपितृभूतानि तेनासन्नतिविस्मिता: ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: brahmā bhṛgur bhavo dakṣobrahma-putrāś ca ye ’parenṛ-deva-pitṛ-bhūtānitenāsann ati-vismitāḥ Translation: Lord Brahmā, Bhṛgu Muni, Lord Śiva, Prajāpati Dakṣa, the great sons of Brahmā, and many others among the human beings, demigods, forefathers and ghostly spirits — all were astonished by the achievement of Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: इत्थं बृहद्‌व्रतधरस्तप:स्वाध्यायसंयमै: ।दध्यावधोक्षजं योगी ध्वस्तक्लेशान्तरात्मना ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: itthaṁ bṛhad-vrata-dharastapaḥ-svādhyāya-saṁyamaiḥdadhyāv adhokṣajaṁ yogīdhvasta-kleśāntarātmanā Translation: In this way the devotional mystic Mārkaṇḍeya maintained rigid celibacy through penance, study of the Vedas and self-discipline. With his mind thus free of all disturbances, he turned it inward and meditated on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who lies beyond the material senses. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: तस्यैवं युञ्जतश्चित्तं महायोगेन योगिन: ।व्यतीयाय महान् कालो मन्वन्तरषडात्मक: ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: tasyaivaṁ yuñjataś cittaṁmahā-yogena yoginaḥvyatīyāya mahān kālomanvantara-ṣaḍ-ātmakaḥ Translation: While the mystic sage thus concentrated his mind by powerful yoga practice, the tremendous period of six lifetimes of Manu passed by. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: एतत् पुरन्दरो ज्ञात्वा सप्तमेऽस्मिन् किलान्तरे ।तपोविशङ्कितो ब्रह्मन्नारेभे तद्विघातनम् ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: etat purandaro jñātvāsaptame ’smin kilāntaretapo-viśaṅkito brahmannārebhe tad-vighātanam Translation: O brāhmaṇa, during the seventh reign of Manu, the current age, Lord Indra came to know of Mārkaṇḍeya’s austerities and became fearful of his growing mystic potency. Thus he tried to impede the sage’s penance. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 16 Sanskrit: गन्धर्वाप्सरस: कामं वसन्तमलयानिलौ ।मुनये प्रेषयामास रजस्तोकमदौ तथा ॥ १६ ॥ ITRANS: gandharvāpsarasaḥ kāmaṁvasanta-malayānilaumunaye preṣayām āsarajas-toka-madau tathā Translation: To ruin the sage’s spiritual practice, Lord Indra sent Cupid, beautiful celestial singers, dancing girls, the season of spring and the sandalwood-scented breeze from the Malaya Hills, along with greed and intoxication personified. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 17 Sanskrit: ते वै तदाश्रमं जग्मुर्हिमाद्रे: पार्श्व उत्तरे ।पुष्पभद्रा नदी यत्र चित्राख्या च शिला विभो ॥ १७ ॥ ITRANS: te vai tad-āśramaṁ jagmurhimādreḥ pārśva uttarepuṣpabhadrā nadī yatracitrākhyā ca śilā vibho Translation: O most powerful Śaunaka, they went to Mārkaṇḍeya’s hermitage, on the northern side of the Himālaya Mountains where the Puṣpabhadrā River passes by the famous peak Citrā. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 18-20 Sanskrit: तदाश्रमपदं पुण्यं पुण्यद्रुमलताञ्चितम् ।पुण्यद्विजकुलाकीर्णं पुण्यामलजलाशयम् ॥ १८ ॥मत्तभ्रमरसङ्गीतं मत्तकोकिलकूजितम् ।मत्तबर्हिनटाटोपं मत्तद्विजकुलाकुलम् ॥ १९ ॥वायु: प्रविष्ट आदाय हिमनिर्झरशीकरान् ।सुमनोभि: परिष्वक्तो ववावुत्तम्भयन् स्मरम् ॥ २० ॥ ITRANS: tad-āśrama-padaṁ puṇyaṁpuṇya-druma-latāñcitampuṇya-dvija-kulākīrṇaṁpuṇyāmala-jalāśayam Translation: Groves of pious trees decorated the holy āśrama of Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, and many saintly brāhmaṇas lived there, enjoying the abundant pure, sacred ponds. The āśrama resounded with the buzzing of intoxicated bees and the cooing of excited cuckoos, while jubilant peacocks danced about....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 21 Sanskrit: उद्यच्चन्द्रनिशावक्त्र: प्रवालस्तबकालिभि: ।गोपद्रुमलताजालैस्तत्रासीत् कुसुमाकर: ॥ २१ ॥ ITRANS: udyac-candra-niśā-vaktraḥpravāla-stabakālibhiḥgopa-druma-latā-jālaistatrāsīt kusumākaraḥ Translation: Springtime then appeared in Mārkaṇḍeya’s āśrama. Indeed, the evening sky, glowing with the light of the rising moon, became the very face of spring, and sprouts and fresh blossoms virtually covered the multitude of trees and creepers. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 22 Sanskrit: अन्वीयमानो गन्धर्वैर्गीतवादित्रयूथकै: ।अद‍ृश्यतात्तचापेषु: स्व:स्त्रीयूथपति: स्मर: ॥ २२ ॥ ITRANS: anvīyamāno gandharvairgīta-vāditra-yūthakaiḥadṛśyatātta-cāpeṣuḥsvaḥ-strī-yūtha-patiḥ smaraḥ Translation: Cupid, the master of many heavenly women, then came there holding his bow and arrows. He was followed by groups of Gandharvas playing musical instruments and singing. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 23 Sanskrit: हुत्वाग्निं समुपासीनं दद‍ृशु: शक्रकिङ्करा: ।मीलिताक्षं दुराधर्षं मूर्तिमन्तमिवानलम् ॥ २३ ॥ ITRANS: hutvāgniṁ samupāsīnaṁdadṛśuḥ śakra-kiṅkarāḥmīlitākṣaṁ durādharṣaṁmūrtimantam ivānalam Translation: These servants of Indra found the sage sitting in meditation, having just offered his prescribed oblations into the sacrificial fire. His eyes closed in trance, he seemed invincible, like fire personified. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 24 Sanskrit: ननृतुस्तस्य पुरत: स्त्रियोऽथो गायका जगु: ।मृदङ्गवीणापणवैर्वाद्यं चक्रुर्मनोरमम् ॥ २४ ॥ ITRANS: nanṛtus tasya purataḥstriyo ’tho gāyakā jaguḥmṛdaṅga-vīṇā-paṇavairvādyaṁ cakrur mano-ramam Translation: The women danced before the sage, and the celestial singers sang to the charming accompaniment of drums, cymbals and vīṇās. Purport: