The Markandeya Purana is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas (Hindu texts), named after the sage of same name. It is considered among the old vintage Puranas with the original manuscript having about 9,000 verses but the surviving manuscripts have 137 chapters and about 6,900 verses. Among several important features on spiritualism, the Devi Mahatmyam (Shaktism) is one that is prominently explained in chapters 81 to 93 glorifying Devi (Goddess) as the Supreme Truth of the universe. Various chapters deal with the Vedic ideas and metaphysical thought including discussions on the concepts like Karma, Dharma, Samsara, Yoga, Moksha, and so on. A large number of chapters are also dedicated to the genealogy, Manvantaras, geography and glorification of the god Surya (Sun).
From Chapter 20 to 44, the Purana deals with the material and spiritual lores through the narratives of the saga of Queen Madalasa, the daughter of the Gandharva King Visvavasu; her husband and King Ritdhwaja of the Raghu Vamsa (Surya dynasty), and their four sons, particularly the forth son Alarka. They are blessed with a son after few years of marriage, whom the king names Vikranta (One with great valour and courage), to which Madalasa laughs derisively to the displeasure of the king. In the mean time, the baby began to cry, to which Madalasa croons a lullaby. This episode is narrated in the Chapter 25 with a few verses comprising this lullaby representing the essence of Vedanta Jnan (knowledge) while pointing out futility of a name in the transient life, which is just a tag: In reality, the one is a pure soul. Likewise, the next two sons are named by the king as Subahu (One with strong arms) and Shatrumardana (Vanquisher of enemies).
Under the influence of the spiritually awakened Madalasa, these three sons grew spiritually and renounced the kingly life moving to the forest. When the fourth son was born, the king asked Queen Madalasa to name the child instead. Madalasa named the new born as “Alarka”(means a mad dog), with considerable indifference. With three princes already gone, the king was worried about his successor for the kingdom; hence he requested Madalsa to spare the fourth son for kinship. Madalsa agreed and, in turn, gave elaborate training to Alarka in the statecraft and duties of a king as narrated in subsequent chapters. Consequently, Alarka grew up to succeed his father at opportune time to serve as a righteous king with a robust spiritual temperament. The story of Madalasa is a true reminder of the vacillation of labels in that a name cannot determine the kind of person one would become; while concerted efforts in that direction would most certainly will. The transliterated versions of the relevant Sanskrit verses and its affective English translation are reproduced as follows.
Suddhosi buddhosi niranjanosi samsara maya parivarjitosi,
Samsara svapnam tyaja moha nidra mandalasollapamuvacha putram.
Suddho’si re tata na te’sti nama kṛtaɱ hi tatkalpanayadhunaiva,
Paccatmakaɱ deham idam na te’sti naivasya tvam rodisi kasya heto.
Na vai bhavan roditi vikshvajanma shabdoyamayadhya mahisha sunum,
Vikalpayamano vividhairgunaiste gunascha bhautah sakalendiyeshu.
Bhutani bhutaih paridurbalani vriddhim samayati yatheha pumsah,
Annambupanadibhireva tasmat na testi vriddhir na cha testi hanih.
Tvam kamchuke shiryamane nijosmin tasmin dehe mudhatam ma vrajethah,
Shubhashubhauh karmabhirdehametat mridadibhih kamchukaste pinaddhah.
Tateti kimchit tanayeti kimchit ambeti kimchiddhayiteti kimchit,
Mameti kimchit na mameti kimchit tvam bhutasamgham bahu ma nayethah.
Sukhani duhkhopashamaya bhogan sukhaya janati vimudhachetah,
Tanyeva duhkhani punah sukhani janati viddhanavimudhachetah.
Yanam chittau tatra gatascha deho dehopi chanyah purusho nivishthah,
Mamatvamuroya na yatha tathasmin deheti matram bata mudharausha.
“You are pure, enlightened and taintless; leave the illusoriness of the world and wake up from this deep slumber of delusion. Do not cry, you are pure; the name you have is not yours, just an imaginary superimposition on you: The body comprised of five elements is not you nor you belong to it. The lord of universe doesn’t cry either; this sound is an illusion attributed to you, O Prince! The qualities imagined as belonging to you are in reality belong to elements that constitute senses. These mundane elements with accumulation or reduction within the body acquire the condition of growth….through the addition of food water and drink; it is not the growth or diminution of you. You remain constant within the body which is like a shell that gets worn out with time. ‘Father’, ‘son’, ‘mother’, ’wife’, ‘mine’, ‘not mine’… … These are all only references to various aggregations of elements; do not assign much significance to them. The deluded one thinks objects of enjoyment give happiness; the wise knows the same object of happiness would also become a source of pain. The carriage that moves on the earth is different from the person seated in it; similarly, the Self resides within the body, without attachment. The deluded Jiva thinks I am this body; how foolish is this ignorance!”
While unraveling the universal truth and deep essence of the human life, the Madalasa Upakhyana or Updesha inter alia also underlines a mother’s creative and instructive ability to nurture and shape the mind of her child.
Ack: The translated copy of The Markandeya Purana by F. Eden Pargiter under the aegis of The Asiartic Society of Bengal and few other source material readily available on internet has been consulted for the preparation of this article for the benefit of readers.
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