The Markandeya Purana

by Frederick Eden Pargiter | 1904 | 247,181 words | ISBN-10: 8171102237

This page relates “the savarnaka manvantara” which forms the 80th chapter of the English translation of the Markandeya-purana: an ancient Sanskrit text dealing with Indian history, philosophy and traditions. It consists of 137 parts narrated by sage (rishi) Markandeya: a well-known character in the ancient Puranas. Chapter 80 is included the section known as “exposition of the manvantaras”.

Canto LXXX - The Sāvarṇaka Manvantara

Mārkaṇḍeya names the ṛṣis, gods and kings of that period.

Krauṣṭuki[1] spoke:

Thou hast told me[2] about these seven Manus, Svāyambhuva and the rest, the gods, the kings and munis which ruled in their periods. Tell me, O great muni, of the seven other Manus which shall follow in this kalpa, and the gods and other rulers, whoever they may be, who shall characterize their periods.

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

I have told thee about Sāvarṇi also who was the son of the Shadow-Sañjñā; equal to his eldest brother Manu, he shall he the eighth Manu. Rāma,[3] Vyāsa and Gālava,[4] Dīptimat,[5] and Kṛpa,[6] Ṛṣyaśṛṅga,[7] and Droṇi[8] were[9] the seven ṛṣis[10] of that period.

And the Sutapas and Amitābhas and Mukhyas shall be the gods in three divisions; and each group of these three is said[11] to be composed of twenty, and to have the three good qualities. Tapa and Tapas,[12] and Śakra, Dyuti, Jyotis, Prabhākara, Prabhāsa, Dayita, Gharma, Tejas, Raśmi,[13] Vakratu, and so forth are the Sutapas, the twenty-fold group of gods. Prabhu, Vibhu, Vibhāsa and others are likewise another group of twenty. Hear also from me the third group of Amita gods; Dama, Dānta, Ṛta, Soma, and Vinta and the rest are the group of twenty. And these shall be celebrated as Mukhya[14] gods, rulers of the manvantara—they are verily the sons of Mārīca and of the Prajāpati Kāśyapa, and they shall be in the future during Sāvarṇa Manu’s period. Now the lord of them, O muni, shall be Bali Vairocani, the Daitya who dwells in Pātāla at present, bound by a compact.[15]

And Virajas, and Arvavīra, Nirmoha, Satyavāc, Kṛti, Viṣṇu and others, the sons of Sāvarṇa Manu, shall be kings.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For Kroṣṭukir read Krauṣṭukir.

[2]:

Tvayā would be better than mayā; the Bombay reading mama is preferable.

[3]:

Jāmadagnya.

[4]:

The name of a son of Viśvā-mitra, and a famous ṛṣi; see MahāBhārata, Anuśās.—P. īv. 249-59; Harivaṃśa xxvii. 1460-63, xxxii. 1767-76, and xii. 724-9. A story of him is told in cantos xx and xxi ante; and a long story in M.—Bh., Udyoga—P. cv. and cxiii-cxviii. He is also referred to in Śānti-P. cclxxxix; bat the Galava mentioned in Harivaṃśa xx. 1047-50 belonged to a later period and was probably a descendant.

[5]:

I have not met with this name elsewhere as the name of a ṛṣi, nor is it as such in the dictionary.

[6]:

The name of one of Dhṛta-rāṣṭra’s councillors, a well-known figure in the MahāBhārata. He was son or descendant of Śarad-vat.

[7]:

The name of a famous ṛṣi, who was brought up in seclusion in a forest; he put an end to a long drought in Aṅga during king Loma-pāda’s reign, and by sacrifice obtained four sons for king Daśa-ratha of Ayodhyā; see Rāmāy., Ādi-K. viii. 7—ix. 69; x-xiv and xvii and xviii; MahāBhārata, Vana—P. cx. 9991—cxiii. 10094; Śānti-P. ccxxxiv. 8609; and Anuśās.—P. cxxxvii. 6269.

[8]:

This is not the name of any ṛṣi, and the name should apparently be Droṇa or his son Drauṇi Aśvatthāman. Both are leading figures in the MahāBhārata.

[9]:

Ābhavan; the past for the future.

[10]:

All these names are the names of past ṛṣis, and this manvantara, the Sāvarnika, is still future; see canto liii. verses 7 and 8.

[11]:

For kathitāś read kathitaś?

[12]:

Tapas tapaś ca; the two words must be different, it seems; and tapas, neuter, is supported by the following jyotis, neuter.

[13]:

Or Tejo-raśmi, as one name.

[14]:

“Principal,” “chief.”

[15]:

Samaya-iandhanaḥ or “bound for a season.”

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