Chapter 21

[English text for this chapter is available]

| brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ |
mārkaṃḍena kadā tatra sthāpitaḥ prapitāmahaḥ |
kasminsthāne kṛtastena svāśramo muninā vada || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sūta uvāca |
mṛkaṇḍākhyo dvijaśreṣṭha āsīdvedavidāṃ varaḥ |
camatkārapurābhyāśevānaprasyāśrame sthitaḥ || 2 ||
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śāṃtātmā niyamopetaścakāra sumahattapaḥ |
tasyaivaṃ vartamānasya vānaprasthasya cāśrame || 3 ||
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paścime vayasi prāpte putro jajñe suśobhanaḥ |
sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpūrṇaḥ pūrṇacaṃdrasamaprabhaḥ || 4 ||
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mārkaṃḍa iti nāmā'tha tasya cakre pitā svayam |
so'tīva vavṛdhe bālastasminnāśrama uttame || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śuklapakṣaṃ samāsādya tārāpatirivāṃbare |
vardhamānasya tasyaivamatītāḥ paṃca vatsarāḥ |
bālakrīḍāprasaktasya piturutsaṅgavartinaḥ || 6 ||
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kasyacittvatha kālasya kaścittatra samāgataḥ |
sāmudrikasya kṛtsnasya vettā jñānavidhānabhū || 7 ||
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sa taṃ śiśuṃ samālokya nakhāgrānmūrddhajāvadhim |
vismayotphullanayana īṣaddhāsyamathā'karot || 8 ||
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mṛkaṃḍo'pi samālokya jñāninaṃ sasmitānanam |
papraccha vinayopetaḥ kiṃcittuṣṭena cetasā || 9 ||
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mṛkaṇḍa uvāca |
kasmāttvaṃ vipraśārdūla vīkṣyemaṃ mama dārakam |
suciraṃ vismayāviṣṭastato'bhūḥ sasmitānanaḥ || 10 ||
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sūta uvāca |
asakṛttena saṃpṛṣṭaḥ sakṛdbrāhmaṇasattamaḥ |
tataśca kathayāmāsa hāsyakāraṇameva hi || 11 ||
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brāhmaṇa uvāca |
lakṣaṇāni śiśorasya dṛśyaṃte yāni sanmune |
gātrasthāni bhavetsatyaṃ taiḥ pumānajarāmaraḥ || 12 ||
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asya bhāvi punaścā'smāddivasānnidhanaṃ śiśoḥ |
ṣaḍbhirmāsairna sandehaḥ satyametanmayoditam || 13 ||
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evaṃ jñātvā dvijaśreṣṭha kuruṣvā'sya hitaṃ ca yat |
iha loke pare caiva bālakasya mamā'jñayā || 14 ||
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evamuktvā sa vipreṃdro jagāmā'bhīpsitāṃ diśam |
mṛkaṇḍo'pi tatastasya cakre mauṃjīnibandhanam || 15 ||
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akāle'pi kumārasya kiṃciddhyātvā nije hṛdi |
kāraṇaṃ kāraṇajñaḥ sa tataḥ provāca taṃ sutam || 16 ||
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yaṃ kaṃ cidvīkṣase putra bhramamāṇaṃ dvijottamam |
tasyāvaśyaṃ tvayā kāryaṃ vinayādabhi vādanam || 17 ||
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evaṃ tasya vratasthasya ṣaṇmāsā divasaistribhiḥ |
hīnāḥ syurbrāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ namaskāraparasya ca || 19 ||
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etasminnaṃtare prāptā agni tīrthaparāyaṇāḥ |
saptarṣayaḥ sthito yatra mārkaṃḍo dhṛtamekhalaḥ || 19 ||
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tāndṛṣṭvā sa munīnsarvānnamaścakre muneḥ sutaḥ |
dīrghāyurbhava tairuktaḥ sarvairapi pṛthakpṛthak || 20 ||
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atha taṃ bālabhāvena kautukādbrahmacāriṇaḥ |
ciraṃ dṛṣṭvā'bravīdvākyaṃ vasiṣṭho munipuṃgavaḥ || 21 ||
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sarvaireṣa śiśuḥ prokto dīrghā yuriti sādaram |
tṛtīye'hni punaḥ prāṇāṃstyakṣyatyayamasaṃśayaḥ || 22 ||
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tanna yuktaṃ bhavedīdṛgasmākaṃ vacanaṃ dvijāḥ |
tasmāttatkriyatāṃ karma yenāyaṃ syāccirāyudhṛk || 23 ||
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tato mithaḥ samālocya sarve te munipuṃgavāḥ |
procurna jīvanopāyo bhavenmuktvā pitāmaham || 24 ||
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tasmāttasya puro nītvā bālo'yaṃ kṣīṇajīvitaḥ |
kriyatāṃ tasya vākyena yathā syāccirajīvabhāk || 25 ||
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tatastu te samādāya satvaraṃ brahmacāriṇam |
brahmalokaṃ samājagmustyaktvā tīrthaparākramam || 26 ||
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tataḥ praṇamya taṃ devaṃ vedoktaiḥ stavanairdvijāḥ |
stutvā'tha saṃvidhe tasya niṣedustadanantaram || 27 ||
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teṣāmanaṃtaraṃ so'pi namaścakre pitāmaham |
bālaḥ proktaśca dīrghāyurbhaveti ca svayaṃbhuvā || 28 ||
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athovāca munīnsarvānviśrāṃtānpadmayonijaḥ |
kuto yūyaṃ samāyātāḥ sāṃprataṃ kena hetunā || 29 ||
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procyatāṃ cāpi yatkṛtyaṃ yuṣmākaṃ kriyate'dhunā |
madgṛhe saṃprayātānāṃ ko'yaṃ bālo'pi sadvratī || 30 ||
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munaya ūcuḥ |
tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena bhramamāṇā mahītalam ḥ |
camatkārapurābhyāśe vayaṃ prāptāḥ pitāmaha || 31 ||
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tatrānena vayaṃ deva bālakenā'bhivāditāḥ |
kramātsarverapi prokto dīrghāyuriti sādaram || 32 ||
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etasya tu punaḥ śeṣamāyuṣo divasatra yam |
vidyate vibudhaśreṣṭha vrīḍitāstena vai vayam || 33 ||
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tataścainaṃ samādāya vayaṃ prāptāstavāṃtikam |
bhavatā'pi tathā prokto dīrdhāyu rbālako'stvayam || 34 ||
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tasmādyathā vayaṃ satyā bhavatā saha padmaja |
bhavāma kuru tatkṛtyametasmādāgatā vayam || 35 ||
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sūta uvāca |
teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā munīnāṃ padmasaṃbhavaḥ |
provāca prahasanvākyaṃ samādāya ca bālakam || 36 ||
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matprasādādayaṃ bālojarāmṛtyuvi varjitaḥ |
bhaviṣyati na saṃdeho vedavidyāvicakṣaṇaḥ || 37 ||
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tasmātprāgdharaṇīpṛṣṭhaṃ vrajadhvaṃ munisattamāḥ |
bālamenaṃ samādāya tasminnevāsya maṃdiraṃ || 38 ||
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yāvadasya pitā vṛddhaḥ putradarśanavihvalaḥ |
na yāti nidhanaṃ sārdhaṃ dharmapatnyā dvijottamāḥ || 39 ||
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athā'yātāśca taṃ bālaṃ sarve te muni sattamāḥ |
āgatya vasudhāpṛṣṭhaṃ tasyaivāśramasaṃnidhau || 40 ||
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amuṃcannagnitīrthe taṃ samābhāṣya tataḥ param |
tīrthayātrākṛte paścājjagmuranyatra satvaram || 41 ||
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etasminnaṃtare vipro mṛkaṃḍaḥ sutavatsalaḥ |
nāpaśyatsvasutaṃ paścādvilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ || 42 ||
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aho me tanayo'bhīṣṭaḥ kathamadya na dṛśyate |
kūpāṃtaḥ patitaḥ kiṃ nu kiṃ vyālairvā nipātitaḥ || 43 ||
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kṛtvā māṃ duḥkhasaṃtaptaṃ mātaraṃ cāpi putrakaḥ |
prasthito dīrghamadhvānaṃ viruddhaṃ kṛtavānvidhiḥ || 44 ||
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paśya brāhmaṇi pāpena mayā duṣkṛtakāriṇā |
na bālasya mukhaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ prasthitasya yamālaye || 45 ||
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kathitaṃ jñāninā tena mama pūrvaṃ mahātma nā |
ṣaṅbhirmāsaiḥ sutaste'yaṃ dehatyāgaṃ kariṣyati || 46 ||
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so'haṃ putrasya duḥkhena sādhayiṣye hutāśanam |
yāvacchokāgninā kāyo dahyate na varāna ne || 47 ||
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brāhmaṇyuvāca |
mamāpi matametaddhi yattvayā parikīrtitam |
tatkiṃ cirayasi brahmañchīghraṃ dārūṇi cānaya || 48 ||
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yenā'haṃ bhavatā sārdhaṃ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam |
putraśokena saṃtaptā subhṛśaṃ duḥkhaśāṃtaye || 49 ||
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sūta uvāca |
evaṃ tayoḥ pravadatordaṃpatyordvija sattamāḥ |
ājagāmā'tha saṃhṛṣṭaḥ sa bālaḥ sannidhiṃ tayoḥ || 50 ||
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taṃ dṛṣṭvā brāhmaṇo hṛṣṭo brāhmaṇyā sahitastadā |
ānaṃdāśruplutākṣo'tha sammukha stamupādravat || 51 ||
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bhūyobhūyaḥ pariṣvajya sabhāryaḥ pṛṣṭavāṃstadā |
kva gataḥ svāśramādvatsa cirātkasmādihā'gataḥ || 52 ||
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śokārṇave parikṣipya māṃ sabhāryaṃ vayo'dhikam |
tanmā putraka bhūyastvamīdṛkkarma kariṣyasi || 53 ||
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mārkaṃḍeya uvāca |
atrā'dya munayaḥ prāptā mayā te cābhivāditāḥ |
krameṇa vinayāttāta smaramāṇena te vacaḥ || 54 ||
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dīrghāyurbhava tairuktaḥ sarvaireva dvijottamaiḥ |
dṛṣṭvā māṃ vismayāviṣṭairbālakaṃ vratinaṃ vibho || 55 ||
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atha tāta samālokya teṣāṃ madhyagato muniḥ |
vasiṣṭhastānmunīnsarvānprovāca prahasanniva || 56 ||
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vasiṣṭha uvāca |
dīrghāyurbhava yaḥ prokto yuṣmābhirmunipuṃgavāḥ |
tṛtīye divase so'yaṃ bālaḥ paṃcatvameṣyati || 57 ||
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tataste munayo bhītā asatyāttāta tatkṣaṇāt |
samādāya yayustatra yatra brahmā vyavasthitaḥ || 58 ||
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namaskṛtena tenā'pi prokto'haṃ padmayoninā |
dīrghāyurbhava pṛṣṭaśca kutastvamiha cāgataḥ || 59 ||
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atha tairmunibhiḥ sarvairvṛttāṃtaṃ tasya kīrtitam |
āśīrvādodbhavaṃ proktaṃ tato vayamihāgatāḥ || 60 ||
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yathā'yaṃ bālako deva tvatprasādātpitāmaha |
dīrghāyurjāyate loke tathā tvaṃ kartumarhasi || 61 ||
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tato'haṃ brahmaṇā tāta jarāmaraṇavarjitaḥ |
vihitaḥ preṣitastūrṇaṃ svagṛhaṃ prati taiḥ samam || 62 ||
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te tu māṃ munayotraiva pramucyāśramasannidhau |
snānārthaṃ viviśuḥ sarve hrade'traiva suśobhane || 63 ||
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tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya mṛkaṃḍo harṣasaṃyutaḥ |
prayayau satvaraṃ tatra yatra te munayaḥ sthitāḥ || 64 ||
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praṇamya tānmunīnsarvānkṛtāñjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ |
provāca vaḥ prasādena kulaṃ me vṛddhimāgatam || 65 ||
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sādhu proktamidaṃ kaiścidācāryairmunisattamāḥ |
sādhulokaṃ samāśritya vikhyātaṃ ca jagattraye || 66 ||
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sādhūnāṃ darśanaṃ puṇyaṃ tīrthabhūtā hi sādhavaḥ |
tīrthaṃ phalati kālena sadyaḥ sādhusamāgamaḥ || 67 ||
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tasmādatithayaḥ prāptā yūyaṃ sarve'dya me gṛham |
prakaromi kimātithyaṃ procyatāṃ dvijasattamāḥ || 68 ||
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ṛṣaya ūcuḥ |
etadeva mune'smākamātithyaṃ koṭisaṃmitam |
alpāyurapi te bālo yajjāto mṛtyuvarjitaḥ || 69 ||
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mṛkaṇḍa uvāca |
mṛtyunā'liṃgitaṃ bālamasmadīyaṃ munīśvarāḥ |
bhavadbhiradya saṃrakṣya kulaṃ kṛtsnaṃ samuddhṛtam || 70 ||
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brahmaghne ca surāpe ca caure bhagnavrate tathā |
niṣkṛtirvihitā sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nā'sti niṣkṛtiḥ || 71 ||
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tasmātkṛtaghnatādoṣo na syānmama munīśvarāḥ |
yathā kāryaṃ bhavadbhiśca tathā sarvairna saṃśayaḥ || 72 ||
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ṛṣaya ūcuḥ |
yadi pratyupakārāya manyase tvaṃ dvijottama |
gṛhaṃ kuruṣva no vākyāddevasya parameṣṭhinaḥ || 73 ||
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yenā'yaṃ bālakaste'dya kṛto mṛtyuvivarjitaḥ |
tasmātsthāpaya tīrthena devaṃ taṃ prapitāmaham || 74 ||
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putreṇa sahitaḥ paścādārādhaya divāniśam |
vayameva tvayā sārdhaṃ taṃ ca devaṃ pitāmaham || 75 ||
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nityaṃ prapūjayiṣyāmastathānye'pi dvijottamāḥ |
bālenā'nena sārdhaṃ te sakhyamatra sthitaṃ yataḥ |
bālasakhyamiti khyātaṃ nāmnā tena bhaviṣyati || 76 ||
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tīrthamanyairiti khyātaṃ bālakānāṃ hitāvaham |
rogārtānāṃ bhayārtānāmasmākaṃ vacanātsadā || 77 ||
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asmiṃstīrthe śiśuṃ lokāḥ snāpayiṣyaṃti ye dvija |
rogārtaṃ vā bhayārtaṃ vā pīḍitaṃ vā grahādibhiḥ || 78 ||
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bhaviṣyati na saṃdehaḥ sarvadoṣavivarjitaḥ |
pitāmahaprasādena tathā'smadvacanāddvija || 79 ||
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ye punarmānuṣā vipra niṣkāmāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ |
snānamātraṃ kariṣyaṃti te yāṃti paramāṃ gatim || 80 ||
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evamuktvātha te sarve munayaḥ śaṃsitavratāḥ |
tamāmaṃtrya muniṃ jagmustīrthānyanyāni satvarāḥ || 81 ||
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mṛkaṇḍo'pi saputraśca tasminsthāne pitāmaham |
sthāpayāmāsa saṃhṛṣṭo jyeṣṭhe jyeṣṭhāsthite vidhau || 82 ||
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tataścā'rādhayāmāsa divārātramataṃdritaḥ |
saputraḥ śraddhayā yuktaḥ saṃprāptaśca parāṃ gatim || 83 ||
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sūta uvāca |
tataḥprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ bālasakhyamiti smṛtam |
pāvanaṃ sarvajaṃtūnāṃ bālānāṃ roganāśanam || 84 ||
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jyeṣṭhe jyeṣṭhāsu yo bālastatra snānaṃ samācaret |
na sa pīḍāmavāpnoti yāvatsaṃvatsaraṃ dvijāḥ || 85 ||
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grahabhūtapiśācānāṃ śākinīnāṃ viśeṣataḥ |
agamyaḥ sarvaduṣṭānāṃ tathā'nyeṣāṃ prajāyate || 86 ||
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