Chapter Nine

Märkaëòeya Sees Pralaya

|| 12.9.1 ||
saàstuto bhagavän itthaà
märkaëòeyena dhématä
näräyaëo nara-sakhaù
préta äha bhågüdvaham

Süta Gosvämé said: The Supreme Lord Näräyaëa, the friend

of Nara, was satisfied by the glorification offered by the
intelligent sage Märkaëòeya, the excellent descendant of
Bhågu.

The Ninth Chapter describes how Märkaëòeya, saddened by seeing

mäyä, enters within the abdomen of a child lying on a banyan leaf,
comes out again and then falls into the ocean of devastation.

|| 12.9.2 ||
çré-bhagavän uväca
bho bho brahmarñi-varyo 'si
siddha ätma-samädhinä
mayi bhaktyänapäyinyä
tapaù-svädhyäya-saàyamaiù

The Supreme Lord said: My dear Märkaëòeya, you are the

best of all learned brähmaëas. You have perfected your life
by practicing fixed meditation, by undeviating bhakti to me,
along with austerities, study of the Vedas and adherence to
regulative principles.

|| 12.9.3 ||
vayaà te parituñöäù sma
tvad-båhad-vrata-caryayä
varaà pratéccha bhadraà te
vara-do 'smi tvad-épsitam

We are completely satisfied with your practice of lifelong

celibacy. Please choose whatever benediction you desire,
since I can grant your wish. May you enjoy all good fortune.

The plural number is used because later it will be seen that Çiva and
Umä were also pleased.

|| 12.9.4 ||
çré-åñir uväca
jitaà te deva-deveça
prapannärti-haräcyuta
vareëaitävatälaà no
 yad bhavän samadåçyata

The sage said: O Lord of lords! You have all excellent

qualities! O Lord Acyuta, remover all distress for the
surrendered! That I have seen you is enough of a
benediction.

Jitam te means “you have all excellent qualities.”

|| 12.9.5 ||
gåhétväjädayo yasya
çrémat-pädäbja-darçanam
manasä yoga-pakvena
sa bhavän me 'kñi-gocaraù

Such devatäs as Lord Brahmä achieved success by seeing

your lotus feet in their minds by mature yoga practice. And
now, my Lord, you have appeared before my eyes.

Having seen your lotus feet, Brahmä and others became successful.
The verb should be supplied.

|| 12.9.6 ||
athäpy ambuja-paträkña
puëya-çloka-çikhämaëe
drakñye mäyäà yayä lokaù
sa-pälo veda sad-bhidäm

O lotus-eyed Lord! O crest jewel of renowned persons! I

wish to see your illusory potency, by whose influence the
entire world, together with the devatäs, know the various
effects arising from prakåti.

I desire to see (drakñye). Sad-bhidam means “the various effects

arising from the cause (sat).” Or it can mean “the destruction of
the existing world.”

|| 12.9.7 ||
süta uväca
itéòito 'rcitaù kämam
åñiëä bhagavän mune
tatheti sa smayan prägäd
badary-äçramam éçvaraù

Süta Gosvämé said: O wise Çaunaka! Thus satisfied by

Märkaëòeya's praise and worship, the Supreme Lord,
smiling, replied, "So be it," and then departed for his
hermitage at Badarikäçrama.
The Lord smiled. Seeing mäyä is only a cause of experiencing grief.
If you want that, then I will give it, since I must give you a boon.
You must realize “I do not like this experience of seeing mäyä.”
Otherwise your desire to experience it will not go away. Therefore
by experiencing its suffering you will give it up. It is like a father
who orders his son to give up some action which the stubborn son
does, even though the act will cause the son suffering. But for his
devotee in order to have him give up this desire, the Lord would
also give him bliss by showing him his baby form within the
experience of suffering. Thus the Lord smiled.

|| 12.9.8-9 ||
tam eva cintayann artham
åñiù sväçrama eva saù
vasann agny-arka-somämbu-
bhü-väyu-viyad-ätmasu

dhyäyan sarvatra ca harià

bhäva-dravyair apüjayat
kvacit püjäà visasmära
prema-prasara-samplutaù

Thinking always of his desire to see the Lord's illusory

energy, the sage remained in his äçrama, meditating
constantly upon the Lord within fire, the sun, the moon,
water, the earth, air, lightning and his own heart, and
worshiping him with paraphernalia conceived in his mind.
But sometimes, overwhelmed by waves of love for the Lord,
Märkaëòeya would forget to perform his regular worship.

He thought of seeing mäyä (tam artham). Bhäva-dravaiù means

“with articles produced in the mind.”

|| 12.9.10 ||
tasyaikadä bhågu-çreñöha
puñpabhadrä-taöe muneù
upäsénasya sandhyäyäà
brahman väyur abhün mahän

O brähmaëa Çaunaka, best of the Bhågus! One day while

Märkaëòeya was performing his evening worship on the
bank of the Puñpabhadrä, a great wind suddenly began to
blow.

The display of mäyä begins.

|| 12.9.11 ||
taà caëòa-çabdaà samudérayantaà
balähakä anv abhavan karäläù
 akña-sthaviñöhä mumucus taòidbhiù
svananta uccair abhi varña-dhäräù

That wind created a terrible sound. After that, fearsome,

thick clouds appeared, accompanied by lightning and
roaring thunder, and poured down on all sides torrents of
rain as heavy as chariot wheels.

The torrents were as heavy as wheels of a chariot.

|| 12.9.12 ||
tato vyadåçyanta catuù samudräù
samantataù kñmä-talam ägrasantaù
saméra-vegormibhir ugra-nakra-
mahä-bhayävarta-gabhéra-ghoñäù

Then the four great oceans, filled with crocodiles, fearful

whirlpools and ominous rumblings, appeared on all sides,
swallowing up the surface of the earth with their wind-
tossed waves.

|| 12.9.13 ||
antar bahiç cädbhir ati-dyubhiù kharaiù
çatahradäbhir upatäpitaà jagat
catur-vidhaà vékñya sahätmanä munir
jaläplutäà kñmäà vimanäù samatrasat

The sage saw all the inhabitants of the universe, including

himself, tormented within and without by the harsh rays of
the sun, bolts of lightning, and great waves rising beyond
the sky. As the whole earth flooded, he grew perplexed and
fearful.

Ati-dyubhiù adbhiù means “by water reaching to the sky.” Kharaiù

means “by the harsh sun’s rays.” Çatahradäbhiù means “by
lightning.” The long ä is poetic license.

|| 12.9.14 ||
tasyaivam udvékñata ürmi-bhéñaëaù
prabhaïjanäghürëita-vär mahärëavaù
äpüryamäëo varañadbhir ambudaiù
kñmäm apyadhäd dvépa-varñädribhiù samam

While Märkaëòeya watched, the rain pouring down from the

clouds filled the ocean more and more until that great sea,
its waters violently whipped into terrifying waves by
hurricanes, covered up all the earth's islands, mountains
and continents.
 || 12.9.15 ||
sa-kñmäntarikñaà sa-divaà sa-bhä-gaëaà
trai-lokyam äsét saha digbhir äplutam
sa eka evorvarito mahä-munir
babhräma vikñipya jaöä jaòändha-vat

The water inundated the earth, outer space, heaven, all the
planets and the three worlds, in all directions. Only
Märkaëòeya remained. His matted hair scattered, the great
sage wandered about alone in the water as if dumb and
blind.

Sa-bhä-gaëam means “with the planets.”

|| 12.9.16 ||
kñut-tåö-paréto makarais timiìgilair
upadruto véci-nabhasvatähataù
tamasy apäre patito bhraman diço
na veda khaà gäà ca pariçrameñitaù

Having fallen into insurmountable darkness, tormented by

hunger and thirst, attacked by monstrous makaras and
timiìgila fish. and battered by the wind and waves, he
moved aimlessly. As he grew increasingly exhausted, he lost
all sense of direction and could not tell the sky from the
earth.

He was beaten by wind with waves. Éñitaù means “attained.” It

comes from the root éñ, meaning “to go.”

|| 12.9.17-18 ||
kracin magno mahävarte
taralais täòitaù kvacit
yädobhir bhakñyate kväpi
svayam anyonya-ghätibhiù

kvacic chokaà kvacin mohaà

kvacid duùkhaà sukhaà bhayam
kvacin måtyum aväpnoti
vyädhy-ädibhir utärditaù

At times he was engulfed by the great whirlpools,

sometimes he was beaten by the mighty waves, and at other
times the aquatic monsters threatened to devour him as
they attacked one another. Sometimes he felt lamentation,
bewilderment, misery, happiness or fear, and at other times
he experienced such terrible pains that he felt himself
dying.
 || 12.9.19 ||
ayutäyata-varñäëäà
sahasräëi çatäni ca
vyatéyur bhramatas tasmin
viñëu-mäyävåtätmanaù

Countless millions of years passed as Märkaëòeya wandered

about in that deluge, his mind bewildered by the illusory
energy of Lord Viñëu.

|| 12.9.20 ||
sa kadäcid bhramaàs tasmin
påthivyäù kakudi dvijaù
nyägrodha-potaà dadåçe
phala-pallava-çobhitam

Once, while wandering in the water, the brähmaëa

Märkaëòeya saw a small island, upon which stood a young
banyan tree, radiant with leaves and fruits.

|| 12.9.21 ||
präg-uttarasyäà çäkhäyäà
tasyäpi dadåçe çiçum
çayänaà parëa-puöake
grasantaà prabhayä tamaù

Upon a branch of the northeast portion of that tree he saw,

lying on a leaf, an infant boy whose effulgence swallowed up
the darkness.

|| 12.9.22-25 ||
mahä-marakata-çyämaà
çrémad-vadana-paìkajam
kambu-grévaà mahoraskaà
su-nasaà sundara-bhruvam

çväsaijad-alakäbhätaà
kambu-çré-karëa-däòimam
vidrumädhara-bhäseñac-
choëäyita-sudhä-smitam

padma-garbhäruëäpäìgaà
hådya-häsävalokanam
çväsaijad-vali-saàvigna-
nimna-näbhi-dalodaram

cärv-aìgulibhyäà päëibhyäm
unnéya caraëämbujam
mukhe nidhäya viprendro
 dhayantaà vékñya vismitaù

The infant's dark-blue complexion was the color of a flawless

emerald, his lotus face shone with a wealth of beauty, and
his throat bore marks like the lines on a conchshell. He had
a broad chest, a finely shaped nose, beautiful eyebrows, and
lovely ears decorated with pomegranate flowers, having
inner folds like a conchshell's spirals. The corners of his eyes
were reddish like the whorl of a lotus, and the effulgence of
his coral-like lips slightly reddened the sweet, enchanting
smile on his face. As he breathed, his splendid hair trembled
and his deep navel moved about along with the deep folds
of skin on his abdomen which was shaped like a banyan leaf.
The exalted brähmaëa watched with amazement as the
infant took hold of one of his lotus feet with his graceful
fingers, placed a toe within his mouth, and began to suck.

Kakudi means “on a raised area.” He looked splendid with locks of

hair trembling because of his breathing. He had pomegranate
flowers decorating his ears whose ear folds had the beauty of
conches. His abdomen was shaped like a banyan leaf with a deep
navel which quivered, and with deep horizontal skin folds which
trembled when he breathed. He held his toe and sucked it, thinking,
“What is the sweetness of my lotus foot? Since many of my
devotees attempt to taste that sweetness, I should also try to taste
it.”

|| 12.9.26 ||
tad-darçanäd véta-pariçramo mudä
protphulla-håt-padma-vilocanämbujaù
prahåñöa-romädbhuta-bhäva-çaìkitaù
prañöuà puras taà prasasära bälakam

From seeing the child, all his weariness vanished. Because

of joy the lotus of his heart, along with his lotus eyes, fully
blossomed, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
Confused as to the identity of the wonderful infant, the sage
approached him to ask.

He had doubt about that astonishing form (bhäva). It could not be

an ordinary child. He approached to ask.

|| 12.9.27 ||
tävac chiçor vai çvasitena bhärgavaù
so 'ntaù çaréraà maçako yathäviçat
taträpy ado nyastam acañöa kåtsnaço
yathä purämuhyad atéva vismitaù
At that moment, the child, by inhaling, drew Märkaëòeya
within his body like a mosquito. There the sage found the
entire universe arrayed as it had been before its dissolution.
Seeing this, Märkaëòeya was most astonished and
perplexed.

Adaù means the universe. He saw everything as it was before the

devastation (yathä purä).

|| 12.9.28-29 ||
khaà rodasé bhä-gaëän adri-sägarän
dvépän sa-varñän kakubhaù suräsurän
vanäni deçän saritaù puräkarän
kheöän vrajän äçrama-varëa-våttayaù

mahänti bhütäny atha bhautikäny asau

kälaà ca nänä-yuga-kalpa-kalpanam
yat kiïcid anyad vyavahära-käraëaà
dadarça viçvaà sa divävabhäsitam

The sage saw the entire universe: the sky, heavens and
earth, the stars, mountains, oceans, great islands,
continents, the directions, the saintly and demoniac living
beings, the forests, countries, rivers, cities, mines, the
agricultural villages, cow pastures, and the occupational and
spiritual activities of the various social divisions. He also
saw the basic elements of creation along with all their by-
products, as well as time itself, which regulates the
progression of countless ages within the days of Brahmä. In
addition, he saw everything else created for use in material
life. He saw in daylight a bright world.

He (saù) saw a bright world (avabhäsitam) in daylight (divä for

divasaù).

|| 12.9.30 ||
himälayaà puñpavahäà ca täà nadéà
nijäçramaà yatra åñé apaçyata
viçvaà vipaçyaï chvasitäc chiçor vai
bahir nirasto nyapatal layäbdhau

He saw before him the Himälaya Mountains, the

Puñpabhadrä River, and his own hermitage, where he had
had the audience of the sages Nara-Näräyaëa. Then, as
Märkaëòeya beheld the entire universe, the infant exhaled,
expelling the sage and casting him back into the ocean of
dissolution.

Puñpavahäm means the Puñpabhadrä River.

 || 12.9.31-32 ||
tasmin påthivyäù kakudi prarüòhaà
vaöaà ca tat-parëa-puöe çayänam
tokaà ca tat-prema-sudhä-smitena
nirékñito 'päìga-nirékñaëena

atha taà bälakaà vékñya

neträbhyäà dhiñöhitaà hådi
abhyayäd ati-saìkliñöaù
pariñvaktum adhokñajam

In that vast sea he again saw the banyan tree growing on

the tiny island and the infant boy lying within the leaf. The
child glanced at him from the corner of his eyes with a smile
imbued with the nectar of prema, and Märkaëòeya took him
into his heart through his eyes. Greatly agitated, the sage
ran to embrace the transcendental Lord.

|| 12.9.33 ||
tävat sa bhagavän säkñäd
yogädhéço guhä-çayaù
antardadha åñeù sadyo
yathehänéça-nirmitä

At that moment the Supreme Lord, who is the original

master of all powers of yoga and who is hidden within
everyone's heart, became invisible to the sage, just as the
poor man’s desire for wealth comes and goes.

Again thrown into the ocean, he wandered about for millions of

years, experiencing hardship, and then saw the child on the banyan
leaf on the upraised portion of earth. He was glanced upon with a
glance endowed with a smile of prema which was like nectar. Again
he entered the body of the Lord when he inhaled. It should be
understood from later statements that he went in and came out
seven times.1 The Lord then became invisible just as desire for
wealth of a poor man comes and goes.

|| 12.9.34 ||
tam anv atha vaöo brahman
salilaà loka-samplavaù
tirodhäyi kñaëäd asya
sväçrame pürva-vat sthitaù

O brähmaëa! After the Lord disappeared, the banyan tree,

the water and the dissolution of the universe all vanished as

1
There does not seem to be a direct statement to that effect in the later text.
well, and in an instant Märkaëòeya found himself back in his
own hermitage, just as before.

Within one instant of time, seven kalpas of time (seven dissolutions)

had been contracted, by the inconceivable energy of the Lord.
Tirodhäyi is a reflexive verb, in aorist tense.

Thus ends the commentary on Ninth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto of

the Bhägavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance
with the previous äcäryas.