Markandeya Purana · Chapter 44

iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe ariṣṭakathanaṃ nāma tricatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
catuścatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
subāhuruvāca
yadarthaṃ nṛpaśārdūla ! tvāmahaṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ /
tanmayā sakalaṃ prāptaṃ yāsyāmi tvaṃ sukhī bhava

kākhirāja uvāca
kiṃ nimittaṃ bhavān prāpto niṣpannor'thaśca kastava /
subāho ! tanmamācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

samākrāntamalarkeṇa pitṛpaitāmahaṃ mahat /
rājyaṃ dehīti nirjitya tvayāhamabhicoditaḥ

tato mayā samākramya rājyamasyānujasya te /
etatte balamānītaṃ tadbhuṅkṣvasvakulocitam

subāhuruvāca
kāśirāja ! nibodha tvaṃ yadarthamayamudyamaḥ /
kṛto mayā bhavāṃścaiva kārito 'tyantamudyamam

bhrātā mamāyaṃ grāmyeṣu sakto bhogeṣu tattvavit /
vimūḍhau bodhavantau ca bhrātarāvagrajau mama

tayormama ca yanmātrā bālye stanyaṃ yathā mukhe /
tathāvabodho vinyastaḥ karṇayoravanīpate

tayormama ca vijñeyāḥ padārthā ye matā nṛbhiḥ /
prākāśyaṃ manaso nītāste mātrā nāsya pārthiva

yathaikamarthe yātānāmekasminnavasīdati /
duḥ khaṃ bhavati sādhūnāṃ tatāsmākaṃ mahīpate

gārhasthyamohamāpanne sīdatyasminnareśvara /
sambandhinyasya dehasya bibhrati bhrātṛkalpanām

tato mayā viniścitya duḥ khādvairāgyabhāvanā /
bhaviṣyatītyasya bhavānityudyogāya saṃśritaḥ

tadasya duḥ khādvairāgyaṃ saṃbodhādavanīpate /
samudbhūtaṃ kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ bhadraṃ te 'stu vrajāmyaham

uṣṭvā madālasāgarbhe pītvā satsāstathā stanam /
nānyanārīsutairyātaṃ vartma yātviti pārthiva

vicārya tanmayā sarvaṃ yuṣmatsaṃśrayapūrvakam /
kṛtaṃ taccāpi niṣpannaṃ prayāsye siddhaye punaḥ

upekṣyate sīdamānaḥ svajano bāndhavaḥ suhṛt /
yairnarendra ! na tān manye sendriyā vikalā hi te

suhṛdi svajane bandhau samarthe yo 'vasīdati /
dharmārthakāmamokṣebhyo vācyāste tatra na tvasau

etat tvatsaṅgamād bhūpa ! mayā kāryaṃ mahat kṛtam /
svasti te 'stu gamiṣyāmi jñānabhāgbhava sattama

kāśirāja uvāca
upakārastvayā sādhoralarkasya kṛto mahān /
mamopakārāya kathaṃ na karoṣi svamānasam

phaladāyī satāṃ sadibhaḥ saṅgamo nāphalo yataḥ /
tasmāttavatsaṃśrayādyuktā mayā prāptā samunnatiḥ

subāhuruvāca
dharmārthakāmamokṣākhyaṃ puruṣārthacatuṣṭayam /
tatra dharmārthakāmāste sakalā hīyate 'paraḥ

tatte saṃkṣepato vakṣye tadihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu /
śrutvā ca samyagālocya yatethāḥ śreyase nṛpa

mametipratyayo bhūpa ! na kāryo 'hamiti tvayā /
samyagālocya dharmo hi dharmābhāve nirāśrayaḥ

kasyāhamiti saṃjñeyamityālocya tvayātmanā /
bāhyantargatamālocyamālocyāpararātriṣu

avyaktādiviśeṣantamavikāramacetanam /
vyaktāvyaktaṃ tvayā jñeyaṃ jñātā kaścāhamityuta

etasminneva vijñāne vijñātamakhilaṃ tvayā /
anātmanyātmavijñānamakhe khamiti mūḍhatā

so 'haṃ sarvagato bhūpa ! lokasaṃvyavahārataḥ /
mayedamucyate sarvaṃ tvayā pṛṣṭo vrajāmyaham

evamuktvā yayau dhīmān ! subāhuḥ kāśibhūmipam /
kāśirājo 'pi saṃpūjya so 'larkaṃ svapuraṃ yayau

alarko 'pi sutaṃ jyeṣṭhamabhiṣicya narādhipam /
vanaṃ jagāma santyaktasarvasaṅgaḥ svasiddhaye

tataḥ kālena mahātā nirdvandvo niṣparigrahaḥ /
prāpya yogardhimatulāṃ paraṃ nirvāṇamāptavān

paśyan jagadidaṃ sarvaṃ sadevāsuramānuṣam /
pāśairguṇamayairbaddhaṃ badhyamānañca nityaśaḥ

putrādibhrātṛputrādi-svapārakyādibhāvitaiḥ /
ākṛṣyamāṇaṃ karaṇairduḥkhārtaṃ bhinnadarśanam

ajñānapaṅkagarbhasthamanuddhāraṃ mahāmatiḥ /
ātmānañca samuttīrṇaṃ gāthāmetāmagāyata

aho kaṣṭaṃ yadasmābhaiḥ pūrvaṃ rājyamanuṣṭhitam /
iti paścānmayā jñātaṃ yogānnāsti paraṃ sukham

jaḍa uvāca
tātainaṃ tvaṃ samātiṣṭha muktaye yogamuttamam /
prāpsyase yena tad brahma yatra gatvā na śocasi

tato 'hamapi yāsyāmi kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ japena me /
kṛtakṛtyasya karaṇaṃ brahmabhāvāya kalpate

tvatto 'nujñāmavāpyāhaṃ nirdvandvo niṣparigrahaḥ /
prayatiṣye tathā muktau yathā yāsyāmi nirvṛtim

pakṣiṇa ūcuḥ
evamuktvā sa pitaraṃ prāpyānujñāṃ tataśca saḥ /
brahman ! jagāma medhāvī parityaktaparigrahaḥ

so 'pi tasya pitā tadvat krameṇa sumahāmatiḥ /
vānaprasthaṃ samāsthāya caturthāśramamabhyagāt

tatrātmajaṃ samāsādya hitvā bandhaṃ guṇādikam /
prāpa siddhiṃ parāṃ prājñastatkālopāttasaṃmatiḥ

etatte kathitaṃ brahman ! yatpṛṣṭā bhavatā vayam /
suvistaraṃ yathāvacca kimanyacchrotumicchasi