Chaturvedi - Markandeya Purana

Puranas are not Itihas or history as it is understood in the West. A proper interpretation of Itihas and the Puranas would be to regard them as the words of seers who availed themselves of the available literature and classified it into various tomes of ancient life that contributed handsomely in forming the psyche of the East. In truth, there is a body of writings which are popular expositions of inherited truths amongst the people at large. Dharma, as the chief factor in shaping of human life, is the underlying motive of these ancient scriptures.

Nevertheless, whatever the content and period of several Puranas including the Markandeya Purana may be, they embody ancient legends as the very name Purana signifies. They deal mainly with the actions of mortal heroes and embody as also illustrate both human frailty and virtues, as well as celebrate the power and work of various super-human personages and deities. Even though all the Puranas may not be containing the Pancha Lakshan (five symptoms) of being the standard Purana, yet they reveal before the modern humanity the basic parameters that had gone into making the tenets of our righteous conduct or Dharma. They are, nevertheless, a valuable record of Hindu belief which originated next in order to the Vedas and incorporated hero-worship as well as divine worship and they may rightly be described to be essentially pantheistic in character. Although a particular divinity may, in particular Puranas be seen to be glorified, nevertheless, there is an underlying quest for unity of life and of Supreme reality.

The present work, Markandeya Purana, is no different in this respect. This Purana, along with the Bhagwat Purana, is considered to be quite a celebrated work. Ranking seventh in the list of the Mahapuranas, the Markandeya Purana is one of the most important, interesting and probably one of the oldest works. It is claimed that its recitation frees one from taints of sin. It was named after sage Markandeya who acquired its knowl-edge from Brahma, the creator. It starts with Sage Jaimini, the celebrated author of the Mimansa Sutras, approaching the wise birds to get answer to his queries after being directed by Sage Markandeya. Then it appeared to have developed in three different stages which appear to have evolved in different parts of India. Perhaps the revision that all the Puranas had undergone has diluted much of their difference in glorifying the different deities; otherwise they seem to be devoted to one primal deity.

Initially the Purana sets to answer the five basic questions: How was Vishnu born as a mortal? How Draupadi became the wife of the five Pandavas? Why did Baladeva undertake the penance (pilgrimage) for having committed brahmanicide and why were the children of Draupadi destroyed so unceremoniously? And there start the queries which make the reader cover the whole gamut of ancient history, logic, morality, astronomy and what not.

At many places, owing to paucity of space, the compiler has taken the liberty to abridge the off-repeated and very well-known stories. The chapter-wise division has also been made with a view to allow easier comprehension of the lay reader. At times explanations have been provided in the footnotes.

It is hoped that our discerning readers would welcome this Purana as they have accorded to the other Puranas of the same series. The compiler is particularly grateful to Mr Narendra Kumar of Diamond Pocket Books for allowing him all the liberty to make this Purana interesting and enlightening in equal measure. May the tribe multiply.

B.K. Chaturvedi