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Markandeya Purana (Study)

by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words

This page relates ‘The Birth of Surya (Martanda)� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

1. The Birth of ūⲹ (ٲṇḍ)

The Sun is also known by the name ٲṇḍ and He is the son of Aditi. The story of the birth of ٲṇḍ is referred to in the ṻ岹. It is stated here that from the body of Aditi sprang to life eight sons, with seven she went to meet the Gods. She cast ṇḍ far away. So, with her seven sons, Aditi went forth to meet the earlier age, she brought ṇḍ hitherward to bring to life and die again.[1]

Another myth is also found in the Śٲ貹ٳ󲹲󳾲ṇa.[2] The ղٳپīṇy첹 states that the earth had eight wombs, eight sons and eight husbands.[3] The Atharvaveda mentions that Aditi had eight sons and eight wombs.[4] Both the ṻ岹 and the Atharvaveda mention Aditi as the mother of Sun-god.[5] The Sun is also known by the name ٲṇḍ. The 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa contains a story about the birth of ūⲹ as ٲṇḍ. According to the story, śⲹ貹 , ’s grandson, married ٲṣa’s thirteen daughters including Aditi who begot the gods, demons, mankind, animals, birds, trees etc.[6] The Daityas and the Բ fought with their other cousins, the Devas. The war went on for a thousand years and at the end of it, the Devas were defeated. Then Aditi was very unhappy to see that her sons had thus been deprived of the three worlds[7]. So she started to worship the Sun god for her help. Finally the Sun appeared before her and granted her a boon. She chose the Sun to be incarnated in her womb and defeat the Daityas and the Բ. The Sun blessed her and she became pregnant. At the time of pregnancy she often observed fasting. This made śⲹ貹 angry and told her angrily that she would destroy that egg in her womb[8] Then Aditi replied that the egg could never be destroyed, rather, it would become the reason for the destruction of the demons.[9] Then out of anger she gave birth to the child which blazed brilliantly with lustre[10]. śⲹ貹, seeing the shining egg, fell prostrate and worshipped that with respect. Being gratified at his worship, the Sun revealed himself from that foetal egg pervading the sky with his glory.[11] Then, addressing śⲹ貹, a voice from the thunder cloud announced that as he had spoken the egg as destroyed, so he shall be called ٲṇḍ (ṛt-ṇḍ), i.e. the dead egg and he shall destroy the demons.[12] Hearing that speech the gods became very happy and the demons lost their vigour. After that Indra challenged the demons to the battle. ٲṇḍ destroyed the demons and restored the gods in their original positions

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

aṣṭạu putrāso aditer ye jātāstanvaspari /
devān upaprait saptabhi� mārtṇḍmāsyat//
saptabhi� putrairaditir upa prait pūrvya� yugam/
prajāyai mṛtyave tat punar mārtāṇḍamābharat// ṻ岹, 10.72.8-9

[2]:

Śٲ貹ٳ󲹲󳾲ṇa, 3.1.3.4

[3]:

aṣṭayonim aṣṭaputrām aṣṭapatnīm imā� mahīm / ղٳپīṇy첹, 1.13.1

[4]:

aṣṭayonir aditir aṣṭaputrā / Atharvaveda, 6.4.1

[5]:

ṻ岹,10.88.11; Atharvaveda, 13.2.9

[6]:

첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa, 102.3

[7]:

ٲԲԾٳٲ� 岹� tva� kuruṣva mama gopate /
aṃśena teṣāṃ bhrātṛtva� gatvā nāśāya tadripūn //
yathā me ٲԲ bhūyo yajñabhāgabhuja� prabho /
bhaveyuradhipāścaiva triolokyasya divāra // Ibid., 102.5,6

[8]:

Ibid., 102.13

[9]:

sā ca ta� prāha garbhāṇḍametatpaśayeti DZ貹 /
na mārita� vipakṣānā� mṛtyave tadbhaviṣyati // Ibid., 102.14

[10]:

Ibid., 102.15

[11]:

Ibid. , 102.17

[12]:

mūrita� te ⲹٲ� proktametaddṇḍ� tvayā mune /
tasmānmune sutaste’ya� mārtaṇḍākhyo bhabiṣyati // Ibid., 102.19

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