वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा तु राजा राजर्षेरिन्द्रद्युम्नस्य तत् तथा। मार्कण्डेयान्महाभागात् स्वर्गस्य प्रतिपादनम्॥ युधिष्ठिरो महाराज पप्रच्छ भरतर्षभ। मार्कण्डेयं तपोवृद्धं दीर्घायुषमकल्मषम्॥
Vaishampayana said : O great king, having heard from the highsouled Markandeya the account of the attainment of heaven by the royal sage Indradhyumna, that foremost of the Bharatas, Yudhishthira, again thus asked that sinless great ascetic and long-lived Markandeya.
विदितास्तव धर्मज्ञ देवदानवराक्षसाः। राजवंशाश्च विविधा ऋषिवंशाश्च शाश्वतः॥
Yudhishthira said : O virtuous one, you know all the celestials and the Danavas, the Rakshasas, also various royal dynasties and many everlasting dynasties of the Rishis.
न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किञ्चिदस्मॅिल्लोके द्विजोत्तम् कथां वेत्सि मुने दिव्यां मनुष्योरगरक्षसाम्॥ देवगन्धर्वयक्षाणां किन्नराप्सरसां तथा।
O foremost of Brahmanas, there is nothing in this world which you do not know. O Rishis, you know also excellent stories of men, of the Nagas, of the Rakshasas, of the celestials, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Kinnaras and the Apsaras.
इदमिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वेन द्विजसत्तम॥ कुवलाश्व इति ख्यात इक्ष्वाकुरपराजितः। कथं नामविपर्यासाद् धुन्धुमारत्वमागतः॥
O foremost of Brahmanas, I desire to hear from you all these accounts. Why did that invincible descendant of Ikshvaku, known by the name of Kuvalashva change and assume another, namely Dhundhumara?
एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन ज्ञातुं भार्गवसत्तम। विपर्यस्तं यथा नाम कुवलाश्वस्य धीमतः॥
O best of the Bhrigu race, I desire to know in detail why the name of the highly intelligent Kuvalashva underwent a change.
वैशम्पायन उवाच युधिष्ठिरेणैवमुक्तो मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः। धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं कथयामास भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, having been thus addressed by Yudhishthira, the great Rishi Markandeya narrated the story of Dhundhumara.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि शृणु राजन् युधिष्ठिर। धर्मिष्ठमिदमाख्यानं धुन्धुमारस्य तच्छृणु॥
Markandeya said : O king Yudhishthira, I shall tell you all. Listen to me. The story of Dhundhumara is a moral story, hear it.
यथा स राजा इक्ष्वाकुः कुवलाश्वो महीपतिः। धुन्धुमारत्वमगमत् तच्छृणुष्व महीपते॥
O ruler of earth, hear why the royal sage Kuvalashva of the race of Ikshvaku came to be known as Dhundhumara.
महर्षिर्विश्रुतस्तात उत्तङ्क इति भारत। मरुधन्वसु रम्येषु आश्रमस्तस्य कौरव॥
O descendant of Bharata, O child, there was a celebrated great Rishi named Uttanka. He had his hermitage in a charming forest.
उत्तङ्कस्तु महाराज तपोऽतप्यत् सुदुश्चरम्। आरिराधयिषुर्विष्णुं बहून् वर्षगणान् विभुः॥
O great king, Uttanka performed serverest asceticism. In order to secure the grace of Vishnu that lord (Uttanka) performed that severest penance for many hundreds of years.
तस्य प्रीतः स भगवान् साक्षाद् दर्शनमेयिवान्। दृष्ट्वैव चर्षिः प्रह्वस्तं तुष्टाव विविधैः स्तवैः॥
Being gratified with him that exalted deity (Vishnu) appeared before him in his embodied form. As soon as the Rishi saw him, he gratified him in all humility and with many hymns.
उत्तङ्कं उवाच त्वया देवा प्रजाः सर्वाः ससुरासुरमानवाः। स्थावराणि च भूतानि जङ्गमानि तथैव च।॥
Uttanka said: O god, all mobile and immobile creatures with the celestial, the Asuras and the humanbeings have been all created by you.
ब्रह्म वेदाश्च वेद्यं च त्वया सृष्टं महाद्युते। शिरस्ते गगनं देव नेत्रे शशिदिवाकरौ॥
O greatly effulgent one, Brahma himself, the Vedas and all things that are capable of being known, have been all created by you. O lord, the sky is your head and the sun and the moon are your eyes.
निःश्वासः पवनश्चापि तेजोऽग्निश्च तवाच्युत। बाहवस्ते दिशः सर्वाः कुक्षिश्चापि महार्णवः॥
O undeteriorating one, the winds are your breaths, the fire is your splendour, the directions are your arms and the great ocean is your stomach.
ऊरू ते पर्वता देव खं नाभिर्मधुसूदन। पादौ ते पृथिवी देवी रोमाण्योषधयस्तथा॥
O god, O slayer of Madhu, the hills and the mountains are your thighs, the atmosphere is your hips, the goddess earth is your feet and the plants are the down of your body.
इन्द्रसोमाग्निवरुणा देवासुरमहोरगाः। प्रह्वास्त्वामुपतिष्ठन्ति स्तुवन्तो विविधैः स्तवैः॥
Indra, Soma, Agni and Varuna, the celestial, the Asuras and the great Nagas, all wait upon you and adore you with various hymns.
त्वया व्याप्तानि सर्वाणि भूतानि भुवनेश्वर। योगिनः सुमहावीर्याः स्तुवन्ति त्वां महर्षयः॥
O lord of earth all created things are pervaded by you. The great Rishis and the greatly effulgent Yogis all adore you with hymns.
त्वयि तुष्टे जगत् स्वास्थ्यं त्वयि क्रुद्ध महद् भयम्। भयानामपनेतासि त्वमेकः पुरुषोत्तम।॥
O foremost of men, when you are pleased the universe enjoys peace; when you are angry, a great fear pervades all. You are the only great dispeller of all fears; you are the supreme one.
देवानां मानुषाणां च सर्वभूतसुखावहः। त्रिभिर्विक्रमणैर्देव त्रयो लोकास्त्वया हृताः॥
O god, you are the cause of happiness of both the celestials and the human beings. By your three steps you covered all the three worlds.
असुराणां समृद्धानां विनाशश्च त्वया कृतः। तव विक्रमणैर्देवा निर्वाणमगमन् परम्॥
It was you who destroyed the Asuras when they were in their great affluence. Through your prowess the celestials obtained peace and happiness.
पराभूताश्च दैत्येन्द्रास्त्वयि क्रुद्धे महाद्युते। त्वं हि कर्ता विकर्ता च भूतानामिह सर्वशः॥ आराधयित्वा त्वां देवाः सुखमेधन्ति सर्वशः।
O greatly effulgent one, it was your anger that vanquished the great Daitya chiefs. You are the creator, you are the destroyer of all the creatures of this world. Adoring you, the celestials have obtained happiness and bliss.”
एवं स्तुतो हृषीकेश उत्तङ्केन महात्मना॥ उत्तङ्कमब्रवीद् विष्णुः प्रीतस्तेऽहं वरं वृणु।
There was Hrishikesha (Vishnu) praised by the high-souled Uttanka. Vishnu then thus spoke to Uttanka, “I am gratified, Ask for a boon."
उत्तङ्क उवाच पर्याप्तो मे वरो ह्येष यदहं दृष्टवान् हरिम्॥ पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यं स्रष्टारं जगतः प्रभुम्।
(Uttanka said), “It is (already) a great boon to me that you have become visible to me, you who are Hari, the eternal being, the celestials creator, the lord of the universe."
विष्णुरुवाच प्रीतस्तेऽहमलौल्येन भक्त्या तव च सत्तम॥ अवश्यं हि त्वया ब्रह्मन् मत्तो चाह्यो वरो द्विज।
Vishnu said, "O excellent one. I am pleased with your this littleness of desire and great devotion. O Brahmana, O twice-born one, you should certainly accept some boon from me."
मार्कण्डेय उवाच एवं स छन्द्यमानस्तु वरेण हरिणा तदा॥ उत्तङ्कः प्राञ्जलिर्ववे वरं भरतसत्तम।
Thus requested by Hari to ask for a boon, O best of the Bharata race, Uttanka with joined hands asked for a boon.
यदि मे भगवन् प्रीतः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षण॥ धर्मे सत्ये दमे चैव बुद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा। अभ्यासश्च भवेद् भक्त्या त्वयि नित्यं ममेश्वर॥
"O lotus-eyed deity, if your exalted self is pleased with me, O lord, then let my heart be always devoted to virtue, truth and contentment. Let my mind be always devoted to you."
श्रीभगवानुवाच सर्वमेतद्धि भविता मत्प्रसादात् तव द्विज। प्रतिभास्यति योगश्च येन युक्तो दिवौकसाम्॥ त्रयाणामपि लोकानां महत् कार्यं करिष्यसि।
(The deity replied), “O Brahmana, all this will happen to you through my favour. A Yoga will be manifest in you. Through its power you will perform a great act for the dwellers of heaven as also for the three worlds.
उत्सादनार्थं लोकानां धुन्धुर्नाम महासुरः॥ तपस्यति तपो घोरं शृणु यस्तं हनिष्यति।
A great Asura, named Dhundhu, is now undergoing severe austerities in order to destroy the world. Hear who will kill him.
राजा हि वीर्यवांस्तात इक्ष्वाकुरपराजितः॥ बृहदश्व इति ख्यातो भविष्यति महीपतिः। तस्य पुत्रः शुचिर्दान्तः कुवलाश्व इति श्रुतः॥
O child, a mighty and invincible king of the race of Ikshvaku, known by the name of Brihadashva, will be the ruler over earth. His son will be very illustrious, self-controlled and holy; he will be known by the name of Kuvalashva.
स योगबलमास्थाय मामकं पार्थिवोत्तमः। शासनात् तव विप्रर्षे धुन्धुमारो भविष्यति। एवमुक्त्वा तु तं विप्रं विष्णुरन्तरधीयत॥
O foremost of Brahmanas, that best of kings will be endued with Yoga power derived from me. Commanded by you he will be the slayer of Dhundhu.” Having said this to that Brahmana Vishnu disappeared.