The Markandeya Purana, one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, Is a key ancient Hindu text, traditionally attributed to the sage Markandeya. This Purana, which is part of the vast genre of texts preserving mythological stories, cosmological teachings, and philosophical discourses, contains a rich array of stories and hymns centered around creation, destruction, and the cycles of time.
The text is notable for its focus on the deity Shiva, offering a detalled account of his cosmic functions and the worship of his various forms. One of the most famous sections in the Markandeya Purana Is the Durga Saptashati or Chandi Path, a powerful hymn dedicated to the goddess Durga, Illustrating her victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. This part of the Purana is widely recited in devotional practices, especially during the Durga Puja festival.
The Markandeya Purana also discusses the creation and destruction of the universe, the genealogies of kings, and the lives of numerous sages. Its teachings emphasize devotion (bhakti), the significance of righteous living (dharma), and the belief in cyclical time (kalachakra), where creation and dissolution are ongoing processes governed by divine will.
F. Eden Pargiter's translation and study of the Markandeya Purana has helped make this ancient text accessible to a wider audience, contributing to the understanding of Hindu mythology and philosophy.
This translation of the Markandeya Purana was undertaken by me for the Asiatic Society of Bengal many years ago, when I hoped to be able to carry it through in no long period; but onerous official duties left little leisure, and for years removed me to a distance from the Society's Library and other means of reference. The Society was reluctant that the translation should be dropped, and it has therefore been continued as well as leisure permitted. It is hoped that in spite of these difficulties the translation may be of service to scholars, and the notes with all their shortcomings not unwelcome.
This translation of the Markandeya Purana being made for the Asiatic Society of Bengal naturally follows the edition of this work prepared by the Rev. Dr. K. M. Banerjea, and published in the Bibliotheca Indica in 1862; yet other editions and some MSS. have been consulted and are referred to. The translation has been kept as close to the original as possible, consistently with English sense and idiom; for a translation loses some of its interest and much of its trustworthiness, when the read-er can never know whether it reproduces the original accurately or only the purport of the original. The time during which the work has been in hand has rendered it difficult to maintain one system of transliteration throughout; but, in order to place the whole in a consistent state, the system established by the Royal Asiatic Society and approved by the Asiatic Society of Bengal has been adopted in the Index and in this Introduction.
Vedas (1183)
Upanishads (496)
Puranas (625)
Ramayana (741)
Mahabharata (357)
Dharmasastras (164)
Goddess (498)
Bhakti (243)
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Shiva (372)
Journal (184)
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