Markaṇa

Markaṇa

Markaṇa is a king of birds (pakshirāṭ). The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that Prince Prajaya did tapas to Śāradā Devī for twelve years and asked her for a new city. The Devī, who had appeared to him in the form of a maiden, gave him a horse and went ahead playing the veṇu. Following her with his eyes closed on that horse, he came toward the west and reached the place where Markaṇa was. Seeing the bird he was frightened, opened both his eyes, and saw the auspicious city Śāradā Devī had built.

That city had the Gaṅgā on the north, the Pāṇḍurā on the south, the Īśasaritā on the west and the place of the bird Markaṇa on the east. It became famous as Kānyakubja.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3