Narratives from the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa

Vasishṭha and Viśvāmitra curse each other into an āḍi and a baka, fight a battle that shakes the three worlds, and are reconciled by Brahmā.

Anasūyā restores the stopped sun and heals Kauśika, then asks that Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara be born as her sons: Candra, Dattātreya and Durvāsa.

Avīkshita, son of King Karandama, completes the Kimicchaka Vrata, and as a result his son Marutta, the great performer of yajña, is born.

The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa tells how Balarāma killed Sūta Maharshi on the brahma-āsana and took brahmahatyā on himself.

A prince born with memory of past lives laughs in his mother's arms, is carried off by a Jāta-hāriṇī, is raised by King Vikrānta, and becomes Cākshusha Manu.

The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa tells of Dama, son of Narishyanta, who won Sumanā, slew Vapushmān and offered his blood as tarpaṇa to his father.

The Devī Māhātmya in the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa tells of Bhagavatī's three great victories: Madhu and Kaiṭabha, Mahishāsura, and Śumbha and Niśumbha.

The dharma-birds tell Jaimini why Draupadī had five husbands: the Pāṇḍavas are five portions of Indra's teja and Draupadī is Śacīdevī.

King Hariścandra of the Sūryavaṃśa gave away his kingdom, wife, son and himself for satya, and the devas took him and his whole city to svarga.

Jaimini brings four doubts about the Mahābhārata to Mārkaṇḍeya Maharshi, who sends him to four wise birds on Vindhya Parvata.

Prince Ṛtadhvaja (Kuvalayāśva) wins Mādālasā in Pātāla, loses her, and sees her reborn. She sings ātma-jñāna to her sons and gives Alarka a golden ring.

Two asuras born from Bhagavān Vishṇu's ear-wax threaten Brahmā. Devī Yoganidrā frees Vishṇu, who slays them, and their marrow becomes the earth.

Sumati, who remembers ten thousand births, tells his father Mahāmati about death, the narakas, the womb and the wheel of saṃsāra.

Mahishāsura drives the devas out of svarga. Their joined teja forms Devī Caṇḍikā, armed by all the devas, and she slays him.

King Marutta, the greatest performer of yajñas of his age, chooses Saṃvarta as his purohita and keeps his duty to one who has taken refuge with him.

Nābhāga, of Vaivasvata Manu's line, wins the avadāna of a yajña. A dark figure claims it, and he is Rudra.

Pṛshadhra, a son of Vaivasvata Manu, kills his guru's cow by mistake, is cursed to be a Śūdra, and reaches moksha in a forest fire.

Ṛtavāka's son, born at the last pāda of Revatī nakshatra, turns wicked. Ṛtavāka curses Revatī, and she falls to earth.

The ṛshi Ruci hears the pitṛs speak of the householder's path, sings the Pitṛ Stotra and marries Mālinī, and Raucya Manu is born.

Saṃjñā cannot bear Sūrya's tejas, leaves Chāyā in her place and goes to Uttara Kuru as a mare. Sūrya follows as a horse, and the Aśvins are born.

Devī slays the asura brothers Śumbha and Niśumbha, with Cāmuṇḍā, the Saptamātṛkās and the defeat of Raktabīja. She declares: Ekā'haṃ.

King Svarāshṭra outlives everyone he loves, loses his kingdom, and meets his queen Utpalāvatī reborn as a doe. Their tapas makes him Tāmasa Manu.

A brāhmaṇa is stranded in the Himālaya, the apsarā Varūthinī loves him in vain, and the gandharva Kali takes his form. Their son Svaroci becomes the second Manu.

King Uttama exiles his cold queen Bahulā, learns that a husband must never abandon his wife, and wins her back through the Mitravinda Yajña.

The apsarā Vāpu is named the most beautiful by Nārada, is cursed by Durvāsa Maharshi, and is born again as Tārkshī, the daughter of the bird-king Kandara.

Vatsaprī, a son of King Bhalandana, goes down into pātāla, kills the asura Kujṛmbha by Sūrya's grace, frees his brothers and wins Mudāvatī.