Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

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<< VERSE 7-11 >>

prāpta-dvijāti-saṁskāro
mārkaṇḍeyaḥ pituḥ kramāt
chandāṁsy adhītya dharmeṇa
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-saṁyutaḥ
bṛhad-vrata-dharaḥ śānto
jaṭilo valkalāmbaraḥ
bibhrat kamaṇḍaluṁ daṇḍam
upavītaṁ sa-mekhalam
kṛṣṇājinaṁ sākṣa-sūtraṁ
kuśāṁś ca niyamarddhaye
agny-arka-guru-viprātmasv
arcayan sandhyayor harim
sāyaṁ prātaḥ sa gurave
bhaikṣyam āhṛtya vāg-yataḥ
bubhuje gurv-anujñātaḥ
sakṛn no ced upoṣitaḥ
evaṁ tapaḥ-svādhyāya-paro
varṣāṇām ayutāyutam
ārādhayan hṛṣīkeśaṁ
jigye mṛtyuṁ su-durjayam

WORD BY WORD



TRANSLATION

After being purified by his father’s performance of the prescribed rituals leading to Mārkaṇḍeya’s brahminical initiation, Mārkaṇḍeya studied the Vedic hymns and strictly observed the regulative principles. He became advanced in austerity and Vedic knowledge and remained a lifelong celibate. Appearing most peaceful with his matted hair and his clothing made of bark, he furthered his spiritual progress by carrying the mendicant’s waterpot, staff, sacred thread, brahmacārī belt, black deerskin, lotus-seed prayer beads and bundles of kuśa grass. At the sacred junctures of the day he regularly worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in five forms — the sacrificial fire, the sun, his spiritual master, the brāhmaṇas and the Supersoul within his heart. Morning and evening he would go out begging, and upon returning he would present all the food he had collected to his spiritual master. Only when his spiritual master invited him would he silently take his one meal of the day; otherwise he would fast. Thus devoted to austerity and Vedic study, Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi worshiped the supreme master of the senses, the Personality of Godhead, for countless millions of years, and in this way he conquered unconquerable death.

PURPORT

This verse has not purport by His Holiness Hṛdayānanda dās Gosvāmi, initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Prabhupāda.



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