



Produced by Chetan Jain, John B. Hare, and Christopher M.
Weimer. HTML version by Al Haines.











  Markandeya Purana

  Books VII and VIII.



  JOURNAL

  OF

  THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.



  [New Series, Volume XIII]

  [London, Truebner and Company]

  [1881]


  Scanned and edited by Christopher M. Weimer, May 2002



  ART. XIII.--__Translation of the Markandeya Purana__
  Books VII. VIII.  By the Rev. B. HALE WORTHAM.



  BOOK VII.


  ONCE upon earth there lived a saintly king
  Named Harischandra; pure in heart and mind,
  In virtue eminent, he ruled the world,
  Guarding mankind from evil.  While he reigned
  No famine raged, nor pain; untimely death
  Ne'er cut men off; nor were the citizens
  Of his fair city lawless.  All their wealth,
  And power, and works of righteousness, ne'er filled
  Their hearts with pride; in everlasting youth
  And loveliness the women passed their days.

  It so fell out, that while this mighty king
  Was hunting in the forest, that he heard
  The sound of female voices raised in cry
  Of supplication.  Then he turned and said,
  Leaving the deer to fly unheeded: "Stop!
  Who art thou, full of tyranny and hate,
  That darest thus oppress the earth; while I,
  The tamer of all evil, live and rule?"
  Then, too, the fierce Ganesa,--he who blinds
  The eyes, and foils the wills of men,--he heard
  The cry, and thus within himself he thought:
  "This surely is the great ascetic's