03197001a kaz cid dvijAtipravaro vedAdhyAyI tapodhanaH 'There was, a very superior brAhmaNa, a virtuous ascetic
03197001c tapasvI dharmazIlaz ca kauziko nAma bhArata of the name of kauzika and endued with wealth of asceticism and devoted to the study of the Vedas, O bharata.
03197002a sAGgopaniSadAn vedAn adhIte dvijasattamaH and that best of brAhmaNas studied all the Vedas with the Angas and the Upanishads
03197002c sa vRkSamUle kasmiMz cid vedAn uccArayan sthitaH and one day he was reciting the Vedas at the foot of a tree
03197003a upariSTAc ca vRkSasya balAkA sanMnyalIyata and at that time there sat on the top of that tree a female crane
03197003c tayA purISam utsRSTamM brAhmaNasya tadopari and that she-crane happened at that time to befoul the brAhmaNa's body
03197004a tAm avekSya tataH kruddhaH samapadhyAyata dvijaH and beholding that crane the brAhmaNa became very angry
03197004c bhRzaGM krodhAbhibhUtena balAkA sA nirIkSitA and thought of doing her an injury and as the brAhmaNa cast his angry glances upon the crane
03197005a apadhyAtA ca vipreNa nyapatad vasudhAtale and thought also of doing her an injury, she fell down on the ground
03197005c balAkAmM patitAnM dRSTvA gatasattvAm acetanAm and beholding the crane thus fallen from the tree and insensible in death,
03197005e kAruNyAd abhisanMtaptaH paryazocata tAM dvijaH the brAhmaNa was much moved by pity and the regenerate one began to lament for the dead crane saying,
03197006a akAryaGM kRtavAn asmi rAgadveSabalAt kRtaH 'Alas, I have done a bad deed, urged by anger and malice!'
03197006c ity uktvA bahuzo vidvAn grAmamM bhaikSAya saMzritaH 'Markandeya continued, 'Having repeated these words many times, that learned brAhmaNa entered a village for procuring alms.
03197007a grAme zucIni pracaran kulAni bharatarSabha And, O bull of the bharata race, in course of his eleemosynary round among the houses of persons of good lineage,
03197007c praviSTas tat kulaM yatra pUrvaJM caritavAMs tu saH the brAhmaNa entered one such house that he knew from before.
03197008a dehIti yAcamAno vai tiSThety uktasH striyA tataH And as he entered the house, he said, 'Give'. And a woman told him 'wait'.
03197008c zaucanM tu yAvat kurute bhAjanasya kuTumbinI And while the housewife was engaged, O king, in cleaning the vessel from which alms are given,
03197009a etasminn antare rAjan kSudhAsamMpIDito bhRzam Then suddenly, very much afflicted with hunger,
03197009c bhartA praviSTasH sahasA tasyA bharatasattama her husband entered the house, O thou best of the bharatas.
03197010a sA tu dRSTvA patiM sAdhvI brAhmaNaM vyapahAya tam The chaste housewife beheld her husband and disregarding the brAhmaNa,
03197010c pAdyam AcamanIyaJM ca dadau bhartre tathAsanam gave her lord water to wash his feet and face and also a seat
03197011a prahvA paryacarac cApi bhartAram asitekSaNA and after that the black-eyed lady, placing before her lord savoury food and drink,
03197011c AhAreNAtha bhakSyaiz ca vAkyaisH sumadhurais tathA humbly stood beside him desirous of attending to all his wants.
03197012a ucchiSTamM bhuJjate bhartusH sA tu nityaM yudhiSThira And, O yudhiSThira, that obedient wife used every day to eat the orts of her husband's plate and,
03197012c daivataJM ca patimM mene bhartuz cittAnusAriNI always conducting herself in obedience to the wishes of the lord,
03197013a na karmaNA na manasA nAtyaznAn nApi cApibat
03197013c taM sarvabhAvopagatA patizuzrUSaNe ratA that lady ever regarded her husband, and all her heart's affections inclined towards her lord.
03197014a sAdhvAcArA zucir dakSA kuTumbasya hitaiSiNI Of various and holy behaviour and skilful in all domestic duties and attentive to all her relatives,
03197014c bhartuz cApi hitaM yat tat satataM sAnuvartate she always did what was agreeable and beneficial to her husband
03197015a devatAtithibhRtyAnAM zvazrUzvazurayos tathA And she also, to the worship of the gods and the wants of guests and servants and her mother-in-law and father-in-law,
03197015c zuzrUSaNaparA nityaM satataM saMyatendriyA with subdued senses attended.
03197016a sA brAhmaNanM tadA dRSTvA saMsthitamM bhaikSakAGkSiNam And she beheld that brAhmaNa waiting for alms,
03197016c kurvatI patizuzrUSAM sasmArAtha zubhekSaNA while she was still engaged in waiting upon her lord, that lady of handsome eyes.
03197017a vrIDitA sAbhavat sAdhvI tadA bharatasattama and beholding him, she remembered that she had asked him to wait. And remembering all this, she felt abashed, O thou foremost of the bharatas.
03197017c bhikSAm AdAya viprAya nirjagAma yazasvinI And then that chaste woman possessed of great fame, took something for alms and went out, for giving it unto that brAhmaNa.
03197018 brAhmaNa uvAca And when she came before him, the brAhmaNa said,
03197018a kim idamM bhavati tvamM mAnM tiSThety uktvA varAGgane 'O best of women, O blessed one, I am surprised at thy conduct! Having requested me to wait saying, 'Stay'
03197018c uparodhaGM kRtavatI na visarjitavaty asi thou didst not dismiss me!'
03197019 mArkaNDeya uvAca 'Markandeya continued,
03197019a brAhmaNaGM krodhasanMtaptaJM jvalantam iva tejasA 'Beholding that brAhmaNa filled with wrath and blazing with his energy,
03197019c dRSTvA sAdhvI manuSyendra sAntvapUrvaM vaco 'bravIt O lord of men, that chaste woman began to conciliate him and said,
03197020a kSantum arhasi me vipra bhartA me daivatamM mahat 'O learned one, it behoveth thee to forgive me. My husband is my supreme god.
03197020c sa cApi kSudhitazH zrAntaH prAptaH zuzrUSito mayA He came hungry and tired and was being served and waited upon by me.'
03197021 brAhmaNa uvAca Hearing this, the brAhmaNa said,
03197021a brAhmaNA na garIyAMso garIyAMs te patiH kRtaH 'With thee brAhmaNas are not worthy of superior regard. Exaltest thou thy husband above them?
03197021c gRhasthadharme vartantI brAhmaNAn avamanyase Leading a domestic life, dost thou disregard brAhmaNas?
03197022a indro 'py eSAmM praNamate kimM punar mAnuSA bhuvi indra himself boweth down unto them, what shall I say of men on earth.
03197022c avalipte na jAnISe vRddhAnAnM na zrutanM tvayA Proud woman, dost thou not know it, hast thou never heard it,
03197022e brAhmaNA hy agnisadRzA daheyuH pRthivIm api that the brAhmaNas are like fire and may consume the entire earth?'
