Madalasa Upadesh – Markandeya Purana

Poem - Madalasopaakhyan Ullapangeetam
Recited by - Queen Madalasa
Recited to - Vikrant (her son)
Source - Markandeya Purana Ch.25
Language - Sanskrit

Madalasa was a learnt queen in the Markandeya Purana ,who gave birth to four sons – Vikrant,  Subahu, Shatrumardana, and Alarka. When the kids cried Madalasa introduces them to the divine and unmanifested truth. Madalasa explains to her son that their body and name is just and illusion , the whole world is just and illusion. So there should be no reason for crying.

Lyrics and Meaning in English and Sanskrit

सा वै मदालसा पुत्रं बालमुत्तनशायिनम् ।
उल्लापनच्छलेनाह रुदमनमविस्वरम् ॥ १०॥

saa vai madalasa putram baalmuttanashaayinam
ullapanachhlenaaha rudamanmaviswaram

While her baby son lying on her lap was unmelodiously crying Madlasa for soothing him said:

शुद्धोसि बुद्धोसि निरँजनोऽसि
सँसारमाया परिवर्जितोऽसि
सँसारस्वप्नँ त्यज मोहनिद्राँ
मँदालसोल्लपमुवाच पुत्रम्।

Suddhosi bubbhosi niranjanosi
samsara maya parivarjitosi
samsara svapnam tyaja moha nidra
mandalasollapamuvacha putram

Meaning: Madalasa says to her crying son: “You are pure, Enlightened, and spotless. Leave the illusion of the world and wake up from this deep slumber of delusion.”

शुद्धोऽसि रे तात न तेऽस्ति नाम
कृतँ हि तत्कल्पनयाधुनैव।
पच्चात्मकँ देहँ इदँ न तेऽस्ति
नैवास्य त्वँ रोदिषि कस्य हेतो॥

śuddho’si re tāta na te’sti nāma
kṛtaɱ hi tatkalpanayādhunaiva|
paccātmakaɱ dehaɱ idaɱ na te’sti
naivāsya tvaɱ rodiṣi kasya heto||

Meaning: My Child, you are Ever Pure! You do not have a name. A name is only an imaginary superimposition on you. This body made of five elements is not you nor do you belong to it. This being so, what can be a reason for your crying?

न वै भवान् रोदिति विक्ष्वजन्मा
शब्दोयमायाध्य महीश सूनूम्।
विकल्पयमानो विविधैर्गुणैस्ते
गुणाश्च भौताः सकलेन्दियेषु॥

na vai bhavan roditi vikshvajanma
shabdoyamayadhya mahisha sunum|
vikalpayamano vividhairgunaiste
gunascha bhautah sakalendiyeshu||

Meaning: The essence of the universe does not cry in reality. All is a Maya of words, oh Prince! Please understand this. The various qualities you seem to have are just your imaginations, they belong to the elements that make the senses (and have nothing to do with you).

भूतनि भूतैः परिदुर्बलानि
वृद्धिँ समायाति यथेह पुँसः।
अन्नाम्बुपानादिभिरेव तस्मात्
न तेस्ति वृद्धिर् न च तेस्ति हानिः॥

bhutani bhutaih paridurbalani
vriddhim samayati yatheha pumsah|
annambupanadibhireva tasmat
na testi vriddhir na cha testi hanih||

Meaning: The Elements [that make this body] grow with the accumulation of more elements or reduce in size if some elements are taken away. This is what is seen in a body’s growing in size or becoming lean depending upon the consumption of food, water, etc. You do not have growth or decay.

त्वम् कँचुके शीर्यमाणे निजोस्मिन्
तस्मिन् देहे मूढताँ मा व्रजेथाः।
शुभाशुभौः कर्मभिर्देहमेतत्
मृदादिभिः कँचुकस्ते पिनद्धः॥

tvam kamchuke shiryamane nijosmin
tasmin dehe mudhatam ma vrajethah|
shubhashubhauh karmabhirdehametat
mridadibhih kamchukaste pinaddhah||

Meaning: You are in the body which is like a jacket that gets worn out day by day. Do not have the wrong notion that you are the body. This body is like a jacket that you are tied to, for the fructification of the good and bad karmas.

तातेति किँचित् तनयेति किँचित्
अँबेति किँचिद्धयितेति किँचित्।
ममेति किँचित् न ममेति किँचित्
त्वम् भूतसँघँ बहु म नयेथाः॥

tateti kimchit tanayeti kimchit
ambeti kimchiddhayiteti kimchit|
mameti kimchit na mameti kimchit
tvam bhutasamgham bahu ma nayethah||

Meaning: Some may refer to you are Father and some others may refer to you as a Son or some may refer to you as a mother and someone else may refer to you as a wife. some say “you are mine” and some others say “you are not mine” These are all references to this “Combination of Physical Elements”, Do not identify with them.

सुखानि दुःखोपशमाय भोगान्
सुखाय जानाति विमूढचेताः।
तान्येव दुःखानि पुनः सुखानि
जानाति विद्धनविमूढचेताः॥

sukhani duhkhopashamaya bhogan
sukhaya janati vimudhachetah|
tanyeva duhkhani punah sukhani
janati viddhanavimudhachetah||

Meaning: The deluded look at objects of enjoyments as giving happiness by removing the unhappiness. The wise clearly see that the same object which gives happiness now will become a source of unhappiness.

यानँ चित्तौ तत्र गतश्च देहो
देहोपि चान्यः पुरुषो निविष्ठः।
ममत्वमुरोया न यथ तथास्मिन्
देहेति मात्रँ बत मूढरौष।

yanam chittau tatra gatascha deho
dehopi chanyah purusho nivishthah|
mamatvamuroya na yatha tathasmin
deheti matram bata mudharausha|

Meaning: The vehicle that moves on the ground is different from the person in it similarly this body is also different from the person who is inside! The owner of the body is different from the body! Ah, how foolish it is to think I am the body!

त्यज धर्ममधर्मञ्च उभे सत्यानृते त्यज ।
उभे सत्यानृते त्यक्त्वा येन त्यजसि तत्त्यज ॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणान्तर्गतं मदालसोपाख्याने बालोल्लापनगीतम् समाप्ता ॥

Tyaj dharmadharmanj ubhai satyaanrite tyaj 
ubhei satyanrite tyaktva yen tyajasi tatyaj

iti shrimarkandeyapuranantargatam madalasopakhyane balollapangeetam samaptama