मार्कण्डेय उवाच
पुलस्त्यस्य तु यः क्रोधाद् अर्धदेहो ऽभवन् मुनिः ॥
विश्रवा नाम सक्रोधः स वैश्रवणम् ऐक्षत ॥
बुबुधे तं तु सक्रोधं पितरं राक्षसेश्वरः ॥
कुबेरस् तत्प्रसादार्थं यतते स्म सदा नृप ॥
स राजराजो लङ्कायां निवसन् नरवाहनः ॥
राक्षसीः प्रददौ तिस्रः पितुर् वै परिचारिकाः ॥
तास् तदा तं महात्मानं संतोषयितुम् उद्यताः ॥
ऋषिं भरतशार्दूल नृत्तगीतविशारदाः ॥
पुष्पोत्कटा च राका च मालिनी च विशां पते ॥
अन्योन्यस्पर्धया राजञ् श्रेयस्कामाः सुमध्यमाः ॥
तासां स भगवांस् तुष्टो महात्मा प्रददौ वरान् ॥
लोकपालोपमान् पुत्रान् एकैकस्या यथेप्सितान् ॥
पुष्पोत्कटायां जज्ञाते द्वौ पुत्रौ राक्षसेश्वरौ ॥
कुम्भकर्णदशग्रीवौ बलेनाप्रतिमौ भुवि ॥
मालिनी जनयाम् आस पुत्रम् एकं विभीषणम् ॥
राकायां मिथुनं जज्ञे खरः शूर्पणखा तथा ॥
विभीषणस् तु रूपेण सर्वेभ्यो ऽभ्यधिको ऽभवत् ॥
स बभूव महाभागो धर्मगोप्ता क्रियारतिः ॥
दशग्रीवस् तु सर्वेषां ज्येष्ठो राक्षसपुंगवः ॥
महोत्साहो महावीर्यो महासत्त्वपराक्रमः ॥
कुम्भकर्णो बलेनासीत् सर्वेभ्यो ऽभ्यधिकस् तदा ॥
मायावी रणशौण्डश् च रौद्रश् च रजनीचरः ॥
खरो धनुषि विक्रान्तो ब्रह्मद्विट् पिशिताशनः ॥
सिद्धविघ्नकरी चापि रौद्रा शूर्पणखा तथा ॥
सर्वे वेदविदः शूराः सर्वे सुचरितव्रताः ॥
ऊषुः पित्रा सह रता गन्धमादनपर्वते ॥
ततो वैश्रवणं तत्र ददृशुर् नरवाहनम् ॥
पित्रा सार्धं समासीनम् ऋद्ध्या परमया युतम् ॥
जातस्पर्धास् ततस् ते तु तपसे धृतनिश्चयाः ॥
ब्रह्माणं तोषयाम् आसुर् घोरेण तपसा तदा ॥
अतिष्ठद् एकपादेन सहस्रं परिवत्सरान् ॥
वायुभक्षो दशग्रीवः पञ्चाग्निः सुसमाहितः ॥
अधःशायी कुम्भकर्णो यताहारो यतव्रतः ॥
विभीषणः शीर्णपर्णम् एकम् अभ्यवहारयत् ॥
उपवासरतिर् धीमान् सदा जप्यपरायणः ॥
तम् एव कालम् आतिष्ठत् तीव्रं तप उदारधीः ॥
खरः शूर्पणखा चैव तेषां वै तप्यतां तपः ॥
परिचर्यां च रक्षां च चक्रतुर् हृष्टमानसौ ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
pulastyasya tu yaḥ krodhād ardhadeho 'bhavan muniḥ ||
viśravā nāma sakrodhaḥ sa vaiśravaṇam aikṣata ||
bubudhe taṃ tu sakrodhaṃ pitaraṃ rākṣaseśvaraḥ ||
kuberas tatprasādārthaṃ yatate sma sadā nṛpa ||
sa rājarājo laṅkāyāṃ nivasan naravāhanaḥ ||
rākṣasīḥ pradadau tisraḥ pitur vai paricārikāḥ ||
tās tadā taṃ mahātmānaṃ saṃtoṣayitum udyatāḥ ||
ṛṣiṃ bharataśārdūla nṛttagītaviśāradāḥ ||
puṣpotkaṭā ca rākā ca mālinī ca viśāṃ pate ||
anyonyaspardhayā rājañ śreyaskāmāḥ sumadhyamāḥ ||
tāsāṃ sa bhagavāṃs tuṣṭo mahātmā pradadau varān ||
lokapālopamān putrān ekaikasyā yathepsitān ||
puṣpotkaṭāyāṃ jajñāte dvau putrau rākṣaseśvarau ||
kumbhakarṇadaśagrīvau balenāpratimau bhuvi ||
mālinī janayām āsa putram ekaṃ vibhīṣaṇam ||
rākāyāṃ mithunaṃ jajñe kharaḥ śūrpaṇakhā tathā ||
vibhīṣaṇas tu rūpeṇa sarvebhyo 'bhyadhiko 'bhavat ||
sa babhūva mahābhāgo dharmagoptā kriyāratiḥ ||
daśagrīvas tu sarveṣāṃ jyeṣṭho rākṣasapuṃgavaḥ ||
mahotsāho mahāvīryo mahāsattvaparākramaḥ ||
kumbhakarṇo balenāsīt sarvebhyo 'bhyadhikas tadā ||
māyāvī raṇaśauṇḍaś ca raudraś ca rajanīcaraḥ ||
kharo dhanuṣi vikrānto brahmadviṭ piśitāśanaḥ ||
siddhavighnakarī cāpi raudrā śūrpaṇakhā tathā ||
sarve vedavidaḥ śūrāḥ sarve sucaritavratāḥ ||
ūṣuḥ pitrā saha ratā gandhamādanaparvate ||
tato vaiśravaṇaṃ tatra dadṛśur naravāhanam ||
pitrā sārdhaṃ samāsīnam ṛddhyā paramayā yutam ||
jātaspardhās tatas te tu tapase dhṛtaniścayāḥ ||
brahmāṇaṃ toṣayām āsur ghoreṇa tapasā tadā ||
atiṣṭhad ekapādena sahasraṃ parivatsarān ||
vāyubhakṣo daśagrīvaḥ pañcāgniḥ susamāhitaḥ ||
adhaḥśāyī kumbhakarṇo yatāhāro yatavrataḥ ||
vibhīṣaṇaḥ śīrṇaparṇam ekam abhyavahārayat ||
upavāsaratir dhīmān sadā japyaparāyaṇaḥ ||
tam eva kālam ātiṣṭhat tīvraṃ tapa udāradhīḥ ||
kharaḥ śūrpaṇakhā caiva teṣāṃ vai tapyatāṃ tapaḥ ||
paricaryāṃ ca rakṣāṃ ca cakratur hṛṣṭamānasau ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: 'The sage who, out of anger, became half of Pulastya's body — Viśravas — looked upon Vaiśravaṇa with anger. Kubera, lord of the rākṣasas, understood his father's anger and always strove to win his favor. Living in Laṅkā as the king of kings, borne by men, he gave his father three rākṣasī women as attendants. They strove to please the great sage, O bull of the Bharatas, being skilled in dance and song. Puṣpotkaṭā, Rākā, and Mālinī, O lord of men, lovely of waist, desiring good fortune, vied with one another. The blessed great soul was pleased with them and gave each the sons she desired, like the guardians of the world. To Puṣpotkaṭā were born two lords of the rākṣasas — Kumbhakarṇa and Daśagrīva — unequaled in strength on earth. Mālinī bore one son, Vibhīṣaṇa; to Rākā was born a pair — Khara and Śūrpaṇakhā. Vibhīṣaṇa surpassed all in beauty; he became a most fortunate guardian of dharma and a lover of ritual observance. Daśagrīva, best of the rākṣasas, was the eldest of them all, great in effort, great in strength, great in spirit and valor. Kumbhakarṇa then surpassed all in strength; he was a master of illusion, a lover of battle, and a fierce wanderer of the night. Khara was mighty with the bow, a hater of brāhmaṇas and an eater of flesh; the fierce Śūrpaṇakhā hindered the siddhas. All of them knew the Veda, were valiant, and kept good vows; they lived joyfully with their father on Mount Gandhamādana. Then they saw Vaiśravaṇa there, borne by men, seated with their father and possessed of supreme prosperity. Envy arose in them, and they resolved firmly to perform tapas. Then they set about pleasing Brahmā with terrible austerity. Daśagrīva stood a thousand years on one leg, feeding on air, composed amid the five fires. Kumbhakarṇa lay below, restraining his food and keeping his vow. Vibhīṣaṇa ate a single withered leaf; wise, delighting in fasting, ever devoted to japa, he passed that same time in severe austerity with a magnanimous mind. Khara and Śūrpaṇakhā, while the others performed their austerities, served and guarded them with joyful hearts.'
531443416777 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:27:38 PM UTC
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In one lineage, envy, strength, and dharma stand side by side. Vibhīṣaṇa shows that even birth among the rākṣasas does not force the mind to love adharma.