The Markandeya Purana, translated by Bibek Debroy
This is the eighth Purana I am reviewing, and it is a
Rajasika Purana as it goes into detail about the process of creation. It is the shortest Purana and is only
nine thousand shlokas long. This Purana talks in detail about a few unanswered questions from the
Mahabharata. When you read the Mahabharata, questions will start popping up like, ‘
Why did Draupadi have five husbands?’, ‘
Why did Draupadi’s sons die in the dead of night instead of on the battlefield?’ This Purana has answered these questions. It has many stories, but focuses more on the histories of the different
Manvantaras (duration of a Manu). The Markandeya Purana has
137 chapters. Towards the end of this Purana, it starts narrating stories of the goddess
Chandi. In the original text, this extends from chapter eighty-one to ninety-three.