My adaptation of Madālasā's Lullaby from the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. Please enjoy! 🎶
Find it on YouTube here:
A small thread about the lullaby in context. 1/5
#Sanskrit
Find it on YouTube here:
A small thread about the lullaby in context. 1/5
#Sanskrit
In this section of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Queen Madālasā and King Ṛtadhvaja have 4 sons. After the birth of the 1st 3 sons, Madālasā laughs at Ṛtadhvaja for having given them “useless” names, Vikrānta (victorious), Subāhu (strong), & Śatrumardana (destroyer of enemies). 2/5
Since she chastised him, the king asks her to name their fourth son. She names him Alarka (mad dog). This baffles the king, but Madālasā explains why these names are all equally meaningless, since they do not manifest particular personalities/professions. 3/5
Madālasā famously sings a lullaby to her first three children when they cry upon hearing their names for the first time, where she imparts to them the knowledge that they are pure, taintless consciousness. She teaches Alarka, on the other hand, about dharma and statecraft. 4/5
Ironically, the first three sons (whose names were fitting for warriors) become sannyāsins (renunciates), and Alarka becomes the king. This section importantly brings us the spiritually enlightened voice of one of the most respected women in Purāṇic literature. 5/5
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