Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 47: King Sumati Approaches Viśvāmitra
Text 1.47.3
प्रियं तु कर्तुमिच्छामि मम गर्भविपर्यये।
मरुतां सप्त सप्तानां स्थानपाला भवन्त्विमे॥
priyaṁ tu kartum icchāmi mama garbha-viparyaye
marutāṁ sapta saptānāṁ sthāna-pālā bhavantv ime
priyam tu = good; kartum = to do; icchāmi = I wish to; mama = my; garbha-viparyaye = damaged embryo; marutām = from which winds blow; sapta = seven portions of my embryo; saptānām = of the seven; sthāna-pālāḥ = the guardians of the regions; bhavantu = therefore, let become; ime = these.
I wish to do good to my damaged embryo. Therefore, let these seven portions of my embryo become the guardians of the seven regions from which winds blow.
The seven Mārutas who guard the seven regions from which winds blow are enlisted below:
gaganaḥ sparśano vāyur anilaś ca tathāparaḥ
prāṇaḥ prāṇeśvaro jīva ity ete sapta mārutāḥ
“The seven Mārutas are: Gagana, Sparśana, Vāyu, Anila, Prāṇa, Prāṇeśvara and Jīva.”
The Viṣṇu Purāṇa, however, provides a different list of seven Mārutas: āvaha-pravaha-saṁvahodvaha-vivaha-parivaha-parāvahāḥ sapta mārutāḥ—“The seven maruts are Āvaha, Pravaha, Saṁvaha, Udvaha, Vivaha, Parivaha and Parāvaha.”