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Krishna as Vatapathra-Shayee lying on a banyan leaf, sucking his toe

"Why do the best of the sages reject even heavenly nectar and instead drink the water from My lotus feet?"

Thinking thus, Bala-Mukunda eagerly sucks His own lotus foot.

Checking For Himself The Sweetness of His Own Toe, Wondering What Makes People Drink the Water Touched by It

(The Lord and His Maya)

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The Pralaya (Deluge) or Maya

Witnessed

by the sage MarkaNdeya

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Dear All:

Dr. Mahadevan had the following query about Pralaya after I sent out the recent

email on End of Men and the Hindu view of Kaliyuga. I have pasted his question

below. Here is (a part of) the story.

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Dear Laxmanan,

Thanks for the article on Kali Yuga. I am not sure if the end of Men is here.

Obviously changes are happening with women doing things that were unheard of

in our mother's time.( or yours). These discussions are needed and to attract

audiences a provocative title is used.

I have one more request for you. It is said the Lord Vishnu or Baby Lord swallows

the Universe at the end of the Yugas and lies on a leaf. Can you please say more

about this esp in Bhagavatam or other Epics?

Mahadevan ****************************************************************************************************

The scene alluded to here, the Lord lying on a fig leaf, is described most eloquently in the Bala Mukundashtakam. I have reproduced the first verse of this stotram (which has 8, ashta, verses, hence Ashtakam). http://www.celextel.org/stotras/vishnu/balamukundashtakam.html Kararavindena padaravindham Mukharavinde vinivesayantham l Vatasya patrasya pute shayanam Balam mukundam mansa smarami ll 1 ll With my mind I think of that child Mukunda*, Who with his lotus like hand catches his lotus like feet, And brings it near his lotus like face and steals our heart, And sleeps peacefully on a banyan leaf. The poet describes the Lord Mukunda who appears as a Baby. The ending "da" in a word signifies giving, like Varada, which means giving Varam (a

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boon). There are many such words, sukhada (happiness), dhanada (wealth), abhayada (shelter, or fearlessness), and so on. Likewise, the word Mukunda means one who gives Moksha - mumocati iti Mukunda or moksham dadati iti Mukunda. The poet then describes for us this divine Baby. The most interesting is the description in the third line - He is lying (shayaanam) on a huge fig leaf, or the leaf (patra) of a banyan tree (vata). As He lies on this leaf, like all babies do (only when we are babies we can do this, as adults hardly anyone can attempt it), He takes His beautiful feet, with His beautiful hands, and inserts it into His beautiful mouth. Each of these limbs of the body is compared to a lotus. A lotus (aravinda) is an extremely enchanting flower, so mukharavindam, padaravinda, and kararavinda. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, this scene was witnessed by the sage Markandeya at the end of Pralaya.

Question posed by the sages of NaimisharaNya

MarkaNdeya meets Bhagavan as Nara and NarayaNa The tale of this sage witnessing Pralaya was known and the rishis of the forest resort known as Naimisharanya, who were listening to the narration of the Bhagavatam by Sootha Maharishi, asked the sage about this. They said, "As far as we all know, the sage Markandeya was born in this kalpa (the day of Brahma is known as a kalpa) that we are living in. He was born in the family of the sage Bhrugu. As far as we know, in this kalpa, no one has witnessed any pralaya. How is it possible then that this sage witnessed Pralaya and also saw the Lord lying with His back on the banyan leaf? Could you please explain this to us, O great Sootha?" Sootha Maharshi then tells the story of the sage Markandeya. He says, "You have asked me a very beautiful question which will help clear the doubts and confusion in the minds of many (loka bramaapaha). Wherever the stories of the Lord Narayana are sung, the blemishes and impurities and dirts acquired during Kaliyuga (Kali mala) are also cleansed. Narayana kathaa yatra geetaa kalimalaapahaa". Before we proceed with the narration, let us review the cosmic time scale briefly, during which pralaya (dissolution, or what is known as deluge) occurs. A day in the life of Brahma is known as kalpa. Each kalpa has a

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name, like each day of the week has a name. The kalpa that we all live in is called the Shewta varaha kalpa since Bhagavan appeared as Varaha to rescue the earth from the waters of pralaya. The first human couple (created by Brahma, they appeared from his nostrils when Brahma was breathing and in yoga nidra), Swayambhu and Shataroopa, asked Brahma to provide them with a place to stay so that they could fulfill his command (to them) of creating progeny. So, Brahma started meditating once again upon the Lord and He appeared as Varaha and lifted the earth out of the waters of pralaya that were everywhere. Bhagavan always comes to Brahma's rescue to move the process of creation forward. Swayambhu, the first male created by Brahma, thus was the first Manu. The time duration (antara) of the reign of one Manu is called a

Brahma’s life span:

100 years = 36,000 kalpas = 100 times 360 kalpas per year.

One kalpa is a day in the life of Brahma.

Brahma starts creating at the beginning of each kalpa,

because at the end of each day of Brahma (kalpa), his

creation is dissolved, destroyed, etc. This is known as

pralaya – it refers to the end of Brahma’s creation but

Brahma himself still lives.

Brahma creates the first human couple- a male and a

female - at the beginning of each kalpa. The male is called

the Manu. He is the lawgiver for humans. The first Manu

(Swayambhu) and his wife (Shataroopa) begin the process

of procreation via sexual intercourse. Each Manu reigns for

a very long time, according to human reckoning. There are

a total of 14 Manus in one day of Brahma, or kalpa.

The duration of one kalpa is 1000 Chaturyugas. Hence

the duration of one Manvantara, the reign of one Manu

equals 71 Chaturyugas +( 6/14) Chaturyuga. There is a

smooth transition from one Manvantra to the next (like

changing of head of states like Presidents, or PMs). There

is no pralaya at the end of each Manvantara. There is a

pralaya only at the end of each kalpa – the day of Brahma.

Mahapralaya is the Great pralaya at the end of

Brahma’s lifespan of 36,000 kalpas. Now even Brahma

disappears. Not only that all that The Supreme Being who

created Brahma, known as Bhagavan in the Srimad

Bhagavatam, also disappears. Then, when Bhagavan wills,

He starts the creation – to prepare the way for Brahma and

equip Brahma with all the tools needed to create. So, we

must distinguish between Bhagavan’s creation (also called

the Mahattatva) and Brahma’s creation. Chapter 7, verse 4

of the Bhagavad Gita provides a brief description of the

eight components of Prakriti that Bhagavan creates before

He turns over the further job of creation to Brahma.

The first of the four verses known as Chatuhshlokee

Bhagavatam captures the essence of what exists before and

after ALL creation vanishes (Mahapralaya).

Aham evaasam evaagre naanyat sadasad param l Pashcaadaham yadetadca sOvashiyeta sOsmyaham ll

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Manvantara. There are 14 Manus in one kalpa and we now live in the reign of the 7th Manu. In other words, six Manvantaras have elapsed. When Sootha Mahrishi narrates the story, he mentions (verse 14, chapter 18, Canto 12) that the sage Markandeya conquered death and lived a very long life since he was always worshiping the Lord Hrishikesha and performing austerities (tapas) and diligently pursued the knowledge of self-realization (swadhyaaya) that he had received from his father (verse 11 and verse 7). All the celestials like Brahma, Shiva, Bhrugu, Daksha, all the sons of Brahma and the prajapatis, all the devas, humans, and all the kings all over, were wonder struck by this great accomplishment by Markandeya, so much so that a time of six Manvataras had elasped and the sage Markandeya continued in his great yogic practices (his tapas, swadhyaaya and samyama, verse 13) and became freed of all distress (klesha) and attained absolute peace by engaging his body, mind and soul fully in Adhokshaja (one of the names of the Lord). Here it should be mentioned that there are 1000 Chaturyugas in one kalpa - the day of Brahma. Chaturyuga means four yugas - Satya (or Kruta), Treta (when Lord Rama appeared), Dwapara (when Krishna appeared) and Kaliyuga. The duration of Kaliyua is 432,000 years, Dwapara 864,000 years (two times Kali), Treta 1,296,000 years (three times Kali) and Kruta 1,728,000 years (four times Kali). Hence, the duration of one Chaturyuga is 4.32 million years (10 times Kali). This cycle of Chaturyugas keeps repeating 1000 times, with Kali transitioning into Satya (or Kruta) and so on. Hence, the total duration of Brahma's day is 4.32 billion years. Since there are 14 Manus ruling over 1000 Chaturyugas (like many Presidents in a century, with each President ruling for one 4 year term at a time), the time duration known of one Manvantara is 71 Chaturyugas plus 6/14 of a Chaturyuga. One Manu is replaced by another Manu after 71.429 chaturyuas - i.e., between the 71st and the 72nd Chaturyuga, like we replace a President after a new year has started, in the month of January. There is no pralaya (dissolution or deluge) between the Manvantaras and life on earth continues with the cycles of four yugas repeating over and over until all 1000 Chaturyugas are completed. We are now in the 28th Kaliyuga of the 7th Manu (our Manvantara is called Vaisvata manvantara, since our Manu is the son of Vivaswaan, the sun God). Also, it should be noted that Brahma lives for 100 years, each

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Brahma year being made up of 360 kalpas, as just described. At the end of his 36,000 kalpas, which is a very long period by human reckoning, even Brahma dies and everything disappears. This is called Mahapralaya. When Brahma dies there is nothing, only Bhagavan! It is Bhagavan who created Brahma and He then recreates Brahma when He desires that there be creation - that this Universe exist. The first of the four slokas, considered to be very essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam, a direct narration by Bhagavan to Brahma, states this succinctly, and is given below. Aham evaasam evaagre naanyat sadasad param l Tasmaat aham yadetatca yOvashishyeta sOsmyaham ll 2.9.32 ll SB Bhagavan tells Brahma, "Aham eva aasam, only I existed, in the very beginning (eva agre). There is nothing else, no one else, the manifest (sat) or the unmanifest (asat) beyond Me. And so I transcend everything and everyone. Then came this (Universe and you, Brahma). What will be left at the end (when all is dissolved and disappears) is also just Me." This is the ultimate teaching of our Santana dharma. Brahma, whom we think of as the creator, has a finite life span, although to us humans it might appear to be very long, almost infinite, just like a billionaire is unimaginably rich compared to a poor man, or even a millionaire or those who consider themselves to be well off. But, we also know that even billionaires have a finite amount of money and cannot, for example, pay off the US national debt which is now close to 15 trillion dollars. There are not enough billionaires who are wealthy enough to donate their money to pay off this debt. But, even that is a finite amount of money because someday that debt too will be paid off, must be paid off, for the US to exist and remain solvent. Far beyond all of this is what we mean by infinite - the infinitely opulent - Bhagavan Himself. He transcends all - even Brahma, whom we all foolishly think of as the creator. Brahma is like an expert cook, or a chef, entrusted with the task of preparing a great meal for a great banquet. This chef needs a kitchen, all the ingredients to prepare the food, all the utensils that will be used, all the

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means of cooking (energy, fire, air, etc.). Not only that, the kitchen itself must be created first. For the kitchen to be created a place must be created for the kitchen. What do we mean by a place for the kitchen? This too must be created. Now, it is easy to see that the chef is not doing any marvels although we all definitely enjoy the great banquet. The chef was blessed to have a fully furnished kitchen in the first place. Likewise, before Brahma started creating, and what we think of as creation (Mother nature) began to appear, Bhagavan equipped Brahma with a kitchen, and all the tools needs for the kitchen to work. But, the chef must have some special skills to succeed after being put in the kitchen. The chef must have what we call culinary skills. Well, Brahma was also provided these skills by Bhagavan. The Vedas, which existed even when there was no Brahma and no creation, were downloaded into Brahma by Bhagavan. This is how Brahma was able to begin his task of creation. Before Brahma could create, Bhagavan created everything that Brahma needed to succeed. During Mahapralaya, at the end of Brahma's life, even Bhagavan's creation disappears. All that remains is Bhagavan. Aham eva aasam evaagre naanyat. What is known as pralaya is the disappearance of Brahma's creation (see box). Brahma starts creating at the beginning of each kalpa. So, we can think of pralayas as "mini" events compared to Mahapralaya when Brahma himself is gone and Bhagavan has to first do His part of creation, then create Brahma, and turn over the rest of the job to Brahma - kind of like the President hiring a chef for preparing the food for a Presidential banquet and then making the White House kitchen available to the chef. So, now we know the difference between Brahma's creation and Bhagavan's creation. There is a "mini" dissolution, or pralaya, at the end of each kalpa, when Brahma continues to live but all of his creation is dissolved. Then at the end of Brahma's life (36,000 kalpas), Brahma also disappears and everything is gone - like the disappearance of the kitchen, not only that, the disappearance of the White House, not only that, the disappearance of Washington DC, not just that, the disappearance of the whole of USA, not just that, the disappearance of this whole Earth, not just that, the disappearance of this whole solar system, not just that, the whole Milky Way galaxy, not just that, all of the galaxies, not just that the whole Universe. But, Bhagavan still exists - yOvashiyeta sOsmyaham.

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What happens, what exists, what is created, we can only marvel. This is the Hindu view of cosmology as told in the Srimad Bhagavatam. So, with this brief (and imperfect) background of the cosmic timescales, let's return to our story of Markandeya and what he witnessed and how Bala Mukunda appeared as a Baby lying on the leaf of the banyan tree. Everyone marvelled at the accomplishments of the sage Markandeya. He lived through the six manvantaras and the 7th manvantara started. (Remember we are in the 28th Kaliyuga of the 71 Kaliyugas that will pass in this Manvantara, when the Manu is the sun of Vivaswaan.) Indra found out about this sage Markandeya and feared that the sage might gain so much punyas (merits) that he could take away his own position. So, as he was used to doing, he sent many beautiful apsaras (celestial damsels who are unimaginably beautiful, a very beautiful woman is called an apsara and even greater than that is Mohini, the female incarnation of Mahavishnu) to disturb the sage's penances. Gandharvas (celestial musicians) were deputed to go to the sage's ashrams to disturb him with their melodious music, he deputed vasantha ruthu (spring season), kama (cupid), the beautiful soothing wind known as Malaya, and all other types of temptations like lobha (greed) and madha (pride, arrogance) to enchant and disturb the sage. Greed, pride, arrogance, lust (kama, or desire) are all emotions and one might why we are talking about them like they were people or some human entities. They had to be sent too since they too had disappeared due the sage Markandeya's diligent pursuit of yoga, summarized by tapas-swadhyaaya-samyama. Such a yogi can banish all these emotions and they too have to be recreated and are also at Indra's disposal, not just the apsaras and the gandharvaas. But, try what they may they all failed. Cupid could not disturb him. The apsaras could not. The gandharvas could not. None of the other temptations, the beautiful soothing wind, etc. could do a thing. Indra himself was taken aback and totally surprised at this utter failure (verse 31, chapter 18, Canto 12). At that point, after seeing the entire cittam (body, mind and soul) of the sage so fully engaged (yunjita cittam), Nara and NarayaNa, the Supreme Personality called Nara and the Lord Narayana, both decided to appear with a view to shower Their grace (anugrahaaya).

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Tasyaivam yunjita cittam tapas-swadhyaaya-samyamaih l Anugrahaaya aaviraaseen Nara-narayaNo Harihi ll 12.9.32 ll SB When Bhagavan, as Nara and Narayana, appeared in front of sage Markandeya, he saw them (drushtvaa) got up (utthaaya) and with great reverence (ucchai aadareNa ) bowed to them (nanaama) using his whole body (angena) by falling and prostrating at their feet like a pole that had been felled (dandavat). Te vai Bhagavato roopay Nara-NaraayaNavrushee l Drushtvotthaayaa dareNOccair nanaamaangena dandavat ll 12.9.35 ll SB With the usage of "te" and "roopay", which are both dual forms of the pronoun that and the noun roopam, it is quite clear that Bhagavan appear in the twin form of the two rishis known as Nara and NarayaNa, in front of the sage MarkaNdeya. This further clarified by Bhagavto - one Bhagavan, appearing as two. The sage MarkaNdeya repeatedly bowed to them and offered them all the honors due to an exalted guest and offered them a seat, washed their feet, and started extolling them with ten divine stotrams (verses 40 to 49). The first verse is interesting since the sage who could not be distrubed in any way and who obviously felt the presence of Nara and NarayaNa, says, "How can I describe your opulence. The manas (mind) and the indriyas (all sensory perceptions and sensory organs) follow you and work at your command..." He goes on but this first statement is revealing and agrees with what we learn from our study of the Bhagavad Gita. We can realize Him, says Krishna, if we can control the indriyaas, the manas, and the buddhi. This is stated repeated in many places in chapter 2, in chapter 3, and again in chapter 6. Conversely, in the presence of Bhagavan, even a great yogi like the sage MarkaNdeya is awakened and all these perceptions are again activated (samspandate) to enjoy the presence of Bhagavan. Kim varNaye tava vibho yadudeeritOsuhu Samspandate tamanu vaang-mana-indriyaaNi l Spandanti vai tanubhrutaam ajasharvayoshca Swasyaapyathaapi bhajataamasi bhaavabandhuhu ll 12.9.40 ll SB

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It is also interesting that the verb used here is "spanda", the same verb used by Adi Sankara in the very first verse of Soundarya Lahari - na khalu kushalahaa spanditumapi. Only if the energy (shakti) of Shivaa (devi) is imbued does Lord Shiva become capable of creating, without it he cannot be flutter, or move (spanditumapi), a bit. Here too, MarkaNdeya refers to Brahma (aja) and Shiva (sharva). They too are activated (spandanti vai), as are all living beings that are embodied (tanu bhrutaam), and so am I, by Your Divine grace and that is how we gain the ability to sing Thy praises (bhajataamasi), worship You, and engage all of our emotions (bhaavvabandhu) into You. Conversely, this is what we all must be able to do if we hope to experience what sage MarkaNedya seems to be experiencing. Even the apsaras, gandharvas, and all of the temptations that Indra could muster could not disturb the sage and his cittam but when the Lord Hari appeared in front of him as Nara and NarayaNa, all of his senses, mind, body, and soul got activated and he engaged himself in prayer. After the sage finished his stuti, Bhagavan started speaking and told the sage that they were very pleased with him and told the sage to ask for a boon (Canto 12, chapter 19, verse 3). Now we are in the next chapter of the MarkaNdeya story in Srimad Bhagavatam. The 18th chapter ends with the sage's stuti (prayers and worship). We will continue the story in the next installment. The sage MarkaNdeya was great yogi who conquered even death, lived through six Manvantaras and when Indra tried to disturb him (at the start of the 7th Manvantara, in which we also live but in the 28th Kaliyuga of the 7th Manvantara), he defied all the temptations. As soon as Bhagavan appeared in front of him, as Nara and NarayaNa, he was awakened from his penances, extolled Bhagavan, and was commanded to ask for a boon. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan September 16, 2011

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MarkaNdeya asks for his boon as commanded by Bhagavan Dear All: This is the second installment of the story of the sage MarkaNdeya. The capital N is used here to emphasize the “n” sound as in words like VishNu or GaNesha, or the second “n” in NarayaNa. According to the story, as told in Canto 12, chapter 8, of the Srimad Bhagavatam, this sage was great yogi who conquered even death, lived through six Manvantaras, the duration of time over which six Manus reign, i.e. for millions of years. As mentioned before, 14 Manus rule in each day of Brahma (a kalpa). Each kalpa lasts for 1000 Chaturyugas. Now, 1000 divided by 14 yields 71 with a remainder of 6. Hence, each Manu reigns for 71 + (6/14) Chaturyugas. Each Chaturyuga, the cycle of four yugas (Kruta or Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali) lasts for 4.32 million years. The term Mahayuga is sometimes used instead of the more descriptive Chaturyuga. There is a smooth transition from one Chaturyuga to the next and from the reign of one Manu (Manvantara) to the next. There is no pralaya (dissolution or deluge) between Manvantaras, as some posts on the Internet seem to opine. Thus, MarkaNdeya had already lived for nearly (4.32 × 71.428571) × 6 = 1.85 billion years, give and take a few thousand, depending on when exactly he appeared in Brahma’s present kalpa! Now, Indra got worried and felt that MarkaNdenya might acquire enough yogic power to displace him. When Indra tried to disturb his penances (at the start of the 7th Manvantara, we are living in the 28th Kaliyuga of the 7th Manvantara), MarkaNdeya defied all the temptations. Finally, after all of Indra’s efforts had failed, Bhagavan appeared in front of MarkaNdeya, as Nara and NarayaNa. This immediately awakened MarkaNdeya from his penances. He then paid all due respects to Bhagavan for visiting his hermitage and extolled Bhagavan with a great hymn. He was then commanded by Bhagavan to ask for a boon. The sage MarkaNdeya then addresses Bhagavan, as follows, with three slokas in which he asks for his boon. He had previsouly extolled Bhagavan with 10 beautiful slokas in chapter 8.

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Rishir uvaca Jitam te devadevesha Prapannartiharaacyuta l VareNaitaavataalam no yad Bhavaan samdrushyata ll 12.9.4 ll SB Gruheetvaajaadayo yasya Shreemadpaadaabja darshanam l Manasaa yogapakvena sa Bhavaan mayksha-gocarahaa ll 12.9.5 ll SB Athaapyambhujapatraaksha PuNyashlokashikaamaNe l Drakshye Maayaam yayaa lokahaa sapaalo veda sadbhidaam ll 12.9.6 ll SB Most of the words here are descriptions praising Bhagavan, used by MarkaNdeya to address Him. In the first of these slokas, we have four: Devadevesha (the greatest of the God of the Gods), Prapannartihara (One who relieves the distress of those who have taking refuge in Him) Acyuta (One who is never fallen, in the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna addresses KrishNa as Acyuta, in chapter 1, verse 21, when he commands Krishna to place his chariot between the two armies; Prabhupada comments on the meaning of Acyuta in this context) and Bhavaan (the Exalted One). Bhagavan Himself has appeared (samadrushyata). This is a vara (boon) in itself. What more is needed, asks MarkaNdeya? All glories to You (jitam te), may You always be victorious, like we say “Jai jai ho”, in Hindi. Or, Jai Ram, Jai Sriman Narayana, Jai Hanuman, Jaya jaya Shankara, etc. MarkaNdeya says jitam te in the same way. He continues the same thought in the next verse. Aja is commonly used to refer to Brahma. It means “One who is unborn”. For all of us, Brahma is practically speaking the unborn one because he is always there, till the end of each kalpa and even beyond (for a total of 36,000 kalpas, Brahma’s life span). Ajaadayao means Brahma, Shiva, and all the other celestials. These celestials received the divine darshanam (blessing to see) of the lotus feet (padaabja) of Bhagavan. They were able to contemplate on these lotus feet using their mind (manasaa) and with the full ripening (pakvena) of their yogic power. In other words, these celestials are always able to either have the direct darshanam of the lotus feet of Bhagavan or they can envision these lotus feet at all times with their yogic powers. MarkaNdeya says now the same lotus feet have come in the path of my sight. Indeed,

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not just the lotus feet but Thy full exalted self – Bhavaan mayksha gocarahaa. Referring to Lord Jagannatha (of Puri, in Orissa), His devotees say Jagannatha swami nayanapathagaami – One who is encountered in the path of the eyes – sadaa bhavatu may – let Him always be so, let Him always be in the path of my eyes; see Jagannatha ashtakam http://www.harekrsna.de/jagannathastakam-e.htm

kadacit kalindi-tata-vipina-sangita-taralo mudabhiri-nari-vadana-kamalasvada-madhupah

rama-shambhu-brahmamara-pati-ganesha-arcita-pado

jagannatha svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me (1)

Who sometimes fervently plays His flute on the banks of the Yamuna river in

Sri Vrindavana, who is like a bumblebee that blissfully tastes the lotus faces of the Vraja-gopis, and whose feet are worshipped by great personalities

such as Laksmi, Shiva, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesha -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

MarkaNdeya is saying the same here to Bhagavan. You have already appeared in the path of my eyes – in other words, I have been able to see You and enjoy this sight. What more do I need? But since he has been commanded by Bhagavan – that is why atha api is used in the third sloka. Here again we have two descriptions of Bhagavan: Ambujapatraaksha – One with beautiful eyes, like the lotus leaf – and PuNyashloka shikaamaNe – the crest jewel on top of the peak of the mountain constituting all of the accumulated glories and merits. MarkaNdeaya address Bhagavan directly and says, “Let me see your maayaa, drakshye maayaam”. Then MarkaNdeya adds – yayaa lokah, by which all the lokas (there are 14 lokas, seven below the earth, and 6 above), sapaalo, with all their Lords are able to tell (veda, or to know) the difference between that which is and which is not (sadbhidaam). “Sat” (with sandhi it becomes “sad”) means good, that which is, that which exists, that which is real, etc. Bheda means differentiation. One must be clear about what is good, or what is real as opposed to illusory, what exists. This is sadbhedam.

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What is, what is not, what exists, what does not exist, all of this is maayaa as MarkaNdeya has just mentioned. This is MarkaNdeya’s understanding and definition of Maayaa. In more recent times, Adi Sankara said Jagat mithyaa – the universe is a delusion, it is not a reality, it is a virtual reality, it is falsehood, it is maayaa. This is the meaning of mithyaa, that which is false. Now here we see MarkaNdeya wanting to understand Bhagavan’s Maayaa. “Let me see the Maayaa.” It is indeed strange that after seeing Bhagavan Himself, MarkaNdeya now wants to see the Maayaa. That was the boon he asked for. He had no desires. He was completely satiated. Indra (with his apsaras, gandharvas, and other temptations that were hurled at him) could not disturb him in anyway. Then Bhagavan appears and as soon as Bhagavan appears, MarkaNdeya is awakened from his tapas. He sees Bhagavan. Then, to please Bhagavan and obey His command, he wants to see the Maayaa (of Bhagavan). Why? What is Maayaa? Let us see how Bhagavan responds. As Mahrishi Sootha continues the narration to the sages of NaimisharaNya (who had asked about MarkaNdeya witnessing pralaya), he tells them. Sootha uvaca IteeditOrcitah kaamam rishiNaa Bhagavaan mune l Tatheti sa smayan praagaat Badaryaashramam Eeshwarahaa ll 12.9.7 ll SB Sootha speaks, “O sages, when Bhagavan was worshipped and addressed in this fashion and MarkaNdeaya expressed his desire (idito arcitah kaamam), He said, with a smile, ‘Tathaa iti’, So it shall be”. Bhagavan promised to fulfill MarkaNdeya’s desire “Let me see Maayaa”. Then He (Bhagavaan) retired to Badarika ashram. It is also interesting that “smayan” is used here to describe Bhagavan. Smaya means a smile. There was a smile on Bhagavan’s face. Like we see in the famous sloka, “Shuklaambaradharam VishNum……prasanna vadanam dhyaayet”. The Lord whom we pray to remove all obstacles from

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our path has a smiling face. Likewise, in verse 10 of the Gita, before Krishna begins His discourse in chapter 2, Sanjaya says, “Prahasan iva Bharat”. Here Bharat refers to the blind Dhrutarashtra, Duryodhana’s father to whom Sanjaya was narrating the happenings (like we have live commentaries today of sports events or other BIG social and political events) on the battlefield during the great Mahabharata war. The “smile” here is what we might call a pregnant smile. Something big, some beautiful, is about to happen! Very sincerely V. Laxmanan Sep 22, 2011

MarkaNdeya witnesses Bhagavan’s Maayaa

Dear All:

When MarkaNdeya asked for his boon, “Let me see the Maayaa”, or “I wish

I could see the Maayaa”, Bhagavan smiled and blessed the sage with, “Let

it be so” and left for Badarika ashrama.

The sage continued to live in his own ashram, on the banks of the rive

Pushpabhadra, and was constantly thinking about Bhagavan. He kept

wondering when he would be able to witness Bhagavan’s maya. He saw

Bhagavan everywhere, in the fires, in the sun, in the moon, in the waters, in

the earth, in the air, and in the sky and kept worshipping Bhagavan with

whatever material objects that he could find. So overwhelmed and drowned

he was with his devotion and love for Bhagavan that he would worship only

with his emotions (bhaava dravyair) as the objects for his pooja and

sometimes he would even forget (visasmaara) how to worship.

Tameva cintayannartham rishih swaashrama eva sahaa l Vasannagyarka somaamboo vaayu viyadaatmasu ll 12.9.8 ll SB

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Dhyaayan sarvatra ca Harim bhaavadravyair apoojayat l Kwacit poojaam visasmaara prema-prasara-sampultahaa ll 12.9.9 ll SB

In chapter 6, which concludes what is known as the Karma yoga section of

the Bhagavad Gita (the first six taken together constitute Karma yoga,

although chapter 3 is the formal Karma yoga chapter), we encounter four

beautiful slokas (verses 29 to 32) wherein Krishna describes the perfect

yogi. These are worth recalling here, especially the last one.

Sarva bhootastam atmaan sarva bhootani caatmani l Eekshate yogayukataatmaa sarvatra samadarshanahaa ll 6.29 ll BG Yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi pashyati l Tasyaaham na praNashyaami sac a may na praNashyati ll 6.30 ll BG The sage saw the Lord Hari everywhere (first half of first line, verse 30). The second half of the first line states that such yogi also sees everything within Him! How is that possible? We shall see shortly. Sarvabhootastitham yo maam bhajatyekatvam aashritahaa l Sarvathaa vartamaanOpi say ogee mayi vartate ll 6.31 ll BG Atmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati yOrjuna l Sukham vaa yadi vaa dhukham sa yogee paramo matahaa ll 6.32 ll BG

The word upamaa in verse 32 means an object of comparison. Atma +

upama means comparing another with oneself. Our egos make us treat the

self as the highest. If one is able to look at and compare everything and

everyone to the self, one has achieved the highest form of mental

equilibrium. Everyone, everything is as dear as one’s own self. This is the

ultimate yogi who has developed the quality of “atmaupamyena sarvatra”

and being able to see equally everything, everyone, everywhere, as if they

were one’s one self. He sees everything, everywhere.

Such a yogee is not affected by happiness (sukham), or pleasant

circumstances. He is not affected by pain or sorrow (dhukham). He remains

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the same and unaffected under all circumstances. Such a yogee is the

greatest of all yogees, concludes Krishna in verse 32.

Now let us see what happens to MarkaNdeya. Is he the perfect yogi?

Then one day (tasyaikadaa), when ekadaa is used in such narrations it

always means on a very auspicious day, when the sage from the great

family of Bhrugu, was seated and performing his Sandhya (prayers, with

recitation of the Gayatri) and fully engrossed in this, all of a sudden a huge

and frightening roaring sound (caNda shabdam samudeerayantam, verse

10, chapter 9 of Srimad Bhagavatam) was heard accompanied by a great

and furious wind (brahman vaayur abhoot mahaan, verse 11). Huge dense

clouds spread all over and started roaring and making dreadful sounds.

Lightning was flashing and blinding and torrents of rain started pouring that

completely blinded the eyes and screened their vision (verse 11).

And then he saw all the four oceans rise (i.e., oceans from four directions)

and envelope the whole earth. Huge waves started swirling around with

fearsome aquatic animals like sharks and crocodiles emitting frightening

sounds that filled all of space (verse 12).

There was just water, water, everywhere, inside and out with huge waves

and treacherous whirlpools all over…. The description continues in several

verses (see Prabupada’s translation of these verses at the end of this

document). The sage was all alone and also gripped with fear and felt

extremely deluded (verse 15). The sage was being tossed around and

carried around in these fierce waters, with fearsome aquatic creatures. He

felt hungry. He was thirsty. Sometimes he was a prey to these creatures

who would hurt him. No earth was in sight, nor was there any sky.

Kwacit shokam kwacin moham kwacit dhuhkham sukham bhayam l Kwacin mruthyum avaapnoti vyaadhyaadibhir utaarditahaa ll 12.9.18 ll SB

Sometimes in great sorrow, sometimes in complete delusion, sometimes in

pain, sometimes in happiness, sometimes gripped with fear, at times

experiencing death itself and suffering from severe physical afflictions

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(diseases and discomforts), the sage spent innumerable hundreds and

thousands of years (verse 19) in a state of complete distress and torment

(uta+ardita, verse 18).

Ayutaayuta varshaaNaam sahastraaNi shataani ca l Vyteeyur bhramatah tasmin VishNumaayaavrutaatmanahaa ll 12.9.19 ll SB

He was tossed around and wandering in those waters (verse 19) and

enveloped completely (vruta+ atmanahaa) by the Maayaa of Vishnu.

And then, wandering in this way in the waters, the sage (dwijahaa)

encountered a mountain peak (kakudi) on earth and found there a young

tender (potam) fig tree (nyagrodha, also translated as banyan tree) decked

beautifully with blossoming fruits, flowers, and leaves (verse 20).

Sa kaacid bhramantastasmin prithivyaah kakudi dwijahaa l Nyagrodhapotam dadrushay phala-pallava-shobitam ll 12.9.20 ll SB

And on that tree, on a branch (shakaayaam), in the northeast corner (praag

uttarasyaam), he saw a Baby (dadrushay shishum). The Baby was lying

with its back on a leaf of the tree. Its radiant smile was lighting the darkness

and filling the environs with joy.

Praag uttarasyaam shaakaayaam tasyaapi dadrushay shishum l Shayaanam praNaputake prasantam prabhayaa tamahaa ll 12.9.21 ll SB

Note that according to this sloka, even when there was no sun, there was

no moon, there were no stars, and it was dense darkness everywhere, a

radiant glow that pierced through the darkness (and filled the environs with

joy) could be felt emanating from this divine Baby that the sage found.

The next few verses describe the Baby further (see Prabhupada’s

translation) and culminate with the following.

Chaarvangulibhyaam paaNibhyaam unneeya charNaambhujam l

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Mukhay nidhaaya viprendro dhayantam veekshya vismitatahaa ll 12.9.25 ll SB

The great sage (viprendro) was completely wonderstruck (vismitahaa)

when he saw (veekshya) this Baby sucking (dhayanatam) two of Its lovely

(chaaru) toes (angulibhyaam), having lifted Its lotus feet

(charaNaambujam) with Its two beautiful hands (paaNibhyaam, the

“bhyamm” ending attached to paaNi and anguli here signifies two hands

were used and two toes are being sucked) and inserting them and placing

them into Its mouth (mukhe nidhaaya).

With the sight of this beautiful Baby the sage felt that all of his pain and

fatigue (veeta parishramo) had suddenly disappeared. He was filled with

joy (mudaa). His eyes opened wide like a flower in full bloom (second line).

His heart too was opened and pouring out. The hair on his body stood on it

ends. He was filled with wonderful emotions (bhaava) that he had never

even suspected (shamkita) existed. He stepped forward in order to bow to

the Baby (verse 26, see below).

Taddarshanaad veeta parishramo mudaa Protphulla hrutpadma vilocanaambujahaa l Prahrushta romaadbhuta bhava shamkitahaa Prashttum purastam prasasaara baalakam ll 12.9.26 ll SB

As he approached the Baby, he found himself getting sucked into the Baby

by its breathe, as It inhaled, and entered into Its body like a fish entering an

ocean. And, there, within the Baby, he beheld the most wondrous sights.

He could not even think for a while. He saw everything. He felt the waters

of the pralaya in there. He saw the sky, he saw all of space, he saw the

stars, he was mountains, he saw the oceans, he saw the land, the islands,

and the continents, he saw all the directions, he saw the rivers, he saw the

kings, he saw their kingdoms, he saw the gods and he saw the demons, he

saw the forests and he saw all the nations, he saw the cities, he saw their

treasures and all the different houses and stores and inns and places, he

saw tiny villages, he saw hermitages, he saw them all, all the people and all

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the four varnas, he saw them all engaged in all their activities, he saw all

the five elements, he saw every body, every being, all the four yugas, and

all the kalpas and all of time entrapped within that divine Baby’s body.

(This description is reminiscent of what Mother Yashoda saw in Baby

Krishna’s mouth when she tried to bind him for stealing the butter and

being an all-round mischievous child.)

I have just provided a brief description above. The description continues in

two more verses and the reader is referred again Prabhupada’s full

translation of these chapters.

And even as he was witnessing all these wondrous things, the sage

suddenly felt himself coming out and fell again into the waters, being

expelled by the breathe of this Baby, as It exhaled.

Once again the sage looked at the Baby, which was already situated in his

heart. He looked at the Baby with his eyes wide open. He stepped forward

to pick up the Baby and hug It and embrace It. This Baby he knew was

none other than the Lord Himself, revealing His maayaa. And as soon as

he stepped forward to do so, even before he could approach anywhere

close to it, the sage saw the Baby vanish in front of his own eyes. Nothing

was to be seen anymore.

Gone was that divine fig tree (or banyan tree, vato Brahman), gone was the

mountain peak, and gone also were all the waters (salilam) that seemed to

have enveloped the whole universe (loka samplavahaa). All that he had

seen had vanished in a moment (tirodhaayi kshaad asya) and the sage

found himself seated, as before, in his own ashrama, on the banks of the

Pushpabhadra river, engaged in his Sandhya prayers! It was as if nothing

had happened!

Tamanvatha vato brahman salilam lokasamplavahaa l Tirodhaayi kshaadasya swaashramay poorvavat stithahaa ll 12.9.34 ll SB

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And so ends the description in chapter 9 of Canto 12 about what

MarkaNdeya witnessed when he wanted to see Bhagavan’s Maayaa.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

Sep 22, 2011

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What did MarkaNdeya witness?

Did he get his boon?

Dear All:

Let us recap the story so far. The sages of NaimisharaNya asked Sootha

Mahrishi about the sage MarkaNdeya who was known to have actually

witnessed and survived pralaya (verse 2, chapter 8, Canto 12). The sages

of NaimisharaNya were puzzled because MarkaNdeya was known to have

been born in the present kalpa (day of Brahma), in the family of Bhrugu

Mahrishi. And, as far as anyone knows, there has been no pralaya yet in

this kalpa (verses 3 and 4, chapter 8, Canto 12). How could MarkaNdeya

have witnessed any kind of pralaya? And, it is also mentioned that when he

was wandering in the waters of the pralaya, the sage also saw the

Supreme Lord Himself as an absolutely Wonderful and Divine Baby, lying

with its back on the leaf of a fig (or banyan) tree (verse 4).

Eka evaarNave bhraamyan dadarsha Purusham kila l Vatapatrapute tokam shayaanam tvekam adbhutam ll 12.8.4 ll SB

How is this possible? The sages of NaimisharaNya wanted an answer to

these questions. Following this, Sootha Mahrishi narrated the story of the

sage MarkaNdeya, who had even conquered death with his yogic powers

and actually already lived through six Manvantaras (the time period over

which six Manus reign on this earth, one Manvantara equals 71 + (6/14) =

71.429 Chaturyugas which equals 308.57 million years, one Chaturyuga

being 4.32 million years). At that point, Indra decided to disturb the sages

penances, at the start of the 7th Manvantara.

However, Indra failed and Bhagavan Himself appeared in front of

MarkaNdeya. After being extolled by the sage, Bhagavan told the sage that

he should now ask for a boon. When he was thus commanded, the sage

reluctantly asked Bhagavan for his boon. “Let me see the Maayaa by which

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everyone, including all the celestials, are able to know and differentiate

what exists – drakshye maayaam yayaa lokah sapaalo veda sadbhidaam

(verse 6, chapter 9, Canto 12). Bhagavan, who appeared as the twin

sages Nara and NaryaNa, smiled at this wish and said, “Let it be so” and

left for Badarikaashrama.

Then, one day, when the sage MarkaNdeya, when he was seated in his

ashrama, performing the sandhya worship, witnessed the events described

in the previous installment of this series of emails. Sootha Mahrishi

describes this vividly to the sages of NaimisharaNya. But what exactly did

the sage see? Did he witness pralaya?

Sootha Mahrishi answers this too in verses 38 to 42, which concludes the

story of MarkaNdeya in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Sootha Mahrishi says,

AnuvarNitam etat te MarkaNdeyasya dheematahaa l Anubhootam Bhagavato maayaa-vaibhavam-adbhutam ll 12.10.40 ll SB Etat kaycidavidwaamso maayaasamsrutim aatmanahaa l Anaadyaavartitam nrooNaam kaadaacitkam pracakshate ll 12.10.41 ll SB

Vidwaan is a wise man. Avidwaan is the opposite. The plural is

avidwaamso. We encounter the same word in verse 25, chapter 3 of the

Bhagavad Gita. The not so wise people is what Krishna is referring to in

that sloka. Sootha Mahrishi is also referring to not so wise people, or those

who are not wise but delude themselves into thinking of themselves as

being wise. Sootha Mahrishi says that only such people think of what

MarkaNdeya witnessed as pralaya (samsrutim, 2nd half of the 1st line of

verse 41). It was actually Bhagavan’s Maayaa.

It was a fleeting experience. It is to be understood as a once-upon-a-time

creation (kaadaacitkam, from kadacit, once upon a time), a rare or

occasional event, something that was specially created just for the sage

MarkaNdeya. It is NOT the same as the pralaya that has been witnessed

for eons, at the end of each kalpa.

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What MarkaNdeya experienced (anubhootam, verse 40) was the Lord’s

(Bhagavato) maayaa and all of His glory (vaibhavam) which is wonderful

(adbhutam) and beyond description.

Sootha Mahrishi also mentions that the sage MarkaNdeya is present even

at this time, here, having obtained boons from Lord Shiva as well.

After MarkaNdeya’s unparalleled experience, one day Lord Shiva was

traversing with His consort Parvati, over MarkaNdeya’s ashram and pointed

out the sage to Parvati and described to Her what he had experienced.

Both Shiva and Parvati then decided to pay a visit to the sage and

appeared before him. (We will discuss this part of the story in the next

installment.) After this Lord Shiva blessed the sage with a very long life,

immortality, freedom from disease and the ravages of old age

(ajaraamarataa), great merits (puNyam), fame and glory and victories

(yashaa), and everlasting devotion (bhakti) towards the Lord Sri Hari

(Adhokshaja) till the end of the kalpa (aakalpaantaad).

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

Sep 24, 2011

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Some weblinks for MarkaNdeya rishi

The following question may be found at the link given below.

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/sri-vaishnava-forum/427056-sri-ramanuja-

markandeya-rishi.html

Srimathae Ramanujaya Namaha:

Adiyen had the following question in mind while reading Oppiliappan Sthala

Puranam.

Is the Markandeya Rishi, the Father-in-Law of Srinivasa Perumal, same as the

Markandeya in the Sivan story where Sivan protected him from Yama

Dharmarajan?

Please pardon adiyen's ignorance.

Sri.

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hinduism-forum/415261-sri-markandeya-

ancient-hindu-rishi.html

http://kids.baps.org/storytime/markandeya.htm

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Canto 12: The Age of

Deterioration

Chapter 8: Markandeya's Prayers to Nara-

Narayana Rishi

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam

SB 12.8 Summary

SB 12.8.1: Sri Saunaka said: O Suta, may you live a long life! O saintly one, best of speakers,

please continue speaking to us. Indeed, only you can show men the path out of the ignorance in

which they are wandering.

SB 12.8.2-5: Authorities say that Markandeya Rishi, the son of Mrikandu. was an exceptionally

long-lived sage who was the only survivor at the end of Brahma's day, when the entire universe

was merged in the flood of annihilation. But this same Markandeya Rishi, the foremost

descendant of Bhrigu, took birth in my own family during the current day of Brahma, and we

have not yet seen any total annihilation in this day of Brahma. Also, it is well known that

Markandeya while wandering helplessly in the great ocean of annihilation, saw in those fearful

waters a wonderful personality -- an infant boy lying alone within the fold of a banyan leaf. O

Suta, I am most bewildered and curious about this great sage, Markandeya Rishi. O great yogi,

you are universally accepted as the authority on all the Puranas. Therefore kindly dispel my

confusion.

SB 12.8.6: Suta Gosvami said: O great sage Saunaka, your very question will help remove

everyone's illusion, for it leads to the topics of Lord Narayana, which cleanse away the

contamination of this Kali age.

SB 12.8.7-11: After being purified by his father's performance of the prescribed rituals leading to

Markandeya's brahminical initiation, Markandeya studied the Vedic hymns and strictly observed

the regulative principles. He became advanced in austerity and Vedic knowledge and remained a

lifelong celibate. Appearing most peaceful with his matted hair and his clothing made of bark, he

furthered his spiritual progress by carrying the mendicant's waterpot, staff, sacred thread,

brahmacari belt, black deerskin, lotus-seed prayer beads and bundles of kusa grass. At the sacred

junctures of the day he regularly worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in five forms --

the sacrificial fire, the sun, his spiritual master, the brahmanas and the Supersoul within his heart.

Morning and evening he would go out begging, and upon returning he would present all the food

he had collected to his spiritual master. Only when his spiritual master invited him would he

silently take his one meal of the day; otherwise he would fast. Thus devoted to austerity and

Vedic study, Markandeya Rishi worshiped the supreme master of the senses, the Personality of

Godhead, for countless millions of years, and in this way he conquered unconquerable death.

SB 12.8.12: Lord Brahma, Bhrigu Muni, Lord Siva, Prajapati Daksha, the great sons of Brahma,

and many others among the human beings, demigods, forefathers and ghostly spirits -- all were

astonished by the achievement of Markandeya Rishi.

Page 27 of 38

SB 12.8.13: In this way the devotional mystic Markandeya maintained rigid celibacy through

penance, study of the Vedas and self-discipline. With his mind thus free of all disturbances, he

turned it inward and meditated on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who lies beyond the

material senses.

SB 12.8.14: While the mystic sage thus concentrated his mind by powerful yoga practice, the

tremendous period of six lifetimes of Manu passed by.

SB 12.8.15: O brahmana, during the seventh reign of Manu, the current age, Lord Indra came to

know of Markandeya's austerities and became fearful of his growing mystic potency. Thus he

tried to impede the sage's penance.

SB 12.8.16: To ruin the sage's spiritual practice, Lord Indra sent Cupid, beautiful celestial

singers, dancing girls, the season of spring and the sandalwood-scented breeze from the Malaya

Hills, along with greed and intoxication personified.

SB 12.8.17: O most powerful Saunaka, they went to Markandeya's hermitage, on the northern

side of the Himalaya Mountains where the Pushpabhadra River passes by the famous peak Citra.

SB 12.8.18-20: Groves of pious trees decorated the holy asrama of Markandeya Rishi, and many

saintly brahmanas lived there, enjoying the abundant pure, sacred ponds. The asrama resounded

with the buzzing of intoxicated bees and the cooing of excited cuckoos, while jubilant peacocks

danced about. Indeed, many families of maddened birds crowded that hermitage. The springtime

breeze sent by Lord Indra entered there, carrying cooling drops of spray from nearby waterfalls.

Fragrant from the embrace of forest flowers, that breeze entered the hermitage and began

evoking the lusty spirit of Cupid.

SB 12.8.21: Springtime then appeared in Markandeya's asrama. Indeed, the evening sky, glowing

with the light of the rising moon, became the very face of spring, and sprouts and fresh blossoms

virtually covered the multitude of trees and creepers.

SB 12.8.22: Cupid, the master of many heavenly women, then came there holding his bow and

arrows. He was followed by groups of Gandharvas playing musical instruments and singing.

SB 12.8.23: These servants of Indra found the sage sitting in meditation, having just offered his

prescribed oblations into the sacrificial fire. His eyes closed in trance, he seemed invincible, like

fire personified.

SB 12.8.24: The women danced before the sage, and the celestial singers sang to the charming

accompaniment of drums, cymbals and vinas.

SB 12.8.25: While the son of passion [greed personified], spring and the other servants of Indra

all tried to agitate Markandeya's mind, Cupid drew his five-headed arrow and fixed it upon his

bow.

Page 28 of 38

SB 12.8.26-27: The Apsara Punjikasthali made a show of playing with a number of toy balls.

Her waist seemed weighed down by her heavy breasts, and the wreath of flowers in her hair

became disheveled. As she ran about after the balls, glancing here and there, the belt of her thin

garment loosened, and suddenly the wind blew her clothes away.

SB 12.8.28: Cupid, thinking he had conquered the sage, then shot his arrow. But all these

attempts to seduce Markandeya proved futile, just like the useless endeavors of an atheist.

SB 12.8.29: O learned Saunaka, while Cupid and his followers tried to harm the sage, they felt

themselves being burned alive by his potency. Thus they stopped their mischief, just like

children who have aroused a sleeping snake.

SB 12.8.30: O brahmana, the followers of Lord Indra had impudently attacked the saintly

Markandeya, yet he did not succumb to any influence of false ego. For great souls such tolerance

is not at all surprising.

SB 12.8.31: The mighty King Indra was most astonished when he heard of the mystic prowess of

the exalted sage Markandeya and saw how Cupid and his associates had become powerless in his

presence.

SB 12.8.32: Desiring to bestow His mercy upon the saintly Markandeya, who had perfectly fixed

his mind in self-realization through penance, Vedic study and observance of regulative

principles, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally appeared before the sage in the forms

of Nara and Narayana.

SB 12.8.33-34: One of Them was of a whitish complexion, the other blackish, and They both had

four arms. Their eyes resembled the petals of blooming lotuses, and They wore garments of

black deerskin and bark, along with the three-stranded sacred thread. In Their hands, which were

most purifying, They carried the mendicant's waterpot, straight bamboo staff and lotus-seed

prayer beads, as well as the all-purifying Vedas in the symbolic form of bundles of darbha grass.

Their bearing was tall and Their yellow effulgence the color of radiant lightning. Appearing as

austerity personified, They were being worshiped by the foremost demigods.

SB 12.8.35: These two sages, Nara and Narayana, were the direct personal forms of the Supreme

Lord. When Markandeya Rishi saw Them, he immediately stood up and then with great respect

offered Them obeisances by falling down flat on the ground like a stick.

SB 12.8.36: The ecstasy of seeing Them completely satisfied Markandeya's body, mind and

senses and caused the hairs on his body to stand on end and his eyes to fill with tears.

Overwhelmed, Markandeya found it difficult to look at Them.

SB 12.8.37: Standing with his hands folded in supplication and his head bowed in humility,

Markandeya felt such eagerness that he imagined he was embracing the two Lords. In a voice

choked with ecstasy, he repeatedly said, "I offer You my humble obeisances."

Page 29 of 38

SB 12.8.38: He gave Them sitting places and washed Their feet, and then he worshiped Them

with presentations of arghya, sandalwood pulp, fragrant oils, incense and flower garlands.

SB 12.8.39: Markandeya Rishi once again bowed down at the lotus feet of those two most

worshipable sages, who were sitting at ease, ready to bestow all mercy upon him. He when

addressed Them as follows.

SB 12.8.40: Sri Markandeya said: O Almighty Lord, how can I possibly describe You? You

awaken the vital air, which then impels the mind, senses and power of speech to act. This is true

for all ordinary conditioned souls and even for great demigods like Brahma and Siva. So it is

certainly true for me. Nevertheless, You become the intimate friend of those who worship You.

SB 12.8.41: O Supreme Personality of Godhead, these two personal forms of Yours have

appeared to bestow the ultimate benefit for the three worlds -- the cessation of material misery

and the conquest of death. My Lord, although You create this universe and then assume many

transcendental forms to protect it, You also swallow it up, just like a spider who spins and later

withdraws its web.

SB 12.8.42: Because You are the protector and the supreme controller of all moving and

nonmoving beings, anyone who takes shelter of Your lotus feet can never be touched by the

contamination of material work, material qualities or time. Great sages who have assimilated the

essential meaning of the Vedash offer their prayers to You. To gain Your association, they bow

down to You at every opportunity and constantly worship You and meditate upon You.

SB 12.8.43: My dear Lord, even Lord Brahma, who enjoys his exalted position for the entire

duration of the universe, fears the passage of time. Then what to speak of those whom Brahma

creates, the conditioned souls. They encounter fearful dangers at every step of their lives. I do

not know of any relief from this fear except shelter at Your lotus feet, which are the very form of

liberation.

SB 12.8.44: Therefore I worship Your lotus feet, having renounced my identification with the

material body and everything else that covers my true self. These useless, insubstantial and

temporary coverings are merely presumed to be separate from You, whose intelligence

encompasses all truth. By attaining You -- the Supreme Godhead and the master of the soul --

one attains everything desirable.

SB 12.8.45: O my Lord, O supreme friend of the conditioned soul, although for the creation,

maintenance and annihilation of this world You accept the modes of goodness, passion and

ignorance, which constitute Your illusory potency, You specifically employ the mode of

goodness to liberate the conditioned souls. The other two modes simply bring them suffering,

illusion and fear.

SB 12.8.46: O Lord, because fearlessness, spiritual happiness and the kingdom of God are all

achieved through the mode of pure goodness, Your devotees consider this mode, but never

passion and ignorance, to be a direct manifestation of You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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Intelligent persons thus worship Your beloved transcendental form, composed of pure goodness,

along with the spiritual forms of Your pure devotees.

SB 12.8.47: I offer my humble obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is

the all-pervading and all-inclusive form of the universe, as well as its spiritual master. I bow

down to Lord Narayana, the supremely worshipable Deity appearing as a sage, and also to the

saintly Nara, the best of human beings, who is fixed in perfect goodness, fully in control of his

speech, and the propagator of the Vedic literatures.

SB 12.8.48: A materialist, his intelligence perverted by the action of his deceptive senses, cannot

recognize You at all, although You are always present within his own senses and heart and also

among the objects of his perception. Yet even though one's understanding has been covered by

Your illusory potency, if one obtains Vedic knowledge from You, the supreme spiritual master

of all, he can directly understand You.

SB 12.8.49: My dear Lord, the Vedic literatures alone reveal confidential knowledge of Your

supreme personality, and thus even such great scholars as Lord Brahma himself are bewildered

in their attempt to understand You through empirical methods. Each philosopher understands

You according to his particular speculative conclusions. I worship that Supreme Person,

knowledge of whom is hidden by the bodily designations covering the conditioned soul's

spiritual identity.

******************************************************************************

http://www.harekrsna.de/krishna-banyan-leaf.htm

Above link has brief story with text of chapter 9 from Canto 12.

Canto 12: The Age of

Deterioration

ha ter M rka eya i ees the s ry

Potency of the Lord

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

SB 12.9 Summary

SB 12.9.1: Sūta Gosvāmī said: The Supreme Lord ārā a a, the friend of Nara, was satisfied by

the proper glorification offered by the intelligent sage ār a e a. Thus the Lord addressed that

excellent descendant of Bh gu.

SB 12.9.2: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear ār a e a ou are i deed the

est o a ear ed rāhma as ou have per e ted our i e pra ti i g i ed meditatio upo

the Supreme Soul, as well as by focusing upon Me your undeviating devotional service, your

austerities, your study of the Vedas and your strict adherence to regulative principles.

Page 31 of 38

SB 12.9.3: We are perfectly satisfied with your practice of lifelong celibacy. Please choose

whatever benediction you desire, since I can grant your wish. May you enjoy all good fortune.

SB 12.9.4: The sage said: O Lord of lords, all glories to You! O Lord Acyuta, You remove all

distress for the devotees who surrender unto You. That you have allowed me to see You is all the

benediction I want.

SB 12.9.5: Such demigods as Lord Brahmā achieved their exalted positions simply by seeing

Your beautiful lotus feet after their minds had become mature in yoga practice. And now, my

Lord, You have personally appeared before me.

SB 12.9.6: O lotus-eyed Lord, O crest jewel of renowned personalities, although I am satisfied

simply by seeing You, I do wish to see Your illusory potency, by whose influence the entire

world, together with its ruling demigods, considers reality to be materially variegated.

SB 12.9.7: Sūta Gosvāmī said: O wise Śau a a, thus satisfied by ār a e a's praise and

worship, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, smiling, replied, "So be it," and then departed for

His hermitage at Badari āśrama

SB 12.9.8-9: Thinking always of his desire to see the Lord's illusory energy, the sage remained in

his āśrama, meditating constantly upon the Lord within fire, the sun, the moon, water, the earth,

air, lightning and his own heart and worshiping Him with paraphernalia conceived in his mind.

But sometimes, overwhelmed by waves of love for the Lord, ār a e a would forget to

perform his regular worship.

SB 12.9.10: O rāhma a Śau a a est o the Bh gus one day while ār a e a was

performing his evening worship on the bank of the u pa hadrā, a great wind suddenly arose.

SB 12.9.11: That wind created a terrible sound and brought in its wake fearsome clouds that

were accompanied by lightning and roaring thunder and that poured down on all sides torrents of

rain as heavy as wagon wheels.

SB 12.9.12: Then the four great oceans appeared on all sides, swallowing up the surface of the

earth with their wind-tossed waves. In these oceans were terrible sea monsters, fearful whirlpools

and ominous rumblings.

SB 12.9.13: The sage saw all the inhabitants of the universe, including himself, tormented within

and without by the harsh winds, the bolts of lightning, and the great waves rising beyond the sky.

As the whole earth flooded, he grew perplexed and fearful.

SB 12.9.14: Even as ār a e a looked on, the rain pouring down from the clouds filled the

ocean more and more until that great sea, its waters violently whipped into terrifying waves by

hurricanes, covered up all the earth's islands, mountains and continents.

SB 12.9.15: The water inundated the earth, outer space, heaven and the celestial region. Indeed,

the entire expanse of the universe was flooded in all directions, and out of all its inhabitants only

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ār a e a remained. His matted hair scattered, the great sage wandered about alone in the

water as if dumb and blind.

SB 12.9.16: Tormented by hunger and thirst, attacked by monstrous makaras and timińgi a fish

and battered by the wind and waves, he moved aimlessly through the infinite darkness into which

he had fallen. As he grew increasingly exhausted, he lost all sense of direction and could not tell

the sky from the earth.

SB 12.9.17-18: At times he was engulfed by the great whirlpools, sometimes he was beaten by

the mighty waves, and at other times the aquatic monsters threatened to devour him as they

attacked one another. Sometimes he felt lamentation, bewilderment, misery, happiness or fear,

and at other times he experienced such terrible illness and pain that he felt himself dying.

SB 12.9.19: Countless millions of years passed as ār a e a wandered about in that deluge,

his mind bewildered by the illusory energy of Lord i u, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 12.9.20: Once, while wandering in the water, the rāhma a ār a e a discovered a small

island, upon which stood a young banyan tree bearing blossoms and fruits.

SB 12.9.21: Upon a branch of the northeast portion of that tree he saw an infant boy lying within

a leaf. The child's effulgence was swallowing up the darkness.

SB 12.9.22-25: The infant's dark-blue complexion was the color of a flawless emerald, His lotus

face shone with a wealth of beauty, and His throat bore marks like the lines on a conchshell. He

had a broad chest, a finely shaped nose, beautiful eyebrows, and lovely ears that resembled

pomegranate flowers and that had inner folds like a conchshell's spirals. The corners of His eyes

were reddish like the whorl of a lotus, and the effulgence of His coral-like lips slightly reddened

the nectarean, enchanting smile on His face. As He breathed, His splendid hair trembled and His

deep navel became distorted by the moving folds of skin on His abdomen, which resembled a

banyan leaf. The exalted rāhma a watched with amazement as the infant took hold of one of

His lotus feet with His graceful fingers, placed a toe within His mouth and began to suck.

SB 12.9.26: As ār a e a beheld the child, all his weariness vanished. Indeed, so great was his

pleasure that the lotus of his heart, along with his lotus eyes, fully blossomed and the hairs on his

body stood on end. Confused as to the identity of the wonderful infant, the sage approached Him.

SB 12.9.27: Just then the child inhaled, drawing ār a e a within His body like a mosquito.

There the sage found the entire universe arrayed as it had been before its dissolution. Seeing this,

ār a e a was most astonished and perplexed.

SB 12.9.28-29: The sage saw the entire universe: the sky, heavens and earth, the stars,

mountains, oceans, great islands and continents, the expanses in every direction, the saintly and

demoniac living beings, the forests, countries, rivers, cities and mines, the agricultural villages

and cow pastures, and the occupational and spiritual activities of the various social divisions. He

also saw the basic elements of creation along with all their by-products, as well as time itself,

which regulates the progression of countless ages within the days of Brahmā. In addition, he saw

Page 33 of 38

everything else created for use in material life. All this he saw manifested before him as if it

were real.

SB 12.9.30: He saw before him the Himā a a Mountains, the u pa hadrā River, and his own

hermitage, where he had had the audience of the sages Nara- ārā a a. Then, as ār a e a

beheld the entire universe, the infant exhaled, expelling the sage from His body and casting him

back into the ocean of dissolution.

SB 12.9.31-32: In that vast sea he again saw the banyan tree growing on the tiny island and the

infant boy lying within the leaf. The child glanced at him from the corner of His eyes with a

smile imbued with the nectar of love, and ār a e a took Him into his heart through his eyes.

Greatly agitated, the sage ran to embrace the transcendental Personality of Godhead.

SB 12.9.33: At that moment the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original master of

all mysticism and who is hidden within everyone's heart, became invisible to the sage, just as the

achievements of an incompetent person can suddenly vanish.

SB 12.9.34: After the Lord disappeared, O rāhma a, the banyan tree, the great water and the

dissolution of the universe all vanished as well, and in an instant ār a e a found himself back

in his own hermitage, just as before.

******************************************************************************

Canto 12: The Age of

Deterioration

Chapter 10: Lord Siva and Uma Glorify

Markandeya Rishi

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam

SB 12.10 Summary

SB 12.10.1: Suta Gosvami said: The Supreme Lord Narayana had arranged this opulent display

of His bewildering potency. Markandeya Rishi, having experienced it, took shelter of the Lord.

SB 12.10.2: Sri Markandeya said: O Lord Hari, I take shelter of the soles of Your lotus feet,

which bestow fearlessness upon all who surrender to them. Even the great demigods are

bewildered by Your illusory energy, which appears to them in the guise of knowledge.

SB 12.10.3: Suta Gosvami said: Lord Rudra, traveling in the sky on his bull and accompanied by

his consort, Rudrani, as well as his personal associates, observed Markandeya in trance.

SB 12.10.4: Goddess Uma, seeing the sage, addressed Lord Girisa: My lord, just see this learned

brahmana, his body, mind and senses motionless in trance.

Page 34 of 38

SB 12.10.5: He is as calm as the waters of the ocean when the wind has ceased and the fish

remain still. Therefore, my lord, since you bestow perfection on the performers of austerity,

please award this sage the perfection that is obviously due him.

SB 12.10.6: Lord Siva replied: Surely this saintly brahmana does not desire any benediction, not

even liberation itself, for he has attained pure devotional service unto the inexhaustible

Personality of Godhead.

SB 12.10.7: Still, my dear Bhavani, let us talk with this saintly personality. After all, association

with saintly devotees is man's highest achievement.

SB 12.10.8: Suta Gosvami said: Having spoken thus, Lord Sankara -- the shelter of pure souls,

master of all spiritual sciences and controller of all embodied living beings -- approached the

sage.

SB 12.10.9: Because Markandeya's material mind had stopped functioning, the sage failed to

notice that Lord Siva and his wife, the controllers of the universe, had personally come to see

him. Markandeya was so absorbed in meditation that he was unaware of either himself or the

external world.

SB 12.10.10: Understanding the situation very well, the powerful Lord Siva employed his mystic

power to enter within the sky of Markandeya's heart, just as the wind passes through an opening.

SB 12.10.11-13: Sri Markandeya saw Lord Siva suddenly appear within his heart. Lord Siva's

golden hair resembled lightning, and he had three eyes, ten arms and a tall body that shone like

the rising sun. He wore a tiger skin, and he carried a trident, a bow, arrows, a sword and a shield,

along with prayer beads, a damaru drum, a skull and an ax. Astonished, the sage came out of his

trance and thought, "Who is this, and where has he come from?"

SB 12.10.14: Opening his eyes, the sage saw Lord Rudra, the spiritual master of the three

worlds, together with Uma and Rudra's followers. Markandeya then offered his respectful

obeisances by bowing his head.

SB 12.10.15: Markandeya worshiped Lord Siva, along with Uma and Siva's associates, by

offering them words of welcome, sitting places, water for washing their feet, scented drinking

water, fragrant oils, flower garlands and arati lamps.

SB 12.10.16: Markandeya said: O mighty lord, what can I possibly do for you, who are fully

satisfied by your own ecstasy? Indeed, by your mercy you satisfy this entire world.

SB 12.10.17: Again and again I offer my obeisances unto you, O all-auspicious transcendental

personality. As the lord of goodness you give pleasure, in contact with the mode of passion you

appear most fearful, and you also associate with the mode of ignorance.

SB 12.10.18: Suta Gosvami said: Lord Siva, the foremost demigod and the shelter of the saintly

devotees, was satisfied by Markandeya's praise. Pleased, he smiled and addressed the sage.

Page 35 of 38

SB 12.10.19: Lord Siva said: Please ask me for some benediction, since among all givers of

benedictions, we three -- Brahma, Vishnu and I -- are the best. Seeing us never goes in vain,

because simply by seeing us a mortal achieves immortality.

SB 12.10.20-21: The inhabitants and ruling demigods of all planets, along with Lord Brahma, the

Supreme Lord Hari and I, glorify, worship and assist those brahmanas who are saintly, always

peaceful, free of material attachment, compassionate to all living beings, purely devoted to us,

devoid of hatred and endowed with equal vision.

SB 12.10.22: These devotees do not differentiate between Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and me,

nor do they differentiate between themselves and other living beings. Therefore, because you are

this kind of saintly devotee, we worship you.

SB 12.10.23: Mere bodies of water do not constitute holy places, nor are lifeless statues of the

demigods actual worshipable deities. Because external vision fails to appreciate the higher

essence of the holy rivers and the demigods, these purify only after a considerable time. But

devotees like you purify immediately, just by being seen.

SB 12.10.24: By meditating upon the Supreme Soul, performing austerities, engaging in Vedic

study and following regulative principles, the brahmanas sustain within themselves the three

Vedas, which are nondifferent from Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and me. Therefore I offer my

obeisances unto the brahmanas.

SB 12.10.25: Even the worst sinners and social outcastes are purified just by hearing about or

seeing personalities like you. Imagine, then, how purified they become by directly speaking with

you.

SB 12.10.26: Suta Gosvami said: Drinking with his ears Lord Siva's nectarean words, full of the

confidential essence of religion, Markandeya Rishi could not be satiated.

SB 12.10.27: Markandeya, having been forced by Lord Vishnu's illusory energy to wander about

for a long time in the water of dissolution, had become extremely exhausted. But Lord Siva's

words of nectar vanquished his accumulated suffering. Thus he addressed Lord Siva.

SB 12.10.28: Sri Markandeya said: It is indeed most difficult for embodied souls to understand

the pastimes of the universal controllers, for such lords bow down to and offer praise to the very

living beings they rule.

SB 12.10.29: Generally it is to induce embodied souls to accept religious principles that the

authorized teachers of religion exhibit ideal behavior while encouraging and praising the proper

behavior of others.

SB 12.10.30: This apparent humility is simply a show of mercy. Such behavior of the Supreme

Lord and His personal associates, which the Lord effects by His own bewildering potency, does

not spoil His power any more than a magician's powers are diminished by his exhibition of

tricks.

Page 36 of 38

SB 12.10.31-32: I offer my obeisances to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created

this entire universe simply by His desire and then entered into it as the Supersoul. By making the

modes of nature act, He seems to be the direct creator of this world, just as a dreamer seems to be

acting within his dream. He is the owner and ultimate controller of the three modes of nature, yet

He remains alone and pure, without any equal. He is the supreme spiritual master of all, the

original personal form of the Absolute Truth.

SB 12.10.33: O all-pervading lord, since I have received the benediction of seeing you, what

other benediction can I ask for? Simply by seeing you, a person fulfills all his desires and can

achieve anything imaginable.

SB 12.10.34: But I do request one benediction from you, who are full of all perfection and able

to shower down the fulfillment of all desires. I ask to have unfailing devotion for the Supreme

Personality of Godhead and for His dedicated devotees, especially you.

SB 12.10.35: Suta Gosvami said: Thus worshiped and glorified by the eloquent statements of the

sage Markandeya, Lord Sarva [Siva], encouraged by his consort, replied to him as follows.

SB 12.10.36: O great sage, because you are devoted to Lord Adhokshaja, all your desires will be

fulfilled. Until the very end of this creation cycle, you will enjoy pious fame and freedom from

old age and death.

SB 12.10.37: O brahmana, may you have perfect knowledge of past, present and future, along

with transcendental realization of the Supreme, enriched by renunciation. You have the brilliance

of an ideal brahmana, and thus may you achieve the post of spiritual master of the Puranas.

SB 12.10.38: Suta Gosvami said: Having thus granted Markandeya Rishi benedictions, Lord

Siva went on his way, continuing to describe to goddess Devi the accomplishments of the sage

and the direct exhibition of the Lord's illusory power that he had experienced.

SB 12.10.39: Markandeya Rishi, the best of the descendants of Bhrigu, is glorious because of his

achievement of perfection in mystic yoga. Even today he travels about this world, fully absorbed

in unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 12.10.40: I have thus narrated to you the activities of the highly intelligent sage Markandeya,

especially how he experienced the amazing power of the Supreme Lord's illusory energy.

SB 12.10.41: Although this event was unique and unprecedented, some unintelligent persons

compare it to the cycle of illusory material existence the Supreme Lord has created for the

conditioned souls -- an endless cycle that has been continuing since time immemorial.

SB 12.10.42: O best of the Bhrigus, this account concerning Markandeya Rishi conveys the

transcendental potency of the Supreme Lord. Anyone who properly narrates or hears it will never

again undergo material existence, which is based on the desire to perform fruitive activities.

Page 37 of 38

NarayaNi Stuti : Devi Mahatmyam by MarkaNdeya Rishi

http://www.stutimandal.com/new/poemgen.php?id=246

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110621211118AA581pe

I'm Always Good

Markandeya - D y kn w ab t this

Markandeya Rishi?

Yamunait...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The life story of Sri Markandeya is described in the 12th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam and in the Aranya

Parva in Sri MahaBharatham. Markandeya categorically says that due to the grace of Mahavishnu he

remains victorious.

Markandeya was the young son of Sage Mrukandu. Sage Mrukandu and his wife once heard a heavenly

utterance that Markandeya was approaching the time of his death. When these words were heard, they

were extremely distressed. Markandeya however consoled his parents and promised to return after

somehow obtaining a long life. Markandeya worshipped Lord Rudra faithfully for a long time. Pleased by

his prayers when Rudra asked him to state his wishes Markandeya not only asked for a long life but also

Moksha at the end of it. Lord Rudra told that Mokshapradhan (one that bestows Moksha) was Sriman

Narayana. He himself then took Markandeya to Sri Janardhana (Narayana) thereby fulfilling the wishes

of his devotee.

Source(s):

http://azhwar.org/documents/Naanmukan-Th…

http://vyasabharata.org/JAYA03.pdf

http://vedabase.net/sb/12/8/en1

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Other Answers (2)

★ Baby Beauty ★

Born in the clan of Bhrigu Rishi.

Son of Mrikandu rishi and Marudmati

Great devotee of Shiva

Ever aged 16

Had mastered the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

Mahamrityunjaya Mantra:

aum mṛtyuñjaya mahādeva trāhi māṁ śaraṇāgatam |

janmamṛtyujarāvyādhi pīḍitaṁ karmabandhanaiḥ ||

Aum, O Great Lord Mṛtyuñjaya, I take refuge in You, pray protect me;

And relieve me of the painful experiences of birth, death, old-age and disease.

Aum Kalasamhara-Murtaye Namah.

======================================

Shoum - scorpion

He is father-in-law of Lord Oppiliyappan (near Kumbakonam). By this he become a bridge

between the 2 largest sect in Hinduism.