Sages from the Hindu Scriptures ♥ Markhandeya When one mentions sage Markhandeya the first image that I think of is his vision of the Pralaya and how Vishnu appeared in the form of a child floating on a Banyan leaf. This image has always captured my imagination and it is with this same enthusiasm I am writing about this eternal Sage Markhandeya. Let us start from this story itself. This is a tale from the Bhagavata Purana. Markhandeya was a devout Bhakta of both Shiva and Vishnu. Once Sage Narayana (Nara-Narayana) visited Markhandeya and offered him a boon, at which Markhandeya wished to experience the illusionary power of Maya. Nara-Narayana who was none other than Lord Narayana himself used his illusionary power to created Pralaya for his bhakti thus. Once while performing his daily prayers on the bank of the river Subhadraa, he saw that the sea and the water level was rising at a very high speed, flooding and engulfing everything. The water swept him off too but he managed to stay afloat. It was the Pralaya he was witnessing, the sole witness to this cosmic deluge. He saw the whole world submerged in water. He was swallowed and spat out by many of the creatures in water. Tormented by hunger and thirst, attacked the creatures of the oceans, and battered by the wind and waves, he floated aimlessly through the infinite darkness of the cosmic waters. He was exhausted and soon he lost all sense of direction and could not tell the sky from the earth. He was floating thus for many innumerable years. Finally amidst this eerie darkness of the pralaya, in the vastness of the primordial cosmic ocean, Markandeya came upon a small island, and there stood a sole young banyan tree, and there on a branch of the northeast portion of that tree, on a tender leaf was a beautiful child sucking his toe, who was none other than Lord Vishnu. Up he saw an infant boy lying within a leaf. “The infants 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.” As the eyes of Markandeya beheld the child, all his woes vanished. Before Markhandeya could realise, the child drew Markandeya within himself, and he saw before him the world including his own hermitage, where he was with the sages Nara-Narayana. As Markandeya beheld the entire universe in utter confusion, the infant exhaled throwing him back to the celestial waters of Pralaya. Marandeya sees the child who throws a glance at him with a smile overflowing with the nectar of love. Markhandeya who is overwhelmed and embosses this scene into his hreart and LO!!! in an instant he is back in his own hermitage, just as before. Markhandeya understood what the Lord had cone for him. It was this vision which he reproced the poetry “Balamukundashtakam.” Markhandeya was born in the clan of Bhrigu Rishi to Mrikandu rishi and his wife Marudmati. The couple was childless for many years and finally the Rishi worshipped Shiva and sought from him the boon of begetting a son. Lord Shiva please with his devotee offered him the choice of either a gifted son, but with a short life on earth or a child of low intelligence but with a long life. Mrikandu rishi chose the former, and so was blessed with an exemplary son, who was destined to die at the age of 12 years. He composed the great text Markhandeya Purana, in which we also find the Devi Sapthasathi/ Devi Mahatmyam. Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva. On the day he was destined to die, it is said that he was performing the daily austerities and the Lord of death Lord Yama’s messenger couldn’t even get near him, so powerful was his devotion. Lord Yama who had come finally to take care of the situation personally, sprung the noose of death onto the young boys neck, which by fate landed onto the Shiva linga the boy Markhandeya was worshipping. Lord was furious at the aggression of Lord Yama as he appeared in front of him. The legend goes on to say that Lord Yama almost died in the hands of Lord Shiva and was later revived, on the condition that Markhandeya would live forever. At a young age he attained enlightenment and became a jivan-mukta. He had broken through the cycle of birth and death by God’s grace. The story as narrated above comes to us from the Skanda Purana. A similar account is also given in Narasimha Purana, although in that version Markandeya is rescued by Vishnu. Shiva was thereafter known was also as Kalantaka, This was said to have happened at Triprangode, Tirur, Malappuram district, Kerala where the Kalasamharamurthy Temple is situated. Another chief temple dedicated to Kalantaka is situated at Thirukkadavoor, Tamil Nadu of South India. The Kalantaka icon is found sculpted in many Shiva temples in the South. Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra attributed to Markandeya is inscribed and worshipped there. Shiva is often depicted here as dancing on Death, personified by Yama. LEGEND FROM THE THIRUKKADAVOOR SHRINE This is a slight variation of the original story. Here Sage Mrikandu prayed to Shiva for a son a Vilvavanam. As the boon he was offered one Virtuous son who would die young at 16 years or 100 foolish sons who will live long. The sage chose the virtuous one. When Markhandeya entered the 15th year Lord Brahma taught him the Mritunjaya Mantra, to conquer death. Later Shiva consented to eternal life for him. But on the destined day Yama came to take his life away at which Yama took on a fearsome form and threw a noose to capture Markendeya who was hugging the Linga. Shiva emerged from the Linga and struck Yama with his Trishula and kicked his chest, killing the lord of death. Now that the Lord of death had died himself there was no one to bring an end to lifeforms. The earth was burnded by eveil people, at which the Gods and sages with Markhandeya invoked Shiva to revive Yama. Shiva touched Yama with his foot, and brought him back to life.A sequel from Thiruvanmiyur to this tale narrates how Shiva resurrected Yama on the request of the gods and Yama worshiped Shiva at Thiruvanmiyur to atone for his sin. It is said that Shiva devotees go directly to Shivas abode at Mount Kailash, on death. Shiva’s portrayal as Kalantaka is popular in South India, and is restricted mainly to this region. ~ Vipasana ♥ Image 1: Sage Markhandeya Image 2: Markhandeyas vision of the Pralaya and how Vishnu appeared in the form of a child floating on a Banyan leaf Image 3 : Lord Yama , Shiva and the youthful Markhandeya from the Skanda Purana
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:03:21 +0000
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