Markandeya () is a rishi (sage) featured in Hindu texts. He is the son of the sage Mrikanda and his wife, Manasvini.[ Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12, Chapter 8: Markandeya's Prayers to Nara-Narayana Rishi ] He is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Markandeya is venerated within all mainstream Hindu traditions.
Legend
Rescue by Kalantaka-Shiva
One legend relates the story of how
Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism, protected Markandeya from the clutches of death, personified as Yama.
Sage Mrikanda performed penance to propitiate Shiva for several years and sought from him the boon of begetting a son. Shiva offered him the choice of either a virtuous and pious son who would have a short life, or a dull-witted, malicious child who would have a long life. Mrikanda chose the former, and was blessed with Markandeya, an exemplary son, destined to die at the age of sixteen. Markandeya mastered the Vedas and the Shastras and grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva. Learning his fate from his distressed parents shortly before his sixteenth year, he started to engage in severe austerities. On the day of his destined death, he continued his worship of Shiva in the deity's aniconic form of a lingam. The Yamaduta of Yama, the god of death, were unable to take away his life because the power of his devotion to Shiva shielded him against them. Yama came in person to take away Markandeya's life, even as the sage embraced the lingam, crying for help. Yama sprung his noose around the young sage's neck, which also circled the lingam. Angered, Shiva emerged from the lingam, attacking Yama to save his devotee. After slaying Yama, Shiva revived him under the request of the devas, under the condition that Markandeya remain sixteen years old forever.
Vision of Pralaya
The
Bhagavata Purana describes Markandeya worshipping
Vishnu for six
Manvantara (an age of Manu). Alarmed by the sage's prowess,
Indra tasked a number of
Apsara,
Gandharva, and the god of love,
Kamadeva, to disrupt his ascetic practice. The celestial beings travelled to the
Ashram of the sage, located on the
Himalayas along the banks of the river Pushpabhadra. The sage remained undisturbed by the songs, dances, and attempts of seduction by the beings, after which they fled. Impressed by Markandeya, Vishnu appeared before him in his form of the sage-brothers
Nara-Narayana. Markandeya extolled the sage-brothers, and requested that he be granted a sight of Vishnu's maya (illusion), which was granted. One evening, while Markandeya prayed, he experienced a vision of the
pralaya, the dissolution of the universe. A great deluge submerged the earth, destroying all living beings, and the sage found himself being the only creature left alive, thrashed by the waters. Even as the torrent propelled him, the sage observed a
banyan tree, upon whose branch he saw a dazzling baby upon a leaf. Markandeya marvelled at the sight of its wondrous form. Entering the form of the baby, he witnessed the entire universe, the passage of the ages, all living beings, as well as a vision of his own hermitage. Leaving the baby's form and returning to the vision of the pralaya, the sage attempted to hug the baby, knowing it to be Vishnu himself. The baby vanished, and the maya was subsequently dispelled, returning Markandeya back to his hermitage. Even as Markandeya extolled
Vishnu,
Shiva and
Parvati appeared before the sage, and the latter sang their praises. Pleased by the sage, Shiva offered him a boon. The sage asked for the devotees of Vishnu and Shiva to be blessed. Shiva granted this boon, declaring that Markandeya would also be immortal, gain great religious merit, and also blessed with the authorship of a Purana.
Veneration
Today, the Markandeya Tirtha, where the sage Markandeya is regarded to have written the Markandeya Purana, is situated on a trekking route to the
Yamunotri shrine in the Uttarkashi district,
Uttarakhand.
[ Yamunotri Temple Uttarkashi district website.]
The legend of Shiva saving Markandeya is said to have taken place on the bank of river Gomati in Kaithi, Varanasi. An ancient temple known as the Markandeya Mahadeva Temple is made on this site. Alternatively, another story states that this event happened in Kerala, at the site of Triprangode Siva Temple where the Markandeya ran up to the Shiva Linga at the temple to escape from Yama. A source also claims that this incident took place at the Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga in the Beed district district of Maharashtra. It is also believed to have happened in either of two temples in Tamil Nadu, Thirukkadaiyur or Thiruvanmiyur. Khandya which is in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka. Also houses a shrine dedicated to Markhandeya Shiva - Mrityunjaya and legend (Sthala Purana) says that Markhandeya held on to this Shiva Linga. There are marks of a child clinging on to the Linga here. The name "Khandya" is also the short form of Markhandeya. People do 'Asthi Visarjan' here as the river Bhadra flows westerwardly direction (Paschimavaahini).
Literature
Sapta Chiranjivi Stotram
The Sapta Chiranjivi Stotram is a mantra that is featured in
Hindu texts:
The mantra states that the remembrance of the eight immortals (Ashwatthama, Mahabali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripa, Parashurama, and Markandeya) offers one freedom from ailments and longevity.
The Markandeya Purana
The Markandeya Purana is one of the eighteen major
Puranas of Hinduism. It is narrated by sage Markandeya himself to sage
Jaimini and contains many topics such as
cosmology,
philosophy,
theology,
dharma, and karma. Detailed descriptions of sacred places and rituals are in this Purana as well. The Markandeya Purana presents Lord
Shiva to be the supreme deity and includes many stories to show his divine virtues and characteristics. Moreover, it includes the
Devi Mahatmya, which emphasizes goddess
Durga's virtues such as her role as the embodiment of
Shakti and her ability to destroy evil for the protection of her devotees.
Appearance in the Mahabharata
In the Markandeya-Samasya Parva in the
Vana Parva of the
Mahabharata, a conversation takes place between Markandeya and the oldest
Pandava brother
Yudhishthira. As a result of the game of dice in
Hastinapur, the five Pandava brothers and their wife
Draupadi are exiled into the forest for 12 years and one extra year in hiding. Traumatized by the events of the game of dice Yudhishthira felt restless and upset and wanted to find peace and guidance. He goes to sage Markandeya with many questions and concerns. Yudhishthira went to the right man for guidance, for the great sage had lived through and experienced the great deluge, which gave him a large perspective on life. As part of their conversation, Markendeya narrates to him the story of the great deluge and his incident with lord
Vishnu.
Films on Markandeya
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(1922)
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Shri Markandeya Avtaar (1922)
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Markandeya (1935)
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Bhakta Markandeya (1938)
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Bhakta Markandeya (1956)
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Bhakta Dhruva Markandeya (1982)
See also
-
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend () by Anna Dallapiccola
-
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, Chapter 1, pg 13
External links
