Markandeya’s Triumph Over Death

How did Markandeya Defeat Death?

The story of Marakandeya does not begin from his birth. He had an eternal relationship, of many prior lifetimes with Lord Shiva.

Once, while Sage Markandeya was meditating, with great focus, Lord Shiva, seated on His great bull Nandi riding beside His eternal consort, Mother Parvati, arrived at the scene.
Seeing Markandeya in his great state of meditation, mother Parvati addressed Her Lord thus: “My Lord, this Muni is a great ascetic, full of Vairagya (renunciation). Please give him the fruit of His meditation. You are All-capable.”

Then Lord Shiva said: “Oh Devi, Markandeya is a dedicated Bhakta. Markandeya had the Divine Vision of Maya, after seeking a boon from the 2 Lords, Nara, and Naryana. So, such devotees or Bhaktas have no desires whatsoever. He is a self-realized sage. They desire nothing but the total satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. To be able to have an association with such devotees is extremely rare.

What to talk about the association, even having sight of such devotees is extremely rare.
Considering the tall nature of Markandeya, I shall meet him.” Saying thus, Lord Shiva went near the sage.

Markandeya gets vision of Lord Shiva

The Muni engrossed in deep meditation could not notice Lord Shiva. Markandeya had lost sense of his body and mind even, in the love of the Lord. Lord Shiva, through the power of His Yoga-Shakti, entered into the heart of Markandeya. In his heart, the Muni saw, the camphor-colored, three-eyed Lord Shiva.

This awakened the Muni was lost himself, in meditation.He opened his eyes, beholding, the great Shankara. He became overjoyed to see the Lord along with His consort and offered prayers to the divine couple, Uma-Maheshwar. The Lord asked Markandeya to seek a boon.

Sage Markandeya Seeks a Boon

The great sage replied, “Hey, Shankara, the very personification of mercy and love, grant me this boon that my Bhakti towards the Lord remains unshakeable and I remain without expectations. May I always be devoted to you in an undivided manner. Let me be totally attached to the Lord and lose myself in Bhakti.” Lord Shankara thundered “So be it. May you remain eternal.

You shall become renowned as the foremost Acharya of the Puranas.” Following this benediction, Markandeya became famous as the foremost teacher of the Puranas. Blessed with the mercy of Lord Shiva right from his childhood, Markandeya falls in the list of the most powerful Shiva Bhaktas.

Story of Markandeya’s Birth

Markandeya was the son of the great ascetic Mrikanda and mother Marudamati. It is stated in the “Uttar Khanda” of the Padma Purana that, Markandeya’s parents performed great austerities and desired a son from Lord Shiva. As a result of those austerities, they became parents to the great Muni. But Lord Shiva warned the expecting couple about the short-lifespan of their offspring. He said: “Your son, Markandeya shall only live till 16 years of age.”

When Markandeya entered his 16th year, he became very worried due to the distress of his parents. He often saw his parents weeping. It was in such times that Markandeya came to know of the truth about his own life from his parents. Markandeya then reassured them and filled them with new hope. He said “Father, I shall seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and ensure that I shall remain untouched by Death.

Markandeya Faces Lord of Death

What to talk of dying at the age of 16? I shall undertake severe austerities to please Lord Shiva.” Taking leave of his parents, Markandeya set forth towards the Indian Ocean in the south. Markandeya Defeats Death! At the shore of the great ocean, Markandeya stablished a Shiv Lingam and started worshipping it with one-pointed dedication and intense attention.

A few days passed and Death personified appeared before him. The Lord of Death said, “Your time is up, come, follow me.” At that time Markandeya was reciting the famous Mahamrityunjaya stotra, to conquer death. This was Lord Shiva’s favorite stotra.

Markandeya told Death, “I shall very well follow you. Let me just finish offering my prayers to the Lord. Can’t you wait until such time?” Death roared back. He said “This is not possible. I wait for none.“

Lord Shiva Protects Markandeya

Having been dedicated to Lord Shiva, depending on the Lord’s might, Markandeya scolded Death. The latter now became anger personified and forcibly tried grabbing Markandeya with the “Death noose”. The 16-year-old boy called out to Lord Shiva and held tightly to the Shiva Lingam. The Lord is never away from one loving call of his devotees. Immediately Lord Shiva appeared on the scene.

He kicked Death personified on his chest and threw him back. Looking at the pitiable state of the God of Death and the fury of His cherished Lord, Markandeya immediately composed a beautiful hymn. Markandeya composes song for Lord Shiva. The meaning of the hymn goes like this.

The Sage Praises Lord Shiva

“He has his abode on the highest pinnacle of Mount Kailash. Lord Shiva used the great bow which was the very mountain of Meru, the string of which was the great snake king Vasuki himself. He used Lord Vishnu Himself as the arrow and destroyed the three grand cities of the demons known as Tripura. The whole race of the Devatas and celestial beings are at the feet of my Mahadeva. I am under His perfect protection.

What can Death, who is known as Yama, do to me? My Lord’s feet are fragrant with the five types of celestial flowers. The one who has burnt Kamadeva with his third eye is my Lord. His body is smeared with the ash of the crematorium. This is His greatest ornament. He is the destroyer of Death even.

The Meaning of Chandrashekhar

I am at the mercy of that Chandrasekhar (one who bears the Moon on His head).
What can anybody do to me? He is the one who has no beginning and has no end.
What can Yama do to me? He covers His body with the hide of the elephant and is an epitome of unending beauty. He is the Lord even of Vishnu and Brahma.

The two Lords consider Maheshwar as their all. He wears serpents as his earrings.
He rides the most handsome wild bull known as Nandi. Narada and the holy ascetics praise His prosperity and style. He is the Lord of the three worlds and the destroyer of demons such as Andhakasura.

Yama has no answer to the bearer of Chandra, Chandrasekhar. He is the friend of the Yaksha known as Kubera. He has burst the eyes of the Devata known as Bhaga and wears snakes as His dear ornaments. Also, He has seated beside Him, on his left side, the mother of the Universe, Srimati Parvati Devi. He consumes the poison of all poisons known as Kalakuta effortlessly, as it emerged during the churning of the ocean.

Meaning of Neelakantha

He is known as Neel-Kantha (one with the blue throat), because the poison went and settled in His throat. I am at the mercy of that Chandrasekhar. What can Yama do to me?
He is the elixir to those who want to cross the ocean of birth and death.

Lord Shiva, has the solution to the greatest of problems and is the destroyer of the Yajna of Daksha Prajapati. He is the very basis of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. He is three-eyed and can grant boons for Bhoga (Sense-enjoyment) as well for Yoga (Liberation).

His eyes are large and terrible and yet He is pure, kind-hearted, and free of all malice.
I bow to that Shiva who is my protector and benefactor.What can Yama do to me?”
Such was the greatness of Lord Shiva as chanted by the great ascetic Markandeya.

Markandeya originally was a devotee of Lord Narayana and hence a great Vaishnava. He did not differnetiate between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. His songs praising Lord Vishnu has a lot of significance and often sung by other devotees of Lord Naryana.

Salutations to Lord Narayana

“I salute to the Lord who is the master of wealth and prosperity. The one who is none of other than the Supreme Being, having a vast body enfolding within itself the entire creation (Vishwaroop).

He stands, unique among the Devatas and shines brightly as the greatest of Gurus. He incarnated as the Swan (hansavatar) to deliver the Vedas. Being an object of worship for the Goddess of Sound, Oh Narayana, accept my humble prayers for you are the greatest of Brahmins.”

The Supreme Bhagawan incarnated as Nara-Narayana to establish the supremacy of Tapa (austerity) over all other means to attain God-realization. These two enlightened brothers were the protectors of Brahmins and were worshiped by them.

Story of Markandeya’s Penance for Nara-Narayana ?

Once, Markandeya Rishi, the son of Sage Mrikundu performed severe penance on the banks of Pushpabhadra River (situated in the Himalayas). He observed Brahmacharya to bring his penance to fruition. With one-pointed focus, he withdrew all attention from worldly objects and fixed it on his deity. This gesture perturbed Indra. He immediately instructed Vasant devata, Kam dev, and the apsaras to deter Markandeya from his meditation.

Devatas and Apsaras test Markandeya

Due to the powers of Vasant Devata, the meditation spot turned into a pleasurable resort. Flowers blossomed and its sweet fragrance wrapped itself in the air. The celestial smell created a mesmerizing atmosphere around the Rishi and it invited birds to build their nests. They sang sweet melodies which had potential to attract the greatest of Rishis. But, Markandeya was not one of them as he remained undisturbed.

Now, the apsaras who are idols of beauty tried to trap the sage by engaging in playful sports. Their graceful dance that followed the rhythmic beats of the Gandharvas were intentioned to promote sensuous moods in the Rishi. Such an ambience proves to be hostile for Sadhakas today and also in the past.

This is why Vedic teachings encourage man to meditate in solitude and caution us from falling prey to worldly desires. The apsaras passed the ball to each other and periodically laughed loudly after whispering some pranks into each other’s ears. But, the efforts went in vain as Markandeya had disconnected himself from the external plane.

The defeat of the Apsaras, instigated Kamdev, (the God of Love) to release the Sammohan Vaan or (arrow of attraction) from his flower bow on Markandeya Rishi. However, even that attempt proved to be a total failure.

In conclusion, the benevolence of the two divine brothers, Nara-Narayana protected Markandeya from all distractions. Nobody could harm his penance and austerity.

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Devatas Realize their mistake

The intensely grave face of the Muni (The Silenced One) absorbed in Sadhana, transmitted a realization in the Devatas. Now, they could understand their folly for the muni had traversed the domain of the senses.

It was obvious by now that Markandeya had his eyes fixed on a higher goal and not swarga. They realized the deeper intentions of the sage which could be nothing other than spiritual attainment of Bhagawan. Therefore, the celestial nymphs along with Gandharvas, Kama Devata and Vasant devata took flight to Indra Loka, leaving Markandeya rishi alone.

Brief Description of Nara-Narayana

Markandeya rishi had emerged victorious from the attack of lust and other worldly objects of attraction. Yet, he attributes all his achievements to Nara-Narayana Bhagawan and there lies his humility. His deep desire to have darshan of Bhagawan grew intense, as he could see the direct involvement of his Ishta Dev in his life. Out of sheer gratitude and love for his Ishta he would take up spiritual activities although he was internally connected to them at all times.

The two divine brothers, who were embodiments of love and compassion could no longer resist from appearing before Him. Lord Narayan has dark-complexioned skin like that of rainy clouds. His brother is golden in complexion like that of molten gold. Both the Lords possessed lotus-like eyes, adorned by the nectar of compassion and love.

Clad in deer skin, they had long matted hair like that of Tapasvis. Feeling awe and reverence for his deity, Markandeya Muni immediately fell at their feet with folded palms.
The ever compassionate Lord, bent low to raise His dear devotee. Markandeya immediately regained his balance and rendered an elaborate worship for the two divine brothers. Pleased with his services, the Lords asked Markandeya to seek a boon.

Markandeya Seeks a Boon

The latter recited stutis in praise of the Lord and said: “Oh Bhagawan, man’s full potential can only be accessed, if You bless him with your darshan. What more remains after having witnessing Divine form? But, I shall seek a boon for your instructions are meant to be followed. Just like I have been blessed to perceive your divine form, I shall be able to witness Your Maya (or moving energy) as well.”

The Lord reciprocated by uttering the word “एवमस्तु, Evamsatu, which means ‘So be it’.” Everything returned back to normalcy after the two Lords returned to Badrikashrama.

Experience of Maya

One fine day, as usual Markandeya sat down for his morning prayers. Black monsoon clouds veiled the sky, engulfing the surroundings into darkness. Suddenly, a lightening echoed in the sky and it started pouring heavily. Uncommonly big and fat, the rain drops clogged narrow paths. Nothing subsided, but instead, these symptoms grew fiercer, eventually turning into a calamity.

The entire earth drowned in the ocean waters. The 4 directions were flooded with water which ultimately destroyed flora and fauna. Huge mountains and trees, lifelessly floated on the contaminated waters of the ocean.

Markandeya Rishi witnesses Maya

The fearsome calamity took Markandeya Rishi in its wake and propelled him to swim insanely. He tried protecting himself. No streak of hope could strike his mind as the entire universe enveloped itself in darkness. The sky bereft of both the sun and the moon had no sight of light, as if since ages. Markandeya struggled to combat the mighty waves which sometimes flung him on the eastern coast while at other times in the opposite direction.

Many times he attempted, with great difficulty, to prevent himself from drowning. Markandeya was tossed like a coin from one side to another and drained him of his individual strength that could draw him out of this calamity. The moment he found time to sigh, a mighty wave would strike his body infusing lethargy through out his body. His hair lock untied from his bun due to the erratic force of water. Along with physical weakness, his intellect stopped supporting him.

Markandeya Meets an Infant

Ultimately Markandeya’s spiritual-self awakened and he sought the Lord for protection. Right then, a gigantic Banyan tree, rooted in centre of the ocean appeared before him. The tree had numerous tender leaves. As Markandeya went closer to it, his astonishment reached its peak for he saw the leaves creating room for a small infant.

The child had lotus, red feet while his complexion resembles to that of Lord Narayana. His lips are stretched up to the end of his cheeks creating an enchanting smile on his moon-like face. His two mesmerizing eyes occupy most space on His face. While inhaling and exhaling, his round belly moves up and down.

The radiance emitted from his body far-exceeds the power of thousands of suns put together. Markandeya observed that the child’s aura lit up the entire universe and instantly arresting darkness.

The baby drew his feet closer to his mouth with the aid of his slender little finger. He pulled his toes into his mouth and was now joyfully sucking them. This darshan is beyond description. Just like an iron nail gets attracted to a piece of magnet, the awe-struck Markandeya got drawn into the child’s tummy. This exceptional vision did not end there, instead it expanded in its glory.

What are the Signs of Divine Experience?

Now, Markandeya Muni could witness the entire cosmic creation, unseen species, trees, mountains, plateaus, valleys, water bodies, etc all housed within the boundless tummy of the child. As he further travelled, he reached the Himalayan Mountains where his ashram is situated.

He could not only see his residence, but also his surroundings and River Pushpabhdra where he had invoked his Ishta. Although, everything rapidly manifested in the womb of Bhagawan, a major time lag followed. The wheel of time on Earth, spun through many Yugas, while it was just a few moments since Markandeya had entered into the child. But, Markandeya who witnessed the vastness of Bhagawan savored this priceless experience.

Markandeya Rishi Realizes Bhagawan

He closed his eyes to feel content and was delighted to gain this opportunity. simultaneously the child exhaled, and the divine experience was put to an end as he was thrown into the stormy ocean waters, once again. Markandeya recollected the torturous experience and also could identify the divinity personified child. He very well knew that the infant is no ordinary being and has answers for all his questions. So, he approached him to gain insight regarding the calamity.

But, the child disappeared. All his surroundings transformed, revealing to him his Ashram. He opened his eyes and found himself seated on his asana, meditating. He observed that all the catastrophic experiences had no tangible existence. The trees, oceans, divine child, etc had all disappeared. It was as if the curtains opened to reveal the reality. He thanked his Ishta from saving him from the clutches of Maya and concluded the experience as a blessing of the Lord.

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