Introduction
Bharath, the ancient and divine land, is the birth place of many great Maharishis and sages. The principles, philosophies and practices propagated by these divine personalities have served as a beacon for their progenies and human society at large.
Birth and Victory over death
Sage Mrikandu was one of the rishis who lived in Ancient India. He had a wife named Sumitra, who was not able to conceive a child for a long time. The worried couple sought the help of Lord Shiva and performed severe tapas, to get his darshan. Finally, after the passage of some time, Lord Shiva appeared in front of the couple and after hearing their request, granted their wish of having a child. The child was named Markandeya and was also known as Bhrigunandanaam, Bhrigukulashardula, Bhargavathothama as well as Bhargava.
Markandeya was very intelligent, from a very young age and he had studied various scriptures, Shastras and mastered all the Vedas. He was a very disciplined and cultured boy and paid utmost reverence to elders. He was liked by all those who visited Sage Mrikandu’s ashram. One day while collecting Durba from the nearby forest, for performing Yajnas, Markandeya met the Saptarishis, who disguised themselves as Brahmins. After the exchange of greetings, the Brahmins learned about the death of the young boy at a very tender age. Soon they sought the help of Lord Brahma, who informed them that Markandeya can be immortal, only if he performs severe tapas. Thus, the Saptarishis were greatly relieved after learning about the new lease of life for Markandeya.
The parents of Markandeya used to be very sad and worried about the prediction of untimely death of Markandeya. Upon learning about this predicament, Markandeya consoled his parents and decided to perform severe tapas in front of Lord Shiva. He sat on the banks of the River Tungabhadra and chanted Aum and the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, with his mind fixed upon Lord Shiva. Later, when Yamaraj, the God of Death, tried to snatch away the life of Markandeya, Lord Shiva appeared before Markandeya and stopped the attempts of Yamaraj. Thus, Lord Shiva helped Markandeya to conquer death and relieved his parents from their worries. Later, Markandeya lived happily in the Ashram and married Dhumorna, who gave birth to a son named Vedashira.
Indra’s effort to disturb Markandeya’s Tapas
Lord Indra used to get highly frightened upon seeing tapasvis and emperors performing tapas and yagyas, since he was worried that their acquired power would dispossess him of his seat. Thus, he sent Kamadeva along with Vasantha and a few Apsaras, to disturb the tapas of Markandeya. They made futile attempts to disturb him and later realized their mistake of trying to disturb the great devotee of Lord Shiva himself. Lord Indra was also ashamed, after learning about the same.
Darshan of Nara and Narayana
At the very end of performing tapas, Markandeya got the darshan of Lord Narayana. He was highly enthralled to see the magnificent figure of Lord Narayana and thereafter offered Argha, Padya and Shodassopachara Pooja. Lord Narayana accepted the puja and wanted to grant a wish of Markandeya. Therefore, Markandeya wished to see the Vaishnavi Maya of Lord Narayana.
The Vaishnavi Maya
Once, while performing Sandhyavandana, Markandeya suddenly felt a massive storm approaching him. He was incessantly tossed in the tempest and watched the furious waves lash in front of him. He also had visions of crocodiles and whales trying to attack him. He lost control over all his sensory organs and was overwhelmed by the happenings around him. Suddenly, he saw a Banyan tree and a child atop a leaf of the tree. The child had exquisite features and was smiling gently. Markandeya was sucked into the child, by the force of breathing of the child, through his nostrils. Inside the child, Markandeya saw the entire Universe unfold, with all the stars, planets and constellations. All of a sudden, Markandeya realized that he was sitting in front of his ashram and meditating. He later learned that all the events were nothing but the Vaishnavi Maya.
Shiva Parvathi Darshan
Once, while travelling in the sky, Lord Shiva and his consort, Uma, saw Markandeya performing tapas, in the Yogic pose. Upon seeing this, Goddess Uma requested Lord Shiva to bless the great Markandeya. They both appeared before Markandeya and uttered words in his praise. Markandeya was highly thrilled to learn about his own qualities from the great Lord and sought a boon from Lord Shiva. He requested Lord Shiva to grant him the strength and the willpower to remain devoted to God and all those who love God. Thus, Lord Shiva granted Markandeya’s wish and also stated that he would be composing the great Puranas. Soon, Lord Shiva left the place, along with Goddess Uma, for his abode in Mount Kailash. Later, Markandeya went on to write the Markandeya Purana.
Model Personality
Markandeya is one of the greatest sages of the world and is often considered as a model personality. He had mastered the Vedas at a very young age and always tended to follow the path of righteousness and reason. He was an ardent devotee of the Holy Trinity and had experienced many things beyond the reach of mortal humans. He was always dedicated towards the service of mankind and human welfare. In, other words, he can be described as a model Brahmachari, whose tireless endeavors benefitted mankind as a whole.
Beacon for all ages
It is a popular belief that Markandeya was present during the period of both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is believed that the Ramayana, took place during the Tretha yuga and the Mahabharata took place during the Dwapara yuga. It is also believed that after the performance of tapas, Lord Shiva had blessed Markandeya with immortality. Thus, Markandeya is widely believed to be a beacon of virtue for successive generations.
A friend in need
One particular day, while the Pandavas were dwelling in the forests of Kamyaka, Sage Markandeya appeared there, in the form of a twenty five year old man. Yudhishthira sought to understand Karma and its effects after death, from Markandeya. Markandeya explained that one should always lead a clean life by following the below mentioned codes:
- Clean Words
- Clean Work
- Clean Water
- Giving Food to others
- Playing a good host
- Keeping a pure mind
- Controlling one’s senses
Sage Markandeya also explained that the only true force in the entire Universe is Sri Krishna. Later, looking at the plight of Yudhishthira, who was in deep trouble, Markandeya advised him to never deviate from the path of righteousness, even under trying circumstances. He also advised Draupadi to never give up the path of Dharma, even in the most challenging situations.
