Sage Markandeya seeing the Lord on the Holy Banyan Tree

Holy Banyan Tree: Sage Markandeya seeing Lord on the Holy Banyan Tree:

(Brahma Purana - 49 to 53)

Jagannath Temple, Puri

• Meditation: I meditate on Sri Jagannath in Purushottama Kshetra.

• Sage Markandeya during Pralaya: During Pralaya, when the Fire of great annihilation (Kalpa Fire) was destroying everything, sage Markandeya was there alone. He was agitated by hunger and thirst. Seeing the great fire, he was terrified and was running here and there. He was looking for a saviour.

• Sage Markandeya reaching the Holy Banyan Tree: Sage Markandeya kept meditating on the eternal Lord and reached the region of the Holy Banyan Tree. He sat under its roots. The great Kalpa Fire did not reach there. Sage Markandeya viewed the annihilation from there.

• Rain after Fire: Sage Markandeya saw that great Clouds covered the sky and started raining. Urged by Lord Brahma, the clouds rained for twelve years filling everything by water. The oceans crossed their lines and the mountains crumbled by gusts of winds. The entire earth sank under water.

• Sage Markandeya seeing the Lord in the form of a Boy: Lord Vishnu, the primordial Lord then drank up the winds and rested on the vast water without any support. There was darkenss everywhere and the whole creation was destroyed with only the waters remaining all around. Sage Markandeya could not see the Holy Banyan Tree anymore. He swam in the water here and there and was about to get drowned. Then the Lord called sage Markandeya affectionately: "O boy, come to me quickly". Sage Markandeya was initially angry that someone was calling him a boy whom even the devas revered. The sage then took refuge on Lord Vishnu and meditated on the Lord. He again saw the Holy Banyan Tree towering above the water. On that Banyan Tree he saw a divine palanquin created by Vishwakarma. On that palanquin was stationed Lord Krishna in the form of a boy. Sage Markandeya could not recognize the boy as the Lord initially due to the power of Maya. The sage was dejected that inspite of his penance he could not recognize the boy. The boy told the sage to enter his body quickly.

• Sage Markandeya seeing the whole universe inside the Lord: The helpless sage entered the body of the Lord through his mouth. After entering the belly of the Lord, the sage saw the entire universe within the belly with the oceans, hills, villages, devas, danavas, animals and all others. All the creation starting with Brahma and ending in a blade of grass was there. All the Lokas were there (Bhur, Bhuvar etc.). The entire Cosmic Egg was there in the belly. He wandered over the entire universe inside the belly but could not reach its ends. Then he came out of the belly through the mouth. He again saw water all around. The Lord was in the form of an infant boy stationed on the branch of the Banyan Tree on the divine palanquin.

• Sage Markandeya eulogizing the Lord: The Lord called sage Markandeya. By the grace of the Lord, sage Markandeya got a new pair of eyes which were without impurities. He eulogized the Lord seeking refuge in Him in the midst of that Pralaya. The Lord was pleased and told him to ask for a boon. Sage Markandeya said that he wanted to know the Maya of the Lord. He wanted to know why the Lord has swallowed the universe and resting there?

• Lord telling the secret of His divine nature: The Lord then told the secret of His divine nature to sage Markandeya. The Lord said that he alone is the Source of everything. He is the creator, maintainer and destroyer. After destruction, creation will again start after Lord Brahma awakens after thousand set of four Yugas. Till that time, the sage can roam about in the universe revealed to him in His belly.

• Sage Markandeya seeking the boon to build a Shiva Temple: During the next creation (after thousand Chatur Yugas) the Lord again told sage Markandeya to ask for a boon. Sage Markandeya asked the boon that in the holy place of Purushottama, he wants to build a temple of Lord Shiva for the welfare of the world. That temple will resolve the dispute between the devotees of Lord Shiva and devotees of Lord Vishnu. In that temple, the Lord will be installed as Shankara. People of the world will know that Shiva and Vishnu are essentially the same. The Lord approved this and said that the Linga is the greatest cause. It is for propitiating the Lord and toning down the diversity. When Shiva is installed, the Lord Himself is installed. There is no difference between the two. They are only of two forms externally. He who is Rudra is himself Vishnu. He who is Vishnu is himself Rudra. There is no difference between the two. The Lord told sage Markandeya to build the Shiva temple and to the north of it make a holy reservoir named after the sage (Markandeya Hrada). After saying this, Lord Janardhana vanished.

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