Oppliappan sthalapuranam -- chapter 6

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ShrI BhoomidevI sameta ShrinivAsaprabraHmaNe namaH

Chapter 6

Brahma spoke to Narada:

MarkanDeya said:

He KrishNa! Mukunda, destroyer of Mura! Vishno, consort of NeeLaa

Devi! Victory be to you, Suresha! May Victory be with you! You are the

embodiment of all that is good and auspicious. Krishna, the

Encompassment of Knowledge! The whole word is your family! Root of all

that "is" ! Creator of the Universe! Protector of the cosmos! You

encompass all, inside and out! You are omniscient, constant, and

perpetual !Youe are the source of all radiance ! You are the Master of

all directions ! He VAsudeva1 He ParamATman! He Paresha! You are

handsome! You hold the Chakra, Muravairin! He Madhava, Govinda,

Salutations to you, who destroyed Madhu! He Purushottama! He

ShrInivasa! Salutations to You, who holds the Sharngam, Conch, GadA

and chakra! You wear exquisite KunDalams! He Ananta! Salutations to

You, who resides in the ocean of milk! You are omniscient, Supreme and

You grant all knowledge! You are Divinity and You possess divine form!

I pray to You again and again! Salutations to You again! Having

praised Devadevesan, the Lord of all Celestial beings, Markandeya, the

rishi whose wealth was his penance, stood silently before the Lord.

 

Figure resplendent, Lord Ramakanthan looked at Markandeya and spoke

to the Rishi in a majestic tone of a cloud, "I am pleased with your

faith and verse." I will become your son-in-law. Grant me your

daughter's hand forthwith. Due to her youthfulness, even if she

neglects to add salt to her preparation of rice and accompanying fare,

it will still be delicious to me. Moreover, if someone brings salt

into the temple, he will have to go to hell as long as there are sun

and moon. If someone eats without salt inside my temple, he will get

the benefit of observing a thousand chandrayana vratams. You are one

of the best of my bhakthas and you should give your daughter as my

bride. Ask and receive whatever you want. I will grant whatever you

wish, I am your son-in-law. Do not think that I am an old man- I am

always young".

Markandeya was delighted and said "All my penance has yielded the

right fruit and so have my birth and my actions. Now all the devatas

and my ancestors are overjoyed. I do not want anything else – I have

seen you in person. Nevertheless, since You have asked me to ask for

what I want, grant me the following:

You should reside here till the end of this Kalpa with my daughter and

this forest that will give all that is auspicious should be known by

my name. You should partake rice, etc. without salt. Lastly, please

grant me Moksha" he finished.

"So be it" said ShrInivasan. " Liaten to me. Since I came here from

Akaasham, this place will be known as Akaashanagaram. Because of your

penance it will also be known as "MarkaNDeyasthalam." And it will be

known as "TulasIvanam" as well because of TuLasi's penance. If someone

stays here for a minute or even for half a minute, he will attain

whatever he wants. Perform the wedding accordingly as decided earlier"

Rishi said " You are single and I do not have relatives either. How

can we perform the wedding? So, please invite the devas so that the

wedding shall take place before them".

The Lord Ramakantan who wanted to bless all his Bhaktas, thought of

Garudan, who appeared immediately and prostrated and praised Him and

asked why he had been summoned to His presence.

ShrI BhoomidevI sameta ShrinivAsaprabraHmaNe namaH