The great sage, Markandeya Rishi!

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Krishna,Dear devotees of Lord Hari,In Srimad Bhagavatam it is clearly given about the greatness of the Markandeya rishi, who is well known for his pure devotion, austerity and meditation. The stories in Srimad Bhagavatam explains how the great sage saw Nara Narayana and after that how Lord Shiva along with Mother Parvathi came in front of Markendaya Rishi and given boon.When the Pandavas was hiding in the forest and they were nearing to

complete Twelfth Year. Lord Krishna came to see them along with satyabhama.

While Lord Krishna and Maharaja Yudhisthira were talking, the great sage,

Markandeya, arrived. Lord Krishna, the Pandavas, and all the brahmanas quickly

got up from their seats to receive the illustrious rishi, who, even though

thousands of years old, appeared to be just like a young man, devoid of any

signs of old age. When Markandeya Rishi was comfortably seated, after having

been worshiped by the Pandavas, Lord Krishna requested him to narrate some

ancient histories that instill in the listener a sense of the moral values of

life.

Then, as everyone surrounded Markandeya Rishi, anxiously awaiting his

discourses, Narada Muni came there. Everyone got up to worship him, but because

Narada understood that Markandeya was about to speak, he encouraged the rishi

to go ahead without delay. Thus, everyone sat down once again, being very eager

to hear.

Maharaja Yudhisthira started things off by asking, "My dear sage, I am

always perplexed when I think about how the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra are

prospering, whereas we are suffering, even though we act righteously. Please

explain what part God plays in man's happiness and distress, for it seems to me

that such results are simply the fruits of one's endeavors. I would also like

to understand the concept of karma. Are the reactions to out work enjoyed by us

in this life or in the life hereafter? If the reactions are meted out in a

future life, then how could there ever be a cessation to the cycle of action

and reaction and its resultant birth and death?"

Markandeya Rishi replied, "My dear King, your questions are most

praiseworthy, and I shall try to answer them to the best of my ability. In the

beginning of creation, Lord Brahma made the bodies of human beings pure and

sinless, and thus they were on a par with those of the demigods. These human

beings had all of their desires automatically fulfilled, they were able to fly

in the sky, and they were completely freed from the demoniac qualities of lust

and envy. They lived for many thousands of years, and they all had the power to

die at their own will. Because there was so little suffering, fear was

practically unknown and thus everyone lived very peacefully and happily. "

 

"Gradually, however, in the course of time, human beings became

overcome by lust and greed, and so they began to depend upon cheating methods

for earning their livelihood. Men lost the ability to traverse the airways and

thus they had to walk on the surface of the Earth. Because of their sinful

acts, men were forced to go to hell and suffer, and in this way, they came to

reap the results of their actions. "

"My dear King, at the time of death, only the gross body of the living

entity is destroyed. The actions that one performs are all recorded in the

subtle mind. Then, after death, when the subtle body carries one to the next

gross body, his fruitive acts follow him just like a shadow and then fructify

in the next life. However, by the practice of yoga and devotion to the Supreme

Lord, the results of one's fruitive actions can be destroyed. In this way, one

can become peaceful in mind and freed from all diseases, fear and other

material miseries. Indeed, those who have become spiritually advanced, by dint

of mature practice of bhakti-yoga, can always envision the relationship between

the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

in any condition of life, even while encased in the mother's womb!"

"O King, human beings can be divided into four classes. Those who work

hard to acquire wealth by any means, simply for the purpose of enjoying sense

gratification, can feel happiness in this life, but not in the next. Those who

engage in austerity and meditation, who subdue their passions, and even

sacrifice their bodily strength and health by executing rigid vows, attain happiness

in the next life, but not in this one. Those who live piously, accumulating

wealth by virtuous means, who live a life of regulated sense enjoyment in

marriage, while performing sacrifices and giving in charity, experience

happiness in this life and in the next as well. "

"Then, there are those who are distinct from the above-mentioned three

classes of persons because they are simply lazy and foolish. Such men cannot

enjoy any happiness in this life nor in the next. My dear Yudhisthira, because

you are very pious, and are engaged in performing austerities, you will come to

enjoy the supreme happiness in due course of time. Of this there is no doubt.

"

In response to Maharaja Yudhisthira's inquiries, Markandeya Rishi spoke at

great length, citing numerous historical accounts. Some of this vast narration

is given as follows. Markandeya Rishi said, "Let me first of all offer my

most respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known

as Janardana, because He is the soul of all souls. He is the primeval Lord, the

cause of all causes, and the master of all the demigods. He alone is the cause

of creation, maintenance and annihilation, and thus it is He who is the

ultimate shelter of all beings. "

"My dear King, as you very will know, there are four yugas (ages). The

duration of the Krita-yuga is 4000 celestial years (one celestial year equals

360 solar years), and at the beginning and the end, the transitional periods

each extend for 400 celestial years. Treta-yuga has a duration of 3000

celestial years, and the transitional periods each last 300 celestial years..

The duration of the Dvapara-yuga is 2000 celestial years, and its transitional

periods are 200 years each. Kali-yuga lasts for 1000 celestial years, and it

has transitional periods of 100 years. Thus, the cycle of four yugas has a

duration of 12,000 celestial years, and 1000 such yuga cycles constitutes the

daytime of Lord Brahma. "

"O King, please listen as I describe the symptoms of the upcoming Kali-yuga.

As time goes on, the brahmanas will take up the work of shudras, and shudras

will endeavor to acquire wealth like vaishyas. The brahmanas will give up

meditation and the recitation of Vedic hymns while the shudras take up these

practices. "

"In the age of Kali, men become very short-lived and weak in terms of

physical strength and energy. They have diminutive bodies and they give up even

the last remaining religious principle by making their speech devoid of all

truth. The world become ruled by Mleccha kings who act no better than

plunderers. Then, toward the end of the age, the human population begins to

dwindle while animals become oversized and increase in number until they crowd

the earth. "

"In this degraded age, children are born stunted and thy are devoid of

all good behavior. As a result of sinful life, there is great scarcity and

famine, and prostitutes are seen lining the roads. Indeed, women in general

become very hostile toward their husbands and devoid of all sense of modesty.

Cows yield very little milk, and trees, instead of producing profuse fruit and

flowers, become the sitting places for swarms of crows. "

"O King, in the age of Kali, many persons become imitation sadhus

simply to facilitate economic improvement, and the ashrams become filled with

wretched persons who advocate a life of dependence upon others, like parasites.

Rain no longer falls in season, and indeed, the entire Earth begins to take on

a sinful aspect. In this degraded age, only sinful persons flourish, and those

few that are virtuous remain impoverished. Sinful behavior will become so

rampant that it will be a common sight even in public places. Even those with

meager wealth will become very proud in this fallen age, due to being

intoxicated by their accumulated money. "

"As the Kali-yuga advances, girls will give birth to children at the

age of seven or eight, and boys will become fathers by the age of ten or

eleven. By the age of sixteen, people will begin to experience the symptoms of

old age, and soon thereafter, they will meet with their deaths. "

Markandeya then explained, "During the night of Lord Brahma, the whole

universe remains one great expanse of water, and all the living entities,

including the demigods, are no longer manifest. O King, I am the only person

remaining at that time, and upon seeing the universe devoid of living beings, I

become exceedingly depressed. All I can do is wander through the great expanse

of water, and because I can find no resting place, I become very tired. "

"Finally, I see a great banyan tree within the water, and upon one of

the branches I see a most wonderfully beautiful boy. Having a moon-like face,

eyes like lotus petals, the mark of Shrivatsa on His chest, and radiating a

dazzling effulgence, the boy is seated upon a heavenly couch. I am highly

astonished to think of how this boy could survive the devastation, and in spite

of my infallible knowledge that encompasses past, present and future, I cannot

understand His identity. "

"The boy then smilingly says, 'O rishi, I can understand that you are

exceedingly fatigued. Therefore, you may rest here for as long as you like by

entering into My body. I am very pleased with you and so I have designated this

as your resting place. ' As the boy continues speaking, I can feel myself

swimming in an ocean of bliss, and thus losing my normal sense of identity.

"

"The boy then suddenly opens His mouth and I helplessly enter into His

body by His supreme will. Finally, upon coming to the boy's stomach, I see the

entire Earth situated there, with all of its kingdoms, mountains and rivers,

and all of the inhabitants are engaged in performing their duties according to

the four social orders. "

"Thereafter, as I wander in the boy's stomach, I see the great oceans

and the sky bedecked with sun and moon. I see all the great mountains and I see

all kinds of animals, Nagas, Yakshas, Daityas and demigods, and indeed, every

kind of moving and nonmoving being. "

"Living only on fruit, I wander about the universe for many hundreds of

years, and yet I never find the limit of the boy's body. Finally, when I become

very anxious, I begin to surrender to that Supreme Person, admitting that He is

the predomi-nator and that I am His eternal subordinate. Just then, a powerful

wind projects me out of the boy's body, and thus once again I see Him seated as

before on the branch of a banyan tree, dressed in yellow cloth. "

"The boy then smilingly says, 'O rishi, you have dwelt within My body

for a long time and thus you have certainly become very tired. Now, to mitigate

your material pangs, I will enlighten you with transcendental knowledge. ' As

the boy continues to speak, I can feel myself becoming liberated from the

illusion of material existence, while at the same time my spiritual vision

awakens. In that self-realized condition, I can understand that this boy is the

Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all

emanations, and the master of all worlds, material and spiritual. I thus

worship His reddish lotus feet by placing them on my head with great reverence.

"

"Then, with folded hands, I say, 'My dear Lord, O origin of all,

including myself, please explain about Yourself and Your illusory energy. Why

do you remain here as a small boy? How is it that the entire universe was seen by

me to be situated within Your transcendental body?"

"The boy replies, 'O rishi, I am the eternal Lord, Narayana, who lies

down upon the water of the Garbhodaka

Ocean. It is I who am the

creator, maintainer and destroyer of everything, and thus the entire cosmic

manifestation constitutes My universal form. I become the ingredients of

sacrifice, it is I who award the results of sacrifice, and I am the Vedas

personified. I am the cause of all causes, and the One who maintains the

innumerable living beings while sustaining the cosmic creation. At various

times, I incarnate within the universe, to establish religious principles, as

well as to protect the demigods and annihilate the great demons who cannot be

killed by anyone else. "

"During Brahma's night, I submerge the universe into the water of

dissolution for 1000 yuga-cycles. While Brahma thus sleeps, I keep myself in

this form as a small boy. Because you had become depressed, after seeing the

universe completely inundated with water, I took you within My body, to show

you how the three worlds remain conserved there. Now, until the time when

Brahma once again awakens, you can stay here and reside peacefully. ' After

saying this, the boy suddenly vanishes from that place, and thereafter, in due

course of time, I witness the creations of Brahma. "

"My dear Yudhisthira, this same Supreme Personality of Godhead has now

appeared as your cousin, Lord Krishna. Therefore, your best course is to always

take shelter of Him and depend on Him alone."Krishna,do Nama Japa & Meditation,Krishna

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