Sant Markandeya Rishi
Sant Markandeya Rishi
Sant Markandeya Rishi
One thing readers will be shocked to learn is that the earth where we have been living for many yugas is the region of the devil called Jyoti Niranjan also Brahm-Kaal. This devil / Shaitan / Satan is the King of this region and has captivated innocent souls and deceives everyone along with his wife Durga / Maya / Ashtangi / Prakriti Devi. Brahm-Kaal has captured all the living beings in the cage of the three loks by entangling them in the net of Karm-Bhram and sins-virtues. Souls are trapped in the vicious cycle of birth and rebirth. There is not even a trace of happiness in this cursed world of Brahm-Kaal since various vices are prevalent amongst each individual like lust, anger, greed, affection, arrogance, pride-honor, joy-sorrow, love-hatred etc.
Misguided innocent people perform various religious activities to get rid of these sorrows and vices to lead a peaceful life but do not know the correct spiritual path of worship. Earlier sages and saints used to perform forceful religious practice ie. meditation (hath yoga) with which they used to gain various accomplishments but not eternal peace (salvation) since those were the arbitrary ways of worship. Various such folklores and legends have been mentioned in our ancient books like Puranas.
The focus of this article will be to explain from one famous Purana called Markandeya Purana
about similar wrong religious practices that were being done by earlier sages, deities and our ancestors which did not provide them any spiritual gain; rather they remained in the vicious cycle of birth and death. Vices were not dissolved rather they remain trapped in the web of the devil ie. Brahm-Kaal.
Puranas are the Hindu texts depicting topics related to legends, myths, traditional lore. Puranas were although primarily composed in Sanskrit language but are also available in various other Indian languages. Puranas revolve around true stories based on the personal experience of some Sage (Rishi), Saint, and great Saints (Maharishi). Amongst 18 Puranas Markandeya Purana holds an important position amongst Hindu devotees.
What is Markandey Puran & Who is Writer of It?
Markandeya Purana is a Sanskrit text of Hinduism named after Sage Markandeya. This is one of the oldest Purana which contains 137 chapters on Dharma-Karma, Samsara, and Śrāddha. Markandeya Purana has 9000 verses presenting a diverse range of topics including mythology, religion, society, etc. It is believed that the earliest version of Markandeya Purana was composed by sage Markandeya near river Narmada which describes a lot about Vindhya Range and western India. Markandeya Purana is particularly popular in the eastern part of India such as Orissa and West Bengal.
A legendary belief is that the author of Markandeya Purana is Brahma itself since it has come from Lord Brahma’s mouth. Markandeya Rishi hails from Hindu tradition who was born in the clan of Rishi Bhrigu. Sage Markandeya gained accomplishments by performing forceful religious practice (hath yoga) and worshipped till Brahm-Kaal. While meditating his concentration used to reach to Brahmlok (also called Mahaswarg). Markandeya Rishi used to consider his worship to be superior but the fact remained he did not get relief from Kaal’s web.
Moving on, let us try to understand basis true stories what is Kaal’s trap and how innocent souls remain in the devil’s trap. Once upon a time Rishi Markandeya considering God to be formless was performing tenacity of Brahm-Kaal for a very long time in the Bay of Bengal. The soul enthroned as Lord Indra in heaven always has a fear that during his tenure of 72 chaturyuga if any human being (seeker) on the earth performs austerity and gains religious achievements without having any disturbance in his religious activity then that seeker becomes eligible to receive the position of Lord Indra. Since the post of the King of Heaven is attained with fierce austerity. That successful seeker gets enthroned as Lord Indra and the current Lord Indra’s position is stripped. Therefore, as far as possible, Lord Indra during his tenure does not let the tenacity or religious sacrifice of any seeker gets complete. He dissolves his austerity, no matter whatever he may have to do.
When Lord Indra’s messengers told him that Rishi Markandeya is performing tenacity in the Bay of Bengal then he sent the celestial maiden (Apsara) Urvashi, his perennially youthful and infinitely charming wife to dissolve the tenacity of Sage Markandeya. Urvashi was considered to be the most beautiful Apsara amongst all the Apsaras and nymphs in heaven. Attired with various ornaments
Markandeya Rishi said ‘My concentration was in Brahamlok
where I was watching the dance of those celestial maidens who are so beautiful that they have 7-7 such female attendants like you. Then, how can I get fascinated by you? If someone is more attractive than you, then please send her’. To this, the divine angel said ‘I am the Empress, the Queen consort of Indra. No other female is more beautiful than me’.
Sage Markandeya asked ‘Since nothing is inevitable when Lord Indra will die then what will you do?’. Urvashi replied ‘I will mete fourteen Indra. My age is in the form of the Queen consort’.
Note: The age of the Empress of one Lord Indra =72 chaturyuga *14=1008 chaturyuga ie. till one day (kalp) of Lord Brahma.
One day of Brahma Ji is 1008 chaturyuga.
One chaturyug=Satyug+Tretayug+Dwaparyug+Kalyug ie. total 43.20 lac years
The duration of one Lord Indra is 72 chaturyuga. After completing rule for these years 14 such Indra dies and another eligible soul takes charge of the King of heaven. Such 14 Indra will become husband of one Empress Urvashi.
This signifies, the soul of the Queen consort of Lord Indra ie. Urvashi would have done so many auspicious deeds in some human birth that she relishes luxuries in heaven for so long duration and enjoys pleasure as consort with 14 Kings of heaven.
Then sage Markandeya said ‘those 14 Indra will also die, then what will you do?’ Apsara Urvashi replied ‘I will become a mare after death and will spend life on the earth, the same will happen to all those 14 Indra. They will acquire the life form of a donkey on earth’.
Markandeya Rishi said ‘then why are you taking me to such a region (lok) whose King becomes a donkey after death and the Queen acquires the life form of a mare?’.
Urvashi replied ‘to protect my honor, else they will taunt me a deceiver’. Sage Markandeya said ‘what honor could be of a mare? You are a donkey in current birth since you mete with 14 husbands and after death, you accept that you will acquire life form of a mare, then what kind of honor is this of a mare?’. Embarrassed Urvashi then returned.
At that time, Lord Indra came from Heaven; according to the legislation; to provide his throne of the King of heaven to Markandeya Rishi. Lord Indra said ‘Sage I am defeated and you have won. Kindly accept the title of Indra’. Markandeya Rishi said ‘Well Indra! The title of Indra is of no use to me. To me, it is similar to a crow’s beat’.
The reality is, in the same way, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva after completing their tenure will also die and will go in 84 lac life forms
Discussion of Ruchi Rishi with his deceased ancestors about the performance of rites in Markandeya Purana Published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, on page 242, in which Markandeya Purana and Brahm Purana have been bound together.
A worshipper named Ruchi, by practicing celibacy, was doing sadhana according to the Vedas. He was not married. When he turned forty, he saw his four ancestors who had become Pitra by doing sadhana opposite to the scriptures and were suffering. Pitro said, “Son Ruchi, get married and carry out our Śrāddha; we are suffering.” Ruchi Rishi said, “Pitramaho, in the Vedas, the path of Karm-Kand (Śrāddha, to offer Pind etc) is said to be sadhna of the fools. Then why are you directing me to that wrong (devoid of injunctions of scriptures) sadhna.
Pitro said, “Son, it is true that in Vedas, Pitra-worship, ghost-worship, worship of gods-goddesses (Karm-Kand) is called as Avidhya (ignorance / an error); there is no doubt about this.”
In this very piece of writing in the above-mentioned Markandeya Purana, Pitro said that but Pitro does give some benefits. Those foolish sages insisted their son also to carry out shraadhs. They made him to marry. Thus, sage Ruchi was born and they made their son the partner in this evil. Once, a man became friends with a police constable (S.H.O.). That man said to his constable friend that my neighbor gives me a lot of trouble. The constable (S.H.O.) said, “Hit him with a stick. I will deal with it myself.” Obeying the order of the constable friend, that man hit his neighbor with a stick. Because of injury in the head, his neighbor died. Being the officer of that region, that police officer arrested his friend and put him in the prison. That man received a death sentence. His constable friend could not help him in any way. Because it is the constitution of the King that if anyone will kill someone, then he will receive a death sentence. That foolish man violated the constitution of the King by obeying the order of his S.H.O. friend, and consequently lost his life.
Sourse- jagatgururampalji
