Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Once, as Lord Siva was traveling in the sky with his wife, Parvati, he came across Sri Markandeya merged in meditative trance. At the request of Parvati, Lord Siva presented himself before the sage to grant him the result of his austerities. Coming out of his trance, Sri Markaṇḍeya saw Lord Siva, the spiritual master of the three worlds, together with Parvati, and he worshiped them by offering them obeisances, words of greeting and a sitting place.
Then Lord Siva praised the saintly devotees of the Personality of Godhead and requested Sri Markandeya to choose whatever benediction he desired. Markaṇḍeya begged for unflinching devotion to the Supreme Lord Sri Hari, to the devotees of the Supreme Lord and to Lord Siva himself. Satisfied with Markaṇḍeya's devotion, Lord Śiva awarded him the boons of renown, freedom from old age and death until the time of universal dissolution, knowledge of all three phases of time, renunciation, realized knowledge and the position of a teacher of the Puraṇas�
Because Markaṇḍeya's material mind had stopped functioning, the sage failed to notice that Lord Śiva and his wife, the controllers of the universe, had personally come to see him. Markaṇḍeya was so absorbed in meditation that he was unaware of either himself or the external world.
Understanding the situation very well, the powerful Lord Siva employed his mystic power to enter within the sky of Markaṇḍeya's heart, just as the wind passes through an opening.
Sri Markaṇḍeya saw Lord Siva suddenly appear within his heart. Lord Siva's golden hair resembled lightning, and he had three eyes, ten arms and a tall body that shone like the rising sun. He wore a tiger skin, and he carried a trident, a bow, arrows, a sword and a shield, along with prayer beads, a ḍamaru drum, a skull and an ax. Astonished, the sage came out of his trance and thought, "Who is this, and where has he come from?"
Opening his eyes, the sage saw Lord Rudra, the spiritual master of the three worlds, together with Uma and Rudra's followers. Markaṇḍeya then offered his respectful obeisances by bowing his head.
Markaṇḍeya worshiped Lord Siva, along with Umā and Siva's associates, by offering them words of welcome, sitting places, water for washing their feet, scented drinking water, fragrant oils, flower garlands and arati lamps.
Mārkaṇḍeya said: O mighty lord, what can I possibly do for you, who are fully satisfied by your own ecstasy? Indeed, by your mercy you satisfy this entire world.
Lord Siva said: Please ask me for some benediction, since among all givers of benedictions, we three �Brahma, Viṣṇu and I � are the best. Seeing us never goes in vain, because simply by seeing us a mortal achieves immortality.
Mere bodies of water do not constitute holy places, nor are lifeless statues of the demigods actual worshipable deities. Because external vision fails to appreciate the higher essence of the holy rivers and the demigods, these purify only after a considerable time. But devotees like you purify immediately, just by being seen.
Even the worst sinners and social outcastes are purified just by hearing about or seeing personalities like you. Imagine, then, how purified they become by directly speaking with you.
Lord Sarva [Siva], encouraged by his consort, grant this benediction to Lord Markandeya:
O great sage, because you are devoted to Lord Adhokṣaja, all your desires will be fulfilled. Until the very end of this creation cycle, you will enjoy pious fame and freedom from old age and death.
O brāhmaṇa, may you have perfect knowledge of past, present and future, along with transcendental realization of the Supreme, enriched by renunciation. You have the brilliance of an ideal brahmaṇa, and thus may you achieve the post of spiritual master of the Puraṇas.
Those who chant and hear the story of Markaṇḍeya Ṛṣi will attain liberation from material life, which is based on the accumulated desires generated from fruitive work.
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