Chapter 10 - The God After Dissolution

1-12. Vaishampayana said:—Thus when every thing will be converted into one ocean the highly illustrious Lord Hari, having brought about the dissolution of the universe as the material cause, exists as pure intelligence. The great Narayana, who is above the reach of the quality of Rajas and whom the learned describe as eternal, covered with his own consciousness, lies asleep for three ages in the body of the impassable ocean the fruit of the quality of Rajas and of elements. The Purusha, having a head, feet etc., is attainable by Yoga and sacrifices, but the Great Purusha is different from him. This pure intelligence lies in all. The Lord created from his mouth Brahma and the Saman reciters, and from his arms Hotas and Adhyaru priests. He then created Mitra and Varuna, the reciters of the Vedas, Samprastata and Pratishta. From his belly he created Pratiharta and Pota. From his two thighs he created Adhyapak and Neshta, from his hands created Agnidra and Subramanya and from his arms he created Grava and Unneta. Thus the Lord created these most eminent sixteen sacrificial priests. The Lord is known in the Vedas as the great Soul. Through sacrifices one can attain to Him. The Vedas, Upanishads and the sacrifices are described as the means for attaining to Him. When the Lord exists in the form of his pure intelligence a wonderful affair takes place. It is heard that Markandeya witnessed it.

13-16. By virtue of a boon granted by the Lord and His power the great Rishi Markandeya lived for many thousand years. And when he was worn out he lived in the cavity of His belly. There he recited names, performed Homa and practised hard penances. Afterwards issuing out on pilgrimage he visited all the sacred shrines of the world, hermitages, various countries and cities. Thus travelling he gradually came out of the Lord’s mouth; but over-powered by the illusory power of the Deity he could not think that he had come out.

17-23. Thus coming out of His mouth Markandeya saw one ocean, i.e., Brahma in pure intelligence and all covered with the darkness of ignorance. Seeing it, he was possessed by a dreadful fright and was anxious about his own life. But seeing the Pure Intelligence he was pleased and filled with great wonder. Unable to discriminate all particularly and wholesale, he, stricken with terror, thought—"Is this my thought, stupifaction or dream? All these appear to me in a different light and nothing seems as real. The Real is shorn of attachments and the pain of ignorance. It never appears in such a mental desire. What is this region divested of the moon, the sun, the air, mountains and earth?" Thus thinking he saw in that great ocean like into a cloud surcharged with water a mountain-like Purusha lying asleep. That Purusha was as if afflicting the worlds with his sunny effulgence. He was awake as if for his gravity and breathing like a serpent.

24-29. Then curiously enquiring "Who must be he?" the great Muni Markandeya approached the Lord and gradually entered into the cavity of his belly. Entering there and thinking that he had dreamt a dream he, with firm conviction, began to move about there as before. As formerly Markandeya ranged over the surface of the earth visiting all the shrines so he travelled there. By his Yoga power he saw in the cavity of the Deity’s belly a hundred performers of sacrifices accompanied with profuse gifts, and the Brahmanas and other castes of good conduct who were observant of the duties of the four Ashramas and following good ways. Although he travelled there hundreds and thousands of years the intelligent Markandeya could not arrive at the end of the cavity.

30-34. Thereupon once on a time Markandeya again came out of (the Lord’s) mouth and saw a boy asleep on the branch of a fig-tree. The inside of that forest, girt with one ocean, was covered with dew and was not therefore visible: the earth was shorn of the four sorts of creatures and everything looked dreadful. Seeing it Markandeya was again filled with curiosity, but could not get near that boy who was effulgent like a thousand suns. Afraid of the Lord’s illusion he stood by the solitary water and thought "Have I not seen it before?" He then descended into the calm and limitless ocean and worn out with fear and toil he began to enjoy rest there.

35. Thereupon the Lord Purusottama, who had assumed the form of a swan and attained to boy-hood by His Yoga power, said in a voice gave like the muttering of a cloud.

36. The Lord said:—"O my son, O foremost of heroes and ascetics, O Markandeya, you are a boy. You are greatly worn out with toil. Come near me, you have no fear." Markandeya said:—"Who, mentioning my name, has destroyed my age of many thousand years and my asceticism and is thus afflicting me? While Brahma, the lord of the universe, designates me as long-lived, it is not proper for any amongst the gods to address me thus. By my ascetic power my head has become immortal. What man, desirous of giving up his ghost, has mentioned my name and felt the desire of of seeing death?" (37-39)

40. Vaishampayana said:—When the great Muni Markandeya thus expressed himself in anger the Lord again addressed him who was filled with rage.

41. The Lord said:—O my son, I am your father and preceptor Hrishikesha, the ancient Purusha who granted you a long lease of life. Why do you not approach me?

42-44. Formerly your father Hiranyagarbha, practising hard penances, adored me for having a son. Having created you a great Rishi of a dreadful head, of unlimited life and effulgent like fire I, out of my will, conferred you on him. Save my own kinsman no one can see me when I engage in Yoga and sport in the all-extending ocean.

45-46. Vaishampayana said:—Thereupon hearing of his name and family the long-lived and great ascetic Markandeya, adored of the world, with a delighted heart and having his eyes expanded with surprise, placed his folded hands on his head, saluted the Lord with a hanging head and said.

47-48. Markandeya said:—O sinless one, I want to know truly that your illusory power by which you have assumed the form of a boy and art lying in the one ocean. O lord, what is this form? and by what name art you known in the world? There is not a single element here. Methinks you art the great element.

49-66. The Lord said:—I am Narayana, Brahma and the cause of the birth of all creatures. I create and destroy all elements. I am Indra, the year amongst the seasons, the cycle of cycles, the revolution of cycles. I am the entire host of creatures and gods. I am Shesha amongst the serpents, and Garuda amongst the birds, I have a thousand heads and a thousand feet. I am Aditya, the sacrificial Purusha, the sacrifice, the fire that carries oblations, the ocean and am known as the eternal. I am that Brahmana Yati amongst the twice-born who have purified their souls by practising austerities in the world, who have controlled my intellectual faculties by practicing it for many births. I have pure wisdom, am the soul of the universe, and the foremost of Yogins. I am the destroyer of all elements and the end of the universe. I am Karma and energy and the propounder of religion for creatures. I have no Karma of my own. I am the soul of the creatures and eternal. I am Prakriti, Purusha, the Prime Deity, eternal and undecaying. I am the duty and penance of the followers of all the orders. I am Hayasira and the presiding Deity of the ocean of milk. I am honesty, truth, great, one and Prajapati. I am known as the Sankya, Yoga, the great station, worthy of being adored with sacrifices and the lord of learning. I am luminary, air, earth, sky, water, ocean, stars and the ten quarters. I am the year, Soma, Indra, the sun, the ocean of milk, the other oceans, the forest fire, and the Samvartaka fire. I drink the watery Havi. I am ancient, great, the future and am known as the origin of all. Every thing that you see, hear and perceive in this world is identical with me. O Markandeya, I had created this universe before. See, I am creating it to-day and will do so in every cycle. Understanding all this, and being eager to acquire my virtue and spiritual powers do you range happily in the cavity of my belly. Along with Brahma and Rishis the celestials are living on my body. Know me therefore as manifest and unmanifest, as identical with Yoga and unconquered. I am the great mystic Mantra of three words Om and the sacred verse Gayatri which is known as conferring three objects of life.

67-69. Vaishampayana said:—The great Muni Vyasa has described in the Vedas and Puranas that the Lord, assuming the universal form, made the Rishi Markandeya enter into his belly through his mouth. In order to see personally the great unmanifest Atman and enjoy supreme bliss that foremost of Munis, Markandeya, entered into the cavity of the belly and began to enjoy rest there. Assuming various forms and ranging in the great ocean shorn of the sun and moon the eternal Lord, the Great Atman gradually creates the world and destroys it at the time of dissolution.