Markandeya Enters Vishnu's Body and Sees the Universe

"O great king! At the end of those one thousand yugas, when life decays, there is a drought for many years. Because beings have weak lives and are starving, they die in large numbers on the surface of the earth. Seven blazing suns appear then. They drink up all the waters from the oceans and the rivers. Everything is then reduced to ashes, be it of wood or grass, dry or wet. "Then the fire of destruction arrives, together with the wind, in a world that has already been dried up by the suns. It penetrates the earth and goes all the way to the nether regions, generating great terror among the gods, the danavas and the yakshas. It burns down the world of the nagas and whatever can be found on earth. Twenty yojanas at a time, that fire of destruction, helped by the inauspicious wind, consumes everything in hundreds and thousands, with all the gods, asuras, gandharvas, yakshas, serpents and rakshasas. That blazing lord burns up the entire universe. "Then large clouds, extraordinary to see, arise in the sky. They are like herds of elephants, adorned with garlands of lightning. Some are dark like blue lotuses, others are like white lotuses. Some are like filaments. Other clouds are yellow. Still others have the complexion of a raven's egg. Some have the colour of lotus leaves. Others have the complexion of vermilion. Some have the shapes of large cities. Others are like herds of elephants. Some are like collyrium. Others have the shape of crocodiles. The dense clouds are adorned with garlands of lightning. They are terrible in form and utter a terrible roar. Full of rain, they cover up the entire sky. They cover up the earth, with all its mountains, forests and mines. They fill and flood it with water. "Instructed by Parameshthi (the supreme lord), those clouds, with a terrible roar, flood everything. The copious quantities of water fill up the earth. They extinguish the extremely terrible and inauspicious fire. The clouds generate a flood for twelve years. The rains fill everything. The ocean flows over its tideline. The mountains are splintered. The earth is also shattered. Then swift winds suddenly whirl the clouds in the sky and that gust tears them up. The self-creating original god drinks up these terrible winds and continues to sleep on his lotus bed. "In that terrible ocean, everything is destroyed, mobile and immobile. The gods, the masses of asuras, the yakshas and the rakshasas are destroyed. There are no men, no animals and no trees. There is no firmament in this world. I alone wander around anxiously. "O supreme among kings! Once, when I roamed around in this terrible ocean of water, I was filled with great affliction at not seeing any being. I had floated around for a long time in this flood. I was exhausted. But I continued uninterrupted, since I could not find a place to rest. "Then, in that great flood of water, I saw an extremely tall and wide banyan tree. The branches of that tree were extensive. There, on a bed adorned with celestial spreads, I saw a seated child. His face was like a lotus or the moon. His eyes were as large as a blossoming lotus. I was struck with great wonder. How could this child be lying there, when the entire world has been destroyed? Through the power of austerities, I can reflect upon the past, the present and the future. But I could not fathom this child. "He had the complexion of an atasi flower. He bore the srivatsa mark — the curl of white hair on the chest that marks the lord of the universe. This seemed to me to be the abode of Lakshmi herself. The radiant child, with eyes like a lotus and bearing the srivatsa mark, spoke to me in words that were pleasant to hear. "'O son! I know that you are exhausted and desire to rest. O Markandeya! O Bhargava! Rest here for as long as you wish. O supreme among sages! Enter my body. Rest here. That is the place that has been earmarked for you because of my favours.' "Thus addressed by the child, I lost all interest in my long life and human state. Then that child suddenly opened his mouth wide. Propelled by destiny, I powerlessly entered his mouth. "Suddenly entering the inside of his mouth, I saw the entire earth, covered with all its kingdoms and cities, the rivers Ganga, Shatadru, Sita, Yamuna, Koushiki, Charmanvati, Vetravati, Chandrabhaga, Sarasvati, Sindhu, Vipasha, Godavari, Vasvokasara, Nalini, Narmada, the rivers Tamra and Vena with pure waters that bring fortune, Suvena, Krishnavena, Irama, Mahanadi, Shona, Vishalya and Kampuna. I saw many other rivers that flow on earth. I wandered around inside that great-souled one. I saw oceans infested with aquatic animals. I saw that supreme abode of the waters, a storehouse of gems. I saw the sky there, illuminated with the moon and the sun. It blazed with energy, like the fire and the sun. "I saw the earth, beautifully adorned with its forests. The brahmanas were engaged in many sacrifices. The kshatriyas were engaged in ensuring the welfare of all the varnas. The vaishyas were engaged in agriculture. The shudras were always engaged in the servitude of the brahmanas. "Wandering around inside the great-souled one, I saw the Himalayas and Mount Hemakuta. I saw Nishadha and Shveta, adorned with silver. I saw Mount Gandhamadana and the great mountains Mandara and Nila. I saw the golden Mount Meru. I saw Mahendra and Vindhya, supreme among mountains. I saw Malaya and Mount Pariyatra. I saw many other mountains too, adorned with jewels. I saw lions, tigers, boars and serpents and all the other beings that populate the earth. "Having entered the inside and wandering around in various directions, I saw the masses of gods headed by Shakra (Indra), the gandharvas, the apsaras, the yakshas and the rishis. There were the daityas, the danavas and collections of kaleyas, the sons of Simhika and other enemies of the gods. Whatever could be seen in the world, mobile or immobile, everything could be seen inside the great-souled one. "Surviving on fruits, I roamed around in this entire universe inside his body for more than one hundred years. But while I constantly roamed around and thought, nowhere could I see an end to the body. "Not being able to find an end to the great-souled one, following the prescribed rites, I sought refuge, in both thought and deeds, with this great-souled one, the granter of boons and worthy among gods. "Then suddenly, a gust of wind expelled me from the mouth of the great-souled one, the mouth having been opened wide. Seated on the branch of the banyan tree, I saw the one who had swallowed up the universe. He was in the form of a child, with the srivatsa mark. I saw the infinitely energetic one seated there. The immensely radiant one blazed in his yellow attire, bearing the srivatsa mark. He smiled and gently addressed me. "'O Markandeya! O supreme among sages! Tell me. Have you rested while you have been residing inside my body?' "Instantly, I seemed to acquire a new insight. I saw myself with a new consciousness, free from the confusion that had clouded me before."