Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge
तस्यैकदा भृगुश्रेष्ठ पुष्पभद्रातटे मुने: । उपासीनस्य सन्ध्यायां ब्रह्मन् वायुरभून्महान् ॥ १० ॥
tasyaikadā bhṛgu-śreṣṭha puṣpabhadrā-taṭe muneḥ upāsīnasya sandhyāyāṁ brahman vāyur abhūn mahān
يا شونكا أيها البرهمن، يا أفضلَ آلِ بهريغو! في يومٍ ما كان الحكيم ماركاندييا يقيم عبادةَ المساء على ضفة بوشپبهدرَا، فإذا برياحٍ عظيمةٍ تهبّ فجأة.
This verse shows that even a sage absorbed in twilight meditation can face sudden external disturbances, setting the stage for understanding how the Lord’s illusory potency (māyā) can test and instruct seekers.
He locates Mārkaṇḍeya’s practice in a sacred setting and at sandhyā (a spiritually potent junction of time), emphasizing the seriousness of the sage’s worship before the extraordinary event unfolds.
When disruptions arise during prayer or meditation, treat them as moments to deepen steadiness and remembrance rather than reasons to abandon practice.