Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20
Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam
The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya
तस्मिञ्जले महाघोरे स्थितवाञ्छीर्णपत्रवत् । मार्कण्डेयः स्थितस्तावद्यावच्छेते हरिः स्वयम् ॥ २० ॥
tasmiñjale mahāghore sthitavāñchīrṇapatravat | mārkaṇḍeyaḥ sthitastāvadyāvacchete hariḥ svayam || 20 ||
In jener höchst schrecklichen Wasserweite verharrte Mārkaṇḍeya — wie ein verdorrtes Blatt, das dahintreibt — solange Hari selbst in yogischer Ruhe lag.
Narada (narrating/teaching in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)
FAQs
It highlights the pralaya setting where the cosmos is submerged, yet the devotee-sage Mārkaṇḍeya endures by divine arrangement, while Hari remains the unshaken ground of reality in yogic repose.
By depicting Mārkaṇḍeya’s helplessness amid terrifying waters and Hari’s sovereign presence, the verse implies that in ultimate uncertainty, refuge in Viṣṇu (Hari) is the sustaining principle for the devotee.
No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse; it is primarily purāṇic cosmology (pralaya and yoga-nidrā) used to reinforce theological understanding of Viṣṇu’s role as preserver.