Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 15
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge
सक्ष्मान्तरिक्षं सदिवं सभागणं त्रैलोक्यमासीत् सह दिग्भिराप्लुतम् । स एक एवोर्वरितो महामुनि- र्बभ्राम विक्षिप्य जटा जडान्धवत् ॥ १५ ॥
sa-kṣmāntarikṣaṁ sa-divaṁ sa-bhā-gaṇaṁ trai-lokyam āsīt saha digbhir āplutam sa eka evorvarito mahā-munir babhrāma vikṣipya jaṭā jaḍāndha-vat
The waters inundated earth, sky, heaven, and the realm of the gods; the entire threefold universe was flooded in every direction. Of all beings only the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya remained; his matted locks scattered, he wandered alone upon the waters as if mute and blind.
FAQs
This verse describes an all-pervading inundation in which earth, sky, heaven, the demigods’ realms, and all directions are submerged—highlighting the overwhelming power of cosmic dissolution and the fragility of worldly supports.
In the narrative, Mārkaṇḍeya is placed within an extraordinary, illusory experience of dissolution; the verse emphasizes how even a great sage can appear disoriented when confronted with the Lord’s incomprehensible māyā.
It urges humility and spiritual grounding: when life’s certainties feel “flooded” by crisis or change, one should take shelter of devotion and steady remembrance of the Lord rather than relying solely on worldly structures.