Shloka 136
Yoga-Sleep, Cosmic Dissolution, and the Lotus of Creation
with Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vision
वक्त्रं यातो भगवतो मार्कंडेयो महामुनिः । ततो भगवतः कुक्षिं प्रविष्टो मुनिसत्तमः
vaktraṃ yāto bhagavato mārkaṃḍeyo mahāmuniḥ | tato bhagavataḥ kukṣiṃ praviṣṭo munisattamaḥ
The great sage Mārkaṇḍeya went to the Lord’s mouth; then that best of sages entered into the Lord’s belly.
Narrator (contextual; the verse reports events rather than direct speech)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond anusvāra in vaktraṃ.
FAQs
It describes a visionary, mystical passage in which sage Mārkaṇḍeya approaches the Lord’s mouth and then enters the Lord’s belly, suggesting an encounter with divine, cosmic interiority.
The Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa often uses grand cosmological imagery; here, the Lord’s body becomes a cosmic locus, conveying creation and reality as contained within the divine.
The verse can be read as emphasizing humility and surrender: even a great sage seeks understanding by entering the mystery of the Lord, implying that ultimate knowledge is approached through devotion and divine grace.