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Shloka 27

Mārkaṇḍeya’s Request to See Māyā and the Vision of the Cosmic Deluge

तावच्छिशोर्वै श्वसितेन भार्गव: सोऽन्त: शरीरं मशको यथाविशत् । तत्राप्यदो न्यस्तमचष्ट कृत्‍स्‍नशो यथा पुरामुह्यदतीव विस्मित: ॥ २७ ॥

tāvac chiśor vai śvasitena bhārgavaḥ so ’ntaḥ śarīraṁ maśako yathāviśat tatrāpy ado nyastam acaṣṭa kṛtsnaśo yathā purāmuhyad atīva vismitaḥ

En ese mismo instante el niño inhaló, y Bhārgava Mārkaṇḍeya fue atraído dentro de Su cuerpo como un mosquito. Allí el sabio vio el universo entero dispuesto por completo tal como estaba antes de la disolución. Al verlo, quedó sumamente asombrado y desconcertado.

tāvatjust then
tāvat:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottāvat (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyaya; temporal adverb ‘so long/just then’
chiśoḥof the child
chiśoḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootchiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the child’
vaiindeed
vai:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) for emphasis
śvasitenaby (his) breathing
śvasitena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśvasita (कृदन्त; from √śvas ‘to breathe’)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; ‘by the breath’
bhārgavaḥBhārgava (the sage)
bhārgavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘Bhārgava (Mārkaṇḍeya)’
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun ‘he’
antaḥwithin
antaḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootantaḥ (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb ‘inside/within’
śarīramthe body
śarīram:
Karma (कर्म; goal of motion)
TypeNoun
Rootśarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘body’
maśakaḥa mosquito
maśakaḥ:
Upamāna-karta (उपमान-कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmaśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘mosquito’ (simile subject)
yathāas
yathā:
Upamā (उपमा)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; comparative particle ‘as/just as’
aviśatentered
aviśat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā+√viś (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person, Singular; ‘entered’
tatrathere
tatra:
Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; locative adverb ‘there/in that (place)’
apialso
api:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormParticle ‘also/even’
adaḥthat (thing)
adaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootadas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; demonstrative ‘that (thing)’
nyastamplaced
nyastam:
Karma-anvaya (कर्म-अन्वय; qualifier of object)
TypeVerb
Rootni+√as (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘placed/laid down’ qualifying adaḥ
acaṣṭasaw
acaṣṭa:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā+√cakṣ (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd Person, Singular; ‘saw/observed’
kṛtsnaśaḥcompletely
kṛtsnaśaḥ:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkṛtsnaśas (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb ‘entirely/wholly’
yathāas
yathā:
Upamā (उपमा)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; ‘as’ (introducing comparison)
purāformerly
purā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpurā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; temporal adverb ‘formerly/before’
amuhyatbecame bewildered
amuhyat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā+√muh (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person, Singular; ‘became bewildered’
atīvaexceedingly
atīva:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatīva (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; intensifier ‘very/exceedingly’
vismitaḥastonished
vismitaḥ:
Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-अन्वय)
TypeAdjective
Rootvismita (कृदन्त/ppp from √smi ‘to wonder’, vi-)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective of bhārgavaḥ/saḥ
M
Markandeya
S
Shaunaka (Bhargava)
T
The child (mystic form of Narayana/Vishnu)

FAQs

This verse describes Mārkaṇḍeya seeing the complete universe situated within the divine child’s body, illustrating that the cosmos rests within the Supreme Lord and is displayed by His inconceivable potency (Vishnu-māyā).

Even after witnessing the cosmic devastation and then meeting the divine child, he again saw the entire universe inside that same form—an experience that surpassed ordinary perception and left him amazed by the Lord’s inconceivable līlā.

The verse encourages humility: reality is greater than our senses and concepts, so a devotee relies on bhakti, scripture, and surrender rather than pride in limited knowledge.