Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada
Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada · mārkaṇḍeya-hrada, “the pool of Mārkaṇḍeya”
Jyeshṭhā has other meanings too: see all meanings of Jyeshṭhā. Pañcatīrtha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Pañcatīrtha.
The Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada, “the pool of Mārkaṇḍeya“, is a tīrtha (holy bathing place) in Purushottama-kshetra, the kshetra of Bhagavān Vishṇu as Jagannātha on the shore of the southern ocean. It lies to the north of the Śiva temple that Mārkaṇḍeya Maharshi built there at the command of Jagannātha, and it removes every pāpa (wrongdoing). The Brahma Purāṇa names it first among the pañcatīrtha, the five tīrthas of the kshetra. Brahmā tells the munis how it came to be and how one bathes there: facing north, three times, with the mantra to Tripurahara, then the tarpaṇa and the pūjā of Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara. The bath and the darśana of Bhagavān Śiva there give the fruit of ten aśvamedhas, Śiva-loka until the pralaya, and in the end moksha.
How the pool arose
At the end of the kalpa, when the fire of the pralaya burned the three worlds, Mārkaṇḍeya, the one ṛshi who remains at that time, took refuge at the king of banyans named Purushottama, where no fire could reach. When the waters of the pralaya covered everything, he had darśana of Bhagavān Vishṇu as a child lying on a banyan leaf, entered his body and saw the whole world within it, came out again and praised him with a stotra (Chapters 52–55).
Then Bhagavān Vishṇu said to him: “What desire is in your mind? Tell me; I will give it all.” Mārkaṇḍeya asked who he was and what his māyā was, and Bhagavān Vishṇu taught him: “‘Nāra’ means the waters and ‘ayana’ an abode; because the waters are my abode I am Nārāyaṇa.” A thousand yugas passed thus, and Bhagavān Vishṇu asked him again what more he desired.
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “By your grace, wishing the good of the world, so that the sense of difference may perish and the disputes between the Śaiva and Vaishṇava schools may cease, I will build a Śiva temple here. In this your kshetra I will install Śaṅkara. May the world know that Hari and Hara are one.”
Jagannātha answered: “The liṅga in the form of Bhuvaneśvara is the cause of the world. Taking my command, install Īśvara here at once. There is no difference between the two of us; the world, not knowing this, disputes. Build this temple of mine in your own name. To the north of it a tīrtha named Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada will also come into being. It removes every pāpa.” Having spoken thus, the all-pervading Janārdana withdrew.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 52–56
The bath and the pūjā
When the munis asked about the pañcatīrtha, Brahmā began with this pool.
- At the pool called Mārkaṇḍeya, turn to face the north, be pure, and bathe three times while saying this mantra (given in the Telugu in prose): “O Tripurahara, destroyer of the three cities, protect me, who am drowned in the ocean of saṃsāra, seized by pāpa and bereft of understanding. Namaskāra to you, whose form is auspicious, who are tranquil, who remove all pāpa. Īśvara, see, I am bathing. May my pātaka (sin) perish.”
- Bathe in water up to the navel, then, according to rule, offer tarpaṇa with sesame and water (tilodaka) to the devas, ṛshis, pitṛs and the rest.
- Go round the temple three times in pradakshiṇa, worship Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara with the mūla-mantra and the Aghora-mantra, and make sāshṭāṅga namaskāra (prostration with the whole body).
- Please him by praising him thus: “O Trinetra, three-eyed one! O Candrabhūshaṇa, adorned with the moon! O Virūpāksha! Protect me. O Mahādeva, namaskāra to you.”
The phala
One who bathes thus in the Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada and has darśana of Bhagavān Śiva as Śaṅkara:
- gains the fruit of ten aśvamedhas;
- is freed from all pāpa and goes to Śiva-loka;
- enjoys great pleasures there until the pralaya;
- is then born in this world, the karma-bhūmi, as a brāhmaṇa rich in the learning of the Veda and Vedāṅgas;
- attains sālokya and sārūpya (dwelling in the same loka and having the same form) with Śaṅkara, and union with him;
- and after that attains moksha.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 57
The morning bath and the five tīrthas
Brahmā tells the munis that mārjana (sprinkling) with sea water, with bhakti in the mind, and the morning bath in the Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada give the highest fruit of puṇya. The Mārkaṇḍeya-hrada, the Kṛshṇa-vaṭa, Balarāma, Mahodadhi (the great ocean) and the Indradyumna-saras are called the pañcatīrtha, the five tīrthas, and serving them when the Jyeshṭha pūrṇimā falls together with the Jyeshṭhā nakshatra is declared supremely auspicious.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 60
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 52–57, 60