It was his sixteenth birthday,
On the day of his sixteenth birthday Markandeya was meditating for long hours before the Shivalinga, by the time Yama the King of Death, appeared before him.
" I am Yama, the King of Death. I have come to take you to my kingdom. Come with me, your earthly stay is over" , said Yama.
"Let me complete my meditation" , implored the boy.
"No, that is not possible", said Yama.
"See, I appeal to Shiva to protect me", said Markandeya.
Then he put his hand to the ShivaLingam(Large pebble of black stone). The ShivaLingam had been brought to the shrine from the great sacred river of the Western Country.
Then the King of Death was angry. He laid his hands on the boy to take him by force. He dragged him away. As a result, the symbol of Shiva fell to the ground.
Now Shiva Himself sprang from the Lingam. His voice thundered forth, ordering the King of Death back to the kingdom of death.
"Off!" , said Lord Shiva to Yama "A true devotion, love transcends fate. Markandeya will stay to live on earth" said Lord Shiva
So Yama went back on his Slow-Moving, grey-black buffalo. Lord Shiva smiled at his devotee. The boy was happy and life was again full of love and goodness as before.
"TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS"
My father told me the story when I was young, I wanted to share this to people across the world.
Thanks for reading guys !
" Om Namah Shivaya "
The End
Shubham
YOU ARE READING
Yama And Markandeya
SpiritualYama or Yamarāja, also called Imra, is a god of death, the south direction and the underworld, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva and on the day of his destined death he continu...