Text-02-05
SB 12.8.2-5
ahus cirayusam rsim
mrkandu-tanayam janah
yah kalpante hy urvarito
yena grastam idam jagat
sa va asmat-kulotpannah
kalpe ’smin bhargavarsabhah
naivadhunapi bhutanam
samplavah ko ’pi jayate
eka evarnave bhramyan
dadarsa purusam kila
vata-patra-pute tokam
sayanam tv ekam adbhutam
esa nah samsayo bhuyan
suta kautuhalam yatah
tam nas chindhi maha-yogin
puranesv api sammatah
Translation:
Authorities say that Markandeya Rsi, the son of Mrkandu, was an exceptionally long-lived sage who was the only survivor at the end of Brahma’s day, when the entire universe was merged in the flood of annihilation. But this same Markandeya Rsi, the foremost descendant of Bhrgu, took birth in my own family during the current day of Brahma, and we have not yet seen any total annihilation in this day of Brahma. Also, it is well known that Markandeya, while wandering helplessly in the great ocean of annihilation, saw in those fearful waters a wonderful personality — an infant boy lying alone within the fold of a banyan leaf. O Suta, I am most bewildered and curious about this great sage, Markandeya Rsi. O great yogi, you are universally accepted as the authority on all the Puranas. Therefore kindly dispel my confusion.
Purport:
Lord Brahma’s day, consisting of his 12 hours, lasts 4 billion 320 million years, and his night is of the same duration. Apparently Markandeya lived throughout one such day and night and in the following day of Brahma continued living as the same Markandeya. It seems that when annihilation occurred during Brahma’s night, the sage wandered throughout the fearful waters of destruction and saw within those waters an extraordinary personality lying on a banyan leaf. All of these mysteries concerning Markandeya will be clarified by Suta Gosvami at the request of the great sages.