Though his life be short, he will make good use of it.вЂќ

вЂњO Nataraja, may it be the brilliant child.

Do you want 100 sons who will long lives, but will be of foolish mind and ignoble heart? Or do you want one radiant boy who will be of great intelligence and devotion, but who will die at the age of sixteen?вЂќ вЂњBut firstвЂќ, said Shiva, вЂњanswer my question. вЂњI shall grant your wish.вЂќ Mrikandu was delighted. вЂњYour devotion pleases me greatly Mrikandu,вЂќ he said. So intense was MrikanduвЂ™s appeal that the form of Shiva appeared before him in all his great glory. O Neelakanta, the blue-throated one, please hear my plea now.вЂќ Our desire is deep, and we have never asked anything of you before. His devotion to Lord Shiva was utterly single-minded and reached intense states. Many months passed and he gave up all food, living of the air. Mrikandu left his hermitage to perform severe austerities in the deep forest. вЂIвЂ™m going to pray to ShivaвЂ™ said Mrikandu. Then one day, Mrikandu decided that he would seek Lord SHivaвЂ™s intervention. вЂI wish we had a child,вЂ™ they would often sigh. However, as many years passed, they were pained by one seeming lack in their life: they had no children. They were devoted to Lord Shiva and prayed together, ate their meals together, and lived satisfied with what the lord bestowed upon them. He lived a peaceful and happy life with his wife, who name was Marudavati. Mrikandu was a rishi who lived in the region of Bharat, in what is now known as Tamil Nadu. Markandeya was to be taken by Yama on his sixteenth birthday, but the devout young boy escaped his tryst with the lord of death.

His immortality is a result of his intense devotion to Shiva, which resulted in the death of Yama, the Lord of Death itself. Markandeya is a well-known sage and is one of the immortals. The Story of the Jaap of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

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