Storia do Mogor 249.9

249.9

Then, to escape the wrath of the God of Death, he threw his arms round the idol of the lingam. Seeing this, the grisly monarch, supporting himself on his buffalo, threw a rope round the neck of Markandeya and the lingam which he was hugging. When he attempted to carry away the whole into hell, Siva jumped out of the lingam and planted a mighty kick upon his infernal and mortuary Majesty, whereby he was deprived of life. Thus the god delivered his worshipper Markandeya. When the God of Death had passed from the number of the living, no one was left as slayer of mankind. Thus they multiplied so exceedingly that the earth groaned beneath the burden of their multitude. In fact, the world was driven to demand relief from the gods, who went in a body to Siva to ask his reason for killing the King of Death. Siva answered that when he granted sixteen years of life to Markandeya, his meaning was that, whatever his true age, he should always look like sixteen. Yama, misinterpreting his meaning and paying no respect to his (Siva's) lingam, round which Markandeya had put his arms, wanted to kill the youth, and by this act of contempt to show his own power and carry Markandeya off into hell. This was the reason for which he (Siva) had taken the god's life.