Matsyapurana 167.18

167.18

niṣkramyāpyasya vadanād ekārṇavamatho jagat
sarvatastamasācchannaṃ mārkaṇḍeyo 'nvavaikṣata //

I shall tell you the wonderful scene beheld by the sage Mârkaṇḍeya at the time of Lord Viṣṇu's repose in the vast speck of water all by Himself Swallowed up by Lord Viṣṇu, the sage Mârkaṇḍeya remained within His belly by His glory for many thousands of years and began to wander about there There he made pilgrimages to many places; and he saw the sacred places, the holy hermitages, and the divine realms. He also beheld the wonderful countries empires, various kinds of cities, etc. Then the sage devoted himself to meditation, to the performance of sacrifices, Japams and Homas, and asceticism by virtue of which he slowly came out of Viṣṇu's mouth He did not know at all when he entered in His belly or when he came out of His mouth This was due to Lord's Mâyâ. He saw the whole universe under the cover of Tamoguṇa and that vast expanse of water He was afraid The sage was then bewildered and lost all hopes of life On seeing Viṣṇu he seemed to have remembered Nârâyana and became glad He became astonished and standing in that vast expanse of water did not know whether he was dreaming or deluded—13 20