Skandapurana 16.209

Īśvara said: / Then, O great goddess, one should proceed to the supreme Mārkaṇḍeyeśa, / established in the northern direction from there by Mārkaṇḍeya. (1)

It is situated not very far to the east of Sāvitrī. / In the past, there was a great seer known as Mārkaṇḍeya, (2)

free from old age and immortal by the grace of the Lotus-born [Brahmā]. / Having gone there, that prince among brahmins established a liṅga / of the trident-bearing god of gods, knowing that field to be supreme. (3)

Having worshipped it according to the injunctions and standing to the south, the sage, / adopting the lotus posture, then became absorbed in meditation.

While he remained immersed in meditation, millions and billions / of yugas passed by; the lord of sages did not know [it].

Then the temple belonging to Śaṅkara standing [there] fell into decay / over a long period of time, O goddess, [covered] by dust born of the wind.

Then, after a certain time, the excellent sage awakened / and saw that entire temple of Śiva covered with dust.

Then that best of sages, having dug his way out with difficulty, emerged / and made a great doorway for its worship, O lovely lady.

Whoever enters there and worships the bull-bannered [god] with devotion / goes to the supreme abode where the divine Maheśvara dwells.

The Goddess said: / How did the excellent sage Mārkaṇḍa attain immortality? / Indeed, curiosity has arisen in me regarding this; therefore, you ought to tell [me].

Since there is no immortality for living beings on earth, O Śaṅkara, / [and even] for the gods at the end of a kalpa, how is it that the sage did not die?

Īśvara said: / Now therefore I shall tell you how he became immortal. / In a previous kalpa there was a sage known as Mṛkaṇḍa.

He was the fortunate son of Bhṛgu, engaged in austerity together with his wife; / while he was dwelling within the forest, a son was then born to him.

He was a child of five years, endowed with good qualities; / then, after a certain time, an omniscient seer arrived there.

He then saw the boy wandering in the courtyard, O beloved, / and, recollecting [his fate], prompted regarding the future outcome, he laughed for a long time.

He, the excellent scholar skilled in palmistry, was seen by the child's father, / and was asked the reason for his laughter with a mind filled with wonder:

"Why, O brahmin, having seen my son, did you smile? / You ought to tell me the reason for that properly, O holy one."

Having heard his words, the wise brahmin spoke [these] words:

"This son of yours, O sage, is endowed with all auspicious marks; / [yet] from today onward, within six months, he will meet his death.

If, however, he should survive, he will indeed be long-lived. / Therefore I laughed; wondrous is the course of karma!"

Having heard these terrible words spoken by the wise man, / the boy's father then performed the boy's investiture with the sacred thread.

And the seer said to this son, upon seeing a brahmin who had arrived: / "The three varṇas are to be saluted [by you]; from that you will indeed attain welfare."

Having been instructed thus, the young brahmin continually offered salutations; / out of childishness, O fair-faced lady, he did not recognize one of inferior caste.

Five months and twenty-five days passed; / at that very time, the spotless Seven Seers arrived

by that path in the course of a pilgrimage, O lovely lady. / At that time, through salutations performed properly [by him] / toward all [of them], that boy carrying a staff and wearing bark garments was told by them: "Be long-lived!"

Having spoken, however, and looking at the boy whose life was exhausted, / knowing that his life was indeed five days [left], they were afraid of falsehood.

Taking the student of the Veda, they went to the presence of Brahmā; / setting down the boy before him, they bowed to the Grandfather.

Then Brahmā too was saluted by that boy; / in the presence of the seers, this boy was addressed by Brahmā: "Be long-lived!"

Then those sages were pleased upon hearing the word from the Grandfather; / the Grandfather, however, seeing those amazed seers, said: / "For what purpose have you come, and why has this boy been presented?"

The seers said: / "Mṛkaṇḍa is the son of Bhṛgu, and his boy has a short lifespan; / knowing this untimely [death], his father bound the girdle upon him.

And [he gave him] the sacred thread; then he was instructed by that brahmin: / 'Whatever twice-born you see wandering anywhere on earth,

a salutation must always be made to him, O son.' / Then we were seen by this very boy, O best of beings,

in the course of a pilgrimage through the workings of fate, O Grandfather; / and when saluted, he was addressed by them: 'Be long-lived!' indeed.

He was brought into your presence, and by you also the same was spoken. / How, O lord, could the word of ours together with yours be untrue?"

The lotus-born [god], smiling, spoke concerning the boy: / "The boy Mārkaṇḍeya shall have a lifespan equal to mine.

At the beginning of a kalpa and likewise at its end, he shall be my companion." / Then the sages, pleased, took the sage's child / and released him in that very region from which he had set out.

The brahmins departed on their pilgrimage; Mārkaṇḍeya went home. / Having gone home, he then spoke to Mṛkaṇḍa, the best of sages:

"Father, I was taken to the world of Brahmā by the seven sages. / He was told by Brahmā: 'At the beginning and at the end of a kalpa, he [shall be] my companion;

the boy will have a lifespan equal to mine, there is no doubt.' / Then I was brought back by them and released toward the hermitage.

On my account, O best of the twice-born, let the fever of your mind depart!" / Having heard Mārkaṇḍeya's words, Mṛkaṇḍa, the best of sages, / attained supreme joy after a single, utterly unbearable moment.

Then, having regained his composure, he spoke this word:

"Today my birth has become fruitful, and my life is well-lived, / since by you, my good son, the Grandfather of the worlds has been seen!

He whom the learned do not see by a thousand Vājapeya sacrifices / and by a hundred Rājasūya sacrifices, he, O son, effortlessly by you

has been seen, and you have thus been made long-lived by the lotus-born [god]! / Day and night, O dear son, I was grieving with grief for you; / I could not find sleep. That great grief of mine has departed!"

Thus ends the two hundred and ninth chapter, named 'The Description of the Māhātmya of Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara', in the first Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the seventh Prabhāsakhaṇḍa in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.