History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.790

v6.c82.790

Some works like the Harivaṁśa (Bhaviṣyaparva chap. 10. 12-68) provide that at the end of Kalpa the sage Mārkaṇḍeya alone remains and lies at the time of the *pralaya* (or *kalpa*) in the side of Lord Viṣṇu and then comes out of His mouth. The Brahmapurāṇa (52. 14-19 and 53. 55) says that Mārkaṇḍeya sees a *vaṭa* tree at the end of Kalpa and a jewelled bed on which he sees a boy lying down (i. e. Viṣṇu himself) and then he enters the side of that boy and later comes out. Vide also Matsya 167 (14-66) for the same story in almost the same words. The Bhagavadgītā (VIII 18-19) speaks of the recurrent absorption of all beings at the advent of the night of Brahmā and reappearance of beings when the day of Brahmā starts.