Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.644

c8.644

The day of his death came and the boy sat before the idol of Śiva in deep meditation. The servants of the god of Death could not approach Mārkaṇḍeya for the radiation from him was too hot for them. So Yama, the god of Death, himself came to fetch him. Then Mārkaṇḍeya crying loudly for help embraced the idol before him. Yama threw his rope in a loop and it went and circled round the idol also, Angry Śiva rose from the idol and coming down killed Yama to save the child. From that day onwards Śiva got the names Mṛtyuñjaya and Kālakaāla. After that at the request of the devas Śiva gave life to Yama again and made Mārkaṇḍeya to be of sixteen years for ever.