Markandeya was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. One day, he left his home to live on a mountain by the Puspabhadra River. He prayed to Vishnu day and night. Vishnu was pleased with his devotion and decided to reward Markandeya.

One day, Markandeya saw thick black clouds forming. Soon, it started raining heavily, covering the entire mountain. There was chaos all around and Markandeya felt Lost. He was very scared and climbed a tree. To his astonishment, he found a baby lying on a branch of the tree. The baby sucked him into his mouth. Markandeya saw the entire universe: the sky, the earth, the heavens, the seas, and the mountains. He saw forests, rivers, cities, and people. He was amazed. Just then the baby exhaled and Markandeya came back to the tree.

Markandeya realised that he had just seen the greatness of Vishnu.