Markandeya was an ancient Indianrishi (sage), and a devotee of Shiva and Vishnu. The legend states that when the earth was about to be engulfed by water, he prayed to Vishnu to rescue him. Vishnu appeared in the form of a child floating on a leaf, and declared to the sage that he was Time and Death. He requested the sage to enter into his mouth and save himself from the surging water. The sage entered inside the mouth of Vishnu, and saw inside Vishnu the entire cosmos, all the gods and deities. The sage came out after some time, Vishnu was still floating seated on the leaf. Another myth states that Shiva had once rescued Markandeya from Yama, the god of death. In Hinduism, a Rishi () is a sage and/or seer who heard (cf. ... This article is about the Hindu God Åiva. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and derived henotheistic forms. ... This article is about the Hindu God Åiva. ... It has been suggested that Yanluo be merged into this article or section. ...