Ranking seventh in the list of the Maha purāṇas¹ the Markandeya Purana, is one of the most important, interesting and probably one of the oldest works. 2 Its recitation frees one from the taints of sin. It was named after the sage Markandeya, who acquired its knowledge from Brahma, the creator of the universe. Once Jaimini, the author of the Mimamsa Sutra, approached him with a request to instruct him on four questions. The holy sage Markandeya directed him to the four celestial Birds that V were well-versed in the sastras, for answering his questions concerning a religious enigma, a social perplexity, a moral incongruity, and a violation of natural justice.