Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8-9

Sanskrit:

तमेव चिन्तयन्नर्थमृषि: स्वाश्रम एव स: ।वसन्नग्‍न्यर्कसोमाम्बुभूवायुवियदात्मसु ॥ ८ ॥ध्यायन् सर्वत्र च हरिं भावद्रव्यैरपूजयत् ।क्‍वचित् पूजां विसस्मार प्रेमप्रसरसम्प्लुत: ॥ ९ ॥

ITRANS:

tam eva cintayann arthamṛṣiḥ svāśrama eva saḥvasann agny-arka-somāmbu-bhū-vāyu-viyad-ātmasu

Translation:

Thinking always of his desire to see the Lord’s illusory energy, the sage remained in his āśrama, meditating constantly upon the Lord within fire, the sun, the moon, water, the earth, air, lightning and his own heart and worshiping Him with paraphernalia conceived in his mind. But sometimes, overwhelmed by waves of love for the Lord, Mārkaṇḍeya would forget to perform his regular worship.

Purport:

It is apparent from these verses that Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi was a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore he wanted to see the illusory energy of the Lord not to fulfill some material ambition but to learn how His potency is working.