PENGUIN CLASSICS
SHIVA PURANA: VOLUME 1
Bibek Debroy is a renowned
economist, scholar and translator. He has worked in universities, research
institutes, the industry and for the government. He has widely published books,
papers and articles on economics. As a translator, he is best known for his
magnificent rendition of the Mahabharata in ten volumes, the three-volume
translation of the Valmiki Ramayana, the Harivamsha, Bhagavata Purana,
Markandeya Purana, Brahma Purana and additionally Vishnu Purana, published to
wide acclaim by Penguin Classics. He is also the author of Sarama and Her
Children, which splices his interest in Hinduism with his love for dogs.
PRAISE FOR THE
BHAGAVATA PURANA
'An exhaustive but accessible
translation of a crucial mythological text-Indian Express
'The beauty of recounting these
stories lies in the manner in which the cosmic significance and the temporal
implications are intermingled. Debroy's easy translation makes that experience
even more sublime' -Business Standard
'The Puranas are 18 volumes with
more than four lakh shlokas, and all in Sanskrit-the language of our ancestors
and the sages, which only a few can speak and read today and only a handful
have the mastery to translate. Bibek Debroy is one such master translator, who
wears the twin title of economist and Sanskrit scholar, doing equal justice to
both'-Outlook
PRAISE FOR THE
MARKANDEYA PURANA
'[The] Markandeya Purana is a
marvelous amalgam of mythology and metaphysics that unfolds a series of
conversations in which sage Markandeya is asked to answer some deeper questions
raised by the events in the Mahabharata'-Indian Express
'Bibek Debroy's translation of the
Markandeya Purana presents the English reader with an opportunity to read the
unabridged version in English. As he writes in the Introduction, "But all
said and done, there is no substitute to reading these texts in the original
Sanskrit." If you cannot read the original in Sanskrit, this is perhaps
the next best thing'-Abhinav Agarwal
PRAISE FOR THE VISHNU
PURANA
'Bibek Debroy's unabridged
translation brings his trademark felicity of prose. Copious footnotes,
numbering over a thousand, and a scrupulous attention to keeping this a
translation and not an interpretation make this a much-needed and valuable
text'-Firstpost
'Like the others, this Purana
captures ancient and medieval stories and concepts of Hinduism in a range and
complexity that no other Sanskrit texts offer... The Vishnu Purana ends on a
sombre note, but not without offering the hope that those who chant Vishnu's
name can still reclaim dharma'-Business Standard
'Immense credit to the translator
for keeping the flow as light and engaging as the original may allow and for
capturing and conveying intact the soul of the Vishnu Purana... In essence,
this text functions as a concise encyclopaedia of perhaps the most evolved
research and thought of the time and a 360-degree portrayal of Lord Vishnu in
myriad forms aggregated from various oral or lost sources and tales... A treasure
trove; a slow-paced perusal of the text is an eye-opener, an education in
itself-New Indian Express
PRAISE FOR THE BRAHMA
PURANA
'In two volumes and over 1,000
pages, Mr Debroy's translation of what is called the Adi Purana (or the
original Purana) brings alive the many myths and legends surrounding Hindu
gods, traditions, customs and ways of living'-Business Standard
SHIVA PURANA
Volume 1
Translated by BIBEK
DEBROY
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CONTENTS
Introduction. 11
The Skanda Purana Segment 39
Chapter 1-1(1)1 (Greatness
of Shiva Purana) 39
Chapter 2-1(2) (Devaraja's story) 41
Chapter 3-1(3) (Chanchula's story) 43
Chapter 4-1(4) (Chanchula's
Emancipation) 46
Chapter 5-1(5) (Binduga's
Emancipation) 49
Chapter 6-1(6) (Rules for Listening) 51
Chapter 7-1(7) (Rules and Restraints) 55
Vidyeshvara Samhita. 58
Chapter 8-2(1) (The Sages Describe
Kali Yuga) 58
Chapter 9-2(2) (Greatness of Shiva
Purana and Its Components) 60
Chapter 10-2(3) (The Objective and
the Means) 63
Chapter 11-2(4) (More on the Means) 64
Chapter 12-2(5) (Greatness of Lingam) 66
Chapter 13-2(6) (Rivalry between
Brahma and Vishnu) 67
Chapter 14-2(7) (The Column of Fire) 69
Chapter 15-2(8) (The Humbling of
Brahma) 71
Chapter 16-2(9) (The Lingam and
Ishatva) 72
Chapter 17-2(10) (Aumkara Mantra) 74
Chapter 18-2(11) (Worshipping the
Lingam) 77
Chapter 19-2(12) (Shiva Temples) 81
Chapter 20-2(13) (Good Behaviour) 83
Chapter 21-2(14) (Agni Yajna) 88
Chapter 22-2(15) (Deva Yajna) 91
Chapter 23-2(16) (Worship of Deities) 94
Chapter 24-2(17) (AUM and
Panchakshara Mantra)324 99
Chapter 25-2(18) (Bondage and
Liberation) 107
Chapter 26-2(19) (Parthiva Lingam) 115
Chapter 27-2(20) (Worship of Parthiva
Lingam) 117
Chapter 28-2(21) (More on Lingams) 121
Chapter 29-2(22) (Naivedya and Bilva) 124
Chapter 30-2(23) (Rudraksha and
Shiva's Names) 125
Chapter 31-2(24) (Bhasma and Its
Greatness) 127
Chapter 32-2(25) (Greatness of
Rudraksha) 133
Srishti Khanda. 139
Chapter 33-3.1(1) (The Sages Ask) 139
Chapter 34-3.1(2) (Narada's
Austerities and Pride) 140
Chapter 35-3.1(3) (Narada and the
Svayamvara) 143
Chapter 36-3.1(4) (Narada Curses
Vishnu) 145
Chapter 37-3.1(5) (Narada's Visit to
Kashi) 148
Chapter 38-3.1(6) (Mahapralaya and
Vishnu's Origin) 150
Chapter 39-3.1(7) (Dispute between
Brahma and Vishnu) 152
Chapter 40-3.1(8) (AUM) 156
Chapter 41-3.1(9) (Shiva Tattva) 159
Chapter 42-3.1(10) (Parama Shiva
Tattva) 162
Chapter 43-3.1(11) (Methods of
Worshipping Shiva) 163
Chapter 44-3.1(12) (The Essential and
the Non-Essential) 167
Chapter 45-3.1(13) (Description of
Shiva's Worship) 171
Chapter 46-3.1(14) (More Descriptions
of Worship) 174
Chapter 47-3.1(15) (Rudra's Avatara) 178
Chapter 48-3.1(16) (Description of
Creation) 181
Chapter 49-3.1(17) (Gunanidhi's
Conduct) 183
Chapter 50-3.1(18) (Gunanidhi's
Virtuous End) 185
Chapter 51-3.1(19) (Shiva's
Friendship with Kubera) 188
Chapter 52-3.1(20) (Shiva's Departure
for Kailasa) 189
Sati Khanda (The Section on Sati) 192
Chapter 53-3.2(1) (Sati's Conduct in
Brief) 192
Chapter 54-3.2(2) (Kama's Origin) 194
Chapter 55-3.2(3) (Kama's Curse) 196
Chapter 56-3.2(4) (Kama's Marriage) 199
Chapter 57-3.2(5) (Sandhya's Story) 201
Chapter 58-3.2(6) (Sandhya's
Austerities) 204
Chapter 59-3.2(7) (Arundhati Marries
Vasishtha) 206
Chapter 60-3.2(8) (Description of
Vasanta) 207
Chapter 61-3.2(9) (Kama's Powers and
His Aides) 209
Chapter 62-3.2(10) (Conversation
between Brahma and Vishnu) 212
Chapter 63-3.2(11) (Durga's Praise
and Brahma's Boon) 214
Chapter 64-3.2(12) (Daksha's Boon) 216
Chapter 65-3.2(13) (Daksha Curses
Narada) 218
Chapter 66-3.2(14) (Sati's Birth and
Childhood) 220
Chapter 67-3.2(15) (Nanda Vows and
Shiva's Praise) 222
Chapter 68-3.2(16) (Brahma and Vishnu
Pray to Shiva) 225
Chapter 69-3.2(17) (Sati Gets the
Boon) 227
Chapter 70-3.2(18) (Bestowing of the
Daughter) 230
Chapter 71-3.2(19) (Shiva's Pastimes) 232
Chapter 72-3.2(20) (Description of
Sati's Marriage) 234
Chapter 73-3.2(21) (Sati and Shiva's
Sport) 237
Chapter 74-3.2(22) (More on Sati and
Shiva's Sport) 239
Chapter 75-3.2(23) (Power of Bhakti) 242
Chapter 76-3.2(24) (Rama's Test) 244
Chapter 77-3.2(25) (Sati's
Separation) 247
Chapter 78-3.2(26) (Conflict between
Shiva and Daksha) 250
Chapter 79-3.2(27) (Commencement of
the Sacrifice) 252
Chapter 80-3.2(28) (Sati's Journey) 254
Chapter 81-3.2(29) (Sati's Words) 256
Chapter 82-3.2(30) (Sati Gives up Her
Life) 259
Chapter 83-3.2(31) (A Voice from the
Firmament) 260
Chapter 84-3.2(32) (Virabhadra's
Origin) 261
Chapter 85-3.2(33) (Virabhadra's
March) 264
Chapter 86-3.2(34) (Bad Omens) 265
Chapter 87-3.2(35) (Vishnu's Words) 266
Chapter 88-3.2(36) (Conversation
between Vishnu and Virabhadra) 268
Chapter 89-3.2(37) (Destruction of
the Sacrifice) 271
Chapter 90-3.2(38) (Conversation
between Kshuva and Dadhichi) 274
Chapter 91-3.2(39) (Clash between
Vishnu and Dadhichi) 277
Chapter 92-3.2(40) (Sight of Shiva) 279
Chapter 93-3.2(41) (Devas Praise
Shiva) 281
Chapter 94-3.2(42) (End to Daksha's
Misery) 283
Chapter 95-3.2(43) (Arranging
Daksha's Sacrifice) 285
Parvati Khanda. 288
Chapter 96-3.3(1) (Himachala's
Marriage) 288
Chapter 97-3.3(2) (An Earlier
Account) 289
Chapter 98-3.3(3) (Prayer to Devi) 291
Chapter 99-3.3(4) (Comforting the
Gods) 293
Chapter 100-3.3(5) (Mena's Boon) 295
Chapter 101-3.3(6) (Parvati's Birth) 297
Chapter 102-3.3(7) (Parvati's
Childhood Pastimes) 299
Chapter 103-3.3(8) (Conversation
between Narada and Himalaya) 300
Chapter 104-3.3(9) (The Dream) 302
Chapter 105-3.3(10) (Bhouma's Origin) 304
Chapter 106-3.3(11) (Shiva and the
Mountain Meet) 305
Chapter 107-3.3(12) (Shiva and the
Mountain Converse) 307
Chapter 108-3.3(13) (Conversation
between Parvati and Parameshvara) 308
Chapter 109-3.3(14) (Taraka and
Vajranga's Origin) 311
Chapter 110-3.3(15) (Tarakasura's
Austerities and Kingdom) 313
Chapter 111-3.3(16) (Assuring the
Devas) 315
Chapter 112-3.3(17) (Conversation
between Indra and Kama) 317
Chapter 113-3.3(18) (Kama's
Disturbances) 318
Chapter 114-3.3(19) (Kama's
Destruction) 320
Chapter 115-3.3(20) (The Vadava Fire) 322
Chapter 116-3.3(21) (Narada's
Instruction to Parvati) 323
Chapter 117-3.3(22) (Parvati's
Austerities) 324
Chapter 118-3.3(23) (Attempts to
Dissuade Parvati) 327
Chapter 119-3.3(24) (Shiva Agrees to
the Marriage) 329
Chapter 120-3.3(25) (Test by the
Saptarshis) 332
Chapter 121-3.3(26) (Shivaa's
Conversation with Jatila) 335
Chapter 122-3.3(27) (The
Brahmachari's Deceptive Words) 337
Chapter 123-3.3(28) (Parvati Sees
Shiva's Form) 338
Chapter 124-3.3(29) (Conversation
between Shiva and Shivaa) 340
Chapter 125-3.3(30) (Parvati's
Return) 342
Chapter 126-3.3(31) (Shiva's Maya and
the Brahmana) 344
Chapter 127-3.3(32) (Arrival of
Saptarshis) 346
Chapter 128-3.3(33) (Assuring the
Mountain) 349
Chapter 129-3.3(34) (Anaranya's
Conduct) 351
Chapter 130-3.3(35) (Padma and
Pippalada) 353
Chapter 131-3.3(36) (Words of the
Saptarshis) 356
Chapter 132-3.3(37) (Invitations and
Arrival for the Wedding) 357
Chapter 133-3.3(38) (Construction of
the Pavilion) 359
Chapter 134-3.3(39) (Devas Arrive) 361
Chapter 135-3.3(40) (The Marriage
Procession) 363
Chapter 136-3.3(41) (Description of
the Pavilion) 365
Chapter 137-3.3(42) (Meeting between
the Divinity and the Mountain) 367
Chapter 138-3.3(43) (Shiva's Wonderful
Pastimes) 368
Chapter 139-3.3(44) (Mena Gains Her
Senses) 371
Chapter 140-3.3(45) (Shiva's
Beautiful Form) 375
Chapter 141-3.3(46) (Arrival of the
Groom) 376
Chapter 142-3.3(47) (Festivities
Inside Himalaya's House) 378
Chapter 143-3.3(48) (Bestowing the
Bride) 380
Chapter 144-3.3(49) (Vidhatri's
Delusion) 382
Chapter 145-3.3(50) (Amusements) 384
Chapter 146-3.3(51) (Kama Comes Back
to Life) 386
Chapter 147-3.3(52) (Feeding the
Groom's Party) 388
Chapter 148-3.3(53) (Preparations for
Shiva's Return) 389
Chapter 149-3.3(54) (Dharma of a
Virtuous Wife) 391
Chapter 150-3.3(55) (Shiva's Return
to Kailasa) 394
Acknowledgements. 397
The word 'Purana' means old,
ancient. The Puranas are old texts, usually referred to in conjunction with
Itihasa (the Ramayana and the Mahabharata).1 Whether Itihasa
originally meant only the Mahabharata, with the Ramayana being added to that
expression later, is a proposition on which there has been some discussion. But
that's not relevant for our purposes. In the Chandogya Upanishad, there is an
instance of the sage Narada approaching the sage Sanatkumara for instruction.
Asked about what he already knows, Narada says he knows Itihasa and Purana, the
Fifth Veda.2 In other words, Itihasa-Purana possessed an elevated
status. This by no means implies that the word 'Purana', as used in these two
Upanishads and other texts too, is to be understood in the sense of the word
being applied to a set of texts known as the Puranas today. The Valmiki
Ramayana is believed to have been composed by Valmiki and the Mahabharata by
Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa. After composing the Mahabharata, Krishna
Dvaipayana Vedavyasa is believed to have composed the Puranas. The use of the
word 'composed' immediately indicates that Itihasa-Purana are smriti texts,
with a human origin. They are not shruti texts, which have a divine origin.
Composition does not mean these texts were rendered into writing. Instead,
there was a process of oral transmission, with inevitable noise in the
transmission and distribution process. Writing came much later.
Pargiter's book on the Puranas is
still one of the best introductions to this corpus.3To explain the
composition and transmission process, one can do no better than to quote him.
The Vayu and Padma Puranas tell us
how ancient genealogies, tales and ballads were preserved, namely, by the
sutas,4 and they describe the suta's duty... The Vayu, Brahmanda and
Visnu give an account, how the original Purana came into existence Those three
Puranas say-Krsna Dvaipayana divided the single Veda into four and arranged
them, and so was called Vyasa. He entrusted them to his four disciples, one to
each, namely Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. Then with tales, anecdotes,
songs and lore that had come down from the ages he compiled a Purana, and
taught it and the Itihasa to his fifth disciple, the suta Romaharsana or
Lomaharsana... After that he composed the Mahabharata. The epic itself implies
that the Purana preceded it... As explained above, the sutas had from remote
times preserved the genealogies of gods, rishis and kings, and traditions and
ballads about celebrated men, that is, exactly the material-tales, songs and
ancient lore-out of which the Purana was constructed. Whether or not Vyasa
composed the original Purana or superintended its compilation, is immaterial
for the present purpose... After the original Purana was composed, by Vyasa as
is said, his disciple Romaharsana taught it to his son Ugrasravas, and
Ugrasravas the sauti appears as the reciter in some of the present Puranas; and the sutas
still retained the right to recite it for their livelihood.
__________________________
1 For example, shlokas 2.4.10, 4.1.2 and
4.5.11 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad use the two expressions together.
2 Chandogya Upanishad, 7.1.2.
3 F.E. Pargiter, Ancient Indian
Historical Tradition, Oxford University Press, London, 1922.
4 Sutas were bards, minstrels and
raconteurs.
But, as stated above, Romaharsana
taught it to his six disciples, at least five of whom were brahmans. It thus
passed into the hands of brahmans, and their appropriation and development of
it increased in the course of time, as the Purana grew into many Puranas, as
Sanskrit learning became peculiarly the province of the brahmans, and as new
and frankly sectarian Puranas were composed.
Pargiter cited reasons for his
belief that the Mahabharata was composed after the original Purana, though that
runs contrary to the popular perception about the Mahabharata having been
composed before the Puranas. That popular and linear perception is too
simplistic, since texts evolved in parallel, not necessarily sequentially.
In popular perception, Krishna
Dvaipayana Vedavyasa composed the Mahabharata. He then composed the Puranas.
Alternatively, he composed an original core Purana text, which has been lost,
and others embellished it through additions. The adjective 'Purana', meaning
old account or old text, became a proper noun, signifying a specific text. To
be classified as a Purana, a Purana has to possess five attributes-pancha
lakshmana. That is, five topics must be discussed-sarga, pratisarga, vamsha,
manvantara and vamshanucharita. The clearest statement of this is in the Matsya
Purana. Unlike the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there is no Critical Edition
of the Puranas.5 Therefore, citing chapter and verse from a Purana
text is somewhat more difficult, since verse, if not chapter, may vary from
text to text. With that caveat, the relevant shloka (verse) should be in the
53rd chapter of the Matysa Purana. Sarga means the original or primary
creation. The converse of sarga is universal destruction and dissolution, or
pralaya.
That period of sarga lasts for one
of Brahma's days, known as kalpa. When Brahma sleeps, during his night, there
is universal destruction.
In measuring time, there is the
notion of a yuga (era) and there are four yugas-satya yuga (also known as krita
yuga), treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga. Satya yuga lasts for 4,000
years, treta yuga for 3,000 years, dvapara yuga for 2,000 years and kali yuga
for 1,000 years. However, these are not human years. The gods have a different
timescale and these are the years of the gods. As one progressively moves from
satya yuga to kali yuga, virtue (dharma) declines. But at the end of kali yuga,
the cycle begins afresh, with satya yuga. An entire cycle, from satya yuga to
kali yuga, is known as a mahayuga (great era). However, a mahayuga is not just
10,000 years. There is a further complication. At the beginning and the end of
every yuga, there are some additional years. These additional years are 400 for
satya yuga, 300 for treta yuga, 200 for dvapara yuga and 100 for kali yuga. A
mahayuga thus has 12,000 years, adding years both at the beginning and at the
end. 1,000 mahayugas make up one kalpa (eon), a single day for Brahma. A kalpa
is also divided into fourteen manvantaras, a manvantara being a period during
which a Manu presides and rules over creation. Therefore, there are 71.4
mahayugas in a manvantara. Our present kalpa is known as the Shveta Varaha
kalpa. Within that, six Manus have come and gone.
___________________________
5 The Critical Edition of the Valmiki
Ramayana was brought out by the Baroda Oriental Institute, now part of the
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The Critical Edition of the
Mahabharata was brought out by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
Pune.
Their names are (1) Svayambhuva
Manu, (2) Svarochisha Manu, (3) Uttama Manu, (4) Tapasa Manu, (5) Raivata Manu
and (6) Chakshusha Manu. The present Manu is known as Vaivasvata Manu.
Vivasvat, also written as Vivasvan, is the name of Surya, the Sun God.
Vaivasvata Manu has that name because he is Surya's son. Not only do Manus
change from one manvantara to another. So do the gods, the ruler of the gods
and the seven great sages, known as the saptarshis (seven rishis). Indra is a
title of the ruler of the gods. It is not a proper name. The present Indra is
Purandara. However, in a different manvantara, someone else will hold the
title. In the present seventh manvantara, known as Vaivasvata manvantara, there
will also be 71.4 mahayugas. We are in the 28th of these. Since a different Vedavyasa
performs that task of classifying and collating the Vedas in every mahayuga,
Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa is the 28th in that series. Just so that it is
clear, Vedavyasa isn't a proper name. It is a title conferred on someone who
collates and classifies the Vedas. There have been twenty-seven who have held
the title of Vedavyasa before him and he is the 28th. His proper name is
Krishna Dvaipayana, Krishna because he was dark and Dvaipayana because he was
born on an island (dvipa). This gives us an idea of what the topic of
manvantara is about. This still leaves pratisarga, vamsha and vamshanucharita.
The two famous dynasties/lineages were the solar dynasty (surya vamsha) and
lunar dynasty (chandra vamsha) and all the famous kings belonged to one or other
of these two dynasties. Vamshanucharita is about these lineages and the conduct
of these kings. There were the gods and sages (rishis) too, not always born
through a process of physical procreation. Their lineages are described under
the heading of vamsha. Finally, within that cycle of primary creation and
destruction, there are smaller and secondary cycles of creation and
destruction. That's the domain of pratisarga. In greater or lesser degree, all
the Puranas cover these five topics, some more than the others. The Purana
which strictly adheres to this five-topic classification is the Vishnu Purana.
There are Puranas and Puranas. Some
are known as Sthala Puranas, describing the greatness and sanctity of a
specific geographical place. Some are known as Upa-Puranas, minor Puranas. The
listing of Upa-Puranas has regional variations and there is no country-wide
consensus about the list of Upa-Puranas, though it is often accepted that there
are eighteen. The Puranas we have in mind are known as Maha-Puranas, major
Puranas. Henceforth, when we use the word Puranas, we mean Maha-Puranas. There
is consensus that there are eighteen Maha-Puranas, though it is not obvious
that this number of eighteen existed right from the beginning. The names are
mentioned in several of these texts, including a shloka that follows the shloka
cited from the Matsya Purana. Thus, the eighteen Puranas are (1) Agni (15,400);
(2) Bhagavata (18,000); (3) Brahma (10,000); (4) Brahmanda (12,000); (5)
Brahmavaivarta (18,000); (6) Garuda (19,000); (7) Kurma (17,000); (8) Linga
(11,000); (9) Markandeya (9,000); (10) Matsya (14,000); (11) Narada (25,000);
(12) Padma (55,000); (13) Shiva (24,000); (14) Skanda (81,100); (15) Vamana
(10,000); (16) Varaha (24,000); (17) Vayu (24,000) and (18) Vishnu (23,000).
A few additional points about this
list. First, the Harivamsha is sometimes loosely described as a Purana, but
strictly speaking, it is not a Purana. It is more like an addendum to the
Mahabharata. Second, Bhavishya (14,500) is sometimes mentioned, with Vayu
excised from the list. However, the Vayu Purana exhibits many more Purana
characteristics than the Bhavishya Purana. There are references to a Bhavishyat
Purana that existed, but that may not necessarily be the Bhavishya Purana as we
know it today. That's true of some other Puranas too. Texts have been
completely restructured hundreds of years later. Third, it is not just a
question of Bhavishya Purana and Vayu Purana. In the lists given in some
Puranas, Vayu is part of the 18, but Agni is knocked out. In some others,
Narasimha and Vayu are included, but Brahmanda and Garuda are knocked out.
Fourth, when a list is given, the order also indicates some notion of priority
or importance. Since that varies from text to text, our listing is simply alphabetical,
according to the English alphabet. Fifth, when one uses the term Bhagavata,
does one mean Bhagavata Purana or Devi Bhagavata Purana? The numbers within
brackets indicate the number of shlokas each of these Puranas has or is
believed to have. The range is from 9,000 in Markandeya to a mammoth 81,100 in
Skanda. The aggregate is a colossal 409,500 shlokas. To convey a rough idea of
the orders of magnitude, the Mahabharata has, or is believed to have, 100,000
shlokas. It's a bit difficult to convert a shloka into word counts in English,
especially because Sanskrit words have a slightly different structure. However,
as a very crude approximation, one shloka is roughly twenty words. Thus,
100,000 shlokas become 2 million words and 400,000 shlokas, four times the size
of the Mahabharata, amounts to 8 million words. There is a reason for using the
expression 'is believed to have', as opposed to 'has'. Rendering into writing
is of later vintage, the initial process was one of oral transmission. In the
process, many texts have been lost, or are retained in imperfect condition.
This is true of texts in general and is also specifically true of Itihasa and
Puranas. The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, mentioned earlier, no longer
possesses 100,000 shlokas. Including the Harivamsha, there are around 80,000
shlokas. The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata has, of course, deliberately
excised some shlokas. For the Puranas, there is no counterpart of Critical
Editions. However, whichever edition of the Puranas one chooses, the number of
shlokas in that specific Purana will generally be fewer than the numbers
mentioned here earlier. Either those many shlokas did not originally exist, or
they have been lost. This is the right place to mention that a reading of the Puranas
assumes a basic degree of familiarity with the Valmiki Ramayana and the
Mahabharata, more the latter than the former. Without that familiarity, one
will often fail to appreciate the context completely. More than passing
familiarity with the Bhagavat Gita, strictly speaking a part of the
Mahabharata, helps.6
Other than the five attributes, the
Puranas have a considerable amount of information on geography and even
geological changes (changes in courses of river) and astronomy. Therefore,
those five attributes shouldn't suggest the Puranas have nothing more. They do,
and they have, therefore, been described as encyclopedias. Bharatavarsha is
vast and heterogeneous and each Purana may very well have originated in one
particular part of the country. Accordingly, within that broad compass of an
overall geographical description, the extent of geographical information varies
from Purana to Purana. Some are more familiar with one part of the country than
with another. Though not explicitly mentioned in the five attributes, the
Puranas are also about pursuing dharma, artha, kama and moksha, the four
objectives of human existence, and about the four varnas and the four ashramas.
The general understanding and practice of dharma is based much more on the
Puranas than on the Vedas. Culture, notions of law, rituals, architecture and
iconography are based on the Puranas. There is beautiful poetry too.
_________________________
6 The Bhagavat Gita translation was
published in 2006 and reprinted in 2019, the translation of the Critical
Edition of the Mahabharata in 10 volumes between 2010 and 2014 (with a box set
in 2015) and the translation of the Critical Edition of the Valmiki Ramayana in
2017. The translations are by Bibek Debroy, and in each case, the publisher is
Penguin.
Perhaps one should mention that
there are two ways these 18 Puranas are classified. The trinity has Brahma as
the creator, Vishnu as the preserver and Shiva as the destroyer. Therefore,
Puranas where creation themes feature prominently are identified with Brahma
(Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya). Puranas where Vishnu features
prominently are identified as Vaishnava Puranas (Bhagavata, Garuda, Kurma,
Matysa, Narada, Padma, Vamana, Varaha, Vishnu). Puranas where Shiva features
prominently are identified as Shaiva Puranas (Agni, Linga, Shiva, Skanda,
Vayu). While there is a grain of truth in this, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are
all important and all three feature in every Purana. Therefore, beyond the
relative superiority of Vishnu vis-à-vis Shiva, the taxonomy probably doesn't
serve much purpose. The second classification is even more tenuous and is based
on the three gunas of sattva (purity), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance).
For example, the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana has a few shlokas along
these lines, recited by Shiva to Parvati. With a caveat similar to the one
mentioned earlier, this should be in the 236th chapter of Uttara Khanda.
According to this, the Puranas characterized by sattva are Bhagavata, Garuda,
Narada, Padma, Varaha and Vishnu. Those characterized by rajas are Bhavishya,
Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya and Vamana. Those characterized
by tamas are Agni, Kurma, Linga, Matysa, Skanda and Shiva.
Within a specific Purana text,
there are earlier sections, as well as later ones. That makes it difficult to
date a Purana, except as a range. Across Purana texts, there are older Puranas,
as well as later ones. Extremely speculatively, the dating will be something
like the following. (1) Agni (800-1100 CE); (2) Bhagavata (500-1000 CE); (3)
Brahma (700-1500 CE); (4) Brahmanda (400-600 CE); (5) Brahmavaivarta (700-1500
CE); (6) Garuda (800-1100 CE); (7) Kurma (600-900 CE); (8) Linga (500-1000 CE);
(9) Markandeya (250-700 CE); (10) Matsya (200-500 CE); (11) Narada (900-1600
CE); (12) Padma (400-1600 CE); (13) Shiva (1000-1400 CE); (14) Skanda (600-1200
CE); (15) Vamana (450-900 CE); (16) Varaha (1000-1200 CE); (17) Vayu (350-550
CE); (18) Vishnu (300 CE-450 CE) and (19) Bhavishya (500-1900 CE). Reiterating
once again that there is no great precision in these ranges, by this reckoning,
the Vishnu Purana is the oldest and some parts of the Bhavishya Purana are as
recent as the 19th century.
As mentioned earlier, there is no
Critical Edition for the Puranas. Therefore, one has to choose a Sanskrit text
one is going to translate from. If one is going to translate all the Puranas,
it is preferable, though not essential, that one opts for a common source for
all the Purana texts. In all the Purana translations, as a common source, I
have used, and will use, the ones brought out by Nag Publishers, with funding
from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It is no different for the
Shiva Purana.7 To the best of my knowledge, other than this
translation, there are only two other unabridged translations of the Shiva
Purana in English. J.L. Shastri was the editor of the first and a board of
scholars undertook the translation, published under the title 'Ancient Indian
Tradition and Mythology in English Translation'.8 In the course of
this translation, extensive comparisons have been made with the Shastri
translation.
_________________________
7 The Sivamahapuranam, Nag Publishers,
Delhi, 1986.
8 The Siva-Purana, translated and
annotated by a Board of Scholars, edited by J. L. Shastri, 4 volumes, Motilal
Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 1970.
The Sanskrit texts used for the two
translations are similar, but not always identical. However, differences are
minor. More importantly, the discerning reader, who compares the two, will find
that we have differed in interpreting words and sentences. The second
unabridged translation is by Shanti Lal Nagar.9
In the second half of the 19th
century, the contribution of Calcutta and Bengal towards preserving the
Itihasa-Purana legacy was remarkable. Consider the following. (1) Kaliprasanna
Singha's unabridged translation of the Mahabharata in Bengali; (2) The Sanskrit
and unabridged Bengali translation of the Burdwan edition of the Mahabharata;
(3) The unabridged Bengali translation of the Mahabharata, published by Pratap
Chandra Roy; (4) The unabridged English translation of the Valmiki Ramayana by
William Carey and Joshua Marshman; (5) Hemachandra Bhattacharya's unabridged
translation of the Valmiki Ramayana in Bengali; (6) Ganga Prasad
Mukhopadhyaya's verse translation of the Valmiki Ramayana; (7) Panchanan
Tarkaratna's Sanskrit editions and Bengali translations of Valmiki Ramayana,
Adhyatma Ramayana and several Puranas; (8) Unabridged translations of the Mahabharata
in English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli and Manmatha Nath Dutt; (9) Asiatic
Society's10 Bibliotheca Indica Sanskrit editions of Agni Purana,
Brihad Dharma Purana, Brihad Naradiya Purana, Kurma Purana, Varaha Purana and
Vayu Purana; and (10) F. E. Pargiter's unabridged English translation of
Markandeya Purana. (11) And most important of all, Horace Hayman's Wilson
translation of the Vishnu Purana, in five volumes, between 1864 and 1870.11
Though Wilson's translation wasn't part of the Bibliotheca Indica corpus, it
was part of the same broad tradition. Wilson's work was almost certainly the
first unabridged translation of any Purana into English and the scholarship was
remarkable. An act of research and scholarship still needs to be undertaken,
cross-referencing names, genealogies and incidents across Itihasa and Purana
texts. Often, when the same incident is narrated in different Purana texts,
there are differences in nuances and details. Since ours is a translation, we
have deliberately refrained from undertaking such an exercise. But the Horace
Hayman Wilson translation did seek to do that. Before that work can be
undertaken, the Purana corpus has to be translated, meaning translation into
English. More often than not, practices of dharma are based on the
Itihasa-Purana corpus. The Purana project, published by Penguin, is part of
that translation endeavour. Translations of Bhagavata Purana, Markandeya
Purana, Brahma Purana and Vishnu Purana have already been published and Shiva
Purana is the fifth.
As has been mentioned earlier, the composition of Shiva
Purana is dated to between 1000 and 1400 CE. It is a relatively later Purana.
The Shiva Purana has a considerable degree of overlap with the Vayu Purana,
dated to between 350 and 550 CE. It is the consensus that the Vayu Purana
evolved earlier. R. C. Hazra's dissertation is still one of the best
introductions to the Purana corpus, for all the Puranas.12 Because
of that later date of composition, Hazra paid short shrift to the Shiva Purana,
not even mentioning it as a separate Purana. He focused instead on Vayu Purana.
__________________________
9 Shanti Lal Nagar, Siva Mahapurana, An Exhaustive
Introduction, Sanskrit Text, English Translation with Photographs of
Archaeological Evidence, 3 volumes, Parimal Publications, 2007.
10 Asiatic Society went through several
name changes, but it can simply be called the Asiatic Society.
11 Horace Hayman Wilson, The Vishnu
Purana, A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition, Trubner & Company,
London, 1864-1870
12 Studies
in the Puranic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs, R. C. Hazra, University of
Dacca, 1940. This has since been reprinted several times, by different
publishers.
The Vayu is
perhaps the oldest of the extant Puranas. The Mahabharata speaks of a 'Purana
proclaimed by Vayu;' the Harivamsa refers to 'Vayu' as an authority; Banabhatta
says in his Harsa-carita that he attended the reading of the Vayu Purana in his
native village; and Alberuni repeatedly quotes and names a Vayu Purana in his
account of India. The character of the Vayu as a Mahapurana has sometimes been
called into question. The cause of this doubt is the use of the title 'Siva' or
'Saivya' for 'Vayaviya' in the majority of the lists of the 'eighteen
Mahapuranas'. But this substitution, which has been taken wrongly in favour of
the comparatively late sectarian Upapurana called 'Siva-purana', is based on
the Saiva character of the Vayu. Hence it seems that the attempt to raise the
Siva-purana to the status of a Mahapurana was due to a comparatively late
sectarian zeal.
A quote from Wilson's Preface13
will add to what has already been said and Wilson was less dismissive of the
Shiva Purana.
The Siva or Saiva
Purana is, as above remarked, omitted in some of the lists; and, in general,
when that is the case, it is replaced by the Vayu or Vayaviya. When the Siva is
specified, as in the Bhagavata, then the Vayu is omitted; intimating the
possible identity of these two works.
In all Puranas, there are chapters
that are almost verbatim reproductions of sections from the Mahabharata,
Harivamsha and other Puranas. One should not deduce that a specific Purana text
has copied from another, since these various texts might have had a common
origin. That apart, even when the shlokas seem to be virtually identical, there
are interesting changes in words and nuances. This has a bearing on the Hazra
and Wilson arguments. Today, given the texts we possess, it is impossible to
unambiguously establish the original text. There may very well have been an
original proto-Vayu Purana and an original proto-Shiva Purana. Who can
determine which preceded which? Suffice to say, there was a consolidation of
the present Shiva Purana, perhaps even as late as between 1000 and 1400 CE,
though something like 1000 CE to 1100 CE seems more reasonable. After all, each
Purana evolved and was added to. In terms of its present structure and
attributes, the Shiva Purana displays all the characteristics of a Maha-Purana.
One shouldn't be dismissive. The Shiva Purana is an important text in the
corpus of texts that forms the edifice of Shaiva dharma. There are Shaiva agama
texts that are part of this corpus too, 28 to be precise. There are Upa-Puranas
as part the corpus, for instance, Shivadharma Purana, Shivadharmapurva Purana,
Shivarahasya Purana and Maheshvara Purana. Whether it is Puranas or other
texts, the Shiva Purana exhibits the influence of texts on Shakti and tantra.
We are told in the text [Chapter
9-2(2)] that the Shiva Purana originally consisted of 100,000 shlokas and was
divided into 12 Samhitas or sections-Vidyeshvara, Rudra, Vainayaka, Uma, Matri,
Rudraikadasha, Kailasa, Shatadrudra, Kotirudra, Sahasrakotirudra, Vayaviya and
Dharmasamja. These aggregated to 100,000 shlokas. However, we are also told
that Vedavyasa abridged the original Shiva Purana and compressed it into 24,000
shlokas, retaining seven Samhitas
__________________
13 Op. cit.
and eliminating five (Vainayaka,
Matri, Rudraikadasha, Sahasrakotirudra and Dharmasamja). In the Sanskrit text
of the Shiva Purana used by us, seven chapters and 373 shlokas from the Skanda
Purana have also been included, since they concern the Shiva Purana.
Accordingly, we have also translated these and our translation has 464 chapters
and 24,646 shlokas (as shown in the table that follows). With the Skanda Purana
segment deducted, there are 457 chapters and 24,273 shlokas (reasonably close
to the stated 24,000). The seven Samhitas that remain are Vidyeshvara (25
chapters, 1,540 shlokas), Rudra (197 chapters, 10,268 shlokas), Shata Rudra (42
chapters, 2,188 shlokas), Koti Rudra (43 chapters, 2,187 shlokas), Uma (51
chapters, 2,679 shlokas), Kailasa (23 chapters, 1,285 shlokas) and Vayaviya (76
chapters, 4,126 shlokas). Rudra Samhita is long and is subdivided into five
subsections or khandas (Srishti, Sati, Parvati, Kumara and Yuddha). The longish
Vayaviya Samhita also has two subsections or bhagas (Purva and Uttara). A word
about the numbering we have followed for the chapters, such as Chapter
423-8.2(1). The first number is a consecutive numbering of chapters of the
entire Shiva Purana, while the second number indicates the number of the
Samhita. (With the Skanda Purana segment included, this numbering extends to
eight, not seven.) If there is a decimal point after the number given to the
Samhita, this indicates the part of the Samhita. For instance, 8.2 indicates
the second part of Vayaviya Samhita. Finally, the number within brackets
indicates a consecutive numbering of chapters within that Samhita.
As with every Purana, there are
layers within layers and the account is not recited by a single person. The
basic template is, of course, the standard one of Suta reciting the Purana to
sages who have assembled for a sacrifice in Naimisha forest. But there are also
sub-strands of Vyasa recounting parts to sages, Brahma relating it to Narada,
Nandi relating it to Sanatkumara, Upamanyu relating it to Krishna, Vayu
relating it to the sages and even Shiva reciting parts to Parvati.
In the translations of the Bhagavat
Gita, the Mahabharata, the Harivamsha, the Valmiki Ramayana, the Bhagavata
Purana, the Markandeya Purana, the Brahma Purana and the Vishnu Purana,14
we followed the principle of not using diacritical marks. The use of
diacritical marks (effectively the international alphabet of Sanskrit
transliteration) makes the pronunciation and rendering more accurate, but also
tends to put off readers who are less academically inclined. Since diacritical
marks are not being used, there is a challenge of rendering Sanskrit names in
English. Sanskrit is a phonetic language and we have used that principle as a
basis. Applied consistently, this means that words are rendered in ways that
may seem unfamiliar. Hence, Gautama will appear as Goutama here. This is true
of proper names, and, in a few rare cases, of geographical names. The absence
of diacritical marks causes some minor problems. How does one distinguish
Mahadeva Shiva from Parvati Shivaa? Often, the context will make the difference
clear. If not, we have written Mahadeva as Shiva and Parvati as Shivaa. In
translating, the attempt has been to provide a word-for-word translation, so
that if one were to hold up the Sanskrit text, there would be a perfect match.
In the process, the English is not as smooth as it might have been, deliberately
so. In this particular translation, we have also been pedantic, perhaps
unnecessarily so.
____________________
14 The Bhagavata Purana, Volumes 1-3,
Penguin Books, 2018. The Markandeya Purana, Penguin Books, 2019. The Brahma
Purana, Volumes 1-2, Penguin Books, 2021. The Vishnu Purana, Penguin Books,
2022.
For example, the text refers to
Krishna as both Shri Krishna and Krishna. We have strictly adhered to whatever
the text says, word for word. There was another minor issue one should flag. In
most texts, chapters have headings. If chapters don't have headings, the
colophon at the end of the chapter indicates what the heading or title of the
chapter should be. The Shiva Purana text has no such chapter headings before
the chapter, and sometimes, does not even have them in the colophon. Therefore,
the chapter headings we have given are subjective, based on the contents of
that particular chapter, unless of course the colophon suggests a chapter
heading.
The intention is to offer a
translation, not an interpretation. That sounds like a simple principle to
adopt, and for the most part, is easy to follow. However, there is a thin
dividing line between translation and interpretation. In some instances, it is
impossible to translate without bringing in a little bit of interpretation.
Inevitably, interpretation is subjective. We have tried to minimize the problem
by (a) reducing interpretation; (b) relegating interpretation to footnotes; and
(c) when there are alternative interpretations, pointing this out to the reader
through those footnotes. But all said and done, there is no substitute to
reading these texts in the original Sanskrit.
Finally, the Shiva Purana is not an
easy Purana to translate, read and understand. That's often because the average
reader is relatively unfamiliar with mantra, mandala, tantra, yantra, chakra,
Shakti concepts (iccha, jnana, kriya), rituals and the theology (for want of a
better word) of Shaiva dharma. Shiva's 36 tattvas are different from the
tattvas of samkhya, with many people being somewhat familiar with the latter.
Shiva is in the centre of a mandala, surrounded by the five kalaas (Nivritti,
Pratishtha, Vidya, Shanta and Shantyatita). Depending on time and space, there
are six paths to reach the supreme consciousness (varna, mantra, pada, kaala,
tattva, bhuvana) and there are five sheaths (time, limited knowledge,
attachment, destiny and limitation) that constrain one from reaching that
supreme consciousness. As for Shiva himself, there are the five aspects of Sadyojata,
Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Ishana. If this sounds esoteric, it is
undoubtedly so. But a reading of Shiva Purana is also a convenient means of
becoming exposed to these topics.
Shiva Purana
|
|
Chapter
|
|
Number
of shlokas
|
|
The Skanda Purana
segment
|
1-1(1)
|
Greatness of Shiva
Purana
|
51
|
|
|
2-1(2)
|
Devaraja's story
|
40
|
|
|
3-1(3)
|
Chanchula's story
|
57
|
|
|
4-1(4)
|
Chanchula's
emancipation
|
50
|
|
|
5-1(5)
|
Binduga's
emancipation
|
60
|
|
|
6-1(6)
|
Rules for listening
|
65
|
|
|
7-1(7)
|
Rules and restraints
|
50
|
|
Total in the Skanda
Purana segment
|
7
|
|
373
|
|
Vidyeshvara Samhita
|
8-2(1)
|
The sages describe
kali yuga
|
38
|
|
|
9-2(2)
|
Greatness of Shiva
Purana and its components
|
67
|
|
|
10-2(3)
|
The objective and
the means
|
27
|
|
|
11-2(4)
|
More on the means
|
23
|
|
|
12-2(5)
|
Greatness of lingam
|
31
|
|
|
13-2(6)
|
Rivalry between
Brahma and Vishnu
|
28
|
|
|
14-2(7)
|
The column of fire
|
33
|
|
|
15-2(8)
|
The humbling of
Brahma
|
21
|
|
|
16-2(9)
|
The lingam and
Ishatva
|
46
|
|
|
17-2(10)
|
Aumkara mantra
|
39
|
|
|
18-2(11)
|
Worshipping the
lingam
|
69
|
|
|
19-2(12)
|
Shiva temples
|
43
|
|
|
20-2(13)
|
Good behaviour
|
85
|
|
|
21-2(14)
|
Agni yajna
|
46
|
|
|
22-2(15)
|
Deva yajna
|
61
|
|
|
23-2(16)
|
Worship of deities
|
117
|
|
|
24-2(17)
|
AUM and panchakshara
mantra
|
153
|
|
|
25-2(18)
|
Bondage and
liberation
|
162
|
|
|
26-2(19)
|
Parthiva lingam
|
37
|
|
|
27-2(20)
|
Worship of Parthiva
lingam
|
66
|
|
|
28-2(21)
|
More on lingams
|
56
|
|
|
29-2(22)
|
Naivedya and bilva
|
36
|
|
|
30-2(23)
|
Rudraksha and
Shiva's names
|
45
|
|
|
31-2(24)
|
Bhasma and its
greatness
|
116
|
|
|
32-2(25)
|
Greatness of
rudraksha
|
95
|
|
Total in Vidyeshvara
Samhita
|
25
|
|
1,540
|
|
Rudra Samhita
|
|
|
|
|
Srishti Khanda
|
The section on
creation
|
|
|
|
|
33-3.1(1)
|
The sages ask
|
32
|
|
|
34-3.1(2)
|
Narada's austerities
and pride
|
55
|
|
|
35-3.1(3)
|
Narada and the
svayamvara
|
59
|
|
|
36-3.1(4)
|
Narada curses Vishnu
|
76
|
|
|
37-3.1(5)
|
Narada's visit to
Kashi
|
35
|
|
|
38-3.1(6)
|
Mahapralaya and
Vishnu's origin
|
59
|
|
|
39-3.1(7)
|
Dispute between
Brahma and Vishnu
|
69
|
|
|
40-3.1(8)
|
AUM
|
53
|
|
|
41-3.1(9)
|
Shiva tattva
|
65
|
|
|
42-3.1(10)
|
Parama Shiva tattva
|
40
|
|
|
43-3.1(11)
|
Methods of
worshipping Shiva
|
85
|
|
|
44-3.1(12)
|
The essential and
the non-essential
|
86
|
|
|
45-3.1(13)
|
Description of
Shiva's worship
|
83
|
|
|
46-3.1(14)
|
More descriptions of
worship
|
87
|
|
|
47-3.1(15)
|
Rudra's avatara
|
65
|
|
|
48-3.1(16)
|
Description of
creation
|
50
|
|
|
49-3.1(17)
|
Gunanidhi's conduct
|
61
|
|
|
50-3.1(18)
|
Gunanidhi's virtuous
end
|
67
|
|
|
51-3.1(19)
|
Shiva's friendship
with Kubera
|
33
|
|
|
52-3.1(20)
|
Shiva's departure
for Kailasa
|
62
|
|
Total in Srishti
Khanda
|
20
|
|
1,222
|
|
Sati Khanda
|
The section on Sati
|
|
|
|
|
53-3.2(1)
|
Sati's conduct in
brief
|
46
|
|
|
54-3.2(2)
|
Kama's origin
|
43
|
|
|
55-3.2(3)
|
Kama's curse
|
78
|
|
|
56-3.2(4)
|
Kama's marriage
|
34
|
|
|
57-3.2(5)
|
Sandhya's story
|
68
|
|
|
58-3.2(6)
|
Sandhya's
austerities
|
62
|
|
|
59-3.2(7)
|
Arundhati marries
Vasishtha
|
27
|
|
|
60-3.2(8)
|
Description of
Vasanta
|
53
|
|
|
61-3.2(9)
|
Kama's powers and
his aides
|
63
|
|
|
62-3.2(10)
|
Conversation between
Brahma and Vishnu
|
61
|
|
|
63-3.2(11)
|
Durga's praise and
Brahma's boon
|
51
|
|
|
64-3.2(12)
|
Daksha's boon
|
37
|
|
|
65-3.2(13)
|
Daksha curses Narada
|
40
|
|
|
66-3.2(14)
|
Sati's birth and
childhood
|
59
|
|
|
67-3.2(15)
|
Nanda vows and
Shiva's praise
|
67
|
|
|
68-3.2(16)
|
Brahma and Vishnu
pray to Shiva
|
58
|
|
|
69-3.2(17)
|
Sati gets the boon
|
73
|
|
|
70-3.2(18)
|
Bestowing of the
daughter
|
37
|
|
|
71-3.2(19)
|
Shiva's pastimes
|
76
|
|
|
72-3.2(20)
|
Description of
Sati's marriage
|
61
|
|
|
73-3.2(21)
|
Sati and Shiva's
sport
|
47
|
|
|
74-3.2(22)
|
More on Sati and
Shiva's sport
|
70
|
|
|
75-3.2(23)
|
Power of bhakti
|
56
|
|
|
76-3.2(24)
|
Rama's test
|
61
|
|
|
77-3.2(25)
|
Sati's separation
|
69
|
|
|
78-3.2(26)
|
Conflict between
Shiva and Daksha
|
54
|
|
|
79-3.2(27)
|
Commencement of the
sacrifice
|
56
|
|
|
80-3.2(28)
|
Sati's journey
|
43
|
|
|
81-3.2(29)
|
Sati's words
|
64
|
|
|
82-3.2(30)
|
Sati gives up her
life
|
31
|
|
|
83-3.2(31)
|
A voice from the
firmament
|
37
|
|
|
84-3.2(32)
|
Virabhadra's origin
|
59
|
|
|
85-3.2(33)
|
Virabhadra's march
|
39
|
|
|
86-3.2(34)
|
Bad omens
|
26
|
|
|
87-3.2(35)
|
Vishnu's words
|
54
|
|
|
88-3.2(36)
|
Conversation between
Vishnu and Virabhadra
|
70
|
|
|
89-3.2(37)
|
Destruction of the
sacrifice
|
68
|
|
|
90-3.2(38)
|
Conversation between
Kshuva and Dadhichi
|
63
|
|
|
91-3.2(39)
|
Clash between Vishnu
and Dadhichi
|
55
|
|
|
92-3.2(40)
|
Sight of Shiva
|
46
|
|
|
93-3.2(41)
|
Devas praise Shiva
|
52
|
|
|
94-3.2(42)
|
End to Daksha's
misery
|
55
|
|
|
95-312(43)
|
Arranging Daksha's
sacrifice
|
44
|
|
Total in Sati Khanda
|
43
|
|
2,313
|
|
Parvati Khanda
|
The section on
Parvati
|
|
|
|
|
96-3.3(1)
|
Himachala's marriage
|
32
|
|
|
97-3.3(2)
|
An earlier account
|
42
|
|
|
98-3.3(3)
|
Prayer to Devi
|
39
|
|
|
99-3.3(4)
|
Comforting the gods
|
50
|
|
|
100-3.3(5)
|
Mena's boon
|
50
|
|
|
101-3.3(6)
|
Parvati's birth
|
54
|
|
|
102-3.3(7)
|
Parvati's childhood
pastimes
|
25
|
|
|
103-3.3(8)
|
Conversation between
Narada and Himalaya
|
56
|
|
|
104-3.3(9)
|
The dream
|
36
|
|
|
105-3.3(10)
|
Bhouma's origin
|
28
|
|
|
106-3.3(11)
|
Shiva and the
mountain meet
|
42
|
|
|
107-3.3(12)
|
Shiva and the
mountain converse
|
36
|
|
|
108-3.3(13)
|
Conversation between
Parvati and Parameshvara
|
60
|
|
|
109-3.3(14)
|
Taraka and
Vajranga's origin
|
43
|
|
|
110-3.3(15)
|
Tarakasura's
austerities and kingdom
|
56
|
|
|
111-3.3(16)
|
Assuring the devas
|
46
|
|
|
112-3.3(17)
|
Conversation between
Indra and Kama
|
43
|
|
|
113-3.3(18)
|
Kama's disturbances
|
45
|
|
|
114-3.3(19)
|
Kama's destruction
|
52
|
|
|
115-3.3(20)
|
The Vadava fire
|
23
|
|
|
116-3.3(21)
|
Narada's instruction
to Parvati
|
41
|
|
|
117-3.3(22)
|
Parvati's
austerities
|
71
|
|
|
118-3.3(23)
|
Attempts to dissuade
Parvati
|
51
|
|
|
119-3.3(24)
|
Shiva agrees to the
marriage
|
77
|
|
|
120-3.3(25)
|
Test by the
saptarshis
|
73
|
|
|
121-3.3(26)
|
Shivaa's
conversation with Jatila
|
44
|
|
|
122-3.3(27)
|
The brahmachari's
deceptive words
|
39
|
|
|
123-3.3(28)
|
Parvati sees Shiva's
form
|
50
|
|
|
124-3.3(29)
|
Conversation between
Shiva and Shivaa
|
42
|
|
|
125-3.3(30)
|
Parvati's return
|
54
|
|
|
126-3.3(31)
|
Shiva's maya and the
brahmana
|
53
|
|
|
127-3.3(32)
|
Arrival of
saptarshis
|
65
|
|
|
128-3.3(33)
|
Assuring the
mountain
|
64
|
|
|
129-3.3(34)
|
Anaranya's conduct
|
34
|
|
|
130-3.3(35)
|
Padma and Pippalada
|
62
|
|
|
131-3.3(36)
|
Words of the
saptarshis
|
34
|
|
|
132-3,3(37)
|
Invitations and
arrival for the wedding
|
50
|
|
|
133-3.3(38)
|
Construction of the
pavilion
|
40
|
|
|
134-3.3(39)
|
Devas arrive
|
62
|
|
|
135-3.3(40)
|
The marriage
procession
|
57
|
|
|
136-3.3(41)
|
Description of the
pavilion
|
54
|
|
|
137-3.3(42)
|
Meeting between the
divinity and the mountain
|
31
|
|
|
138-3.3(43)
|
Shiva's wonderful
pastimes
|
65
|
|
|
139-3.3(44)
|
Mena gains her
senses
|
102
|
|
|
140-3.3(45)
|
Shiva's beautiful
form
|
46
|
|
|
141-3.3(46)
|
Arrival of the groom
|
36
|
|
|
142-3.3(47)
|
Festivities inside
Himalaya's house
|
55
|
|
|
143-3.3(48)
|
Bestowing the bride
|
56
|
|
|
144-3.3(49)
|
Vidhatri's delusion
|
47
|
|
|
145-3.3(50)
|
Amusements
|
45
|
|
|
146-3.3(51)
|
Kama comes back to
life
|
43
|
|
|
147-3.3(52)
|
Feeding the groom's
party
|
40
|
|
|
148-3.3(53)
|
Preparations for
Shiva's return
|
37
|
|
|
149-3.3(54)
|
Dharma of a virtuous
wife
|
83
|
|
|
150-3.3(55)
|
Shiva's return to
Kailasa
|
38
|
|
Total in Parvati
Khanda
|
55
|
|
2,699
|
|
Kumara Khanda
|
The section on
Kumara
|
|
|
|
|
151-3.4(1)
|
Shiva's amusement
|
63
|
|
|
152-3.4(2)
|
Birth of Shiva's son
|
73
|
|
|
153-3.4(3)
|
Kartikeya's pastimes
|
40
|
|
|
154-3,4(4)
|
Search for Kartikeya
|
67
|
|
|
155-3.4(5)
|
Kumara's abhisheka
|
67
|
|
|
156-3.4(6)
|
Kumara's
extraordinary conduct
|
33
|
|
|
157-3.4(7)
|
Start of the war
|
41
|
|
|
158-3.4(8)
|
The battle in
general
|
52
|
|
|
159-3.4(9)
|
Taraka fights
against Shakra, Vishnu and Virabhadra
|
54
|
|
|
160-3.4(10)
|
Taraka's death
|
52
|
|
|
161-3.4(11)
|
Bana and Pralamba
are killed
|
33
|
|
|
162-3.4(12)
|
Kartika, Shiva and
Shivaa
|
56
|
|
|
163-3.4(13)
|
Ganesha's origin
|
39
|
|
|
164-3.4(14)
|
Quarrel with the ganas
|
63
|
|
|
165-3.4(15)
|
Description of
Ganesha's battle
|
72
|
|
|
166-3.4(16)
|
Severing of
Ganesha's head
|
37
|
|
|
167-3.4(17)
|
Ganesha gets his
life back
|
59
|
|
|
168-3.4(18)
|
Ganesha obtains the
title of Ganadhipa
|
79
|
|
|
169-3.4(19)
|
Prelude to Ganesha's
marriage
|
55
|
|
|
170-3.4(20)
|
Ganesha's marriage
|
45
|
|
Total in Kumara
Khanda
|
20
|
|
1,080
|
|
Yuddha Khanda
|
The section about
the war
|
|
|
|
|
171-3.5(1)
|
Description of
Tripura
|
78
|
|
|
172-3.5(2)
|
Praise by devas
|
63
|
|
|
173-3.5(3)
|
Dharma of Tripura
|
54
|
|
|
174-3.5(4)
|
Initiation of residents
of Tripura
|
64
|
|
|
175-3.5(5)
|
Delusion of Tripura
|
63
|
|
|
176-3.5(6)
|
Praise of Shiva
|
55
|
|
|
177-3.5(7)
|
Praise by devas
|
44
|
|
|
178-3.5(8)
|
Description of the
chariot
|
30
|
|
|
179-3.5(9)
|
Shiva's advance
|
44
|
|
|
180-3.5(10)
|
Burning of Tripura
|
44
|
|
|
181-3.5(11)
|
Praise by devas
|
41
|
|
|
182-3.5(12)
|
Devas return
|
41
|
|
|
183-3.5(13)
|
Shakra gets his life
back
|
52
|
|
|
184-3.5(14)
|
Jalandhara's birth
and marriage
|
40
|
|
|
185-3.5(15)
|
Battle between devas
and Jalandhara
|
66
|
|
|
186-3.5(16)
|
Devas fight back
|
44
|
|
|
187-3.5(17)
|
Vishnu and
Jalandhara fight
|
50
|
|
|
188-3.5(18)
|
Conversation between
Narada and Jalandhara
|
51
|
|
|
189-3.5(19)
|
Jalandhara sends a
messenger
|
51
|
|
|
190-3.5(20)
|
Ordinary ganas and
asuras fight
|
62
|
|
|
191-3.5(21)
|
Special fights
|
55
|
|
|
192-3.5(22)
|
Description of
Jalandhara's fighting
|
52
|
|
|
193-3.5(23)
|
Violation of
Vrinda's faithfulness
|
51
|
|
|
194-3.5(24)
|
Description of
Jalandhara
|
58
|
|
|
195-3.5(25)
|
Praise by devas
|
37
|
|
|
196-3.5(26)
|
Dispelling of
Vishnu's delusion
|
61
|
|
|
197-3.5(27)
|
Shankhachuda's
origin
|
36
|
|
|
198-3.5(28)
|
Shankhachuda's
austerities and marriage
|
41
|
|
|
199-3.5(29)
|
Shankhachuda's rule
and earlier birth
|
59
|
|
|
200-3.5(30)
|
Prayer to the lord
of devas
|
40
|
|
|
201-3.5(31)
|
Shiva's advice
|
55
|
|
|
202-3.5(32)
|
The messenger is
sent
|
35
|
|
|
203-3.5(33)
|
Mahadeva's advance
|
49
|
|
|
204-3.5(34)
|
Shankhachuda's
advance
|
25
|
|
|
205-3.5(35)
|
Conversation between
Shiva and the messenger
|
50
|
|
|
206-3.5(36)
|
The mutual fight
|
36
|
|
|
207-3.5(37)
|
Shankhachuda fights
|
45
|
|
|
208-3.5(38)
|
Kali fights
|
37
|
|
|
209-3.5(39)
|
Shankhachuda's
soldiers are killed
|
45
|
|
|
210-3.5(40)
|
Shankhachuda is
killed
|
43
|
|
|
211-3.5(41)
|
Tulasi's curse
|
64
|
|
|
212-3.5(42)
|
Killing of
Hiranyaksha
|
49
|
|
|
213-3.5(43)
|
Killing of
Hiranyakashipu
|
43
|
|
|
214-3.5(44)
|
Andhaka's
austerities
|
71
|
|
|
215-3.5(45)
|
The battle commences
|
54
|
|
|
216-3.5(46)
|
Andhaka's fight
|
41
|
|
|
217-3.5(47)
|
Swallowing of Shukra
|
53
|
|
|
218-3.5(48)
|
Swallowing of Shukra
continued
|
48
|
|
|
219-3.5(49)
|
Andhaka becomes a
gana
|
42
|
|
|
220-3.5(50)
|
Shukra obtains
knowledge about mritasanjivani
|
53
|
|
|
221-3.5(51)
|
Usha's story
|
62
|
|
|
222-3.5(52)
|
Usha's story
continued
|
63
|
|
|
223-3.5(53)
|
Aniruddha and Usha
amuse themselves
|
54
|
|
|
224-3.5(54)
|
Banasura, Rudra,
Krishna and others fight
|
63
|
|
|
225-3.5(55)
|
Slicing of Bana's
hands
|
48
|
|
|
226-3.5(56)
|
Banasura becomes a
ganapati
|
34
|
|
|
227-3.5(57)
|
Slaying of Gajasura
|
73
|
|
|
228-3.5(58)
|
Slaying of
Dundubhi-nirhrada
|
50
|
|
|
229-3.5(59)
|
Slaying of Vidala
and Utpala
|
42
|
|
Total in Yuddha
Khanda
|
59
|
|
2,954
|
|
Total in Rudra
Samhita
|
197
|
|
10,268
|
|
Shata Rudra Samhita
|
|
|
|
|
|
230-4(1)
|
Shiva's five
avataras
|
50
|
|
|
231-4(2)
|
Shiva's eight forms
|
17
|
|
|
232-4(3)
|
Arddha-nar-nara
avatara
|
31
|
|
|
233-4(4)
|
Story of Rishabha
|
48
|
|
|
234-4(5)
|
Nineteen of Shiva's
avataras
|
59
|
|
|
235-4(6)
|
The Nandikeshvara
avatara
|
62
|
|
|
236-4(7)
|
Nandikeshvara's
abhisheka and marriage
|
63
|
|
|
237-4(8)
|
Bhairava avatara
|
66
|
|
|
238-4(9)
|
Bhairava avatara's
pastimes
|
72
|
|
|
239-4(10)
|
Nrisimha's conduct
|
41
|
|
|
240-4(11)
|
Prelude to Sharabha
avatara
|
64
|
|
|
241-4(12)
|
Sharabha avatara
|
47
|
|
|
242-4(13)
|
Prelude to Grihapati
avatara
|
64
|
|
|
243-4(14)
|
Grihapati avatara
|
47
|
|
|
244-4(15)
|
Grihapati avatara
continued
|
69
|
|
|
245-4(16)
|
Yaksheshvara avatara
|
42
|
|
|
246-4(17)
|
Ten avataras of
Shiva
|
20
|
|
|
247-4(18)
|
Eleven avataras
|
35
|
|
|
248-4(19)
|
Story of Durvasa
|
71
|
|
|
249-4(20)
|
Hanuman avatara
|
40
|
|
|
250-4(21)
|
Mahesha avatara
|
15
|
|
|
251-4(22)
|
Prelude to Vrisha
avatara
|
55
|
|
|
252-4(23)
|
Vrisha avatara
|
39
|
|
|
253-4(24)
|
Pippalada avatara
|
64
|
|
|
254-4(25)
|
Pippalada avatara
continued
|
24
|
|
|
255-4(26)
|
Vaishyanatha avatara
|
65
|
|
|
256-4(27)
|
Dvijeshvara avatara
|
71
|
|
|
257-4(28)
|
Yatinatha
Brahma-hamsa avatara
|
41
|
|
|
258-4(29)
|
Krishna-darshana
avatara
|
59
|
|
|
259-4(30)
|
Avadhutehsvara
avatara
|
44
|
|
|
260-4(31)
|
Bhikshuvarya avatara
|
78
|
|
|
261-4(32)
|
Sureshvara avatara
|
78
|
|
|
262-4(33)
|
Brahmachari avatara
|
65
|
|
|
263-4(34)
|
Sunartaka-nata
avatara
|
39
|
|
|
264-4(35)
|
Avatara as a
virtuous brahmana
|
37
|
|
|
265-4(36)
|
Avatara as
Ashvatthama
|
44
|
|
|
266-4(37)
|
Prelude to Kirata
avatara
|
68
|
|
|
267-4(38)
|
Arjuna's austerities
|
65
|
|
|
268-4(39)
|
Slaying of Muka daitya
|
53
|
|
|
269-4(40)
|
Conversation between
the bhilla and Arjuna
|
49
|
|
|
270-4(41)
|
Kirateshvara avatara
|
67
|
|
|
271-4(42)
|
Twelve jyotirlingams
|
60
|
|
Total in Shata Rudra
Samhita
|
42
|
|
2,188
|
|
Koti Rudra Samhita
|
|
|
|
|
|
272-5(1)
|
Greatness of
jyotirlingams and upalingams
|
44
|
|
|
273-5(2)
|
Greatness of Shiva's
lingams
|
31
|
|
|
274-5(3)
|
Anasuya and Atri's
austerities
|
39
|
|
|
275-5(4)
|
The greatness of
Atrishvara
|
61
|
|
|
276-5(5)
|
Death of the
brahmani and Nandikeshvara
|
39
|
|
|
277-5(6)
|
The brahmani goes to
heaven
|
66
|
|
|
278-5(7)
|
Greatness of
Nandikeshvara
|
35
|
|
|
279-5(8)
|
Greatness of
Mahabala
|
28
|
|
|
280-5(9)
|
The chandali's good
destination
|
39
|
|
|
281-5(10)
|
The greatness of
Mahabala Shiva lingam
|
51
|
|
|
282-5(11)
|
The greatness of
Pashupatinatha Shiva lingam
|
21
|
|
|
283-5(12)
|
The nature of the
lingam
|
54
|
|
|
284-5(13)
|
Origin of Vatuka
|
77
|
|
|
285-5(14)
|
Origin of Somanatha
jyotirlingam
|
62
|
|
|
286-5(15)
|
Description of
Mallikarjuna jyotirlingam
|
23
|
|
|
287-5(16)
|
Greatness of
Mahakala jyotirlingam
|
52
|
|
|
288-5(17)
|
Greatness of
Mahakala jyotirlingam continued
|
78
|
|
|
289-5(18)
|
Greatness of
Omkareshvara jyotirlingam
|
27
|
|
|
290-5(19)
|
Greatness of
Kedareshvara jyotirlingam
|
26
|
|
|
291-5(20)
|
Greatness of
Bhimeshvara jyotirlingam
|
67,920
|
|
|
292-5(21)
|
Origin and greatness
of Bhimeshvara jyotirlingam
|
54
|
|
|
293-5(22)
|
Rudra's arrival in
Kashi
|
40
|
|
|
294-5(23)
|
Greatness of
Kashi-Vishveshvara jyotirlingam
|
57
|
|
|
295-5(24)
|
Greatness of
Tryambakeshvara and Goutama
|
33
|
|
|
296-5(25)
|
Goutama's
arrangements
|
58
|
|
|
297-5(26)
|
Greatness of Tryambakeshvara
|
57
|
|
|
298-5(27)
|
Greatness of
Tryambakeshvara continued
|
50
|
|
|
299-5(28)
|
Greatness of
Vaidyanatheshvara jyotirlingam
|
76
|
|
|
300-5(29)
|
Depredations of
rakshasas in Darukavana
|
53
|
|
|
301-5(30)
|
Greatness of
Nageshvara jyotirlingam
|
44
|
|
|
302-5(31)
|
Greatness of
Rameshvara
|
45
|
|
|
303-5(32)
|
Sudeha and Sudharma
|
52
|
|
|
304-5(33)
|
Origin and greatness
of Ghushmesha jyotirlingam
|
56
|
|
|
305-5(34)
|
Vishnu obtains
Sudarshana chakra
|
35
|
|
|
306-5(35)
|
Shiva's one thousand
names
|
133
|
|
|
307-5(36)
|
The fruits of the
one thousand names
|
38
|
|
|
308-5(37)
|
Shiva's devotees
|
55
|
|
|
309-5(38)
|
Greatness of Shiva
Ratri
|
88
|
|
|
310-5(39)
|
Shiva Ratri's
udyapana
|
23
|
|
|
311-5(40)
|
Greatness of
Vyadheshvara and Shiva Ratri
|
102
|
|
|
312-5(41)
|
Nature of
emancipation
|
27
|
|
|
313-5(42)
|
Difference between
saguna and nirguna
|
32
|
|
|
314-5(43)
|
Nature of jnana
|
59
|
|
Total in Koti Rudra
Samhita
|
43
|
|
2,187
|
|
Uma Samhita
|
|
|
|
|
|
315-6(1)
|
Conversation between
Krishna and Upamanyu
|
71
|
|
|
316-6(2)
|
Upamanyu's
instructions
|
52
|
|
|
317-6(3)
|
Shiva's greatness
|
78
|
|
|
318-6(4)
|
The power of Shiva's
maya
|
39
|
|
|
319-6(5)
|
Major sins
|
40
|
|
|
320-6(6)
|
Different types of
sins
|
58
|
|
|
321-6(7)
|
Yama's messengers
and the path to hell
|
59
|
|
|
322-6(8)
|
Description of hell
|
45
|
|
|
323-6(9)
|
Description of
consequences in hell
|
46
|
|
|
324-6(10)
|
happens in hell
Description of what
|
57
|
|
|
325-6(11)
|
Greatness of
donations of food
|
53
|
|
|
326-6(12)
|
Greatness of
austerities
|
54
|
|
|
327-6(13)
|
Greatness of Puranas
|
42
|
|
|
328-6(14)
|
General donations
|
32
|
|
|
329-6(15)
|
The nether regions
|
33
|
|
|
330-6(16)
|
Being saved from
hell
|
40
|
|
|
331-6(17)
|
Jambudvipa and the
varshas
|
44
|
|
|
332-6(18)
|
Description of seven
dvipas
|
77
|
|
|
333-6(19)
|
Description of the
worlds
|
44
|
|
|
334-6(20)
|
Special descriptions
of men
|
54
|
|
|
335-6(21)
|
Fruits of battle
|
38
|
|
|
336-6(22)
|
The origin of the
body
|
51
|
|
|
337-6(23)
|
Different impurities
of the body
|
65
|
|
|
338-6(24)
|
Feminine nature
|
37
|
|
|
339-6(25)
|
Knowledge about time
|
75
|
|
|
340-6(26)
|
Deceiving Kala
|
54
|
|
|
341-6(27)
|
Deceiving Kala and
obtaining Shiva
|
39
|
|
|
342-6(28)
|
Beholding the shadowy
being
|
31
|
|
|
343-6(29)
|
The original
creation
|
28
|
|
|
344-6(30)
|
Description of
creation
|
54
|
|
|
345-6(31)
|
Description of
creation continued
|
39
|
|
|
346-6(32)
|
Kashyapa's lineage
|
52
|
|
|
347-6(33)
|
Description of
creation continued
|
31
|
|
|
348-6(34)
|
The manvantaras
|
78
|
|
|
349-6(35)
|
Description of
Vaivasvata manvantara
|
42
|
|
|
350-6(36)
|
Manu's lineage and
nine sons.
|
61
|
|
|
351-6(37)
|
Manu's lineage
continued
|
59
|
|
|
352-6(38)
|
Satyavrata to Sagara
|
57
|
|
|
353-6(39)
|
Kings of surya
vamsha
|
46
|
|
|
354-6(40)
|
The power of ancestors
|
60
|
|
|
355-6(41)
|
The seven hunters
|
53
|
|
|
356-6(42)
|
The power of
ancestors continued
|
23
|
|
|
357-6(43)
|
Worship of Vyasa
|
8
|
|
|
358-6(44)
|
Vyasa's origin
|
140
|
|
|
359-6(45)
|
The avatara of
Mahakalika
|
78
|
|
|
360-6(46)
|
Mahishasura's death
and Mahalakshmi's origin
|
63
|
|
|
361-6(47)
|
Deaths of
Dhumralochana, Chanda, Munda and Raktabija
|
66
|
|
|
362-6(48)
|
Manifestation of
Sarasvati
|
50
|
|
|
363-6(49)
|
Uma's manifestation
|
43
|
|
|
364-6(50)
|
Shatakshi avatara
|
52
|
|
|
365-6(51)
|
Nature of kriya yoga
|
88
|
|
Total in Uma Samhita
|
51
|
|
2,679
|
|
Kailasa Samhita
|
366-7(1)
|
Conversation between
Vyasa and the sages
|
46
|
|
|
367-7(2)
|
Devi's questions
|
30
|
|
|
368-7(3)
|
Procedures for
sannyasa
|
70
|
|
|
369-7(4)
|
A sannyasi's conduct
|
34
|
|
|
370-7(5)
|
A sannyasi's mandala
|
36
|
|
|
371-7(6)
|
Description of nyasa
|
77
|
|
|
372-7(7)
|
Dhyana and worship
of Shiva
|
80
|
|
|
373-7(8)
|
The avarana worship
|
38
|
|
|
374-7(9)
|
Description of
Pranava
|
58
|
|
|
375-7(10)
|
Suta's instructions
|
40
|
|
|
376-7(11)
|
Description of
Vamadeva
|
55
|
|
|
377-7(12)
|
Rules for sannyasa
|
98
|
|
|
378-7(13)
|
Rules for sannyasa
continued
|
96
|
|
|
379-7(14)
|
Pranava as Shiva's
form
|
46
|
|
|
380-7(15)
|
The image that is
worshipped
|
51
|
|
|
381-7(16)
|
Shiva's tattva
|
84
|
|
|
382-7(17)
|
Original creation
|
49
|
|
|
383-7(18)
|
Initiating a shishya
|
47
|
|
|
384-7(19)
|
Yogapatta rules
|
57
|
|
|
385-7(20)
|
Shaving and bathing
rules
|
37
|
|
|
386-7(21)
|
Rites for ten days,
after a mendicant's death
|
66
|
|
|
387-7(22)
|
Rites on the
eleventh day, after a mendicant's death
|
45
|
|
|
387-7(23)
|
Rites on the twelfth
day, after a mendicant's death
|
45
|
|
Total in Kailasa
Samhita
|
23
|
|
1,285
|
|
Vayaviya Samhita
|
|
|
|
|
Purva Bhaga (first
part)
|
|
|
|
|
|
388-8.1(1)
|
Origin of vidya
|
68
|
|
|
389-8.1(2)
|
Sages present their
case
|
31
|
|
|
390-8.1(3)
|
The Naimisha account
|
63
|
|
|
391-8.1(4)
|
Vayu's arrival
|
24
|
|
|
392-8.1(5)
|
Jnana about Shiva's tattva
|
64
|
|
|
393-8.1(6)
|
Jnana about Shiva's
tattva continued
|
76
|
|
|
394-8.1(7)
|
Greatness of Kala
|
26
|
|
|
395-8.1(8)
|
Lifespans of the
three divinities
|
31
|
|
|
396-8.1(9)
|
Creation,
preservation and dissolution
|
24
|
|
|
397-8.1(10)
|
Description of
Brahmanda
|
48
|
|
|
398-8.1(11)
|
Description of
creation
|
36
|
|
|
399-8.1(12)
|
Description of
creation continued
|
77
|
|
|
400-8.1(13)
|
Creation of Brahma
and Vishnu
|
47
|
|
|
401-8.1(14)
|
Manifestation of
Rudras
|
21
|
|
|
402-8.1(15)
|
Praise of Shiva and
Shivaa
|
35
|
|
|
403-8.1(16)
|
Manifestation of
Devi Shakti
|
28
|
|
|
404-8.1(17)
|
Account of creation
|
65
|
|
|
405-8.1(18)
|
Sati gives up her
body
|
62
|
|
|
406-8.1(19)
|
Virabhadra's origin
|
67
|
|
|
407-8.1(20)
|
Destruction of the
sacrifice
|
43
|
|
|
408-8.1(21)
|
Punishment of devas
|
41
|
|
|
409-8.1(22)
|
Destruction of
Daksha's sacrifice
|
72
|
|
|
410-8.1(23)
|
Prayer to Girisha
|
56
|
|
|
411-8.1(24)
|
Shiva's residence
and sports on Mount Mandara
|
58
|
|
|
412-8.1(25)
|
Devi becomes Gouri
|
48
|
|
|
413-8.1(26)
|
The tiger's
destination
|
29
|
|
|
414-8.1(27)
|
Gouri's return
|
37
|
|
|
415-8.1(28)
|
Nature of bhasma
|
20
|
|
|
416-8.1(29)
|
Vagartha
|
36
|
|
|
417-8.1(30)
|
Questions about
Shiva's tattva
|
53
|
|
|
418-8.1(31)
|
Instructions about
jnana
|
100
|
|
|
419-8.1(32)
|
Best practices
|
56
|
|
|
420-8.1(33)
|
Rules of Pashupata
vrata
|
98
|
|
|
421-8.1(34)
|
Upamanyu's
austerities
|
59
|
|
|
422-8.1(35)
|
Upamanyu's conduct
|
65
|
|
Total in Purva Bhaga
|
35
|
|
1,764
|
|
Uttara Bhaga (second
part)
|
|
|
|
|
|
423-8.2(1)
|
Krishna obtains a
son
|
27
|
|
|
424-8.2(2)
|
Shiva and Pashupata
|
60
|
|
|
425-8.2(3)
|
Shiva's forms
|
33
|
|
|
426-8.2(4)
|
Glory of Gouri and
Shankara
|
88
|
|
|
427-8.2(5)
|
Knowledge about
Pashupati
|
37
|
|
|
428-8.2(6)
|
Shiva's tattva
|
31
|
|
|
429-8.2(7)
|
Shiva's tattva
continued
|
40
|
|
|
430-8.2(8)
|
Vyasa's avataras
|
51
|
|
|
431-8.2(9)
|
Shiva's avataras as
Yogacharyas
|
28
|
|
|
432-8.2(10)
|
Devotion to Shiva
|
72
|
|
|
433-8.2(11)
|
Jnana about Shiva
|
56
|
|
|
434-8.2(12)
|
Greatness of
panchakshara mantra
|
38
|
|
|
435-8.2(13)
|
Greatness of
panchakshara mantra continued
|
60
|
|
|
436-8.2(14)
|
Greatness of
panchakshara mantra continued
|
77
|
|
|
437-8.2(15)
|
Greatness of the
guru
|
74
|
|
|
438-8.2(16)
|
The shishya's
samskara
|
78
|
|
|
439-8.2(17)
|
Rules for diksha as
Shiva's devotee
|
45
|
|
|
440-8.2(18)
|
Purification
following the six paths
|
63
|
|
|
441-8.2(19)
|
Samskara of the
sadhaka
|
27
|
|
|
442-8.2(20)
|
Special samskara
|
30
|
|
|
443-8.2(21)
|
Nitya and naimittika
rites
|
43
|
|
|
444-8.2(22)
|
Nitya and naimittika
rites continued
|
61
|
|
|
445-8.2(23)
|
Explanation on the
mode of worship
|
23
|
|
|
446-8.2(24)
|
Shiva's worship
according to the sacred texts
|
72
|
|
|
447-8.2(25)
|
Shiva's worship
according to the sacred texts continued
|
65
|
|
|
448-8.2(26)
|
Accompaniments to
worship
|
35
|
|
|
449-8.2(27)
|
Fire rites
|
74
|
|
|
450-8.2(28)
|
Nitya and naimittika
rites
|
35
|
|
|
451-8.2(29)
|
Kamya rites
|
40
|
|
|
452-8.2(30)
|
Kamya rites
continued
|
103
|
|
|
453-8.2(31)
|
Shiva's great
stotram
|
189
|
|
|
454-8.2(32)
|
Siddhi in this world
|
86
|
|
|
455-8.2(33)
|
Karma for the world
hereafter
|
18
|
|
|
456-8.2(34)
|
Delusion of Hari and
Vidhatri
|
43
|
|
|
457-8.2(35)
|
Countering Hari and
Vidhatri's delusion
|
85
|
|
|
458-8.2(36)
|
Procedure for
installing
|
70
|
|
|
459-8.2(37)
|
Objective of yoga
|
67
|
|
|
460-8.2(38)
|
Impediments in the
path of yoga
|
78,2202
|
|
|
461-8.2(39)
|
Description of
Shiva's yoga
|
60
|
|
|
462-8.2(40)
|
The sages go to the
south of Meru
|
49
|
|
|
463-8.2(41)
|
Vyasa's instruction
|
51
|
|
Total in Uttara
Bhaga
|
41
|
|
2,362
|
|
Total in Vayaviya
Samhita
|
76
|
|
4,126
|
|
Total in Shiva
Purana
|
464
|
|
24,646
|
“Shri Shounaka said, 'O Suta!2
O immensely wise one! O lord! O one who knows the outcomes of all the various
Sr determinations. In particular, please tell me about the essence of all the
Puranas. How are good behaviour, devotion and a sense of discrimination
enhanced in one's own self and in one's sons? How do virtuous people act so as
to dispel their own deviations? In this terrible kali yuga, all beings
generally obtain asura traits. What is the supreme path that can cure them of
this? What is that supreme object which ensures the best of the best? At
present, what is the means that is the purest of the pure? In particular, what
means can be used to swiftly purify one's atman? O father!3 With a
sparkling mind, how can one always obtain Shiva?'
Suta replied, O tiger among sages!
Since you are eager and lovingly wish to hear about this, you are blessed.
Hence, I will use my intelligence to reflect on the great and excellent sacred
texts and tell you. This is the outcome of all the various determinations and
enhances devotion. O child! It is divine and satisfies Shiva. Listen to this
medication. It is excellent and destroys the great fear arising from the
predatory serpent known as Kala.4 O sage! This is the supreme Shiva
Purana, stated by Shiva himself. The sage Sanatkumara instructed Vyasa and out
of respect for him5 and for the welfare of those born in kali yuga,
Vyasa abridged them. O sage! Especially for the purification of the minds of
those born in kali yuga, there is nothing other than Shiva Purana. O sage!
After accumulating great merits in an earlier birth, an immensely fortunate and
intelligent person will develop affection for it. This Shiva Purana is a
supreme and excellent sacred text. On earth, it should always be served and
known as Shiva's form. If an excellent man devotedly reads it or listens to it,
he instantly obtains Shiva, something that can only be attained by using every
possible means. Therefore, men must make every kind of effort to read this
sacred text. If one listens to it lovingly, everything desired is obtained as a
fruit. When a man listens to Shambhu's6 Purana, a man is cleansed of
sins. After enjoying extensive objects of pleasure, he obtains Shiva's world.
As soon as one hears about Shambhu's account, one obtains the good merits
obtained from performing a rajasuya sacrifice or one hundred agnishtoma
sacrifices."7
__________________________
1 Though included in Shiva Purana texts,
Chapters 1.1 to 1.7 are not really from Shiva Purana. They are actually from
Skanda Purana. But since they are about the greatness of Shiva Purana, they are
often included in Shiva Purana texts.
2 Suta narrated the Puranas to the
sages, led by Shounaka, assembled in the forest of Naimisha (Naimisharanya).
3 The word used is tata. While this
means father, it is respectfully used to address anyone who is senior.
4 Time, destiny, death.
5 Sanatkumara. Originally, the Puranas
were composed by Brahma, who taught them to Sanatkumara, one of the four sons
born through Brahma's mental powers. Sanatkumara instructed Vedavyasa about the
Puranas. In turn, he abridged them and classified them into eighteen. So runs
the tradition.
6 Shambhu is Shiva's name.
7 Rajasuya is a royal sacrifice,
agnishtoma is a fire sacrifice.
O sage! Those who hear the
excellent sacred text of Shiva Purana should not be thought of as mere mortals.
There is no doubt that they are like forms of Rudra.8 Sages know
that the dust from the lotus feet of those who hear this Purana and chant it
are like the dust from tirthas.9 Embodied beings who desire to go to
the supreme region should always devotedly listen to the unblemished Shiva
Purana. O supreme among sages! If a person is unable to listen to it
constantly, let him control his atman and listen to it for one muhurta10
every day. O sage! If a man is unable to listen to it every day, let him listen
to the Shiva Purana on auspicious months. If people listen to the Purana for
one muhurta, for half a muhurta, for a quarter of a muhurta or for a kshana,11
they do not suffer from any hardships. O lord of sages! A man who listens to
this Purana burns down the great forest of karma and crosses samsara.12
O sage! Good merits are obtained from all donations and all sacrifices. Those
stable fruits are obtained from listening to Shambhu's Purana. O sage!
Especially during kali yuga, there is no greater dharma for men than listening
to Shiva Purana. This is the means for achieving emancipation. There is no
doubt that through properly hearing and reciting Shambhu's Purana, men obtain
the fruits obtained from kalpadruma.13 In kali yuga, there are
evil-minded people who are deceitful in their atmans. They do not follow
dharma. The nectar known as Shambhu Purana is for their benefit. A man who
drinks this amrita does not suffer from old age and becomes immortal. The
amrita of Shambhu's account also ensures that no one in the entire family
suffers from old age. They become immortal. It must always be served. It must
always be served.14 In particular, it must always be served. This
account of Shiva Purana becomes supremely purifying as soon as one hears the
narration of Shiva Purana. What can I say about the fruits obtained by those
who hold Shiva in their hearts?'
The text has 24,000 shlokas,
divided into seven samhitas15 Full of the three kinds of bhakti,16
one must lovingly listen to it. The first samhita is Vidhyeshvara Samhita, the
second is Rudra Samhita. The third is known as Shata Rudra, while the fourth is
Koti Rudra. The fifth is known as Uma Samhita, while the sixth is Kailasa
Samhita. The seventh is known as Vayaviya. There are thus seven samhitas. With
these seven samhitas, this divine text is known as Shiva Purana. It is equal to
Brahma.17 It is supreme and yields every kind of objective. If a
person lovingly reads the entire Shiva Purana, with its seven samhitas, he is
spoken of as jivanmukta.18
__________________________
8 Rudra is Shiva's name.
9 A tirtha is a sacred place of pilgrimage with water. A
kshetra is a sacred place of pilgrimage without water. But the words are
sometimes used synonymously.
10 A muhurta is a period of 48 minutes.
11 Kshana is a small measure of time,
with differing interpretations. A second or an instant is accurate enough.
12 The cycle of birth, death and rebirth,
the image being of crossing over to the other shore.
13 The tree (druma) that yields all the
wishes thought of (kalpa).
14 To ensure emphasis, the text has this
repetition.
15 A samhita is a collation of verses.
16 The first kind of bhakti is pure
bhakti, without any desire for fruits. A second kind of bhakti desires fruits.
A third kind of bhakti is mixed bhakti, where both objectives exist.
17 Interpreted as the brahman. However, a
interpretation is that it is equal to the Brahma Purana, the first Purana.
straightforward
18 A
person emancipated (mukta) while he still retains life (jivan).
Until the excellent Shiva Purana
reaches his ears, a man is ignorant and whirled around on earth. What is the
point of listening to many sacred texts and Puranas? They only lead to
confusion. The Shiva Purana announces that it alone can bestow emancipation. If
the account of the Shiva Purana is heard in any house, that house becomes a
tirtha and the sins of all those who reside in that house are destroyed.
Indeed, one thousand ashvamedha sacrifices and one hundred vajapeya sacrifices19
do not amount to one sixteenth of what is obtained from Shiva Purana. O
supreme among sages! A person who has committed a sin is known as a sinner only
as long as he has not heard the Shiva Purana, full of great devotion. There are
sacred rivers, Ganga and the others. There are seven cities, Gaya and the
others. None of them is equal to this Shiva Purana. If one desires the supreme
objective, every day, one should devotedly read, with one's own mouth, one
shloka, or half a shloka, from Shiva Purana. If one understands the meaning and
speaks about Shiva Purana, or if one constantly reads it devotedly, there is no
doubt that the person's atman is auspicious. If an intelligent person devotedly
listens to it at the time of death, Mahesha20 is extremely pleased
with him and grants him a place in his own abode. If a person lovingly worships
Shiva Purana every day, he enjoys every object that he desires. After this, he
obtains a destination with Shiva. Attentively, the Shiva Purana must always be
wrapped in a piece of linen garment. A person who honours it in this way will
always be happy. The unblemished Shiva Purana is everything for a person who is
devoted to Shiva. If he desires happiness in this world and in the next one, he
must make every effort to lovingly serve it. The supreme and unblemished Shiva
Purana bestows the four objectives of human existence.21 It must
always be heard. In particular, it must always be lovingly read. It is supreme
among the Vedas, Itihasa and sacred texts and ensures great benefit. The Shiva
Purana must always be understood by those who desire emancipation. For those
who seek to know about the atman, this Shiva Purana is supreme. Among all
supreme objects, it must always be served and worshipped by the virtuous. It
pacifies the three kinds of hardship,22 It bestows happiness and
must always be loved more than one's own life. It pleases Brahma, Hari, Isha
and the immortals.23 With every kind of happiness in my mind, I
worship Shiva Purana. May Shiva be pleased with me and bestow on me devotion at
his own feet.'
“Shounaka said, 'O Suta! O immensely
fortunate one! O Suta! You know the supreme meaning and are blessed. Out of
your compassion, you have made us hear this divine and extraordinary account.
It purifies the mind and destroys a torrent of sins. We have heard this
wonderful account that generates satisfaction in Shiva. There is nothing on
earth that is equal to this account. There is nothing else that is superior.
Because of your compassion, we have certainly got to know about this. In kali
yuga, who are the sinners who get purified by this account? O Suta! Out of your
compassion, please tell us, for the sake of gratifying the world.'
_____________________
19 Ashvamedha is a horse sacrifice,
vajapeya is a type of sacrifice at which soma is offered.
20 The great lord, Shiva.
21 The four purusharthas of dharma,
artha, kama and moksha.
22 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny),
adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one's own nature).
23 Hari
is Vishnu and Isha is Shiva.
Suta replied,
'There are men who commit sins. They are deceitful and wicked in their conduct.
They are constantly devoted to desire and other vices. They too are purified by
this. This is an excellent jnana-yajna.24 It always bestows objects
of pleasure and emancipation. It cleanses all sins and brings satisfaction to
Shiva. There are those who are overwhelmed by thirst.25 They are
bereft of the truth and censure their fathers and mothers. They are insolent
and cause violence. Even such people are purified by this. There are those who
abandon the dharma of their own varna and ashrama.26 They are full
of envy. In kali yuga, even they are purified by this jnana-yajna. There are
deceitful ones who indulge in fraud. They are cruel and heartless. In kali
yuga, even they are purified by this jnana-yajna. There are those who sustain
themselves by appropriating the property of brahmanas and are addicted to being
deviant.27 In kali yuga, even they are purified by this jnana-yajna.
There are those who constantly indulge in sin. They practice fraud and are
extremely wicked. In kali yuga, even they are purified by this jnana-yajna.
There are those who are filthy and evil in intelligence. They survive on the
possessions of serene devas.28 In kali yuga, even they are purified
by this jnana-yajna. This is the most sacred of Puranas. It destroys major
sins. It bestows objects of pleasure and emancipation and ensures satisfaction
to Shiva.'
'In this connection, an ancient
history is recounted. As soon as one hears it, sins no longer remain. In the
city of Kiratas,29 there was a brahmana whose learning was
deficient. He turned away from the dharma of devas and sold juices to the poor.30
He deviated from the practice of bathing at the time of sandhya and followed
the means of subsistence meant for vaishyas.31
He was known as Devaraja, and he deceived
people who trusted him. He deprived brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras
of their possessions. Through such fraudulent means, he accumulated wealth.
Through many such acts of adharma, he gathered wealth for himself. But since he
was a sinner, he did not spend the slightest bit of this on acts of dharma. On
one occasion, the brahmana went to a lake to have his bath. A courtesan named
Shobhavati arrived there. On seeing her, he was agitated. Realizing that the
wealthy brahmana had come under her subjugation, the beautiful lady was
delighted. As a result of their conversation, love was generated in his mind.
He wanted to make her his wife. She also consented that he would become her
husband. In this way, they came under the subjugation of desire and sported for
a very long time. When seated, lying down, drinking, eating and playing, they
behaved towards each other as couples do and resided accordingly. His mother,
father and wife32 repeatedly tried to restrain him.
______________________
24 A sacrifice in pursuit of jnana
(knowledge).
25 That is, desire.
26 As in the four varnas, brahmana,
kshatriya, vaishya and shudra and the four ashramas, brahmacharya, grahasthya,
vanaprastha and sannyasa.
27 Vyabhichara, usually deviant in sexual
matters.
28 Implying that they steal from temples.
29 Kiratas were hunters.
30 Since they are poor, they shouldn't
have been asked to pay. Alternatively, daridrorasa may mean that he sold
liquor.
31 Sandhya is the period between day and
night and means dawn or dusk. Sometimes, midday is also referred to as sandhya.
At these times, one should bathe. Trade, buying and selling, is for vaishyas,
not brahmanas.
32 There
was an earlier wife.
But he did not pay heed to their
words and continued to indulge in this wicked conduct. On one occasion, he
succumbed to his intolerance. While they were asleep in the night, the wicked
person killed his parents and wife and stole their wealth. His mind was full of
desire for the courtesan. He handed over his wealth and the wealth he obtained
from his father and others to her. The sinner ate what should not be eaten. He
wished to drink liquor. That worst of brahmanas always ate from the same vessel
as the courtesan.'
'On one occasion, urged by destiny,
he arrived in the city of Pratishthana.33 He saw a Shiva temple
there, surrounded by virtuous people. While the brahmana was there, he suffered
from a terrible fever and constantly heard Shiva's account, uttered from the
mouth of another brahmana. Suffering from the fever, at the end of a month,
Devaraja died. Yama's servants bound him up in nooses and forcibly conveyed him
to Yama's city. However, Shiva's attendants were there, dressed in white and
wielding tridents in their hands. All their limbs were smeared with ashes, and
they wore rudraksha beads.34 They arrived from Shiva's world and
angrily went to Yama's city. They reprimanded his messengers and repeatedly
struck them. They released Devaraja and placed him on a wonderful vimana.35
Making him sit there, the messengers eagerly started to leave for Kailasa. At
this, there was a great tumult in Yama's city. Hearing this, Dharmaraja36
emerged from his own residence. He saw those four messengers, who seemed to be
like Rudra himself. Dharmaraja, who knew about dharma, followed the norms and
worshipped them. Using the insight of knowledge, Yama got to know about the
entire incident. Scared, he did not ask the great-souled Shambhu's messengers
anything. Having been worshipped, they sought his leave. They went to Kailasa
and handed him over to Shiva and Amba,37 who are oceans of
compassion. The accounts of Shiva Purana are blessed and supremely purifying.
As soon as he hears it, a sinner is emancipated. Sadashiva's excellent abode is
a great and supreme region. Those who know the Vedas say that it is located
above all the worlds. The brahmana Devaraja was a sinner. Because of his greed,
he caused violence to brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras and many other
beings, robbing them of their lives. He killed his mother, his father and his
wife. He was a drunkard and had intercourse with a courtesan. However, as soon
as he arrived there, he was instantly emancipated.'
”Shounaka said, 'O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! (O Suta! O immensely intelligent one! You know
everything. Through your favours, I have repeatedly become successful in my
objective. On hearing this Itihasa, my mind is greatly delighted. Please
narrate another account about Shambhu, so that our love for him is increased even
more. In this world, even those who drink amrita are not honoured with
emancipation. But drinking in the nectar of Shambhu's account immediately
bestows emancipation. You are blessed.
__________________________
33 Usually, but not invariably,
identified as Paithan in Maharashtra.
34 Beads loved by Shiva, seeds of the
Elaeocarpus. Literally meaning Rudra's eye.
35 Celestial and divine vehicle.
36 Yama.
37 Parvati, meaning mother.
You are blessed.38
Shambhu's account is blessed. You are blessed. As soon as a man hears it, he
goes to Shiva's world.'
Suta replied, 'O Shounaka! Listen.
I will tell you about a great secret since you know the Vedas and are foremost
among Shiva's devotees. In the region near the ocean, there was a village known
as Bashkala. The people who lived there were wicked. They deceived and did not
follow the dharma of the Vedas. They were evil and dwelt in an evil region.
They were insolent, did not follow devas and used deception for subsistence.
Though they practiced agriculture, they used force and wielded weapons. They
indulged in fraud and were greatly addicted to intercourse with women. They did
not possess jnana or non-attachment. They did not know about true dharma and
about ensuring the welfare of others. They were firm in their addiction to
hearing about wicked accounts. Their intelligence was like that of animals. The
minds of those deceivers were such that they turned away from their own dharmas
and followed that of other varnas. They always indulged in wicked deeds and
were constantly interested in material objects. All the women were wicked
svairinis,39 addicted to sin. They were wicked in intelligence,
practicing vyabhichara. They were devoid of all good conduct. Such wicked
people lived in the village known as Bashkala.'
There was a brahmana named Binduga
there and he was a great wretch. He was extremely evil in his atman and a great
sinner. He always followed extremely wicked paths. He had a wife named
Chanchula. But his mind was so overcome by desire that he became the husband of
a courtesan. Though his own wife always followed dharma, he abandoned her.
Suffering from the arrows of love, the evil one amused himself with the
courtesan. In this way, a long period of time elapsed and he continued to
indulge in his wicked acts. However, Chanchula still suffered on account of
love. Scared of giving up her own dharma,40 she bore that hardship.
Her beauty faded and she was no longer in the bloom of youth. She was
overwhelmed by desire and gave up her own dharma. In secret and in the night,
when her husband could not see, she started to have intercourse with her
paramour. She deceived him. Deviating from virtue, she followed a wicked path.
O sage! On one occasion, he saw his wife, Chanchula, engage in this wicked
conduct. In the night, he saw her, overwhelmed by desire, having intercourse
with her lover. Witnessing his wife's wickedness, his mind turned towards an
evil course of action. While his wife was engaged in intercourse with her
paramour at night, he angrily rushed towards them. The deceitful and evil
paramour saw that Binduga had returned home. The deceiver swiftly fled from
that house. At this, Binduga caught hold of his wife. He repeatedly abused her
and struck her with his fists. The woman was beaten by her husband. The deceitful
svairini, Chanchula, became angry. She spoke to her deceitful husband, Binduga.
Chanchula said, "Full of evil intelligence, every day, you succumb to
desire and pleasure yourself with a courtesan.
_________________________
38 The repetition is for the sake of
emphasis.
39 A svairini is a loose and wanton
woman. There were different types though. Svairinis are loose women who have
sex with anyone they want, but only with those from the same varna. Kaminis are
loose women who have sex with anyone they want, irrespective of varna.
Pumshchalis have no sense of discrimination and are almost like harlots.
40 Of devotion towards her husband.
You abandon your own youthful wife,
who is devoted to serving her husband. I am beautiful. I am young. My mind is
also overwhelmed by desire. Please tell me. When I am deprived of pleasuring
myself with my husband, what course of action do I have? I am extremely
beautiful. I am young. I am agitated. How will I withstand the pangs of desire?
Deprived of your companionship, my mind is suffering." The foolish person,
evil in intelligence and worst among brahmanas, was addressed by her in this
way. The deceitful sinner, Binduga, who had turned away from his own dharma,
replied to her in this way. Binduga said, "What you have said is indeed
true. Your mind is agitated by desire. O beloved! I will tell you what is
beneficial for you. Listen. Give up this fear. Without any fear in your mind,
dally with a new paramour every day. Give them their pleasure and take from them
whatever riches you can. Hand over all that wealth to me. My mind is attached
to that courtesan. This will indeed bring great benefit to us, to you, as well
as to me." His wife, Chanchula, heard her husband's words. Evil in her
intelligence, she accepted her husband's words. With wicked minds, the couple
entered into this agreement. Without any fear, evil in intelligence, they
indulged in this wicked course of action. In this way, the couple practiced
this wicked conduct. A long period of time elapsed.
Foolish in intelligence, they
followed this futile pursuit.' 'In the course of time, Binduga, the evil-minded
brahmana who was the husband of a vrishali,41 died. The deceiver
went to hell. Foolish in intelligence, he went through many kinds of hardship
in hell. He then became a terrible pishacha42 in the Vindhya
mountains. When her husband, Binduga, died, she continued to reside in her own
house, indulging in wicked conduct. Extremely foolish in intelligence, she
spent a long period of time with her sons. The woman, Chanchula, continued to
amuse herself with her paramours. Overwhelmed by desire, she found her
pleasures. After some time, her youth passed. On one occasion, through the
urging of destiny, an auspicious occasion arrived.43 Along with her
relatives, the woman went to the kshetra of Gokarna.44 Along with
her relatives, she roamed around, here and there. In that connection, she went
to that tirtha and bathed there. In a temple, there was a daivajna,45
who was speaking about Shambhu's sacred account from the Puranas. From his
mouth, she heard a bit of this auspicious account. Women who are attached to
paramours go to hell. There, Yama's servants insert hot iron rods inside their
vaginas. The person expounding from the Puranas spoke about this, so as to develop
non-attachment among those who heard. Hearing this, she became anxious and
trembled. When the narration was over and the people had left, the scared woman
approached the brahmana in private. She addressed the one who had spoken about
Shiva. Chanchula said, "O brahmana! Listen. Without knowing my own dharma,
I indulged in wicked conduct.
_______________________
41 While vrishala means shudra, it also
means outcast. Vrishali is the feminine. This probably refers to Binduga being
the husband of a courtesan, not to his being Chanchula's husband.
42 Demon, flesh-eater.
43 A parva, a special day earmarked for
sacred activities.
44 "Literally, Gokarna means cow's
ear. Located near Mangalore in Karnataka, Gokarna has a Shiva temple
(Mahabaleshwara). Gokarna is at the estuary of the Aghanashini (destroyer of
sins) river. Adjacent to the temple is a pond known as koti tirtha.
45 Daivajna means astrologer, one who
knows the future.
O lord! On hearing about this,
please show me your unlimited compassion and save me. O lord! Foolish in
intelligence, I have committed an extremely grave sin. Blinded by desire, I
spent my entire youth in fickle behaviour. Hearing your words about the
development of non-attachment, a great fear has been generated in me, combined with
trembling. Shame on my foolish intelligence. Shame on the sin I have committed
as a result of being overwhelmed by desire. I have turned away from my own
dharma and have committed the reprehensible act of being addicted to material
objects. In pursuit of a little bit of happiness, I have destroyed my own
tasks. I have committed a grave and terrible sin and have unwittingly cause
hardship. What calamities am I headed towards? Alas! What terrible miseries
will this lead to? Who can tell? My mind has turned towards excessively wicked
paths. When the time for death arrives, I will see Yama's fearful messengers.
When they strike me and bind nooses around my neck, how will I maintain my
patience? In hell, when my body is sliced into fragments, how will I tolerate
it? The great pains there lead to special miseries. During the day, I will not
be able to move my organs of sense. How will I not be able to grieve? In the
night, how will I be able to obtain the desired sleep? I will be overwhelmed
with grief. Alas! I have been burnt down. Alas! My heart is being shattered. I
have destroyed myself in every possible way. I have been a sinner in every
possible way. Alas! O destiny! You have bestowed this great sin and great
hardship on me. You have deceived me. My own dharma would have given me every
kind of happiness. But I was made to deviate from it. O brahmana! There are
miseries when an embodied being is impaled on a stake or is flung down from the
top of a mountain. But this misery is one crore times that. A sin like mine is
great. Generally, it cannot be purified by performing one hundred horse
sacrifices or bathing in Ganga for one hundred years. What will I do? Where
will I go? Who will I seek refuge with? Who in this world will save me? I am
descending into an ocean that is hell. O brahmana! You are my guru. You are my
mother. You are my father. Save me. Please save one who is distressed. I seek
refuge with you." With non-attachment generated in her, she fell down at
his two feet. Full of compassion, the intelligent brahmana raised her up and
spoke to her.'
“The Brahman Said, ‘Hearing account
from the Shiva Purana leads to non-attachment. It is good fortune that through
Shiva's great favours, your understanding has been awakened at the right time.
O wife of a brahmana! Do not be afraid. Go and seek refuge with Shiva. Through
Shiva's favours, all your sins will instantly be destroyed. I will tell you
something else that is full of Shiva's deeds. That will lead you to a
destination that brings every kind of happiness. Such intelligence only
develops from listening to virtuous accounts. You are full of repentance. Thus
purified, you are no longer attached towards material objects. The greatest
atonement for sinners is repentance for the sins they have committed. All
virtuous people have described this as the means for cleansing all sins. As
instructed by virtuous people, if a person performs prayashchitta,46
purified by repentance, all sins are purified. If a man makes up his mind to
perform prayashchitta, he longer has any fear. There is no doubt that
repentance generally conveys a person towards a desirable destination. Hearing
the account of the Shiva Purana leads to a purification of the mind that cannot
be obtained through anything else. This is like a mirror being cleaned, so that
it becomes sparkling.
______________________
46 Atonement for sins.
There is no doubt that this account
purifies the mind like that. Shiva and Amba remain in the minds of men who have
purified themselves. With atmans thus purified, they attain a supreme
destination with Shiva and Amba. Therefore, for every category, it is held that
this account is the best mode. It is for this reason that Mahadeva himself
devised this account. This account leads to the mind being immersed in dhyana
on Girija's husband.47 Jnana is generated from dhyana and
thereafter, there is certain kaivalya.48 If a person listens to this
account, but is unsuccessful in performing dhyana on Shankara,49 he
accomplishes that dhyana in a subsequent birth and goes to a supreme
destination with Shambhu. There are many sinners who have heard this account
and have performed dhyana on Uma's husband.50 Having tormented
themselves, they have obtained success. Hearing this account is the most
beneficial bija for men.51 If one follows this path in the proper
way, the bonds of worldly existence are destroyed. Hearing the account, fixing
Shambhu in the mind and in the seat of the heart, and purification of the
consciousness are enough. That devotion towards Mahesha and his two sons
certainly leads to divine favours.52 Therefore, there is no doubt
about emancipation. In its absence, a person's intelligence is bound to maya.53
He should be known as an animal. There is no doubt that he can never be freed
from the bondage of samsara. O wife of a brahmana! Therefore, withdraw your
mind from material objects. With your mind full of devotion, listen to
Shambhu's account. This is supremely purifying. Listen to this virtuous account
about Shankara, the paramatman. With your consciousness thus purified, you will
obtain emancipation. Meditate on Shiva's lotus feet and your mind will become
sparkling. I am telling you the truth. You will obtain emancipation in a single
birth. This is the truth.'
Suta continued, 'Having spoken to
her in this way, the excellent brahmana turned his mind towards obtaining
Shiva's favours. He was silent and, with a purified atman, became engaged in
performing dhyana on Shiva. Binduga's wife, Chanchula, was pleased in her mind.
Addressed in this way by the brahmana, her eyes filled with tears. With a
delighted mind, she fell down at the feet of that Indra among brahmanas. She
joined her hands in salutation and said, "I have obtained my
objective." Rising up, she joined her hands in salutation and spoke, the
aksharas54 faltering. With her mind full of non-attachment, she
addressed the brahmana who was Shiva's great devotee. Chanchula said, "O
brahmana! O Shiva's great devotee! O lord! You are blessed. You are the one who
has seen the supreme: destination. You are engaged in ensuring the welfare of
others. You are described as an extremely virtuous person. Please save me. O
virtuous one! I am descending into an ocean that is hell.
____________________________
47 Girija means daughter of the mountain,
that is, Parvati. Therefore, Girija's husband is Shiva. Dhyana is meditation
contemplation.
48 Emancipation.
49 Shiva.
50 Uma is Parvati.
51 Bija means seed and is a mystic
akshara (syllable) from a mantra, known as bija mantra.
52 Mahesha is Shiva, the two sons are
Ganesha and Kartikeya.
53 Illusion. In the absence of devotion.
54 An akshara has a single vowel sound, a
syllable.
I wish to hear you speak about
Shiva Purana. In my mind, there is non-attachment about all material objects.
Now, there is great devotion in my mind for listening to this Purana."
Saying this, she joined her hands in salutation and obtained his favours.
Desiring to hear about the Purana, she remained there, serving him. In that
spot, the extremely intelligent brahmana, who was supreme among Shiva's
devotees, made the woman listen to the virtuous account of the Purana. In that
great kshetra, she heard the excellent account of the Shiva Purana from the
excellent brahmana. The account enhances devotion, jnana and non-attachment and
bestows emancipation. Hearing this virtuous and supreme account, she
accomplished an excellent objective. Favoured by the compassion shown by a good
guru, she swiftly obtained purity of consciousness. Through Shiva's favours,
she performed dhyana on Shambhu's form. In this way, seeking refuge with a good
guru, her mind turned towards Shiva. She repeatedly meditated on Shambu's form,
who is sacchidananda.55 She always bathed in the water of the
tirtha. She had matted hair and attired herself in bark. She smeared her limbs
with ashes and wore a garland of rudraksha beads. She performed japa56
on Shiva's name and controlled excessive speech and food. Following the path
indicated by the guru, she satisfied Shiva. O Shounaka! In this way, Chanchula
performed excellent dhyana on Shambhu and a long period of time elapsed. She
did this, full of the three kinds of devotion.57 When the designated
period was over, Chanchula voluntarily gave up her body. Sent by Tripurari,58
a vimana swiftly arrived. It was adorned in many kinds of ways and was full of
his many divine ganas.59 Accompanied by Mahesha's excellent
attendants, she ascended it. Sparkling and with all the dirt removed, she was
instantly conveyed to Shiva's city. She assumed a divine form and her limbs
were divine. She was resplendent, with celestial ornaments. She wore the
half-moon on her crest and her complexion was fair.60 Having gone
there, she saw the three-eyed Mahadeva. He is the eternal one and he was being
served by Vishnu, Brahma and other devas, Full of devotion, Ganesha, Bhringi,
Nandishvara, Virabhadra and others worshipped him. His radiance was like that
of one crore suns. His throat was blue. He had five faces and three eyes. The
moon was on his crest. Gouri, with a dazzle like that of lightning, was
resplendent on his left side. He was as fair as camphor. Gouri's lord wore
every kind of ornament. His body was smeared with white ashes. Extremely
resplendent, he was attired in a white garment. Seeing Shankara, the woman,
Chanchula, was filled with delight. Filled with supreme joy, she repeatedly
prostrated herself before him respectfully. Delighted, she joined her hands in
salutation. She was humble, content and full of love. Her body-hair stood up in
delight and tears of joy flowed from her eyes. Full of compassion, Parvati and
Shankara allowed her to approach. Because of her good fortune, she was able to
see them. Parvati lovingly made her a divine companion. Chanchula, Binduga's
beloved, thus obtained celestial happiness. That eternal world is dazzling and
is full of supreme bliss. She obtained a permanent residence there and her mind
was filled with joy.'
__________________________________
55 The supreme brahman or paramatman,
truth (alternatively existence), consciousness and bliss.
56 Meditation, with silent chanting of
the name.
57 Hearing, chanting the name and
meditating.
58 Shiva's name, literally, the enemy of
Tripura. Shiva destroyed Tripura, three cities of the demons.
59 Ganas are Shiva's companions.
60 Gouri means fair and is Parvati's
name. Chandrashekhara (the moon on the crest) is Shiva's name. There is thus an
allusion to a form that half-resembled Shiva and half-resembled Parvati.
“Shounaka said, 'O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! O Suta! Since your mind is immersed in Shiva, you are
blessed. Having heard this wonderful account, our devotion has increased.
Having gone there and having obtained an excellent destination, what did
Chanchula do? Please tell us that. O immensely wise one! In particular, what
about her husband?? Suta replied, 'On one occasion, she approached Devi Parvati
and prostrated herself before her. Overwhelmed with great bliss, she joined her
hands together and praised her. Chanchula said, "O Girija! O Skanda's
mother! Men alway worship you. You are the one who always bestows happiness You
are Shambhu's beloved. You are the form of the brahman Vishnu, Brahma and
others serve you. You possess gunas.61 You are also nirguna. You are
the subtle and original Prakriti Your form is sachhidananda. You are the one
who causes creation, preservation and dissolution. You possess the three gunas.
You are the abode of the three divinities.62 You are the supreme one
who establishes Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha." Chanchula, who had already
obtained a virtuous end, addressed Maheshi63 in this way and
stopped. Her shoulders were bent down. Her eyes were full of tears of love.
Parvati, loved by Shankara, was filled with compassion for her. Full of great
love, the one who loved her devotees, spoke to Chanchula. Parvati said, "O
Chanchula! O friend! O beautiful one! I am extremely pleased with this praise.
Please ask for the boon you desire. There is nothing that cannot be given to
you." Thus addressed by Girija, Chanchula prostrated herself before her.
Asked in this way, she was filled with great love. She joined her hands in salutation
and bent her head down. Chanchula said, "I do not know where my husband is
now. Nor do I know the destination he will go to. O Girija! O unblemished one!
Please act so that I can be with him. O fortunate one! O one who shows
compassion towards those who are distressed! O Mahadevi! O Maheshani! My
husband is the husband of a vrishali. He died before me. I do not know what has
happened to that sinner." Hearing Chanchula's words, Parvati spoke to her.
The affectionate Girija addressed her in extremely loving words. Girija said,
"O daughter! Your husband, Binduga, is foolish and a great sinner. The
foolish one became attached to a courtesan. After death, he went to hell. For a
large number of years, he underwent many kinds of hardships in hell. The one with
evil in his atman still needed to exhaust his sins. Therefore, he has been born
as a pishacha in the Vindhyas. Right now, he is a pishacha, suffering from many
kinds of miseries. He suffers from miseries caused by vata64 and
always must bear hardships." Hearing Gouri's words, Chanchula was moved to
tears. Because her husband was going through these sorrows, she too was
extremely miserable. She steadied her mind and prostrated herself before
Maheshvari again. With an anxious heart, the lady asked again.
______________________
61 The gunas are sattva (purity), rajas
(passion) and tamas (darkness). Nirguna is a form without these gunas.
62 Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
63 Feminine of Mahesha.
64 In Ayurveda, the three doshas or
humours in the body are vata, pitta and kapha and they are always striving
against each other.. These can be loosely translated as wind, bile and phlegm.
Stated simply, Binduga was suffering from indigestion.
Chanchula said, "O Maheshvari!
O Mahadevi! Please show me your compassion. Though my husband is a deceiver and
has committed wicked deeds, please save him. My husband is wicked, evil in
intelligence. O Devi! I bow down before you. Please tell me how he can swiftly
attain a virtuous end." Parvati is affectionate towards her devotees.
Hearing her words, with a pleased mind, she spoke to her friend, Chanchula.
Parvati said, "If your husband hears Shiva's supreme and sacred account,
he will overcome this hardship and attain a virtuous end." She lovingly
heard these words of Gouri, with aksharas like amrita.'
'She repeatedly joined her hands in
salutation and bent her shoulders down. On hearing about his account, her
husband would be cleansed of all sins. Therefore, she prayed that he might
obtain a virtuous end. She repeatedly beseeched Shiva's beloved to ensure this.
Maheshi Gouri is affectionate towards her devotees and took pity on her. Hence,
she summoned Tumburu, the one who sang about Shiva's account. The daughter of
the mountain affectionately addressed the king of the gandharvas.65
Girija said, "O Tumburu! O one loved by Shiva! O fortunate one! Do what is
in my mind. With her, quickly go to Mount Vindhya. There is an extremely
terrible and extremely fearful pishacha there. With a great deal of affection,
listen to his account. I will tell you everything. In a former life, this
pishacha used to be a brahmana named Binduga. That wicked person used to be the
husband of this lady, my friend. He was the husband of a vrishali. At the time
of sandhya, he did not bathe and perform the other rites of purification. He
was angry and foolish in intelligence. He ate what should not be eaten. He
hated virtuous people. He took what should not be taken. He was violent and
wielded weapons. He ate with his left hand. He oppressed those who were
afflicted. He was cruel and set fire to the homes of others. He always
associated with chandalas.66 He was a great deceiver and enjoyed
courtesans. The sinner abandoned his own wife and associated with those who
were wicked. As a result of that association with a courtesan, he completely
destroyed all his good merits. Desiring wealth, without any fear, he made his
wife accept paramours. He indulged in this wicked conduct until he died. In the
course of time, he died. He went to Yama's city, the terrible place enjoyed by
those who are sinners. The evil-souled one went through many kinds of hell
there. Right now, that deceiver has become a pishacha in Mount Vindhya,
enjoying wicked things. In front of him, attentively narrate the extremely
sacred and divine Shiva Purana, which destroys every kind of sin. As soon as he
hears the account of Shiva Purana, his atman will be purified, and he will be
cleansed of all sins. He will no longer be a preta.67 Binduga will
be freed from his present hardships as a pishacha. After this, follow my
command and bring him before Shiva." Thus addressed by Maheshani, Tumburu,
Indra among the gandharvas, was delighted. He told himself that he was
extremely fortunate. Following the command, Tumburu, loved by Narada, ascended an
excellent vimana, along with the beloved.68
___________________________
65 Gandharvas are semi-divine species,
celestial singers and musicians.
66 One usually equates chandala with
shudra, but there were eight different types of shudras, though the listing
varies. For instance vyadha (hunter), vyalagrahi (those who eat snakes),
vagatita (one with whom one does not speak), chandala (brahmana mother, shudra
father) and so on.
67 A preta is a ghost, the spirit of a
dead person, or simply something evil. A bhuta has the same meaning. Strictly
speaking, there are differences between preta, bhuta and pishacha (one who
lives on flesh). A preta is the spirit (not necessarily evil) of a dead person
before the funeral rites have been performed. A bhuta (not necessarily evil
again) is the spirit of a dead person who has had a violent death and for whom,
proper funeral rites have not been performed, and may not even be performed. A
pishacha (necessarily evil) is often created deliberately through evil powers.
wers. But the three terms are often used Synonymously.
68 That
is, Chanchula.
He went to Mount Vindhya and saw
the pishacha there, with a gigantic body and large jaws. He was malformed.
Sometimes, he laughed. Sometimes, he wept. Sometimes, he spoke excessively.
Tumburu, who sang about Ishana's excellent account, was extremely strong. He
forcibly seized that extremely fearful pishacha and bound him up in nooses.'
'Tumburu did this so that he could
narrate the Shiva Purana. Having decided this, he made arrangements for great
festivities. There was a great uproar in all the worlds. "Having been
commanded by Devi, Tumburu has gone to Mount Vindhya, so as to make the
pishacha listen to Shiva Purana." So as to hear this account, all devas
and rishis hastened and assembled there. All of them went there to lovingly
hear about Shiva Purana and it was a wonderful assembly. Bound in nooses, the
pishacha was made to sit down. With a lute69 in his hand, Tumburu
started to sing the account of Gouri's husband. He started with the first
samhita and ended with the seventh samhita. He clearly described the entire
Shiva Purana, along with its greatness. Listening lovingly to the Shiva Purana,
with its seven samhitas, all the listeners felt that they had accomplished
their objectives. Hearing the extremely sacred account of Shiva Purana, the
pishacha was cleansed of all his sins and gave up his form as a pishacha. He
swiftly assumed a divine form, fair in complexion and attired in white
garments. All his limbs were adorned with dazzling ornaments. He resembled the
three-eyed Chandrashekhara. Assuming a divine form, along with his own beloved,
who already possessed a divine form, he himself sang about the illustrious
conduct of Parvati's husband. All devas and rishis saw him, along with his
wife. They were amazed and were filled with great happiness. Hearing about
Mahesha's extraordinary account, they achieved their objective and were
pleased. Praising Shankara's fame, they returned to their own respective
abodes. Binduga, divine in his atman, ascended an excellent vimana. With his
beloved by his side, he was stationed in the sky and looked extremely radiant.
Singing about Mahesha's excellent and agreeable qualities, along with his
beloved and accompanied by Tumburu, he reached Shankara's abode. Mahesha and
Parvati welcomed Binduga. He was lovingly made a gana and she became Girija's
friend. That world is full of supreme bliss. It is full of radiance and is
eternal. He obtained a sparkling residence there and became full of supreme happiness.
I have thus narrated this sacred Itihasa, which destroys sins. It is
unblemished and enhances devotion. Shiva and Shivaa70 take great
delight in it. If a person controls himself, listens to this with devotion and
chants it, he enjoys extensive objects of pleasure and at the end, he obtains
emancipation.'
“Shounaka said, 'O Suta! O
immensely wise one! O Suta! You are Vyasa's disciple. I bow down before you.
You are blessed. Your great qualities are such that you are described as
Shiva's great devotee. Please tell me about the rules for listening to the
illustrious Shiva Purana, whereby the listener can completely obtain all the
excellent fruits.'
_______________________
69 Vallaki.
70 Parvati. To distinguish between the
two, Parvati's name will be written as Shivaa, while Shiva is Mahesha.
Suta replied, 'O sage Shounaka! I
will tell you about the rules for listening to Shiva Purana, so that the
complete fruits are obtained. The person must first invite a daivajna and
satisfy him. A pure and sanctified muhurta must be chosen for commencement, so
that it is completed without any impediments. News about this auspicious
event's occurrence must be attentively sent to different regions, so that
Shiva's devotees, who desire an auspicious objective, can arrive. Women,
shudras and some others are often kept at a distance from hearing about Hari's
account or the chanting of Shankara's account. They should also arrive, so that
their understanding is kindled. In different regions, there are Shambhu's
devotees who are eager to listen to his account being recited. They must be
welcomed and lovingly invited to this event. "There will be thus be an
assembly of virtuous people and great festivities.71 There will be
an extremely wonderful occasion, with Shiva Purana being recited. Full of love,
come and drink the nectar of the illustrious Shiva Purana. Full of love, please
show us your compassion and come. If you do not have the time, full of love,
come for at least a single day. This is a rare occasion. Under all
circumstances, please do come, even if it is for a short while." In this
way, full of humility and joy, they must be invited. Those who arrive must be
affectionately welcomed, in every possible way. Excellent places for listening
to Shiva Purana are Shiva's temple, a tirtha,72 a grove or a house.
The ground must be purified, smeared and decorated with minerals. On the
occasion of the great festivity, there must be divine and wonderful
decorations. The house must be cleaned. Everything not worthy must be kept in
one corner of the house, so that it cannot be seen. A raised platform must be
constructed, adorned with pillars made out of plantain trees. There must be
fruits and flowers in abundance, and everything must be covered with a canopy.
The four directions must be decorated with flags and banners. Every task must
be undertaken with a great deal of affection, so that there is delight in
everyone. One must think of a divine seat for Shankara, the paramatman. The narrator
must also be given a divine seat, one that is pleasant to sit on. As each one
deserves, there must be agreeable spots for the listeners.73 O sage!
For ordinary people, there must be other spots. Everything must bring pleasure
to the mind, as is the case at the time of a marriage. O Shounaka! All other
daily thoughts and worries must be set aside. The narrator will face the north
and the listeners will face the east. Know that the feet must never be placed
in a contrary direction.74 Alternatively, the narrator can face the
east, seated between the worshipper and the worshipped,75 Honoured
by the listeners, the narrator can also be seated so that he faces them. As
long as he is seated in Vyasa's seat, narrating the Purana, the brahmana76
must never bow down to anyone else until the narration is complete. Whether he
is a child, a youth, an old man, a poor person or an excessively weak person, a
person who knows the Purana must always be worshipped by anyone who desires to
earn good merits.
_____________________________
71 This is the message being sent.
72 A tirtha is a sacred place of
pilgrimage with water. A kshetra is a sacred place of pilgrimage without water.
But the words are often used synonymously.
73 These are special seats for special
people.
74 This probably means that the feet must
never be stretched out towards the narrator.
75 The narrator is seated between the
listener and Shiva's image.
76 The narrator.
For embodied beings, the words that
flow from his mouth are like a kamadhenu.77 Therefore, a person who
is inferior in intelligence must never become someone who knows the Purana.
After many births, one obtains the qualities required to become a guru. Among
all gurus, a person who knows the Purana is supreme and special. There are
those who are suffering as a result of thousands of crores of births. If a
person bestows emancipation on them, there can be no greater guru than him. A
person who desires to recite Shiva Purana must be extremely intelligent. He
must know the Purana. He must be pure and accomplished. He must be serene and
must have conquered malice. He must be virtuous, full of compassion and
eloquent. It is only then that he can speak about this sacred account. The
narration must begin at sunrise and continue for three and a half praharas.78
This narration must not take place before those who are cunning, evil doers,
those who have crooked professions or those who are contemptible in any other
way. It must not be narrated in a place that is full of wicked people or
infested with bandits. This sacred account must not be narrated in the house of
a cunning person. Men who are reciting this account must stop the account for
one muhurta at midway, for performing ablutions and releasing urine and
excrement. On the day before the discourse, the narrator must shave himself. As
long as the discourse is going one, he must make efforts to undertake his nitya
karma79 briefly. Following the prescribed norms, by the side of the
narrator, there must be another person who will help him. This other person
must be learned and must be capable of dispelling the doubts of people, So as
to remove impediments to the narration, Gananatha must be worshipped first.80
The lord of the narration, Shiva, and specifically, the text,81 must
also be worshipped.'
The account of Shiva Purana must be
listened to, full of love and attentiveness. The listener must follow the norms
and be pure. He must be pure in mind and pleasant in heart. If the narrator or
the listener is distracted by many other things, succumbs to kama and the six
vices,82 is addicted to women or is a heretic,83 there
will be no good merits. If one listens to the account with a pure mind and
heart, casting aside ordinary thoughts of wealth, homes and sons, one will
obtain excellent fruits. Listeners who are full of faith and devotion, not
desiring many other tasks and those who are pure and restrained in speech,
obtain good merits. The worst among men listen to this account without
devotion. Such listeners do not obtain any fruits. Instead, birth after birth,
they suffer hardships. Those who listen to the account without worshipping the
Purana, according to the means they can afford, are fools. They remain poor and
are not purified.
_________________________________
77 A cow (dhenu) that yields all the
desired (kama) fruits.
78 A prahara is a period of three hours.
So it continues for ten and a half hours 79 Nitya karma consists of rites
performed every day. Naimittika karma consists of rites performed on a special
occasion and kamya karma consists of rites undertaken for desired fruits.
80 The lord of the ganas. In this
context, meaning Ganesha.
81 That is, the book. We have not used
the word book, since book suggests a printed text.
82 The six vices of kama (desire), krodha
(anger), lobha (avarice), moha (delusion), mada (arrogance) and matsarya
(jealousy).
83 Pakhanda.
When the narration is going on, men
who show disrespect to the narration and go elsewhere are men whose wealth and
wives are destroved even as they are enjoying them. Men who listen to this
account with their head-dresses on their heads are men who give birth to evil
sons who defile their lineage. In the case of men who chew on betel leaves
while the narration is going on, when they die, Yama's servants make them eat
their own excrement in hell. In the case of men who listen to this narration
while seated on a lofty seat, after suffering in hell, they are born as crows.
In the case of men who listen to this narration while seated in virasana84
and other similar postures, after all the suffering in hell, they are born as
poisonous trees. In the case of men who listen to this narration without
honouring the narrator first, after all the suffering in hell, they are born as
arjuna trees.85 In the case of men who listen to this account while
lying down, even if they are not sick, after all the suffering in hell, they
are born as ajagaras86 and similar species. In the case of men who
listen to this account while seated at the same level as the narrator, they
commit a sin equal to that of a person who violates his guru's bed. Such people
always go to hell. Those who criticize the narrator in the course of this
extremely purifying account are born as dogs. They suffer miseries in hundreds
of inauspicious births. Those who engage in futile debating while the narration
is going on, suffer terrible hardships in hell and are born as donkeys. Those
who rarely listen to this purifying narration while it is going on, suffer
terrible hardships in hell and are born as pigs.87 Wicked people who
cause obstructions while this narration is going on, enjoy terrible hardships
in hell for one crore years and are born as village pigs. Reflecting on this, a
listener must be pure in his atman and show great reverence towards the narrator.
Because of these reasons, he must be intelligent enough to lovingly listen to
the narration. To remove all impediments, Ganesha must be worshipped at the
start. Every day, at the end, there must be a brief rite of prayashchitta.88
Navagrahas and bhadradevas must always be worshipped.89 Following
the norms used for worshipping Shiva, the text must be worshipped. The text is
like the form of Shiva himself. At the end of the worship, humbly joining one's
hands in salutation, the text must be praised. "The illustrious Shiva
Purana is like Maheshvara himself. For the sake of hearing, I accepted you.
Please be satisfied with me. Your task is to bring my wishes to fruition. Let
my hearing of this account be completed without any impediments. I am immersed
in this world, which is like an ocean, and am distressed. Please save me from
the world that is an ocean. In the form of crocodiles, my limbs have been
seized by karma. O Shankara! I am your servant." The Shiva Purana is like
Shiva's form himself. In this way, with pitiful words, he must praise it. He
must then worship the narrator. Following the norms for worshipping Shiva, he
must worship the narrator, with flowers, garments, ornaments, incense, lamps
and other things. In front of him, with a pure mind, he should observe all the
rituals and until the end of the narration, he must attentively follow them, to
the best of his capacity, "Your form is like that of Vyasa.
___________________________
84 Literally, posture of a hero. A
seated position used by ascetics.
85 Tall tree, Terminalia arjuna.
86 The python/boa constrictor.
87 These are wild pigs, the next sentence
mentions domestic pigs.
88 In case there have been any deviations
in the course of the narration. The ensuing sentences are also meant for the
end of the narration.
89 Navagrahas (nine planets) are Surya
(Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter),
Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu. Bhadradevas are a class of devas
who bring good fortune.
You are foremost among those who
enlighten. You are accomplished in texts about Shiva. Through the light from
this narration, please destroy my lack of jnana." To perform japa of the
Shiva pancharna mantra, he must always devotedly invite five excellent
brahmanas, or at least one brahmana.90 O sage! I have thus described
the rules for listening to the narration with devotion, for listeners, as well
as for devotees. What else do you wish to hear?'
“Shounaka said, 'O Suta! O
immensely wise one! O Suta! O bull among those who are Shiva's devotees! You
are blessed. You have made us listen to this wonderful account, which brings
everything that is auspicious. O sage! For the welfare of all the worlds,
please tell us about the niyamas91 a man who intends to listen to
the Shiva Purana must observe.'
Suta replied, 'O Shounaka! Listen
faithfully to the niyamas for such men. If a person follows the niyamas and
listens to this virtuous account, there are no impediments and excellent fruits
are obtained. Men who have not had diksha92 are not entitled to hear
this narration. O sage! Therefore, the listeners must accept diksha from the
narrator. A person who is devoted to listening to the account must practice
brahmacharya and sleep on the ground as long as the narration is going on.
Every day, he must eat only when the narration is over and out of a plate made
out of leaves.93 If he has the capacity, is pure and is Shiva's
excellent devotee, he must fast and listen devotedly until the narration of the
Purana is over. Drinking only ghee94 and drinking only milk, he must
listen cheerfully. He can listen while subsisting on fruits, or eating once a
day, or avoiding even that. Devoted to the narration, he can eat only
havishyanna95 once a day. The listening is important, the food
depends on what can be done easily. If the listener thinks that it will be
easier for him to listen if he eats, that should be done. Fasting is not
superior when it causes an obstruction to listening to the account. However, a
person who is intent on listening to the account must always avoid heavy food,
dvidala,96 burnt food, nishpava,97 mashur dal, defiled
food, leftover food, brinjal, watermelon,98 gourd,99
radish, pumpkin, coconut, anything that is a root, onion, garlic, asafoetida,
turnips100 and anything else that causes intoxication. A person
intent on listening to the account must avoid anything described as meat.
__________________________________
90 If he lacks the means to invite five
brahmanas, one will do. The pancharna mantra, with five (pancha) aksharas, is
Namo Shivaya (na-mo-shi-va-ya). The word arna means a letter of the alphabet,
or akshara. Hence, pancharna.
91 Niyama means the rules and restraints.
92 A process of consecration/initiation
for a ceremony, or for a process of instruction.
93 Patravalli,
plate made out of leaves strung together.
94 Clarified butter.
95 Havishya/havishyanna is food that can
be offered as oblations. It is simple and has no seasoning. It is only eaten on
special occasions, such as when a vow is being observed.
96 Dvidala is grain with two opposite
faces, like gram.
97 Corn.
98 Kalinda has been translated as
watermelon, though it can also be a type of myrobalan.
99 The word used is pichanda, meaning
belly. So, it probably means a pot-bellied gourd.
100 The word grinjana means turnip but is
also a kind of garlic.
He must avoid kama and the other
vices and he must not criticize brahmanas. A person intent on listening to the
account must not criticize a woman who has sons and is devoted to her husband.
A person intent on listening to the account must not look at a woman who is
going through her period, speak to an outcast or have a conversation with those
who hate brahmanas and the Vedas. A person intent on listening to the account
must always be truthful, pure, compassionate, restrained in speech, upright,
humble and generous in mind. One may listen to the account with a specific
desire or without any desire. If there is a specific desire, that desire will
be fulfilled. If there is no desire, the person will obtain moksha. A poor
person, a person suffering from the disease of consumption, a sinner, an
unfortunate person and a man without children should listen to this virtuous
account. Women who suffer from the seven types of ailments, kakavandhya and
others, and those who have miscarriages should listen to this account.101
O sage! Everyone, man or woman, must listen to the account of Shiva Purana,
following the prescribed rules. The days when Shiva Purana is recited should be
understood as extremely pure, equal to the performance of one crore sacrifices.
Donations made on these days, even if they are limited, are superior and
instantly deliver fruits. Following these rules and vows, one should listen to
this excellent account. If one acts in this way, one will be filled with prosperity
and supreme bliss. The rules of udyapana are the same as those observed on a
chaturdashi day.102 A wealthy person who desires fruits must always
follow these. Devotees who possess nothing need not practice udyapana. They are
purified from the act of listening alone. It is held that those without desires
are Shambhu's true devotees. In this way, when the festivities and sacrifice
connected with listening to Shiva Purana are over, the listeners must devotedly
make efforts to undertake worship. O sage! Shiva's worship must be properly
performed in front of the text. Following the norms, proper worship must then
be done of the narrator. An auspicious piece of new cloth must be given to
cover the text and a piece of cord to tie it up. Those who donate a piece of
cloth and a cord for the Purana, obtain objects of pleasure and jnana in every
birth that they go through. Following the norms, the narrator must be praised
and given extremely expensive gifts, garments, ornaments and in particular,
divine vessels. Men who give a seat for the text to be placed on, blankets,
deerskin, garments and couches and slabs103 obtain desired objects
of pleasure and enjoy residence in the world of heaven. They remain in Brahma's
abode for the duration of a kalpa104 and go to Shiva's abode
thereafter. O tiger among brahmanas! After the great festivities, these are the
rules for worshipping the text and the narrator. The learned person who has
helped the narrator must also be worshipped, but with a lesser quantity of
riches.
________________________
101 Different kinds of infertility in
women are listed in texts on Ayurveda, the number isn't always seven. For
example, kakavandhya (the womb drying up after delivering one child), anapatya
(primary infertility), garbhasravi (repeated abortions), mritavatsa (repeated
still-births), balakshaya (when the woman lacks the strength to conceive),
nalaparavartini (a woman who only delivers daughters) and janmavandhya (barren
since birth).
102 Chaturdashi is the fourteenth lunar
day and the text means rites observed on such a day. Udyapana, for any
ceremony, means the concluding rites.
103 To place the text on.
104 Kalpa is the duration of Brahma's day.
At the end of Brahma's day, when it is Brahma's night, there is a secondary
cycle of dissolution/destruction. When night is over, the secondary cycle of
creation begins afresh.
The assembled brahmanas must be
given food, riches and other things. At the time of the great festivities,
there must be singing, dancing and the playing of musical instruments. O sage!
From the day following the discourse, the listener will become especially
non-attached and must read the Gita spoken by Shiva to Ramachandra.105
For the sake of peace, an intelligent householder who is a listener must purify
himself by offering oblations of ghee. O sage! These oblations must be rendered
for every shloka of Rudra Samhita, or with every shloka of gayatri mantra,
since in truth, the Purana is identical with it.106 Alternatively,
the fundamental pancharna mantra for Shiva can be used. A learned person with
the capability must offer oblations and give the oblations of ghee to
brahmanas.
So as to counter any transgressions
that may have been committed in the course of the narration, he must devotedly
read, or hear, Shiva's one thousand names. There is no doubt that this will
lead to success, with all the fruits being obtained, since there is nothing in
the three worlds that is superior to this. Eleven brahmanas must be fed honey
and payasam.107 For the successful completion of the vow, they must
be given dakshina.108 O sage! If he possesses the capacity, he must
make a beautiful image, using three palas of gold.109 This can be in
the form of a lion and can be engraved with the auspicious aksharas of the name
of the Purana. Following the norms, a man can write this himself or get it
written. Controlling himself, an intelligent person must worship his preceptor
with mounts, horses, other objects, dakshina, garments, ornaments and
fragrances. This brings satisfaction to Shiva. O Shounaka! Through the powers
of these donations and the powers of the Purana, he will obtain Shiva's favours
and will also be freed from the bonds of a worldly existence. These are the
rules for the auspicious Shiva Purana. If these are completed, objects of
pleasure and emancipation are bestowed. I have thus told you everything about
the illustrious Shiva Purana and its greatness. What else do you wish to hear?
It bestows everything that is desired. Among all the Puranas, the illustrious
Shiva Purana is held to be the foremost. It pleases Shiva greatly and counters
the disease of a worldly existence. Indeed, having been born in this world of
the living, if a person performs dhyana on Vishvanatha110 and
listens to his account, extolling his qualities, such a person crosses this
worldly existence. "He is not affected by any differences on account of
the gunas. He manifests himself inside and outside this universe. He is radiant
in his own greatness. He is inside and outside the mind. His form exists in all
words, thoughts and conduct. Shiva is infinite bliss. I seek refuge with
him.""
This ends the Skanda
Purana segment.
__________________________
105 The Shiva Gita (Ishvara Gita) from the
Kurma Purana.
106 That is, gayatri mantra. Gayatri is a metre,
as well as a mantra. The first line of gayatri mantra is bhur bhuvah svah.
107 A dish made out sweetened milk and
rice.
108 A sacrificial fee. Also the fee
rendered to a guru after the successful completion of studies.
109 Pala is a measure of weight.
110 The lord of the universe, Shiva's
name.
“He is auspicious from the beginning
to the end. He has no origin. There is no one who is his equal in sentiments.
He is the noble one. He is the immortal Isha, without old age. He is the
divinity of the atman. He possesses five faces. The powerful one brings delight
and good conduct to the five elements. Let the inclinations of my mind be
immersed in Shankara Ambikesha. 111
Vyasa said, 'There is a great
kshetra, a dharmakshetra, at the confluence of Ganga and Kalindi. 112
This is the supremely sacred Prayaga, the path to Brahma's world. There were
sages who had controlled their atmans. They were devoted to the dharma of
truth. Those immensely fortunate and immensely energetic ones performed a
sacrifice there. Hearing that a sacrifice was being held there, Vyasa's
disciple, the great sage, Suta, who was supreme among those who recounted the
Puranas, went there and saw those Indras among the sages. On seeing that Suta
had come, the sages were delighted. Following the norms, with cheerful minds,
they honoured him. Full of humility, they joined their hands in salutation and
spoke to him, after having followed the norms and cheerfully praised the great-souled
one.'
"O Romaharshana! O omniscient
one! Because of your good fortune and the honour shown to you, you know all the
Puranas, having received their complete meaning from Vyasa. Thus, you are the
receptacle of accounts beings find to be wonderful. Their substance is like
jewels, and you are like an ocean, the store of jewels. There is nothing in the
past, the present or the future and nothing in the three worlds that is not
known to you. It is our good fortune that you have come here to meet us. Your
arrival should not be in vain, and you should not leave without doing us a
favour. It is true that we have already heard everything, about the auspicious
and the inauspicious. Nevertheless, we are not content, and we wish to hear
again and again. O Suta! 0 one with a virtuous inclination! There is one thing
that remains to be heard. If you are favourably disposed towards us, please
tell us this secret. The terrible kali yuga has arrived and men are devoid of
everything aūspicious. All of them are attracted towards wicked conduct and
have turned their faces away from true modes. They are engaged in criticizing
others. They desire the possessions of others. Their minds are attracted
towards the wives of others. They are engaged in causing violence to others.
Their insight is such that those foolish non-believers think that the body is
the atman. Their intelligence is like that of animals. They hate their mothers
and fathers. Wives become their divinities and they are the servants of desire.
Brahmanas are overtaken by avarice and to earn a living, sell the Vedas. All
their learning is for the sake of earning wealth and they are deluded and
insolent. They have abandoned the tasks of their own jatis.113 They
generally deceive others. At the three times of the day, they do not observe
sandhya.
__________________________
11 Ambikesha (Ambika's lord) is Shiva's
name. This is a benedictory shloka, not part of the main text.
112 Kalindi is another name for Yamuna.
All the Puranas were originally recounted by Vedavyasa.
113 A jati is the class one has been born
into and is different from a varna.
They are devoid of any
understanding about the brahman. They do not possess compassion. They take
themselves to be learned. In their conduct, they have abandoned the vows. They
are engaged in agriculture. 114 They are cruel in nature. Their
minds are filthy. In that way, all the kshatriyas are engaged in giving up
their own dharma. They associate with the wicked and are engaged in sin. They
are addicted to vyabhichara. They are not brave and do not like fighting, more
interested in running away. They practice the wicked means of subsistence of
shudras, like resorting to theft. Their minds are the servants of desire. They
do not possess knowledge about shastras and astras. 115 They do not
protect cattle and brahmanas. They do not protect those who seek refuge. They
always seek out opportunities for dalliances with women. They do not follow the
virtuous dharma of protecting the subjects. They are devoted to objects of
pleasure. They are wicked and destroy the subjects. They find delight in
causing violence to beings. The vaishyas do not follow the samskaras. 116
They are engaged in giving up their own dharma. They have resorted to evil
means so as to earn for themselves and are engaged in malpractices with
balances. 117 They are wicked in intelligence and have no devotion
towards gurus, devas and brahmanas. They do not feed brahmanas. In general,
they are misers, with tight fists. Their inclinations are towards becoming the
paramours of women. Addicted to desire, their minds are filthy. Their minds are
overwhelmed by avarice and delusion, and they are no longer interested in purta118
and other good deeds. While the shudras are also like that, there are some
shudras who act like brahmanas, assuming radiant forms. Those foolish ones are
interested in giving up their own dharma. To become lords and take away the
energy of brahmanas, they practice a lot of austerities. Engaged in pronouncing
mantras, they cause the deaths of infants. They worship the shalagrama stone119
and other objects and are also engaged in offering oblations. However, their
thoughts are contrary. They are crooked and hate brahmanas. Those who are
wealthy engage in wicked deeds. Those who are learned engage in debating. Those
who speak about worship and expound about dharma are themselves the ones who
cause subversion of dharma. Those who are insolent seek to become excellent
kings. Those who donate a lot, do this with a great deal of insolence. Taking
themselves to be their own masters, they regard brahmanas and others as
servants. Those foolish ones give up their own dharma. Wicked in intelligence,
they cause a confusion of varnas. They are always full of great pride and
destroy the four varnas. Thinking that they have been born in an extremely good
lineage, they bring about a transformation in the four varnas.
___________________________________
114 As will become clear, everything said
here is about brahmanas and brahmanas are not supposed to engage in
agriculture.
115 The text uses both astra and shastra.
These are both weapons and the words are often used synonymously. However, an
astra is a weapon that is hurled or released, while a shastra is held in the
hand.
116 There are thirteen samskaras or
sacraments. The list varies a bit. But one list is vivaha (marriage),
garbhalambhana (conception), pumsavana (engendering a male child),
simantonnayana (parting the hair, performed in the 4th month of pregnancy),
jatakarma (birth rites), namakarana (naming), chudakarma (tonsure),
annaprashana (first solid food), keshanta (first shaving of the head),
upanayana (sacred thread), vidyarambha (commencement of studies), samavartana
(graduation) and antyeshti (funeral rites).
117 That is, scales used for weighing.
118 Civic works, like constructing roads,
digging wells and planting trees.
119 Stone sacred to Vishnu.
They are foolish and indulging in wicked
deeds, they destroy all the varnas. The women are generally deviant and
disrespectful towards their husbands. They oppose their fathers-in-law and
fearlessly eat filth. They are addicted to wicked coquettish gestures. They are
evil in conduct and overwhelmed by desire. They always indulge in intercourse
with their paramours, turning their faces away from their own husbands. The
sons are evil and have no devotion towards their mothers and fathers. They
always read what should not be read and their bodies are grasped by disease. In
this way, the intelligence is destroyed, and they give up their own dharma. O
Suta! How can they obtain a proper destination in this world or in the next
one? This is a thought that always agitates our minds. Indeed, there is no
dharma that is equal to that of doing a good turn to others. You know about all
the means for obtaining success. Therefore, out of your compassion, please tell
us what the easiest method is now to destroy this torrent of sins."
Vyasa continued, 'Suta heard these
words spoken by the sages who had cleansed their atmans. He remembered Shankara
in his mind and replied to the sages.'
“Suta said, 'O virtuous ones! You
have asked a virtuous question, one that will bring welfare to the three
worlds. Out of affection towards you, I will remember my guru and answer you.
Please listen attentively. The entire essence of Vedanta exists in the
excellent Shiva Purana.120 This saves one from a torrent of sins and
yields the supreme objective in the world hereafter. Shiva's supreme fame
destroys the sins of kali yuga. O brahmanas! It arises and always ensures the
obtaining of the four kinds of objectives121 as fruits. O supreme
among brahmanas! As soon as one studies the supremely excellent Shiva Purana,
one proceeds towards a desirable end. Sins, with the killing of a brahmana as
the foremost, last only for as long as the Shiva Purana does not arise in this
world. The great portents of kali yuga fearlessly wander around only as long as
the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world. All the various sacred texts
contest each other only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this
world. Shiva's own nature and greatness are difficult to understand only as long
as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world. Yama's cruel messengers
fearlessly wander around only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in
this world. All the other Puranas roar in this world only as long as the Shiva
Purana has not arisen in this world. All the various tirthas contest each other
on earth only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world. All the
various mantras contest each other on earth only as long as the Shiva Purana
has not arisen in this world. All the various kshetras contest each other on
earth only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world. All the
various pithas 122 contest each other on earth only as long as the
Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world.
______________________________
120 The six schools of darshana or
philosophy are nyaya, vaisheshika, samkhya, yoga, mimamsa and Vedanta. Vedanta
means the end of the Vedas and refers to the Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad
texts.
121 The purusharthas.
122 Literally
a seat or pedestal. After Daksha's sacrifice, Sati's various limbs fell down at
these pithas and there are temples there.
All the various kinds of donations
contest each other on earth only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in
this world. All the various devas contest each other on earth only as long as
the Shiva Purana has not arisen in this world. All the various determinations
contest each other on earth only as long as the Shiva Purana has not arisen in
this world. O brahmanas! O excellent sages! I am incapable of describing the
fruits of listening to a recital of this Shiva Purana. O unblemished ones!
Nevertheless, I will describe to you a little bit of its greatness, as spoken
to me by Vyasa earlier, Focus your minds and listen attentively. Full of
devotion, if a person reads a shloka, or half from sins. According to a shloka,
of this Shiva Purana, he is instantly freed capacity, if a a person devotedly
and attentively reads this Shiva Purana every day, he is spoken of as
jivanmukta. If a person devotedly worships this Shiva Purana from one day to
another day, there is no doubt that he reaps the fruits of undertaking a horse
sacrifice. Driven by an ordinary desire, if a person listens to this Shiva
Purana from someone other than me, he is freed from sins. If a person bows down
to this Shiva Purana from a distance, there is no doubt that he obtains the
fruits of worshipping all devas. If a person copies down the text of this Shiva
Purana himself and gives it to Shiva's devotees, listen to the sacred fruits
that he obtains. There are rare fruits obtained by those who study the sacred
texts, the Vedas and their commentaries. All those fruits are obtained by him.
If a person fasts on the day of chaturdashi and explains this Shiva Purana in
an assembly of Shiva's devotees, he is excellent. He obtains the wonderful
fruits obtained from chanting the gayatri mantra akshara by akshara. He obtains
everything desired in this world and progresses towards nirvana. 123 Let
me tell you about the good merits obtained by a person who fasts and stays
awake on the night of chaturdashi, reading or hearing it. This is true. At the
time of a complete solar eclipse, there are many good merits obtained by a
person who donates, wealth equal to his own weight, to brahmanas, with Vyasa as
the foremost, in all the sacred tirthas, Kurukshetra and the others. It is no
doubt true that this person 124 reaps all those fruits. Devas, with
Indra at the forefront, wait to carry out the commands of a person who chants
Shiva Purana day and night. If a person who performs good deeds constantly
reads and hears this Shiva Purana, his good merits are multiplied one crore
times. If a person controls himself and reads the illustrious Rudra Samhita,
within three days, his atman is purified, even if he has killed a brahmana. If
a person is silent and reads Rudra Samhita thrice every day near Bhairava's
image, he obtains everything that he desires. If a person does pradakshina of a
vata or bilva tree and reads Rudra Samhita, the sin of killing a brahmana is
dispelled. 125 Kailasa Samhita is said to be even greater. Its form
is that of the brahman and it manifests the meaning of pranava.126 O
brahmanas! Shankara himself knows the entire greatness of Kailasa Samhita.
Vyasa knows half and I know half of that. I will tell you a little bit about
it. I am incapable of telling you in entirety. When they know it, the minds of
people are instantly purified. O brahmanas! In this world, I do not see any sin
that is not destroyed by Rudra Samhita. It always provides a path. Having
churned the ocean of the Upanishads, Shiva happily produced it for Kumara.127
A person who drinks this nectar becomes immortal.
__________________________
123 The stage of emancipation when
everything is extinguished.
124 The one who reads or hears Shiva Purana.
125 Pradakshina is more specific than a
mere act of circumambulation. This circling or circumambulation has to be done
in a specific way, so that the right side (dakshina) always faces what is of
being circled. Vata is the fig tree. The bilva tree is sacred to Shiva.
126 AUM.
127 Skanda,
Kartikeya.
If a person wishes to save himself
from the sin of killing a brahmana and other sins, he should prepare himself to
read this Samhita for a month. He will thus be freed. If a person recites this Samhita,
the sins of accepting what should not be accepted, eating what should not be
eaten and indulging in prohibited conversation are destroyed. If a person reads
this Samhita in Shiva's temple or in a grove of bilva trees, the good merits
obtained cannot be described in words or even comprehended. If a person
devotedly reads this Samhita while feeding brahmanas at a shraddha ceremony, 128
all his ancestors go to Shambhu's abode. If a person fasts on chaturdashi
and reads this Samhita under a bilva tree, he becomes like Shiva himself and is
worshipped by devas. The other Samhitas yield everything that is desired. But
these two 129 are special because they are full of vijnana130
and his pastimes.'
“Such is the text known as Shiva
Purana, as revered as the Vedas. It is as revered as the brahman and was
composed by Shiva. It is said that this Purana originally had twelve extremely
sacred Samhitas as its divisions-Vidyeshvara, Rudra, Vainayaka, Uma, Matri,
Rudraikadasha, Kailasa, Shatadrudra, Kotirudra, Sahasrakotirudra, Vayaviya and
Dharmasamja. O brahmanas! I will tell you about the entire enumeration. Listen
attentively. Vidyeshvara had 10,000 shlokas. Rudra, Vainayaka, Uma and Matri
sections of the Purana had 8,000 shlokas each. O brahmanas! Rudraikadasha had
13,000 shlokas. Kailasa had 3,000 shlokas and Shatarudra half that number.
Kotirudra had 9,000 shlokas and the part of the text known as Sahasrakotirudra
11,000 shlokas. Vayavaiya had 4,000 and Dharmasamja 12,000. All these divisions
aggregate to 100,000 shlokas for Shiva Purana. Vyasa abridged this to 24,000
shlokas, around one-fourth of the original Shiva Purana, and retained seven
Samhitas. At the beginning, the Purana text composed by Shiva had a size that
amounted to a hundred crore shlokas. However, composed in ancient times, that
has long been forgotten. In dvapara yuga, Krishna Dvaipayana and other
Vedavyases abridged this to 400,000 shlokas, segregated into eighteen Puranas.
Shiva Purana is said to have 24,000 shlokas. These shlokas, with the seven
Samhitas, are as revered as the brahman. The first Samhita is Vidyeshvara, the
second is known as Rudra. The third is known as Shatarudra and the fourth is
Kotirudra. The fifth is known as Uma and the sixth is known as Kailasa. The
seventh is known as Vayaviya. These are held to be the seven Samhitas. With
these seven Samhitas, this divine text is known as Shiva Purana. This is equal
to the brahman. It is supreme and bestows the greatest destination. If a person
lovingly reads this entire Shiva Purana, he is spoken of as jivanmukta.
Hundreds of other texts, shruti, smriti, Puranas, Itihasa and agama, 131
do not deserve to be regarded as even one sixteenth of Shiva Purana. This
unblemished Shiva Purana was recited by Shiva and later collated and abridged by
Vyasa, Shiva's devotee. It brings benefit to all living beings. It destroys the
three kinds of hardships completely. It bestows everything auspicious on those
who are virtuous. It sings about the dharma that is without any deceit. It
expounds the foremost vijnana of Vedanta.
___________________
128 Funeral ceremony.
129 Kailasa Samhita and Rudra Samhita.
130 The words inana and vijnana are often
used synonymously and both words mean knowledge. When distinct meanings are
intended, jnana signifies knowledge obtained from texts and gurus, while
vijnana signifies knowledge obtained through inward contemplation and
self-realization.
131 Agamas are texts other than the Vedas,
such as the tantra texts.
The learned, devoid of jealousy,
get to know about the three objectives of human existence. 132
Indeed, Shiva Purana is the crest of all the virtuous Puranas. It sings about
the supreme, described in the Vedas and Vedanta. A person who lovingly reads
it, or hears it, is loved by Shambhu and attains the supreme destination.'
“Vyasa said, 'Hearing Suta's words,
the supreme rishis replied, ‘please make us here the wonderful purana which
represents the essence of Vedanta." Hearing the words of the sages, Suta
was extremely delighted. He remembered Shankara and replied to the excellent
sages.'
Suta said, "O rishis! All of
you remember the unblemished Shiva and listen. Shiva Purana, foremost among the
Puranas, represents the essence of the Vedas. If one sings it lovingly, one
obtains the three objectives of devotion, jnana and non-attachment. The
virtuous have described it as special, constituting what is to be known in the
Vedas. O rishis! All of you hear this Purana, which has the essence of the
Vedas. A long time ago, after many kalpas had repeatedly passed and the task of
creation in the present kalpa presented itself, there was a great dispute among
sages from six different lineages. Some said, "This is superior.' Others
held, 'No. That is superior.' When there was this great dispute among them,
they went to Brahma, the Dhatri, 133 and asked him about the one
without decay. All those eloquent ones humbly joined their hands in salutation
and spoke to him. 'You are the Dhatri of the entire universe. You are the cause
behind all kinds of causes. Who is the entity who is the most ancient? Who is
supreme among the supreme?" Brahma replied, 'He is the one speech
withdraws from. 134 He cannot be approached through the mind. He is
the one from whom everything, beginning with Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra and
including all the elements and the senses, first originated. He is the divinity
Mahadeva. He is omniscient and is the lord of the universe. He can only be seen
through supreme devotion, not through any other means. Full of great devotion,
Rudra, Hari, Hara and the other lords among the gods always wish to see him.
What is the need to speak a lot about this? One is emancipated through devotion
to Shiva. Devotion to the divinity is because of his favours. It is from his
favours thar devotion results. This is like a seed resulting from a shoot and a
shoot resulting from a seed. O brahmanas! Therefore, all of you come to earth
to obtain Isha's favours. You must perform a long sacrifice that lasts for one
thousand years. He will be the divinity who presides over the sacrifice. He is
the essence of the learning in the Vedas. It is through Shiva's favours that
the objective and the means can be known.' The sages asked, 'What is the supreme
objective? What constitutes the supreme means? What should a sadhaka be like? 135
Please tell us the truth about this.' Brahma replied, 'Obtaining Shiva as a
destination is the sadhya.
_________________________
132 Dharma, artha and kama.
133 Both Dhatri and Vidhatri are words for
the Creator. Dhatri is the one who nurses, while Vidhatri is the one who
arranges.
134 Speech cannot approach (describe) him.
135 Sadhya is the attainable objective,
sadhana is the means. Sadhaka is the person who is using the means to attain
the objective.
Serving him is sadhana. Sadhaka is
the person who obtains his favours so as to be indifferent towards fruits that
are not permanent. The karma spoken about in the Vedas must be performed
without any pride. The great objective is obtaining the supreme Isha as a
destination, through salokya and all the others, in due order.136
According to the degree of devotion, everyone obtains a supreme fruit. There
are many kinds of sadhana. Isha has himself spoken about them. I will briefly
tell you about the substance of sadhana. Using the ears to hear about him,
using the tongue to chant about him and using the mind to think about him-these
are said to be the greatest sadhana. Maheshvara must be heard about, spoken
about and thought about. The shruti texts are proof that this is the sadhana
that enables one to proceed towards the sadhya. Resort to this sadhana alone
and accomplish all objectives. In this world, anything that is manifest can be
seen with the eyes. The unmanifest is everywhere. Knowing this, one must strive
with the ears. Therefore, one must start with hearing. A learned person hears
what emerges from the guru's mouth. After that, an intelligent person strives
for the others, chanting and thinking. When all the means are properly
perfected, right up to thinking, there is union with Shiva and salokya and the
others gradually occur, in due order. All ailments are destroyed. After this,
one attains supreme bliss. Indeed, the practice is difficult. But subsequently,
everything becomes auspicious, right from the beginning.'""
"The sages asked, 'O Brahma!
What is the nature of manana? 137 What is the nature of shravana?
How is kirtana done? Please describe these accurately.'""
"Brahma replied, 'The mind
loves reasoning. Worship, japa, thinking about Isha's form, sports and names
purifies the mind. Manana is always obtained through Ishvara's favourable
glance. Therefore, among all the sadhanas, this is regarded as the most important.
Singing what has been heard about his atman, using well-articulated lines to
speak about Shambhu's qualities, form, pastimes and names, and using even
unpolished speech constitute kirtana. This is a medium type of sadhana. Among
the learned, shravana is famous in the world, when it is done with a
steadfastness that is greater than the attentiveness with which one dallies
with women. When one uses every opportunity possible to listen to words that
worship the supreme Shiva, this is shravana. Shravana occurs first, when one
associates with virtuous people. After this, kirtana of Pashupati becomes firm.
But the best of the lot is manana. However, all these result through Shankara's
benevolent glance."""
'Suta said, "O lords among
sages! There is an ancient occurrence about the greatness of sadhana. For your
sake, I will tell you about it. Please listen attentively. In ancient times, my
guru Vyasa, the son of the sage Parashara, performed austerities on the
auspicious banks of Sarasvati. But he was anxious.
___________________
136 Salokya is the ability to reside with
the Lord, samipya is proximity to the Lord, sarupya is to be like the Lord in
form and sayujya is identification with the Lord. These are different grades of
emancipation.
137 Manana is thinking, shravana is
hearing and kirtana is chanting.
As he willed, the illustrious
Sanatkumara arrived there, astride a radiant vimana, and saw my preceptor
there. He arose from his dhyana and saw Aja's son.138 Full of great
curiosity and agitation, the sage prostrated himself before him. He offered him
arghya139 and a seat that was worthy of someone who was the equal of
a deva. Pleased, the lord spoke to my humble preceptor in words that were deep
in meaning. Sanatkumara said, 'O sage! You must meditate on a true object.
Shiva can himself be realized and perceived. Without any aides, why are you
performing these austerities here, and for what purpose?" Thus addressed
by Kumara, 140 the sage stated his wish. 'Through the favours of
many like you who have established the path of the Vedas for this world, I have
lovingly pursued dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Thus, I have become a guru to
everyone. But it is extremely extraordinary that I have still not achieved the
jnana necessary to strive for emancipation. I am performing austerities for the
sake of emancipation, but do not know how that can be brought about. The
illustrious Kumara was thus requested by the sage. O Indras among brahmanas!
Since he was competent, he told him about the certain means for achieving
emancipation. 'Shravana, kirtana and manana of Shambhu are said to be the three
best types of sadhana. This is in conformity with the knowledge of the Vedas.
Earlier, I too was confused because other methods agitated me. I practiced
unwavering austerities on Mount Mandara. As a result of Shiva's command, the
illustrious Nandikeshvara141 arrived there. The illustrious one is
full of compassion and is himself the lord of all Ganeshvaras.142 Out of affection towards
me, he told me about the excellent sadhana for achieving emancipation-shravana,
kirtana and manana of Shambhu. This is in conformity with the Vedas. Shiva
himself told me that these are the three means for emancipation. O brahmana!
Therefore, repeatedly perform these three, shravana and the others. After
telling Vyasa this, along with his followers, Vidhatri's son ascended a vimana
and returned to his supreme and auspicious abode. I have thus briefly told you
and about this supreme and ancient account. The sages asked, 'O Suta! You have
spoken about the three means of achieving emancipation, shravana and the
others. If a person cannot undertake these three, shravana and the others, what
else can free him? Is there any karma that leads to emancipation, even if not
undertaken carefully?"""
_____________
138 Aja is one without birth and means
Brahma.
139 A guest is offered arghya (a gift),
padya (water to wash the feet), achamaniya (water to rinse the mouth) and a
seat.
140 Sanatkumara.
141 Nandi, Shiva's companion and
attendant.
142 Ganeshvara
is a lord of ganas.
”Suta said, "To cross over the
ocean that is samsara, a person who is incapable of following the three means,
shravana and the others, should establish Shankara's sign of lingam and worship
it every day. For the sake of unlimited wealth, he must always worship the
lingam. According to his capacity, he must offer objects to it, but without
deceiving pavilions, gates, tirthas, mathas143 and kshetras and
undertaking festivities. He must devotedly worship garments, fragrances,
garlands, incense and lamps. He must offer many kinds of food as naivedya,
apupas and dishes, with umbrellas, standards, whisks, chamaras and other
accompaniments. 144 All this royal worship must be offered to the
sign of the lingam. According to capacity, one must prostrate oneself and
perform pradakshina and japa. Devotedly, one must always perform avahana and
other virtuous rites. 145 One must worship Shankara's sign of the
lingam in this way. Even if one gives up shravana and the others, one can thus
please Shiva and obtain success. Earlier, great people have been emancipated
only through worshipping the sign of the lingam.""
"The sages asked, "All
the large number of devatas are worshipped everywhere only in the forms of
their images. How is it that Shiva is worshipped everywhere both in his image
and as a lingam?""
'Suta replied, "O lords among
sages! This is an extremely wonderful and sacred question. About this, the
speaker is Mahadeva himself and no other being. I will progressively tell you
what Shiva said. I have heard this from the mouth of my guru. Shiva alone is
described as nishkala. 146 He is the form of the brahman. Since he
also has a sakala form, he is both sakala and nishkala. As nishkala, without
form, he can be approached as lingam. When he is sakala, with form, he can be
approached in the form of his image. Other divinities are not spoken of as the
brahman. Therefore, they have sakala forms and are not mishkala. That is the
reason people always worship him in his sign of the lingam. The others are not
the form of the brahman and are never nishkala. That is the reason other lords
among gods are never worshipped through nishkala signs. The other large number
of devatas are not the forms of the brahman and possess jivatmans. They are
silently worshipped only in sakala forms, through their images. Apart from
Shankara, the others possess jivatmans. Shankara is the brahman. In explaining
the meaning of pranava, it has been established that he is the essence of Vedanta.
Earlier, on the slopes of Mount Mandara, Nandikeshvara was asked this by the
intelligent sage Sanatkumara, Brahma's son.""
"Sanatkumara said, 'Other than
Shiva, all the other devas are seen to be severally worshipped everywhere in
the forms of their images. Shiva alone is seen to be worshipped both as lingam
and as an image. O fortunate one! Please tell me the virtuous truth about this
and awaken my understanding.""
_____________________________
143 Monastery, place of learning or
temple.
144 Naivedya is offering of food, apupa is
a sweet cake, chamara is a whisk made out of yak hair.
145 Avahana means invoking the deity's
presence.
146 Without form. Sakala means with a
form.
"Nandikeshvara replied, 'It is
impossible to answer this question without revealing the truth about the sign
of the brahman. O unblemished one! Since you are full of devotion, I will tell
you what Shiva himself said. Since Shiva's form is that of the brahman, he is
nishkala. Therefore, he is always worshipped as nishkala lingam, and this is in
conformity with the Vedas. Since he possesses both sakala and nishkala forms,
he is also dworshipped as sakala. The worship of a sakala form is also revered
in this world. Other than Shiva, all the others possess jivatmans. Therefore,
they are only worshipped as images, and this is in conformity with the
determination of the Vedas. Since the others possess their own manifestations,
they must only be worshipped in sakala forms. Indeed, in the texts, it has been
said that Shiva can be seen both as lingam and image.'"'
"Sanatkumara said, 'O
immensely fortunate one! You have spoken about the practice of both the lingam
and the image for Shiva, so as to achieve the supreme objective, and about the
worship of images for others. Thus, the supreme sign for lingam. O Indra among
yogis! I wish to hear about the manifestation of the lingam."
"Nandikeshvara replied, 'O
child! Listen. Out of affection towards you, I will tell you about this supreme
objective. In an earlier kalpa, it has been heard that the worlds were
distressed because of the advent of Mahakala. 147 The great-souled
Brahma and Vishnu fought with each other. To destroy their arrogance,
Parameshvara displayed himself between them, in the form of a nishkala column.
He showed them his own form. He showed them his own lingam as a sign, with
nishkala Shiva in that column. For the welfare of the universe, he showed them
his own lingam. Since then, Ishvara's form as nishkala lingam and Shiva's
sakala image became accepted in the worlds. Other than Shiva, all the other
devas are only thought of in the forms of their images. The images of devas
only bestow auspicious objects of pleasure. Shiva's lingam and image bestow
auspicious objects of pleasure and emancipation.'""
"Nandikeshvara said, 'O Indra
among yogis! On one occasion in ancient times, Vishnu was lying down, asleep,
with a serpent as a couch. He was surrounded by supreme prosperity and his
attendants. At that time, travelling as he willed, Brahma, supreme among those
who know about the brahman, arrived there. He asked Pundarikaksha, 148
beautiful in all his limbs, who was lying down. "What kind of man are you?
Despite seeing me, you are lying down, like an insolent person. O child! Get up
and look at me. Your lord has come here. When a person sees that a guru who
deserves to be worshipped has arrived, if he is so foolish as to act in such an
insolent way, prayashchitta149 is recommended for such a
hater." Hearing these words, he150 was filled with rage, but
behaved calmly externally.
______________________
147 Mahakala is the great Destroyer
(Time).
148 The lotus-eyed one, Vishnu's name.
149 Rite of atonement.
150 Vishnu .
"O child! May all be well with
you. Enter and be seated on this seat. Why does your face seem anxious? Why are
your eyes agitated?" Brahma replied, "O Vishnu! O child! With the
speed of time, an extremely important person like me has arrived. I am the
grandfather of the universe. O child! I am your protector." Vishnu said,
"O child! Since the entire universe is located inside me, your thoughts
are like those of a thief. You originated from a lotus in my navel. You are my
son and are speaking in vain." Confused, they argued with each other and
sought to establish superiority over the other. "I am the lord. I am
superior, not you. I am the lord." Wishing to kill each other, they got
ready to fight. As those two immortal and brave ones fought, so did their
mounts, the swan and the bird. 151 The followers of Virinchi152
and Vishnu also fought on either side. Desiring to witness this extraordinary
battle, all the different kinds of devas arrived there on their own respective
vimanas. As they watched, they showered down flowers from the sky. The one with
Suparna as his mount angrily released arrows and many kinds of weapons,
impossible to withstand, and struck Brahma on his chest. Angry, Vidhatri also
released them, impossible to withstand, towards Vishnu's chest. There were
arrows that were like the fire and many kinds of weapons wonderful, It was
evident that this clash between them was unclear and difficult to grasp. The
large number of devas witnessed and praised it but were also greatly agitated.
As Vishnu suffered, he became extremely enraged. The intelligent one affixed
the Maheshvara weapon and directed it towards Brahma. Brahma also became
extremely angry. He made the universe tremble, affixed the terrible Pashupata
weapon and directed it towards Vishnu's chest. 153 As these rose
into the sky, it was as if ten thousand suns had arisen. There were thousands
of fierce mouths, and a fearful storm arose. In that terrible clash between
Brahma and Vishnu, these two weapons faced each other. Such was the battle
between Brahma and Vishnu. All the different types of devas were distressed and
greatly agitated. O son! They spoke to each other, just as agitated brahmanas
do when kings fight.""
"Creation, preservation and
destruction occur through Bhava's154 favours. They flow from him,
and the wielder of the trident is the brahman. Without his favours and without
his wishes, no one, anywhere, can even split a blade of grass. As a result of
their fear, devas thought that they should go to Shiva's eternal abode on Mount
Kailasa, where Chandrashekhara resides. They saw Parameshvara's abode, which is
in the shape of Pranava. They prostrated themselves and entered his residence.
They saw the bull among devas seated there, in an assembly hall and on a pavilion
that was inlaid with jewels. He was resplendent and Uma was with him. His
folded right leg was placed atop his left and his lotus hands were placed on
his legs. His large number of ganas were all around him and he possessed all
the auspicious signs. Fixed in their attention, accomplished women fanned him
with whisks. He is praised in the Vedas and Ishvara always shows his favours.
On seeing Isha, the immortals were content, and their eyes filled with tears.
___________________________
151 The respective mounts of Brahma and
Vishnu (the bird means Garuda), Suparna is Garuda's name.
152 Brahma
153 The Maheshvara weapon and the
Pashupata weapon are both named after Shiva.
154 Bhava is Shiva's name.
O child! From a distance, those
large numbers prostrated themselves like staffs.155 On seeing them,
the lord of devas asked his ganas to bring them closer. Delighting the devas,
the divinity who was like a crest jewel among the devas, spoke to them. His
deep words were full of meaning and were sweet and auspicious.
“Ishvara said, 'O children! May all
be well with you. Following my commands, I hope that the entire universe is
under the subjugation of devatas and that everyone is engaged in his own karma.
O gods! I already knew about the battle between Brahma and Vishnu. Your evident
torment is like a speech that has already been made.'""
"In this way, Amba's husband,
smilingly comforted the gods who had arrived, using words that one would use
for children. 156 Ishvara told the assembly of gods that he would go
to the place where Hari and Dhatri were fighting. In that assembly, he
accordingly instructed hundreds of Ganeshas, 157 As the supreme Isha
prepared to leave, hundreds of musical instruments were sounded, Ganeshvaras
clad themselves in armour, with many kinds of ornaments and mounts. Ishvara,
Ambika's husband, ascended an auspicious chariot that was in the shape of
Pranava and was marked with the auspicious signs of five rings. His sons, the
ganas and Indra and all the other gods followed him. There were colourful
standards, fans and whisks made out of yak hair. Flowers were showered down on
the assembly. There was singing and dancing. Honoured by everyone and
accompanied by the supreme goddess, 158 Pashupati went to the
battlefield, along with all the soldiers. When he saw the two of them fighting,
he hid himself inside the clouds. The sound of the musical instruments stopped
and the voices of the ganas also quietened down. The brave Brahma and Achyuta159
wished to kill each other and the Maheshvara and Pashupata weapons had been
released. The blazing weapons released by Brahma and Vishnu were burning down
the three worlds. Isha saw that it was as if the terrible time of dissolution
had arrived. In their midst, the one who is nishkala assumed the form of an
extremely terrible column of fire. Those blazing weapons were capable of
destroying the worlds. However, in an instant, they fell into the great column
of fire that had manifested itself. This was extraordinary. Those wonderful
weapons were pacified and turned auspicious. They 160 spoke to each
other. ' What is this extraordinary form? This is beyond all senses. What is
this column of fire that has arisen? We must ascertain its top and bottom.'
Those two brave ones were proud of their prowess. Eager to test it out, they
decided to leave quickly. 'Let us attempt this together. Neither one of us is
capable of finding this out alone.'
__________________________
155 Dandavat, like a staff (danda). This
means lying completely prostrate on the ground and is also known as sashtanga
pranama, ashta meaning eight and anga meaning limb. Eight of one's limbs must
touch the ground. Though the number eight is sometimes interpreted
metaphorically, literally, it means two feet, two knees, two hands, the chest
and the forehead. These must touch the ground.
156 This is Nandikeshvara continuing his
narration.
157 Here, Ganesha or Ganeshvara means
lords of ganas and not Vinayaka specifically.
158 Parvati.
159 The one without decay, Vishnu's name.
160 Brahma and Vishnu.
Saying this, Vishnu assumed the
form of a boar and set out to explore the bottom. Brahma assumed the form of a
swan and set out to explore the top. Hari penetrated Patala and went even
further down. 161 However, he could not find the foundation of the
column that was as radiant as the fire. Exhausted in the form of a boar, Hari
returned to the former battlefield. O child! Your father, Vidhatri, went up
into the sky. He saw a wonderful ketaki flower 162 dislodged from
above. It was full of great fragrance and had not faded, even though it had
been dislodged many years ago. On witnessing what those two were going through,
the illustrious Parameshvara had laughed and when he had shaken his head,
because of his favours, the excellent ketaki flower had been dislodged. 'O lord
of flowers! 163 Why are you falling? O king of flowers? Who wore
you?' 'The top of this column is immeasurable. 164 I have been
falling down for a long time and I have now reached the middle. Therefore, I do
not see how you can wish to see the top.' 'In the form of a swan, I have
reached up to this point and you must do something to serve me. 165
O great friend! For my sake, you must now do what I wish for. With me, you must
go to Vishnu's presence. Having gone there, you must tell Achyuta that Dhatri
has seen the end of the column.' Saying this, he repeatedly prostrated himself
before the ketaki blossom. 'The instruction of the sacred texts is that in a
time of calamity, the utterance of a falsehood is praised 166 When
they reached there, Dhatri saw that Achutya had returned exhausted, his
happiness destroyed. Therefore, he danced with joy. Like a eunuch who lies,
167 he spoke words full of deep meaning to Achyuta. 'O Hari! I have seen
the top of the column and this ketaki flower is a witness. Tell him. Following
Dhatri's words, in his presence, the ketaki flower endorsed the false words.
Thinking these words to be true, Hari bowed down before Vidhatri. Using the
prescribed sixteen forms of upachara, he worshipped him. 168
Thereafter, so as to chastise Vidhatri, who had practiced deceit, Ishvara
himself assumed a form and emerged from that lingam made out of fire. Seeing
the lord arise, he trembled again and clasped his feet with his hands. 169
'Your form has no beginning and no end. It is because of our deluded
intelligence and our desires that we thought otherwise. You are sattva and you
are the source of compassion. Please show us your favours and pardon us our
sin. Indeed, this must have been caused by your pastimes.'
______________________
161 Patala is a generic term for the
nether regions. But seven separate nether regions are also mentioned-Atala,
Vitala, Nitala, Sutala, Talatala, Rasatala and Patala.
162 Until cursed, the ketaki (pandarnus
odoratissimus) flower used to be on Shiva's head.
163 Brahma addressed the ketaki flower in
this way.
164 The flower is replying.
165 This is Brahma speaking.
166 This need not be within quotes. But it is natural to
presume this is what Brahma said.
167 Presumably to a woman.
168 It is recommended that sixteen objects
(shodasha upachara) should be used for worship. The list varies but will
typically include some combination of five amritas (ghee, milk, curd, molasses
honey), five objects from a cow, five jewels, five kinds of leaves, seven kinds
of clay, seven kinds of grain, seven types of minerals, eight types of gifts
(padya, achamaniya, seat, garments, flowers and so on), five upacharas
(fragrances, flowers, incense, lamp, naivedya) and so on. In some specific
instances, sixty-four kinds of upachara are mentioned.
169 As the next sentence will make clear,
this is a reference to Vishnu.
Ishvara replied, 'O child! O Hari!
I am pleased with you. Despite hankering after lordship, you have not deviated
from true words. Therefore, I am telling you that among people, you will be
treated on an equal footing as me and will receive the same kind of worship.
From now on, you will have your own separate kshetra, the establishment of your
own image, your own festivities and your own worship.' Thus, in ancient times,
the divinity was pleased at Hari's adherence to the truth and while the large
number of devas looked on, granted him an equal status.""
“Nandikeshvara said, 'Mahadeva then
created an extraordinary being from the middle of his own eyebrows. This was
Bhairava, designed to destroy Brahma's pride. In that arena, he prostrated
himself before his lord, Shiva, and asked, "O lord! What should I do?
Please command me quickly." "O child! This Vidhatri is himself the
first divinity in this universe. There is no doubt that you should worship him
with your swift and sharp sword." With one hand, he170 seized
the tuft of hair on the fifth head171 that had insolently uttered
those false words. As he got ready to sever this head, the sparkling sword
shook in his hands. Your father trembled like the leaf of a plantain tree or a
creeper in the wind. His excellent garments and ornaments were scattered. His
upper garment was loosened. His hair was dishevelled. He fell down at
Bhairava's lotus feet. O son! Achyuta saw the state Vidhatri was in. Full of
compassion, he fell down at the lotus feet of our master and sprinkled them
with his tears. Like a child addressing his own father in faltering words, he
joined his hands in salutation and spoke. Achyuta said, "O Isha! A long
time ago, it is through your efforts that he got these five heads as a symbol.
Therefore, and restrain your rage towards Vidhatri." Thus entreated by you
should pardon him now. Please show him your favours Achyuta, in the presence of
the large number of gods, Isha was pacified. He asked Bhairava to refrain from
punishing Brahma. After this, the divinity addressed the deceitful Vidhatri,
who had bent down his shoulder. "O Brahma! Desiring worship and lordship,
you resorted to deceit. From now on, you will not be worshipped in the worlds.
Nor will you have your own place, your own festivals and other things."
Brahma replied, "O lord! O great power! Please show me your favours. O one
who bestows boons! I think that this saving of my head is a boon. O illustrious
one! O friend! O origin of the universe! I prostrate myself before you. You are
the one who tolerates all kinds of sins. O Shambhu! O one who wields the
mountain as a bow!" Ishvara said, "If there is no king, there will be
fear and this entire universe will be destroyed. O Aja! O child! Therefore, you
will bear the burden of chastising the worlds with your staff. I will also
bestow another boon on you, one that is extremely difficult to obtain. Accept
it. In all sacred ceremonies, homes and sacrifices, you will be the guru. Even
if a sacrifice is completed with all the complements and dakshina, without you,
it will be futile." After this, the divinity addressed the deceitful
ketaki, guilty of bearing false witness. "O ketaki! You are deceitful. Go
far away. From now on, I will no longer regard you as a beloved flower with
which I can be worshipped." When the divinity said this, all the different
devas repulsed it and banished it from their presence. Ketaki replied, "O
protector! I prostrate myself before you.
________________
170 Bhairava.
171 Originally, Brahma possessed five
heads.
Because of your command, my birth
will be rendered futile. O father! You should pardon me my sin and make my
existence successful. When one remembers you, sins committed knowingly or
unknowingly are destroyed. Now that I have seen you, how can the sin of
uttering a falsehood remain with me?" In the midst of the assembly, the
illustrious one was praised in this way by the ketaki flower, which prostrated
itself. Ishvara said, "Since I speak the truth, it is not appropriate that
I should wear you. However, my followers will wear you and therefore, your
birth will not be unsuccessful. You can also be placed in any canopies that are
raised above me." In this way, the illustrious one showed his favours to
the ketaki flower, Vidhatri and Madhava. 172 Praised by all the
devas, he was radiant in the midst of that assemblyhall.",
"Nandikeshvara said,
'Meanwhile, Vidhatri and Madhava still stood there, prostrating themselves
before the lord. Joining their hands in salutation, they stood there silently,
on the left and on the right. They instated the divinity, along with his family,
on an excellent seat. They worshipped him with sacred and auspicious personal
objects. Personal objects should be known as those that last for a short or
long while-necklaces, anklets, bracelets, diadems, jewels, earrings,
sacrificial threads, upper garments, garlands, silken garlands, rings for the
fingers, flowers, betel leaves, camphor, sandalwood, unguents made of aloe,
incense, lamps, white parasols, fans, standards, whisks made out of yak hair
and other divine objects whose greatness cannot be thought of or spoken about.
All of those are appropriate for the lord. Pashupati must be worshipped with
these, and ordinary animals cannot obtain them. 173 O brahmana!
Everything excellent is worthy of being offered to the lord. Isha wished to
establish an order in which all these objects should be offered. Therefore,
following his desired order, he separately handed them over to those present in
that assembly. When these objects were accepted, there was a great tumult
there. In ancient times, Brahma and Vishnu were the ones who worshipped
Shankara first. While they stood there and bowed there, the one who enhances
devotion was pleased and spoke to them, smilingly."""
"Ishvara said, 'O children! I
am pleased with the way you have worshipped me today, on this great day. From
now on, this day will become even more sacred. This tithi will be famous as
Shiva Ratri and will be loved by me. 174 If a person worships the
sign of my lingam on this day, he effectively worships the being who is
responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe.
Without any deception, to the best of his strength, a person must properly
worship me, conquering his senses and fasting through day and night on Shiva
Ratri.
____________________
172 Vishnu.
173 Since Shiva is Pashupati (lord of
animals), there is a play on words, using the word pashu. While we have
translated this as ordinary animal, in this context, it means all ordinary
beings, human or animal.
174 Every chaturdashi tithi of krishna
paksha (the dark lunar fortnight) is Shiva Ratri (the night of Shiva). Out of
these twelve Shiva Ratris, the one in the month of Phalguna (February/March) is
special and is known as Maha Shiva Ratri (the great Shiva Ratri). The twelve
months are Vaishakha (April/May), Jyeshtha (May/June), Ashadha (June/July),
Shravana (July/August), Bhadrapada/Bhadra (August/September), Ashvina
(September/October), Kartika (October/November), Margashirsha
(November/December), Pousha (December/January), Magha (January/February),
Phalguna and (March/April).
The fruits that are obtained by
constantly worshipping me for an entire year are instantly obtained as fruits
by worshipping me on Shiva Ratri. This is the period when my dharma is
increased, just as the tide in the ocean when the moon rises. This is the day
on which my sacred temple should be established, and festivities undertaken. O
children! In ancient times, the day when I manifested myself in sakala form as
a column of fire was the day on which Ardra nakshatra was in the ascendant in
the month of Margashirsha. 175 If a person sees me and Uma when
Ardra is in the ascendant in Margashirsha, he becomes my friend. If he worships
my sign of the lingam, I love him more than Guha. 176 On that
auspicious day, the mere act of seeing me brings sufficient fruits. Through
worshipping me, the fruits obtained cannot be adequately expressed in words.
That apart, in the field of battle, I showed myself in the form of a lingam.
Since I stretched myself out in the form of a lingam, that place will be known
as Lingasthana. 177 This column is without a beginning and without
an end. O sons! However, so that the universe can see it and worship it, it
will become minute. 178 This lingam will bestow objects of pleasure.
It is the means for enjoying objects of pleasure and emancipation. Seeing or
touching it, or meditating on it, will free beings from the cycle of birth. The
lingam that arose resembled a mountain of fire. From now on, it will be known
as Arunachala. 179 There will be many other greater tirthas there.
Residing or dying there will ensure emancipation for beings. Chariot festivals
and other auspicious activities by all the people who dwell there, donations, oblations
and japa, will lead to fruits that become one crore times more. Among all my
kshetras, this will be the greatest kshetra. As soon as embodied beings
remember me here, they will be emancipated. This extremely beautiful kshetra
will therefore be the greatest. This will be full of everything fortunate. This
auspicious place will bestow every kind of emancipation. Worshipping me,
Ishvara, there in my sign of the lingam will bring the fruits of five kinds of
emancipation salokya, samipya, sarupya, sarshti and sayujya.180 May
all of you quickly accomplish your desires."""
"Nandikeshvara continued,
'Thus, the illustrious one showed his favours to the humble Vidhatri and
Madhava, When they had fought against each other earlier, their respective
soldiers had died. He used his own powers and revived them through showers of
amrita. So as to dispel their foolish enmity, he spoke to them again. "My
own form is of two types, sakala and nishkala. Since no one else possesses
these two forms, no one else is Ishvara. O sons! I first showed myself as a
column that has no form and later, in this form. I have spoken about my
nishkala form as the brahman and my sakala form as Isha. These two forms exist
only in me and not in anyone else. Therefore, no one else, not even you two,
can ever claim to be Isha. Though this is extremely surprising, it is because
you were enveloped in ignorance that you took yourselves to be Isha. I arose
from the ground there so that I could destroy your sense of ego.
__________________
175 The nakshatras aren't quite stars.
They can be constellations too. There are twenty-seven nakshatras.
176 That is, Kartikeya.
177 Place of the lingam.
178 Anu has been translated as minute.
179 There is a temple to Shiva
(Annamalaiyar) in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. This is on Mount
Arunachala. Arunachala means red mountain, and this (in Tamil Nadu) is referred
to as the Kailasa of the south. But there is also a Mount Aruna (Arunachala) to
the west of Kailasa.
180 Sarshti has not been mentioned before.
It means prosperity that is equal to that of the Lord's.
Hence, cast aside your pride and
fix your mind on me, as Isha. It is through my favours that everything in the
worlds is manifest. What has been stated by a guru has repeatedly been cited as
proof. It is out of my affection towards you that I am revealing this mystery
about the brahman. I am the supreme brahman. My own nature is both sakala and
nishkala. It is to show my favours that I assume the forms of the brahman and
Isha. O Brahma! O Keshava!181 O sons! When I am great and cause
greatness, I am the brahman. My atman is impartial and pervasive. There is no
doubt that all other beings do not possess this atman,182 It is out
of my favours that, at the beginning, I created the universe out of the lotus.
Since I am Isha, all these activities flow out from me and not from anyone
else. To make my nature as the nishkala brahman understood, I presented myself
in the form of the lingam. After that, to make my form as Isha known, I
manifested myself in this form. This was the result of my form as Isha and
should immediately be recognized as my being Isha.183 This sakala
form, which instantly materialized, should be known as me being Isha. The
nishkala column signifies me being the brahman. My lingam is my symbol and
sign. O sons! The two of you will worship it every day. This represents my
atman and will always ensure that people are brought to my presence. This
lingam is no different from me and must always be greatly worshipped. O sons!
Wherever a lingam like this is established, I am present there. If a lingam is
established, the fruit is one of similarity with me. 184 If a second
lingam is established there, the fruit is one of union with me. 185
The establishment of the lingam is important, its nature is of minor
importance. 186 It becomes a kshetra when one thinks of the lingam
and the signs are present everywhere."""
“Brahma and Vishnu said, "O
lord! Beginning with creation, please tell us about the signs of the five
things that have to be done.""
'Shiva replied, "Out of
compassion towards you, I will tell you and make you understand about the five
secret things that I do. O ones without decay! Creation, preservation, destruction,
disappearance and showing favours these are the five things that I always
accomplish. Creation of the world is sarga. Its establishment is known as
stithi. Samhara is annihilation. Tirobhava is concealment. Through anugraha or
favours, I bestow emancipation. These five are my tasks. But like a shadow that
silently stands near a gate, they are carried out through others. Creation and
the others are carried out for the sake of expansion and contraction of the
world, while the fifth ensures emancipation. But they are all firmly
established in me as a cause. Those who are my people can see these five in the
elements-creation in the earth, preservation in the water, destruction in the
fire, concealment in the wind and the showing of favours in the firmament.
Everything originates in the earth. Because of water, everything flourishes.
Everything is afflicted by the fire. _______________________
181 Vishnu.
182 They possess jivatmans, but they are
not the paramatman.
183 The column was the nishkala form and
the lingam was the sakala form.
184 That is, sarupya.
185 That is, sayujya.
186 Probably
meaning the material with which the lingam is made.
Everything is carried away by the
wind. Every kind of favour is shown by the firmament. Those who are learned
should know this. To carry out these five tasks, I possess five faces. Four
faces are in four directions and the fifth is in their middle. O sons! Because
of your austerities, you have received two of the tasks-creation and
preservation. Since you approached me and since I love you greatly, out of
affection, I have granted these to you.
In that way, Rudra and Mahesha
performed the two subsequent tasks. 187 No one else is capable of
taking up what is known as anugraha. Through the passage of time, the two of
you have forgotten about the pre-assigned tasks decided earlier. Unlike that,
Rudra and Mahesha have not forgotten their tasks. I have granted them a
position that is equal to mine in form, attire, tasks, mount, seat, weapons and
everything else. They undertake those tasks for me. O children! Your
foolishness arose because you stopped meditating on me. If you had retained the
knowledge, you would not have the pride that you yourselves were Mahesha. From
now on, to obtain the jnana, you will perform japa of the mantra known as
Aumkara. For those who are my own, it also destroys pride. I have instructed
you about my mantra of Aumkara, which is pervasive in its auspiciousness.
Aumkara first originated from my mouth and develops understanding about me. It
is the speech, and I am the one spoken about. This mantra is like my atman. By
remembering it, one always remembers me. 'A' emerged first from the mouth
towards the north, 'U' from the mouth towards the west, 'M' from the mouth
towards the south and the bindu from the mouth towards the east. The nada
emerged from the mouth in the middle and all five combined to become one. 188
Let me say it again. They combined to become a single akshara. It should be
known that everything that originates has a nama and a rupa. 189
They are pervaded by this mantra, which also signifies Shiva and Shakti. To
make one understand about the sakala form, the five aksharas were born after
that, with 'NA' and others following 'AA' and others in due order. 190
From these five aksharas, the five types of Matrikas originated. 191
Gayatri mantra, with the three lines, also emerged from the head and the four
faces. 192 All the Vedas and crores of mantras originated from this.
These mantras lead to various kinds of success. But every kind of success is
obtained through the single mantra, 193 Objects of pleasure and
emancipation are obtained. All these mantras are royal and auspicious and
directly yield objects of pleasure
________________________
187 Destruction and concealment respectively.
188 A+U+M AUM or Aumkara. Bindu (dot) is
the nasal sound and nada is the overall sound.
189 Respectively name and form.
190 This means AUM NAMAH SHIVAAYA, with
the five aksharas of NA + MAH + SHI + VAA + YA. Given the way the text states
it, SHIVAAYA NAMAH AUM is probably meant.
191 Matrikas are divine mothers. The usual
list of Matrikas has eight: Brahmi, Maheshvari, Chandi, Varahi, Vaishnavi,
Koumari, Chamunda and Roudri. But this list is not standardized.
192 Gayatri/Savitri mantra, from the Rig
Veda, has three lines (pada). Gayatri mantra is usually written as bhur bhuvah
svah, tat savitur vareniyam, bhargodevasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.
But the mantra actually starts with tat savitur vareniyam. Hence, three lines.
193 This could mean Aumkara, but probably
means Namah Shivaaya.
."" 'Nandikeshvara
continued, "Along with Ambika, he again assumed the role of their guru. As
they faced the north, he gently placed his lotus hands on their heads and
taught them the supreme mantra. They uttered it thrice and in due order,
received the mantra, yantra and tantra. 194 The two disciples
offered themselves up as dakshina. 195 They clasped their hands
together. Standing near the preceptor of the universe, they spoke to him.
Brahma and Achyuta said, 'We prostrate ourselves before the one who is nishkala
and without form. We prostrate ourselves before the one whose energy is
nishkala. We prostrate ourselves before the lord of everything. We prostrate
ourselves before the one who is in all atmans. We prostrate ourselves before
the one who is spoken of as Pranava. We prostrate ourselves before the one
whose symbol is Pranava. We prostrate ourselves before the one who undertakes
creation and the other activities. We prostrate ourselves before the one who
has five faces. We prostrate ourselves before the one whose five forms are the
brahman. We prostrate ourselves before the one who undertakes the five kinds of
activities. Your atman is the brahman. You are infinite in your qualities and
potencies. You possess sakala and nishkala forms. We prostrate ourselves before
Shambhu, the guru.' In this way, Brahma and Vishnu bowed down before the guru.
Ishvara replied, 'O children! You have been shown and told everything. As
instructed by the goddess, you will perform japa with the Pranava mantra. It is
identical with me. Your jnana will be extremely stable. All your fortune will
be eternal. When japa is performed on chaturdashi, with Ardra in the ascendant,
nothing will be destroyed. If this is done when Surya transits Ardra, the good
merits will be one crore times more. In so far as worship and the offering of
oblations are concerned, the last quarter of Mrigashirsha nakshatra and the
first quarter of Punarvasu nakshatra should be known to be the same as Ardra
nakshatra. 196 The nakshatra must be seen at dawn and within a
period of three muhurtas197 after dawn. It should be accepted that
chaturdashi continues up to midnight. The first part of the night and its
opposite are praised.198 Worship of the sign of the lingam and
worship without a lingam are both excellent. However, for those who desire
emancipation, worship without the sign of the lingam is superior. Others will
use and themselves establish the sign of the lingam, using Aumkara mantra and
the mantra with five aksharas, offering excellent articles of worship. If they
worship with upachara, 199 they will easily obtain excellent
destinations.' Having instructed the two disciples in this way, Shiva vanished
from the spot.""
_____________________
194 Yantra is a mystical diagram, tantra
is a secret ritual.
195 While dakshina is a sacrificial fee,
it is also the fee given by a shishya to a guru after the successful completion
of studies.
196 Mrigashira nakshatra immediately
precedes Ardra and Punarvasu nakshatra immediately follows Ardra.
197 A muhurta is equal to 48 minutes.
198 That is, dusk and dawn.
199 Offering.
The sages asked, "How must the
lingam be established and what are its indications? What is the right method of
worshipping it, the time and the place?""
'Suta replied, "To make you
understand, I will tell you everything. Please listen attentively. The time
must be auspicious and favourable, and the place must be a sacred tirtha or the
bank of a river, as desired. But wherever the lingam is established, it must be
worshipped every day. As one wishes, it can be made out of earth, water or
fire. If the lingam possesses the auspicious signs mentioned, then the worship
leads to fruits. If it possesses all the auspicious signs, then the worship
leads to instant fruits. If the lingam is moved around, it should be subtle. If
it is stationary, it can be large. Possessing the signs, it must be placed on
an auspicious seat that has been devised. The seat can be circular, with four
faces, or in the form of a triangle. With such a base for the lingam, great
fruits are obtained. If the seat is shaped like a couch in the middle, few
fruits are obtained. At first, the lingams were made out of clay or rock. Later,
they were made of iron and other materials. If the lingam is stationary, a seat
made out of the same material is praised. Even if the lingam is moved around,
this is the case, with the exception of the one created by Bana. 200
An excellent lingam is one which measures a span that equals twelve fingers of
the devotee. If it is shorter, the fruits are less. If it is longer, no harm is
done. If a moveable lingam is shorter than twelve fingers of the devotee by the
length of one finger, there is no harm either. In the beginning, a vimana201
shall be constructed, with devas and ganas represented. This should be placed
in a firm garbha-griha, 202 which is as beautiful as a mirror. This
will be adorned with jewels, the most important of which are the nine jewels-blue
sapphire, ruby, cat's eye, yellow sapphire, 203 emerald, pearl,
coral, hessonite and diamond. These are the nine jewels and with the seat, the
lingam must be placed in the midst of these great objects. Starting with
Sadyojata, in due order, the lingam must be worshipped in five different
places. 204 Many kinds of oblations must be offered into the fire,
also for Uma and other members of his family.
___________________
200 Banasura (the asura Bana) was Shiva's
devotee. He worshipped a rasa-lingam/parada-lingam (made out of mercury),
constructed for him by Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods.
201 In this context, meaning a housing for
the lingam. For large lingams, this will naturally be a temple.
202 The sanctum sanctorum of the housing.
203 Yellow sapphire is mentioned in usual
lists of nine jewels (navagraha). But while the text mentions the names of the
other eight jewels, it does not mention yellow sapphire. Instead, it uses the
word shyamam, which means dark or blue-black. There is no jewel with this name.
But Shyama was also the name for Thailand. So, this might have been a term for
yellow sapphires that came from Thailand. It is also possible that shyamam
means onyx, though this is not normally listed as one of the nine jewels.
204 Shiva has had several manifestations.
Five of these are Sadyojata (linked with earth), Vamadeva (linked with water),
Tatpurusha (linked with wind), Aghora (linked with intellect) and Ishana
(linked with the jivatman). One must start with Sadyojata and worship all five.
This must be done in five places-fire (as oblations to devas), the guru
(representing rishis), relatives (representing ancestors), guests (representing
humans) and other beings. A householder must perform five great sacrifices
(pancha mahayajna) every day-honouring devas, honouring rishis, honouring
ancestors, honouring humans and honouring animals/birds. In the hierarchy of
teachers, guru is inferior to acharya.
The guru and the acharya must be
worshipped with wealth. Relatives must be given whatever they wish for. Those
who seek wealth must be given whatever mobile or immobile objects they desire.
All sentient and insentient beings must be attentively satisfied. The place
must be filled with gold and sparkling jewels. Pronouncing mantras for
Sadyojata and the brahman, one must perform dhyana on the supreme and
auspicious divinity. The great mantra of Aumkara, along with its nada, must be
uttered. The lingam will then be placed on the seat for the lingam and the two
joined together. When the lingam and the seat are brought together, they must
be joined with material that makes the union permanent. When the sign of the
lingam is established in this way, it is extremely auspicious. For the sake of
a festival, the sign of the lingam can be taken outside, uttering the mantra
with five aksharas. The lingam must be accepted from gurus, or it must be one
that has been worshipped by virtuous people. When the sign of the lingam that
is worshipped is like that, it bestows a destination with Shiva. Then again,
the lingam is said to be of two types-mobile and stationary. 205
Trees and creepers are spoken of as stationary lingams. Worms, insects and
other things are spoken of as mobile lingams. The stationary must be served,
and the mobile must be offered oblations. The learned say that cheerfully
tending to these with love is like worshipping Shiva. Amba is everywhere in the
seat and the eternal Shiva is everywhere in the lingam. Just as Shankara is
established with the goddess Uma on his lap, in that way, the seat is
established, always holding up the lingam. Thus established, with upachara, the
great lingam must be worshipped. The daily worship and use of standards and
other things will depend on one's capacity. Thus established, the lingam
directly bestows a destination with Shiva. Or the lingam can also be worshipped
with the sixteen kinds of upachara. If one worships it in the proper way, one
gradually moves towards a destination with Shiva. These are-avahana, asana,
arghya, padya, anga-achamana, abhyanga-snana, vastra, gandha, pushpa, dhupa,
dipa, nivedana, niranjana, tambula, namaskara and visarjana.206
Alternatively, one can follow the norms and offer arghya and naivedya. 207
If abhisheka, 208 naivedya, namaskara and offering of oblations is
always done, according to one's capacity, this gradually bestows a destination
with Shiva. Depending on where, one can offer the upachara to a lingam
established earlier by a human, a rishi or a deva, or to one that is Svayambhu.
209 With worship and offerings, some fruits will be obtained. After
pradakshina and namaskara, one gradually proceeds to a destination with Shiva.
Shiva is obtained as soon as one sees the lingam and follows the rituals. There
are fruits if the devotee makes a lingam out of clay, cow dung, flowers,
karavira, 210 fruits, molasses, butter, ashes or cooked
__________________________________
205 Meaning, Shiva is everywhere.
206 This is one possible listing of the
sixteen kinds of upachara. the feet, bathing the limbs, smearing the limbs with
oil, garments, They respectively mean invocation, seat, gift, water for washing
as naivedya, nivedana is the act of offering), offering lamps (niranjana
fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps, offerings of food (the food is known means
spotless), betel leaves, prostrating oneself and releasing the deity.
207 One need not offer all sixteen.
208 Sprinkling the deity with water, a
ceremonial bath.
209 A Svayambhu lingam manifests itself on
its own, without anyone having established it.
210 Karavira is oleander (nerium odorum).
This probably means the fruit, not the flower.
food-as one desires, and worships
it according to the rules. Some have said that Shiva can be worshipped on one's
thumb. In such kinds of tasks connected with a lingam, there are no prohibitions.
According to the qualities of the effort made, Shiva bestows fruits everywhere.
Alternatively, one can donate a lingam or give the money required to make a
lingam. Anything devotedly given to a devotee of Shiva's bestows a destination
with Shiva.""
"Alternatively, every day, one
can perform japa with the Pranava mantra ten thousand times. It should be known
that chanting Pranava mantra one thousand times, at the time of the two
sandhyas, takes one to Shiva's abode. When one performs japa, if one ends with
Aumkara, this purifies the mind. When one is in samadhi,211 the
chanting must only be done in one's mind. At all other times, it can be
pronounced. Bindu and nada are known to be as effective as Pranava. Therefore,
one must always lovingly perform japa, using the mantra with five aksharas.
During the two sandhyas, if this is done one thousand times, this bestows
Shiva's region. When this is done by a brahmana and starts with Pranava, it is
special. If one receives the mantra from a guru, with the proper diksha, oпе
obtains fruits. Bathing at the time of Kumbha, 212 receiving a
mantra through diksha, performing nyasa of the Matrikas, 213 a
brahmana who is pure in his atman and a guru who possesses knowledge-these are
special. Brahmanas should start 214 with 'namah'. Others should end
with 'namah'. Following the norms, some women can end with 'namah'. Some say
that brahmana women should start with 'namah'. Performing japa five crore times
makes one Sadashiva's equal. If one utters it one crore, two crore, three crore
or four crore times, one reaches the abode of Brahma and the others. Japa can
be performed with the entire akshara one hundred thousand times or with the
separate aksharas one hundred thousand times. 215 If one pronounces
the akshara one hundred thousand times, it should be known that this yields
Shiva's abode. If a person performs japa with the mantra one thousand times
every day and continues with this one thousand for one thousand days, he
obtains success in whatever he wishes. He must always feed brahmanas. In the
morning, a brahmana must always perform japa with the Gayatri mantra one
thousand and eight times. He will then gradually attain Shiva's abode.
Observing the rules, he must perform japa with the mantras and suktas216
of the Vedas. The dasharna mantra217 must be chanted ninety-nine
times, nine hundred times, or nine thousand and nine hundred times. It should
be known that following the Vedas takes one to Shiva's abode. There are many
other mantras, with other aksharas. _____________________________
211 Yoga has eight elements-yama
(restraint), niyama (rituals), asana (posture), pranayar pranayama (breathing),
pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (retention), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi
(liberation or deep meditation). That's the reason the expression ashtanga
(eight-formed) yoga is used.
212 Kumbha rashi is the zodiac sign of
Aquarius. Traditionally, bathing at a tirtha is auspicious when Jupiter
(Brihaspati), the Sun (Surya) and the Moon (Chandra) transit through specific
signs of the Zodiac. The text probably means that the Sun should transit
through Kumbha.
213 Nyasa means to place. Anga-nyasa is
the mental appropriation (nyasa) of different limbs of the body (anga) to
different divinities. Kara-nyasa is similarly done to different parts of the
hand (kara). This is an act of purification. Nyasa can also mean the placement
of Matrikas in different parts of a mystical diagram (yantra).
214 Pronouncement of a mantra.
215 Probably meaning AUM Namah Shivaaya as
a whole, or AUM, Namah and Shivaaya separately.
216 Sukta is a hymn.
217 A mantra with ten aksharas. This
probably means AUM Namah Bhagavate Rudraaya.
One should perform japa with these
one hundred thousand times. If a mantra consists only of a at single akshara,
one should perform japa with that akshara one crore times. After this, one must
devotedly perform japa one thousand times. If one does this, according to one's
capacity, one gradually obtains a destination with Shiva. Until death
approaches, one must always chant a mantra that brings him pleasure. If one
performs japa with 'AUM' one thousand times, because of Shiva's command, one
obtains everything one wishes for. If he constructs a garden full of flowers or
a tank for Shiva, if he does some cleaning for Shiva, if he does anything for
Shiva, he obtains a destination with Shiva. One must always devotedly reside in
Shiva's kshetra. This bestows emancipation on everyone, sentient or insentient.
It confers liberation. Therefore, until he dies, a learned person must reside in
Shiva's kshetra. If the lingam has been constructed by a human, it should be
known that the region up to a distance of one hundred hastas from it is sacred.218
Like that, if the lingam has been constructed by a rishi, the region up to a
distance of one thousand aratnis from it is sacred. If the lingam has been
constructed by a deva, it should be known that the region up to one thousand
aratnis from it is sacred. If it is a Svayambhu lingam, the region up to one
thousand dhanuses is sacred. Following Shiva's words, tanks, wells and ponds
located in this sacred tirtha should be known to be equal to Shiva Ganga. 219
By bathing, donating or performing japa there, one goes to Shiva's abode.
Until one dies, one must seek refuge in Shiva's kshetra. The offering of pinda220
on the tenth day after cremation, the monthly offering of pinda and the annual
offering of pinda should be done in a kshetra that is Shiva's kshetra. One is
then freed from all sins and instantly obtains Shiva's abode. If one resides in
such a place for seven nights, five nights, three nights or even one night, one
gradually obtains Shiva's abode. Depending on one's own varna, qualities and
conduct, a man obtains worlds. However, devotion enables a man to rise above
his varna and obtain fruits that are disproportionately more. Anything done
with a particular desire in mind, instantly bears fruits. Anything done without
any desire in the mind, yields a destination with Shiva himself. At the three
times of a day, morning, midday and evening, the rites must duly be performed.
One should know that rites in the morning are ordained, those at midday are for
the attainment of desires and those done in the evening are for the sake of
pacification. This is also true of rites undertaken at night. The period of
night is divided into yamas and the two yamas in the middle are known as
nishitha, 221 In particular, the worship of Shiva at that time
yields everything that one wishes for. Knowing this, a man should act
accordingly and obtain the mentioned fruits. Especially in kali yuga, success
in obtaining the fruits depends on performing this karma. If a man's mind turns
towards these rites, irrespective of what rights he is entitled to, if he
follows good conduct and is scared of sin, he will obtain the fruits.""
"The rishis
said, "O Suta! O supreme among yogis! Please tell us briefly about the
sacred kshetras, resorting to which, men, women and others attain the
objective. Please also tell us about the practices in Shiva's
kshetras.""
"Suta
replied, "Listen attentively to all the kshetras and the practices
there.""
__________________________________
218 Measures of distance are not
standardized. Hasta is the length of a hand, aratni is the length of an elbow,
that is, a cubit. Dhanus is the length of a bow, usually given as four hastas.
219 Ganga that flows through Shiva's
matted hair.
220 Funeral oblation offered to a deceased
ancestor or relative. This is done immediately after death, once every month
for a year after death, and then at the end of a year, or every year.
221 Yama is a period of three hours and
night lasts for twelve hours. Nishitha is the six hours centred around
midnight.
“Suta said, "O wise rishis!
Hear about the Shiva kshetras that bestow emancipation. For the sake of the
welfare of the worlds, I will also tell you about the practices there.
Following Shiva's command, the earth extends for fifty crores of yojanas,222
is covered with mountains, forests and groves and holds up the world. There are
Shiva's kshetras wherever there are habitations. Out of compassion and with a
desire to bestow emancipation, the lord has himself thought of these divine
kshetras. There are those established by rishis, others established by devas.
There are others that are Svayambhu. All these are for the protection of the
worlds. In these tirthas and kshetras, one must always undertake the tasks of
bathing, donations and performing japa. Otherwise, men will suffer from
disease, poverty, dumbness and various other things. In Bharata Varsha, if a
man has resided and died in a place where there is a Svayambhu lingam, he will
again be born as human. O learned ones! If a sin is committed in a kshetra, it
cannot be dislodged. Therefore, if one resides in a sacred kshetra, one must
never commit a sin. A man must make every effort to reside in such a sacred
kshetra.""
"There are many kshetras along
the shores of the ocean, at the confluences of hundreds of rivers. The sacred
River Sarasvati is said to have sixty such confluences. Hence, if a wise person
resides along its banks, he gradually attains Brahma's world. The sacred Ganga
flows from the Himalaya mountain and has hundreds of mouths. There are many
sacred tirthas along its banks too, Kashi and others. Its banks are
particularly praised when Brihaspati is in Capricorn in the month of
Margashirsha. 223 The river Shonabhadra224 has ten
auspicious mouths that yield all the fruits that one desires. Through fasting
and bathing there, a person obtains Vinayaka's abode. 225 The great
river, Narmada, has twenty-four mouths. Through fasting and bathing there, a
person obtains Vishnu's abode. Tamasa has twelve mouths and River Reva has ten
mouths. 226 The extremely sacred Godavari destroys the sins of
killing a brahmana or a cow. It is said to have twenty-one mouths and bestows
Rudra's world. The sacred river, Krishnaveni, 227 destroys all sins.
It is said to have eighteen mouths and bestows Vishnu's world. Tungabhadra has
ten mouths and bestows Brahma's world. Suvarnamukhari228 is said to
be sacred and has nine mouths. Those dislodged from Brahma's world are born
there. If one resides along the banks of the auspicious Sarasvati, Pampa, Kanya
and Shvetanadi, one obtains Indra's world.229 The extremely sacred
and great river, Kaveri, flows from Mount Sahya.
___________________________
222 A yojana is a measure of distance,
between eight and nine miles.
223 The text uses the word Mriga to mean
Capricorn.
224 The river Sona/Sone.
225 Vinayaka is Ganesha.
226 Tamasa (Tons) is a tributary of Ganga
and Reva (often equated with Narmada) is a tributary of Narmada.
227 Krishna and Venna.
228 Suvarnamukhi, in the Rayalaseema
region.
229 Pampa, often identified with
Tungabhadra, is a tributary of Tungabhadra. Shvetanadi is probably Sitanadi,
which joins Mahanadi. Kanya is difficult to identify.
It is said to have twenty-seven
mouths that yield everything that is desired. Its banks bestow heaven and the
worlds of Brahma and Vishnu. In that way, the river Shaivya, 230
bestows all the desired fruits and Shiva's world.""
"When Brihaspati and Surya are
in Mesha, one should bathe and worship in Naimisha and Badari. 231
This bestows Brahma's world. When Surya is in Simha or Karkataka, one should
bathe in Sindhu. 232 A learned person will drink and bathe in the waters
of Kedara 233 and obtain jnana. When Brihaspati is in Simha in the
month of Simha, 234 one should bathe in Godavari. In ancient times,
Shiva himself has said that this bestows Shiva's world. When Surya and
Brihaspati are in Kanya, 235 one should bathe in Yamuna and Shona.
The learned know that this yields great objects of pleasure in the worlds of
Dharma and Dantin. 236 Like that, when Surya and Brihaspati are in
Tula, 237 one should bathe in Kaveri. The learned know that Vishnu
himself said that this yields everything one wishes for. In the month of
Vrishchika, when Surya and Brihaspati are in Vrishchika, 238 one
should bathe in River Narmada and obtain Vishnu's world. If one bathes in River
Suvarnamukhari when Brihaspati and Surya are in Dhanus, one obtains Shiva's
world. Brahma has said this. In that way, in the month of Margashirsha, when
Brihaspati is in Mriga, 239 one should bathe in Jahnavi. 240
Brahma said that this bestows Shiva's world. After enjoying oneself in the
worlds of Brahma and Vishnu, one obtains jnana. In the month of Magha, when
Surya is in Kumbha, 241 shraddha ceremonies, the offering of pinda
and donating water mixed with sesamum saves crores of ancestors from both the
father's and the mother's lineages. The learned know this. When Surya and
Brihaspati are in Mina, bathing in Krishnaveni is praised. Bathing in that
tirtha in that month bestows Indra's world. A learned person will seek refuge
in, and dwell near, the rivers Ganga and the one that flows from Sahya. 242
If he does this, it is certain that his sins will be instantly cleaned. There
are many other kshetras that bestow Rudra's world. Tamraparni and Vegavati
yield the fruits of Brahma's world. 243 The tirthas that exist along
the banks of these two bestow heaven.
_______________________________
230 Although by no means certain, this
could be the Shivakashi river in Karnataka.
231 Mesha is the sign of Aries. Naimisha
is the forest of Naimisharanya and Badari is Badarikashrama (Badrinath).
232 Simha and Karkataka are respectively
Leo and Cancer. Sindhu is Indus.
233 Mandakini river in Kedarnath.
234 The names of lunar months are
different from those of solar months. Simha is a solar month, corresponding to
the rashi of Simha and is in August/September. It roughly corresponds to the
lunar month of Bhadrapada. The solar months are Mina (lunar Chaitra), Mesha
(lunar Vaishakha), Vrisha (lunar Jyestha), Mithuna (lunar Ashada), Karkataka
(lunar Shravana), Simha (lunar Bhadrapada), Kanya (lunar Ashvina), Tula (lunar
Kartika), Vrishchika (lunar Margashirsha), Dhanus (lunar Pousha), Makara (lunar
Magha) and Kumbha (lunar Phalguna).
235 Virgo.
236 Dantin is the one with tusks, Ganesha.
237 Libra.
238 Scorpio.
239 Capricorn.
240 Ganga.
241 Aquarius.
242 That is, Kaveri.
243 Tamraparni is Thamirabarani (Tamil
Nadu) and Vegavati is Vaigai (Tamil Nadu).
There are many other sacred tirthas
that exist in between these two. The wise ones who reside there reap the
corresponding fruits. However, wise people who reside there obtain these fruits
only through good behaviour, good action and good sentiments. Auspicious deeds
performed in a sacred kshetra yield many kinds of prosperity. But wicked deeds
performed in a sacred kshetra also become much greater. While residing in such a
place, if one performs a wicked deed only for the sake of subsistence, the
consequences are not permanent. Good deeds, in thoughts, words and action are
said to bestow prosperity. O brahmanas! The consequences of committing a sin in
one's mind are also like that. It is possible for a mental sin to smear a
person from one kalpa to another kalpa. Such a sin can only be destroyed
through dhyana. There is no other way one can wish to destroy it. O brahmanas!
A sin committed in words is destroyed through japa, drying up the body244
and donating wealth. Otherwise, it cannot be destroyed in crores of kalpas. In
cases, an increase in wicked deeds destroys the good merits earned earlier.
Both good deeds and wicked ones have three stages-the part that is the seed,
the part that is the increase and the part where they are enjoyed. As long as
they are in the form of seed, they can be destroyed through jnana. In the stage
of increase, they can be destroyed through the steps mentioned. But in the
stage of enjoyment, they have to be enjoyed. Even crores of good deeds will not
suffice then. When seeds or sprouts are destroyed, only what remains needs to
be enjoyed. Worshipping devas, donating to brahmanas and performing austerities
makes it easier for men to tolerate the period of enjoyment. Therefore, a
person who desires happiness must refrain from committing wicked
deeds.""
“The sages asked, "We wish to
hear about sadachara,245 practicing which, a learned person can
conquer the worlds. Please tell us about dharma and adharma, respectively
leading to heaven and hell.""
'Suta replied, "A brahmana
with sadachara is known as vidvan. A brahmana who possesses sadachara and
practices the conduct of the Vedas is known as a vipra. A brahmana who possesses
only one of these two is a dvija. A brahmana who possesses a little bit of good
conduct and a little bit of the Vedas is known as a kshatriya brahmana. He
becomes a servant of the king. With a small bit of good conduct, if a brahmana
practices agriculture and trade, he is a vaishya brahmana. One who ploughs the
field himself is known as a shudra brahmana. A brahmana who is jealous and
causes harms to others is spoken of as a chandala brahmana. A kshatriya who
rules over the earth is rajan, the others are held to be ordinary kshatriyas.
Those who buy and sell grain are vaishyas, the others are spoken of as
vanijakas. A person who serves brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaishyas is referred
to as shudra. A shudra who tills the land is vrishala, the others are
dasyus.""
"Everyone must get
up in the morning and facing the east, think of devas. He will next think of
dharma, artha, difficulties, receipts and expenditure. The direction in which
one gets up in the morning determines the fruits for the day-lifespan, hatred,
death, sin, fortune, ailments, nourishment and strength.
__________________________
244 Through austerities.
245 Good behaviour.
The last part of the night is known
as Usha and the last half of this is known as Sandhi, 246 A brahmana
should get up at that time and release urine and excrement. He must do this
outside the house and in a place that is far away from it. He must sit facing
the north. If there are obstructions in doing this, he can face any of the
other directions. He should not sit facing water, a fire, a brahmana or the
image of a deity. He must cover his penis with his left hand and his mouth with
the other hand. When he gets up after releasing excrement, he must not look at
the stool. He must clean himself with water that has been collected and not
with external water. 247 This should be done without descending into
a tirtha of devas, ancestors or rishis. Using mud, the anus must be cleaned
seven times, five times or three times. The penis can be cleaned with mud that
is the size of a cucumber, but the anus must be cleaned with mud that amounts
to a prasriti.248 When he gets up, he must wash his hands and feet
and rinse the mouth eight times. But the water should not be spat out into an
external body of water. After this, the teeth must be cleaned, with leaves or
with a twig. However, while doing this, one must avoid the use of the index
finger. Next, worshipping devas of the water, he will pronounce the mantras and
have his bath. Those who are incapacitated will immerse themselves up to the
neck or up to the waist. Otherwise, he will immerse himself in water up to the
knees and pronouncing the mantras, have his bath. A learned person will take
water from a tirtha and offer oblations of water to devas and others. He must
take a dhoutavastram and wear it in panchakaccha fashion. 249 In all
rites, an uttariyam 250 must also be used. When having a bath in a
river or a tirtha, the garment must not be washed at the time of having a bath.
After the bath, a learned person will take it to a tank or well, or inside the
house. Using water from the tank or well, he will clean the garment by pounding
it on a rock or plank of wood. O brahmanas! When the garment is cleaned through
such pounding, the ancestors are pleased."" "Using the mantra
uttered by Jabalaka, Tripundraka ash must be smeared on the forehead251
If a person enters the water without doing this, he desires to go to hell. For
the pacification of sins, water must be sprinkled on the head, uttering the
mantra, 'Apo hi stha'.252 For freedom from sins, water must be
sprinkled on the joints of the legs, uttering the mantra, 'yasya kshayaya'.
_________________________
246 Usha is sometimes translated as dawn.
The day is divided into eight yamas, each yama lasting for three hours. Four
yamas are day and four yamas are night. Usha is the last yama of night and the
final one and a half hours of night represents Sandhi, the period of
conjunction between night and day.
247 That is, he must not clean himself
inside a waterbody.
248 Prasriti is the length of the palm
when the hand is stretched out and the palm is open.
249 A washed piece (dhouta) piece of
cloth (vastram), worn as a lower garment, is dhoutavastram, usually known as
dhoti. Pancha is five and kaccha is the act of tucking the garment into the
waist. The lower garment is worn with five such tucks.
250 Upper garment.
251 This is a reference to the
Bhasmajabala Upanishad, where Jabala, Shiva's devotee is told by Shiva about
the smearing of ash (bhasma) on the body, in particular, the
Tripundraka/Tripundra, the three horizontal lines that are smeared on the
forehead using the three middle fingers. Sometimes, this is also done with
sandalwood paste.
252 This is the apah suktam from Rig Veda
10.9. What's been cited in the text is only the first three words of a complete
mantra consisting of nine verses. Those three words translate as, 'O Water!
Because of your presence. This sounds incomplete and the complete first line
is, 'O Water! Because of your presence, the atmosphere is pleasant and imparts
us with vigour.' A subsequent verse has the two words yasya kshayaya, meaning
'whose decay'. Addressed to water again, the complete line is 'Thus, you going
to one who is suffering is sufficient to revive him.’
The learned know that bathing using
mantras involves sprinkling water on the feet, the head, the chest; then the
head, the chest, the feet; and finally, the chest, the feet and the head, in
that order. When there is a physical ailment, when there is fear from the king
or the kingdom and when there is a great calamity, it is sufficient that this
bathing with mantras is done with a slight touch of water. In the morning, one
should sip water and rinse the mouth, uttering mantras to Surya. In the
evening, this must be done while uttering mantras to Agni. At midday, water
must be sprinkled on the head. O brahmanas! After performing japa with gayatri
mantra, 253 arghya must be offered to the sun in the eastern
direction. Along with the mantra, arghya must also be offered at midday and in
the evening. In the morning, the arghya will be offered by raising up both the
hands. At midday, the arghya will be released through the fingers. In the
evening, the water will be released on the ground, facing the western
direction. At midday, the sun must always be viewed through the gaps between
the fingers. One must perform atma-pradakshina, 254 rinse the mouth
with water and purify oneself. Performing the sandhya rites before the right
muhurta in the evening is futile. If sandhya has been performed at the wrong
time, or if sandhya has been omitted for a day, depending on the number of
days, one must perform japa with gayatri one hundred times more every day. 255
If the omission happens for more than ten days, one must recite the gayatri one
hundred thousand times. If the omission has occurred for more than a month, one
must go through the upanayana ceremony once again. To obtain success, Isha,
Gouri, Guha, Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, the two Ashvins, Yama and other devas must
be propitiated. One must offer oblations to Brahma. Sprinkling the mouth with
water, one will then be purified. A learned person must control himself and be
seated to the right of a tirtha, in a revered matha, in the temple of a deva,
or in his own house. The seat must be stable, and his mind must be fixed. He
will prostrate himself before all devas and first recite Pranava mantra,
followed by gayatri mantra. While reciting Pranava, he must realize the union
between the jivatman and the brahman. 'We worship the creator of the three
worlds, Achyuta, the one who ensures preservation, and Rudra, the Destroyer. We
worship the self-illuminating one, who is behind our organs of perception and
action, our minds, our inclinations and our intellects. He is the one who
constantly urges us towards knowledge about dharma and bestows objects of
pleasure and emancipation.' A person who uses his intelligence to perform
dhyana in this way will certainly obtain the brahman. Unable to accomplish
this, since he is a brahmana, let him perform japa every day. Every day in the
morning, a bull among brahmanas must recite this one thousand times. The others
will recite this according to capacity. At midday, the japa must be performed
one hundred times. One should know that it must be done twenty times in the
evening, with Shivashtaka. 256
________________________
253 In the morning.
254 Pradakshina of one's own self. This is
figurative, contemplating that one is identical with the paramatman and
realizing that everything is therefore going around one's own self.
255 If the omission has been for one day,
the gayatri japa will be one hundred times more. If the omission has been for
two days, the gayatri japa will be two hundred times more and so on.
256 The text says Shikhashtaka. Shikha is
the tuft of hair and with ashtaka (eight) we have eight tufts of hair. This
makes no sense and we have changed it to Shivashtaka, the eight verses that are
a prayer to Shiva-prabhum prananatham vibhum vishvanatham and so on.
Beginning with muladhara, he must
meditate on the twelve chakras, 257 focusing on Vidyesha, Brahma,
Vishnu, Isha, the jivatman and Parameshvara. Taking himself to be one with the
brahman, he must perform japa with "Soham', 258 Starting with
brahmarandhra, 259 he will meditate on the ones outside the body.
Starting with the principle of Mahat, there are thousands of bodies. 260
Gradually, he must perform japa on each of these, one at a time, and progress.
Thus, the jivatman uses japa to unite with the other one, the supreme. It is
said that this is accomplished with two hundred Shivashtakas. The learned say
that is the progression in japa, using mantras for japa. The learned also say
that one thousand such japas bestow the status of Brahma and two thousand
bestow the status of Indra. One can protect oneself by doing this for a fewer
number of times and ensure that one is born as a brahmana. After worshipping
the sun, a person must do this every day. It is said that a complete brahmana
is one who has done this one million and two hundred thousand times. A person
who has recited the gayatri fewer than one hundred thousand times is not fit to
perform any rite connected with the Vedas.""
"When a
person has attained seventy years of age, he must leave for the forest. A
person who has left for the forest must perform japa with the Pranava mantra
twelve thousand times every morning. If there is omission of this daily act of
japa on any day, it must be made up the next day. If this omission continues
for more than a month, japa must be performed one hundred and fifty thousand
times. If the omission is for more than this, he must formally take to the
forest once again. Having done this, the sin can be pacified. Otherwise, one
goes to the hell named Rourava. A person who wishes for something must strive
for dharma and artha and not anything else. A brahmana must wish for
emancipation and always pursue jnana about the brahman. Artha results from
dharma. Objects of pleasure result from artha. Non-attachment is generated from
objects of pleasure. That is, artha earned through dharma must be spent on
objects of pleasure and this results in non-attachment. If artha is earned
through contrary methods, attachment results. The pursuit of dharma is said to
be twofold-through objects and through the body. Objects can be offered in the
form of oblations and other things. The body can bathe in tirthas and do other
things. A wealthy person can become poor. But austerities enable a person to
obtain a divine form. The lack of desire makes a person pure and there is no
doubt that purity leads to jnana. In krita and the other yugas, 261
austerities were praised. However, in kali yuga, the pursuit of dharma is
through objects. In krita, jnana was obtained through dhyana. In treta, success
came through austerities. In dvapara, success was obtained through sacrifices.
In kali yuga, jnana is obtained through the worship of images. Fruits are in
exact proportion to the good or bad deeds that have been performed. However,
differences in the body and in the quality of objects can lead to an increase
or decrease.
_____________________________
257 A chakra is the focal point in a body,
used for meditation. The usual list has twelve chakras-muladhara, svadhishthana,
manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna and sahasrara. In the twelve chakra system,
there are six within the body and six that are outside the body, higher and
universal. The six within the body are muladhara, svadhishthand, manipura,
anahata, vishuddha and ajna. The higher six are sahasrard, narayanana,
brahmanana, trikuthi, svaminana and muktanana.
258 "I am he.'
259 Brahmarandhra is the centre of the
brain and sahasrara is located inside brahmarandhra.
260 Tattvas are principles and Mahat
tattva is the primordial principle from which creation takes place. The bodies
stand for different universes.
261
Krita, treta and dvapara.
Adharma is violent in nature,
whereas dharma's nature is that of happiness. Unhappiness results from adharma
and dharma makes a person happy. It should be known that wicked conduct leads
to misery. It should also be known that good conduct leads to joy. Therefore,
for success in obtaining both objects of pleasure and emancipation, people
should follow dharma. If a person provides means of subsistence to a brahmana
and four of his family members, he resides in Brahma's world for one hundred
years. It is known that one thousand chandrayana vows262 lead to
Brahma's world. A kshatriya must act so as to provide means of subsistence to
one thousand families. It is known that this bestows Brahma's world. If he does
this for ten thousand families, it bestows Indra's world. Those who know the
Vedas know that a man obtains the world of the deva who he placed at the
forefront when he performed the act of donations. A person devoid of wealth
must always seek to accumulate austerities. He should go to tirthas and
practice austerities there. He will then enjoy eternal happiness.""
"I will now speak about the
earning of wealth. Listen attentively. A pure brahmana must receive after
officiating at sacrifices. But he must earn this wealth without any distress
and without any hardship. A kshatriya earns through the strength of his arms
and a vaishya through agriculture and animal husbandry. If the wealth earned
through proper means is donated, this ensures success. Through the favours of a
guru, everyone obtains success in the pursuit of jnana and success in the
pursuit of moksha. The nature of success in the pursuit of moksha is obtaining
supreme bliss. O brahmanas! Among all men, this is generated only if they
associate with virtuous people. When the time arises, a householder who desires
his own welfare must donate everything to brahmanas-wealth, grain, fruits and
food that is not grain. Water must be given to those who are thirsty. Food must
be given to pacify ailments that result from hunger. Donations of food are of
four types— from the field, unhusked grain, uncooked food and cooked food.
Until one has not heard about Shiva, or until the food has not been digested,
there is no doubt that a person who performs the good deed of donating food
earns half the good merits the receiver possesses. Therefore, a receiver of
donations must cleanse this sin through austerities. Otherwise, he will go to
Rourava hell. One's own wealth should be expended in three ways-for dharma, for
enhancing the wealth and for objects of pleasure. For dharma, one should
perform nitya karma, naimittika karma and kamya karma. The second part must be
spent in the beneficial act of enhancement of wealth. The final part can be
spent on the enjoyment of objects of pleasure. One tenth of what has been
earned through agriculture must be spent on cleansing the sin. 263 The
remnant can be spent on dharma and the other things. Otherwise, a person will
go to Rourava. If he does not do this, he is evil-minded, and it is true that
he will bring about his own destruction. A discriminating person who earns his
subsistence through usury must set aside one-sixth for donations. Pure and
excellent brahmanas who receive, must give away one-fourth as donations. If
wealth is received unexpectedly, an excellent brahmana will gave away half.
Everything received from a wicked person must be flung away into the ocean of
charity. Before giving away, the recipient should be invited.
___________________________
262 Chandrayana is a kind of fasting that
follows the progress (ayana) of the moon (Chandra). On the full moon night, one
only eats fifteen mouthfuls of food. For the fifteen lunar days following the
full moon, this is decreased by one mouthful per day. For the fifteen lunar
days following the new moon, this is increased by one mouthful per day.
263 Presumably because agriculture has
caused violence to living beings.
This enhances the donor's enjoyment
of objects of pleasure. According to capacity, a person must always give
everything that he is asked for. If an object asked for is not given, that debt
will be carried forward into the next life. A discriminating person will never
talk about another person's faults. In particular, a brahmana will never speak
about such things that he may have seen or heard about. A learned person will
never speak things that cause rage in the hearts of beings. To attain
prosperity, at the time of the
two sandhyas, he should observe the
fire rites. A person who is unable to do it on both occasions shall do it once,
following the norms and worshipping the sun and the fire with oblations of
paddy, grain, ghee, fruits and roots. Following the norms, food that has been
properly cooked in an earthen vessel must be offered in the vessel itself. If
no food is available, the main oblation of ghee will suffice. Learned ones who
know have spoken about many such acts of nitya karma. Alternatively, looking
towards the face of the sun, one can only perform japa. In this way, those who
wish to ensure their own welfare should act accordingly. They must always
practice brahma yajna264 and be devoted to worshipping devas. They
must always worship the fire. They must be devoted to worshipping the guru.
They must satisfy brahmanas. All of them will then enjoy themselves in
heaven.""
“The rishis said, "O lord!
Please tell us progressively abut The agni yajna, deva yajna, brahma yajna,
worshipping the guru and satisfying brahmanas.""
'Suta said, "The offering of
oblations into the fire is known as agni yajna. For those who are in the
ashrama of brahmacharya, it is also known as samidhadana. 265 Ο
brahmanas! Until oupasana, 266 for people who are in the first
ashrama, the specific vow to the fire is through kindling. O brahmanas! Those
who have retired to the forest and those who are mendicants have consigned the
fire267 into their atmans. Their welfare lies in eating limited quantities.
That act of eating is itself an oblation, 268 Those who have
embarked on oupasana, must carefully protect the sacrificial fire in a pit or a
vessel and guard it against the wind. In the case of intervention by the king
or by destiny, 269 the fire must certainly be preserved inside the
atman or in the arani. 270 When the usual fire has to be abandoned
out of fear, this is said to be a means of depositing the fire. O brahmanas!
The offering of oblations to the fire in the evening is known to ensure prosperity.
The offering of oblations to the sun in the morning is known to bestow a long
lifespan. During the day, the fire enters the sun. Therefore, this is also
known as agni yajna. The offering of oblations to Indra and all devas through
the fire is known as deva yajna. This is beneficial and can be in the form of
rites like offering cooked food in the earthen vessel in which it has been
cooked. It is known that acts like the first tonsure of the head are performed
with an ordinary fire.
___________________________
264 That is, pancha mahayajna, the duty of
every householder.
265 The collection of kindling.
266 The sacrifice into the fire, as
performed by a householder.
267 The fire maintained by householders.
268 Offered to the digestive fire.
269 Unforeseen situations that do not
allow for the usual household fire to be preserved.
by rubbing them against each other.
270 Arani stands for the two churning sticks used to kindle a fire,
When a brahmana practices brahma yajna, he satisfies devas. Studying the Vedas
is said to be brahma yajna.271 It is recommended that everyone must
always practice this, without any specific rules. However, there is also deva
yajna without the fire. Faithfully and lovingly, hear about this.""
"Mahadeva is omniscient and is
an ocean of compassion. At the beginning of creation, for the welfare of all
the worlds, the lord thought of different days of the week. The omniscient one
is a physician for samsara. He is the supreme medication among all medications.
For the sake of good health, the lord made the first day his own day. After
this, he used his own maya to bestow a boon on his son. There were hardships
when he was born and to tide over this, the next day was for Kumara. The lord
thought of this day so that one can overcome laziness. For the sake of
preserving the worlds, Vishnu became the protector. For the sake of protection
and nourishment, the lord thought of the next day for him. The next day
enhances the lifespan and was for the one who grants a long lifespan, Parameshthi
Brahma, the creator of the three worlds. The lord thought of this day so that
the lifespan of the world can be increased. In the beginning, so that the three
worlds might flourish, he thought of virtue and sin. Accordingly, the
divinities of the next two days became Indra and Yama. He next thought of
bestowing objects of pleasure on the worlds and taking away death. The natures
of Aditya and the others are such that they signify happiness and unhappiness. 272
At the beginning, these divinities of the days were thought to be established
in the circle of luminary bodies established in the sky. Worshipped on their
respective days, they bestow their respective fruits-in the due order, good
health, prosperity, destruction of ailments, nourishment, long lifespans,
enjoyment of objects of pleasure and prevention of death. 273 It is
said that if the respective devas are worshipped on different days of the week,
one obtains the respective fruits. However, even if other devas are worshipped,
it is really Shiva who bestows the fruits. To please devas, five kinds of
worship have been thought of japa of a mantra, offering of oblations,
donations, austerities and worship of the image on an altar, in front of the
fire or in front of a brahmana. The worship should be undertaken with the
sixteen kinds of upachara. Out of the five kinds of worship, the succeeding one
is superior to the preceding one. 274 If a preceding one cannot be
undertaken, a succeeding one should be followed. To pacify ailments of the eyes
or the heads or to cure leprosy, Aditya must be worshipped and brahmanas must
be fed, for a day, for a month, for a year or for a period of three years.
______________________
270 Arani stands for the two churning
sticks used to kindle a fire by rubbing them against each other.
271 Studying the Vedas honours the rishis.
This is one of the five components of pancha mahayajna, Brahma yajna has two
definitions, the broader one equates it with all of the five components of
bancha mahayajna, the narrower one with only one of these.
272 There were difficulties connected with
Kumara's (Skanda's) birth. He was deposited in a clump of reeds and reared by
Krittikas, thus becoming Kartikeya. Different divinities are associated with
different days of the week. In the listing given here, and there are
alternative listings. Shiva's day is Monday, Kumara's day is Tuesday, Vishnu's
day is Wednesday, Brahma's day is Thursday, Indra's day is Friday, Yama's day
is Saturday and Aditya's (Surya's day) is Sunday.
273 Corresponding to the seven days of the
week.
274 That is, oblations are superior to
japa, donations are superior to oblations and so on.
If a person's prarabdha karma275
is strong enough, this destroys disease, old age and similar things. It should
be known that performing japa for a deva bestows the fruits that correspond to
that particular day. The first day of the week is special for pacifying sin and
offerings should be made on that day. For
devas and brahmanas, Aditya's day
is special."" "For the sake of prosperity, a learned person will
worship Lakshmi276 and others on Somavara, 277 using rice
mixed with ghee. Alternatively, brahmanas can be fed, along with their wives.
To pacify ailments, Kali and others must be worshipped on Bhoumavara. Using
gram, mudga278 and an adhaka279 of rice, brahmanas can be
fed. A learned person will worship Vishnu on Soumyavara, with curds and rice.
If this is done, sons, friends and wives will always be nourished. To obtain
nourishment and ensure a long lifespan, a learned person will worship devas on
Guruvara, using a sacred thread, garments and milk and ghee. To obtain objects
of pleasure, a person must control himself and worship devas on Bhriguvara.
Brahmanas must be satisfied with cooked food that has the six kinds of
flavours. 280 Their wives must be satisfied by donating garments and
other auspicious things. To ward off untimely death, a learned person will
worship Rudra and others on Mandavara, offering oblations of sesamum. He will
donate and use cooked food mixed with sesamum to feed. Having worshipped in
this way, a learned person will obtain the benefits of good health and other
things. In daily worship of devas, special worship, bathing, donations, japa,
oblations, satisfying brahmanas, worshipping devas when there is a conjunction
of nakshatras on specific tithis, or on the first day or other days, it is the
omniscient lord of the universe who assumes all those specific forms and
bestows good health and other fruits. This depends on the time, the place and
the recipient. The objects used depend on the extent of devotion and the local
customs. Gradually, the divinity enables one to cross over and bestows good
health and other things. For good health and prosperity, a householder should
worship Aditya and the planets when an auspicious period starts, when an
inauspicious period ends and when his birth nakshatra is in the ascendant. This
worship of devas yields all the desired fruits one wishes for. Brahmanas should
use mantras, others should not use mantras. According to his capacity, a man
must always do this. A man who desires auspicious fruits must do this on the
seven days. The poor worship devas through austerities. The rich use wealth to
worship. Full of devotion, they repeatedly undertake these acts of dharma.
Having enjoyed all kinds of objects of pleasure, they are born on earth again.
To always enjoy objects of pleasure and extend them, all those who are rich
should accumulate dharma by planting trees for shade, digging tanks and
establishing the brahman. 281 After some time, when these auspicious
acts mature, he obtains success in the acquisition of jnana.
____________________________
275 That bit of accumulated karma that has
come to fruition in the present life.
276 The goddess of wealth and prosperity.
277 Somavara is Monday, Bhoumavara is
Tuesday, Soumyavara is Wednesday, Guruvara is Thursday, Bhriguvara is Friday
and Mandavara is Saturday.
278 Moong dal.
279 Adhaka is a measure used for grain,
equal to one-fourth of a drona.
280 Astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent,
salt and sour.
281 This possibly means establishing
temples.
O brahmanas! If a man reads this
chapter, hears it or makes it heard, he obtains the fruits of a deva
yajna.""
“The rishis said, "O Suta! O
one who knows the meaning of everything! O excellent one! Please tell us about
the place and other things.""
"Suta replied, "A pure
house bestows the same fruits as a deva yajna and related rites. A cow-pen
yields fruits that are ten times as much. The banks of a waterbody yield fruits
that are ten times as much. The root of a bilva tree, the root of an ashvattha
tree or the base of a tulasi plant yield fruits that are ten times as much.
282 It should be known that an abode of devas or the banks of a river
yield fruits that are ten times as much. A tirtha on a river yields fruits that
are ten times as much as those of an ordinary river. The banks of the seven
Gangas yield fruits that are ten times as much. The seven Gangas are described
as Ganga, Godavari, Kaveri, Tampraparni, Sindhu, Sarayu and Reva. The shores of
the ocean yield fruits that are ten times as much. Ten times more than these
are the fruits obtained on the summits of mountains. Out of all these, it
should be known that the place where the mind is at peace is the
best.""
"In krita yuga, the fruits of
sacrifices and donations are known to have been complete. In treta yuga, the
benefits became three-fourths. In dvapara yuga, it is known that one always
obtains half the complete fruits. In kali yuga, the fruits obtained are only
one-fourth. When only one quarter of kali yuga is left, the fruits obtained are
only half of this. 283 It should be known that a pure atman and an
auspicious day yield the complete auspicious fruits. However, the learned know
that the fruits become ten times more at the time of sankranti. 284
At the time of vishuva sankranti, it becomes ten times more. At the time of
transition from one ayana to another, it is said to become ten times more. Like
that, it becomes ten times more at the time of mriga sankranti. It becomes ten
times that at the time of a lunar eclipse. At the time of a complete solar
eclipse, it is known to become ten times that. Surya is the form of the
universe and at that time, it is united with poison. Therefore, ailments
spread. So as to pacify the poison, one should bathe, as the donate and perform
japa. The time when the poison is pacified is said to become a time that is auspicious.
When one's natal nakshatra is in the ascendant, and when a vow has been
completed, are times known to have the same efficacy period of a solar eclipse.
The time one spends associating with great and virtuous people is said to
bestow fruits that are ten times those of a solar eclipse.
________________________________________
282 Asvattha is the holy fig tree, tulasi
is the holy basil.
283 The meaning of this shloka is not
clear, and we have taken some liberties. It seems to suggest that the fruits
decrease as a specific yuga progresses.
284 Sankranti is the movement of the sun
from one sign of the zodiac (rashi) to another. Thus, there are twelve of
these. The entry of Surya into Capricorn, with the movement from dakshinayana
to uttarayana, is known as makara sankranti or mriga sankranti, while its entry
into Cancer, with the movement from uttarayana to dakshinayana, is known as
karka sankranti. The entry into Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are known
as shadashiti. The entry into Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are known as
vishnupada. The entry into Aries and Libra is known as vishuva sankranti.
Those devoted to austerities, those
devoted to jnana, yogis and mendicants are those who deserve to be worshipped.
They are patras 285 who are responsible for the destruction of sins.
A brahmana who has performed japa with gayatri mantra two million and four
hundred thousand times is also such a patra and enjoys the complete fruits. The
sacred texts say that a person who saves from downfall is a patra. 286
He is known as patra because he saves a donor from sin. In that way, gayatri is
said to be that which saves the reciter from downfall.287 A person
devoid of riches cannot donate riches to another person. In this world, only a
wealthy person can donate riches to others. Similarly, only those who are
purified and are pure themselves are worthy of saving men. A brahmana who has
purified himself by performing japa with gayatri is spoken of as a pure
brahmana. Hence, in donations, japa, oblations, worship and in all other rites,
it is such a brahmana who is worthy of being given donations. He is a patra who
saves others. For giving cooked food, a hungry man or woman is a deserving
patra. At that time, one must control oneself and invite an excellent brahmana,
using words full of meaning and donating riches to him. Such a person is
capable of bestowing the desired fruits. It should be known that voluntary
donations to a person confer the complete fruits. When donations are given
after one is asked, it should be known that only half the fruits are obtained.
It should be known that donations to servants only yield one quarter of the
fruits. O bulls among brahmanas! When one donates riches to a person who is
distressed and lacks means of subsistence, only because he happens to be a
brahmana, this act bestows objects of pleasure in this world for ten years. If
this happens to be a brahmana who knows the Vedas, this bestows heaven for ten
years. If this happens to be a brahmana who does japa with gayatri mantra, this
ensures Satyaloka for ten years. 288 It is known that if this
brahmana happens to be Vishnu's devotee, this ensures Vaikuntha. 289
If this brahmana happens to be Shiva's devotee, it is known that Kailasa is
ensured. Different kinds of donations ensure all the desired objects of
pleasure in different worlds. If a man gives a brahmana cooked food, along with
ten accompaniments, on a Sunday, in his next birth, he enjoys freedom from
disease for ten years. Along with cooked food, these ten kinds of accompaniments
are: displaying a lot of honour while inviting; smearing the body with oil;
tending to the feet; offering a garment; worshipping with fragrances; serving
cakes made in ghee; offering food with the six kinds of taste; offering betel
leaves; offering dakshina; and prostrating and following him for a while when
he departs. This is known as offering cooked food with the ten kinds of
accompaniments. If a person does this on a Sunday, he does not suffer from ill
health for one hundred years. On Monday or the other days, he obtains the
fruits that are associated with that particular day. It should be known that
the fruits of donating food are enjoyed in this world and in the next birth. If
he gives food to ten brahmanas on each of the seven days, he enjoys good way,
if health and other benefits for one hundred years. In this a man gives to one
hundred brahmanas on Sunday, he enjoys good health in Sharva's290
world for one thousand years.
_____________________________________
285 In this context, patra means a worthy
recipient.
286 Etymologically, saves (trayate) from
downfall (patana).
287 Etymologically, saves (trayate) the
reciter (gayaka).
288 The seven upper regions are Bhuloka,
Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka, Tapoloka and Janaloka. The seven
nether regions are Atala, Vitala, Nitala, Sutala, Talatala, Rasatala and
Patala.
289 Vishnu's world.
290 Sharva is one of Shiva's names.
If he gives to one thousand brahmanas,
he enjoys the benefits for ten thousand years. In this way, a learned man can
understand the benefits on Monday and the other days. On Sunday, if a person
gives cooked food to one thousand brahmanas, whose minds have been purified by
chanting gayatri, he enjoys good health and other benefits in Satyaloka. If he
gives to ten thousand, he enjoys Vishnu's world. If he gives cooked food to one
hundred thousand, he enjoys Rudra's world. Men who seek learning must give to
children, taking them to be the equal of the brahman. Men who desire sons must
give to young men, taking them to be the equal of Vishnu. Men who seek jnana
must give to the aged, taking them to be Rudra's equal. Men who desire
intelligence must give to young girls, taking them to be Bharati's291
equal. Excellent men who desire objects of pleasure must give to young women,
taking them to be the equal of Lakshmi. Those who seek the atman must give to
old women, taking them to be Parvati's equal.""
"Pure objects are said to be
those earned through shilavritti, unchavritti and dakshina due to a guru.292
These are known to yield complete fruits. Gifts offered by pure people are
spoken of as medium objects. Those obtained through agriculture and trade are
spoken of as inferior objects. Kshatriyas and vaishyas should respectively earn
through valour and trade. For shudras, superior objects are said to be those
earned through acting as servants. For women who seek dharma, objects are
obtained from the father or from the husband. If one desires prosperity, cattle
and other objects must be given in the twelve months, Chaitra and the others,
when an auspicious occasion presents itself. These twelve are a cow, a plot of
land, sesamum, gold, ghee, garments, grain, molasses, silver, salt, a pumpkin and
a maiden. Donations of cows, milk products and cow dung counter any taints
resulting from wealth or grains. Cow's urine counters any taints resulting from
water and oil. Physical taints are countered through three objects-milk, curd
and ghee. Those who are learned know about the nourishment these bring about. O
brahmanas! Gifts of land ensure the donor's establishment in this world and in
the world hereafter. The learned know that gifts of sesamum always provide
strength and help to ward off death. Gift of gold nourishes the digestive fire
and increases vigour. The gift of ghee nourishes and that of learning is known
to bestow a long lifespan. The gift of grain ensures prosperity in obtaining
food. Gift of molasses ensures sweet food. Gift of silver increases semen,
while gift of salt ensures that the six flavours are obtained. It is known that
the gift of a pumpkin ensures nourishment. O brahmanas! All these increase all
kinds of prosperity. All the objects of pleasure are obtained in this world and
in the next world. The gift of a maiden ensures objects of pleasure and makes a
person a jivanmukta. Learned people who desire success make gifts of fruits
like jackfruit, mango, wood-apple, fruits of other trees, plantain, herbs,
fruits from creepers, gram, mudga, other fruits, vegetables, chillies, mustard
and other vegetable products. To provide satisfaction to sense organs like the
ears, learned people donate sounds that are pleasant to hear. These also make
the four directions content. Vedas and sacred texts must be understood from the
mouth of the guru himself. A believer's intelligence is said to be that which
accepts that karma leads to fruits.
____________________________
291 Sarasvati's.
292 There are grains left after a crop has
been harvested, or after grain has been milled. If one subsists on these
left-overs, that is known as unchavritti, Shilavritti means gathering the
stalks and surviving on those. These clauses are meant for brahmanas.
Devotion that is a result of fear
in the mind, because of relatives or the king, is inferior. A poor person must
worship through every possible means, words and deeds. Worship through words
consists of pursuit of learning, mantras and japa. Physical worship consists of
visiting tirthas, observing vows and other daily rites. Whatever method is
used, whether it is little or a lot, as long as the mind is such that this is
offered to a deva, this is thought to lead to objects of pleasure. One must
always follow the two tasks of austerities and donations. on the seeker's varna
and qualities, refuge must Depending be offered. The learned know that
satisfaction of devas leads to every kind of object of pleasure. A learned
person always obtains an excellent birth in this world and objects of pleasure
in this world and the next one. If the inclination is such that everything is
offered to Ishvara, one obtains moksha. If a man constantly reads this chapter,
or listens to it, his intelligence turns towards dharma, and he obtains success
in acquiring jnana.""
“The rishis said, "O excellent
one! Please tell us about T the rules for worshipping earthen images. What
rules must be followed in the worship so that everything desired is
obtained?""
"Suta replied, "You have
asked an extremely virtuous question, about what always confers everything
desired. It instantly pacifies miseries. I will tell you. Listen. It wards off
death at the wrong time. It even wards off death itself. O brahmanas! It
immediately bestows wives, sons, wealth and grain. This leads to everything
that is wished for, cooked food, other edible objects and garments. The worship
of an earthen image yields everything desired on earth. In this connection, it
has been determined that both men and women have rights. The clay required must
be collected from the water of a river, pond or well. It must be crushed and
purified with fragrances. It must be cleaned properly with milk. On an
excellent platform, using the hands, one must knead the clay and make an image.
The body and the limbs must be shaped properly and adorned with the respective
weapons. The image must be seated in padmasana293 and must be
lovingly worshipped. The images worshipped can be of Vignesha, 294
Aditya, Vishnu, Amba and Shiva. However, a brahmana must always worship Shiva
in the form of Shiva's lingam. To be successful in obtaining the fruits, the
sixteen kinds of upachara must be used. With mantras, a flower must be used to
sprinkle water over the image. The naivedya, consisting of shali rice, must
always be measured out in kudavas. 295 For worship in a house, it
should amount to one kudava. For worship in a temple constructed by humans, one
prastha should be used. For worship in temple constructed by devas, three
prasthas must be used. For a Svayambhu image, five prasthas are appropriate.
This is known to yield complete fruits. If double or thrice the amount is used,
the fruits are known to be greater. It is true that if this worship is
performed one thousand times, a brahmana goes to Satyaloka.
_________________________
293 The lotus position.
294 Ganesha, the destroyer of impediments.
295 Shali is a fine variety of rice.
Kudava is a measure used for grain, equal to twelve handfuls. Four kudavas
amount to one prastha.
The learned know that a vessel made
out of iron or wood, twelve angulas 296 in width, twenty-four
angulas in length and sixteen angulas in height is known as a shiva. One-eighth
of this measure is a prastha, held to be equal to four kudavas. When ten
prasthas, one hundred prasthas or one thousand prasthas of water, oil,
fragrances and other things are used to measure out for worshipping a human,
rishi or Svayambhu lingam, this is known as mahapuja297 The
abhisheka of the image is for purifying one's atman. The offering of fragrances
is for auspiciousness. Naivedya ensures a long lifespan, while incense is for
the sake of prosperity. The lamp is for acquisition of jnana, the betel leaf is
for objects of pleasure. Therefore, in every worship, these six things must be
carefully undertaken. Namaskara and japa yield everything that is desired. For
men who desire objects of pleasure and liberation, these must always be done at
the end of a puja. A man must always worship every object in his mind before
going through the rite. If devas are worshipped, various worlds are obtained.
Desired objects of pleasure are also obtained in the inferior worlds. O
brahmanas! I will now describe special forms of puja. Please listen
devotedly.""
"By worshipping Vignesha, one
obtains everything one desires in this world. The special days for worshipping
him are Friday, chaturthi 298 in shukla paksha in the months of
Shravana and Bhadra and in the month of Dhanus, when Shatabhisha nakshatra is
in the ascendant. In the proper way, Vignesha must be worshipped at these
times. Alternatively, one can worship every day, for a period of one hundred or
one thousand days. Because of the divinity, the fire and the devotion, constant
worship bestows sons and everything desired on men. Every sin is pacified, and
impediments are destroyed. It is known that worshipping Shiva and the others on
their respective days purifies the atman. All kinds of kamya worship299
depend on the tithi and the conjunction of nakshatras. It is known that the day
represents the brahman and depending the nakshatra, there is no increase or
decrease in the length of on the tithi or the day. The day is from sunrise to
sunset and rites for Brahma and the others must be undertaken during their
respective days. Worship of devas on tithis bestows complete objects of
pleasure on men. The first part of the night is praised for worshipping the
ancestors. The second part of the day is praised for worshipping devas. If the
tithi is such that it extends over more than one day, 300 for rites
connected with devas, that part of the tithi that extends from sunrise to
midday must be accepted. This is also the case for determining auspicious
nakshatras. Through puja, japa and other things, the proper rites must be
undertaken on the respective days. All the complete objects of enjoyment are
successfully obtained through this rite. One is filled up through this rite.
That is how the word puja should be understood, puh and jayate. 301
Depending on one's mental state, desired jnana is also included as an object of
enjoyment. That is how the meaning of the word puja is understood among
ordinary people and is also understood in this way by people who know the
Vedas. Nitya and naimittika rites yield benefits over a period of time. But the
fruits of kamya rites are instantaneous. Nitya rites are performed every day.
Naimittika rites are performed every month, every fortnight or every year.
________________________
296 The width of a finger.
297 Great puja.
298 Fourth lunar tithi.
299 Undertaken with a specific desire in
mind.
300 A tithi can extend over two solar
days.
301 Jayate means generated. Puh means
purification. Puja is something that generates purification.
Therefore, the fruits of such karma
occur respectively, after a period of a fortnight and so on. The great puja of
Ganapati is performed on chaturthi in krishna paksha. This destroys sins for a
fortnight and yields fruits for a fortnight. If the puja is performed on
chaturthi in Chaitra, it yields fruits for a month. If it is performed in the
months of Simha or Bhadra, it is known to bestow fruits for a year. Aditya must
be worshipped on Sunday, on saptami, when the nakshatra Hasta is in the
ascendant and on saptami in shukla paksha, in the month of Magha. It is known
that the worship of Vishnu yields expected desires and prosperity, if performed
on Wednesday, on dvadashi302 in the months of Jyeshtha or
Bhadrapada, or on dvadashi, when Shravana nakshatra is in the ascendant. The
worship of Vishnu on dvadashi yields good health. If one donates the twelve
kinds of gifts, cattle and the others, along with the accompaniments, one
obtains the fruits. Such fruits are obtained through satisfying Vishnu. On
dvadashi, twelve brahmanas must be assigned twelve of Vishnu's names. Lovingly,
they must be honoured with the sixteen kinds of upachara. In this way, twelve
brahmanas can be assigned twelve names of any deva. When they are honoured,
this causes delight to the deva. Amba should be worshipped on Monday and on
navami303 in the month of Karkataka or Margashirsha. When a person
who desires prosperity worships Amba, he obtains all the objects of pleasure as
fruits. Navami in shukla paksha in the month of Ashvina yields everything
desired as fruit. Monday and chaturdashi in krishna paksha are special for the
worship of Shiva. When Ardra nakshatra is in the ascendant and Maha-Ardra304
are special for worshipping Shiva. Chaturdashi in krishna paksha in the month
of Magha yields everything that is desired. It ensures a long lifespan, dispels
sins and gives men everything desired. Chaturdashi in the month of Jyeshtha is
also like Maha-Ardra. Shiva's image must be worshipped with sixteen upacharas,
and his feet seen, also when Ardra is in the ascendant in Margashirsha. It
should be known that the worship of Shiva confers objects of pleasure and
emancipation on men.""
"The worship of devas on their
respective days is special in Kartika. When Kartika month arrives, a learned
person will worship all the devas, using donations, austerities, oblations,
japa and niyama. The image will be worshipped with the sixteen kinds of
upachara and a brahmana will pronounce the mantras. When brahmanas are fed, a
person is freed from desires and afflictions. Worshipping devas in Kartika yields
all the objects of pleasure. Ailments are dispelled and demons and evil planets
are destroyed. If oil and cotton seeds are used to worship Aditya on Sundays in
Kartika, leprosy and similar ailments are countered. If haritaka, 305
chillies, garments and milk are donated and Brahma instated, the disease of
consumption is countered. If lamps and mustard are donated, epilepsy is
countered. On Mondays in Kartika, men should worship Shiva. This pacifies great
penury and increases every kind of prosperity. Houses, fields and household
implements must be donated. On Tuesdays in Kartika, men should worship Skanda.
By donating lamps and bells, one soon becomes eloquent in speech. On Wednesdays
in Kartika, men should worship Vishnu. By donating curd and cooked rice, one
obtains good offspring.
__________________________
302 Twelfth lunar tithi.
303 Ninth lunar tithi.
304 That is, Maha Shiva Ratri.
305 Yellow myrobalan.
On Thursdays in Kartika, men should
worship Brahma. The donation of honey, gold and ghee increases objects of
pleasure for men. On Fridays in Kartika, the one who has a face like an
elephant 306 should be worshipped. Donations of fragrances, flowers
and cooked food increase objects of pleasure for men. If gold and silver are
donated, barren women obtain excellent sons. On Saturdays in Kartika, the
guardians of the worlds should be worshipped. Diggajas, 307
serpents, those who protect bridges, Tryambaka 308 Rudra and Vishnu,
the dispeller of sin, should be worshipped. Brahma must be worshipped for
jnana. The worship of Dhanvantari 309 and the two Ashvins removes
diseases and accidental death and instantly pacifies ailments. Gifts of salt,
iron, oil, beans, trikatuka, 310 fruits, fragrances, water and
liquids and solids measured out in prasthas and palas lead to heaven. At dawn
in the month of Dhanus, Shiva and all the others must be worshipped. This
progressively leads to the achievement of success. For naivedya, shali rice and
havishya are especially praised. Especially in the month of Dhanus, naivedya
must be in the form of various kinds of cooked rice. A person who donates
cooked food in Margashirsha obtains everything he desires as fruits. His sins
are destroyed. He accomplishes his desires and has good health. He follows
dharma and obtains proper knowledge of the Vedas. He follows good practices. He
obtains great objects of pleasure in this world and in the next one. At the
end, he obtains eternal union. Success in obtaining knowledge of Vedanta is
accomplished in Margashirsha. At dawn, for the duration of three days in
Margashirsha, a person must worship devas. Desired objects of pleasure are
obtained in the month of Dhanus. In the month of Dhanus, the rites can be
undertaken until the time of sangava. 311 A brahmana must conquer
his senses and fast in the month of Dhanus. Until midday, he must perform japa
with gayatri mantra, the mother of the Vedas. After this, until he goes to bed,
he must perform japa with panchakshara312 and other mantras. Having
obtained jnana, when he gives up his body, such a brahmana will obtain
emancipation. Other men and women will bathe thrice a day and always perform
japa with panchakshara mantra. They will obtain pure jnana. If one constantly
performs japa with the desired mantra, all the great sins are destroyed.""
"Particularly in the month of
Dhanus, a great naivedya should be offered. This must have shali rice measured
out in weight; peppers amounting to one prastha; twelve articles counted out;
one kudava each of honey and ghee; one drona313 of mudga; twelve kinds
of dishes; sweet cakes made in ghee; sweetmeats made out of shali rice; twelve
prasthas each of curds and milk; twelve coconuts and other fruits that are
counted out; twelve betel nuts; thirty-six leaves; camphor powder; five kinds
of fragrances; 314 and betel leaves. These are the characteristics
of a great naivedya. This great naivedya must be offered to the divinity.
According to varna, this must then be progressively distributed to the
devotees. _________________________
306 Ganesha.
307 There are four elephants that dwell in
the four directions. These are known as diggajas, an elephant (gaja) for each
direction (dik).
308 Three-eyed.
309 The physician of the gods.
310 Trikatukaltrikatu is a mix of three
ingredients-black pepper, long pepper and ginger.
311 The second yama, after dawn.
312 Pancharna mantra.
313 A measure of capacity.
314 Cloves, nutmeg, camphor, aloe and
kakkola berry, all in a mixture.
Having offered naivedya in this
fashion, a person becomes the lord of a kingdom in this world. Having offered a
great naivedya, a man goes to heaven. O bulls among brahmanas! If a person
offers this great naivedya one thousand times, he goes to Satyaloka and spends
an entire lifespan in that world. If a person offers this great naivedya thirty
thousand times, he goes to worlds that are higher still and is not reborn
again. It is said that thirty-six thousand offerings of a great naivedya
constitute the naivedya of a lifetime. Donation of such an offering is said to
make a person completely full. Since this offering makes a person completely
full, it is known as the naivedya of a lifetime. If a person offers the
naivedya of a lifetime, there is no rebirth for him. The naivedya of a lifetime
must be offered on an auspicious day in the month of Kartika. The excellent
naivedya of a lifetime should be offered at the time of sankranti, when the
natal nakshatra is in the ascendant, on the day of the full moon and on the
annual birthday. This can also be offered in other months when there is a
conjunction of one's natal nakshatra. It can also be offered when there is a
conjunction of Saturn with the natal nakshatra. The offering of the naivedya of
a lifetime is like offering up one's own life and one obtains the corresponding
fruits. Shiva is delighted when one offers up one's own life and grants sayujya
with him. This offering of the naivedya of a lifetime should only be made to
Shiva.""
"The yoni and the lingam are
Shiva's own forms. and he is the one who determines birth. Therefore, to
prevent births, this worship of a lifetime must be made to Shiva. The entire
universe, mobile and immobile, has bindu and nada inside it. Bindu is Shakti
and nada is Shiva. The universe has Shiva and Shakti inside it. Bindu holds up
nada. 315 Bindu holds up the entire universe. Bindu and nada are
established, providing a foundation for the entire universe. When bindu and
nada are united, everything becomes complete. There is no doubt that the
universe is born as a result of this completion. The lingam represents the union
of bindu and nada and is said to be the cause of the universe. Bindu is the
goddess and Shiva is nada. Shiva's lingam represents their union. Therefore, to
prevent birth, one should worship Shiva's lingam. The goddess is the mother of
the universe. Shiva is the father of the universe. When the parents are
constantly worshipped, there is an increase in great compassion. Out of this
compassion, prosperity is bestowed on the worshipper. O bulls among sages!
Thus, hidden gains are also obtained. Shiva's lingam is worshipped in the form
of the mother and the father. Bharga is said to be in the form of Purusha and
Bhargaa is said to be in the form of Prakriti. 316 Purusha is said
to be unmanifest and is the form of a hidden conception, inside. Prakriti is
said to be a conception that is extremely well manifest, but inside. Purusha is
the first conception. Therefore, Purusha is spoken of as the father. The union
of Purusha and Prakriti is spoken of as the first birth. When Prakriti becomes
manifest outside, it is spoken of as the second birth. Though born, a being is
as good as dead. It obtains proper birth only through Purusha. There are
certainly others who think and say that birth is the result of maya. The word
jiva is said to be that which decays from the time of birth. 317
Another meaning of the word jiva is that it is bound from the time of birth. 318
Therefore, from the time of birth, a person erson should worship the lingam, so
as to be freed from the noose of birth.
_______________________
315 In the sign (*), the dot is bindu and
the semi-circle is nada.
316 Bharga is Shiva and Bhargaa is
Parvati.
317 Jiva is living being. It decays
(jiryate) from the time of birth.
318 Bound in the noose of karma.
Prakriti is spoken of as Bhaga
because it enhances the progress towards prosperity. 319 The
ordinary senses enjoy sound and the other objects of the senses that result
from Prakriti. It is mostly heard that the word bhoga320 means that
which has been given by Bhaga. Bhaga is primarily Prakriti, but Shiva is spoken
of as Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the one who bestows bhoga. There is no one else who
can confer bhoga. Bhagavan is the lord of bhoga. Therefore, learned ones speak
of him as Bharga. When Bhaga is combined with lingam, there is union between
Bhaga and lingam. For objects of pleasure in this world and in the next one and
for constant enjoyment of objects of pleasure, one should worship Shiva's
lingam, Bhagavan Mahadeva. In the form of Surya, he gives birth to the worlds
and his symbol indicates that birth. One should worship Purusha in the form of
the lingam. The lingam indicates the cause behind birth. The meaning of lingam
is that it is a sign of existence. Therefore, one should meditate on the
lingam. The lingam signifies Purusha and takes one to Shiva. The lingam is
spoken of as the sign of union between Shiva and Shakti. He is delighted at his
sign being unimportant. The signs of what that symbol does are birth worshipped
and the signs of what that symbol does become and death. One thus withdraws
from birth and death. Using the sixteen kinds of upachara and means that are
internal or external, one should therefore worship Shiva's lingam, standing for
Purusha and Prakriti. Worshipping in this way on Sunday wards off birth. Using
Pranava, the great lingam should be worshipped on Monday. On Monday, abhisheka
with pancha gavya321 is particularly efficacious-cow dung, cow's
urine, milk, curd and ghee. These constitute pancha gavya. Milk, honey and
molasses can also be separately used, The naivedya of rice cooked in cow's milk
must be offered with the chanting of Pranava. Pranava is dhvani lingam; nada is
Svayambhu lingam; the yantra is bindu lingam; 'M' is pratishthita lingam; 'U'
is chara lingam; and 'A' is guru lingam. There is no doubt that a jiva who worships
the six lingams is liberated. 322 The devoted worship of Shiva frees
men from the cycle of birth. One-fourth of this benefit is obtained by wearing
rudraksha and one-eighth by smearing vibhuti. 323 Three-fourths are
obtained by performing japa with mantras and worshipping with complete
devotion. A man who is devoted to Shiva's lingam and worships it, is liberated.
O brahmanas! If a person controls himself and reads or hears this chapter, his
devotion towards Shiva increases and becomes steady.""
“The rishis said, "O great
sage! Please tell us about the greatness of Pranava and the six lingams. O
lord! Please tell us how, in due order, Shiva's devotee should undertake the
worship.""
______________________________________________
319 Bham (splendor) and gacchati (to go),
combining to get Bhaga.
320 Meaning enjoyment.
321 Five products that come from a cow.
322 Dhvani is sound, nada is a loud roar.
Yantra is a mystical diagram used for worship. Reference is to AUM.
Pratishthita is one that is established and does not move, while chara is one
that is mobile. Guru means large, AUM can be written as OUM or AUM. The text
uses AUM.
323 Ashes, smeared on the forehead.
324 There are sections in this chapter
that are difficult to understand and translate. Several meanings are esoteric
in nature. Hence, it does not follow that the translation is exactly right.
'Suta replied,
"O stores of austerities! You have asked the right question. Only Mahadeva
knows the answer to this question. No one else knows. However, because of
Shiva's favours, I will tell you about it. May Shiva grant you, and us, a great
deal of protection. Samsara, this ocean of worldly existence, has evolved out
of Prakriti. The learned know that Pranava is a new and excellent boat used to
cross it. Pranava is known to mean, 'There is no prapancha for you. '325
Pranava is known to mean, 'That which leads to liberation.' There are yogis who
use this to perform their own japa. There are worshippers who use it as their
own mantra. This bestows new and divine jnana and destroys all karma. It is
said to be devoid of maya and is described as new. It is new and pure in nature
and conveys towards the great-souled one. The learned know that this is new in
what Pranava does. Pranava is said to be of two types, with a difference
between gross and subtle. The subtle is known to consist of a single akshara,
while the gross is known to consist of five aksharas. The subtle is not
manifest. But the letters of pancharna326 are extremely clearly manifest. The
subtle represents the entire essence and is meant for a jivanmukta. As one
searches for the meaning of the mantra, one's own body is dissolved. When one's
own body is dissolved, one certainly merges completely into Shiva. Through only
performing japa with this mantra, one certainly achieves that union. If one
performs this japa thirty-six crore times, one certainly achieves that union.
The subtle is known to be of two types, with differences of short and long.
There is 'A', 'U' and 'M' in that order, along with bindu and nada. Time and
place are built into it. The long Pranava is known to exist only in the hearts
of yogis. The short Pranava is known to have the three-'A', 'U' and 'M'. 327
These three represent Shiva, Shakti and their union. Those who desire that all
their sins are destroyed, should perform japa with this short version. There
are five elements, earth and the others. There are the five objects of the
senses, sound and others. Together, these amount to ten. The desires that
pursue these ten are spoken of as pravritti. 328 The short version
is for those who follow pravritti, while the long version is for those who
follow nivritti. The sound of Aumkara is uttered before vyahriti329
and other mantras. It is used before the Vedas and also at the time of the two
sandhyas. If a man performs japa with this nine crore times, he is purified. If
he again performs japa with this nine crore times, he conquers the element of
earth. If he again performs japa with this nine crore times, he conquers the
element of water. If he again performs japa with this nine crore times, he
conquers the element of fire. If he again performs japa with this nine crore
times, he conquers the element of wind. If he again performs japa with this
nine crore times, he conquers the element of space. If he again performs japa
with this nine crore times each, he conquers the objects of the senses, smell
and the others. If he again performs japa with this nine crore times, he
conquers ahamkara. Every day, if a man performs japa with this one thousand
times, the person becomes pure. O brahmanas! Therefore, japa with this ensures
success. If a person uses Pranava to perform japa one hundred and eight crore
times, his understanding is awakened, and he achieves pure yoga. There is no
doubt that a person who has achieved pure yoga is jivanmukta. One must always
perform japa. One must always perform dhyana on Shiva. Pranava is his form.
_______________________
325 Prapancha is the visible universe.
326 Pancharna and panchakshara are the
same.
327 The implication seems to be that bindu
and nada are only known to yogis.
328 Nivritti is detachment from fruits
and renunciation of action. Pravritti is action with a desire for the fruits.
329 Vyabriti means the words bhuh, bhuvah
and syah, uttered after AUM.
There is no doubt that a great yogi
in samadhi is like Shiva himself. One must again perform japa, using nyasa of
rishis, chhandas330 and devas on one's own body. Indeed, a person
who uses Pranava to perform nyasa of the Matrikas on his body, becomes a rishi.
When nyasa is done with the ten Matrikas in this way, one obtains success in
the six paths. 331 Those who pursue pravritti should resort to the
gross Pranava.""
"Shivayogis are of three
types-those who follow kriya, those who follow tapas and those who follow japa.
There are those who worship with wealth and other things, performing kriya332
with limbs of the body and doing namaskara. They are spoken of as kriyayogis.
There are those who worship after controlling their external sense organs. They
eat little and do not harm or cause injury to others. They are spoken of as
tapoyogis. 333 There are those who possess all these. But in
addition, they are never angry and are devoid of all desires. They are serene
and are always engaged in japa. Such people are known as japayogis. Shivayogis
are those who use the sixteen kinds of upachara to undertake worship. Such a
man gradually achieves salokya and pure emancipation.""
"O brahmanas! I will now tell
you about japayoga. Listen attentively. It is said that a person who observes
austerities must also undertake japa, so as to cleanse himself. O brahmanas!
The gross form of Pranava is Shiva's panchakshara. This represents five
principles and has Shiva's name, preceded by namah.334 If a man
performs japa with panchakshara, he obtains every kind of success. Japa with
panchakshara must be performed with Pranava preceding it. O brahmanas! A person
must approach a guru and take instructions from him. Following this, he must be
seated comfortably on the ground. The japa must start in shukla paksha and end
in krishna paksha. 335 The months of Magha and Bhadra are special
and the best of times for this. As long as this is going one, he must eat only
once a day and in limited quantities. He must control his speech and restrain
his senses. He must always render service to his master, his king and his
parents. As soon as he performs this japa one thousand times, he will become
pure and be freed from all debts. Japa with panchakshara must be undertaken
five hundred thousand times. While doing this, one should remember Shiva. Shiva
is seated in padmasana. He is adorned with Ganga and the crescent moon. Shakti
is seated on his left thigh. Surrounded by large numbers of ganas, he is
radiant. He is clad in the skin of an animal. His hands are in the form of
varada and abhaya. 336 He is the one who always bestows compassion.
One must remember Sadashiva. He must first be worshipped in one's mind, placing
him in one's heart or in the solar disc.
____________________
330 Metres.
331 The 'six' could apply to many things.
But it may also mean anga-nyasa, with the heart, the forehead, the crown of the
head, the part from the ears to the waist, the eyes and around the head, the
standard six parts of the body for such nyasa.
132 The word kriya has multiple meanings.
Here, it means rites.
333 The word tapas can only be imperfectly
translated as austerities since it has a nuance of scorching and purifying
oneself.
334 Namah Shivaaya.
335 From chaturdashi in shukla paksha to
chaturdashi in krishna paksha.
336 Mudras are positions of the hand. One
hand is in varada mudra, the position of granting boons. This has the hand
pointing downwards, palm uppermost and fingers pointing downwards. The second
hand is in abhaya mudra, the position that signifies freedom from fear. The
hand is held up, the palm facing outwards.
After that, having performed the
rites of purification, a learned person will seat himself, facing the east. He
will then perform japa with the panchakshara mantra. On the morning of
chaturdashi in krishna paksha, he must first complete his nitya karma. He must
then be seated in a pure and agreeable spot. He must control himself and purify
his mind. Using the panchakshara mantra, he must perform japa twelve thousand
times. He must invite five excellent brahmanas who are Shiva's devotees, along
with their wives. Among these, the one who is distinguished as a guru will
represent the embodied form of Shiva, the Samba form. 337 A second
will represent the Ishana form, a third will represent the Aghora form, a
fourth will represent the Vama form and the fifth will represent the Sadyojata
form. These excellent brahmana devotees will represent these five forms of
Shiva.338 After objects required for the worship have been
collected, the worship can start. Following the norms of worshipping Shiva,
oblations will be offered into the fire. Before oblations are offered into the fire,
he should place his sacred thread below his mouth 339 The oblations
must be offered ten times, one hundred times or one thousand times and the ghee
must be from the milk of a kapila cow, 340 A learned person can
offer the oblations himself, or get it done by Shiva's devotees one hundred and
eight times. When the oblations are over, dakshina must be offered. The guru
must be given a bull and a cow. Ishana and the others must also be honoured and
the guru, Samba in form, is honoured. He will bathe his own body with water
obtained from washing their feet. This immediately yields the fruits of bathing
in thirty-six crore tirthas. Full of devotion, he must offer them cooked food,
along with the ten accompaniments. The guru's wife must be thought of as Paraa.
341 She and the wives of Ishana and the others must be worshipped. They
must be offered rudrakshas and garments. According to wealth, they must be fed
supreme food, along with cakes and sweet cakes. 342 Once the
offerings and the donations have been made, they must be fed sumptuously. The
japa ceremony is then concluded with prayers to the lord of the devas. When a
man accomplishes purashcharana343 in this manner, it is as if he now
possesses a mantra. If he again performs japa five hundred thousand times, he
is freed from all sins. For every set of five hundred thousand japas, he
obtains the prosperity of all the worlds, Atala and the others and
progressively increasing to Satyaloka. If he dies in the middle, after enjoying
objects of pleasure, he will return to earth and continue to perform japa.
____________________________
337 That is, along with Amba.
338 Shiva has multiple forms. These five
forms correspond to the directions. Stated very simply, Sadyojata is the form
that bestows happiness and unhappiness and faces the west. Vama/Vamadeva is the
form that represents the turiya state of consciousness and faces the north.
Aghora is the form that represents jnana and faces the south. Tatpurusha
(referred to in the text as Samba, or the one with Amba) stands for bliss and
faces the east. Ishana represents space and faces upwards.
339 Homa is the offering of ghee into the
fire. For different rites, the sacred thread (upavita) is worn in different
ways. Before homa, there is a practice of winding the upavita around the neck.
Below the mouth probably refers to this.
340 Kapila means tawny, but often means an
excellent cow.
341 The supreme and great goddess, Adi
Paraashakti or Mahadevi.
342 Respectively, vatakas and apupas.
343 A term particularly used in tantra.
This means to accomplish a task, with a specific objective in mind, within a
stipulated period of time.
If he again performs five hundred
thousand japas, he obtains samipya with Brahma. If he again performs japa five
hundred thousand times, he obtains the fortune of sarupya. If he completes ten
million japas, he becomes Brahma's equal. He obtains sayujya and his tasks are
like those of Brahma. He enjoys objects of pleasure until Brahma brings about
dissolution. In the next kalpa, he is born as Brahma's son. He again blazes in
austerities and is progressively liberated.""
"Earth and the other worlds
were progressively fashioned out of the elements. Starting with Patala and ending
with Satyaloka, there are fourteen of Brahma's worlds. Above Satyaloka, there
are fourteen of Vishnu's worlds, ending with Kshama. In the world of Kshama,
Vishnu is engaged in his tasks, basing himself in the supreme habitation of
Vaikuntha. Lakshmi is also established there, with him, engaged in the task of
protecting those who enjoy great objects of pleasure. Above this too, there are
twenty-eight words, ending with Shuchi. Rudra, the destroyer of beings, is
established in Kailasa, in Shuchiloka. Above this, there are fifty-six worlds,
ending with Ahimsa. The city of Jnana-Kailasa is in Ahimsa-loka. Having done
everything, Karyeshvara344 is established there, in his form of
disappearance. Kalachakra 345 is established at the end of this. The
region beyond this is Kalatita. 346 Shiva, the lord of Kalachakra,
is established there. He assumes the form of a buffalo as Dharma and unites
everyone with Kala. 347 The four legs of the buffalo are falsehood,
impurity, violence and lack of compassion. He can assume any form he wills, and
he is these four feet, falsehood and the others. In the form of that
dark-complexioned and large buffalo, he is also other things-lack of belief,
lack of prosperity, wicked association, constant utterance of words which are
outside the pale of the Vedas and addiction to anger. That is the reason he is
spoken of as Maheshvara. The region of disappearance is up to this spot. Below
this spot are those who enjoy karma. Above this spot are those who enjoy jnana.
Below is the maya of karma. Above it is the maya of jnana. The word maya is
explained in the following way. 'Ma' stands for Lakshmi and 'ya' makes one
proceed towards enjoyment of karma.348 Similarly, the word maya is
also explained in the following way. 'Ma' stands for Lakshmi and 'ya' makes one
proceed towards enjoyment of jnana. Above all this, is the region of perpetual
enjoyment. Below all this, is the region known as that of temporary enjoyment.
Disappearance is below this. There is no disappearance above this. The bondage
of nooses exists below this. There is no bondage above this. Those who follow
kamya karma circle around below this region. Those who pursue karma without
desire are described as those who enjoy above this region. Those who are
devoted to worshipping bindu circle around below this. Those who worship the
lingam without desire are those who advance above this region. Those who
worship gods other than Shiva circle around below this. Those who are devoted
to Shiva alone, advance above. There are one crore jivas below and another one
crore exist above. Those who are in samsara are below. Those who have been
emancipated are indeed above. Those who worship natural objects circle around
below.
__________________________
344 The lord of all action.
345 The wheel of time.
346 Beyond time.
347 Destiny or time.
348 Maya = Ma + ya. Ya means to proceed
towards.
Those who worship objects connected
with Purusha are the ones who advance upwards. Shakti-lingam is below, and
Shiva-lingam is above. The lingam that is shrouded is below, while the lingam
that is uncovered is above. The
lingam that has been thought of is below, but the lingam that has not been
thought of is above. The external lingam is below, but the internal one is
above. There are one hundred and twelve Shaktilokas below. The bindu form is
below, but the nada form is above. The world of karma is below, the world of
jnana is above. Namaskara is above and it destroys ahamkara. The meaning of the
word jnana is the following. Anything that is the result of birth is janija and
the word 'na' is a negative. 349 Whatever counters the temporary is
jnana. Those who worship elements circle around below this. Those who worship
the adhyatmika350 proceed above. In that great world, the vedi351
part only extends up to the atma-lingam. The eight bonds of Prakriti352
only extend up to this vedi. In the Vedas, and in popular beliefs, this is the
way it is.""
"There are those who are
engaged in the worship of Shiva. He is astride the buffalo that is adharma.
Such people are devoted to the dharma of the truth. Hence, they cross
Kalachakra and go beyond. Above this, is the bull of dharma, in its form of
brahmacharya. Truth and the others constitute its legs, and it stands in front
of Shivaloka. Its horns are forgiveness, its ears are peace, its eyes are
belief and its heavy breathing stands for the intellect and the mind. This bull
is adorned with chants from the Vedas. This bull should always be known as the
cause behind the various rites. This bull of dharma and rites is stationed
beyond Kalatita. It is said that the lifespans of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha
are a day each. night or day. Nor is there birth or But above this, there is no
death. There is only the truth that is the cause. There is only the brahman
that is the cause. Smell and the subtle objects of the senses, devised out of
the subtle elements, are always above. The nature of subtle smell is such that
it exists in the fourteen worlds. The fourteen worlds where Vishnu is the cause
are also there. It is also held that there are twenty-eight worlds where Rudra
is the cause. Above this, there are fifty-six worlds where Isha is the cause.
Beyond this, is the world known as brahmacharya, revered by Shiva.
Jnana-Kailasa is there, and it is covered in five sheaths. It has five circles
and five components of the brahman. With Adi-Shakti, Adi-lingam is there. Shiva
is the paramatman and this is spoken of as Shiva's abode. With Para-Shakti,
Parameshvara is there. He is accomplished in the five tasks of creation,
preservation, destruction, disappearance and showing favours. His body is
sacchidananda. He is always engaged in the dharma of dhyana. He is always
engaged in showing favours. He is seated in samadhi. He is radiant in his own
atman. One can see him gradually, by performing the rites of sandhya and
engaging in dhyana. One should regard nitya karma and worship as Shiva's tasks.
All rites are Shiva's tasks. This extends jnana about Shiva. There is no doubt
that all those who come within his range of vision are liberated. Understanding
the nature of one's atman and finding happiness within one's own atman are
liberation. This is based on rites, austerities, japa, inana, dhyana and
dharma.
____________________________
349 This is a very contrived derivation of
jnana. Janih is birth/creation, janija is something that is the result of
creation and is therefore temporary. Na (not) + janija (temporary) = jnana.
350 Concerning the jivatman, knowledge
about the jivatman.
351 Vedi means altar. But here, it seems
to apply to the base of the lingam.
352 Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind,
intellect and abamkara.
When one sees Shiva, one finds
happiness within one's own atman, Just as the sun spreads its own rays, one is swiftly
purified. Shambhu is accomplished in bestowing compassion, and one obtains
jnana. Ignorance is dispelled and one obtains inana about Shiva. The nature of
jnana about Shiva is such that one finds happiness within one's own atman, When
a man finds happiness within his own atman, he becomes successful in all his
objectives."”
"Through again performing ten
million japas, he obtains Brahma's world. Thereafter, through again performing
ten million japas, he obtains Vishnu's world. Thereafter, through again
performing ten million japas, he obtains Rudra's world. Thereafter, through
again performing ten million japas, he obtains Ishvara's world. Thereafter, if
he controls himself and performs many kinds of japas, he reaches Kalachakra,
the start of Shivaloka. Kalachakra has five wheels, each encasing the preceding
one. Delusion about creation is Brahma's wheel. Delusion about objects of
enjoyment is Vishnu's wheel. Delusion about anger is Rudra's wheel. Circling
around is known as Ishvara's wheel. Delusion about jnana is Shiva's wheel. The
learned have spoken about the five wheels in this way. If he again performs ten
crore japas, he reaches the abode of Brahma, who is the cause. If he again
performs ten crore japas, he obtains prosperity there. In this way, an
immensely energetic one gradually obtains Vishnu's region. Progressively, such
a great-souled one obtains prosperity. Fixed in attention, if a person performs
one hundred and five crore japas, he obtains Shivaloka, which is outside the
fifth sheath. There is a silver pavilion there and an excellent riverbed. In
the form of austerities, a bull can be seen there. This is the place of
Sadyojata, the supreme fifth sheath. There is the place of Vamadeva, the fourth
sheath. After this, there is the abode of Aghora, the third sheath. There is
the auspicious second sheath, that of Samba Purusha. Beyond this is Ishana, the
first sheath. There are five pavilions there, the abode of dhyana dharma. The
fifth pavilion is of Balinatha, who bestows a full complement of amrita. Beyond
this, the fourth pavilion has an image of Chandrashekhara. The third pavilion
is the abode of Somaskanda. Those who believe say that the second pavilion is
Nritya Mandapa. The extremely beautiful first pavilion is the abode of
Mulamaya. 353 Beyond this is garbha griba, 354 the
supreme and auspicious place for the lingam. Shiva's glory is known to exist
beyond Nandi's region. Nandishvara is situated outside, worshipping the
panchakshara. This knowledge has been passed down through a succession of
gurus. I obtained it from Nandishvara. What exists beyond this is only known to
Shiva and cannot be experienced. It is only through Shiva's favours that one
can experience the glory of Shivaloka. Those who believe say that no one is
capable of knowing it otherwise. In this way, brahmanas who are in control of
their senses are gradually liberated.""
"I will progressively tell you
about the others. Listen lovingly. Brahmana women must take instruction from
gurus and perform japa, using the word namah at the end. For long lifespans,
they must perform japa with panchakshara five hundred thousand times. To
counter the state of being women, they must again perform japa five hundred
thousand times. Having become a man, a learned person will gradually be liberated.
To counter the status of being a kshatriya, a person must perform japa five
hundred thousand times. After having again performed japa five hundred thousand
times, he will become a brahmana.
____________________
353 Primary illusion.
354 Inner apartment, sanctum sanctorum.
When this man becomes a brahmana
who possesses the mantra, he will be gradually liberated. A vaishya will
perform japa five hundred thousand times to remove the status of being a
vaishya. When he again performs japa five hundred thousand times, it is said
that he becomes a kshatriya who possesses the mantra. When he again performs
japa five hundred thousand times, he removes the status of being a kshatriya.
When he again performs japa five hundred thousand times, he is said to become a
brahmana who possesses the mantra. When a shudra performs japa two million and
five hundred thousand times, using the word namah at the end, he becomes a
brahmana who possesses the mantra. It is after this that he becomes a pure
brahmana. Whether one is a woman, a man, a brahmana or some other varna,
whether one is already afflicted or whether one is afflicted in any kind of
way, one must always perform japa, using the word namah at the beginning, or at
the end. For women, it is said that the guru will instruct
properly.""
"After completing five hundred
thousand japas, a sadhaka will perform a great abhisheka and offer a great
naivedya. To give Shiva pleasure, he will honour Shiva's devotees. When Shiva's
devotees are worshipped, Shiva is greatly pleased. There is no difference
between Shiva and Shiva's devotee. He is Shiva. The mantra is the form of Shiva
himself. This is the conception of Shiva. When he uses this, Shiva's devotee
becomes like the supreme Shiva in his own body. It is known that the rites
followed by Shiva's devotees represent all the rites of the Vedas. The more a
devotee performs japa with Shiva's mantra, the greater is Shiva's presence in
his own body. There is no doubt about this. For women who are Shiva's devotees,
Devi is the form of the lingam. As long as japa with the mantra is performed,
there is Devi's presence. An intelligent person who worships Shivá assumes his
name and form. However, even when he has become Shiva, he should worship Para
Shakti. He can worship Shakti in the symbol of the lingam, or he can worship
her maya in the form of a painting. Taking Shiva's lingam to be a form of
Shiva, he can think of himself in the form of Shakti. Alternatively, he can
take the lingam to be a form of Devi Shakti and think of himself as Shiva.
Shiva's lingam is the form of nada and Shakti is the form of bindu. Either one
can be regarded as more important, or both can be thought of in united form in
the lingam. When Shiva and Shakti are worshipped, the fundamental conception is
that of Shiva. Shiva's devotee takes the mantra to be a form of Shiva and
himself to be a form of Shiva. He will worship with the sixteen kinds of
upachara and accomplish his desires. This service to the lingam by Shiva's
devotee generates happiness in Shiva and delights him even more. Therefore,
along with his wife, Shiva's devotee should worship the divinity, along with
his wife. After this, without any deception, he should worship five, ten or one
hundred of Shiva's devotees, along with their wives, feeding them and giving
them wealth, with or without mantras. He and his wife will then assume the form
of Shiva and Shakti and not be born on earth again.""
"The part below the navel is
Brahma's region. The part up to the throat is Vishnu's region. For Shiva's
devotee, in the body, the face is spoken of as the lingam. When someone dies, a
cremation ceremony is performed. After the cremation of the dead person is
over, one should worship Shiva, the primordial father. After this, he should
worship the primordial mother and honour Shiva's devotees. If this is done, the
dead person goes to the world of the ancestors and is gradually liberated. A
person with tapas is superior to ten people with kriyas. A person with japa is
superior to one hundred people with tapas. A person who possesses jnana about
Shiva is superior to one thousand people with japa. A person with dhyana is
superior to one hundred thousand people who possess jnana about Shiva. A person
in samadhi is superior to one crore people who are in dhyana. Since the
succeeding ones are superior to the preceding ones, it is they who should be
chosen for showing honours. The specific nature of the fruits that result is
difficult for even learned persons to comprehend. Hence, an ordinary person is
incapable of understanding the greatness of Shiva's devotee. The worship of
Shiva's devotee is equal to worshipping Shiva and Shakti together, Hence, a
person who devotedly performs this worship attains Shiva and becomes like
Shiva. If a brahmana reads this chapter, which is in conformity with the
Atharva Veda, he obtains jnana about Shiva and rejoices with Shiva. O lords
among sages! If a person possesses specific knowledge about this, he must make
Shiva's devotees hear it. O learned ones! Through Shiva's favours, he will
obtain success and Shiva will show him compassion.""
“The rishis asked, "What is
the nature of bondage and what is the nature of liberation? O one who knows
about everything! Please tell us.""
'Suta replied, "I will tell
you about bondage and the means for obtaining liberation. Listen lovingly. It
is said that a jiva is bound if he is tied down by the eight bonds of Prakriti.
A person who has been freed from the eight bonds of Prakriti is said to be
liberated. Therefore, being freed from the subjugation of Prakriti is
liberation. When a jiva who is bound has been freed, he is spoken of as a
liberated jiva. The eight bonds of Prakriti are known to be intellect,
ahamkara, the one that possesses the gunas and the five tanmatras. 355
These are Prakriti's attributes. A body originates from these eight attributes
of Prakriti, and it is said that karma originates from the body. Another body
results from karma and as a result of karma, there is birth. This occurs
repeatedly. It should be known that the body is of three types the gross, the
subtle and the causal. It is said that the gross engages in activities, the
subtle enjoys the objects of the senses. The causal enjoys the nature of the
karma the jiva undertakes. As fruits of that karma, it enjoys joy and misery,
the consequence of good and bad deeds. Therefore, a jiva is repeatedly bound in
the ropes of karma. Bound to karma, the three types of body are constantly
whirled around, like a wheel. To counter the circling around of the wheel, the
creator of the wheel must be worshipped. Prakriti and its attributes are the
giant wheel. Shiva is beyond Prakriti. Mahesha, who is beyond Prakriti, is the
creator of the wheel. Like a child drinks or spits out water as he pleases, Shiva
is established, with the jiva and Prakriti and its attributes under his
subjugation. Since he keeps everything under his subjugation, he is spoken of
as Shiva,356 Shiva alone is omniscient, complete and free from
desire. Maheshvara's mental powers are known as omniscience, contentment,
understanding that is without any beginning, independence, a power that is
constant and never goes away and infinite capacity. Therefore, it is because of
Shiva's powers that Prakriti and its attributes are under his subjugation. To
obtain Shiva's favours, it is Shiva alone who must be worshipped. He is
complete and without desires. How can he be worshipped? Any task that is the
outcome of his instructions leads to him being pleased.
____________________________
355 The mind possesses the gunas and the
five tanmatras are the five subtle elements.
356 Here, the word Shiva is being derived
from vasha, to keep under control or subjugation. The one who does this is Shiva.
Hence, following Shiva's
instructions, people worship his sign of the lingam, or his devotees. He must
be worshipped using deeds, thoughts, words and wealth. The supreme Shiva
Mahesha is beyond Prakriti. As a result of this worship, he is truly pleased
and shows specific favours to the worshipper. As a result of Shiva's favours,
karma and the other things gradually come under one's control. Starting with
karma and ending with Prakriti, everything comes under one's control. Such a
person is spoken of as liberated. He is radiant, happy within his own atman. This
body is the consequence of karma. As a result of Parameshvara's favours, this
too comes under control. Therefore, the person resides in Shivaloka and is
spoken of as having obtained salokya. When the tanmatras come under control,
samipya with Samba is achieved. In weapons and in action, he achieves sayujya
with Shiva. When he obtains his great favours, the intellect also comes under
control. The intellect represents the working of Prakriti. Hence, this is known
as sarshti. Thereafter, through his great favours, Prakriti itself comes under
control. Without any effort, he then obtains Shiva's mental powers. He obtains
Shiva's omniscience and capacity and is resplendent in his own atman. Those who
are accomplished in the Vedas and the agama texts speak of this as sayujya. In
this way, by first worshipping the lingam, one gradually becomes liberated.
Therefore, to obtain Shiva's favours, one must undertake the rites connected
with Shiva's worship. One must always undertake rites for Shiva, austerities
for Shiva and perform japa with Shiva's mantra. One must increasingly strive
for jnana about Shiva and perform dhyana on Shiva. Until one goes to sleep and
until the time of death, one must think about Shiva. If he desires what is
auspicious, he must worship him with fresh flowers and other
things.""
"The rishis said, "Please
tell us everything about the rules for worshipping Shiva, using the lingam and
other things.""
'Suta replied, "O brahmanas! I
will accurately tell you about the worship of the lingam. Listen. The first
lingam is Pranava, and it bestows everything one wishes for. If it is subtle
and nishkala in form, it is spoken of as subtle Pranava. The sakala form is
spoken of as the gross lingam and is represented in panchakshara. The worship
of these two is described as austerities and both directly yield emancipation.
There are many kinds of Purusha lingams that are formed out of the elements of
Prakriti. Shiva himself can speak about them in detail. No one else knows. I
know about the lingams that are formed out of materials from the earth and I
will tell you about these. The first is Svayambhu lingam, while the second is
Bindu lingam. The third is Pratishthita lingam, while the fourth is Chara
lingam. The fifth is Guru lingam. When he is satisfied with the austerities of
devas and rishis and wishes to show his presence, in his nada form, Sharva
assumes the form of a seed inside the earth. Having assumed this stable form,
he sprouts through the ground and manifests himself. Since this originates
through an act of self-creation, this is known as Svayambhu lingam. If a
devotee worships this lingam, his inana increases on its own. On a silver or
golden vessel, or on the ground or an altar, the devotee can draw a lingam with
his own hand. Using the pure Pranava mantra, he can draw the lingam in the form
of a yantra and undertake its pratishthana and avahana. This lingam has bindu
and nada and can be stationary or mobile. Though this is only formed
conceptually, there is no doubt that this also follows Shiva's instruction. 357
Shambu exists wherever one believes he does and yields fruits.
____________________
357 This
is Bindu lingam.
The devotee can draw the yantra
with his own hand on anything that is natural and stationary. After performing
avahana, he can worship with the sixteen kinds of upachara. He can then obtain
the prosperity himself and through practice, obtain jnana. To accomplish
success in their atmans, devas or rishis use their own hands to set up, using
mantras, a lingam in a pure circle. Pure in their thoughts, they establish an
excellent lingam. This Purusha lingam is spoken of as a Pratishthita lingam. If
one constantly worships this lingam, one obtains Purusha's prosperity. Great
brahmanas and extremely rich kings use artisans to devise and establish
lingams, with the use of mantras. Such a Pratishthita lingam can be made of
natural or artificial objects and yields prosperity and objects of pleasure.
One which is full of energy and permanent is known as a Purusha lingam. One
which is weak and temporary is spoken of as a Prakrita lingam. In the three
worlds, an adhyatmika or Chara lingam is one that is progressively
conceptualized in different parts of the body-the penis, the navel, the tongue,
the tip of the nose, the tuft of hair and the waist. A mountain is spoken of as
Purusha, while the earth is spoken of as Prakriti. Trees are known as Purusha,
while creepers are spoken of as
Prakriti. Shashtika rice358 is known as Prakriti, while shali rice
and wheat are Purusha. Prosperity is Purusha and is known to bestow the eight
kinds of siddhis, anima and the others.359 Those who believe say
that stridhana 360 and such objects are Prakriti.""
"Among Chara lingams, Rasa
lingam is spoken of as the foremost.361 Rasa lingams bestow
brahmanas with every kind of wish. Auspicious Bana lingams bestow large
kingdoms on kshatriyas. Svarna lingams make vaishyas the masters of a great
deal of wealth. Auspicious Shila lingams are extremely purifying for shudras. A
Sphatika lingam or a Bana lingam bestow everything desired on everyone. If one
does not possess the lingam that is appropriate to one's own self, there is no
harm in worshipping a lingam that is meant for another. For women, especially
those who have husbands, a Parthiva lingam should be used. For widows who still
possesses pravritti, a Sphatika lingam is praised. Widows who are on the path
of nivritti and follow excellent vows should worship Rasa lingam, whether they
are children, young or aged. Pure Sphatika lingams give women every object of
pleasure. For those on the path of pravritti, worship of pithas yields
everything desired on earth. Every kind of worship should be undertaken in a
vessel. When abhisheka is over, naivedya made out of shali rice must be
offered. When the worship is over, the lingam must be covered and kept in a
separate part of the house. When the worship is over, everyone should be fed
the food they are naturally used to eating.""
___________________________
358 A type of fast-growing rice.
359 Siddhis mean powers. Specifically,
yoga leads to eight major siddhis or powers. These are anima (becoming as small
as one desires), mahima (as large as one desires), laghima (as light as one
wants), garima (as heavy as one wants), prapti (obtaining what one wants),
prakamya (travelling where one wants), vashitva (powers to control creatures)
and ishitva (obtaining divine powers).
360 A woman's private property, over
which, she alone has independent control.
361 Rasa lingams are made out of mercury,
Bana lingams are natural stones found in riverbeds, Svarna lingams are made out
of gold and Shila lingams are made out of rock. Sphatika lingams are made out
of crystal, while Parthiva lingams are made out of earth.
"For those who follow the path
of nivritti, the worship of a subtle lingam is recommended. Worship is
undertaken of the vibhuti and it is vibhuti that is offered. After having
performed the worship, the lingam must always be borne on the head. 362
Vibhuti is said to be of three types-from an ordinary fire, from the fire of
rites connected with the Vedas and from Shiva's fire. The ash produced from an
ordinary fire will be used to purify objects made out of clay, iron, silver and
even grain. Articles used for worship, sesamum and other things, garments and
other things, must also be purified with ashes. Articles polluted by dogs must
also be purified with ashes. As is appropriate, ashes must be mixed with water
or need not be mixed with water. When rites connected with the Vedas are over,
the ash must be worn on the forehead. Since the rites have been undertaken with
mantras and the fire, the ash takes the form of the rites. Therefore, wearing
the ash is like internalizing the rite in one's atman. After chanting the
Aghora mantra, bilva wood must be burnt. 363 This is described as
Shiva's fire and the ashes resulting from this are ashes obtained from Shiva's
fire. Cow dung and bovine products from a kapila cow must be burnt first. After
this, wood from shami, ashvattha, palasha, vata, aragvadha or bilva will be
burnt.364 When these are burnt, that is also Shiva's fire, and the
resultant ash is that obtained from Shiva's fire. Pronouncing Shiva's mantras,
the wood must be burnt in a bed of darbha grass. After properly straining with
a piece of cloth, the ashes will be placed in a new pot. For one's own
resplendence, the ashes must be collected. The meaning of the word bhasma is
something that must be honoured and worshipped. 365 Hence, earlier,
Shiva also acted accordingly. A king collects taxes from his kingdom. In that
way, men burn crops and survive on their essence. The digestive fire burns many
kinds of food that are ingested. Having burnt them, the essence nourishes the
body. Parameshvara Shiva is the lord of prapanchaka. 366 In his own
dominion, he burns prapanchaka and accepts the essence. Having burnt
prapanchaka, Shiva smears the ashes on his own body. Through that guise of
burning, he accepts the essence from the universe. That jewel is his own and
Isha himself applies it to his own body. The essence of space is in his hair.
The essence of wind is in the breath that flows from his mouth. The essence of
fire in his heart. The essence of water is in his waist. The essence of water
is in his knees and in all his other limbs. Tripundraka represents the essence
of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. Therefore, Maheshvara wears it in the form of a
tilaka367 on the lower part of his forehead.
Bha-vriddhi-sarvam-iti-manyate-svayam368-in this way, he himself
brings the essence of everything in prapancha under this control. Since he is
the one who brings everything under this subjugation, he is spoken of as Shiva.369
The word simha is used for someone who causes violence to all animals.
_____________________________
362 The lingam is in the form of vibhuti
and the ashes are worn on the forehead.
363 The Aghora mantra runs Aum aghorebhya
atha ghorebhya ghora ghoratarebhya and so on. It can be found in the
twenty-first anuvaka of Mahanarayana Upanishad.
364 Shami is the name of a tree believed
to contain fire, palasha is a tree (butea monosperma) and aragvadha is the
Amaltas.
365 The word bhasma (bhasman) or ash is
derived from the root of something that shines.
366 The same as prapancha.
367 Mark made on the forehead.
368 Literally meaning, 'He himself thinks
that let everything flourish because of this'. This is a derivation for the
word bhasma-bha+s+ma.
369 A derivation given earlier.
But it is also someone to whom no
animals can cause violence. The word simha is derived in that way.370
Similarly, the word Shiva also has a derivation. 'Sh' stands for permanent
happiness and bliss, 'i' is spoken of as Purusha and 'va' stands for Shakti.
When the sweet union of the three takes place, one speaks of it as Shiva.
Therefore, a devotee must make his own atman identical with Shiva and worship Shiva.
The ash must first be powdered and then applied as Triupundraka. At the time of
worship, it is mixed with water. However, for the sake of purification, it can
be used without water. Whether it is night or day, whether it is a man or a
woman, the devotee must sip the water used for worship and wear the ash as
Tripundraka. If a person mixes ashes with water and wears it as Tripundraka
while worshipping, it is certain that he obtains the complete fruits of
worshipping Shiva. With mantras to Shiva, if one wears the bhasma, one moves
outside the pale of the ashramas. Such a person is only devoted to Shiva and
the devotee is spoken of as one who follows Shiva's ashrama. Being devoted to
Shiva's vow, he does not observe any of the rites of purification connected
with birth or death. He wears bhasma on his forehead, or a tilaka made out of
mud. He can apply this with his own hand, or it can be applied by the hand
of the guru. But this is the sign
of being Shiva's devotee."" "The image of a guru is that of one who
obstructs all the gunas and the word guru is derived accordingly. 371
He is the one who obstructs deviations caused by rajas and the other gunas. The
supreme Shiva is beyond the gunas and he assumes the form of the guru. He takes
away transgressions caused by the gunas and makes one understand about Shiva.
That is the reason disciples speak of a guru as trustworthy. Hence, a learned
person knows that the guru's body is Guru lingam. Service to the guru amounts
to worshipping Guru lingam. It has been heard that service is through deeds,
thoughts and words. Anything the guru has instructed must be carried out,
whether one is capable or incapable, even if this means the loss of life or
wealth. Doing this purifies the atman. Hence, a shishya is spoken of as someone
who is worthy of being ordered. 372 An excellent shishya offers
everything to the guru, starting with his body. He must first offer food to the
guru and eat only after he has been commanded to do so. Because he is worthy of
being constantly instructed, a shishya is spoken of as a son. The tongue is
like a penis, the mantra is like semen and the ears are like a vagina that has
been sprinkled. Like a son, he is a son born through the mantra. Therefore, he
must worship the guru, like a father. The biological father immerses the son in
samsara. But the guru is a father who kindles understanding and makes him cross
over samsara. Knowing the difference between the two fathers, he must worship
the guru. He must tend to his limbs and give the guru the wealth and other
things he has earned. He must massage his feet. Every limb belonging to the
guru is like a lingam. He must give him riches and footwear. He must wash his
feet and bathe him. He must worship him with abhisheka, naivedya and food. The
worship of the guru is like the worship of Shiva, the paramatman. He must eat
what is left after the guru has eaten. All of this purifies his own atman.
_______________________
370 Simha is lion and the word is derived
from himsa (violence).
371 From guru = guna + ruddha (obstruct).
372 Shishya
(disciple) is derived from the root for ordering.
The guru's leftover food should be
thought of as water and cooked food, left after being offered to Shiva. O
brahmanas! Just as these are accepted by Shiva's devotee, that leftover food
must also be accepted. If anything is taken without the guru's permission, all
of it will considered theft. One must be careful in accepting a guru. A guru
must possess special knowledge. One must try to free oneself from ignorance.
Only who possesses special knowledge is capable of doing that."" a
person "For success in completing a task, one must first pacify all
impediments. When impediments are
removed, it is only then that all elements of a task are successfully
completed. Hence, in all rites, a learned person must first worship Vighnesha,373
To counter all impediments, a learned person must worship all devas. The first
kind of impediments are adhyatmika fever, problems with the joints and disease.
The second kind of impediments are held to be adhibhoutika-pishachas and
jackals; infestations of termite hills; lizards and other beings falling down
suddenly; seeing tortoises, snakes and wicked women inside the house; untimely
delivery by trees, women and cows; and other such untimely occurrences of
hardships. Adhidaivika impediments are said to be-omens like a bolt of
lightning; epidemics; smallpox; cholera; plague; typhus; an evil planet
traversing the natal nakshatra; an evil conjunction of a planet in its own
rashi; and seeing nightmares. There can also be incidents where one touches a
dog, a chandala or an outcast who has come to the house. When any of these
occurs, it signifies hardships. Therefore, to pacify these kinds of taints, an
intelligent person will perform a yajna for peace. For this, a spot must be
chosen in a temple, in a settlement of cows, in a chaitya374 or in
the courtyard of one's own house. The place must be elevated and must be two
hastas high. It must be ornamented with one's own hand. One bhara375
of paddy must be spread out there. A lotus must be drawn in the middle and
others drawn in all the directions. A new and giant pot, with a thread tied
around it, must be purified with guggula dhupa376 and placed in the
centre and similar such purified pots must be laid out in the eight directions.
Bunches of mango leaves with stems and kusha grass must be placed in the eight
pots. They must be purified with mantras and five different objects placed
inside them. An excellent jewel, like blue sapphire, will be placed in each of
the pots, one by one. 377 Along with his wife, a learned person
will next invite his acharya, who knows about the rites. A golden image of
Vishnu, Indra and the others will be placed in each of the pots, so that the
heads, up to the chests, emerge from the tops of the pots. Vishnu will be
invoked and worshipped in the pot that is in the middle. Beginning with the
eastern direction, using the mantras, Indra and the others will be invoked and
worshipped, one by one. 378
______________________
373 Vighnesha, lord (Isha) of impediments
(vighna), is Ganesha, the remover of impediments.
374 The word chaitya has several
meanings-sacrificial shed, temple, altar, sanctuary and a tree that grows along
the road.
375 Unit of weight.
376 A fragrant gum resin used as incense.
377 That is, nine jewels all together.
378 The eight guardians of the directions
are Indra (east), Agni (south-east), Yama (south), Nirriti (south-west), Varuna
(west), Vayu (north-west), Kubera (north) and Ishana (north-east). Vishnu is
for the nadir and Brahma for the zenith.
They will be addressed by name, in
the dative case, 379 in the due order and ending with namah. The
acharya will be used to perform avahana for each of them. Along with the
acharya, the assistant priests will use the mantras to perform japa one hundred
times. When the japa is over, to the west of the pot, oblations will be offered
into the fire. Learned people will do this one crore times, one hundred
thousand times, one thousand times or one hundred and eight times. This can be
done for one day, nine days or for as long as the sun completes its circle.380
Depending on the time and the place, this must be done as is appropriate. If
the oblations are for peace, the kindling used must be from the shami tree. If
it for making a living, the palasha tree can be used. Other than kindling,
objects like cooked food and ghee will be used, using a mantra to address a
divinity by name and offering the oblation.
Any article used at the beginning
of the rite must continue to be used until the rite has been completed. At the
end of the rite, there must be pronouncements of benediction. 381
The sanctified water must be sprinkled on everyone. After this, brahmanas must
be fed, the number fed being the same as the number of oblations that have been
offered. O learned ones! The acharya and the assistant priests will be fed
havishya. At the end of the oblations, so that everything remains beneficial,
Aditya and the planets must be worshipped. In due order, each of the assistant
priests will give be given dakshina and an excellent gem. After having
performed ten kinds of donations, 382 there must be large quantities
of donations to others-boys invested with sacred threads, householders,
forest-dwellers lacking wealth, maidens, women with husbands and widows. All
the articles used in the rite must be offered to the acharya.""
"Yama is said to be the lord
of omens, epidemics and miseries. Therefore, to please him, Kaladana 383
must be performed. An image of Kala must be made in the form of a man, using
one hundred gold coins or ten gold coins. 384 This will hold a noose
and a goad. Along with dakshina, this golden image will be given as donation.
For a long lifespan, the donation of sesamum is praised. To counter disease,
ghee be fed. Those who are poor can feed one hundred. Those who or a mirror
should be given. One thousand brahmanas must are extremely poor and lack
riches, will do this according to capacity. To pacify bhutas, a great worship
of Bhairava must be undertaken. At the end of the rite, a great abhisheka and
naivedya will be offered to Shiva. After this, there must be the feeding of
brahmanas, on a large scale. Through the performance of such a sacrifice, there
will be the pacification of all taints. Every year, in the month of Phalguna,
such a rite of pacification must be performed. When there is an immediate
calamity, this must be performed instantly or within a month. A person who has
committed a major sin must worship Bhairava. If there is a great epidemic, the
sankalpa385 must be taken first. If a person is poor in every
possible way, he will donate a lamp.
_____________________
379 Used when one gives something to
someone, chaturthi or the fourth case in grammar.
380 We have interpreted the word mandala
in this way.
381 Known as punyahavachanam,
pronouncements of benedictions and peace.
382 Known as dasha (ten) danam
(donations), where ten kinds of objects are given to brahmanas.
383 Donation of Kala.
384 The word used for a gold coin is
nishka.
385 The
resolution, the reason for undertaking the puja.
If he is incapable of undertaking
even that, he will bathe and not donate anything. A devotee must prostrate
himself before the sun and pronounce the mantra one hundred and eight times. A
learned person will pronounce it one thousand times, ten thousand times, one
hundred thousand times and one crore times. Namaskara is a form of sacrificing
oneself that satisfies all devas. 'I offer my intellect to your form and
prostrate myself. Anything empty does not appeal to you. Without your glance
being directed towards it, this body is nothing. Since I have prostrated
myself, my body is like empty space, without any ahamkara. You are the lord. I
am your servant. Therefore, I am no longer empty now.386 As is
appropriate, one must think of doing namaskara to sacrifice oneself. In this
connection, naivedya and betel leaves must be offered to Shiva. Pradakshina of
Shiva must be done one hundred and eight times. One should make others do it
one thousand times, ten thousand times, one hundred thousand times and one
crore times. Pradakshina of Shiva instantly destroys every kind of sin. Ailment
is the root cause of misery and sin is the root cause of ailment. It is said
that dharma alone dispels all sins. Any act of dharma performed with Shiva in
mind removes all sins. Among all acts of dharma performed for Shiva,
pradakshina leads the others. Japa is a form of a rite where Pranava assumes
the form of pradakshina. The pair of birth and death is spoken of as a wheel of
maya. The pedestal where offerings are made387 is spoken of as
Shiva's cycle of maya. Beginning with the Balipitha, one must perform the
pradakshina step by step until one reaches the Balipitha again. Doing namaskara
is said to complete the process of pradakshina. Birth and death originate with
him and prostrating oneself is a form of surrender. The pair of birth and death
is thus offered up to Shiva's maya. When one offers this pair up to Shiva, one
is not born again. As long as one is under the control of bodily functions, a
jiva is spoken of as bound. When one is no longer under the control of the
body, the learned speak of this as emancipation. The supreme cause, Shiva, is
the one who gets the wheel of maya going. When the pair is offered up to Shiva,
Shiva himself wipes it clean. Shiva is the one who conceived the pair, and it
is offered up to him. O learned ones! It should be known that Shiva loves
pradakshina. Pradakshina and namaskara done to Shiva, the paramatman, and
worship with the sixteen kinds of upachara, yield fruits. There is no sin on
the surface of the earth that cannot be destroyed through pradakshina.
Therefore, all sins should be destroyed with pradakshina. A person worshipping
Shiva should also be silent and possess truthfulness and other qualities. He
must follow each one of the rites, austerities, japa, dhyana and jnana. As a
result of rites and the others, prosperity, a divine body, jnana, the
dispelling of ignorance and proximity to Shiva are obtained as fruits. The
fruits are obtained through the act and the darkness of ignorance is removed.
As a result of this understanding, birth itself is cleansed. Shiva's devotee
will undertake the rites as is appropriate, depending on the time and the place
and on the state of his body and wealth. With wealth earned in a proper way, a
wise person will reside in Shiva's region. He will refrain from causing injury
to beings and his mind will be free of worries. When food is cooked while
chanting the panchakshara mantra, it is known to yield happiness. When food is
obtained by a poor person through seeking alms, this too yields jnana. Food
obtained through seeking alms by a poor person who is Shiva's devotee increases
devotion towards Shiva. Yogis devoted to Shiva say that such food obtained
through seeking alms is like a sacrifice to Shambhu. Through any means,
wherever on earth, a devotee must always eat pure food. He will be silent and
not reveal the secret.
______________________
386 This is the prayer used when
sacrificing oneself.
387 Known as Balipitha-bali (offerings) and
pitha (pedestal).
He will not reveal Shiva's
greatness to a person who is not a devotee. He will not reveal the secret of
Shiva's mantra. No one other than Shiva knows it. Shiva's devotee will always
reside near Shiva's lingam. O learned ones! By resorting to a stationary
lingam, a person himself becomes stable. If one worships a mobile lingam, it is
certain that one will gradually be liberated. Briefly, these are the excellent
means that can be used to obtain every kind of emancipation. Vyasa spoke about
this in earlier times and in those ancient times, I heard it from him. May all
of us be fortunate. May our devotion towards Shiva be steadfast. O learned
ones! A man who constantly reads or hears this chapter, obtains jnana about
Shiva and obtains Shiva's compassion.""
“The rishis said, "O Suta! You
are blessed. May you live for a long time. O Suta! You are blessed. You are
Shiva's devotee. You have spoken well about the greatness of the lingam and the
fruits it bestows. Vyasa spoke about Mahesha's Parthiva lingam, which is the
best. Please again tell us now about its greatness.""
'Suta replied, "O rishis! All
of you listen to everything with devotion. I will speak about the greatness of
Shiva's Parthiva lingam. Parthiva lingam is described as the best among all
lingams. Many brahmanas have obtained success by worshipping it. O brahmanas!
Having worshipped Parthiva lingam, Hari, Brahma, rishis and Prajapatis obtained
everything that they wished for. There are many others who have obtained
supreme success by worshipping it-devas, asuras, humans, gandharvas, uragas and
rakshasas. 388 In krita yuga, lingams were made out of jewels. In
treta yuga, they were made out of gold. In dvapara, they were made out of mercury.
In kali yuga, Parthiva lingams are regarded as the best. Among all his eight
images, the earthen image is regarded as the best. 389 O brahmanas!
Since the austerities and worship of this are unique, it yields great fruits.
Among all devas, Maheshvara is the oldest and the best. In that way, among all
lingams, the Parthiva is spoken of as the best. Among all rivers, the river of
the gods390 is the oldest and the best. In that way, among all
lingams, the Parthiva is spoken of as the best. Among all mantras, Pranava is
remembered as the greatest. In that way, Parthiva lingam is most fit to be
worshipped and its worship is the best. Among all varnas, the brahmana is
spoken of as the best. In that way, among all lingams, Parthiva lingam is
spoken of as the best. Among all cities, Kashi is spoken of as the best. In
that way, among all lingams, Parthiva lingam is spoken of as the best. Among
all vows, the vow on Shiva Ratri is supreme. In that way, among all lingams,
Parthiva lingam is spoken of as the best. Among all devis, Shiva Shakti is
spoken of as supreme. In that way, among all lingams, Parthiva lingam is spoken
of as the best.
___________________
388 Uragas are the same as nagas/pannagas.
They are not quite the same as snakes (sarpas), since they can assume any form
at will and have semi-divine traits, We will translate sarpas as snakes and
uragas as serpents.
389 The eight forms of Shiva can be
interpreted in different ways. He often has eight names-Bhava, Sharva, Rudra,
Pashupati, Ugra, Mahadeva, Bhima and Ishana. (The list of eight names does vary
though.) His eight forms are also identified with the five elements, the sun,
the moon and the sacrifice. There is thus no unique way to interpret the number
eight.
390 Ganga.
Instead of Parthiva lingam, if one
worships any other deva, that worship is futile. Bathing and donations are
fruitless. A worshipper of Parthiva lingam is purified and blessed. He has a
long lifespan. He obtains contentment, nourishment and prosperity. All supreme
sadhakas must do this. For success in obtaining everything that is desired, one
should worship Parthiva lingam, full of faith and devotion and using whatever
upachara is available. If a person worships Parthiva lingam on an auspicious
altar, such a person obtains beauty and prosperity in this world. At the end,
he is born as Rudra. Listen. A person who uses bilva leaves to worship Parthiva
lingam at the time of the three sandhyas every day, obtains auspicious fruits
for twenty-one births. In his own body, he obtains greatness in Rudra's world.
If he is seen or touched, the sins of all mortals are dispelled. There is no
doubt that he is jivanmukta, possessing inana. He is Shiva. As soon as one sees
or touches him, one obtains objects of pleasure and emancipation. Having created
a Parthiva lingam, if a person worships Shiva every day, or if he visits
Shiva's temple for as long as he lives, he remains in Shiva's world for many
years, in Shiva's presence. If he has worshipped with desire in his mind, he is
reborn and becomes an Indra among kings in Bharata. If a person has always
worshipped the excellent Parthiva lingam without any desires, he always remains
in Shiva's world and obtains sayujya. If a brahmana does not worship Parthiva
lingam every day, he goes to a terrible hell and is impaled with an extremely
terrible trident. One should use any means possible to try and devise a lingam.
One should check whether the Parthiva lingam satisfies the panchasutri norms.
391 The lingam must consist of a single piece. Separate pieces must not
be joined together to make it. For example, if two pieces are joined together,
one will not obtain the fruits of the puja. Whether it is made out of a jewel,
gold, mercury, crystal or yellow sapphire, the Parthiva lingam must be made out
of a single piece. All Chara lingams must be made out of a single piece. It is
said that stationary lingams can be made out of two pieces. Depending on
whether it is a Chara lingam or a stationary lingam, one must think about a
single piece or more than one piece. The base is Mahavidya, 392 the
lingam proper is the divinity Maheshvara. That is the reason stationary lingams
are said to be the best when they consist of two pieces. Following the rules, a
stationary lingam must be made out of two pieces. Those who know the
determinations of the Shaiva texts say that a mobile lingam must consist of a
single piece. Those who say that a Chara lingam can be made out of two
different pieces are deluded in their knowledge. Sages who know about the
sacred texts do not agree with this conclusion. There are foolish men who make
a stationary lingam out of a single piece and a mobile lingam out of two
pieces. They do not obtain fruits from the puja. Thus, the rules of the sacred
texts are that anything known as a Chara lingam must be made out of a single
piece and a stationary lingam should be made out of two pieces. It is then that
one obtains supreme happiness. If one worships a Chara lingam that is made out
of a single piece, this bestows complete fruits. If one worships a Chara lingam
that is made out of two pieces, this is said to lead to great harm. If one
worships a stationary lingam that is made out of single piece, this does not
yield the fruits one desires. One must never act against what the sacred texts
have said.",
__________________
391 Literally, five threads. While this
has been interpreted metaphorically, one measures the lingam's height,
circumference and width. This must be in exact proportion to the base and the
pitha's circumference, the latter being double that of the lingam.
392 Great knowledge.
“Suta continued, “Hear about the
way devotes should follow the Vedas and worship a Parthiva lingam. It is only
the path indicated by the Vedas that bestows objects of pleasure and
emancipation. A person must bathe according to the norms given in the codes.
Following the norms, he must observe the sandhya rites. He must undertake
brahma yajna and follow the water rites for the ancestors. A man must follow
the norms and undertake all the nitya karma. Remembering Shiva, he must adorn
himself with bhasma and wear rudraksha. If one follows the norms of the Vedas
properly, then he is successful in obtaining the complete fruits. Full of
supreme devotion, the excellent Parthiva lingam must next be worshipped. It is
recommended that the worship of Parthiva lingam must be carried out along the
bank of a river or pond, in a mountain or a forest, in Shiva's temple or in a
pure spot. O brahmanas! One must carefully collect clay from a pure spot and
attentively fashion Shiva's lingam. It is said that brahmanas must use white
clay, those who live through their arms393 must use red clay,
vaishyas must use clay that is yellow in complexion and shudras must use black
clay. If this is not available, anything available can be used. However, with
the collected clay, the lingam must be fashioned with great care. The
auspicious clay must be placed in an extremely auspicious region. It must be
purified with water and kneaded gently. Following the path indicated in the
Vedas, the auspicious Parthiva lingam must be fashioned.""
"If it is worshipped with
devotion, objects of pleasure and emancipation are obtained as fruits. I will
describe the recommended method. Listen. Using the mantra 'Namah Shivaya',394
objects used for the worship will be washed. Using the bhurasi mantra, 395
the ground will be purified. This ensures success. The water will be purified
with the aposman mantra. 396 The entry of depredations will be
barred with the 'Namaste Rudra' mantra. 397 With the 'Namah
Shambhavya' 398 mantra, the spot will be purified. Affixing the word
'Namah', the panchamrita399 will be sprinkled. Shankara's excellent
Chara lingam will be faithfully instated, using the mantra Namah Nilagrivaya' 400
Devotedly, one must use the mantra, Etatte Rudravasam 401 and
following the path of the Vedas, offer an excellent seat.
____________________
393 Kshatriyas.
394 Mantras in this chapter cause a problem
because the mantra is not intended to be the familiar Namah Shivaya alone.
There is a complete mantra, of which, what is mentioned is a part. These
mantras are typically from Chapter 16 of the Vajasaneyi Samhita, associated
with the Yajur Veda. For example, this mantra not only mentions obeisance to
Shiva, but also to Shiva under his names of Sambhava, Bhava, Shankara,
Mayaskara and Shivatara. This one is from 16.41 of Vajasaneyi Samhita.
395 Bhurasi bhumirasi aditirasi etc., used
for purifying the ground. This is 13.18 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'You are the
earth. You are the ground. You are Aditi, who holds up the world.' Words to
that effect.
396 4.2 of Vajasaneyi Samhita, 'May the
water, who is our mother, purify us. Words to that effect.
397 16.1 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'O Rudra!
I bow down to your rage. I bow down to your arrows.' Words to that effect.
398 Shambhavaya is the dative of Shambhu.
This is the 16.41 mentioned earlier.
399 Five kinds of amrita milk, curd, ghee,
honey and sugar.
400 Nilagriva, blue-throated, is one of
Shiva's names. Nilagrivaya is the dative. This is 16.28 of Vajasaneyi Samhita.
In this, other names of Shiva are mentioned-Bhava, Rudra, Sharva, Pashupati,
Nilagriva and Sitikantha.
401 3.61 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'O Rudra! This
is your seat' and so on.
The avahana must be performed with
the mantra 'ma no mahantam' 402 With the mantra, 'ya te Rudra', 403
the Chara lingam must be seated. With the mantra yamishum', 404 the
nyasa of Shiva must be performed on different parts of the body. Fragrances
must be offered with the mantra 'adhyavochat'. 405 With the mantra
'asou jiva', 406 myasa must be performed of other devas. One must
approach the divinity with the mantra 'asou yovasarpati 407 The
padya must be offered with the words 'Namah Nilagrivaya' 408 The
arghya must be offered with the Rudra-Gayatri mantra. 409 The
achamaniya must be offered with the mantra addressed to Tryambaka. 410
The bathing with milk will be done with the mantra 'payah prithivyam', 411
The bathing with curd will be done with the mantra 'dadhikravnah'. 412
The bathing with ghee will be done with the mantra for ghee. It is said that
the bathing with honey and sugar must be done with the three hymns, 'madhu
vata', 'madhu naktam' and 'madhuman nah' 413 This is the way bathing
is done with panchamrita. Alternatively, the bathing with panchamrita can be
done with the mantra used for padya. 414 The tying of the waistband
must lovingly be done with the mantra 'ma nastoke'.415 The upper
garment will be offered with 'namo dhrishnave'. 416 Following the
norms, a devotee will offer the garment to Shiva, with the four hymns from the
Vedas, 'ya te heti.'417 An intelligent person will lovingly offer
fragrances with the hymn 'namah shabhyah' 418 Akshata will be
offered with the mantra 'namastakshabhyah419 Flowers will be offered
with the mantra 'namah paryaya.'420
_______________________________
402 16.15 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'Do not
harm us, old or young' and so on.
403 16.2 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'O Rudra!
With your auspicious form...' and so on.
404 16.3 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'With the
arrow you hold in your hand... and so on.
405 16.5 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. O eloquent
one! O foremost among divine physicians...' and so on.
406 Literally, 'this being'.
407 16.7 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'May the
one who moves...' and so on.
408 Nilagrivaya is the dative of
Nilagriva. 16.8 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. I prostrate myself before Nilagriva
Sahasraksha...' and so on.
409 There are variations of the gayatri
mantra, addressed to specific devas. The one mentioned here is Rudra-Mahadeva
gayatri. As cited in Mahanaryana Upanishad, it is 'tatpurushaya vidmahe
mahadevaya dhimabi tanno rudra prachodoyat'. 'May we comprehend that Purusha.
For that, we meditate on Mahadeva. May Rudra urge us towards that objective.’
410 This is the famous Mahamritunjaya
mantra. 360 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'Tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim
pushtivardhanam.' 'We worship the fragrant Tryambaka, who enhances our
nourishment.'
411 18.36 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'May you
store milk in the earth...' and so on.
412 23.32 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. The
address is to a divine horse, Dadhikravan.
413 These are famous hymns, especially the
first, which runs, madhu vata ritayate madhu ksharanti sindhavah. They are
13.27-29 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'May the winds be sweet. May the rivers be
sweet. May the night be sweet. May the dawn be sweet. May the tree be sweet.
May the sun be sweet.' Words to that effect.
414 Namah Nilagrivaya, mentioned earlier.
415 16.16 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'Harm not
our offspring' and so on.
416 16.36 of Vajasanayi Samhita. I
prostrate myself before Dhrishnu', Dhrishnu meaning the bold and confident one.
417 These four hymns, 16.11-14 of
Vajasaneyi Samhita, are about Shiva's bow and arrows, which should protect and
not harm.
418 16.28 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. I
prostrate myself before dogs and before those who own dogs.’
419 Akshata is unhusked grain. The mantra
is 16.27 of Vajasaneyi Samhita, mentioning homage to artisans and
chariot-makers.
420 16.42
of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I prostrate myself before the one who enables the
crossing over of samsara' and so on.
Bilva leaves will be offered with
the mantra 'namah parnaya'. 421 Following the norms, incense will be
offered with 'namah kapardine 422 In that way, the lamp will be
offered with the hymn 'namah ashave', 423 The excellent naivedya
will be offered with the mantra 'namah jyeshthaya', 424 Achamaniya
will again be offered with the mantra to Tryambaka. 425 The fruit
will be offered with the hymn 'ima rudraya' 426 With the hymn namo
vrajyaya' everything will be offered to Shambhu. 427 The eleven
Rudras will be worshipped with eleven offerings of akshata, using the two
mantras, 'ma no mahantam' and 'ma mastoke 428 Dakshina will be
offered with the three hymns that begin with the word 'Hiranyagarbhah'. 429
A learned person will perform abhisheka with the mantra 'devasya tua 430
Following the norms, the lamps will be waved before Shambhu with the mantra
'namah ashave'. The offering of flowers will be rendered with the hymn 'ima
rudraya'. Chanting 'ma no mahantam', a wise person will perform the
pradakshina. An intelligent person will do sashtanga pranama with the mantra
'ma nastoke'. He will show Shiva mudra with the mantra 'esha te', Abhaya mudra
with the mantra 'yato yatah' and Jnana mudra with the Tryambaka mantra. 431
Maha mudra will be shown with the mantra 'namah senabhyah', 432
Dhenu mudra will be shown with the hymn 'namah gobhyah' 433 After
showing these five mudras, he will perform japa with Shiva's mantra. 434
A discriminating person will perform japa with the Shatarudriya mantra. 435
A discriminating person must then undertake panchanga patha. 436
Visarjana must be performed with a mantra announcing the deva's departure. The
details of following the norms of the Vedas and worshipping Shiva have thus
been described. Briefly listen to the excellent norms given in the Vedas.
_____________________
421 16.46 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I
prostrate myself before the one who exists in leaves' and so on.
422 16.29 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I
prostrate myself before the one who has matted hair' and so on.
423 16.31 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I
prostrate myself before the one who moves swiftly' and so on.
424 16.32 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I
prostrate myself before the one who is the eldest and the youngest' and so on.
425 Mahamritunjaya mantra, mentioned
earlier.
426 16.48 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'To the
Rudra who hears words of praise' and so on.
427 16.44 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. 'I
prostrate myself before the one who exists in settlements of cows.' Words to
that effect.
428 There are eleven Rudras, but the
listing of the names differs.These two mantras have been mentioned earlier.
429 13.4-13.6 of Vajasaneyi Samhita,
'Hiranyagarbha was the one who arose first' and so on.
430 11.28 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. This is
an invocation to Agni, who is dug out from the earth.
431 Esha te is 9.35 of Vajasaneyi
Samhita, whereby offerings are made to various devas. Yato yatoh is 36.22 of
Vajasaneyi Samhita, whereby protection is sought from all quarters. Tryambaka
mantra is Mahamritunjaya mantra. As stated earlier, mudras are positions for
the hands. There are several mudras. The five mentioned here are Shiva mudra
(in the form of the lingam), Abhaya mudra, Jnana mudra (for knowledge), Dhenu
mudra (resembling a cow) and Maha mudra (more a position of dhyana, rather than
a hand position). But in this context, Maha mudra probably refers to a hand
position. 432 16.26 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. I prostrate myself before armies.'
Words to that effect.
433 "I prostrate myself before cows.'
434 Namah Shivaya.
435 Literally, Shatarudriva means one
hundred Rudras and is a mantra to Rudra, from the Yajur Veda.
436 Panchanga patha may mean a rite whose
meaning has now been lost. Otherwise, panchanga (five limbs) patha (reading)
refers to jyotisha (astronomy/astrology). Panchanga of jyotisha refers to
tithi, nakshatra, rashi, yoga (conjunction) and karana (the end of half a
tithi).
The clay must be collected with the
Sadyojata hymn. 437 The water must be sprinkled with a mantra to
Vamadeva. The Aghora mantra must be used to fashion the lingam. Following the
norms, the Tatpurusha mantra 438 must be used to perform the
avahana. The mantra to Ishana must be used to affix the lingam to the pedestal.439
An intelligent devotee will briefly follow all the other norms. An intelligent
devotee will follow the norms and undertake the worship with sixteen upacharas,
using the panchakshara mantra or any other mantra that has been given by the
guru. 'We meditate on Bhava, Bhavanasha, Mahadeva, Ugra, Ugranasha, Sharva and
Shashimouli. 440 With great devotion, an intelligent person will
worship Shankara in the manner indicated, carefully avoiding any
transgressions. If Shiva is devotedly worshipped in this way, he bestows
fruits.""
"If one follows the order
indicated in the Vedas, this is said to be the method. O brahmanas! However,
other than this, I will mention the other ordinary methods to undertake the
worship properly. The means of worshipping Parthiva lingam is said to be recital
of Shiva's names. Hear about this. O best among sages! This yields everything
that one desires. For collecting the clay, kneading it, establishing it,
invocation, bathing, worship, seeking forgiveness and visarjana, the respective
names used are Hara, Maheshvara, Shambhu, Shulapani, Pinakadhrik, Shiva,
Pashupati and Mahadeva. One must prefix AUM. The names must be used in the
dative case and must end with 'Namah.' This is the order. The rites must be
undertaken with great devotion and supreme joy. Nyasa must be properly
performed and there must be anga-nyasa on both the hands. Using the mantra with
six aksharas, 441 one must perform dhyana. Devotees must meditate on
Shiva seated on his seat in Kailasa, being worshipped by Sananda and others. 442
Shiva is like a forest blaze, the afflictions of the devotees are the kindling.
He is immeasurable. He is the ornament of the universe, embraced by Uma. One
must always meditate on Mahesha in the following way. 'He is like a mountain
made of silver. He wears the beautiful crescent moon on his forehead. His limbs
blaze with resplendent jewels. The supreme hunter wields an axe. His pleasant
face grants freedom from fear. He is seated in the lotus posture. He is
worshipped by large numbers of immortals who surround him. He is attired in the
skin of a tiger. He is the primordial being in the universe. He is the seed of
the universe. He dispels all fears. He has five faces and three eyes.'
Meditating in this way, one must worship Parthiva lingam. Following the norms,
he must perform japa with the panchakshara mantra taught by the guru. O Indras
among brahmanas! An intelligent devotee must praise the lord of devas in many
kinds of ways and prostrate himself. He must read the Shatarudriya mantra.
______________________________
437 This has not been mentioned earlier
and is 29.36 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. It is an invocation to Agni.
438 The mantra, 'ya te Rudra'.
439 27.35 of Vajasaneyi Samhita, stating
that Ishana pervades the universe.
440 These are Shiva's names. Bhavanasha is
the one who destroys worldly existence, Ugra is the fierce one, Ugranasha is
the one who destroys terrible things and Shashimouli is the one who wears the
crescent moon on his head.
441 AUM Namah Shivaya.
442 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and
Sanatkumara are four sages, born through Brahma's mental powers.
He must happily collect akshata and
flowers, with his hands held in anjali. 443 Full of great devotion,
he must faithfully pray to Shankara, using the following mantra. I belong to
you. My breath of life is your gunas. O lord! My consciousness is always fixed
in you. You are on ocean of compassion. O Bhutanatha! Knowing this, show me
your favours. Inadvertently and knowingly, I have done various things in the
course of japa and worship. O Shankara! Through your favours, may all those
yield excellent fruits. I am a great sinner, and you are the great one who
instantly purifies. O Gouri's refuge! Knowing this, do whatever you wish. O
Mahadeva! The Vedas, the Puranas and the determinations of many kinds of rishis
have been unable to comprehend you. O Sadashiva! How can I possibly know about
you? O Maheshvara! In every possible way, I belong to you. You should save me.
O Parameshvara! Please show me your favours.' Having said this, the devotee
will place the akshata and the flowers over Shiva's lingam. O sages! Following
the norms, in a shastanga way, he will prostrate himself before Shambhu.
Following the norms, an intelligent person will then perform pradakshina. He
will then again praise the lord of devas, devotedly using words of praise.
Having uttered these words through his throat, a pure and humble devotee will
then prostrate himself. Having taken the permission, he will then perform the
act of visarjana. O tigers among sages! I have thus described the rules for
worshipping Parthiva lingam.
This bestows objects of pleasure
and emancipation and increases devotion towards Shiva. If a person reads this
chapter with a pure mind, or listens to it, he is freed from all sins and
obtains everything that he desires. He obtains a long lifespan and freedom from
disease. He obtains fame and heaven. This excellent account bestows sons,
grandsons and happiness.'
“The rishis said, "O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! O Sura! O Vyasa's disciple! We bow down to you. You
have properly explained the modes of worshipping Parthiva lingam. Depending on
differences in desires, please tell us about the rules for resorting to a
different number of Shiva's Parthiva lingams. You are devoted to those who are
distressed and show them your compassion.""
'Suta replied, "O rishis!
Listen to all the rules for worshipping Parthiva lingams. Through only
following these, a man becomes successful in all his tasks. Without fashioning
a Parthiva lingam, if a person worships any other deva, that worship is futile.
Self-control and devotions are in vain. In accordance with the desire, I will
describe the number of Parthiva lingams. O best among sages! These numbers
instantly bestow the fruits. The first avahana, pratishthana and puja are
separate. The shape of the lingam is known to remain the same everywhere.
Everything else is distinct. A man in search of learning must cheerfully
worship one thousand Parthiva lingams. This will certainly yield the fruits. A
man in search of wealth must fashion five hundred Parthiva lingams. A person
seeking sons must use one thousand and five hundred, while one desiring
garments must use five hundred. A person desiring emancipation must use one
crore, while a person desiring land must use one thousand. A person desiring
compassion must use three thousand, while a person in search of a tirtha must
use two thousand.
__________________________
443 The palms joined and held together in
the form of a cup, a gesture of offering.
A person desiring well-wishers must
use three thousand, while a person seeking control must use eight hundred. A
person desiring to kill someone must use seven hundred, while a person desiring
to confound someone must use eight hundred. It is said that a person intent on
expulsion444 must use one thousand. A person seeking to stupefy must
use one thousand, while a person desiring to kindle hatred must use five
hundred. A person seeking to free himself from bondage must use one thousand
and five hundred excellent lingams. A discriminating person who seeks to save
himself from fear caused by a great king will use five hundred. It is known
that two hundred Parthiva lingams must be used if there is fear from thieves
and similar things. It is said that five hundred Parthiva lingams must be used
if there is fear from dakinis. 445 In the case of poverty, five
thousand must be used.
Ten thousand yield every object of
desire. O excellent sages! I will now speak about the daily norms. One is said
to dispel sins, while two lingams bring success in the pursuit of wealth.
It is said that three lingams are
sufficient to accomplish every wish. It progressively gets better and better as
more than the preceding number is used. However, there are differences in views
among sages and I will tell you about that. If an intelligent person fashions
ten thousand Parthiva lingams, he has no reason for any fear. This certainly
takes away the fear on account of a great king. To be freed from prison, an
intelligent person will fashion ten thousand. To be freed from fear on account
of dakinis and similar things, he should fashion seven thousand. A person who
has no sons will devise fifty-five thousand. If a person uses ten thousand
lingams, he will get daughters. Through ten thousand lingams, a person obtains
Vishnu's prosperity. Through a million lingams, one obtains unmatched
prosperity. If a man fashions one crore lingams, he becomes like Shiva on
earth. There is no need to think about this. The worship of Parthiva lingams
yields the fruits of one crore sacrifices. This always bestows objects of
pleasure and emancipation on men who desire them. If a person constantly spends
his time without worshipping a lingam, he suffers from great harm. He becomes
evil-souled and wicked in conduct. If one places all donations, many kinds of
vows, tirthas, niyamas and yajnas together on one side 446 and the
worship of lingam alone on the other, the two will be equal. In kali yuga, it
is evident in the world that the worship of lingam is the best. There is
nothing else. That is the determination of the sacred texts. The lingam bestows
objects of pleasure and emancipation. Many kinds of hardships are countered. If
a man undertakes this worship constantly, he attains sayujya with Shiva. Since
Shiva's unblemished lingam is constantly worshipped even by maharshis, there
are rules on worshipping all these lingams.""
"It is said that there are
three types of lingams-superior, middling and inferior. O tigers among sages! I
will tell you about their measurements. Listen. Sages who are accomplished in
the sacred texts say that a superior lingam must be four angulas in height and
must have a beautiful pedestal.
_________________________________
444 To ward off harmful omens, objects or
people.
445 A dakini is a demoness, usually
feeding on flesh and blood.
446 Of a pair of scales.
One that is half this size is said
to be middling. One that is quarter this size is said to be inferior. I have
thus described the three types, one after another. Full of faith and devotion,
if a person worships many lingams every day, he obtains everything,
irrespective of whether he has, or does not have, desires in his mind. In the
four Vedas, there is nothing described that is as sacred as the worship of a
lingam. This is also known to be the determination of all the sacred texts.
Therefore, discarding everything else, in particular the net of karma, a
learned person worships only the lingam, full of great devotion. If the lingam
is worshipped, the entire universe, with all its mobile and immobile objects,
is worshipped. When one is submerged in the ocean of samsara, there is no other
means of saving oneself. This happens even if the worship is done unknowingly
and even if it is done because one is addicted to material objects. Other than
worshipping the lingam, there is no other raft in this universe. To accomplish
all their objectives, Hari, Brahma and other devas, sages, yakshas, rakshasas,
gandharvas, charanas,447 daityas, danavas,448 Shesha and
other nagas, Garuda and other birds, Prajapatis, kinnaras 449 and
men worship the lingam with great devotion. All of them achieve the desired
wishes that are there in their hearts. Using the respective mantra, brahmanas,
kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras and those born from a pratiloma marriage450
always lovingly worship the lingam. O sages! What is the need to speak a lot? O
brahmanas! Everyone, women and others, have a right to worship the lingam. For
brahmanas, it is best to worship according to the rules laid down in the Vedas.
Others should not undertake the worship indicated in the Vedas. Brahmanas must
follow the Vedas and worship in accordance with the rites of the Vedas. They
should not follow any other path. Bhagavan Shiva has himself said that. There
are brahmanas like Dadhichi, Goutama and others. Because of curses, their
intelligence has been scorched. They no longer have faith in the rites of the
Vedas. A mortal who rejects the Vedas and follows the rites indicated in smriti
texts is a person whose sankalpa will not lead to any fruits. It should be
known that Shambhu himself has said that the worship must be conducted in this
fashion. He pervades the three worlds, and he must be worshipped in his eight
forms. The eight forms that are described are earth, water, fire, wind, space,
the sun, the moon and the person who is undertaking the sacrifice. The eight
forms that are to be worshipped are Sharva, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, Bhima, Ishvara,
Mahadeva and Pashupati. Along with his family, Shambhu must be worshipped with
great devotion. Beginning with the north-east direction, they must be
worshipped in the due order, with sandalwood paste, akshata and leaves. In due
order, they are Ishana, Nandi, Chanda, Mahakala, Bhringi, Vrisha, Skanda,
Kapardisha, Soma and Shukra. Virbhadra is in front and Kirtimukha is at the
rear. After this, following the norms, the eleven Rudras must be worshipped.
After this, he should do japa with the panchakshara mantra or with the
Shatarudriya mantra. Having uttered many kinds of praises, there must be
panchanga patha. Then, after having done pradakshina, he will prostrate himself
and there will be visarjana of the lingam. I have thus described the way one
must lovingly worship Shiva. In the night, the tasks for the divinity must
always be performed while facing the north. Purified, one must always worship
Shiva while facing the north, not while facing the east.
___________________________
447 Celestial singers and bards.
448 The words daitya and danava are
sometimes used as synonyms. Daityas are the sons of Diti, through the sage
Kashyapa. Danavas are the sons of Danu, through the sage Kashyapa. Daityas and
danavas are thus kin. The word asura (counterpoint of sura or god) is also used
as a synonym.
449 Equivalently, kimpurusha, a
semi-divine species.
450 Where the mother's varna is superior
to that of the father's.
The reading of Shiva's and Shakti's
Samhita must not be done while facing the north or the west. These must always
be to the rear. A learned person will not worship Shankara without Tripundraka
from bhasma, a string of rudraksha and bilva leaves. O best among sages! When
one sets out to worship Shiva and ashes are not available, Tripundraka must be
drawn on the forehead with clay.""
“The rishis said, "We have
earlier heard words to the effect that Shiva's naivedya should not be taken
away.451 sage! Please tell us the determination about this and
please also tell us about the greatness of bilva."י
"Suta replied, "O sages!
All of you please listen to this attentively now. I will happily tell you
everything. Since you follow Shiva's vows, you are blessed. Shiva's naivedya
can be partaken of by Shiva's devotee, one who is clean and pure, firm in his
decision about the vows and one who has banished unacceptable thoughts. Even if
one sees Shiva's naivedya, sins go far away. When one partakes of Shiva's
naivedya, crores of good merits arrive. One thousand sacrifices are of no
avail. Hundreds of millions of sacrifices are futile. When one partakes of
Shiva's naivedya, one attains sayujya with Shiva. If there is the spread of
Shiva's naivedya in a house, everything in that house becomes pure and it is a
source of purification of others. When Shiva's naivedya is offered, it should
be happily accepted on one's head. After having remembered Shiva, it should be
eaten carefully. When Shiva's naivedya is offered, if a man accepts something
else instead, or eats it later, he is associated with sin. If a person is not
interested in eating Shiva's naivedya, he becomes the worst of sinners and is
certain to go to hell. When one offers it to Shiva in one's heart, or to an
image made out of moonstone, silver or gold, and then eats it, after having
been initiated into becoming Shiva's devotee, one can cross over. For a person
who has been initiated into becoming Shiva's devotee, this bears the trait of
great prasada. 452 The partaking of naivedya from all lingams is
auspicious. This is also true of men who have been initiated into worshipping
others but possess devotion towards Shiva in their atmans. Listen cheerfully to
the determination about partaking of Shiva's naivedya. Ο brahmanas! It is said
that partaking of Shiva's naivedya when it has been offered to a shalagrama
lingam, a Rasa lingam, a lingam made out of rock, silver or gold, a lingam
established by gods and siddhas, a lingam in Kashmira, a lingam made out of
crystal or jewels and all the Jyotirlingams453 is equal to the
completion of a chandrayana vow. It is extraordinary that even the slayer of a
brahmana is cleansed as soon as he partakes of this. All sins are destroyed.
Men cannot eat it when Chanda has a right to it.454 However, when
Chanda does not have a right to it, men can devotedly eat it. Chanda does not
have a right to Bana lingams, iron lingams, Svayambhu lingams and other
extremely radiant images.
_____________________
451 By others.
452 Food after an offering is made to a
divinity.
453 A Jyotirlingam is a natural lingam
that blazes in energy and radiance. Every Jyotirlingam is a Svayambhu lingam,
but every Svayambhu lingam is not a Jyotirlingam. There are twelve
Jyotirlingams and the standard list is Somanatha, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshvara,
Omkareshvara, Kedaranatha, Bhimshankara, Vishveshvara, Vaidyanatha, Rameshvara,
Tryambakeshvara, Nageshvara and Ghrishneshvara.
454 Chanda is one of Shiva's attendants.
If one follows the norms, and after
bathing the lingam, sips the water thrice, the three kinds of sins455
are swiftly destroyed. The leaves, flowers, fruits and water offered as part of
Shiva's naivedya must not be accepted. Everything that has come into contact
with a shalagrama lingam is pure. O lords among sages! Therefore, anything that
has been placed on top of the lingam must not be accepted. Anything that has
not touched the lingam, but is outside, is known to be extremely pure. That has
therefore been determined as naivedya which can be taken.""
"Attentively and lovingly,
hear about the greatness of bilva. Bilva is Mahadeva's form and is therefore
praised even by devas. One cannot comprehend its greatness but is only capable
of knowing a little bit. There are famous and sacred tirthas in the worlds. All
those tirthas are present at the root of a bilva tree. The root of a bilva tree
has the form of Mahadeva's undecaying lingam. Anyone who worships it is pure in
his atman and certainly obtains Shiva. If a person sprinkles water on his head
at the root of a bilva tree, it is as if he has bathed in all the tirthas on
earth. He is purified. When he sees that the excellent region around the root
of a bilva tree is full of water, Mahadeva obtains unmatched delight. If a man
worships the root of a bilva tree with fragrances, flowers and other objects,
he obtains Shiva's world. His happiness and offspring increase. If a person
lovingly devises a garland of lamps at the root of a bilva tree, he becomes
full of true jnana and merges into Mahesha. If a person gathers sprouts and
branches from a bilva tree with his hand and then worships the bilva tree, he
is freed from sins. If a person faithfully feeds Shiva's devotee at the root of
a bilva tree once, his good merits become one crore times what they usually
are. At the root of a bilva tree, if a person donates food cooked in milk and
ghee to Shiva's devotee, he is never born poor. I have spoken to you about the
divisions and sub-divisions of worshipping Shiva's lingam. O brahmanas!
Depending on whether one follows pravritti or nivritti, there are two kinds of
differences. For those who follow pravritti, all the worship must be in the
form of puja done on the pedestal. At the end of abhisheka, the naivedya of
cooked food must be of shali rice. At the end of the worship, the lingam must
be kept away in a pure casket in a separate part of the house. A person who
follows nivritti must perform the worship in the palm of his hand456
and offer his own food as naivedya. For those who follow nivritti, the supreme
and subtle lingam is recommended. He will worship the vibhuti and also offer
the vibhuti. Having performed the worship, he must always hold the lingam on
his head "457
“The rishis said, "O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! The Suta! O Vyasa's disciple! We bow down to you.
Please tell us about the greatness of bhasma, the greatness of rudraksha and
the greatness of his excellent names. Please tell us about these three, so that
our minds are pleased and delighted.'
'Suta replied,
"You have asked me a virtuous question. This brings benefit to the world.
You are extremely blessed and sacred, the ornaments of your lineages, since the
extremely auspicious Shiva is himself your divinity.
______________________
455 In thoughts, words and deeds.
456 With the lingam in the palm of the
hand.
457 In
the form of the ashes.
The accounts of Sadashiva are
always loved in this world and are dear to you. Such blessed people have
accomplished their objectives. Their taking birth in physical bodies is
successful. Those who worship Shiva uplift their lineages. When names of Shiva,
Shivaa and Sadashiva, emerge from the mouths of people, sins do not touch them.
It is as if they are burning coal made of khadira458 wood. When a
mouth utters the words, 'O Shri Shiva! I prostrate myself before you', that
mouth becomes a sacred tirtha that destroys all sins. If a man looks at such a
mouth lovingly, it is quite certain that he reaps the fruits of visiting a
tirtha. O brahmanas! A place where all three exist together is auspicious. The
mere sight of such a place is like reaping the fruits of bathing in Triveni. 459
Shiva's name, vibhuti and rudraksha-these three are extremely sacred and are
said to be like Triveni. The sight of a person who possesses all three in his
body is extremely rare in this world and destroys sins. There is no difference
between the sight of such a person and Triveni. There is no doubt that a person
who does not know this is a sinner. If a man does not wear rudraksha on his
body, if he does not have vibhuti on his forehead and if he does not utter
Shiva's names, he is the worst among men and should be shunned. Shiva's name is
like Ganga. Vibhuti is like Yamuna. Rudraksha is like Vidhatri's daughter,460
They destroy all sins. Brahma, the beneficial one, formerly placed the fruits
of all three present together on the body on one side and bathing in Triveni on
the other side 461 and found that they were equal. Learned men
obtain these fruits. Since these were found to be equal, learned men must
always wear them. Since that day, Brahma, Vishnu and the other gods wear these
three since their sight destroys sins.""
"The rishis said, "You
have spoken about the fruits obtained from these three. O one excellent in
vows! But you should specifically tell us about the greatness of Bhava's
names.""
'Suta replied, "O rishis! O
immensely wise ones! The immortals possess this jnana about Shiva. O brahmanas!
Listen lovingly and attentively to this greatness. This is a great secret, even
in the sacred texts, the Puranas and the shruti texts. O brahmanas! However,
out of affection towards you, I will reveal it to you now. O supreme among
brahmanas! With the exception of Maheshvara, who is beyond everything in this
cosmic egg and beyond cause and effect, who knows about the greatness of these
three? But briefly, I will tell you about this greatness. O brahmanas! Listen
cheerfully. This destroys all sins. Like a great forest conflagration, Shiva's
names burn down a mountain of sins. They are easily reduced to ashes. This is
true. This is undoubtedly true. O Shounaka! With sins as roots, there are many
kinds of miseries. Shiva's names destroy these. Nothing else destroys them
completely. A man on earth who devotedly performs japa with Shiva's names is
one who follows the Vedas, is auspicious in his atman, is blessed and is held
to be learned. O sage!462 Many kinds of dharma exist, followed by
those who desire fruits. The foremost among these is faith in performing japa
with Shiva's names. O sage! Men perpetrate many kinds of sins on earth. Shiva's
names destroy all of these. O sage! Men commit many sins, the killing of a
brahmana and other things. Shiva's names are spoken of as wonderful and
unmatched, since they destroy all these.
__________________
458 A type of tree.
459 Triveni is the confluence of Ganga,
Yamuna and Sarasvati, in Prayaga.
460 That is, Brahma's daughter, Sarasvati.
461 Of a pair of scales.
462 Singular,
because only Shounaka is being addressed now.
Shiva's names are like a boat
obtained by those who wish to cross over the ocean that is samsara. There is no
doubt that they destroy the sins that are the root cause of samsara. O great
sage! For beings, the root cause behind samsara is sins. Shiva's names are like
an axe that certainly destroys these. For those who are afflicted by the
blazing fire of sins, Shiva's names are like amrita that should be drunk. As
long as one is scorched by the blazing fire of sins, one can never obtain
peace. Shiva's names are like nectar that showers down and floods. Thus, in the
midst of this blazing samsara, there is nothing to grieve about. There are
great-souled ones who have developed great devotion towards Shiva's names.
Because of this, they instantly obtain emancipation, in every possible way. O
lord among sages! It destroys all sins. However, one obtains devotion towards
Shiva's names only after scorching oneself through austerities across many
births. In general, emancipation can be easily obtained by those who have
unwavering devotion towards Shiva's names and not by anyone else. That is my
view. If a person commits many sins, but lovingly performs japa with Shiva's
names, there is no doubt that he is freed from all these sins. This is like a
tree being reduced to ashes in a forest blaze. In that way, Shiva's names burn
down those sins. O Shounaka! If a person wears the sacred bhasma on his limbs,
if he lovingly performs japa with Shiva's names, there is no doubt that he
crosses over this terrible samsara. If a man steals the property of brahmanas
and kills many brahmanas, when he lovingly performs japa with Shiva's names, he
is not touched by these sins. Having considered all the Vedas, it has formerly
been determined that the best mode for crossing over samsara is performing japa
with Shiva's names. O best among sages! What is the point of speaking a lot? I
will only mention one shloka about the greatness of Shiva's names, which
destroy all sins. 'Shambhu's names have the purifying power of destroying all
sins, more than a man's power to commit those sins.463 O sage!
Earlier, King Indradyumna committed a great sin.464 But through the
power of Shiva's names, he obtained an excellent destination. O sage! In that
way, there was a brahmani465 who committed many sins. Through the
power of Shiva's names, she obtained an excellent destination. O best among
brahmanas! I have thus told about the greatness of these excellent names. Now
hear about the greatness of bhasma, which destroys all sins and is
purifying.""
“Suta said, "There are said to
be two kinds of bhasma. They are supreme and bestow all that is auspicious. I
will tell you about their traits. Listen carefully. One is known as
maha-bhasma, the second is spoken of as svalpa-bhasma.466 The ashes
known as mahabhasma have many different kinds of forms, This kind of bhasma is
said to be of three types-shrouta, smarta and loukika. 467 The one
known as svalpa-bhasma is said to be of many different types. It is said that
shrouta bhasma and smarta bhasma must only be used by brahmanas. All the others
can use the supreme loukika bhasma.
______________________
463 Though not clearly stated, this seems
to be the shloka cited.
464 King Indradyumna's story is
identified more with Vishnu. While constructing a temple to Vishnu, along the
shore of an ocean, he cut down a tree.
465 Feminine of brahmana.
466 Respectively, great bhasma and little
bhasma.
467 Shrouta bhasma is obtained from rites
described in shruti texts, smarta bhasma from rites described in smriti texts.
Loukika bhasma is ordinary bhasma, obtained from fires in general.
Bulls among sages have said that
brahmanas must wear bhasma only after pronouncing mantras. It is known that
others will wear it without using mantras. When the ashes are obtained after
burning cow dung, this is known as agneya bhasma. O great sage! It is this
object that should be used for Tripundraka. Learned ones should use bhasma that
is collected from agnihotra. Ashes that result from other sacrifices can also
be used to wear Tripundraka. When the bhasma is worn, being mixed with water or
without water, the seven mantras from Jabala Upanishad to Agni and others, must
be used.468 Depending on the varna and the ashrama, a mantra should
be used or should not be used. If Tripundraka is worn with water, one must
lovingly do it with mantras from Jabala Upanishad. When the bhasma is not mixed
with water, Tripundraka must be in the form of three horizontal lines. Those
who desire emancipation must not be distracted and give it up. It is said that
it must always be worn. Shiva and Vishnu wear the horizontal Tripundraka
constantly. So do Devi Uma, Lakshmi, brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras,
those of mixed varnas and those who have fallen down. They perform uddhulana469
and wear Tripundraka bhasma. Those who do not perform uddhulana, and lacking
devotion, do not wear Tripundraka, lack the good conduct prescribed for their
varnas and ashramas. Those who lack devotion and do not perform uddhulana and
Tripundraka cannot be liberated from samsara, not even after crores of births.
Even after one hundred thousand kalpas, if a person lacks the devotion and does
not perform uddhulana or wear Tripundraka, he lacks jnana about Shiva. If a
person lacks the faith to perform uddhulana and wear Tripundraka, he is tainted
with great sins. This is the determination of the sacred texts. If a person
lacks the faith and does not perform uddhulana or wear Tripundraka, every rite
performed by him leads to contrary fruits. These beings hate Sharva and are
tainted with great sins. O sage! They develop an extremely firm hatred towards
uddhulana and Tripundraka.""
"For Shiva, a man must
undertake the fire-rites. He must then touch the ashes with the mantra
'tryayusham' 470 He is freed from all sins. At the time of the three
sandhyas, a person who makes the mark of Tripundraka with white ash is freed
from all sins and rejoices with Shiva. At the time of savana, 471 if
a person marks Tripundraka on the forehead, when he dies, he obtains the
original worlds enjoyed by beings. Without bathing with bhasma, no one will
recite the mantra with six aksharas. The japa will be performed in the proper
way, only after ashes have been used to make the Tripundraka mark. Even he is
without compassion, a worst among men, even if has committed all the sins, even
if he is a sinner, foolish or fallen, as long as he has used ashes to make the
mark, all the tirthas assemble in his presence, in whichever region he resides.
A being with Tripundraka is worthy of worship by all gods and asuras, even if
he is a sinner. What need be said about a person who is devoted, pure in his
atman? A person who possesses jnana about Shiva, a person who makes the mark
with ashes, can go to whichever region he wishes.
__________________________
468 The Jabala Upanishad was spoken by
Yajnavalkya. It doesn't have such mantras. What is meant is Bhasma Jabala
Upanishad. That has seven mantras-Agni is this bhasma, Vayu is this bhasma,
water is this bhasma, earth is this bhasma, space is this bhasma, devas are
this bhasma and rishis are this bhasma.
469 Sprinkling the ashes.
470 3.62 of Vajasaneyi Samhita. This has a
reference to the three lives of Jamadagni, Kashyapa and devas, with the desire
that the worshipper should also have similar three lives (tri ayusham).
471 Savana is the three times a day
(morning, noon and evening), when an offering of soma is made.
But all the tirthas assemble there.
What is the need to speak a lot? Learned people must always wear the ash.They
must always worship the lingam and perform japa, using the mantra with six
askharas. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, sages and gods are incapable of speaking about
the greatness of wearing bhasma. Even if a person has given up the conduct of
varnas and ashramas, even if he has given up the rites of the varnas and even
if he has committed sins, as soon as he wears Tripundraka, he is freed. Having
discarded the wearing of bhasma, men who undertake rites are not liberated from
samsara, not even after crores of births. A brahmana who uses ashes to mark
Tripundraka on his head is like a person who has studied everything from his
guru, a person who has performed every rite. Men who strike when they see those
who wear bhasma, are born as chandalas in their next births.
The learned understand this. It is
said that brahmanas and kshatriyas must devotedly apply ashes to their limbs,
using the 'ma nastoke' mantra.472 A vaishya or a woman will use the
Tryambaka mantra. A shudra will use the panchakshara mantra. Others, widowed
women and the like, will use the rule decreed for shudras. The panchabrahma
mantra473 is recommended for householders. The Tryambaka mantra is
the rule for those who are in brahmacharya. For those who are in the forest, it
is said that the rule is to use the Aghora mantra. Mendicants will use Pranava
to wear Tripundraka. Those who are beyond the pale of varnas and ashramas are
full of the conception 'I am Shiva'. 474 They are restrained
Shivayogis and always hold Ishana. No varna should give up the excellent
practice of wearing bhasma. Nor should any other being. This is Shiva's
instruction. If a person has bathed himself in bhasma and particles of ash
cling to his limbs, it is as if he wears that many Shiva lingams on his body.
There is no doubt that Tripundraka bhasma emancipates brahmanas, kshatriyas,
vaishyas, shudras, those from mixed varnas, women, widows, girls, heretics,
those in brahmacharya, householders, those in the forest, those in sannyasa and
those who follow other vows. When fire is touched, voluntarily or involuntarily,
it burns. Similarly, whether it is worn voluntarily or involuntarily, bhasma
purifies all men.""
"No man should eat a little
bit of food, or drink a little bit of water, without applying bhasma or wearing
rudraksha. Whether he is a householder, a forest-dweller, a mendicant,
belonging to a varna or an outcaste, if he does this, he goes to hell. In this
event, a person from the varna system will be liberated when he performs japa
with gayatri mantra. A mendicant is freed with Pranava. A person who criticizes
Tripundraka, actually criticizes Shiva. Those who faithfully wear it, actually
wear him. Shame on the forehead that is devoid of bhasma. Shame on the village
that is devoid of a Shiva temple. Shame on a birth that does not worship Isha.
Shame on accounts that do not seek refuge with Shiva. Maheshvara Hara is the
support of the three worlds. It is a sin to see a person who criticizes him. It
is a sin to see a person who criticizes the wearing of Tripundraka. Such people
are sinners and are only destined for hell. They are born as those of mixed
varnas, pigs, asuras, donkeys, jackals and insects. They do not see the sun or
the moon during the day or night. They only see nightmares. Unless they perform
japa with Shatarudriya, they cannot be liberated. If a foolish man criticizes
the wearing of bhasma, it is a true statement that such a person is destined
for hell and has no salvation.
______________________
472 Mentioned earlier.
473 29.16 of Vajasaneyi Samhita, a mantra
addressed to Agni.
474 Shivoham (I am Shiva).
O sage! A tantrika475
has no rights in a yajna meant for Shiva. A person who wears the Urddhva
Tripundraka476 also has no rights. A person who wears the symbol of
a blazing chakra477 is also similarly barred. The Brihad Jabala
Upanishad 478 has said that there are many worlds to be obtained.
Taking that into consideration, efforts must be made to wear bhasma. Just as
sandalwood paste can be applied on top of sandalwood paste, more bhasma can be
applied on top of Tripundraka ash. However, an intelligent person will not wear
anything else over the vibhuti applied on the forehead. Women will wear the
ashes on the forelocks of their hair, and this is also true of brahmani widows.
Those in the ashramas must always wear the vibhuti. It destroys all sins and
bestows the fruit of final emancipation. Following the norms, the ashes must be
used to make a Tripundraka mark. A person who does this is freed from a
multitude of major and minor sins. A person in brahmacharya, a householder, a
person in vanaprastha, a mendicant, a brahmana, a kshatriya, a vaishya, a
shudra, a worst among men and a person who has been cast out-when they perform
uddhulana and wear Tripundraka, all these are purified. When bhasma is applied
in the proper manner, heaps of sins are taken away. In particular, a person who
wears bhasma is freed of the following sins: killing a woman or a cow; killing
a hero; killing a horse; stealing the possessions of others; outraging another
person's wife: criticizing others; stealing another person's field; oppressing
another; stealing crops and pleasure grounds; arson of a house; accepting gifts
of cattle, gold, buffaloes, sesamum, blankets, garments, cooked food, grain and
water from those who are inferior; having intercourse with public courtesans,
intoxicated women, vrishalis and dancers; having intercourse with women who are
going through their season, maidens and widows; the sale of flesh, hides,
juices and salt; calumny, false arguments and perjury and love of falsehood. There
are many such innumerable sins. As soon as Tripundraka is worn, these are
instantly destroyed. If one steals Shiva's objects, criticizes Shiva anywhere
or criticizes Shiva's devotee, prayashchitta can never purify such a person.
However, if a person wears rudraksha on his body or Tripundraka on his
forehead, even if he is a chandala, he is worshipped. He is supreme among all
the varnas. There are tirthas in this world, Ganga and other rivers. If a
person wears Tripundraka on his forehead, he obtains the good merits of bathing
in all of these. Among seven crore great mantras, the panchakshara mantra is
the foremost. In that way, there are crores of other mantras. But Shiva alone
is the reason behind all of them. O sage! As a result of these mantras, all devas
become friendly. But if a person is radiant in the wearing of Tripundraka, all
of them become accessible to him. A person who wears Tripundraka saves one
thousand predecessors and one thousand successors in his own lineage. He enjoys
all the objects of pleasure in this world. He has a long lifespan and does not
suffer from ill health. When his life is over and he dies, he enjoys happiness.
He obtains the eight kinds of siddhi as attributes. He assumes a divine and
auspicious form. He ascends a divine vimana, served by celestial beings from
heaven. In due order, he enjoys extensive objects of pleasure in the worlds of
vidyadharas,479 extremely energetic gandharvas and Indra and the
other guardians of the worlds. He obtains the status of a lord of subjects.
____________________
475 Practitioner of tantra.
476 When three vertical, instead of
horizontal, lines are used, the mark of a Vishnu devotee.
477 The mark of Vishnu's devotee again.
478 A text devoted to bhasma and
Tripundraka. It is spoken by a descendant of sage Jabali.
479 Semi-divine species.
He reaches Brahma's abode and
sports with one hundred maidens. He enjoys many kinds of objects of pleasure,
for as long as Brahma's lifespan lasts. He then enjoys objects of pleasure in
Vishnu's world, for a duration that spans ten Brahmas.480 After
this, he reaches Shiva's world, where all his desires are met forever. There is
no doubt that he finally obtains sayujya with Shiva there. After considering
the essence of all the Upanishads repeatedly, this is the determination that
has been arrived at. Tripundraka is the best. A brahmana who criticizes vibhuti
will be born as a lower varna. He will go to terrible hells and endure
hardships for the duration of a four-faced Brahma. A man who wears Tripundraka at
the time of shraddha, yajna, japa, offering of oblations to Vishvadevas and
worshipping gods is pure in his atman and conquers death. To get rid of filth,
one bathes with water. A bath with bhasma always purifies. Bathing with mantras
takes away sin. Bathing with jnana takes a person to the supreme destination.
Bhasma is the most sacred of tirthas and if a man bathes with it, he obtains
fruits that are equal to fruits obtained by bathing in all the tirthas. Bathing
with bhasma is a supreme tirtha, as if one is bathing in Ganga every day.
Bhasma is directly Shiva's form. Bhasma purifies the three worlds. If a
brahmana undertakes donations, jnana, dhyana and japa without wearing
Tripundraka, these become futile. Men who are in vanaprastha, maidens and men who
have not had diksha, must mix it with water and wear it up to midday. After
that, water should not be used. In this way, if a man controls his mind and
always wears Tripundraka, he is known as Shiva's devotee. He obtains objects of
pleasure and emancipation. Rudraksha bestows many things that are auspicious.
If a man does not have rudraksha on his limbs and does not wear Tripundraka
either, his birth is futile. I have thus briefly spoken to you about the
greatness of Tripundraka. This is a mystery to all living beings. You must keep
it a secret.""
"O bulls among sages! There
are three lines that are made. All those who are learned have spoken about what
it must be like on the forehead. It should start from the middle of the
eyebrows and extend to the end of the eyebrows on either side. To make the
Tripundraka, another line of the same dimension is drawn on the forehead. In
between, using the middle and the ring finger, a line is drawn in the opposite
direction. A line drawn with the thumb is also known as Tripundraka.
Alternatively, the three middle fingers can be used to carefully take the ashes
and draw three lines. If one wears Tripundraka faithfully, one obtains objects
of pleasure and emancipation. There are nine devas associated with each of the
three lines and they are located on different limbs. I will speak about them.
Listen attentively. Mahadeva is the divinity for the first line, which stands
for 'A', the garhapatya fire,481 the earth, dharma, the guna of
rajas, the Rig Veda, the power of kriya and the morning savana. O tigers among
sages! Those who are devoted to taking diksha about Shiva should know this.
Maheshvara is the divinity for the second line, which stands for 'U',
dakshinagni, 482 space, the Yajur Veda, the power of iccha, 483
the jivatman inside and the savana at midday. O tigers among sages! Those who
are devoted to taking diksha about Shiva should know this.
___________________
480 For the duration of Brahma's lifespan.
481 The fire that burns in every
household.
482 The fire that burns in the southern
direction.
483 Will power.
Shiva is the divinity for the third
line, which stands for 'M', the ahavaniya fire,484 the paramatman,
the guna of tamas, the firmament, power of jnana, the Sama Veda and the third
savana. Those who are devoted to taking diksha about Shiva should know this. In
this way, full of devotion, one must always do namaskara to the divinities of
the locations and then wear Tripundraka. One will then be purified and obtain
objects of pleasure and emancipation. O lord among sages! I have thus spoken to
you about the divinities located in the different limbs. In that connection,
now listen devotedly to these locations. The nyasa must be done in thirty-two
places, sixteen places, eight places or five places. The thirty-two excellent
places are the head, the forehead, the two ears, the two eyes, the two
nostrils, the mouth, the neck, the two arms, the two elbows, the two wrists,
the chest, the two flanks, the navel, the two testicles, the two thighs, the
two knees, the two calves, the two heels and the two feet. In these places,
when wearing Tripundraka, the learned will mention the names of fire, water,
earth, wind, the directions, the lords of the directions and the Vasus. 485
The eight Vasus are said to be Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Apa, Anala, Anila,
Pratyusha and Prabhasa. One can also control oneself and apply Tripundraka in
sixteen places-the head, the forehead, the neck, the two shoulders, the two
arms, the two elbows, the two wrists, the chest, the navel, the two flanks and
the back. The names of the divinities to be established there are the two
Ashvins, Shiva, Shakti, Rudra, Isha, Narada and nine Shaktis, Vaamaa and
others. 486 These are the sixteen divinities. The names of the two
Ashvins are said to be Nasatya and Dasra. Alternatively, the sixteen places are
the head, the hair, the two ears, the mouth, the two arms, the chest, the
navel, the two thighs, the two knees, the two feet and the back. The sixteen
divinities are said to be Shiva, Chandra, Rudra, Brahma, Vighnesha, Vishnu,
Shri in the heart, Shambhu, Prajapati in the navel, Naga, the two Nagakanyas,
the two Rishikanyas in the two feet and the tirthas and the ocean on the
extensive back. These are the sixteen tirthas. The eight places are said to be
the private parts, the forehead, the excellent two ears, 487 the two
shoulders, the chest and the navel. The divinities are said to be Brahma and
the seven rishis. 488 O lords among sages! I have thus told you
about the rules for using bhasma. Alternatively, knowledgeable people wear the
bhasma in five places-the head, the two arms, the chest and the navel.
Considering the time and the place, one should do whatever is possible about
uddhulana and wearing of Tripundraka. Remembering Shiva, Tripundraka can be
applied on the forehead alone, chanting 'Namah Shivaya'. He is the three-eyed
one. He is the foundation of the three gunas. He is the origin of the three
divinities. 489 Tripundraka can be applied to the sides, chanting
'Ishabhyam Namah' 490 It can be applied on the forearms, chanting
'Bijabhyam Namah 491 If it is below, the obeisance will be to the
ancestors.
_________________________________
484 The fire used for sacrifices.
485 Ten directions, ten lords of these
directions and eight Vasus.
486 Usually, the nine Shaktis are listed
as Kushmanda, Mahagouri, Kalaratri, Siddhidatri, Katyayani, Brahmacharini,
Shailaputri, Skandamara and Chandraghanta.
487 The ears are probably counted as one.
Otherwise, there would be nine places.
488 The saptarshis. The saptarshis are the
seven great sages. The list varies, but the standard one is Marichi, Atri,
Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishtha. In the sky, the saptarshis are
identified with the constellation of Ursa Major (Great Bear).
489 Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra.
490 With Isha in the dual, this means both
Shiva and Shakti.
491 I prostrate myself before the two
seeds.
If it is above, the obeisance will
be to Umesha.492 On the back, or on the back of the head, the
obeisance will be to Bhima. "493
“Suta said, "O rishi Shounaka!
O immensely wise one! O great lord who is Shiva's form! Listen to the greatness
of rudraksha. I will tell you about it briefly. Rudraksha is loved by Shiva and
is supremely purifying. It is said that the sight, the touch and japa with it
removes all sins. O sage! Shiva is the paramatman. To do a good turn to the
worlds, earlier, he spoke about the greatness of rudraksha in front of
Devi.""
"Shiva said, 'O Devi! O
Maheshani! O Shivaa! Listen to the greatness of rudraksha. Out of my love for
you and desiring the welfare of devotees, I am telling you about it. O
Maheshani! In earlier times, I observed austerities for thousands of divine
years. Though I controlled myself, my mind was agitated. O Parameshani! As
Paresha, in my self-possessed form, I desired to benefit the worlds. Hence, in
my sport, I opened my eyes. From my beautiful half-open eyes, drops of tears
fell down. From those drops of tears was born the tree known as rudraksha.494
To show favour to my devotees, they became stationary. They were given to
Vishnu's devotees and to the four varnas. Rudrakshas grown from the ground in
Gouda495 are loved by Shiva. They are also grown in Mathura,
Ayodhya, Lanka, Malaya, Mount Sahya, Kashi and other places. The shruti texts
have said that they can shatter heaps of sins that are intolerable to others.
Rudrakshas are auspicious. Following my command, mudrakshas from earth have
been classified into the categories of brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and
shudras. The learned know that the respective colours for these are white, red,
yellow and black. Men should respectively wear the rudraksha that corresponds
to their own varnas. Those who desire fruits will obtain the fruits of objects of
pleasure and emancipation if they wear rudrakshas according to varna. Since
Shiva is always pleased with them, this is particularly true of Shiva's
devotees. One that is of the size of a Dhatriphala496 is said to the
best. The one that is of the size of Badariphala497 is spoken of as
medium. One that is inferior is the size of chanaka. 498 I will next
speak about the method. O Parvati! Listen. This is with a desire to ensure the
welfare of devotees. O Maheshvari! Even if it is the size of a Badariphala, it
yields fruits in the world, ensuring happiness and the enhancement of good
fortune. The one that is the size of a Dhatriphala destroys every kind of harm.
That which is like gunja499 achieves fruits in every kind of
attempt. The lighter it is, the greater the fruits bestowed by it.
__________________________
492 Umesha means Uma and Isha, together.
Above and below is with reference to the waist.
493 Bhima means the terrible one. Shiva's
name.
494 Literally, Rudra's eyes. Rudrakshas
are seeds of the tree Elaeocarpus ganitrus.
495 The region around Bengal. The capital
of Gouda is now in Malda district.
496 The myrobalan amalaka.
497 Fruit of the jujube tree.
498 Chickpea.
The learned say that a fruit which
is one-tenth in weight is the best, 500 The wearing of rudraksha is
said to lead to the destruction of sins. Since it certainly ensures success in
every endeavour, it must certainly be worn, O Parameshvari! Nothing else is
seen in the world that is as auspicious in bestowing fruits as rudraksha. There
is nothing as effective as such a mala 501 O Devi! Rudrakshas are
auspicious if they are even, glossy, firm, large, without spikes and
well-formed. Then they always yield desired objects of pleasure and
emancipation. There are six kinds of rudraksha that must always be
avoided-defiled by worms, cut, broken, without protrusions, with sores and ones
that are not circular. That which has a natural hole from one end to the other
is excellent. When the hole has been carefully bored by humans, it is middling.
As a consequence of wearing rudraksha, great sins are destroyed. If a man wears
eleven hundred rudrakshas, his form becomes like that of Rudra. If eleven
hundred rudrakshas are worn, the fruits are such that it is impossible to
describe those fruits even in one hundred years. It is held that a coronet
shall be made out five hundred and fifty. A virtuous, devoted and excellent man
will make three strings with rudrakshas, each string consisting of three
hundred and sixty beads. Full of devotion, such a supreme upavita will be made
out of rudrakshas. O Maheshvari! It is said that three rudrakshas must be worn
on the tuft of hair and on the left and right ear, six each. One hundred and
one must be worn around the neck and eleven must be worn on each arm, elbow and
wrist. Men who are devoted to Shiva wear three on the upavita. Finally, it is
held that five must be wom around the waist. O Parameshvari! If a person wears
that many rudrakshas, his form is like that of Mahesha, and everyone prostrates
before him. When such a person rson is seated in dhyana, people say, "He
is Shiva" or "He is Hara". When they see him, they are freed
from all their sins. This is said to be the norm when there are eleven hundred
rudrakshas. If that many are not available, there is another auspicious
procedure. I will speak about that.502 One rudraksha must be worn on
the tuft of hair thirty on the head, fifty around the neck, sixteen on each of
the arms, twelve on each of the wrists and five hundred on the shoulders. A
mala or upavita will be fashioned out of one hundred and eight. In this way, a
person who is firm in his vows will wear one thousand rudrakshas. When his mind
is like that, he is like Rudra himself and all the gods bow down before him. O
lord of sages!503 One rudraksha on the tuft of hair, forty on he
head, thirty-two around the neck, one hundred and eight on the chest, six in
each of the ears and sixteen on each of the arms. Depending on the size of the
wrist, double that number 504 an be worn on the wrist. When a person
happily wears this amber, he becomes Shiva's great devotee. He becomes like
hina and is worthy of worship. All the others look at him and worship
him."
It must be worn on the head with a
mantra to Ishana. It must be worn on the ears with the mantra to Tatpurusha.
505 It must be worn around the neck and also on the chest with the mantra
to Aghora.
__________________
499 A shrub that has a red-black berry.
500 One-tenth of what is not clear.
501 String, rosary, necklace.
502 This must be an independent statement.
Even if one assumes there are three strings in an upavita, the number just
described falls slightly short of one thousand.
503 Since Shiva is speaking to Devi, this
is an inconsistency.
504 Thirty-two.
505 Rudra-Mahadeva gayatri.
An intelligent person will wear it
on the wrist with the bija mantra to Aghora. A string fashioned out of fifteen
nidrakshas will be worn around the stomach, with a mantra to Vamadeva. Three,
five or seven malas can be worn with the panchabrahma mantra. Alternatively,
all the rudrakshas can be worn with the mula mantra. 506 Liquor,
flesh, garlic, onion, the shigrum horseradish, shleshmataka507 and
vit-varaha508 must be avoided. O Uma! It is recommended that a
brahmana should Wear a white rudraksha, a kshatriya should happily wear a red
adraksha, a vaishya should wear a yellow rudraksha every day and a shudra must
necessarily wear a black rudraksha. This is the path indicated in the shruti
texts. Irrespective of varna and irrespective of whether one is a householder,
resides in the forest or is a mendicant, this secret and supreme rule must be
followed and must not be violated. Everything can be obtained if one wears
rudraksha in the proper way. Otherwise, one goes to hell. If one desires the
auspicious, one should not wear one that is smaller than an amalaka in weight,
is broken, has protrusions, has been bitten by worms, has undesirable holes or
is inferior in any way. A rudraksha that is the size of a chickpea must be
avoided. O Uma! Rudraksha is a subtle form of my lingam and is always praised.
Following Shiva's command, all the ashramas and varnas, women and shudras,
should wear it. Those who are mendicants must always use Pranava to wear
rudraksha. If he wears it in the morning, he is freed from all sins committed
during the night. If he wears it at night, he is freed from all sins committed
during the day. This is also true of morning, midday and evening. In this
world, those who wear Tripundraka, matted hair and rudraksha, do not go to
Yama's world. "Those who are radiant with a single rudraksha on their
head, wear a Tripundraka in the middle of the forehead and those who perform
japa with the panchakshara mantra, must be worshipped by you. 509
They are indeed virtuous people. Bring to Yama's abode a person who does not
have rudraksha on his limbs, Tripundraka on his forehead and the panchakshara
mantra in his mouth. Those who wear bhasma and rudraksha possess powers, known
and unknown. They must be worshipped by all of us and must never be brought
here." In this way, Kala 510 instructed his servants. All of
them were silent and extremely surprised and agreed. O Mahadevi! Thus,
rudraksha destroys all sins. Those who wear it are loved by me and are pure. O
Parvati! Even if coach a person has committed sins, he is purified. A person
who wears rudraksha on his hands, arms and heads cannot be killed by any being
and roams around the earth in Rudra's form. He must always be worshipped by all
the gods and asuras. Since he destroys the sins of anyone who sees him, he is
worshipped like Shiva. If a person is not liberated through dhyana and jnana,
he must wear rudraksha. He is freed from all sins and attains the supreme
destination. When a person performs japa with a mantra, the auspicious
qualities become one crore times more The wears a rudraksha. If a man wears it,
he obtains good merits that are ten crore times more. O Devi! As long as a
living being wears it on his body, till such time he is protected against
mtimely death. When one sees a person with Tripundraka and mudraksha on his
limbs, a person who is performing japa with Mahamritunjaya mantra, one obtains
the fruits of seeing Rudra himself. He is loved by the five divinities. 511
He is loved by ill devas.
_____________________
506 The basic
mantra of AUM Namah Shivaya.
507 Fruit of Cordia latifolia, a medicinal
plant.
508 The village pig. However, this has
already been covered in the Prohibition on meat.
509 Yama's command to his servants.
510 Yama.
511 Interpreted
in this context as Ganesha, Devi, Surya, Rudra and Vishnu.
O beloved! Wearing a mala of
rudraksha, a devotee should perform japa with all the mantras. Devotees of
Vishnu and other devas also wear rudraksha without any hesitation. In
particular, devotees of Rudra always wear rudraksha.""
"There are said to be
different kinds of rudrakshas. I will speak about their differences. O Parvati!
Listen faithfully. They bestow objects of pleasure and emancipation. A
rudraksha with a single face is Shiva himself and bestows the fruits of objects
of pleasure and emancipation. As soon as one sees it, sins like the killing of
a brahmana are dispelled. Where it is worshipped, Lakshmi cannot be far away.
All kinds of calamities are faces is Isha, lord of devas. It bestows as fruit
everything that destroyed and everything desired is obtained. One with two is
desired. In particular, this rudraksha swiftly destroys the sin of killing a
cow. A rudraksha with three faces is always a direct means of attaining the
objective. Through its powers, all kinds of learning become firmly established.
One with four faces is Brahma himself. It destroys the sin of killing a man. If
one sees it, or touches it, the fruits of the four purusharthas are obtained.
One with five faces is the Lord Rudra himself and is named Kalagni. It bestows
every kind of emancipation and everything that is wished for. One with five
faces destroys all sins, such as having intercourse with someone one shouldn't
have intercourse with or eating something one shouldn't eat. One with six faces
is Kartikeya and should be worn on the right arm. There is no doubt that one is
freed from sins like the killing of a brahmana. O Maheshani! One with seven
faces is named Ananga. O Devi! If one wears it, a poor person becomes a lord. A
rudraksha with eight faces is known as Vasumurti and Bhairava. If a person
wears it, he lives for the complete lifespan. After death, he becomes a wielder
of the trident. One with nine faces is known as Bhairava or the sage Kapila. O
Maheshvari! Durga, with her nine forms, 512 is established in it.
With supreme devotion, such a rudraksha should be worn on the left hand. There
is no doubt that such a person becomes a lord of everything, like me. O
Maheshani! One with ten faces is the divinity Janardana himself. O Devi! O
Ishi! If one wears it, one obtains everything that is desired. O Parameshvari!
A rudraksha with eleven faces is Rudra. If one wears it, one becomes victorious
everywhere. A rudraksha with twelve faces should be worn on the hair of the
head. All the twelve Adityas are present in it. 513 One with
thirteen faces is known as Vishvadeva. A man who wears it obtains everything
that he wishes for. He has good fortune and everything auspicious. One with
fourteen faces is the supreme Shiva. If one devotedly wears it on the head, all
sins are destroyed. O daughter of the among rudrakshas, differences based on
the number of faces lord of the mountains! I have thus spoken about differences
they possess. I will now tell you about the respective mantras. Listen
lovingly. For one face, AUM Hrim Namah. For two faces, AUM Namah. For three
faces, AUM Klim Namah, For four faces, AUM Hrim Namah. For five faces, AUM Hrim
Namah. For six faces, AUM Hrim Hum Namah. For seven faces, AUM Hrum Namah.
________________________
512 The nine Shaktis mentioned earlier.
513 In each month, a different Aditya
shines as Surya. Hence, there are twelve Adityas. The usual list of twelve
Adityas has Vamana, Aryamat, Indra, Tvashtri, Varuna, Dhatri, Bhaga, Parjanya,
Vivasvat, Amshumat, Mitra and Pushya.
For eight faces, AUM Hum Namah. For
nine faces, AUM Hrim Hum Namah. For ten faces, AUM Hrim Namah Namah. For eleven
faces, AUM Hrim Hum Namah. For twelve faces, AUM Krim Kshoum Roum Namah. For
thirteen faces, AUM Hrim Namah. For fourteen faces, AUM Namah. For success in
achieving everything one wishes for, full of faith and devotion, one should
wear a rudraksha with the respective mantra. One will then be freed of
laziness. If any man on earth wears a rudraksha without the mantra, he goes to
a terrible hell for the duration of fourteen Indras. 514 On seeing a
mala of rudrakshas, bhutas, pretas, pishachas, dakinis, shakinis, others who
cause harm and any other artificial creations due to abhichara maintain a
distance. 515 They are Scared of this image. O Devi! O Parvati! On
seeing a mala of rudrakshas, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganapati, Surya and other gods are
pleased. O Maheshvari! On knowing about this greatness of rudraksha, it must be
properly worn, along with mantras, so that devotion and dharma are
enhanced.'""
'Suta concluded, "Shiva, the
paramatman, spoke in this way to the daughter of the mountain, about the
greatness of bhasma and rudraksha and about how they yield objects of pleasure
and emancipation. It should be known that a person who wears bhasma and rudraksha
is loved by Shiva. There is no doubt that wearing them increases powers and
confers objects of pleasure and emancipation. A person who wears bhasma and
rudraksha is spoken of as Shiva's devotee. A person who is devoted to
performing japa with the panchakshara mantra is inclined to be complete. If one
worships Mahadeva without bhasma, Tripundraka and a mala of rudrakshas, this
does not yield the desired fruits. O lord among sages! I have told you
everything that I have been asked about earlier-the greatness of bhasma and
rudraksha and about how they ensure prosperity and everything wished for. If
one constantly listens to this greatness of bhasma and rudraksha, with devotion
in one's mind, one obtains everything one desires. This is a supreme and
auspicious account. In this world, such a person enjoys every kind of happiness
and has sons and grandsons. In the world hereafter, he is exceedingly loved by
Shiva and obtains emancipation. O lords among sages! I have narrated
Vidyeshvara Samhita to you. This yields every kind of success. Because of
Shiva's command, it always bestows emancipation.""
This ends Vidhyeshvara
Samhita.
_________________
514 Since every manvantara has a different
Indra, for fourteen manvantaras or one kalpa.
515 Abhichara is a magical mantra used for
malevolent purposes. Shakinis
and dakinis are evil and destructive demonesses, the words are often used
synonymously.
Rudra Samhita
“Iprostrate myself before Shri Ganesha.
I prostrate myself Samhita, Rudra Samhita. Gouri's husband is the cause behind
the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. He is the one who
knows the truth. He is infinite in his deeds. He resorts to maya but is himself
beyond maya. His form cannot he thought of. His unblemished form is pure
understanding. I prostrate myself before that Shiva. I prostrate myself before
the infinite Shiva, who exists before Prakriti. He is the tranquil
Purushottama. Using his own maya, he has created everything. Like space, he is
inside it and outside it. I prostrate myself before Shiva, whose own secret
form is not manifest. He himself acted so as to create this universe. The
universe constantly revolves around him, just as pieces of iron do around a
magnet.'
Vyasa said, 'Shambhu is the father
of the universe. Shivaa is the mother of the universe. Ganadhisha 516
is their son. I will describe after seeking refuge with them. On one occasion,
the sages who were residents of Naimisharanya, Shounaka and others, were filled
with supreme devotion and asked Suta.'
'The rishis said, "We have
heard the virtuous and auspicious account of Videyshvara Samhita. This
beautiful account speaks of the objective and the means and is loved by
devotees. O Suta! O immensely fortunate one! O Sutal May you be happy and live forever.
O father! 517 Please make us hear Shankara's supreme account. This
undecaying jnana is like amrita. We have drunk this account from your mouth,
which is like a lotus. However, we are still not content. O unblemished one!
Therefore, we wish to ask you something again. Through Vyasa's favours, you
know everything and have accomplished your objective. There is nothing that is
unknown to you, the past, the present and the future. Because of your devotion,
you obtained the supreme compassion of your guru, Vyasa. In particular, you
have got to know everything. You have made your life meaningful and successful.
O wise one! Please tell us now about Shiva's supreme form. Especially tell us
about the divine conduct of Shiva and Shivaa. Maheshvara is nirguna. In this
world, how does he assume a saguna form? Despite reflecting on it, we do not
know Shiva's true nature. Before creation, in what manner is Shambhu's own form
established? In the midst of creation, how does the Lord continue to engage in
his pastimes? When it is the end, how is the divinity Maheshvara established?
How is Shankara, who brings auspiciousness to the world, pleased?518
When Mahesha is pleased, what auspicious fruits does he bestow on his own
devotees and on others? Please tell us all this. We have heard that Bhagavan is
instantly pleased. Full of compassion, he is unable to witness great exertions
made by his devotees. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha-these three have originated
from the divinity Shiva's body. When Mahesha is complete, he is himself like
another Shiva.
_______________
516 Ganesha.
517 The word used is tata, translated as
'father' because Suta is doing the narration.
518 The word Shankara means someone who
bestows auspiciousness and prosperity.
Please tell us about his
manifestations, and especially about his conduct. O lord! Please also tell us
about Uma's origin and her marriage, about their domestic life and their
supreme pastimes. O unblemished one! You should tell us all this and anything
else worth narrating.”
Vyasa said, 'Thus asked, Suta was
filled with joy. He remembered Shambhu's lotus feet and replied to the lords
among sages.'
"Suta said, "O lords
among sages! You have asked a proper question. You are blessed. Your
intelligence is such that faith has been generated towards Sadashiva's account.
Questions about Sadashiva's account purify three kinds of men and women, those
who ask, those who narrate and those who hear. It is like the waters of
Jahnavi. O brahmanas! Except for those who kill animals, which man will not be delighted
at a recital of Shambhu's qualities? It always delights three kinds of people.
When it is recited by a person who has extinguished thirst, it is like
medication for this disease of worldly existence. It delights the mind and the
ears and bestows every objective. According to my intelligence, I will tell you
about the substance of your questions and about Shiva's pastimes. O brahmanas!
Please listen lovingly. What you have asked me is exactly what Narada asked his
father, 519 when he was sent by Hari, who is nothing other than a
form of Shiva. Brahma is Shiva's devotee. Therefore, on hearing his son's
words, his mind was pleased. Full of delight and joy, he spoke about Shiva's
fame to that excellent sage", Vyasa continued, 'Hearing the words spoken by
Suta, the excellent brahmanas were filled with curiosity and asked about that
excellent conversation.'
'The rishis said, "O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! O Suta! O immensely intelligent one! O Shiva's supreme
devotee!
Hearing your enchanting words, our
minds have been filled with curiosity. When did this great conversation, which
generates happiness, between Vidhatri and Narada occur? That conversation was
about Girisha's supreme pastimes, and it frees one from worldly existence. O
father! Please tell us about the conversation that occurred earlier between
Vidhatri and Narada about Shankara's fame. Tell us about the substance of the
questions.""
Vyasa continued, 'Hearing the words
of the sages, who had cleansed their atmans, Suta was greatly delighted and
replied, detailing that conversation.'
“Suta said, "Narada, supreme
among sages and Brahma's son, was humble in his atman. On one occasion, he made
up his mind to engage in austerities. There is an extremely beautiful cave in
the Himalaya mountains. With great force, the celestial river always flows near
it. There is a great and divine hermitage there, full of many kinds of
ornaments. Narada, who possesses divine insight, went there for austerities.
Seeing that hermitage, the tiger among sages performed austerities for a very
long time.
_______________________
519 Narada was born through Brahma's
mental powers.
He was silent and sat firmly in
asana. Pure in his intelligence, he practiced pranayama. The sage was in
samadhi and the vijnana, 'I am the
brahman', was generated. O brahmanas! The brahman was directly manifested
before
him. In this way, Narada, supreme
among sages, engaged Shunasira 520 was tormented and agitated. He
thought in his in austerities. As he performed the austerities, the mind of
mind, 'The sage desires my kingdom.' Hari made efforts to bring about
impediments. Shakra, the leader of devas, thought of Smara in his mind. Kama
swiftly arrived there, along with his queen, who possessed an inclination
similar to his, and the cods, addressed him. He was crooked in intelligence
when it son. 521 Seeing that Kama had come, the lord, the king of
the came to his selfish interests, and he spoke to him quickly. Indra said,
"O noble friend! O immensely valiant one! O one who always does what is
good for me! Listen affectionately to my words and act so as to help me.
Through your prowess, I have destroyed the pride of many ascetics. O friend!
The stability of my kingdom has always been based on your favours. The sage
Narada is tormenting himself through austerities in a cave in the Himalaya
mountains. His mind has turned towards becoming the lord of the universe and he
is firm in his control. I am scared that he may ask Vidhatri for my kingdom.
Therefore, go there right now and create impediments in the path of his
austerities.' Thus addressed by the great Indra, Kama went there, with his
beloved Madhu. 522 Having gone there, in his pride, he thought of
possible means. He quickly used all of his own skills. Vasanta also used all
his own powers of intoxication. O excellent sages! But this did not cause the
least bit of mental agitation to the sage. Through Mahesha's favours, his pride
was destroyed. O Shounaka and others! Listen lovingly to the reason. Because of
Ishvara's favours, Smara had no powers. It was at this spot that Shambhu,
Smara's enemy, had performed great austerities. It was at this spot that he had
destroyed Kama, who used to disturb the austerities of sages. So that Kama
might come back to life, Rati had entreated the gods. Requested by them,
Shankara, who bestows prosperity on the worlds, had replied. O gods! After some
time, Smara will come back to life again. But Smara's artifices will never work
in this place. O immortals! The bit of ground that can be seen by people from
this spot will be immune to the power of Kama's arrows. There is no doubt about
this.' Since Shambhu had said this, Kama had made futile efforts against
Narada. He quickly returned to Indra in heaven. Smara told him everything,
about how he had no power against the sage. Madhu's beloved was then commanded
to return to his own abode.""
"The lord of the gods was
astounded at this and praised Narada. He did not know about the true account
and was confounded by Shiva's maya. All beings find it impossible to understand
Shambhu's maya. Other than devotees who have surrendered their atmans to him,
everyone in the universe is confounded. Through Isha's favours, Narada remained
in that spot for a long time.
____________________
520 One of Indra's names. Hari is also one
of Indra's names.
521 Smara, Madana or Kama is the god of
love. His wife is Rati. It Vasanta is not obvious what 'son' means. Kama and
Rati's son is Harsha (joy) and that is the obvious meaning. But it could also
mean Brahma's son, (spring), who is Kama's friend.
512 Madhu means spring, as well as the
month of Chaitra. Here, it possibly means spring.
When he thought that he had
completed the austerities, the sage stopped. Thinking that he had defeated Kama
himself, the lord among sages was proud. Confounded by Shiva's maya, he was
deprived of true jnana. O supreme sages! Shambhu's great maya is blessed. It is
blessed. Vishnu, Brahma and others cannot see its progress. Narada, supreme
among sages, was also confounded by it. Insolent, he went quickly to Kailasa to
report what he had done. Proud, the sage told Rudra about everything he had
done. He took himself to be a great-souled one. Having conquered Smara, he
thought that he was his own master. Hearing this, Shankara, who loves his
devotees, spoke. He spoke to the ignorant one whose intelligence had been
distorted because of his own maya. Rudra said, 'O son! O Narada! O wise one!
You are blessed. But do not speak like this anywhere else, especially in front
of Hari. Even if you are asked, you should not speak about what you have done,
as you have done now. This is a secret. This must always be a secret and you
must never speak about it. I am especially telling you this because I love you
the most. You are Vishnu's devotee and anyone who is his devotee is my
follower.
“The Lord Rudra, the origin of
creation, told him this in many ways. However, Narada was still confounded by
Shiva's maya and did not pay heed to these beneficial words. The course of
barma is powerful and even discriminating people cannot fathom Shankara's wishes
can never be countered by people.""
"The noble sage went to
Brahma's world. Bowing down before Vidhatri, he told him how he had defeated
Kama through the strength of his austerities. Hearing this, Vidhatri remembered
Shambhu's lotus feet and got to know everything about the real reason.
Therefore, he tried to restrain his son. Narada is supreme among those who
possess jnana. But he was confounded by Shiva's maya. Therefore, he did not pay
heed to the beneficial words Vidhatri had spoken. Insolence had sprouted firmly
in his mind. Whatever Shiva wishes is what happens in the world. The entire
universe is subject to his control and follows his words. With his intelligence
destroyed, Narada swiftly went to Vishnu's world. With the sprout of insolence
firm in his mind, he wished to tell him about what he himself had done. Vishnu
saw that the sage Narada had arrived. He got up affectionately, advanced slowly
towards him and embraced him. He made him sit down in his own seat. Hari
remembered Shiva's lotus feet and desiring to destroy Narada's insolence,
addressed him in these words. Vishnu said, 'O son! Where have you come from and
why have you come here? O tiger among sages! You are blessed. Because of your
arrival, I have become like a tirtha.' Hearing Vishnu's words, the proud sage,
Narada, told him everything about what he had done. He was insolent and
overwhelmed by pride. Hearing the sage's words, Vishnu remembered Shiva's lotus
feet in his heart and got to know everything about the reason for the pride Hari
was Shiva's devotee, and his atman was immersed in Shiva Therefore, he
devotedly joined his hands together in salutation, and with his head lowered,
praised Girisha Parameshvara. Vishnu said, 'O lord of the gods! O Mahadeva! O
Parameshvara! Please show me your favours. O Shiva. You are blessed. Your maya
is blessed. It confounds everyone.' In this way, he praised Shiva, the
paramatman. He closed his eyes and meditated on his lotus feet, before
stopping. Knowing what Shankara was planning to do, the preserver of the
universe followed Shiva's instructions and spoke pleasantly to the supreme
sage. Vishnu said, 'O tiger among sages! You are blessed. You are a store of
austerities, and your intelligence is extensive.
O sage! Desire and delusion only
affect those in whom the three types of devotion do not exist. 523
Because of that deviation, many kinds of miseries arise. But you are faithfully
devoted to brahmacharya and always possess jnana and non-attachment. How can a
deviation like desire arise in you? You are intelligent and your mind does not
suffer from any deviation.' The excellent sage heard many such words of praise.
Smiling within his heart, he bent down and replied to Hari in these words.
Narada said, 'O lord! As long as you show me your compassion, how can Smara
have any powers over me?" Saying this, the sage bent down before Hari and
went wherever he wanted to go.""
"The rishis said, "O
Suta! O immensely fortunate one! O Suta! O Vyasa's disciple! We prostrate
ourselves before you. O father! You have shown us your favours and narrated an
extraordinary account. O father! What did Hari do after Narada had left? Where
did Narada go? You should tell us that.""
Vyasa said, 'Hearing their words,
the learned Suta, supreme among those who knew the accounts of the Puranas,
remembered Shiva, who is behind every origin, and replied.'
"Suta said, "Vishnu is
accomplished in the use of maya. When the sage Narada left, as he wished, he
followed Shiva's wishes and swiftly extended his maya. He constructed a great
city in the middle of the sage's path. It was one hundred yojanas in expanse
and wonderful and extremely agreeable. It was more beautiful than heaven and
was decorated with many kinds of objects. Excellent men and women, from all the
four varnas, were amusing themselves. It was supreme. There, the prosperous
King Shilanidhi was arranging for the svayamvaras524 of his daughter
and there were great festivities. All kinds of princes assembled from the four
directions. They were handsome, attired in many kinds of garments. They were
eager that the maiden should choose them. Seeing this beautiful city, Narada
was overcome with delusion. Full of curiosity and desire, he went to the king's
gate. Seeing that the noble sage had arrived, King Shilanidhi made him sit on
an excellent bejewelled throne. The king summoned his beautiful daughter, named
Shrimati. He asked her to prostrate herself at Narada's feet. Seeing the
maiden, the sage Narada was amazed and asked, 'O king! Who is this immensely
fortunate maiden? She is like a daughter of the gods.' Hearing his words, the
king joined his hands in salutation and replied, 'O sage! She is my daughter.
Her name is Shrimati. The time has come to bestow the auspicious one and she is
in search of a groom. She possesses all the auspicious signs, and the time has
come her destiny, what has been ordained since birth. Please tell me for her
svayamvara. O sage! Please tell me affectionately about what kind of groom my
daughter will get.' Thus addressed, the tiger among sages was overwhelmed by
desire and wanted her. Narada addressed the king in these words. 'O lord of the
earth! This daughter of yours possesses all the auspicious signs. She is
immensely fortunate and blessed. Like Lakshmi, she is a store of qualities.
________________________
523 The three types of bhakti are kirtana,
shravana and manana.
524 In a svayamvara, a maiden herself
chose her groom from assembled suitors.
Her husband will certainly be a
lord of everything, a brave one who cannot be vanquished. He will be a lord,
like Girisha. He will be an excellent god who vanquishes even Kama.' Telling
the king this, the sage took his leave and went away, wherever he willed. He
was confounded by Shiva's maya and overwhelmed with desire. In this mind, the
sage started to think, 'How can I possibly get her? In a svayamvara full of
kings, how can she possibly choose me? Every woman always loves beauty. There
is no doubt that if I show her such a form, she will come under my control.'
Thinking this, the excellent sage made up his mind to assume Vishnu's form.
Distracted by desire, Narada quickly went to Vishnu's world. He prostrated
himself before Hrishikesha 525 and addressed him in these words. 'In
private, I will tell you everything about what happened to me.' Wishing to do
what Shiva wanted, Shrisha Keshava told the sage, 'Please tell me.' Narada
replied, 'The excellent King Shilanidhi is devoted to you. His daughter,
Shrimati, is large-eyed and beautiful in form. She is famous as someone who
confuses the worlds and is the most beautiful woman in the three worlds. O
Vishnu! I wish to marry her quickly.' Following her wishes, the lord of the
earth has organized a svayamvara for her. From the four directions, thousands
of princes have arrived. If you grant me your form, I will certainly be able to
obtain her. Unless I have your form, she will not place the garland of victory
around my neck. O protector! Please grant me your form. I am your beloved
servant. Please let it be such that the princess Shrimati chooses me.' Hearing
the sage's words, Madhusudana laughed. Since he knew about Shankara's lordship,
he was full of compassion and replied. Vishnu said, 'O sage! You can go
wherever you want. I will do what is beneficial for you, just as a physician
treats a person who is afflicted. After all, you are my beloved.' Saying this,
Vishnu gave the sage the face of a monkey. 526 Having shown him his
favours and given him this form, he vanished.""
"Thus addressed, the sage was
delighted that he had received Hari's form. He thought that he had been
successful in his objective but did not comprehend the true intent. Narada, the
excellent sage, swiftly went to the place where the svayamvara was being held,
where all the princes had assembled. There was a divine assembly hall for the
svayamvara, full of princes. O Indras among brahmanas! It resembled a second
assembly hall of Shakra's. Narada went and sat down in the king's assembly. He
sat there and thought, his mind full of delight, 'Since I am in Vishnu's form,
there is no doubt that she will choose me.' The excellent sage did not know
that his face was malformed. All the men assembled there only saw the sage in
his former form. O brahmanas! The princes and others did not realize that there
was a difference. To protect him, two of Rudra's ganas had arrived there. They
assumed the forms of brahmanas and knew the secret about the difference. Taking
the sage to be a fool, the two ganas approached him. As they conversed among
themselves, they laughed at him. 'Behold Narada's form. It is as excellent as
Vishnu's, but the face is that of a monkey. It is malformed and fearful. This
one is confounded by desire and wants the king's daughter. They addressed each
other in these words and laughed at him. However, since he was overwhelmed by
desire, though he heard their words, he did not comprehend the true meaning.
Deluded by desire, the sage looked at Shrimati. At this time, the
beautiful-limbed king's daughter left the inner quarters and arrived there,
surrounded by women.
________________________
525 Vishnu. Shrisha (Shri's lord),
Madhusudana and Keshava are also Vishnu's names.
526 Hari is Vishnu's form and Narada asked
for Hari's form. But the word hari also means monkey. Thus, ostensibly granting
Narada his wish, Vishnu gave him the face of a monkey.
Auspicious in qualities, she held a
beautiful golden garland in her hand. As she stood there, in the midst of the
svayamvara hall, she was as resplendent as Rama. 527 With the
garland, the one who was excellent in her vows went around everywhere in the
assembly hall. As she sought her desired groom, the princess was radiant. She
saw the sage, with Vishnu's body and the face of a monkey and was angered. With
a cheerful mind, she turned her gaze away and went elsewhere. She did not find
anyone she desired in that svayamvara hall. She did not bestow the garland on
anyone present there. Meanwhile, Vishnu arrived there, in the disguise of a
king. She did not look at anyone else, but only looked at him. As she looked at
him, her face, which was like a lotus, bloomed. The beautiful lady placed the
garland around his neck. In the disguise of a king, the lord Vishnu accepted
her and instantly vanished from the spot, returning to his own abode with her.
All the princes lost any hopes of getting Shrimati. The sage still suffered
from desire and was extremely distracted. His words faltered. Rudra's two
ganas, accomplished in jnana, who were in the forms of brahmanas, spoke to him.
The ganas said, 'O Narada! O sage! Your being confused by Madana is futile. You
desire her but look at your own face. It is that of a despicable monkey.
Hearing their words, Narada was
astounded. Confounded by Shiva's maya, he looked at his face in a mirror.
Seeing that his face was like that of a monkey, he was filled with instant
rage. Confounded, the sage cursed the two ganas, 'Since the two of you have
laughed at me, you will be born as brahmanas. But though the seed will be that
of a brahmana, your forms will be that of rakshasas. Hearing this, Hara's
ganas, excellent in jnana, did not curse back in return. Since they knew the
sage was deluded, they did not say anything. Those two brahmanas were
indifferent. They returned to their own abodes, praising Shiva. They thought
that everything is always determined by Shiva's wishes.""
“The rishis said, "O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! The O Suta! O immensely wise one! You have narrated an
extraordinary account. Shambhu's maya is blessed. Everything mobile and
immobile is under its control. The two ganas followed the wishes of Lord Shambu
and departed. Distracted by desire, what did the angry sage Narada
do?""
'Suta replied, "Confounded,
the sage cursed them, as he willed. Following Girisha's wishes, he looked at
his face in a mirror and saw his own form. Because of Shiva's wishes, he did
not understand. 528 But he remembered and decided Hari had done some
deception. Full of rage that was impossible to tolerate, he went to Vishnu's
world. Like a fire fed with kindling, he addressed him in angry words. Because
of Shiva's wishes, his jnana was destroyed, and he used vile and taunting
words. Narada said, 'O Hari! You are extremely wicked and deceitful. You bemuse
the world. You cannot tolerate another person's enterprise and resort to filthy
maya. Earlier, you assumed the form of Mohini and perpetrated a fraud. 529
You made the asuras drink varuni instead of amrita.
___________________
527 Lakshmi.
528 He saw his natural form and did not
know that he had a monkey's face.
529 At the time of the churning of the
ocean, Vishnu assumed this form to deprive asuras of amrita. Varuni is liquor.
Shiva drank the poison that emerged from the churning of the ocean and became
blue in the throat.
O Hari! If Maheshvara Rudra had not
taken pity on you and drunk the poison, all your maya would have been destroyed
and would no longer be resplendent. O Vishnu! Any path that involves deception
is especially liked by you. Your nature has never been virtuous, but the Lord
has ensured that you are independent. Shiva, the parmatman, did not do what was
right. Thinking of your power and strength and understanding what you do, he is
repenting the independence he bestowed on you. Citing the Vedas he himself
uttered, he has said that brahmanas are supreme. O Hari! Knowing this, today I
will use my powers to instruct you, so that you never do something like this
anywhere again. Till now, you have acted fearlessly because you have not come
into contact with anyone who possesses superior spirit. O Vishnu! You will now
receive the fruits of what you have yourself done.' The sage was still deluded
by maya. Saying this, overcome with rage, he displayed a brahmana's energy and
cursed Hari. 'O Vishnu! For the sake of a woman, you agitated me and deceived
me. You will now suffer distress in the very form in which you caused such
deception. In that form, you will be born as a human on earth and suffer
miseries. The face that you created will become your aide. 530 You
will suffer miseries on account of being separated from a woman and will
undergo great misery. Deluded by ignorance, you will generally follow the path
a human takes.' Narada was himself deluded by ignorance and cursed Hari in this
way. Praising it since it had originated with Shambhu, Vishnu accepted the
curse. Meanwhile, in his great pastime, Shambhu took away the delusion he had
caused. With the maya of his delusion gone, Narada got back his inana. When the
maya vanished, he became as intelligent as he had been earlier. Narada was
amazed in his mind. With his understanding restored, he was no longer agitated.
Because of remorse, he repeatedly condemned himself. He also praised Shambhu's
maya, which could also delude learned people. The sage got to know everything
and realize that he had been confounded by maya. Narada, the greatest of
Vishnu's devotees, fell down at Vishnu's feet. He presented himself before Hari
and spoke these words. 'My evil intelligence has now gone. Confounded by evil
intelligence, I have earlier addressed you in wicked words. O lord! I have also
invoked a curse on you. Please make that futile. Otherwise, because of the
great sin I have committed, I will certainly go to hell. O Hari! What can one
do? I am your servant. Please command me, so that I can destroy all my sins and
not go to hell.' Saying this, the supreme sage again fell down at Vishnu's
feet. His intelligence was excellent now and he fell down, full of
repentance.""
"At this, Vishnu raised him up
and addressed him in amiable words. Vishnu said, 'Do not suffer from remorse.
There is no doubt that you are my greatest devotee. O son! Listen to what I
say. This will certainly ensure a great benefit to you. Shiva's power will
ensure that you do not go to hell. Confounded by your insolence, you showed
disrespect to Shiva's words. He is the one who gave you such fruits. He is the
one who bestows fruits of karma. Be certain in your mind that everything is the
result of Shiva's wishes. Parameshvara Shankara is the lord who takes away
insolence. He is the supreme brahman. He is the paramatman. He is the one who
kindles understanding about sacchidananda. He is nirguna. He is without
transformation. He is beyond sattva, rajas and tamas. He gathers up his own
maya and assumes three different forms. His nirguna atman has the forms of
Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. He is nirguna, In his nirguna form, he is known as
Shiva. He is Maheshvara, the paramatman. He is the supreme brahman, without
decay.
_______________________
530 Since Vishnu had assumed the form of a
king, he was born as King Rama, whose aide was Hanuman.
He is chanted about as the infinite
Mahadeva. Vidhatri exists as the creator to serve him, and I as the preserver
of the universe. He is always everything himself and assumes the form of Rudra
as the destroyer. In his form of Shiva, he is only a witness, distinct from his
maya. He is nirguna and does what he wills. He indulges in his pastimes and
shows favours to his devotees. O Narada! O sage! Listen to an excellent means
whereby you will obtain happiness. He is the one who destroys every kind of
sin. He always bestows objects of pleasure and emancipation. Casting aside all
your doubts, praise Shankara's fame. Always, single-mindedly, perform japa with
the stotram that mentions Shiva's one hundred names. 531 If you
perform japa with that, all your sins will be swiftly destroyed.' Having told
Narada this, full of compassion, Vishnu again spoke to him. 'O sage! Do not
grieve. You have done nothing. There is no doubt that Shambhu did all this, as
a result of his own wishes. He is the one who took away your divine
intelligence and made you suffer on account of desire and insolence. Your mouth
was an instrument and Maheshvara used that to curse me. This is the way he
manifests his action in the world he himself has created. He is the one who
conquers death. He is like death unto Death. He is intent on saving his
devotees. There is no lord I love as much as I love Shiva. He is the one who
bestows happiness. He is the Parameshvara who bestows every kind of power on
me. O sage! Worship him. Always offer homage to him. Hear and sing about his
fame. Always worship him. A person who approaches Shankara in thought, words
and deeds is known as learned. He is spoken of as jivanmukta. Shiva's name
blazes like a forest fire and reduces mountains of great sins to ashes. This is
the truth. There is no doubt that this is the truth. Many kinds of miseries
have sin as the cause. Shiva's worship alone destroys them. There is nothing
else that destroys them completely. O sage! If a person always seeks refuge
with Shankara in thoughts, words and deeds, he is pure in his atman. He is
blessed and learned and knows the Vedas. Many kinds of dharma are followed by
those who are eager for instant fruits. All of them have faith in the worship
of the destroyer of Tripura. O great sage! As long as Shiva is worshipped, sins
are destroyed. All the sins on earth are destroyed. This is true. O sage! There
are many heaps of sins, the killing of a brahmana and others. As soon as Shiva
is remembered, they are destroyed. This is the truth. I am telling you the
truth. You have now obtained Shiva's name as a boat to cross the ocean that is
samsara. There is no doubt that sins, the cause of samsara, will be destroyed.
O great sage! For beings, sins are the root cause of samsara. There is no doubt
that Shiva's name is an axe that severs it. If one is suffering from the forest
blaze of sins, one should drink the amrita of Shiva's names. For those who are
scorched by the forest blaze of sins, there is no other means of finding peace.
When the nectar of Shiva's names showers down and floods, there is no doubt
that one does not grieve any longer amidst the forest conflagration of samsara.
Men who do not possess faith towards Shankara suffer from attachment and hatred
in their atmans. But even people like that can suddenly obtain emancipation.
However, it is only if one has tormented oneself through austerities for an
infinite number of births that one develops devotion towards Bhavani's532
beloved. Devotion towards Shankara must be generated. Any other ordinary course
of action, which thinks of worshipping others and ignores devotion towards
Shiva, is futile. If without thinking, a person ordinarily has devotion towards
Shambhu, he can easily obtain emancipation. That is my view.
___________________
531 Shatarudriya.
532 Bhavani means Parvati, Bhava's wife.
If a person has committed an
infinite number of sins, but possesses devotion towards Maheshvara, there is no
doubt that he is freed from all sins. This is just like trees being reduced to
ashes by a conflagration in the forest. In that way, sins are burnt down by
Shankara's names. If a person constantly purifies his limbs with ashes and is
eager to worship Shiva, he crosses over the extremely difficult samsara, which
is so very difficult to cross. A man who is Virupaksha's533 servant
is not touched by sins like stealing a brahmana's possessions or killing many
brahmanas. Having looked at all the Vedas, it has certainly been determined
earlier that worshipping Shiva is the best means of destroying samsara.
Therefore, from now on, following the norms and carefully, attentively,
devotedly and constantly, worship Samba Sadhashiva Maheshvara. Lovingly, cover
yourself from head to foot with bhasma. Using the mantra with six aksharas,
perform japa to Shiva, who is famous in all the sacred texts. Full of devotion,
following the norms and using the mantras, make efforts to devotedly wear
rudraksha, loved by Shiva, on all your limbs. Always hear Shiva's account.
Always speak about Shiva's account. Carefully and repeatedly, worship Shiva's
devotees. Without any distraction, always seek refuge with Shiva. One always
obtains bliss through worshipping Shiva. Hold Shiva's lotus feet within your
pure heart. O supreme among sages! First visit Shiva's tirthas. Behold the
infinite greatness of Shankara, the paramatman. O sage! Later, go to
Anandavana, 534 which is loved most by Shambhu. See Vishveshvara
there and devotedly perform worship. In particular, when you prostrate yourself
and praise him, you will be freed from doubts. O sage! Indeed, it is
recommended that you should go there. Thereafter, to accomplish your own
desires and following my command, faithfully go to Brahma's world. O sage! In
particular, prostrate yourself and praise Vidhatri, your own father. With a
cheerful mind, ask him many things about Shiva's greatness. Brahma is foremost
among Shiva's devotees, and he will happily make you hear about Shankara's
greatness and tell you about the praise with one hundred names. O sage! From
now on, become Shiva's devotee, one who seeks refuge with Shiva. You will
obtain emancipation. Shiva will bestow a special benediction on you.' In this
way, with a cheerful mind and affectionately, Vishnu instructed the sage. He
remembered Shiva, bowed down and praised him, and vanished from the
spot.""
“Suta said, "O brahmanas! When
Hari vanished, the excellent sage, Narada, wandered around the earth. Full of
devotion, he saw Shiva lingams. Shambhu's two ganas got to know that Narada,
divine in insight, was roaming around and that his inclinations were now
pleasant. They approached him. Affectionately, the two ganas quickly touched
his feet with their heads. They clasped his feet so that they might be freed
from their curse and spoke to him. Shiva's two ganas said, 'O Brahma's son! O
divine rishi! Listen cheerfully to our words. We are the ones who caused
offence to you earlier and we are not really brahmanas. O brahmana! O sage! We
are Hara's ganas, who caused you offence earlier. At the time of the svayamvara
of the princess, your mind was confounded by maya, sent by Paresha, 535 You
cursed us. Knowing that the time was not right, we thought that silence means
life.
___________________
533 Virupaksha is one of Shiva's names.
534 Kashi, literally, the forest of
happiness.
535 Parameshvara.
We have reaped the fruits of our
own deeds, and no one is to be blamed. O lord! Be pleased now and show us your
favours.' The sage heard the words spoken by the devotee ganas, uttered
affectionately. Suffering from remorse, he replied lovingly. Narada said, 'O
Mahadeva's ganas! You are worthy of being respected by virtuous people. Now
that I have been freed from delusion, listen to my words. They are true and
will give you happiness. It is certain that because of Shiva's command, my
intelligence deviated earlier. When I was deluded in every possible way, I used
blades of kusha grass536 to curse you. What I uttered was bound to
happen. O ganas! However, listen to my words now. I will tell you how you will
be saved from the curse. Please pardon my transgression. From the semen of a
supreme sage and because of his command, you will be born as rakshasas. You
will possess prosperity, strength and great power. You will be in control of
your senses. You will be Shiva's devotees and you will rule over all the kings
in the cosmic egg. When your death is caused by one of Shiva's manifestations,
you will be reinstated in your own positions.' Hearing the words spoken by
Narada, the great-souled sage, both Hara's ganas were delighted. They happily
returned to their own abodes. Narada was also greatly delighted. As his mind
was focused on Shiva's dhyana, he roamed around the earth and saw many Shiva
tirthas.""
"The sage reached Kashi,
resplendent above all the others. It is loved by Shiva. It brings happiness to
Shambhu. It is Shambhu's own form. Having seen Kashi, he accomplished his
objective. He saw Kashinatha537 and worshipped him. He was filled
with great delight and supreme bliss. Successful in his objective, the supreme
sage resided happily in Kashi. He prostrated himself before him538
and devotedly recited his account, overwhelmed by love and affection. His mind
constantly remembering Shiva, he then went to Brahma's world. His mind full of
devotion towards Shiva, he wished to ask about Shiva's principles. Narada said,
'O Brahma! O one who know the nature of the brahman! O grandfather of the
universe! O lord! Through your favours, I know everything about Vishnu's
supreme greatness and bhakti marga, jnana marga, the extremely difficult tapo
marga, dana marga and tirtha marga. 539 I have heard about these.
But I do not know about Shiva's principles or about the due order and rules
under which his worship has to be performed. O lord! Please also tell me about
his different kinds of conduct. O father! How can Shiva be nirguna while
Shankara is saguna? I do not know about Shiva's principles, and I am confounded
by Shiva's maya. Before creation, how was Shambhu established in his own form?
How does the lord sport in the midst of creation? At the end, how is the
divinity Maheshvara established? How is Shankara Maheshvara, who bestows
auspiciousness on the worlds, pleased with his devotees or with those who are
devoted to others? What fruits does he bestow? O Vidhatri! Please tell me
everything. I have heard that Bhagavan is instantly pleased. He is full of
compassion and cannot bear to see great efforts made by his devotees. The
three, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha, originated as the divinity Shiva's portions.
Out of them, Mahesha possesses all the portions and is therefore like another
Shiva himself. Please tell me about his manifestations and especially about his
conduct.
_________________________
536 Often used before invoking a curse.
537 The lord of Kashi, Shiva.
538 Shiva.
539 The respective paths of bhakti, jnana,
tapas (austerities), donations and visiting tirthas.
O lord! Please also tell me about
Uma's manifestation and her marriage, in particular, their domestic life and
pastimes. O unblemished one! Please tell me everything else that is worth
describing. O lord of subjectst and Guha's birth. O lord! I have already heard
about all this In particular, please tell me about Shivaa's origin and marriage
from many but am not satisfied. Therefore, I have sought refuge with you.
Please show me your favours.' Hearing the words of Narada, who was born from
his own body, Brahma, the grandfather of the worlds, replied in the following
words.""
"Brahma said, 'O brahmana! O
supreme among those D who understand! You have asked a virtuous question. You
have always been interested in the welfare of the worlds and this will bring
benefit to the worlds. When all the worlds hear this, all their sins will be
destroyed. Therefore, I will tell you about Shiva's tattva, 540
which is without decay. Neither I nor Vishnu truly know Shiva's tattva, or his
supreme form. Nor does anyone else know. At the time of Mahapralaya, 541
everything mobile and immobile is destroyed. Everything is covered in darkness.
The suns, the planets and the stars do not exist. There is no moon. There is no
night or day. There is no fire, wind, earth or water. There is no Pradhana. 542
Everything is empty, devoid of energy. There is nothing that can be seen,
nothing that can be described as sound or touch. There is nothing manifest in
the form of smell or form. There is no taste and there are no directions. The
only truth that exists is darkness that cannot be penetrated with a needle. The
only thing that exists is what the sacred texts call 'the cause, or the
brahman'. In this situation, nothing can be described as existent or
non-existent. Yogis constantly perceive it in the space that is within
themselves. This is not something that can be perceived through the mind or
expressed in words. It has no name, no form and no complexion. It is not thick
or thin. It is not tall or short. It is devoid of any notion of lightness or
heaviness. It has neither an increase nor a decrease. The sacred texts say that
it instantly envelopes everything. It is truth. It is jnana. It is infinite. It
is supreme bliss. It is splendid. It cannot be measured. It is without
foundation. It is without transformation and without form. It is nirguna. Yogis
are capable of approaching it. It pervades everything and is alone the cause.
It is beyond doubt. It is without a beginning. It is devoid of maya and
hardships. It has no second. It is without a beginning or an end. It has no
development. It is pure consciousness. That being the case, since it does not
have an alternative, it cannot be given a name or not be given a name. After
some time, it decided to have a second. Since it itself had no form, in its
pastimes, it decided to create an alternative that had form. This was
auspicious and possessed all the qualities of power. It possessed every kind of
jnana. It could go everywhere. It possessed every kind of form. It could see
everything. It was the cause of everything. It should be worshipped by
everyone. It is the beginning of everything. It constantly purifies everything.
It thus thought of this manifested form of Ishvara, one that was pure in form.
_____________________
540 The word tattva means principles. But the
sense of the true or essential nature, is not captured by the word
'principles'.
541 The great dissolution that occurs at
the end of Brahma's lifespan. The secondary dissolution occurs at the end of
Brahma's day.
542 Pradhana is the main cause behind material
nature.
The original entity is without a
second, without a beginning and without an end. It illuminates everything and
is in the form of consciousness. This is known as the supreme and undecaying
brahman, which can go everywhere. This is without form. Having created the
second, which has a manifest form, it vanished. This manifested form is
Sadashiva. Learned ones, in ancient times and in current times, have spoken of
it as Ishvara. From his own portion, following his wishes and his pastimes, Ishvara
created Shakti. He created her from his own body, but she did not harm his body
in any way. This Shakti is devoid of transformation and different names are
used for it-Pradhana, Prakriti, Maya, Gunavati, Paraa and the mother of Buddhi
tattva. That Shakti is spoken of as Ambika, Prakriti and Ishvari. She is the
mother of the three divinities and is the prime cause. The auspicious one
possesses eight arms and a wonderful face. It is as if her face is always
radiant with the splendour of one thousand full moons. She is adorned with many
kinds of ornaments. She has many kinds of movements. Devi holds many kinds of
weapons, and her eyes are like full-blown lotuses. Her energy cannot be
imagined. She is the womb of everything. This Maya is alone, but she has many
kinds of unions. The supreme Purusha is Ishvara, Shiva or Shambhu, and he has
no other lord above him. He holds the Mandakini543 on his head. He
possesses three eyes and has the moon on his forehead. He has five faces and a
pleasant atman. He possesses ten arms and wields a trident. He is as pure and
fair as camphor. His body is smeared with ashes. The brahman assumed the form
known as Kala and along with Shakti, created the kshetra known as Shivaloka.
This is the supreme kshetra known as Kashika. 544 It is resplendent
above everything else and is spoken of as the place that bestows supreme
nirvana.
In that beautiful kshetra, those
two, in the form of supreme bliss and in supreme bliss, sported. O sage! Even
at the time of pralaya, 545 that kshetra is never freed from Shiva
and Shivaa. Therefore, it is known as Avimukta. 546 Earlier, the
wielder of Pinaka547 gave it the name of Anandavana, since the
kshetra bestows bliss. It came to be known as Avimukta later. Shiva and Shivaa
sported in Anandavana.'""
O divine rishi! They then wished
that another being should be created. Shiva thought, "Let him bear this
great burden. Let us reside in Kashi and only bestow nirvana. Through my
favours, let him create, protect and dissolve. When he is created, we will be
able to enjoy ourselves in Anandavana, with our minds not agitated by anything
external adversely affecting our joy." Along with Shakti, Lord
Parameshvara churned the ocean of his thoughts and gathered up the jewel of
sattva, the coral of rajas and the crocodile of tamas. From a tenth portion on
the left side of his ocean of nectar, he created a being who was the most
handsome in the three worlds. Since there was an excess of sattva guna, this
being was serene, as deep and fathomless as an ocean. O sage! He was endowed
with forgiveness and there was no one who was his equal. His complexion was
that of blue sapphire. He was glorious and his eyes were like lotuses. His form
was golden, and he was clad in two excellent garments. He was endowed with
great radiance and his arms were like two staffs.
_________________
543 Ganga.
544 Kashi.
545 Dissolution.
546 Literally, never forsaken.
547 Pinaka is the same of Shiva's bow or
trident.
He could not be vanquished. That
being prostrated himself before Shambhu Parameshvara and said, "O Lord!
Give me a name and assign a task to me." Hearing these words, Lord Shankara
Mahesha smiled and replied in a voice that rumbled like thunder. Shiva said,
"Since you pervade everything, you will be known by the name of Vishnu.
548 But since you will bestow happiness on your devotees, you will have many
other names too. Be steadfast and perform austerities, so that the supreme task
can be accomplished." Saying this, he used his breath to breathe into him
the nigama texts,549 Achyuta prostrated himself before Shiva and
undertook extensive austerities. Along with Shakti and his companions,
Parameshvara vanished. Achyuta tormented himself through austerities for twelve
thousand divine years. However, he could not see his desired Lord, who is
always auspicious
to behold. Vishnu was filled with
doubt. He lovingly thought of Shiva and remembered him in his heart. He
wondered, "What will I do now?" Meanwhile, Shiva's auspicious voice
was heard. "Since a doubt has presented itself, you should undertake
austerities again." O
brahmana! Hearing this, he tormented himself through extremely terrible
austerities for a long period of time, following the path of dhyana. Following
the path of dhyana, understanding arose in the being known as Vishnu. He was
greatly delighted and amazed and thought, "What is truly great?" As a
result of Shiva's maya and the exertion, many streams of water started to flow
from Vishnu's limbs. O great sage! They covered everything in that great void.
This water has the form of the brahman and if one touches it, sins are
destroyed. The being Vishnu was exhausted and went to sleep on that water.
Supremely happy, he spent a long period of time in that state of delusion.
Thus, in conformity with the shruti texts, he got the name of Narayana. 550
Except for that Purusha, nothing else existed in nature then. Meanwhile, other
tattvas emerged from the great-souled one. O wise one! O immensely intelligent
one! Listen. I will tell you about them. Mahat came into being from Prakriti.
The three gunas emerged from Mahat. As a result of differences between the
three gunas, three kinds of ahamkara arose.551 Tanmatras552
were generated and so were the five gross elements. The organs of action
resulted and the organs of perception. O supreme among rishis! I will rell you
the number of the tattvas. All those that originate from Prakriti are
insentient. Purusha is not like that. Together, there are twenty-four tattvas,553
Following Shiva's command, he554 accepted them and continued to
sleep in what was a form of the brahman.'""
"Brahma said, 'As the divinity
Narayana slept, an "Brament excellent lotus sprouted from his navel. It
was gigantic. As a result of Shankara's wishes, it was suddenly generated.
______________
548 From the root vish, meaning someone
who pervades everything.
549 The Vedas.
550 One whose abode (ayana) is water
(nara).
551 One associated with each of the three
gunas.
552 The five subtle elements.
553 Five organs of action, five sense of
perception, five subtle elements, five gross elements, manas (mind), buddhi
(intellect), ahamkara (ego) and Pradhana.
554 Vishnu.
The stalk was infinitely long, and
the pericarp was resplendent. It was infinite yojanas wide. It was infinite
yojanas tall. It was wonderful and radiant, resembling the dazzle of one crore
suns. It was supremely beautiful and wonderful, excellent to behold. O child!
Parameshvara Shankara carefully exerted himself, as he had done earlier.
Shambhu created me from the right side of his body. O sage! Mahesha swiftly
covered me in his maya. He created us in his pastimes, and I originated from
the navel. O son! Since I was born in this way, I came to be known as the one
who was born from a golden womb. 555 I possessed four faces and a
red complexion. The Tripundraka was on my forehead. Confounded by the maya, I
did not know anything other than the lotus. O son! My father had created me
from his own body, but my knowledge was weak. "Who am I? Where have I come
from? What is the task that has been assigned to me? Whose son am I? Who has
created me now?"
These were the doubts that surfaced
in my mind. "Why am I confused in this way? It should indeed be easy to
obtain the knowledge. There is this lotus flower, and its place of origin must
be down below. There is no doubt that my creator will be there." Thinking
this, I began to climb down the lotus. O sage! I proceeded from one part of the
stalk to another part of the stalk, and this continued for one hundred years.
But I could not reach the excellent place from which the lotus had originated.
I was again filled with doubt and was eager to climb up the stalk. O sage!
Using parts of the stalk, I started to climb up the lotus. But just as I could
not reach the root of the lotus, in my confusion, I couldn't find the top
either. Using parts of the stalk, I wandered around again for one hundred
years. After this, in a state of confusion, I stopped for a while. O sage! At
this time, following Shiva's wish an extremely auspicious voice was heard from
the sky and it destroyed my confusion. "Perform austerities." Hearing
these words from the sky, I made efforts to torment myself through terrible
austerities and did this for twelve years, so that I might be able to see my
father."""
""Then, so as to show me
his favours, Bhagavan Vishnu quickly arrived. He was four-armed, and his eyes
were beautiful. He held a conch shell and the chakra as a weapon. He also held
a mace and a lotus. All his limbs were as dark as the clouds, and he was
attired in yellow garments. He wore a diadem and excellent ornaments. His pleasant
face resembled a lotus. He resembled one crore Kandarpas556
together. On seeing him, I was confused. Seeing his beautiful form, I was
filled with great wonder. His complexion was both dark and golden. This
four-armed form exists within all atmans. I saw him manifest himself in that
form, with the existent and the non-existent 557 inside his atman. I
saw the mighty-armed Narayana and was delighted. At the time, my mind was
confused because of Lord Shambhu's maya and pastimes. Therefore, I did not
recognize my own father and happily addressed him. Brahma said, 558
"Who are you?" Saying this, I used my hand to try and raise the
eternal being. Since he did not wake up, I struck him even more sharply and
firmly with my hand. At this, the one who was in control of himself arose
shortly, though he was still lying down on his bed. Because of the sleep, when
he looked at me, his eyes were like a wet lotus. As I stood there, Bhagavan
Hari illuminated me with his radiance.
_____________________
555 Hiranyagarbha.
556 Kandarpa is Kama's name.
557 Alternatively, cause and effect. Sat
and asat can be translated as either.
558 Brahma is reporting what Brahma said
then.
Woken up by Brahma, he smiled once
at me and spoke sweetly. Vishnu said, "Welcome. O child! Welcome. O
grandfather! O immensely radiant one! Do not be scared. There is no doubt that
I will give you everything you wish for." O bull among divine rishis! He
smiled first, before uttering these words. When I heard them, I was still bound
in enmity because of rajas. I spoke to Janardana accordingly. Brahma said,
"You are addressing me as 'child'.
Though I am the one who destroys
everything, you call me a 'child'. O unblemished one! You are smiling and
speaking to me, as if you are the guru and I am the shishya. I am the creator
of the worlds. I am the one who directly made Prakriti function. I am eternal
and Aja. 559 I am Vishnu and Virinchi and I have originated from
Vishnu. I am Vidhatri, the atman of the universe. I am the lotus-eyed Dhatri.
You must quickly tell me why you have been overcome with confusion and have
spoken to me in this way. The Vedas always speak of me as Svayambhu Aja. I am
the grandfather who is his own master. I am the supreme Parameshthi."
Hearing these words, Hari, Rama's husband, became angry. Vishnu said, "I
know that you are the creator of the worlds. But to create and become Dhatri,
you have descended from my undecaying limbs. You have forgotten the undecaying
Jagannatha 560 Narayana. I am Purusha, the paramatman. I am Puruhuta
and Purushtuta, 561 I am Vishnu, Achyuta and Ishana. The universe
has originated because of my powers. I am the mighty-armed Narayana. I am the
Ishvara who pervades everything. There is no doubt that you have originated
from the lotus in my navel. However, this is not your fault. I have extended my
maya over you. O one with four faces! Listen to my true words. I am the lord of
all devas. I am the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. There is no lord
who is my equal. O grandfather! I am supreme. I am the supreme brahman. That is
the truth. I am the supreme light. I am the paramatman and I am the lord.
Everything that can be seen in the universe today, everything that is heard of,
mobile and immobile, know that all of that exists within me. O four-faced one!
It is I who created the twenty-four tattvas that are manifest. Each small
particle is bound to me. I have created both anger and fear. In my power and
pastime, I have created your limbs and those of many others. I am the one who
created intellect and the three kinds of ahamkara. O one born from a lotus! I
created the tanmatras and from those, the mind, the body and the senses. In my
pastimes, I created space and the elements, and everything derived from the
elements. O lord of subjects! O Vidhatri! Understanding this, seek refuge with
me. There is no doubt that I will protect you from every kind of misery."
Hearing these words, Brahma was filled with rage. Confounded by maya, I
reprimanded him and said, "Who are you? Why are you speaking a lot? These
excessive words will lead to injury. You are not Ishvara nor are you the
supreme brahman. Someone must certainly have created you." Deluded by
maya, I started an extremely terrible battle with him. Because of the great
Lord Shankara's maya, I fought with Hari. Thus, a clash that made the body hair
stand up ensued between me and Hari. In the midst of that ocean of pralaya, the
rajas caused us to be bound in enmity.'"
Meanwhile, a lingam appeared in
front of us, so as to pacify the dispute and kindle understanding in us. It was
covered with thousands of garlands of flames, and it resembled the fire of
destruction.
________________
559 Aja means without birth/origin.
560 Lord of the universe.
561 Puruhuta means someone who receives
oblations first. Purushtuta means someone who is praised first.
It was free of any increase or
decrease and it had no beginning, middle or end. It was unmatched and beyond
determination. It was the unmanifest origin of the universe. Bhagavan Hari was
confounded by those thousands of flames. When I was also confounded, he told
me, "Why do you want to contend with me now? A third one has now arrived,
amidst the fight between the two of us. Where has this originated from? We
should examine this object, which has fire as its origin. I will head downwards
and ascertain the bottom of this pillar of fire. O lord of subjects! To examine
it, you should use the force of the wind and make an effort to head upwards.
You should proceed swiftly." Having said this, the one whose atman is in the
universe, assumed his own form. He swiftly assumed the form of a boar. O sage!
I assumed the form of a swan. Since then, I am called the great lord who is
Hamsa-Hamsa. 562 A person who utters the words
"Hamsa-Hamsa" will also become a Hamsa. My complexion was a fiery
white and I had wings on every side. In those earlier times, with the speed of
thought and of the wind. I flew up and further up. Narayana, whose atman is in
the universe, assumed an extremely white form. He was ten yojanas wide and one
hundred yojanas long. He was as large as Mount Meru. His front tusks were white
and sharp. His complexion was like the fire of destruction. His snout was long,
and his roar was loud. His feet were short, and his multi-coloured body was
firm and unmatched. Assuming the form of a boar, he swiftly headed downwards.
In this way, for one thousand years, Vishnu kept going downwards. Since then,
the worlds have known him as Shveta Varaha. 563 O devarshi! In terms
of the measurement of time used by men, a kalpa passed. Using his powers,
Vishnu headed downwards. Vishnu wandered around in different ways. However, the
boar could not find the slightest indication of the root of the lingam. O
destroyer of enemies! Till such time, I also explored upwards. Desiring to find
the end, I quickly made every kind of effort. I was exhausted and was unable to
find the end. Therefore, after some time, I headed downwards. In that way, the
lotus-eyed Bhagavan Vishnu could not find the end. Gigantic in form, he swiftly
arose, and it was if all devas were in him. In front of us, behind us and in
every direction, there was Parameshvara. 564 Along with me, he
prostrated himself and remembered, "What is this? This has no form or
name. It is devoid of karma. It has no sign, but it has the form of a lingam.
It cannot be comprehended through the path of dhyana." Therefore, having
reassured our minds, we did namaskara. Both Hari and I were certainly overcome
by that extensive presence. "We do not know your form. O great lord! We do
not know who you are. O Mahesha! We prostrate ourselves before you. Please show
us your form quickly." In this way, we spent one hundred autumns doing
namaskara, O tiger among sages! Both of us were still full of pride.'",
________________________
562 A hamsa (swan) is believed to have the
power of discrimination, so that it can drink the milk from a mixture of milk
and water. Brahma's mount is a swan. The word Hamsa is used for both the
paramatman and the jivatman and for a supreme sadhaka who can discriminate
between the two. The word Hamsa-Hamsa can be taken to be one who is supreme
among such Hamsas.
563 The white boar.
564 In the form of the lingam.
"Brahma said, 'O best among
sages! In this way, with our pride gone, we wished to see the noble divinity. O
sage! We constantly stood there. Bhava Shambhu, the protector of those who are
afflicted, took pity on us. He is the one who takes pride away from those who
are proud. He is the lord of everything and is without decay. At that time, a
nada arose there, and its only attribute was the sound. The only characteristic
of this "AUM" was its pluta attribute. 565 It was
articulated exceedingly well by the best of the gods. "What is this great
sound?" Thinking this, I stood there. Vishnu is revered by all. He is
content in his heart and has no sense of enmity. He saw the eternal one emerge
from the right side of the lingam. The letter "A" emerged first,
followed by "U" and finally by "M". From the middle of
"M" the nada extended till the end of "AUM". To the right
of the first letter "A", he saw the solar disc. O supreme rishi!
There was blazing fire above "U". There was the lunar disc in the
middle of "M". Above this he saw the brahman, with a complexion like
that of pure crystal. This was unsullied and was beyond the turiya state. 566
It was without distinguishable form and beyond hardships. It was beyond
the opposite pairs. It was alone and void, without any outside or inside. But
it was inside the external and outside the internal. It was devoid of a
beginning, a middle or an end. It was the source of bliss. It was truth, bliss
and amrita. It was the supreme brahman, the refuge. "Where has this
originated from?" He567 wished to investigate the origin of
this column of fire and descend this unmatched column of fire. Therefore, he
immersed himself in this sound of the Vedas and meditated on the atman that
pervades the universe. O rishi! At that time, a rishi arrived there and
reminded him about the truth. Vishnu understood that this rishi was
Parameshvara. He was Mahadeva, the supreme brahman, and had assumed this
supreme form of Shabda Brahman. 568 Rudra is beyond thought and
cannot be comprehended through words or the mind. They return, without
reaching. He can only be expressed through that single akshara. That single
akshara expresses him. He is amrita and the supreme cause. He is truth, bliss
and amrita. He is the supreme brahman, greater than the greatest. In that
single akshara, "A" is the seed for the illustrious one who was born
from the egg. 569 In that single akshara, "U" stands for
Hari, the supreme cause. In that single akshara, "M" stands for the
illustrious Nilalohita. 570 The creator of creation is "A",
the one who enchants is "U". "M" stands for the one who
always grants favours. The lord known as "M" is the original seed,
though the one known as "A" is spoken of as the seed. "U"
is Hari, the womb and the lord of Pradhana and Purusha. But the original seed,
the secondary seed, the womb and the sound are actually Maheshvara. According
to his own wishes, that original seed divides his atman and is established.
_____________________________
565 A short vowel sound is pronounced over
a single matra, matra meaning a syllabic instant. A long vowel sound is
pronounced over two matras. Pluta is protracted, pronounced over three matras.
566 A living being has four states-waking,
dreaming, sleeping and turiya. Turiya is the fourth state, when one perceives
union between the human soul, jivatman, and the brahman.
567 Vishnu.
568 Shabda Brahman means the sound AUM.
569 That is, Brahma.
570 Shiva's name, the blue-red one.
The lord who is spoken of as the
seed, represented by "A", arose from that original seed of the
lingam. This was flung into the womb of "U" and spread in every
direction. This became a golden egg, there being no other sign that could
distinguish it. That divine egg floated on the water for many years. At the end
of one thousand years, it divided into two and Aja571 originated.
The egg that floated in the water was struck by Ishvara himself. The extremely
auspicious and golden upper part gave birth to the firmament, while the lower
part became the earth, with its five characteristics.""572
""From that egg was born
the four-faced one who is known as Kah.573 He is the creator of all
the worlds. The lord thus divided himself into three. Those who are supremely
knowledgeable about the Yajur Veda refer to this as "AUM, AUM".
Hearing the words of the Yajur Veda, the Rig Veda and the Sama Veda lovingly
accepted this and spoke of the two of us as Hari and Brahma. In this way,
according to our capacity, we got to know the lord of devas. Using mantras, we
praised the divinity Maheshvara, the source of great prosperity. Meanwhile,
along with me, the illustrious one who protects the universe saw another
extraordinarily beautiful form. O sage! This had five faces and ten arms and
was as fair as camphor. There were many kinds of brilliance in it, and it was adorned
in many kinds of ornaments. It was extremely pervasive, extremely valorous and
possessed all the signs of a great being. On seeing this supreme form, Hari and
I were satisfied. At this, the illustrious Parameshvara Mahesha was pleased.
Standing there, he smiled and told us about his divine form, which was formed
out of sound. "अ"
stands for his head and "आ"
is his forehead. "इ"
is his right eye and "ई"
is his left eye. "उ"
is his right ear and "ऊ"
is his left ear. “क्र”
is Parameshthi's right cheek and the long "ऋ" is his left cheek. "लु" and the long "लु" are his two
nostrils. "ए"
is his upper lip and "ऐ"
is the lord's lower lip. "ओ"
and "औ" are
the two rows of his teeth. "3" and "अ:" are the two palates of the
lord of devas who wields the trident. The five letters that begin with "क" are the five hands to
the right. The five letters that begin with "च" are the five hands to the
left. The five letters that begin with "ट" and the five letters that begin with "त" stand for his legs.
"ए" is said to
be his stomach and "फ"
is his right flank. "ब"
is his left flank and "भ"
is said to represent his shoulders. "म" is the heart of Shambhu Mahadeva, the yogi.
"य", "र", "ल", "व", "श", "ष" and "स" are the lord's seven dhatus. 574
"ह" is in the
form of his navel and "क्ष"
is said to be his nose. In this way, his form is full of sound. Though he
doesn't possess gunas, these are the expressions of gunas in his atman. Seeing
him, along with Uma, Hari and I were satisfied. In this way, we saw Mahesha
Shiva, in his body of Shabda Brahman. Vishnu and I prostrated ourselves before
him and looked upwards again. The Aumkara mantra has five parts575
and is as pure as crystal. It is auspicious and has the thirty-eight aksharas
inside it. 576 He arose in a form that was like a cloud, along with
the powerful gayatri mantra, which when mastered, is a means to accomplish
dharma and artha. It has twenty-four excellent aksharas and four supreme
parts. 577 The panchasita mantra, with 30 auspicious aksharas and
eight parts, is generally used for purposes of abhichara.
The mantra from Yajur Veda, with 25
auspicious aksharas and eight parts, is used for happiness and peace. The
excellent mantra with 61 aksharas and thirteen parts, with the word
"bala" attached at the beginning, ensures origin, increase and
destruction. Bhagavan Hari obtained supreme panchakshara mantra, chintamani
mantra, dakshinamurti mantra and "tattvamasi" as Hara's great words578
and performed japa with these. I and Bhagavan Vishnu were delighted in our
minds at having seen him in his forms of parts; aksharas; Rig, Yajur and Sama
hymns; Ishana; the highest form of Isha; the ancient one known as Purusha; the
pleasant Aghora, who is in the heart; Sadashiva, who is always a secret;
Mahadeva, with the beautiful feet; the one who is decorated with Indras among
serpents; Shiva, with legs, eyes and hands on every side; Brahma's lord; and
the cause of creation, preservation and destruction. We praised Samba Ishvara,
who bestows boons, with supreme words."""
_________________________
571 Brahma.
572 The five elements.
573 Kah is Brahma's name, though the word
is also applied to other divinities.
574 Plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone,
marrow and seminal fluid. These are known as the seven dhatus.
575 A, U, M, bindu and nada.
576 One has to guess how this number of 38
is arrived at, since it is not immediately obvious. One possibility is 25
consonants, plus 4 sonorants, plus 4 conjunct consonants, plus 3 sibilants, ह and ळ. These shlokas are difficult to
understand.
"Brahma said, 'Maheshvara
heard his own praise, uttered by Vishnu. Extremely pleased, the ocean of
compassion showed himself to us, along with his wife. He had five faces and
three eyes. He had matted hair and the moon was on his forehead. He had large
eyes and was fair in complexion. His body was smeared with ashes. He was blue
in the throat and possessed ten arms. He was adorned with ornaments everywhere.
All his limbs were beautiful and there was a Tripundraka formed with ashes on
his forehead. We saw the divinity Parameshvara in that form, along with his
wife, Along with me, the illustrious Vishnu used excellent words to praise him
again. At this, in the form of his breath, Hara gave him the nigama texts.
Mahesha, abode of compassion, was pleased with Vishnu. He also bestowed on him
jnana about Hara, the paramatman. O sage! Out of his compassion, the paramatman
also gave me all this. Having obtained the nigama texts, Vishnu was content.
However, along with me, he joined his hands in salutation and asked Maheshvara
again. Vishnu asked, "O divinity! How are you propitiated? O Lord! How
will I worship you? How should one perform dhyana on you? How are you brought
under control? O Mahadeva! We follow your command. Please tell us what we
should do. You are cause and effect. O Shankara! For our pleasure, please
instruct us. O great ruler! O Lord! Please take pity on us and tell us all
this. Tell us everything else and make us understand. O Shiva! We are your
followers." Hearing these words, Bhagavan Hara was pleased.'""
""The ocean of compassion
was extremely pleased. He cheerfully addressed us in these words. Shri Shiva
said, "O supreme among gods! I am indeed pleased with your devotion.
Behold me as Mahadeva and you will be freed from all your fears. Always worship
my lingam and perform dhyana on the form that you see now. You must make
efforts to undertake this task. When I am worshipped in the form of the lingam,
I am pleased and bestow many kinds of fruits. I bestow on all people the many
kinds of things their minds desire. O best among gods! Whenever there is
hardship, you should worship my lingam and the misery will immediately go away.
O extremely strong ones! I am the lord of everything. You have been from my
nature, from the left and the right of my body. This Brahma, the grandfather of
the worlds, was born from my right. I am the paramatman and Vishnu originated
from my left. I am pleased with the two of you and I will give you the boon you
wish for. Through my command, may your devotion towards me be firm. O wise
ones! You should fashion my Parthiva image. When you render many kinds of
service to it, you will obtain happiness. O Brahma! Carrying out my command,
you are the one who will create. O child! O Hari! O child! You will protect the
mobile and the immobile."
____________________
577 Gayatri mantra is usually written as
bhur bhuvah svah, tat savitur vareniyam, bhargodevasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah
prachodayat. But the mantra actually starts with tat savitur vareniyam. Thus,
there are four lines, but the mantra proper has 8 x 3 = 24 aksharas.
578 There are different mantras that go by
the name of chintamani mantra, including gayatri mantra. Dakshinamurti is
Shiva's form as a teacher and there are different mantras addressed to
Dakshinamurti. "Tattvamasi means 'You are that'.
The lord then told us about the
auspicious modes for worshipping him. Worshipped in that way, Shambhu bestows
many fruits. Hearing Shambhu's words, Hari and I joined our hands in
salutation. We prostrated ourselves and replied to Mahesha. Vishnu said,
"If you are pleased with us, please bestow a boon on us. May we have
constant and undeviating devotion towards you. O father! Though you are
nirguna, in your pastimes, you assume an avatara579 to help us. You
are supreme Parameshvara. O divinity! O lord of devas! The dispute between us
has had an auspicious end since you came here to settle the dispute."
Hearing these words, Hara spoke to Hari again, who stood there, with his head
lowered and his hands joined in salutation.'""
""Shri Mahesha said,
"Though I am nirguna, I become saguna to undertake creation, preservation
and destruction. I am the supreme brahman, without any transformation. My
attribute is of being sacchidananda. O Hari! O Vishnu! I am always nishkala.
But for the sake of creation, preservation and dissolution, I assume gunas and
divide myself into three, known as Brahma, Vishnu and Hara. O Vishnu! Along
with Brahma, you prayed that I might assume an avatara. Since I am affectionate
towards my devotees, I will make that wish come true. O Brahma! My supreme
form, one that resembles the present one, will manifest itself from your body
and will be famous in the worlds under the name of Rudra. Born as my portion,
his capacity will be the same as mine and will not be inferior. He is I. I am
he. There is no difference in rules followed for worship either. When fire
comes into contact with water, its qualities are not affected by that
association. Like that, I am not bound by any association with gunas. It is I
in the form of Shiva. I, Shiva, am also in the form of Rudra. O great sage!580
One should not seek to make a difference between him and me. They are
essentially the same form. For the purposes of the world, they have simply been
divided into two. Therefore, it should be known that there is never a
difference between Shiva and Rudra. When gold is made into an ornament, there
is no change in its substance. O god! There is a difference in the name, not in
the substance. Clay is the same, though it may be used to fashion different
vessels. The presence of the cause in the effect is another example of this.
This should be known by all noble, learned and knowledgeable ones who possess
unsullied jnana. Understanding this, the two of you should not see any
difference. It is my substance and form of Shiva that exists everywhere. I,
you, 581 Aja and the one who will be Rudra are really the same form.
There is no difference. Differences lead to bondage. But the eternal form of
Shiva belongs to me alone. This is always spoken of as the real cause. It is
truth, jnana and infinite. Knowing this in the mind, one should always perform
dhyana on this truth. O Brahma! Listen to another secret that I will tell you
about. The two of you have originated from Prakriti, but Rudra has not been
born from Prakriti. I will be born in this form through Brahma's furrowed
eyebrows. This Hara will be spoken of as naturally possessing tamas guna. It
will also be known as vaikarika ahamkara. But the substance is tamas only in
name, not actually. O Brahma! Because of this reason, you must do the
following. O Brahma! You will be the creator and Hari will protect your
creation.
____________________________
579 Avatara is incarnation, with a root in
descending or coming down.
580 While Brahma can be addressed as a
great sage, this is probably an inconsistency and is meant for Narada.
The one who will be born from my
portion will be an agent for dissolution. This Devi Prakriti, who is
Parameshvari, is known as Uma. Her Shakti, in the form of the goddess of
speech, will find refuge with Brahma. Yet another Shakti will result from
Prakriti, and she will find refuge with Vishnu. Her form will be that of
Lakshmi. There will certainly be another portion known as Kali, who will seek
refuge with me. For the purpose of undertaking her work, she will be born in
the form of fire. 582 These are spoken of as the supreme and
auspicious Devis or Shaktis. In due order, their tasks will certainly be
creation, preservation and dissolution. O supreme among gods! They are portions
of Prakriti, my beloved. Along with Lakshmi, you583 should carry out
your task. O Brahma! Following my command, along with the goddess of speech,
born as Prakriti's portion, you should cheerfully undertake the task of
creation.
I will take the help of Kali, who
is a portion of my beloved, who is greater than the greatest. In the form of
Rudra, I will undertake the excellent task of dissolution. You will certainly
be happy after having created the world, with its four varnas and ashramas, all
engaged in carrying out their many tasks.
With jnana and vijnana, you will
ensure benefit to the worlds. O Vishnu! Following my command, from now on, you
will bestow emancipation on the world. The fruits obtained from seeing you will
be the same as the fruits obtained from seeing me. This is the boon I am
bestowing on you. This is the truth. There is no doubt that this is the truth.
Vishnu will be in my heart, and I will be in Vishnu's heart. Those who draw a
distinction between the two do not know my mind. Hari was born from my left
limb, and Vidhatri was born from my right limb. Rudra, the cause of the great
dissolution and whose atman is in the universe, will be born from my heart. I
have divided myself into three, known as Brahma, Vishnu and Bhava. For
creation, preservation and dissolution, these represent the three gunas-rajas,
sattva and tamas. But Shiva is directly distinct from the gunas and is beyond
Purusha and Prakriti. I am the supreme brahman, eternal, infinite, complete and
Niranjana. Hari, the protector of the three worlds, has sattva outside and
tamas inside. Hara, who causes the dissolution of the three worlds, has tamas
outside and sattva inside. Vidhatri, the creator of the three worlds, has rajas
inside and outside. These are said to be the gunas in the three divinities.
Shiva is said to be devoid of gunas. O Vishnu! Happily, protect the grandfather
who will undertake the task of creation kalpa. Following my command, you will
be worshipped in the three worlds. You and Vidhatri will serve Rudra. The one
will cause the dissolution of the three worlds is Shiva's complete avatara. In
the kalpa known as Padma, the grandfather will be born as your son. You will
see me then and so will the one born from the lotus." Mahesha Hara, full
of unmatched compassion, said this. Extremely pleased, Lord Sarveshvara again
spoke to Vishnu.'",
_______________________
581 Vishnu.
582 Alternatively, light.
583 Vishnu.
"Parameshvara said, "O
Hari! O Vishnu! O one who is excellent in vows! Listen to another of my
commands. You will always be revered and worshipped in all the worlds, Whenever
some unhappiness is generated in the world created by Brahma, you will exert
yourself to destroy all these miseries. I will help you in all activities that
are difficult to undertake. I will slay your enemies when they are unassailable
and extremely fierce. O Hari! Assume many kinds of avataras and extend your
excellent deeds in the world, intent on becoming the supreme saviour. This
Rudra will always have a form that possesses gunas. There is no doubt that in
the worlds, he will carry out tasks that are impossible for you. Rudra will
meditate on you, and you will meditate on Hara. There is no difference between
you and Rudra. You are one. You become Maha Vishnu because of this boon and
because of your pastimes. This is true. There is no doubt that this is true. If
a man who is devoted to Rudra criticizes you, all his good merits will swiftly
be reduced to ashes. O Purushottama! Because of hatred towards you, he will
descend into hell. O Vishnu! This will happen because of my command. This is
true. There is no doubt that this is true. In this world, bestow emancipation
on men, especially objects of pleasure. Devotees will meditate on you and
worship you. Chastise and show your favours.""""
"Brahma continued, 'Having
said this, he held me, Vidhatri, and Hari by the hand.'""
""He told us, "In
times of distress, always help. You will control everyone. You will bestow
objects of pleasure and emancipation. Always be the best in accomplishing all
the objects of desire. Because of my command, be the breath of life for
everyone. O Hari! When there is a hardship, Rudra, who originated from me, will
be worshipped. Anyone who seeks refuge with you certainly seeks refuge with me
too. Anyone who sees a difference between the two will certainly descend into
hell. In particular, hear about the lifespans of the three divinities, Brahma,
Vishnu and Hara. There should not be any doubt about this. Four thousand
mahayugas 584 will be spoken of as one of Brahma's days. After this,
his nights are also of the same duration. Thirty days constitute a month and
twelve months constitute a year. Brahma's lifespan is described as one hundred
years. One of Brahma's years is said to be one of Vishnu's days. Vishnu will
also live for one hundred years. One year for Vishnu will certainly be one day
for Rudra. After Hara has lived for one hundred years, he is established in the
form of Nara. He remains in this position as long as Sadashiva inhales with his
mouth. __________________
584 A mahayuga is a cycle of satyalkrita
yuga, treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga, with the intervening periods
between these yugas also added. It amounts to 12,000 divine years.
When Sadashiva exhales, he585
merges into Shakti. O best among gods! For embodied beings, Brahma, Vishnu,
Hara, gandharvas, uragas and rakshasas, day and night is said to consist of
twenty-one thousand and six hundred inhalations and exhalations. Six
inhalations and exhalations amount to one pala. Sixty palas are one ghati and
there are sixty ghatis in one day and night.586 There is no measure
of Sadashiva's inhalations and exhalations. Therefore, he is said to be
undecaying. It is my command that you should protect this system and maintain
all that has been created, with the many qualities, for that duration of
time." Hearing Shambhu's words, along with me, Bhagavan Hari prostrated
himself before the lord of the universe. He controlled himself and spoke
slowly. Vishnu said, "O Shankara! O ocean of compassion! O lord of the
universe! I have heard. Following your command, I will do all this. I will always
meditate on you. It cannot but be otherwise. Earlier, I obtained all my
strength because of you. O lord! Meditation on your supreme form will never be
tiny bit of time. O lord! If far from my mind, not even for a any of my
devotees criticizes you, there is no doubt that he will reside in hell for an
eternity. Your devotee will be greatly loved by me. If a person knows this, it
will not be difficult for him to obtain emancipation. My greatness has
certainly been enhanced by you. If I lack in qualities, please pardon
that." Shambhu heard his excellent words. He told Vishnu, "I will
happily pardon any deficiency in qualities." Saying this, the ocean of
compassion showed Hari and me his compassion and touched us on all our limbs
with his hands. Hara, who takes away all miseries, instructed us about
different kinds of dharma. He bestowed many boons on us and told us about what
was beneficial. After this, Shambhu, who loves his devotees and is full of
compassion towards them, vanished from the spot as we looked on. Since then,
Shambhu, who bestows objects of pleasure and emancipation, has been established
in the lingam and the methods for worshipping a Prakrita lingam are said to
have been established in the world. Maheshvara is himself the lingam and
Mahadevi is the pedestal for the lingam. It is said that the entire universe
dissolves into the lingam. In the presence of a lingam, if a person constantly
reads this account of the lingam for six months, he assumes Shiva's form. There
is no need to think about this. O great sage! If a person carries out any
activity near a lingam, I am incapable of speaking about the fruits of his good
deeds.'""
“The rishis said, "O Suta! O
immensely fortunate one! O Suta! O Vyasa's disciple! We prostrate ourselves
before you. You have made us hear Shiva's wonderful account. It is supremely
purifying. We have heard the auspicious and amazing account of the origin of
the greatly divine lingam. Listening to its powers destroys all the miseries of
this world. O ocean of compassion! Following the conversation between Brahma
and Narada, please tell us about the methods of worshipping Shiva, whereby
Shiva is pleased. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras worship Shiva.
How should they do this? Please tell us what you have heard from Vyasa's
mouth.""
_______________________
585 Nara.
586 There are thus 2.5 ghatis in one hour
and 2.5 palas in one minute.
Vyasa said, 'Hearing the questions
of the sages, he587 happily told them everything. This is in
conformity with the Vedas and bestows peace.'
"Suta replied, "O lords
among sages! You have asked me a virtuous question about a secret. I will now
tell you, according to my intelligence and according to what I have heard. What
you have asked was formerly asked by Vyasa of Sanatkumara. Upamanyu heard it
from him. Vyasa heard it from him.588 For the welfare of the worlds,
Vyasa made me study the methods of worshipping Shiva. Krishna heard it from the
great-souled Upamanyu.""
"Brahma said, 'O Narada! I
will briefly tell you about worshipping the lingam. O sage! Even if I try for
one hundred years, I am incapable of describing it in detail. This is
Shankara's form-bliss, pure and eternal. If one worships it with supreme
devotion, as fruits, one obtains everything one wishes for. There is no
poverty, disease, misery or hardship as a result of the enemy. As long as one
worships Shiva, the four kinds of sins do not exist. 589 When Shiva
is worshipped, all miseries dissolve into the divinity. Every kind of happiness
is obtained and subsequently, there is emancipation. For a human, happiness is
mostly the result of offspring and similar things. When Mahadeva is worshipped,
success is accomplished in all activities. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and
shudras must follow the norms in the due order and worship Shankara. They will
then be successful in everything that they desire. One must get up in the
morning, at the time known as brahma muhurta. 590 Having remembered
the guru, one must remember Shambhu. Having remembered the tirthas, one must
perform dhyana on Hara. O sage! He must then remember me, the ones without
decay 591 and the sages. Following the norms, he must then chant an
auspicious stotram. Having got up, he must next pass his stool in the southern
direction. It has been said that the prescribed norm for passing stool is in
private. O sage! I will now tell you about this. Listen with an attentive mind.
For purifying himself, a brahmana must clean himself with earth five times. A
kshatriya must do it four times and a vaishya thrice. The norm for a shudra to
purify himself is that he must use earth twice. Alternatively, he will
carefully clean the anus once and the penis once. The left hand must be washed
ten times and each of the feet seven times each. O son! Each of the hands must
again be washed three times. Like shudras, women must use earth to clean
themselves properly. After this, they will use earth to wash their hands and
feet. Depending on the varna, a man will then use a twig to clean the teeth.
For a brahmana, the length of the twig used to clean the teeth must be twelve
angulas. It must be eleven angulas for a king,592 ten angulas for a
vaishya and nine angulas for a shudra. These are said to be the measurements.
_________________________
587 Suta.
588 Upamanyu learnt from Sanatkumara and
Vyasa learnt from Upamanyu. Vyasa's name is Krishna Dvaipayana.
589 Since there are many sins, this refers
to four major sins. Often, five major sins are listed. The number four probably
refers to killing a brahmana, drinking, stealing from a brahmana and violating
a guru's bed. But some other listing may have been intended.
590 A muhurta is a period of 48 minutes.
Brahma muhurta is named after Brahma and is an auspicious time just before
dawn, regarded as the last muhurta of the night. The precise hour depends on
the time when the sun rises.
591 The gods.
592 That is, a kshatriya.
What has been instructed by Manu593
can be discarded only at the time of an emergency. O son! On shashthi, 594
navamis, days on which vows are being observed, Sundays and days of
shraddhas, the cleaning of the teeth is forbidden. One must bathe following the
norms. The due order must be followed in tirthas. In specific places and at
specific times, bathing must be done with mantras."""
""Having first done
achamana, one must wear a washed garment. He will be seated alone in a good
spot and undertake the sandhya rites. Having undertaken the appropriate rites,
he will then embark on the task of worship. One must steady the mind before
entering the place where puja is to be performed. Having gathered together
everything required for the puja, he will then seat himself on the seat. After
having performed the due acts of nyasa, he will then follow the order for
worshipping Hara. Ganadhisha, the guardians of the gates and the guardians of
the directions must be worshipped first. After this, he must think of the
pedestal. Alternatively, he can draw a lotus with eight petals. He will sit
down, with the articles required for puja near him and make Lord Shiva sit
down. He will then perform achamana thrice and wash his hands. He will perform
pranayama thrice and meditate on Traymbaka in the middle. He has five faces and
ten arms. His complexion is that of pure crystal. He is adorned in every kind
of ornament and his upper garment is made out of tiger skin. If a man achieves
sarupya with him, all his sins are burnt down. Having thus invoked Shiva, he
will worship Parameshvara. He will purify his mind and in the due order,
perform nyasa with the root mantra. Using Pranava mantra, nyasa must be done in
six limbs of the body. 595 After touching the heart, the puja will
commence. Vessels must be thought of for offering padya, arghya and achamaniya.
An intelligent person will follow the norms and place nine different pots. They
must be placed on darbha grass and darbha grass will be used to sprinkle water
over them. Cool water will be sprinkled over each of them. An intelligent
person will chant Pranava mantra, look at the objects and sprinkle water over
them. Ushira596 or sandalwood paste can be used for padya. As is
proper, powdered jati, kankola, karpura, the root of vata and tamalaka597
will be sprinkled in the water for achamaniya. All the pots will be sprinkled
with sandalwood powder. Alongside the lord of devas, Nandisha598
will be worshipped. Shiva will be worshipped with fragrances, incense and many
kinds of lamps. Having purified the lingam, a man should cheerfully chant
different mantras, beginning with Pranava and ending with namah. Using Pranava,
the seat must be conceived as being inside the lotus or the svastika. The
undecaying eastern direction represents anima; the southern is laghima; the
western is mahima; the northern is prapti; the south-eastern petal599
is prakamya; the south-western is ishitva; the north-western petal is vashitva;
the north-eastern is sarvajnatva;600 and the pericarp is said to be
Soma. Surya is below Soma and the fire is below that. In the due order, Dharma
and the other lords are thought of.
________________________
593 In the Manu Samhita.
594 The sixth lunar day.
595 If it is kara nyasa, the six will be
the five fingers and the palm. If it is anga nyasa, the six will be the heart,
the forehead, the crown of the head, the chest, eyes and around the head.
596 Ushira is the root of the fragrant
grass Andropogon muricatus.
597 Jati is jasmine, kankola is the ashoka
tree, karpura is camphor and tamalaka is the tamala tree. For the trees,
powdered bark is used. Shiva is the attendant is Nandi/Nandisha/Nandishvara/
Nandikeshvara.
599 The directions refer to the eight
petals of the lotus.
600 Corresponding to garima of the
siddhis.
In four undetermined directions,
the three gunas and Soma must be thought of. Parameshvara will be invoked with
the sadyojata mantra and made to sit down with a mantra to Vamadeva. The
sannidhya rite will be with Rudra-Gayatri mantra and nirodha with Aghora
mantra. 601 Ishana will be worshipped with the mantra known as
sarvavidya 602 Following the norms, padya, achamaniya and arghya
must be offered. Following the norms, Rudra must be bathed in water mixed with
fragrances and sandalwood powder. Following the norms again, a vessel must be
taken, mantras pronounced over it, and he must be bathed with pancha gavya.
After this, to the pronouncement of Pranava mantra, he will be bathed in cow's
milk, curd, honey, sugar cane juice and ghee. If he is worshipped in this way,
he bestows everything desired. Mahadeva's abhisheka will be done with
auspicious objects, while Pranava mantra is being chanted. The water in a
vessel will be sanctified with mantras and that water will be used for the
sprinkling. Purifying the water in the proper way, the worshipper will strain
it with a piece of white cloth. Until the water has been sprinkled with
sandalwood powder, one should not use it for sprinkling. One must cheerfully
worship Shankara with beautiful rice. Many different kinds of flowers must be
used, and they should be rare-apamarga, karpura, jati, champaka, patala, white
karavira, mallika, kamala, utpala and chandana.603 Many kinds of
vessels must be used to pour streams of water over Parameshvara. The divinity
Maheshvara must be bathed in the proper way. If mantras are used to perform the
puja, every kind of fruit is obtained.'",
""O son! I will briefly
tell you about the mantras that ensure success in every objective. Listen
attentively. These mantras must be read or chanted from memory-the Rudra
mantra: Nila Rudra mantra:604 auspicious mantras from the Shukla the
Yajur Veda; mantras used by hotris: 605 the Atharvashirsha mantra: 606
repetitions of shanti mantras: 607 mantras to Aruna 608
and those without reference to Aruna; desired mantras from Sama Veda used for
vows to devas; the rathantara mantra from Sama Veda; pushpa sukta,609
Mahamrityunjaya mantra; and the panchakshara mantra. The water must be poured
one thousand times or one hundred and eight times. Mentioning the divinity's
name, this must be done following the path indicated in the Vedas. Sandalwood
paste and flowers must be placed atop Shiva. Chanting Pranava mantra, articles
must be offered for freshening the mouth. After this, the lingam must be
worshipped. The divinity is like crystal. He is nishkala and without decay. He
is the cause behind all the worlds.
_______________________
601 Sannidhya means proximity and nirodha
means confinement.
602 27.35 of Vajasaneyi Samhita, stating
that Ishana pervades the universe.
603 Apamarga is Achyranthes aspera,
champaka is a tree with yellow and fragrant flowers, patala is Bignonia
suaveolens, karavira is a kind of tree, mallika is a kind of jasmine, kamala is
a lotus, utpala is blue lotus (or water lily) and chandana is sandalwood.
604 From the Nila Rudra Upanishad.
605 There were four classes of priests,
though the classification varied over time. The hotri is the chief priest and
is accomplished in the Rig Veda. The adhvaryu is the assistant priest and is
accomplished in the Yajur Veda, though later, the udgatri came to be identified
with the Sama Veda. In addition, there was the brahmana or purohita.
606 The Ganapati Atharvashirsha mantra
from Ganapati Upanishad.
607 Mantras for peace.
608 Surya.
609 This probably means verses from Shri
Sukta.
All the worlds are pervaded by the
supreme. He cannot be perceived by Brahma, Indra, Upendra 610 Vishnu
and other devas. Those who know the Vedas know that he is spoken about in
Vedanta as incomprehensible. He is without a beginning, a middle and an end. He
is medication for every kind of disease. That which is known as Shiva tattva is
present in Shiva's lingam. Following the norms, the lingam must be worshipped
with Pranava mantra, incense, lamps, naivedya, beautiful betel leaves and the
beautiful act of niranjana. That apart, with many kinds of mantras, praise and
namaskara must be done. Arghya must be offered, and flowers must be laid down
at the feet. One must prostrate oneself before the lord of devas and worship
Shiva, One must then stand, with flowers held in anjali. Using mantras, one
must again pray to Ishana Shankara. "O Shankara! I have done this japa and
puja knowingly or ignorantly. Through your favours, let it yield good fruits."
Reading this, the flowers must be placed happily on Shiva. The norms will be
followed for peace and benediction. One must next seek forgiveness from Shiva.
Seeking forgiveness again, the act of achamana must be performed, along with
namaskara. With namaskara, one must utter the mantra for the cleansing of sins.
Thereafter, full of devotion, one must pray again. "May I have devotion
towards Shiva. May I have devotion towards Shiva in every birth. May I have
devotion towards Shiva. There is no other refuge. You alone are my
refuge." When one prays to the lord of devas in this way, every success is
bestowed. The puja must be performed with supreme devotion and in a loud voice.
Along with the family members, one must then do namaskara. If one happily undertakes
this task, one obtains unmatched happiness. If a person is full of devotion
towards Shiva and performs this puja every day, he obtains every kind of
success at every step. He is born as an eloquent person and certainly obtains
every desire in his mind. He does not suffer from disease, unhappiness or
grief, artificial anxiety of any kind, crookedness, poison or any other
hardship. If a person is supremely devoted towards Shiva, Shiva destroys his
miseries. His good fortune increases, like the moon during shukla paksha. If he
worships Shankara, there is no doubt that his good qualities increase. O
supreme among sages! I have thus spoken to you about the method for worshipping
Shambhu. O Narada! After this, what else do you wish to hear?""
"Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Prajapati! O father! Since your mind is fixed on Shiva, you are blessed. Please
explain all this to me in detail.""
"Brahma replied, 'O son! On
one occasion, I, born from a lotus, summoned the rishis and the ones without
decay611 from all directions. I affectionately addressed them in
excellent words. "If you have faith in eternal happiness, if you wish for
success in meeting your desires, come with me to the shores of the ocean of
milk." Hearing my words, they went along with me, to the place where
Bhagavan Vishnu, who ensures welfare, was present. O sage! Having gone there,
the gods joined their hands in salutation and prostrated themselves before
Jagannatha Janardana, lord of devas. Vishnu saw that Brahma and the other
immortals had presented themselves. He remembered Shiva's lotus feet and
addressed them in excellent words.
___________________
610 Upendra is Vishnu's name.
611 The
gods.
Vishnu asked, "Why have
Brahma, the gods and the rishis come? What has happened? Out of love for you,
please tell me what I should do?" Vishnu asked me and the gods this. We
prostrated ourselves again and told him lovingly what needed to be done. In
auspicious words, we told him about the task. The devas said, "So that
miseries are destroyed, who should we serve every day?" Bhagavan is
affectionate towards his devotees. Hearing these words, full of love and
compassion, he spoke to the immortals and me. Shri Bhagavan said, "O Brahma!
Listen. The gods have already heard all this earlier. Nevertheless, I will tell
you and the devas again. It has been seen and is being seen now. O Brahma and
all devas! Why is it being asked now? In every task and in every kind of way,
one must always serve the divinity Shankara. He is the one who dispels all
miseries. He has specially told Brahma and me this. Those who desire happiness
must never give up worshipping him. A wonderful example of this has been seen
and all of you have witnessed it. Having abandoned the worship of the divinity
Maheshvara, lord of devas, in the form of the lingam, Tara's sons were
destroyed, along with their relatives. 612 I confounded them with my
maya. My maya pushed them far away. Since they were without Shiva, all of them
were destroyed. Therefore, manifested in the form of the lingam, Hara must
always bė worshipped. The supreme among devas must be served with special
devotion. Sharva's lingam must be worshipped by devas, excellent daityas, me
and Brahma. How have you forgotten that? Whatever be the reason, his lingam
must always be worshipped. O Brahma and gods! Sharva bestows every fruit that
is desired. If a muhurta or a kshana is spent without worshipping Shiva, that
is harmful, a great weakness, blindness and folly. If a person is full of great
devotion towards Bhava, if his mind prostrates itself before Bhava and if he
remembers Bhava, he does not have to undergo any sorrows. Those who wish for
agreeable mansions, agreeable ornaments, women, satisfaction with riches, sons,
grandsons and offspring, lack of disease in the body, status in the world,
great fortune and happiness in the world of the gods must be devoted towards
Parameshvara. The fruit of emancipation is also obtained. This occurs because
worship of Sadashiva accumulates good merits. Full of devotion, those who
constantly worship Shiva's lingam obtain success in everything and are not
served by sin." Hearing this, devas prostrated themselves before Hari.
They desired lingams that full every kind of desire in men.'""
O tiger among sages! Hearing this,
Vishnu spoke to Vishvakarma. "I am intent on saving beings. Follow my
instruction. O Vishvakarma! Construct Shambhu's auspicious lingams and give
them to all the devas." I told him, too. Asked by me and Hari, Vishvakarma
constructed lingams, according to entitlements, and gave them. O supreme among
rishis! I will tell you about them. Listen. O sage! Shakra got one made out a
ruby; Vishrava's son613 got one made out of gold; Dharma got one
made out of a yellow gem; 614 Varuna got a dark-blue Shiva; Vishnu
got one made out of yellow sapphire; Brahma got one made out of gold; the
Vishvadevas and Vasus got ones made out of silver; the two Ashvins got Parthiva
lingams made out of brass; the goddess Lakshmi got one made out of crystal; the
Adityas got ones made out of copper; King Soma got one made out of pearl;
________________________
612 Tara (Tarakasura) was killed by
Skanda. Tara's sons were Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali and Kamalaksha. They possessed
the three cities of Tripura and were destroyed by Shiva.
613 Kubera.
614 Such as yellow sapphire.
Vibhavasu615 got a
lingam made out diamond; Indras among brahmanas and their wives got lingams
made out of earth; Maya got one made out of sandalwood; nagas lovingly got
those made out of coral; devis got those made out of butter, yogis got those
made out of ashes; yakshas got those made out of curd; and the shadow got a
lingam made out of flour. It is certain that Brahmani always worships a Shiva
lingam made out jewels. Bana and others worship a Parthiva lingam made out of
mercury. Vishvakarma gave such lingams. All devas and rishis worship these.
Desiring their welfare, Vishnu had these lingams given to devas. He then told
me, Brahma, the method to be used for worshipping the wielder of Pinaka.
Hearing his words, my mind was assured and elated. I asked the excellent devas
to come to my own abode.'""
"O sage! Having gone there, I
told all the rishis and devas about the proper method to be used for
worshipping Shiva, so that everything desired is obtained. Brahma said, 616
"O rishis and all the immortals! Full of great love, listen. I will
affectionately tell you about the method for worshipping
Shiva. This bestows objects of
pleasure and emancipation. Among all beings, birth as a human is extremely
difficult to obtain. O devas and lords among sages! Within that, it is extremely
rare to be born in a good lineage. It is even more difficult to be born as a
brahmana who possesses good conduct and good merits. Having obtained this, it
is said that one must undertake karma that gives satisfaction to Shiva. No one
should violate the karma that is his by birth. As long as one possesses the
riches, one must undertake the task of donations. Tapo-yajna617 is
superior to thousands of karma-yajnas. Japa-yajna is superior to thousands of
tapo-yajnas. There is nothing superior to dhyana-yajna. Dhyana is the means for
obtaining jnana. Through dhyana, a yogi can see whoever he wishes to remember.
For a person who follows dhyana-yajna, Shiva is always near. A person who
possesses jnana does not need to be purified through prayashchitta. O brahmana!
618 Those who know about the brahman possess pure knowledge. Rites do not
exist for them, and they do not need to think about happiness and unhappiness.
O immortals! Those who possess knowledge are always indifferent towards dharma,
adharma, japa, oblations, dhyana and techniques of dhyana. The pure lingam
represents undecaying Shiva and causes supreme bliss. He is nishkala and goes
everywhere. It is known to yogis that he is established in their hearts. O
brahmanas! Lingams are known to be of two types-external and internal. External
ones are said to be gross and internal ones are subtle. Those who follow
karma-yajna are intent on worshipping gross lingams. They cannot control their
minds through subtle images and use gross ones. For a person to whom the
adhyatmika lingam is not manifest, the gross lingam must be worshipped and not
otherwise. For those who possess jnana, the undecaying and unblemished subtle
lingam is manifest in the mind. Others who are not like that think the gross
one is the best. In truth, for those who know, there is nothing to reflect on
this. Shiva pervades the universe, as nishkala and sakala. This must be in each
person's mind.
_____________________
615 Agni.
616 Brahma is reporting what he said
earlier.
617 Observing austerities.
618 This is an inconsistency because it is
a quote being reported to Narada.
Hence, if one possesses the jnana
and is liberated, there is no harm in thinking of the alternative. For them,
there are no rules about what should be done and what should not be done. A
lotus in the water is not touched by the water. Like that, if a person with
jnana is engaged in a householder's karma, he is not bound. However, until
jnana has been generated in a man, it is that man's karma to worship the divinity,
Shiva. This must be done to convince the world. The sun is one, but is seen in
many kinds of ways, such as in different receptacles of water. O gods! O
Brahma! Know that everything that is seen or heard in the world, existent or
non-existent, has Shiva in the atman. What is reflected and thought about, in
terms of differences, is because of water in the receptacles. This is what is
said by all those who know the true meaning of the Vedas. Parameshvara himself
moves around in all hearts. If a person possesses this knowledge, why does he
need images? Those who lack such knowledge devise auspicious images. This is
said to be the support a man needs to climb up to higher steps. Without such a
support, it is difficult for him to climb up to higher steps. Using such an
image as support, it is said that a man obtains
the nirguna. It has been determined
that one can obtain the nirguna through the saguna. In this way, images of all
devas bring about belief. This deva is great and must be worshipped. But
without an image, of what use are fragrances, sandalwood and flowers? Hence,
until jnana is generated, an image must be worshipped. If one lacks jnana, but
still does not worship, downfall is certain. O brahmanas! Because of this
reason, listen to the supreme truth. One must attentively undertake the karma
earmarked for the category one has been born into. Puja and other things must
be done for whatever one has devotion towards. Without puja and other things,
sins will never be kept at a distance. As long as there is sin in the body,
success is not obtained. When sin has left, one becomes successful in
everything. If a piece of cloth is dirty, dyeing it does not make it better. It
is only when it is washed and pure that a dye can be properly applied. In that
way, proper worship of devas makes the body clean. Jnana is generated and one
is dyed with jnana. The true root of vijnana is unwavering devotion. The true
root of jnana is also said to be devotion. The root of devotion is virtuous
deeds and worship of the deva one wishes for. The root of this is said to be a
good guru and the root of that is association with the virtuous. If one
associates with virtuous people, one obtains a guru. From a guru, one obtains
mantras and methods of puja. Devotion results from puja and jnana is generated
through devotion. Vijnana is generated through jnana and the supreme brahman
manifests itself. When vijnana is generated, differences disappear. When
differences disappear, one is freed from sorrows connected with the opposite
pair of sentiments. When one is devoid of miseries connected with the opposite
pair of sentiments, one assumes Shiva's form. Such a person does not know
miseries associated with the opposite pair of sentiments. O gods and rishis!
There is nothing he should do or should not do. In this world, it is rare to
find a person who does not follow grahasthya ashrama. If there is such a
person, the sight of him destroys sins. Even the tirthas praise a person who
possesses such excellent jnana. All devas and sages take him to be Shiva, with
the supreme brahman in his atman. Tirthas and earthen images of devas take time
to purify. A person who possesses vijnana purifies instantly. As long as one is
in garhasthya ashrama, one should worship an image. One must cheerfully worship
the best among the five devas. 619 Alternatively, the worship of
Shiva as the root and the single one is superior. O gods! When the root is
sprinkled, all the branches are content. ________________________
619 Typically, these five are Shiva,
Vishnu, Devi (Parvati), Surya and Ishta devata (the favoured deva).
When the branches are completely
content, the root is always content. O best among sages! In that way, when
Shiva is satisfied, all the gods are satisfied. Those who possess subtle
intelligence know this. When Shiva is worshipped, all the gods are worshipped.
Therefore, one must worship the divinity Shankara, who brings benefit to the
worlds. He is engaged in the welfare of all beings and bestows every fruit that
is wished for."""
"Brahma said, "After
this, I will tell you about an excellent method of puja. O rishis and all
devas! Listen. This ensures happiness and everything wished for. One must get
up at brahma muhurta and remember Samba Shiva. Joining one's hands in
salutation and with head lowered, one must pray. 'Arise. O lord of devas! Wake
up. O one who is stationed in the heart! Arise. O Uma's lord! Get up and bring
all that is auspicious to the entire universe. I know dharma, but I do not have
an inclination towards it. I know adharma, but I do not refrain from it. 620
O Mahadeva! You are based in my heart, and I do whatever you engage me in.'
Having faithfully uttered these words, one must remember the guru's feet. To
release urine and excrement, one must then go out, in the southern direction.
Using earth and water, one must then clean and purify the body. The hands and
feet must be washed, and the teeth cleaned. The teeth must be cleaned before
the lord of the day 621 rises. Using cupped hands, the mouth must be
rinsed sixteen times. O gods and rishis! Devotedly and attentively, the teeth
must not be cleaned on the first tithi of the month, shashthi, navami and
Sunday. At a convenient time, one must bathe in a river or at home. A man must
never bathe against the norms of the time and the place. On Sunday, shraddha
days, at the time of sankranti, during an eclipse, when great donations are
undertaken at a tirtha, on a day when one is fasting and at a time of ashoucha,
622 one must not bathe in hot water. In tirthas and similar places,
a man must devotedly bathe while facing the sun. Oil must be applied on the
limbs only after considering the right order of days of the week. However,
there is no taint if one uses fragrant oil on the limbs every day. But one
should avoid a shraddha day, an eclipse, a day of fasting or the first day of a
paksha. Unless there is an eclipse, there is no taint associated with using
mustard oil. Depending on the time and the place, one must follow the norms and
have a bath, facing the north or facing the east. One should never bathe
wearing a garment that has been worn by another. Thinking of devas, one should
bathe in a pure garment. In the night, there is no harm in wearing another
person's clothes. But they must be cast off at the time of having a bath and
washed. To satisfy devas, rishis and ancestors, one should offer oblations of
water. 623 One must next wear a washed garment and do achamana
again."""د
"O supreme among brahmanas! He
must next go to a pure place that has been smeared with cow dung. There, he
must devise an auspicious seat. It can be made out of a pure piece of wood. Or
it can be a place that is completely spread with something.
_________________
620 This is a famous statement. Janami
dharmam na cha me pravrittih. Janami adharmam na cha me nivrittih. Based on
Pandava Gita, this is usually attributed to Duryodhana.
621 The sun.
622 A time of impurity, such as when there
is birth or death in the family.
623 Tarpana.
A colourful seat yields everything
desired as a fruit. Having chosen what is appropriate, it can be spread with
deerskin. Seating himself there, an intelligent person will use ashes to draw
Tripundraka. Tripundraka makes japa, austerities and donations successful. If
ashes are not available, the mark can be made with water. Having drawn
Tripundraka in this way, a man must wear rudraksha. Having undertaken his own
rites, he must next worship Shiva. Using mantras, he must again perform
achamana thrice. Or he can do it once, saying that this is a drop of water from
Ganga. For worshipping Shiva, cooked food and water must be brought there.
According to one's capacity, all the other articles must be placed nearby.
Having patiently devised the place, there must be a vessel for the arghya and
another for fragrant water and akshata. The vessel full of upachara must be
placed on the right shoulder, the guru remembered and his permission taken. In
the proper way, the sankalpa must be taken and the desires stated. Thereafter,
full of great devotion, one should worship Shiva and his family. A mudra must
be shown and using sindura624 and other articles, the destroyer of
impediments worshipped, along with Siddhi and Buddhi.625 Having
worshipped him, one must again prostrate oneself before him. He bestows gains
that are one hundred thousand times more. He must be addressed by his names in
the dative case,626 beginning with Pranava and ending with 'namah'.
Seeking his forgiveness, one must next worship the deva who is his brother. 627
He must be worshipped with great devotion, and one must prostrate oneself
before him again. At the gate, Mahodara is always stationed as a doorkeeper.628
Having worshipped him, Girija Sati must be worshipped next. Thereafter, Shiva
must be worshipped with many kinds of sandalwood paste, kumkuma, incense, lamps
and different kinds of naivedya. One must approach Shiva and perform namaskara.
In the house, there may be a lingam made out of clay, gold, silver, some other
metal, mercury or something else. One must again do namaskara to do this and
worship this with great devotion. When this is worshipped, everyone else is
worshipped.""""
"""If the lingam is
made out of clay, it must be established properly, following the norms. At
home, one must always follow the rules in every kind of way. With prana invoked
in the image, the act of purification against bhutas must be undertaken. In
Shiva's temple, the guardians of the directions must be established and
worshipped. At home, Shiva must always be worshipped with the root mantra.
There are no rules about worshipping the gatekeepers. At home, the lingam is
worshipped since everything is established in it. At the time of worship, the
divinity can be worshipped along with his various limbs and family members. But
there are no rules about this. The worshipper must devise his own seat, near
Shiva. He must face the northern direction and again do achamana. A man must
wash his hands and do pranayama ten times, using the root mantra. Before
starting the worship, he must certainly use his hands to display the five
mudras. A man should undertake the worship only after showing the mudras in
this way. The lamp must be shown, and one should do namaskara to one's guru.
___________________
624 Vermilion.
625 Ganesha is the destroyer of
impediments. Siddhi and Buddhi are his personified wives.
626 Chaturthi of grammar.
627 That is, Kartikeya.
628 Mahodara means the large-bellied one
and is a name for Ganesha. Ganesha has already been worshipped and this may be
a simple restatement. Alternatively, Mahodara is also one of Ganesha's
avataras.
One should then be seated
comfortably in padmasana, bhadrasana, uttanasana or paryankasana629
and perform the rites. The cake used in the puja is a ball that makes one cross
over. However, if the worship is being done in one's own house, this rule is
not binding. Thereafter, the excellent lingam must be washed with the vessel
used for arghya. With an attentive mind, one should gather together all the
articles required for the puja. Then, a man must use mantras to perform avahana
for the divinity. 'Parvati's supreme lord is seated on the summit of Kailasa.
Shambhu's form is the one that has been stated before. He is nirguna, but the
gunas are his form. He has five faces and ten arms. He has three eyes, and the
bull is on his banner. He is as fair as camphor and his limbs are divine. He
has matted hair and the moon is on his crest. His upper garment is made out of
tiger skin. He is clad in the auspicious hide of an elephant. Vasuki and others
are twirled around his body. He wields Pinaka and other weapons. The eight
siddhis constantly dance around in front of him. His worshippers and devotees
utter words "Victory. Victory." His energy is impossible to
withstand. He is impossible to behold. Devas serve him. He is the refuge for
all beings. His pleasant face is like a lotus. The Vedas and the sacred texts
sing about him. Vishnu and Brahma always praise him. Shiva is devoted to his
devotees. He is bliss. I am invoking him.' Having performed dhyana in this way,
one must think of a seat for Samba Shiva. In due order, the dative case must be
used for everything. Padya will be offered to Shankara and arghya. After that,
achamana will be done for Shambhu, the paramatman. Thereafter, one must
cheerfully bathe Shankara with the five objects. 630 The appropriate
mantras from the Vedas will be used. Mantras will be addressed to him by name,
using the dative case. All the objects must be offered with devotion. In this
way, all the desired objects will be offered to Sankara. Thereafter, Shiva must
be bathed with water. 631 Attentively, one must offer excellent
fragrances, sandalwood and unguents. Using fragrant water, one must think of a
continuous stream of water being poured. This must be done with mantras from
the Vedas or chanting the mantra with six aksharas eleven times. Thereafter, it
is time to wipe the image with a piece of cloth. Then, achamaniya and a garment
must be offered. With many kinds of mantras, sesamum, barley, wheat, mudga and
gram must be offered to Shiva. Flowers must be offered to the great-souled one
who has five faces. Meditating on each face, one should offer what is
appropriate and what one wishes-lotuses, shatapatras, 632 conch
shells, flowers, kusha flowers, dhatturas, 633 mandara flowers 634
that have grown on trees and tulasi leaves. Bilva leaves are special. The puja
must be performed with great devotion. Shankara is affectionate towards his
devotees. If nothing else is available, bilya leaves must be offered to Shiva.
Every kind of worship is accomplished through the offering of bilva leaves.
Full of great joy, powdered fragrances and excellent and fragrant oil of many
kinds must be offered to Shiva. Then, one should happily offer incense, guggula
and aguru. 635 A lamp lit with ghee must be offered to Shankara.
Thereafter, reciting mantras, one should devotedly offer arghya to him again.
With devoted sentiments, one must then wipe the face with a piece of cloth. O
Shankara! Give me beauty.
____________
629 These are different postures (asana).
Of these, padmasana and bhadrasana are seated postures. But uttanasana and
paryankasana aren't.
630 Panchamrita.
631 There are different kinds of bathing
(snanam). Varuna snanam is the one with water.
632 Shatapatra is a lotus with one hundred
petals.
633 The white thornapple.
634 Mandara
is the coral tree.
635 Aguru
is aloe.
Give me fame. Give me objects of
pleasure. Give me objects of pleasure and emancipation fruits. Please accept
this arghya. I prostrate myself before you.' Next, many kinds of auspicious
naivedya must be offered to Shiva. Without any delay, achamana must be lovingly
done. Along with all the accompaniments, betel leaf must be offered to Shiva.
Using a lamp with five wicks, arati 636 must be done. The lamp must
be shown four times at the feet, twice at the navel, once at the face and seven
times over the whole body. After this, uttering mantras, dhyana must be done. A
man will chant mantras as many times as his knowledge allows. An intelligent
person will perform japa with mantras according to the path instructed by the
guru. 'Mantras must be chanted according to the path instructed by the guru. In
the matter of number of mantras, a man will follow what he knows.637
Using many kinds of stotrams, he will praise Vrishadhvaja.638 Then,
he must slowly do pradakshina of Shiva. Following the norms, a man must do
sashtanga namaskara. After this, with devotion, an anjali of flowers must be
offered. "This is for Shankara.This is for Paresha. This is for satisfying
Shiva. I have done this puja, knowingly and unknowingly. O Shankara! Show me
your favours and grant me all the fruits. O Lord! As long as my breath of life
exists, my mind is always immersed in you. O Gouri's lord! O Bhutanatha!
Knowing this, be pleased with me. Those who stagger on the ground are supported
by the ground alone. O lord! Those who cause you an offence find refuge in
you.' Saying many such things, he will offer an anjali of flowers. He will
prostrate himself several times and say, 'O lord of devas! O Lord! Along with
your family, return to your abode. O Lord! Please return again when it is time
for puja. Full of love, depart now.' In this way, one should entreat Shankara,
who is affectionate towards his devotees, many times. Having done the visarjana
in the heart, the water must be sprinkled on the head. O sages! I have thus
told you everything about worshipping Shiva. This bestows objects of pleasure
and emancipation. O worthy ones! What else do you wish to
hear?""""
“The rishis rishis said, said,
"O Vyasa's disciple! O immensely fortunate one! Please tell us the fruits
conferred by Shambhu in worship with different kinds of flowers.""
'Suta replied, "O Shounaka and
other rishis! Listen lovingly. With great affection, I will now tell you
everything about the determination regarding flowers and leaves. Vidhatri was
formerly asked this by maharshi Narada. With great love, he told him about the
determination regarding flowers and leaves.""
"Brahma said, 'A person who
desires prosperity should worship the divinity Shiva with lotuses, bilva
leaves, shatapatras and shankha flowers.639 O brahmana! If a person
worships Shiva with one hundred thousand such flowers, his sins are destroyed
and there is no doubt that he obtains prosperity. Twenty lotuses are said to
amount to one prastha. One thousand bilva leaves are said to constitute half a
prastha.
__________________
636 Waving of lamps before an image.
637 The text repeats the same statement
twice, the second time as a quote.
638 Shiva's name, the one with the bull on
his banner.
639 A shankha flower is Clitoria ternatea,
the blue pea.
One thousand shatapatras are said
to constitute half a prastha. There are sixteen palas in a prastha and ten
tankas are said to constitute one pala. 640 If these measures are
weighed out on a pair of scales, every desire is accomplished. If a person has
no desires, he becomes like Shiva. O lords among sages! A person who desires a
kingdom must worship the divinity Shankara with ten crore Parthiva lingams.
Flowers and unbroken paddy must be offered to Shiva's lingam. Sandalwood paste
must be used, and water poured over the lingam. An appropriate mantra must be
used and bilva leaves are excellent for the purpose. Shatapatras, lotuses and
shankha flowers can also be used. It has formerly been said that these are
special. Such worship is divine and always yields everything that is desired,
in this world and in the next world. Incense, lamps, naivedya and arghya must
be offered and arati done. After pradakshina and namaskara, one must seek
forgiveness and do visarjana.
Having done all these complements,
people must be fed. If a person does this, Shankara bestows a kingdom on him. A
man desiring importance must worship half the number. 641 A person
desiring freedom from imprisonment must worship one hundred thousand. A person
suffering from disease must worship half that number of Shiva lingams. 642
A person desiring a maiden must worship half that number of Shiva lingams,643
A person desiring learning must worship half that number of Shiva lingams, 644
A person desiring eloquence in speech must worship Shiva with ghee. To uproot
enemies, the same kind of worship is prescribed. To kill enemies, one hundred
thousand lingams must be worshipped. To confound enemies, half that number is
required. To conquer vassals, one crore pujas is praised. To subdue kings, ten
thousand is prescribed. For fame and mounts, a number of one thousand is
prescribed. A person desiring emancipation must devotedly worship Shambhu five
crore times. A person desiring jnana must worship Shankara, who brings benefit
to the worlds, one crore times. A person desiring to see Shiva must worship
half that number. Alternatively, if a person wishes his desires to bear fruit,
he can do japa with Mahamritunjaya mantra. After five hundred thousand such
japas, Shiva shows himself. After one hundred thousand such japas, if he does a
second one hundred thousand, he obtains the birth that he wishes for. If he
does a third one hundred thousand, his desires are satisfied. If he does a
fourth one hundred thousand, he sees Shiva. If he does a fifth one hundred
thousand, there is no doubt that he obtains the fruits. When this mantra is
used, the fruits obtained are one million times more.'""
""A person desiring
emancipation must worship with darbha grass. O supreme among rishis! It should
be known that the number to be worshipped is always one hundred thousand. A
person desiring a long lifespan must worship with durva grass. A person desiring
sons must worship with dhattura flowers. It is said that worship with dhattura
that has red stems yields what is auspicious. A worshipper who uses agastya
flowers645 obtains great fame. A person who worships with tulasi
obtains objects of pleasure and emancipation as fruits.
____________________________
640 Pala and tanka are measures of weight.
641 That is, five crore lingams.
642 That is, 50,000.
643 That is, 25,000.
644 That is, 12,500.
645 Sesbania grandiflora, often known as
agathi, In Sanskrit, it is also known as vangasena.
Influence is obtained through arka
flowers and kubjakalhara flowers. 646 It is said that worshipping
with japa flowers 647 brings death to enemies. Karavira drives away
suffering from ailments. There is no doubt that ornaments are obtained through
bandhuka flowers,648 while mounts are obtained through jati flowers.
Vishnu loves a person who worships with atasi flowers. 649 A man who
worships with shami leaves obtains emancipation. If mallika flowers are used, Shiva
gives him an auspicious woman. With yuthika flowers, 650 he will
never lack crops or a house. With karnikara flowers, 651 he will
obtain an abundance of garments. With nirgundi flowers, 652 the
minds of people become pure. With one hundred thousand bilva leaves, all
desires are satisfied. When garlands of beautiful flowers are used, prosperity
and happiness are enhanced. There is no doubt that seasonal flowers bestow
emancipation. Rajika flowers 653 bring about death to enemies. If
one hundred thousand such flowers are offered to Shiva, great fruits are
obtained. There is no flower that is not loved by Shiva. With the exception of
champaka and ketaka, 654 everything can be offered. O excellent one!
After this, listen lovingly to the measurements of grain that must be used to
worship Shankara, and the fruits obtained. When men use heaps of rice,
prosperity results. O brahmana! With great devotion, unbroken grain must be
offered to Shiva. There are one hundred thousand grains in six and a half
prasthas, or two palas. These must be used for worship. After first worshipping
Rudra, a beautiful piece of cloth will be placed over Shiva's lingam and the
excellent rice will be placed on this cloth. With fragrant flowers, a single
shriphala655 must be placed on top of this. When incense is added,
the fruits of worship are obtained. After performing two Prajapatya ceremonies,
a certain number of silver coins must be offered as dakshina. If this is not
possible, dakshina must be given according to capacity. Twelve brahmanas must
be fed thereafter. One hundred thousand such pujas must be performed, along
with mantras and all the accompaniments. It is said that the rule is to chant
the mantra one hundred and eight times. The offering of one hundred thousand
palas of sesamum destroys great sins. There are one hundred thousand such seeds
in eleven palas. Desiring welfare, the worship must be conducted as described
earlier. It is the task of men to feed brahmanas on the occasion. There is no
doubt that miseries and great sins on account are instantly destroyed as a
result. Worship of Shiva with one hundred thousand grains of barley is supreme.
Eight and a half prasthas amount to one hundred thousand. The old measurement
is two palas. Worship with barley by sages enhances happiness in heaven.
Brahmanas who desire fruits must undertake the Prajapatya rite. Shankara's puja
with wheat is praised. If one does this with one hundred thousand grains,
offspring increase.
___________________
646 Arka is the sun plant. There is no flower
immediately identifiable as kubjakalhara. Kubja is another name for apamarga,
mentioned earlier. Kalhara is the white water lily. Perhaps kubjakalhara is
meant to be taken as two separate words.
647 China rose, hibiscus.
648 A shrub (Pentapetes phoenicia) with
red flowers, also known as bandhujiva.
649 The flower of flax, Linum
usitatissimum.
650 Kind of jasmine.
651 Pterospermum acerifolium, often known
as bayur.
652 Vitex negundo or Chinese chaste tree.
653 Brassica juncea, the mustard plant.
654 Alternatively, ketaki, screw pine.
655 Bilva fruit.
The earlier determination is that
there are one hundred thousand grains in half a drona. If the divinity Shiva is
worshipped with mudga, he bestows
happiness. Seven and a half
prasthas amount to one hundred thousand grains, the ancient measure being of
two palas. Eleven brahmanas must also be fed. The paramatman is the one who
supervises dharma. If the divinity is worshipped with priyangu, 656
dharma, artha and kama increase. A person who does such puja is always happy.
The ancient measure is stated as one hundred thousand grains in one prastha. It
is said that twelve brahmanas must be fed. It is said that worshipping Shambhu
with rajika brings about the death of enemies. There are one hundred thousand
sarshapa seeds657 in twenty palas. It is said that worshipping the
divinity in this way brings about the death of enemies. It is wonderful to
worship Shiva with the adhaki pulse. 658 Along with this, a cow and
a bull must also be given. It is said that worshipping with pepper leads to the
destruction of enemies. Shiva must be adorned with adhaki pulse and worshipped.
This kind of worship brings many kinds of happiness and all the fruits. O
supreme among sages! I have thus spoken about the measurement for grain. O lord
among sages! Now lovingly hear about one hundred thousand flowers. There are
one hundred thousand shankha flowers in one prastha. Vyasa, who knew about
subtle measurements, instructed this. It is said that there are one hundred
thousand jati or yuthika flowers in eleven prasthas. There are one hundred
thousand rajika flowers in five and a half prasthas. There are one hundred
thousand excellent mallika flowers in twenty prasthas. One hundred thousand
sesamum flowers amount to less than one prastha. There are said to be one
hundred thousand karavira flowers in two prasthas. The learned say that the
measurement of nirgundi flowers is also that. The measurement of karnikara and
shirisha659 flowers is also that. There are one hundred thousand
bandhuka flowers in ten prasthas. These are seen to be the different measures
in which Shiva is worshipped by those who wish for every kind of desire to be
met, prosperity and emancipation.'""
""I will next speak about
the great fruits of dhara puja, 560 There is benefit to men even if
they hear about this. Full of devotion, one should follow the norms and do
Shiva's puja. After this, full of devotion, one must pour water over the
lingam. A dhara of water brings auspiciousness and pacifies delirium and fever.
This must be done with Shatarudriya mantra, ekadasha Rudra mantra,661
performing japa on Rudra, Purusha sukta,662 shadanga mantra,
663 Mahamrityunjaya mantra or gayatri mantra. This must begin with
Pranava, use his name and end with "namah". As water is poured down,
the mantra must be chanted. Such excellent dhara puja increases offspring and
happiness. One must lovingly wear bhasma and add divine and auspicious objects
to the water.
_______________
656 Long pepper.
657 Mustard seeds.
658 Arhar dal.
659 Acacia sirissa.
660 When water or milk is poured over the
lingam.
661 A set of eleven mantras, one for each
of the Rudras.
662 Purusha sukta, also found in Shukla Yajur Veda and
Atharva Veda, is hymn 10.90 of Rig Veda.
663 To the six (shada) aspects (anga) of
Shiva consciousness, bliss, will, knowledge, action and eternal nature.
If a person pours a dhara of ghee
while one thousand mantras are chanted, there is no doubt that his lineage is
extended. In this way, using the mantras mentioned by me, Shiva's worship must
be undertaken. Lords among sages have said that brahmanas must be fed and the
Prajapatya rite observed. In particular, one must always use a dhara of milk.
Sugar will be added only when there is dumbness in intelligence. If a dhara is
used as long as ten thousand mantras are chanted, the worshipper develops
excellent intellect, similar to that of Brihaspati. If dhara puja is done, all
miseries are destroyed when magic is used against the person, when there is
pain in the body without any reason, when any kind of sorrow increases on
account of love and when there are incessant quarrels in one's own house. To
chastise enemies, a dhara of oil must be poured over Shiva's lingam. If one
does this extremely carefully, there is no doubt that one is successful.
Fragrant oil increases objects of pleasure. Mustard oil certainly destroys
enemies. By worshipping Shiva with money, one becomes king of the yakshas. A
dhara of sugarcane juice poured over Shiva brings every kind of happiness. A
dhara of Ganga water bestows the fruit of objects of pleasure and emancipation.
For all of these, it is said that Mahamrityunjaya mantra must be chanted. The
rule is to do this ten thousand times. Eleven brahmanas must be fed. O lord of
sages! I have thus told you everything you asked me about. This brings success
in the world and ensures benefit and the fulfilment of every kind of desire. I
will now tell you about the rule for worshipping Shiva along with Skanda and
Uma and about the fruits that are obtained if one does this devotedly. This is
what I have heard. Such a person enjoys every kind of happiness and obtains
auspicious sons and grandsons. He goes to Mahesha's world, which bestows every
kind of happiness. He will be astride a vimana that is as resplendent as one
crore suns, one that can go wherever it wills. He will be surrounded by Rudra's
women, with songs and musical instruments. Until the deluge arrives, he will
sport with Shiva's bhutas. After this, he will obtain undecaying vijnana and
emancipation."""
“Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
immensely fortunate one! O Vidhatri! O supreme among gods! You are blessed. You
have now made me hear about Shiva's wonderful account, which is supremely
purifying. I have heard about the auspicious, wonderful and immensely divine
account about the origin of the lingam. Hearing about his powers destroys
unhappiness. Please tell me what happened next, about his greatness of conduct.
In particular, please tell me about the nature of creation."""
"Brahma replied, ' You have
asked me a relevant question. I will briefly tell you about what happened next,
as I heard it formerly. In the form of Shiva, the eternal divinity vanished. O
Indra among brahmanas! Vishnu and I were filled with great happiness. I was in
the form of a swan and Vishnu was in the form of a boar. With the desire that
the worlds should be created, we withdrew from the spot.'""
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
Brahma! O immensely wise one! There is a great doubt in my heart. You are
unmatched in your compassion. Please dispel it immediately. Why did the two of
you assume the forms of a swan and a boar? Why did you ignore other forms?
Please tell me the reason for this."""
'Suta said, "Hearing the words
of the great-souled Narada, Brahma remembered Shiva's lotus feet and replied
affectionately.""
"Brahma replied, 'A swan can
constantly go upwards. That apart, like separating milk from water, it has the
discrimination to distinguish truth from untruth. A swan possesses the
discrimination to distinguish jnana from lack of jnana. That is the reason
Brahma, the creator, assumed the form of a swan. O Narada! But despite assuming
the form of a swan, I lost my sense of discrimination. Therefore, in that form
of light, I could not discern Shiva's own form. How can jnana be generated in a
person who wishes to embark on the task of creation? Therefore, despite
assuming the form of a swan, I did not obtain a sense of discrimination. A boar
can go constantly downwards. That is the reason Vishnu, who roams around in the
forest, assumed the form of a boar. Alternatively, he thought of this form
because he visualized the creation of a new kalpa. Vishnu became a boar because
he wanted to turn the world into a forest. Since the day Hari assumed the form
of a boar, the kalpa known as Varaha kalpa started. It is because of his 664
wishes that we assumed those two forms then. Since that day, the new kalpa
known as Varaha kalpa commenced. O Narada! I have given you the answer to your
question. Now listen. O sage! Remembering Shiva's lotus feet, I will describe
the process of creation. Mahadeva vanished. Intent on carrying out his
instructions, I, the grandfather of the worlds, engaged in dhyana. Prostrating
myself before Shambhu, I acquired jnana from Hari. Filled with great bliss, I
made up my mind to create. Vishnu also prostrated himself before Sadashiva. O
son! Having instructed me, he vanished from the spot. Having obtained Shambhu's
favours, Vishnu went outside the cosmic egg. He went to the city of Vaikuntha
and started to reside there."""
""Desiring to create, I
remembered Shiva and Vishnu. The water had already been created and I used that
to offer oblations of water. Thereafter, twenty-four tattvas arose from the
egg. O brahmana! The form of water could no longer be seen, and the form of
Virat arose. I became full of doubts and tormented myself through extremely
terrible austerities. For twelve years I engaged in dhyana on Vishnu. O son! At
that time, Hari manifested himself. Full of great affection, he cheerfully
touched my body and spoke to me. Vishnu said, "I am pleased with you.
Please ask for a boon. There is nothing that cannot be given to you. O Brahma!
Because of Shambhu's favours, I am capable of bestowing anything." Brahma
said, 665 "O immensely fortunate one! This is appropriate.
Shambhu has given me to you. O Vishnu! I prostrate myself before you.
Therefore, it is appropriate that you should now give me what I ask for. This
cosmic egg is in the form of Virat and possesses twenty-four tattvas. But it
has no consciousness and is seen to be insentient. O Hari! Through Shiva's
favours, you have now manifested yourself before me. This egg has originated
from Shankara. Please impart consciousness in it." The great Vishnu, who
followed Shiva's instructions, was addressed in this way. Assuming his form of
Ananta, he entered the egg. That Purusha possessed one thousand heads, one
thousand eyes and one thousand feet. He touched the ground in every direction
and pervaded the egg. When Vishnu entered the egg, I eulogized him properly.
The egg, with the twenty-four tattvas, became sentient. Hari, the lord of the
seven worlds, beginning with Patala, 666 was radiant. The Lord was
himself Virat Purusha. For his own residence, the Lord with five faces created the
beautiful city of Kailasa,
_________________
664 Shiva's.
665 Brahma reporting what he told Vishnu.
666 The
seven nether regions.
where he is radiant with all his
companions. O devarshi! When the cosmic egg is destroyed, Vaikuntha and Kailasa
are never destroyed. O supreme among sages! I reside in Satyaloka. O son!
Because of Mahadeva's command, I am engaged in the task of creation. As I
desired to create, the evil creation manifested itself before me. O son! This
was ignorance. It was tamas, cloaked as intellect. After this, with a pleasant
mind, I created immobile objects. This was the primary creation. But because of
Shambhu's command, I continued to meditate. I wanted to create those who were
sadhakas in their atmans. But the creation that resulted was full of misery and
was downward in flow. I saw that this did not consist of sadhakas. 667
Therefore, instructed to create sadhakas, I thought again. The sattvika sarga,
or urddhvasrota, quickly resulted. This is known as the creation of devas and is
extremely pleasant. But I thought that this too was not of sadhakas. Therefore,
I again meditated on the lord within my atman. Through Shankara's command, the
creation known as rajas sarga resulted. This is known as arvaksrota, the
creation of humans, and has supreme sadhakas. After this, because of Mahadeva's
command, bhuta sarga resulted. I thus engaged in five kinds of creation. After
this, Brahma is said to have brought about three prakrita creations. The first
is creation of Mahat, while the second is the creation of subtle elements. The
third is known as vaikarika. These are the three creations resulting from
Prakriti. Taking vaikrita and prakrita together, there are eight kinds of
creation. Koumara is spoken of as the ninth and it is both vaikrita and
prakrita. I am incapable of explaining the differences between these. I must
finally speak of the dvija sarga, which has served little purpose. In this
Koumara sarga, this great creation of Sanaka and the others took place. Sanaka
and the others were sons born through my mental powers and they are as revered
as the brahman. There were five of these and they were full of supreme
non-attachment. 668 Despite my instructions, those learned ones
turned away from samsara. Their minds were fixed on dhyana about Shiva. Their
minds did not turn towards creation. O supreme among sages! Indeed, they
answered back. O Narada! On hearing this, I was overcome by delusion and filled
with rage.'""
"""O sage! When I
was enraged and deluded, my mind was distracted. Because of the anger, drops of
tears fell down from my eyes. At that time, when I thought of him in my mind,
Vishnu quickly arrived there and enlightened me. Hari instructed me, "For
Shiva's sake, perform austerities," O supreme among sages! I engaged
myself in great and fierce austerities. While | was engaged in austerities for
the sake of creation, from the spot between my eyebrows and nose that is known
as avimukta669 Mahesha, who has three forms and is an ocean of
compassion, manifested himself. The lord of all portions assumed all his
portions and emerged as ardhanarishvara. 670 Shankara, the one
without birth, Uma's consort, himself emerged as a mass of energy. He is
omniscient, the creator of everything and is known as Nilalohita. On seeing
him, I prostrated myself. devotion, I praised him. I said, "O Delighted
and full of great divinity! O lord of all devas! Please create different kinds
of subjects."
_____________________
667 There are different layers of
creation, described differently in different texts. As described here, the
first one is mukhya sarga (primary creation), that of immobile objects; the
second is tiryaksrota (flowing downwards), that of inferior animals; the third
is urddhvasrota (flowing upwards), the creation of devas; the fourth is
arvaksrota (that which flowed subsequently) and is creation of humans; the
fifth is bhuta sarga, the creation of elements. These five are known as
vaikrita creations. The three prakrita creations are Mahat, subtle elements and
vikaras (transformations).
668 Usually four names are given, Sanaka,
Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. The fifth is Sujata.
669 The spot between the bhru (eyebrows)
and ghrana (nose) is known as avimukta.
670 Half man and half woman.
Hearing my words, Maheshvara, lord
of devas, created many ganas of Rudras who were just like his own self. I again
told Isha Maheshvara Maharudra, "O divinity! Please create subjects who
suffer fear on account of birth and death." Hearing my words, Mahadeva,
the lord of compassion, laughed at my words. O supreme among sages! He laughed
and spoke to me. Mahadeva said, "O Vidhatri! I will not create subjects
who suffer fear on account of birth and death. They are submerged in an ocean
of miseries because they are under the subjugation of their own inauspicious
karma. I save subjects who are submerged in an ocean of grief. In my form as a
guru, I impart proper jnana to them. O Prajapati! Therefore, you create all the
subjects who will be overwhelmed by grief. Since you are doing this after being
commanded by me, you will not be bound by maya." Telling me this, the
prosperous Bhagavan Nilalohita Hara swiftly vanished along with his ganas, as I
watched."""
“Brahma said, 'O Narada! I divided
the five elements 671 Dand sound and the others and created the five
gross elements of space, wind, fire, earth and water. I also created mountains,
oceans, trees and other things, kali and the other yugas and other measurements
of time. O sage! Thereafter, I created other things, but was not satisfied. O
sage! Therefore, I meditated on Samba Shiva and created sadhakas. Marichi was
created from my eyes, Bhrigu from my heart, Angiras from my head, Pulaha, the
supreme sage, from vyana, Pulastya from udana, Vasishtha from samana, Kratu
from apana, Atri from the ears and Daksha from prana. 672 I then
created you from my lap and the sage Kardama from my shadow. I created Dharma,
the means for accomplishing everything, from my resolution. O tiger among
sages! Having created these sadhakas, I decided I was successful. All these
were created through Mahadeva's favours. O son! Following my command, Dharma,
born out of my resolution, assumed the form of Manu and engaged the sadhakas in
their activities. After this, from different parts of my body, I created
innumerable sons. O sages! I gave suras, asuras and others their own
forms.'""
""Shankara was inside me.
O sage! Urged by him, I split my body into two parts and assumed two forms. O
sage! One half was a woman, and the other half was a man. Within her, he673
created a couple, the best means of accomplishing every objective. The
man was Svayambhuva Manu, the best instrument. The woman was known as
Shatarupa, a yogini and an ascetic. O son! Following the rites of marriage,
Manu accepted the auspicious lady and they created subjects through
intercourse. Through her, he obtained two sons-Priyavrata and Uttanapada. He
also had three daughters, known as Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti. He bestowed
Akuti on Ruchi and the one in the middle674 on Kardama. He bestowed
the youngest daughter, Uttanapada's sister Prasuti, on Daksha. Prasuti gave
birth to those who spread over everything, mobile and immobile. Akuti and Ruchi
had twins, Yajna and Dakshina Through Dakshina, Yajna had twelve sons. O sage!
Through Devahuti, Kardama had many sons. Through Prasuti, Daksha had
twenty-four daughters.
____________________
671 These were the subtle elements.
672 Prana is the breath of life or the
life force. Prana draws breath into the body, apana exhales it. Vyana
distributes it through the body and samana assimilates it. Udana gives rise to
sound.
673 Shiva.
674 Devahuti.
He bestowed thirteen of these,
Shraddha and others, on Dharma. O lord among sages! Listen to the names of
Dharma's wives-Shraddha, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Tushti, Pushti, Medha, Kriya, Vasu,
Buddhi, Lajja, Shanti, Siddhi and Kirti. 675 These are the thirteen.
The eleven younger and virtuous daughters, with excellent eyes, Khyati, Sati,
Sambhuti, Smriti, Priti, Kshama, Sannati, Anurupa, Urja, Svaha and Svadha, were
respectively married to Bhrigu, Bhava, Marichi, the sage Angiras, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu, supreme among rishis, Atri, Vasishtha, Vahni676 and
the ancestors. Bhrigu and the other supreme sadhakas accepted these daughters,
Khyati and the others. Thus, the three worlds, with mobile and immobile
objects, were filled everywhere. In this way, following the commands of
Ambika's lord and depending on their karma, many beings were born. There were many
bulls among brahmanas too. In a different kalpa, Daksha is said to have had
sixty daughters. O Narada! Following the norms, Daksha bestowed ten of these on
Dharma, twenty-seven on the moon, thirteen on Kashyapa, four on the supremely
beautiful Tarkshya and two each on Bhrigu, Angiras and Krishashva. They had
many offspring, who spread over everything mobile and immobile. O supreme among
sages! Following the norms, Daksha bestowed ten daughters on the great-souled
Kashyapa. Their offspring spread over the three worlds, mobile and immobile.
There was no space, mobile or immobile, that was empty. Beginning with the
nether regions of Patala and all the way up to Satyaloka, the offspring born
from Daksha's daughters, devas, rishis, daityas, trees, birds, mountains and
herbs covered everything mobile and immobile. Everything in the cosmic egg was
covered. Nothing was empty. In this way, following Shambhu's command, Brahma
completed the creation in the proper way."
""Rudra always protected
Sati at the tip of his trident. Earlier, Shambhu, who pervades everything,
created her for the sake of his austerities. Thereafter, for the task of the
worlds, she was born through Daksha. To save his devotees, he engages in many
pastimes. Shiva is said to have divided himself into three-Vaikuntha from the
left flank, I from the right flank and Rudra from the heart. Vishnu, Rudra and
I are said to represent the three gunas. Shiva is the supreme and undecaying
brahman. He is himself always without gunas. Vishnu is said to represent
sattva, I rajas and Rudra tamas. But this is only the way the world perceives
our activities. The reality is different. Vishnu represents sattva on the
outside but has tamas inside. Rudra represents tamas outside but has sattva
inside. O sage! I represent rajas everywhere, inside and outside. The divine
goddess677 is rajas in nature. Sati's form is sattva, while Lakshmi
is full of tamas. These are known to be the three supreme forms of Shivaa. In
this way, Shivaa became Sati and married Shankara. At her father's sacrifice,
she gave up her own body. She did not accept it again but returned to her own
abode. As a result of the prayers of devas, Shivaa was born again as Parvati,
Having performed extremely extensive austerities, she got Shiva back again. O lord
among sages! She is known by many names-Kalika, Chandika, Bhadra, Chamunda,
Vijaya, Jaya, Jayanti, Bhadrakali, Durga, Bhagavati, Kamakhya, Kamada, Amba,
Mridani and Sarvamangala. All of these names bestow objects of pleasure and
emancipation. They vary according to qualities, acts and forms. She is
generally known as Parvati. Devi and Deva possess all the gunas and divide
themselves into the three gunas. Together, they engage in many wonderful acts
of creation. O supreme among sages! I have thus described to you the process of
creation.
____________________
675 These are personified forms of
attributes. For example, Shraddha is faith.
676 Agni.
677 That is, Sarasvati.
Following Shiva's command, I
created the entire cosmic egg. Shiva is the supreme brahman. We three
divinities are said to be his forms. Vishnu, Rudra and I differ in forms
because of qualities. The paramatman is both saguna and nirguna. He rules
himself and amuses himself with Shivaa in the beautiful region of Shivaloka.
Rudra is his complete avatara and is said to be Shiva himself. The one with
five faces resides in his beautiful abode of Kailasa. When the cosmic egg is
destroyed, he is not destroyed.'""
“Suta said, "O lords among sages!
Hearing Brahma's words, Narada bent down humbly and again questioned
him.""
"Narada asked, 'When did
Shankara, who is affectionate towards his devotees, go to Kailasa? How did he
develop a friendship with the great-souled Kubera? What does Hara, completely
auspicious in form, do there? Please tell me all this. I am filled with great
curiosity.""”
"Brahma replied, 'O Narada!
Listen. I will tell you about the conduct of the one with the moon on his
crest, how he went to Kailasa and how he developed a friendship with Dhanada.
678 In the city of Kampilya, 679 there was a person named
Yajnadatta, born in a lineage that performed soma sacrifices. He was Dikshita 680
and was accomplished in the knowledge of performing sacrifices. He was wise and
knew the Vedas and Vedanta. He was accomplished in Vedanta and other things. He
was revered by the king and was generous in many ways. He was famous. He was
engaged in tending to the sacrificial fire and studying the Vedas. He had a son
named Gunanidhi, who was handsome and beautiful in his limbs. His form was like
the lunar disc. He initiated this son. After upanayana, he received a lot of
knowledge of the eight kinds.681 However, his father did not know
that he engaged in gambling. He took a lot of wealth from his mother and handed
this over to other gamblers. He was friendly with them. He gave up the conduct
of brahmanas. He turned away from bathing at the time of the sandhyas. He
criticized Vedas and the sacred texts. He criticized devas and brahmanas. He
ignored the conduct indicated in the smriti texts and indulged in singing and
the playing of musical instruments. He was bound in love towards actors,
heretics and mimics. Though his mother sent him to his father, he didn't go. He682
was Dikshita and so was she. While she was engaged in her household
tasks, he would occasionally ask her about Gunanidhi, his son. "O
fortunate one! I don't see him at home. What is he doing?" On every such
occasion, she would tell him, "He has just gone out. He has been engaged
in bathing and worshipping devas. For the sake of studying, he has gone out
with two or three friends."
_______________________
678 Lord of riches, Kubera.
679 Described as the capital of Panchala,
specifically, South Panchala. Identified with Kampil, in Farrukhabad district
of Uttar Pradesh.
680 Meaning initiated.
681 The Vedas, metaphysics, governance,
professional knowledge, Itihasa, rituals, logic and dharma. This is the usual
list given of the eight.
682 Yajnadatta.
Though she had been initiated,
since he possessed only one son, she deceived in this way. Her Dikshita husband
did not know anything about this act of hers. Till the age of sixteen years, he
had all the samskaras, ending with keshanta, done. In this way, Yajnadatta
initiated his son. Following the rules of the grihya sutras, 683 he
got his son married. O Narada! Every morning, the mother would wake up her son,
Gunanidhi. Her heart full of affection, she would make him sit down and gently
chastise him. "O son! Your father is great-souled, but he is prone to
swift rage. If he gets to know of your conduct, he will chastise me and you.
Every day, I hide your wicked deeds from your father. O son! Because of his
good and virtuous conduct, he is revered by people. O son! Good conduct and
association with virtuous people is wealth for brahmanas. How is it that your
mind is not happily drawn towards such good behaviour? Your forefathers were
learned, initiated into the performance of soma sacrifices. Therefore, they were
revered in this world.
Give up the association with wicked
people and associate with those who are virtuous. Fix your mind on virtuous
learning and follow the conduct worthy of brahmanas. In beauty, fame, noble
lineage and good behaviour, be like your father. Therefore, why don't you give
up this wicked conduct that you love? You are nineteen years old now and she684
is sixteen years old. Accept her and protect her properly. Be devoted towards
your father. Your father-in-law possesses qualities and good conduct. He must
always be respected by you. O son! Therefore, why don't you give up this wicked
conduct? O son! Your maternal uncles are also unmatched in learning, good
conduct and lineage. You are not scared of them either. Both of your lineages 685
are pure. Look around our house at the other brahmana boys. Inside the house,
look at your father's shishyas. They are humble. O son! If the king hears about
your wicked conduct, he will cease to respect your father and may even take
away his means of subsistence. So far, people thought that all your acts were
those of a child. But hereafter, they will stop speaking of you as having been
initiated. All of them will abuse your father and me. They will utter wicked
words, saying that the son has taken after his mother's conduct. Your father is
not a sinner. He follows the path of the shruti and smriti texts. Maheshvara is
my witness that my mind has always been fixed on his feet. Since bathing after
my season,686 I did not see the face of any wicked person. But
destiny is powerful. That is the reason I have given birth to you." Every
instant, the mother tried to instruct the evil-minded one. However, he did not
give up adharma. A person addicted to vices cannot be made to understand
easily. Hunting, liquor, slander, falsehood, theft, gambling and prostitutes
are vices that have shattered many men. Extremely evil-minded, he grabbed
anything he could see inside the house, garments, pots and other things and
took them away for purposes of gambling."""
""On one occasion, he
stole a valuable ring, set with stones, belonging to his father. He handed it
over to a gambler. By chance, the Dikshita saw it on the hand of a gambler. The
Dikshita asked, "Where did you get this ring?" When asked once, the
gambler didn't answer. When asked again, he replied, "O brahmana! Why are
you accusing me of having indulged in theft? I got this ring from your son, who
gave it to me.
____________________
683 Texts that set out rules and rituals
for householders.
684 Gunanidhi's wife,
685 Paternal and maternal.
686 Before conceiving Gunanidhi.
Earlier, I won from him his
mother's garment. He has not only given me this ring. There are many other
objects he has given other gamblers. He has given gems, pots, garments,
cosmetic articles and colourful vessels made out of bronze and copper, Every
day, gamblers strip him naked and bind him. There is no gambler on earth who is
as unskilled as he is. Your son is foremost among gamblers. O brahmana! How is
it that you did not know about this till today? He is accomplished in unfair
means and deception." When he heard this, he hung his head down under the
burden of shame. He covered his head with his garment and entered his own
house. Dikshita Yajnadatta was addicted to the rites mentioned in the shruti
texts. He spoke to his wife, who was extremely devoted to her husband.
Yajnadatta said, "O one who has been initiated! Where is that cunning son,
Gunanidhi? Let it be. What do I have to do with him? Where is my auspicious
ring? When you applied unguents on my body, you took that ring off. Please
bring that bejewelled ring quickly and give it to me." Hearing these
words, the lady who had been initiated was scared. She was engaged in rites
connected with the midday bath and replied, "I am anxiously engaged in
collecting articles required for worshipping devas. O one who loves guests! The
time for attending to guests is passing. I am eager to finish cooking the food
now. While engaged in placing it in vessels, I have forgotten where I have kept
it." Dikshita replied, "You have always spoken the truth, but you are
a mother who has given birth to a false son. Whenever I asked you where the son
has gone, you told me that he had just gone out. You had told me that he had
gone out with two or three friends for the sake of studying. O wife! Where is
the red piece of cloth I gave you? After getting it, you always kept it in the
house. Give up your fear and please tell me the truth. Now, I do not see the
bejewelled vase I gave you. Where is the tripod covered with a threaded piece
of cloth? 1 gave that to you too. Where is the bronze pot from the south? Where
is the copper one from Gouda? Where is the ivory hangar from which curios used
to hang? Where is the statue from the mountainous regions? It was wonderful and
was as radiant as the moon. It was ornamented with the image of a lady holding
a lamp. What is the need to speak a lot? You have been born in a noble lineage.
Being angry with you is futile. I will eat only after I have married again.
Since the wicked one has defiled the lineage, I am without offspring now. Get
up and bring me some water. I will offer him oblations of water mixed with
sesamum. 687 It is better for men not to have sons than to have
wicked sons who are the worst of the lineage. For the sake of the lineage, I
will forsake him now. This is eternal good policy." Following the daily
rituals, Dikshita bathed. On that very day, he accepted the hand of the
daughter of a learned brahmana.""
"Brahma said, 'Hearing what
had happened, Dikshita's Bra son reprimanded himself for what he had done
earlier. Considering all this, he left for some other place. A long period of
time passed after the departure of Yajnadatta's son. Having been abandoned, the
wicked Gunanidhi lost all sense of enterprise. He thought a great deal.
"Where will I go? What will I do? I am not learned. Nor do I possess a
great deal of riches. In a different country, only a wealthy person can find
happiness, though a wealthy person will be scared of thieves. There are
impediments in every direction. I was born in a lineage of those who officiated
at sacrifices. How will I face this great hardship? Alas! Destiny is powerful
and binds us to karma.
_____________________
687 Behaving
as if Gunanidhi was dead.
Since there is no one I know. I
cannot even beg. Nor do I possess any riches. Who will provide me refuge?
Before the sun rose, my mother always used to feed me sweet food. Who will I
ask now? My mother isn't here either." O Narada! In this way, he thought a
lot. Extremely miserable, he sat down under a tree and the sun
set.'""
"There was a man who was
Maheshvara's devotee. At this time, he emerged out of the city, carrying
offerings with him. He had fasted on Shiva Ratri. To worship Ishana, he carried
many kinds of divine objects and was surrounded by his own relatives. With his
intelligence fixed on Shiva, the devotee entered Shiva's temple. With an
excellent mind, he worshipped Shankara in the appropriate way. The brahmana who
was Yajnadatta's son inhaled the fragrance of cooked food. He had been cast
away by his father and he was without his mother. He was hungry and arrived
there. "It is night. This cooked food has been brought for Shiva and I
will take it when Shiva's devotee's go to sleep. It is chance that all these
many and great offerings have been brought." Having assured himself in
this way and having found support, he sat down at the door to Shambhu's temple.
He witnessed the great puja devised by the devotees. Having completed the
singing and the dancing, the devotees slept. So as to steal the naivedya, he
entered Bhaga's chamber. In the dim light of the lamp, he looked at the cooked
food. So as to get better illumination, he tore half of his garment and placed
it on the lamp. Yajnadatta's son lovingly seized Shiva's naivedya. Suddenly
happy, he grabbed the many kinds of cooked food. Having seized the cooked food,
he quickly went outside. He struck a sleeping person with his foot, who woke up
in rage. "Who is this? Who is running away quickly? Seize him. Grab
him." Filled with great fear, that person screamed in this way. While he
was running away in fear, the guards of the city arrived. In a short while,
they bound him and killed him. O sage! Yajnadatta's son could not eat the naivedya,
which should not be eaten.'",
"However, he either possessed
the strength of accumulated good deeds, or Shiva showed him favours, Yama's
terrible servants arrived, with nooses and clubs in their hands. They wished to
bind him and take him to Samyamani.688 However, Shiva's attendants
also arrived, wearing garlands that had nets with bells. With tridents in their
hands, they arrived, to take him away astride a divine vimana. Shiva's ganas
said, "O Yama's servants! Release the brahmana. He is extremely devoted to
dharma. This brahmana does not deserve to be punished. All his accumulated sins
have been burnt down." Hearing the words spoken by Mahadeva's ganas, King
Yama's servants were extremely surprised. Full of fear, Yama's servants looked
towards Shambhu's ganas. Yama's servants prostrated themselves and said,
"O ganas! This brahmana is extremely wicked in conduct. He transgressed
his family's conduct. He turned away from his father's words. He deviated from
truth and purity. He did not bathe at the time of the sandhyas. He stayed away
from good karma and went so far as to transgress by taking away offerings made
to Shiva. You can directly see it yourself. He does not deserve to be touched
by the likes of you. He ate offerings made to Shiva. He violated offerings made
to Shiva. Even if a person touches someone who gives Shiva's offerings away to
others, that is a sin. Even if the breath of life is stuck in the throat, it is
better to look at or drink poison than to touch supreme offerings made to Shiva
or his possessions. You are the ones who determine dharma and there is no one
like you.
__________________
688 Yama's
city.
O ganas! Nevertheless, listen to
us. He does not possess the least bit of dharma." Hearing the words spoken
by Yama's servants, Shiva's servants remembered Shiva's lotus feet and replied
to those attendants. Shiva's servants said, "Shiva's dharma is subtle.
Those like you only notice gross objectives, What are objectives? Objectives
are those perceived by those with subtle vision. O servants! Listen carefully
to the karma that Yainadatta's son has done. The shadow of a lamp fell on top
of the lingam, and he countered this. In the night, he cut off a piece of his
own garment and made a wick for the lamp.O servants! There is yet another act
of supreme dharma that was done. In that connection, though inadvertently, he
heard Shiva's names being chanted. He saw devotees perform many different kinds
of puja. At that time, he was fasting, and his mind was also focused. Let him
go to Shiva's world with us. As Shiva's follower, he will enjoy great objects
of pleasure for some time. After that, with his sins cleansed, he will become
the king of Kalinga. This brahmana has certainly become supreme among those
Shiva loves. There is no need to say anything more. Return wherever you came
from. O Yama's messengers! With extremely pleasant minds, return to their own
abode." O lord among sages! Hearing these words, Yama's messengers
retreated and all of them left for Yama's world. O sage! The servants told
Death everything that Shambhu's messengers had said about dharma. Dharmaraja
said, "O servants! All of you listen attentively to my words. Placing my
instructions at the forefront, follow them lovingly. O servants! In the world,
you must always avoid those who wear Tripundraka and white ashes. They must
never be brought here. O servants! You must avoid all those who smear their
limbs with white ashes. They must never be brought here. You must avoid those
who are dressed like Shiva, whatever be the reason. They must never be brought
here. In the world, those who wear rudrakshas and those who wear matted hair
must all be avoided. They must never be brought. You must avoid those who
assume Shiva's garb in the course of their livelihoods. All these must never be
brought here. Even if people don Shiva's garb in insolence or in deceit, they
must all be avoided and must never be brought.” In this way, Yama commanded his
own servants. All of them were surprised and smiled silently. They
agreed.'",
""The
brahmana was freed from Yama's attendants, Pure in mind, along with the ganas,
he quickly went to Shiva's world. There, he enjoyed all the objects of pleasure
and served Shiva and Shivaa. After this, he was born as the son of Arindama,
the king of Kalinga. He was known as Dama and he was devoted to serving Shiva.
Even as a child, along with other children, he was devoted to Shiva. In due
course, when he became a youth and his father died, he obtained the kingdom.
Delighted, he spread Shiva's dharma everywhere. King Dama was indomitable and
knew of only one kind of dharma. The former brahmana donated lamps for each of
Shiva's temples. He summoned all the village headmen who resided in his kingdom
and told them to arrange for lamps in all of Shiva's temples. Otherwise, he
would truly punish them. "The shruti texts have said that Shiva is
satisfied through the donation of lamps. Therefore, without any reflection, you
must arrange for lamps to be lit in every Shiva temple that exists in your
villages. There is no doubt that if you violate my order, I will cut off your
head." As a result of this fear, lamps were lit in every Shiva temple.
Following this dharma alone for as long as he lived, King Dama accumulated a
great deal of dharma. In due course, he came under the subjugation of the
dharma of time. The desire to light many lamps remained ignited in his mind. He
became the lord of Alaka689 and only sought the wicks of lamps.
Thus, in the course of time, even the least bit done for Shiva bears fruits.
_____________________
689 Kubera's
capital.
Knowing this, those who seek great
happiness should serve Shiva's tasks. Dikshita's son always ignored every kind
of dharma. Through the intervention of destiny, he stole objects from Shiva's
temple. Because of his own selfish motives, he used a lamp to illuminate the
top of Hara's lingam. Consequently, he obtained the kingdom of Kalinga and was
always devoted to dharma, All this happened because he fasted and lit a lamp in
Shiva's temple. O lord among sages! Consider. He became a guardian of the
worlds. Despite following human dharma, that is the pleasure that he now
enjoys. I have thus described the conduct of Gunanidhi, Yajnadatta's son.
Listening to this gives Shiva satisfaction and bestows everything that is
desired. O son! All devas are in Shiva, and I will tell you exactly how he
became Shiva's friend. Listen attentively.'""
“Brahma said, 'Earlier, in Padma
kalpa, I, Brahma, "Brahm had a son through my mental powers. He was
Pulastya and Pulastya's son was Vishrava. Vishrava had a son named Vaishravana,
who enjoyed the city of Alaka, built by Vishvakarma. Formerly, he had engaged
in fierce austerities and had worshipped the three-eyed divinity. That kalpa
ended and the kalpa known as Megavahana started. Shrida,690
Yajnadatta's son, performed austerities that were impossible to tolerate. He
knew the power of devotion consequent to offering only lamps to Shambhu. With
this illumination in his mind, in those earlier times, he reached the city of
Kashika. Using that jewel of illumination in his mind, he chanted mantras to
the eleven Rudras. He was full of unmatched devotion. With deep love, he was
unwavering in his dhyana. Surrounded by the fire of his austerities, he obtained
union with Shiva, the great vessel. Desire, anger and other great impediments
were like insects that were burnt down and shunned. He controlled his breath of
life, which became pure. His vision became pure. He established Shiva's lingam
and full of virtuous sentiments,
worshipped it with flowers. Until
he was reduced to skin and bones, he continued to torment himself through
austerities. He tormented his body for a hundred thousand years. Pleased in his
mind, along with Vishalakshi, 691 the divinity Vishveshvara himself
looked at the lord of Alaka, who resembled an immobile pillar, with his mind
fixed on the lingam. He said, "O lord of Alaka! I will grant you a boon.
Ask for it." At this, the store of austerities opened his eyes and looked.
It was if one thousand suns had risen together. Indeed, the radiance was
greater than that of one thousand suns. He saw Uma's beloved Shrikantha 692
standing in front of him, with the moon on his crest. That energy overwhelmed
the energy of his eyes and he closed them. He addressed the divinity who is
lord of devas, the one who is beyond anything the mind can approach. "O
Lord! Please grant me the capacity to see your feet. O protector! That I have
been able to see you is itself a sufficient boon. O Isha! O Shashishekhara! 693
What will I do with any other boon? I prostrate myself before you."
Hearing these words, Uma's lord, lord of devas, granted him capacity to see and
touched him with the palm of his hand.Yajnadatta's son opened his eyes and
having opened the capacity, first looked at Uma.
________________________
690 That is, Gunanidhi.
691 The large-eyed one, Parvati.
692 Beautiful in throat, Shiva's name.
693 Shiva's
name, one with the moon on his crest.
"Who is this lady near
Shambhu? She is beautiful in all her limbs. Has she tormented herself through
austerities that are greater than mine? How wonderful is her beauty! How
wonderful is her love and good fortune! How wonderful is her great
prosperity!" O son! In this way, he said this several times. He looked at
her with an improper glance and repeatedly uttered these words. Because of
looking at the lady in this way, his left eye burst. At his, Devi spoke to the
divinity. " Who is this wicked ascetic? He is looking at me with an
improper glance and is asking me to surpass the strength of his austerities.
He is again looking at me, with an improper glance in his right eye. He is
jealous of my beauty, love, good fortune and prosperity." Hearing Devi's
words, her lord laughed. "O Uma! This is your son. There is nothing
improper in his glance. He is glancing at the power of your austerities and is
describing it." Addressing Devi in this way, Isha spoke to him again.
"O child! I am satisfied with your austerities. I will bestow a boon on
you. You will be the lord of nidhis and the lord of guhyakas. 694 O
one who is excellent in vows! You will be Rajaraja and the king of yakshas and
kinnaras. You will always be Dhanada and will be the lord of punyajanas. You
will always have a friendship with me, and I will reside near you. O friend! I
will increase your delight and live near Alaka. Come. Prostrate yourself at
your mother's feet." The great devotee, Yajnadatta's son, was greatly
delighted in his mind. Thus, the divinity Shiva bestowed a boon on him. He then
told Shivaa, "O Deveshi! 695 Please show him your favours. This
ascetic has been born from your limbs." Hearing Shambhu's words, with a
pleased mind, Parvati, the mother of the universe, spoke to Yajnadatta's son.
Devi said, "O child! May you always possess unblemished devotion towards
Bhava. Since your left eye burst out, you will be Ekapinga.696 The
boons the divinity bestowed on you will come to pass. O son! Since you were
jealous of my beauty, you will be named Kubera.697 Along with Devi,
the divinity Maheshvara thus bestowed boons on Dhanada. Vishveshvara then went
to his own abode. In this way, in ancient times, Dhanada acquired the
friendship of Shri Shambhu, who resided near Alaka, in Shankara's abode in
Kailasa.'"'"
“Brahma said, 'O My Narada! O sage!
O excellent “one! Through the strength of Kubera's austerities, hear about how
Shiva went to Kailasa, best among mountains. Having granted him the boon of
lordship over nidhis, he left for his own excellent abode. Vishvesha, 698
having granted the boon to Kubera, thought in his mind. "My own form has
been born from Aja699 and is capable of undertaking the complete
task of dissolution. I will adopt that form and go to Kailasa, abode of
guhyakas. Rudra has originated from my heart and is a complete portion of the
nishkala brahman. He is unblemished and no different from me and should be
served by Hari, Brahma and the others.
________________________
694 Gubyakas are semi-divine species, companions
of Kubera. So are kinnaras (kimpurushas). Nidhis are treasures and Kubera is
their lord. Kubera is also known as Dhanada, the lord of riches. Rajaraja is
Kubera's name. Punyajana means virtuous people. Saptajana is a synonym. These
were seven sages who were originally rakshasas.
695 Parvati's name.
696 Yellow in one eye.
697 One with a malformed body.
699 The same as Vishveshvara.
699 Brahma.
Therefore, in that form, I will
become Kubera's well-wisher and reside with him, indulging in my pastimes and
undertaking great austerities." Thinking this, following Shiva's wishes,
Rudra was eager to go. He sounded his drum and that let out an excellent nada.
Using that sound to help him, he summoned everyone in the three worlds, that
wonderful sound imparting speed to their arrival. Hearing this, Vishnu, Brahma
and other gods, sages, agama and nigama texts in embodied from and siddhas went
there. All the gods and asuras went there, along with all the festivals. All
the pramathas 700 went, wherever they might have been. There were
immensely fortunate leaders of the ganas, revered by all the worlds. I will
tell you about their number. Listen attentively. Ganeshvara Shankakarna went
there, with one crore ganas; Kekaraksha went with ten crores and Vikrita with
eight; Vishakha went with sixty-four crores and Pariyatraka with nine:
Sarvantaka went with six and the handsome Dundubhi with eight; Jalanka, bull
among ganas, went with twelve crores; Samada and the handsome Vikritanana went
with seven each; Kapali went with five and the auspicious Sandaraka with six;
Kanduka and Kundaka went with one crore each; Vishtambha and Chandratapana went
with eight each; Mahakesha, leader of ganas, was surrounded with one thousand
crores; Kundi, Vaha and the auspicious Parvataka had twelve each; Kala, Kalaka
and Mahakala had one hundred each; Agnika went with one hundred crores and
Abhimukha with a crore; Adityamurdha and Dhanavaha went with one crore each;
Sannaha and Kumuda with one hundred crores each; Amogha, Kokila and Sunmantraka
with one crore each; Kakapada with six crores and the lord Santanaka with six
crores; Mahabala, Madhupinga and Pingala with nine crores each; Nila, Devesha
and Purnabhadra with ninety crores each; and the immensely strong Chaturvakra
with seven crores. Surrounded by crores, thousands of crores, hundreds and
twenties, Sarvesha701 went there, preparing to go to Kailasa.
Kashthaguda, Sukesha and Vrishabha went with sixty-four crores each, while
Chaitra, Nakulisha and Svayamprabhu went with seven crores each. Lokantaka,
Diptatma, the lord Daityantaka, the divine Bhringi, Riti, the handsome
Devadevapriya, Ashani, Bhanuka and Sanatana went with sixty-four crores each.
Ganadhisha Nandishvara and Mahabala went with one hundred crores each. There
were other immensely strong and innumerable leaders of ganas. Each of them
possessed one thousand hands and wore matted hair and diadems. All of them were
adorned with the crescent moon. They were blue in the throat and three-eyed.
They were ornamented with necklaces, earrings, bracelets and crowns. They
resembled Brahma, Indra and Vishnu and possessed anima and other qualities.
They were as radiant as crores of suns. All these lords of ganas went there.
There were other great-souled leaders of ganas, sparkling in their radiance.
Greatly delighted, they went there, desiring to see Shiva.'""
""Having gone there, they
saw Shiva. They prostrated themselves and uttered supreme praises. With Vishnu
at the forefront, all of them joined their hands in salutation and bowed their
heads down. Along with Vishnu and the others, Mahesha Parameshvara lovingly
went to Kailasa, to the great-souled Kubera. When Shambhu arrived, Kubera
affectionately worshipped him. Along with his family members, he devotedly
offered him many offerings. To please Shiva, he also worshipped Vishnu and the
other devas, the ganas and Shiva's followers. Delighted in his mind, Shambhu
embraced Kubera and inhaled the fragrance of his head. With all the others, he
resided near Alaka.
___________________________
700 Pramathas are Shiva's attendants.
701 Meaning presumably Shiva, the lord of
everything.
The lord instructed Vishvakarma to
construct mountains as residences, as each deserved, for the many devotees, his
own as well as those of others. O sage! Obeying Shambhu's command, Vishvakarma
quickly went there and constructed many such. Shambhu was delighted. Because of
Hari's prayer and to show favours to Kubera, he went to Mount Kailasa. At an
excellent muhurta, Parameshvara entered his own abode. He gives pleasure to
everyone and is a protector who is devoted towards his devotees. Vishnu and all
the other gods were delighted. The sages and the siddhas were delighted at
Shiva's consecration. In due order, with many kinds of offerings in their
hands, they worshipped him. Performing niranjana in front of him, they engaged
in great festivities. O sage! On that auspicious occasion, flowers were
showered down. Extremely happy, apsaras sang. Others danced. Sounds of
"Victory" were pronounced from the sky and everything was cleansed.
Everyone was extremely enthusiastic, and happiness was enhanced. Seated on the
throne, Shambhu was even more resplendent. Vishnu and the others looked at him
and served him, as was proper. All the gods and others praised him separately.
Their words were full of deep meaning, and they praised Shankara, who brings
benefit to the worlds. Hearing the praises, Shiva was delighted in his mind and
gave them whatever they wished for. Lord Sarveshvara happily gave them the
boons they desired in their hearts. O sage! After this, on Shiva's command, all
of them returned to their own respective abodes. Along with Vishnu, I was
delighted at having obtained what I wished for. Shambhu asked me and Vishnu to
sit down. Immensely happy, Parameshvara showed us his favours and addressed us
in many kinds of ways. Shiva said, "O Hari! O Vidhatri! O sons! I love you
the most. O best among gods! You will always be entrusted with the creation and
preservation of the three worlds. Following my command, return to your own
abodes. You will always be without fear. I will always look after you and
bestow happiness on you." We heard Shambhu's words and commands and
prostrated ourselves before him. Happy in our minds, Hari and I returned to our
own abodes. At that time, Shankara cheerfully made the lord of nidhis sit down.
He clasped him by the hand and addressed him in auspicious words. Shiva said,
"O friend! You have conquered me with your love, and I have become your
friend. O umblemished one! Go to your residence. Be without fear. I will always
be your aide." Hearing Shambhu's words, Kubera was delighted in his mind.
Obeying that command, full of joy, he went to his own abode. Along with his
ganas, Shambhu remained in Kailasa, supreme among mountains. He is engaged in yoga
and performs dhyana, as he wills. Sometimes, he meditates on his own atman.
Sometimes, he engages in yoga. Sometimes, as his mind desires, he cheerfully
recounts Itihasa to his ganas. Sometimes, in excellent spots in Kailasa,
Maheshvara amuses himself with the ganas. He knows about pastimes and happily
engages in many such. Shankara Parameshvara thus assumed the form of Rudra.
Though supreme among yogis, he engaged in pastimes on that mountain.
Parameshvara spent some time without a wife. After that, he obtained Daksha's
daughter as a wife. Maheshvara amused himself with Sati, Daksha's daughter. O
devarshi! Following the norms observed in the world, he was happy. O lord among
sages! I have thus described Rudra's avatara to you, about his arrival in Kailasa
and his friendship with the lord of nidhis. I have also described his inner
pastimes and they extend jnana. As fruits, they always yield everything that is
desired, in this world and in the next one. If a person controls himself and
reads or hears this account, he obtains objects of pleasure in this world and
emancipation in the next one."
This ends Srishti
Khanda.
"Narad Tarada said, 'O
Vidhatri! Through Shankara's favours, you know everything. You have narrated
extraordinary and auspicious accounts about Shiva and Shivaa. I have heard
Shiva's supreme account, uttered from your lotus-like mouth. O lord! But I am
not satisfied and wish to hear more. Earlier, you described Rudra as being
Shankara's complete portion. O Vidhatri! You said the controlled Mahesha made
an abode in Kailasa. The yogi is the destination of the virtuous and deserves
to be served by Vishnu and all the gods. The great lord is indifferent and
always sports, devoid of the opposite pairs of sentiments. He married the
supreme lady and became a householder again. Because of Hari's prayers, he
happily married Mangala, 702 who was herself an ascetic. At first,
she was Daksha's daughter. Later, she became the daughter of the mountain. With
a single body, how is it held that she was the daughter of two? How did Sati
become Parvati and unite with Shiva again? O Brahma! You should tell me about
all this and about other things."""
'Suta said, "Hearing his
words, Brahma immersed his atman in the divinity Shankara. With a delighted
mind, he spoke these words."" "Brahma said, 'O son! O best among
sages! I will tell you the auspicious account. There is no doubt that when you
hear this, your birth will be successful. Earlier, I saw my own daughter,
Sandhya, in the company of her sons. O son! I suffered from the arrows of
desire and there was a deviation in me, 703 The supreme lord, the
great yogi Rudra, was remembered by Dharma. O son! He reprimanded me and my
sons and returned to his own abode. I am the one who utters the Vedas. Yet, I
was foolish in intelligence. I fell prey to delusion and maya and acted against
Paramesha Shambhu. Deluded by Shiva's maya, along with my sons, I foolishly
sought many different ways to make him deviate. O lord among sages! But because
of Shambhu's great powers, all these were countered, and these attempts proved
to be futile. When I did not succeed, along with my sons, I remembered Rama's
lord. Rama's lord told me about Shiva's tattvas and kindled my understanding. I
cast aside my jealousy. However, I was still deluded and did not give up
deceit. I served Shakti and managed to generate her pleasure. Daksha was my own
son. So as to confound Hara, I created her as the daughter of Daksha and Asikni
Virini. 704 Uma became Daksha's daughter and performed austerities
that were impossible to tolerate. Wishing to ensure benefit to her own
devotees, full of devotion, she became Rudra's wife. With Uma, Rudra, the
supreme lord, was attracted towards becoming a householder and engaged in his
pastimes. With an intelligence that did not deviate, he confounded me even at
the time of his own marriage. He is independent. He assumed a body and came to
marry her. He then returned to his own mountain and pleasured himself,
confounding many. O sage! As he sported with her, a long period of time passed.
Shambhu, the destination of the virtuous, is indifferent. However, he seemed to
spend time in seeking happiness."""
______________________
702 The auspicious one, Parvati's name.
703 Brahma lusted after his own daughter
Sandhya, the personified form of sandhya.
704 There is no consistency about the name
of Daksha's wife. Her name is usually given as Prasuti. But it is also given as
Asikni, who was also known as Virini (Virani).
Because of Rudra's own wishes, a
sense of rivalry was generated in Daksha. He was deluded by the maya and became
extremely foolish and extremely proud. As a result of its powers, Daksha turned
extremely insolent, confounded in intelligence. As a result of this delusion,
he criticized the greatly serene and indifferent one a lot. Because of his
pride, Daksha performed a sacrifice without Hara. He invited all the devas,
Vishnu, me and all the other lords. Since he was full of rage, he did not offer
any oblations to Rudra there. Since he was deluded by destiny, he did not
invite his own daughter, known by the name of Sati. She wasn't invited by her
father, whose mind was confounded by maya. The immensely virtuous Shivaa
possessed excellent jnana and engaged in her own pastimes. The proud Daksha
hadn't invited her. Nevertheless, taking Shiva's permission, Sati went there,
to her father's house. She was dishonoured and also noticed that Rudra wasn't
offered a share. Reprimanding everyone, she gave up her body there. Hearing
this the divinity, lord of devas, was filled with intolerable rage. Uprooting a
strand of his matted hair, he gave birth to Virabhadra. He was created, along
with ganas, and asked, "What will I do?" He was instructed to first
insult everyone and then destroy the sacrifice. Commanded in this way, with
many forces, Ganadhisha went there. Full of great strength and valour, he
descended violently. Following the command, the ganas created great havoc
there. They chastised everyone. No one was spared. The supreme gana made
efforts and defeated Vishnu and the immortals. He cut off Daksha's head and
offered it as an oblation into the fire. He caused great havoc and quickly destroyed
the sacrifice. He then returned to his own mountain and prostrated himself
before Lord Shambhu. While the world of devas looked on, Virabhadra and others,
Rudra's companions, destroyed the sacrifice. O sage! It should be known that
this is the policy sanctioned in the shruti and smriti texts. When Rudra is
enraged, how can there be sparkling happiness in the world??",
""After this, hearing his
praise, Rudra was pleased. Compassionate towards the distressed, he satisfied
everyone. compassionate as he had been The great-souled one became as earlier.
Mahesha Shankara sported in many kinds of pastimes. Daksha was brought back to
life, and everyone was honoured. Because of Shankara's compassion, the
sacrifice was undertaken again. O sage! In particular, all the devas and the
entire universe worshipped Rudra there, at the sacrifice, and were extremely
pleased. A blaze arose from Sati's body and brought happiness to the world. It
fell down on the mountain. It brought happiness and was worshipped. This became
known as Jvalamukhi705 and yields everything that is desired. Seeing
the supreme Devi there destroys all sins. Even now, to obtain all wishes as
fruits, people worship her there. They follow the norms and undertake great
festivities there. Later, Devi Sati became the daughter of the Himalayas. She
became famous under the name of Parvati. She again practiced difficult
austerities and was united with her husband, Paramesha. O lord among sages! I
have thus told you everything you asked me about. If one listens to this, there
is no doubt that one is cleansed of all sins.'""
____________________
705 There is such a temple in Kangra
district in Himachal Pradesh.
“Suta said, "O residents of
Naimisha! Hearing these words, the best among sages again asked about accounts
that destroy all sins.""
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
immensely fortunate one! O Vidhatri! O great lord! I have heard Shambhu's
auspicious account flowing out from your mouth, which is like a lotus. But I am
not content. Therefore, tell me everything about Shiva's auspicious account. O
creator of the universe! I wish to hear Sati's divine account recited. How was
the auspicious Sati born from Daksha's wife? How did Hara's mind turn towards
accepting a wife in marriage? In ancient times, because of her rage with
Daksha, how did Sati give up her body? Having died, how was she born again as
the daughter of the Himalayas? How did Parvati undertake fierce austerities and
how did her marriage take place? How did she come to acquire half the body of
the one who destroyed Smara?706 O immensely intelligent one! Please
tell me all this in detail. In dispelling doubts, there is no one like you, nor
will there ever be."""
"Brahma replied, 'O sage!
Listen to everything about Sati and Shiva's auspicious account. This is
extremely divine and purifying. Among all secrets, it is the supreme secret. O
sage! In earlier times, Shambhu himself narrated this to Vishnu, his noble
devotee. When he was asked with great devotion, he did this for the sake of
benefit to others. After this, I asked the intelligent Vishnu, Shiva's supreme
devotee. O supreme among sages! Out of his love for me, he told me in detail. I
will describe that ancient account about Shiva and Shivaa. As fruits, it bestows
everything that is wished for. Originally, the divinity Shiva was nirguna and
without any other alternative. Separated from Shakti, he had no form. He was
only consciousness, beyond the existent and the non-existent. Along with
Shakti, the lord assumed a second form, one that possessed gunas. O brahmana!
United with Uma, he acquired this divine form. But greater than the greatest,
he was still indifferent. Vishnu was born from his left side and I, Brahma, was
born from his right side. O supreme among sages! Rudra originated from his
heart. Sadashiva divided himself into three forms-Brahma was the creator,
Vishnu was the preserver and Rudra was the destroyer. I, Brahma, the
grandfather of the worlds, worshipped him and embarked upon the task of
creating all the subjects, gods, asuras and all the others. I created the
Prajapatis, Daksha as the foremost, and supreme gods. I thought of myself as
the best of all and was extremely pleased. O sage! I, Brahma, created Marichi,
Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Angiras, Kratu, Vasishtha, Narada, Daksha, Bhrigu and
other great lords as my mental sons. At that time, from my mind was born a
beautiful lady, beautiful in all her limbs. She was named Sandhya, Divakshanta,
Sayam and Sandhyajapantika. She was extremely beautiful. Her excellent eyebrows
charmed even the minds of the sages. In the world of devas, among mortals and
in the nether regions, there was no one who was her equal. She was complete in
all the qualities and there was no woman like her in the three periods of time.
707 Seeing her, I raised her up, my mind full of many kinds of
thoughts. My sons, Daksha, Marichi and other creators of subjects, also thought
like me.'""
_______________________
706 Shiva.
707 The past, the present and the future.
"""O supreme among
sages! From Brahma's mental thoughts, a handsome man originated. He was
extremely wonderful. His complexion was golden. His chest was broad, and his
nose was excellent. His thighs, hips and calves were round. He had waves of
blue hair. His enchanting eyebrows touched each other. His face was like the
full moon. His broad chest was like a door, radiant with body hair. His large
form was like that of a cloud or an elephant. He was attired in blue garments.
His hands, eyes, face, feet and fingers had a tinge of red. He was slender at
the waist and his teeth were beautiful. His fragrance was like that of an
intoxicated elephant. His eyes were like the petals of a blossoming lotus, with
eyelashes as fragrant as the filament. His throat was like a conch shell and
his banner bore the mark of a fish. He was tall and his mount was a makara. 708
His weapons were five flowers, and his powerful bow was decorated with flowers.
709 He was handsome. He cast sidelong glances and his eyes darted around.
O son! A fragrant wind started to blow, and he was served by shringara rasa. 710
On seeing him, all my sons, Daksha and the others, were extremely curious.
Their minds were filled with great wonder. The minds of my sons quickly became
deviant. O son! With their minds overwhelmed by desire, they lost their
patience. The man saw me, Vidhatri, the creator and lord of the universe. He
lowered his shoulders down in humility and prostrated himself. The man asked,
"O Brahma! What will I do? Please engage me in a task. O Vidhatri! Please
give me a task that is auspicious and appropriate, so that I am respected as a
man. Give me pride, an appropriate place and a wife. O lord of the three
worlds! O creator and lord of the universe! Please tell me." I heard the
great-souled man's words. For a while, the creator was surprised and could not
say anything. But he controlled his mind properly and cast aside his wonder.
Brahma instructed the man, Kama, about his task. Brahma said, "In this
form, with arrows made out of five flowers, you will delude men and women and
carry on the eternal task of creation. There are many beings in the three
worlds, devas and others, mobile and immobile objects. None of them will be
able to withstand your powers. I, Vasudeva and Sthanu711
Purushottama will come under your subjugation. What need be said about others
who have life? Invisible in form, you will always enter the hearts of beings.
You will yourself create a sensation of pleasure and carry on the eternal task
of creation. Your flowery arrows will always find an easy target in minds. You
will always be able to madden all beings. Thus, I have engaged you in the task
of carrying creation forward. These sons of mine will tell you about the nature
of your names." Saying this, the best among gods looked towards the faces
of his own sons and in a short while, seated himself on his seat on the
lotus."""
__________________________
708 Makara is a mythical aquatic creature,
loosely translated as crocodile/shark. Kama is known as Minaketu (with the fish
on his banner) and Makaradhvaja (with makara on his standard).
709 Kama's arrows are made out of five
flowers-aravinda (lotus), ashoka, chuta (mango), navamallika (jasmine) and
nilotapala (blue lotus). His bow is made out of sugarcane.
710 Rasa means taste. But in this context,
it means the emotional flavor, or state of mind. Eight (or nine) rasas are
described-shringara (romance), hasya (laughter), roudra (fury), karuna
(compassion), bibhatsa (disgusting), bhayanaka (terrible), vira (heroic),
adbhuta (extraordinary) and shanta (peace).
711 Shiva.
"Brahma said, 'All the sages,
my sons, Marichi as the foremost, glanced towards my face and understood my
intention. They understood other things too and gave him names. Daksha and the
other creators gave him a place and a wife. Marichi and the other foremost
brahmanas determined his names. Together, my sons spoke to the man. The rishis
said, "As soon as you were born, you churned our minds and also that of
Vidhatri. Therefore, you will be famous in the world as Manmatha.712
O one who originated from the mind! You will be able to assume any form you
wish. There will be no one in the world who is your equal. Therefore, you will
be famous as Kama.713 Since you will intoxicate, you will be known
as Madana.714 Since you were insolent when you were born, you will
be Darpaka. In the world, you will also be famous as Kandarpa. 715
Among all devas, there will be no one who is your equal in energy. Hence, every
place is your habitation. You will pervade everything. O best among men!
Daksha, the first among Prajapatis, will fulfil your wish and give you a
beautiful lady as a wife. When Brahma meditated, a beautiful lady was born.
Therefore, she will be famous as Sandhya.716 The lovely one will
possess the complexion of a mallika." He was born from the mind accepted
the flowers as his weapons. He made up his mind that he would remain hidden.
His arrows are said to be harshana, rochana, mohana, shoshana and marana. 717
Even sages are deluded by these.""
"Brahma has instructed me
about my eternal task.718 Vidhatri told me this, in the presence of
the sages. Therefore, that is what I will do. All the sages, and Prajapati
himself, is present here. Right now, they will be witnesses to my decision. Brahma
spoke words about Sandhya, and she is also present here. I will test her to
carry out my task and use her to delude." Thinking this, the one who
originated the mind made up his mind. He fixed flowers made out of arrows on a
bow that was also made out of flowers. He carefully adopted a posture for
shooting and drew on his bowstring. Kama, supreme among archers, drew it with
great force. As he was ready with the bow, an extremely fragrant wind started
to blow. O best among sages! As it blew, it caused delight to everyone. Using
sharp arrows made out of flowers, he confused and confounded Vidhatri and all
the sons who were born through mental powers. O sage! I and all the sages were
deluded. Together, we experienced a great deviation in our minds. As a result
of this distortion, all of us repeatedly looked at Sandhya. Desire increased. A
true woman is one who ignites such intoxication. Thus, all of us were
repeatedly deluded by Madana, until we lost control over our senses.
____________________
712 One who agitates the mind.
713 From wish or desire.
714 One who intoxicates.
715 Darpa means insolence. Brahma is
known as Kah. Since he showed his insolence (darpa) to Kah, Kama is Kandarpa.
716 From the root word for dhyana.
717 Respectively, delighting, appealing,
deluding, drying up and killing.
718 These are Kama's thoughts.
With my senses heightened, I,
Vidhatri, glanced towards her. At that time, he struck me with his five arrows.
Because she was struck by Kandarpa's arrows, she too repeatedly looked at me.
As a result of such sentiments, she cast enchanting glances towards me. Sandhya
was naturally beautiful, but these mental sentiments made her even more
radiant. Her body seemed to be made out of waves of the divine river. Full of
such sentiments, Sandhya enticed Prajapati. O sage! Though I was full of
dharma, I desired her. O best among brahmanas! All the other sages, Marichi,
Atri and others, Daksha and others, also suffered from this transformation in
the senses. Madana saw that I, Daksha, Marichi and others were in this state
and so was Sandhya. He paid even greater attention to his task. "This is
the task that Brahma instructed me to undertake. I can accomplish it
easily." This is what he thought. Seeing that his brothers and father had
been reduced to this wicked state, Dharma remembered Shambhu, the lord who
protects dharma.""""
""Shankara is the one who
protects dharma. Dharma, who was born from Aja,719 remembered him in
his mind and praised him with many kinds of words. Dharma said, "O lord of
devas! O Mahadeva! O protector of dharma! I prostrate myself before you. O
Shambhu! You are the one who engineers creation, preservation and destruction.
Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver and in the form of Hara, you
bring about dissolution. They possess the three gunas of sattva, rajas and
tamas, O Lord! You are devoid of gunas, O Shiva! You are nirguna. You are
yourself the fourth, superior to Prakriti. You are nirguna and without
transformation. You are accomplished in many pastimes. Save me. O Mahadeva!
Save me. This is a sin that is impossible to traverse. The intelligence of my
father and my brothers has turned evil."
The supreme lord, Mahesha, was thus
praised by Dharma. The one who has an origin in his own atman, arrived there
quickly, so as to protect Dharma. From the sky, Shambhu saw Vidhatri in that
state. In his mind, he laughed at me, Daksha and the others. In mock laughter,
he praised all of us and laughed out aloud. O best among sages! Vrishadhvaja
shamed us and spoke. Shiva said, "Alas! O Brahma! How has this feeling of
desire been generated through seeing your daughter? This is not worthy of those
who follow the Vedas. A daughter, a sister and a brother's wife are like a
mother.
Therefore, a learned person should
never look at them with evil eyes. This is the determined path of the Vedas,
which are located in your mouth. O Vidhatri! At the slightest twinge of desire,
how have you forgotten that? O Brahma! O one with four faces! Generate
fortitude in your mind. O Vidhatri! For some inferior desire, how have you
forgotten that? Daksha, Marichi and the others practice yoga in solitude and
always see Aditya's light. How have their minds become attracted to a woman?
Kama is limited in intelligence and doesn't know about the right time. Kama is
evil-souled. How has he become so powerful now, using his arrows to cause
transgressions? If a person's constant fortitude is disturbed by a beautiful
woman and if his mind is agitated and submerged, shame on his learning."
Hearing his words, I, who am Shiva's form in this world, was filled with twice
the amount of shame. In that instant, I perspired all over my limbs.
_________________
719 Brahma.
O sage! I controlled mysenses and
gave up that transgression. Though I still desired Sandhya, who was the form of
desire, I was scared.'",
" supreme among brahmanas!
From beads of my known as Agnishvattas were generated,720 These
ancestors had sweat that fell down on the ground, the category of ancestors
complexions that were like masses of collyrium. Their eyes were like blooming
lotuses. They were sacred and complete ascetics. They were supreme and turned
away from samsara, There are said to be sixty-four thousand of these. O sage!
In that way, there are said to be eighty-six thousand Barhishads. From the
beads of sweat that fell down on the ground from Daksha's body, a beautiful
woman originated. She possessed all the qualities. She was slender in the limbs
and symmetrical at the waist. It is said that her body hair was fine. Her body
was delicate, and her teeth were excellent. She was as radiant as molten gold.
She was beautiful in all her limbs and her face was like a lotus or the full
moon. She was famous under the name of Rati, and she was capable of confounding
even sages. With the exception of Kratu, Vasishtha, Pulastya and Angiras, all
the other six, Marichi and the others,721 could restrain the
functioning of their senses. For these four, their semen fell down on the
ground. O supreme among sages! Other categories of ancestors were born from
these. They were named Somapas, Ajyapas, Kalinas and Havishmats. All of them
are collectively known as Kavyavahas. Somapas were Kratu's sons, Kalinas those
of Vasishtha, the sons of Pulastya were spoken of as Ajyapas and Havishmats
were the sons of Angiras. O Indra among brahmanas! As soon as these categories
of ancestors, Agnishvattas and others, were born in this world, they were
revered as Kavyavahas. To accomplish this purpose, Sandhya gave birth to the
ancestors. Since Shambhu glanced at her, she was freed of taints and devoted
herself to tasks of dharma. Meanwhile, having shown his favour to all the
brahmanas and having protected dharma in the proper way, Shambhu swiftly
vanished. I, the grandfather of the worlds, was ashamed at Shankara's words.
With furrowed eyebrows, I looked at Kandarpa in rage. Glancing towards my face,
Manmatha discerned my intentions. O sage! He quickly withdrew his arrows. He
was also scared of Pashupati. O sage! However, born from the lotus, I was still
full of rage. My glance was like a fire that blazes extremely strongly. O
supreme among brahmanas! "Kandarpa is deluded in his insolence. The fire
that originates from Bhava's eyes will burn him down. Mahadeva will perform
this extremely difficult deed." In the presence of the large numbers of
ancestors and sages who had controlled their atmans, this is what Vidhatri said
about Kama's destruction. Rati's husband was scared at this and immediately
cast aside his arrows. Hearing about this extremely terrible curse, he showed
himself. O sage! He spoke to me, Brahma, and my sons, Daksha and the others. He
had lost his insolence and Sandhya and the large number of ancestors heard him.
Kama said, "O Brahma! Why have you invoked this extremely terrible curse
on me? O lord of the world! You follow the path of law and I have not committed
any offence against you. O Brahma! I have only undertaken the task you asked me
to do. That being the case, this curse is not appropriate.
_________________
720 There are different categories of
ancestors, Agnishvatta, Barhishad, Soumya, Ajyapa, Havishmats and Kalinas. For
example, Ajyapas accept oblations of ghee, Soumyas (Somapas) accept soma. While
on earth, Agnishvattas did not perform fire sacrifices, Barhishads seated
themselves on barhi grass. Havishmats accept oblations. Kavya stands for
oblations to ancestors in general. Kavyavahas are those who convey such
oblations.
721 A list of ten has earlier been given
of sages born through Brahma's mental powers.
I have done nothing contrary. You
told me that you, Vishnu, Shambhu and everyone else would be susceptible to my
arrows. I only tested this. O Brahma! I am innocent and I have not committed a
crime. O divinity! O lord of the universe! Given the agreement, this curse is
terrible." Madana had already controlled himself, but I wanted to subdue
him a bit more. Therefore, hearing his said, "There is a reason why I
cursed you. Sandhya is my words, I, Brahma, the lord of the universe, replied.
Brahma daughter and you ignited desire by targeting her and me. O one who
originated from the mind! I have now been pacified and I am telling you that
you should give up your fear. Listen to me and be happy. Do not be suspicious.
O Madana! The fire that emanates from Bhava's eyes will reduce you to ashes.
But he will be swiftly pacified, and you will easily get your body back again,
when Hara takes a wife. That is when you will regain your body." I,
grandfather of the worlds, thus raised Madana up. As the Indras among sages
watched, he vanished. Hearing my words, Madana, and the sons born through my
mental powers, were happy. They returned to their own homes.'"
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
lord who created the worlds! O Vishnu's shishya! O immensely wise one! You have
narrated something extraordinary, about the amrita of Shiva's pastimes. O
father! Now please tell me about what occurred thereafter. If I am hearing
something about Shambhu's account, I am full of devotion.'
"Brahma replied, 'Shambhu
returned to his own abode and I, Vidhatri, vanished. Daksha remembered my words
and spoke to Kandarpa. Daksha said, "O Kandarpa! She has been born from my
body and possesses beauty and all the qualities. Since she possesses qualities
that are similar to yours, accept her as a wife. This greatly energetic one
will be your companion. Following dharma, she will obey you, as you wish."
She was born from the beads of sweat on his body. Saying this, he placed her,
giving her the name of Rati, in front of Kandarpa. O Narada! After marrying
her, Smara was delighted. Daksha's daughter was beautiful, capable of
confounding even sages. Madana looked at his own auspicious wife, known as
Rati. He was pierced by his own traits and was charmed and delighted with Rati.
She was fair and her radiance resembled lightning. She was cheerful and her
eyes were like those of a doe. Her sidelong glances were intoxicating. His wife,
Rati, was like that. Looking at her eyebrows, Madana was filled with doubt.
"Vidhatri has placed these on her so that my bow can be surpassed." O
supreme among brahmanas! On seeing the swift speed of her sidelong glances, he
no longer had any faith in the speed of his own weapons. Her breath was
naturally fragrant. On inhaling this, Madana gave up all faith in the Malaya
breeze. 722 Madana looked at her face, which resembled the full
moon. He noticed the desirable qualities and could see no difference between
her face and the moon. Her two breasts were golden, resembling the buds of a
lotus. She possessed shining nipples, which seemed to be surrounded by bees.
Her breasts were firm and raised. From between the two breasts, an auspicious
and slender necklace, marked with signs of the moon, hung down, extending up to
her navel.
____________
722 The fragrant breeze from Mount Malaya
carries the scent of sandalwood and flowers and kindles love.
As Kama looked at her limbs, he
forgot his own bow made out of flowers, surrounded by swarms of bees. Her navel
was deep and was surrounded on four sides by soft skin. He looked at her lotus
face, with lips that resembled red fruit. Her waist was slender. Her body was
golden and possessed the radiance of an altar. Kama looked at the woman. Her
two thighs were soft and delicate, extending like the trunks of plantain trees.
Kama looked at her beauty and her strength, resembling his own. The soles and
sides of her two feet and her toes were mind looked at her. She was a person
who would help him in his tinged with red. Full of love, the one who was born
from the work. There were red nails, resembling kimshuka flowers,723
on her two hands. Her fingers were round and beautiful, slender at the tips.
Her lovely arms were like a couple of lotus stalks. They were gentle and soft
and possessed the sheen of red coral. Her charming mass of hair was like blue
clouds, resembling the tail of a chamari deer.724 Such was the
radiance of Smara's beloved. When Ganga flowed from the snow-clad mountains,
Mahadeva accepted her. Like that, with eyes dilated in wonder, he accepted the
woman named Rati. Her beautiful hands held a chakra and a lotus. They resembled
the stalks of lotuses. The curves of her eyebrows seemed to be surrounded by billowing
waves. Her eyes were like blue lotuses, tossed around on the tides of her
glances. Her body hair was like moss along the banks, while her mind was like
the trees along the banks. The lower part of her navel was like a pond. The
beautiful lady was enchanting in all her limbs. She was the abode of every kind
of charm. She was as beautiful as Rama. She was adorned with twelve ornaments
and possessed the sixteen arts of shringara. 725 She bemused all the
worlds and illuminated the ten directions. Madana saw that Rati was like this
and was eager to accept her. He was full of love, just as Hrishikesha felt
excellent love for Lakshmi. Kama was besotted and forgot about the terrible
curse Vidhatri had imposed on him. Therefore, in the midst of his joy, he did
not tell Daksha about this. O son! There were great festivities and they
enhanced happiness. My son, Daksha, was more delighted than anyone else. Kama
obtained great happiness and all his miseries were gone. Rati, Daksha's
daughter, obtained Kama and rejoiced. Along with her, Smara was also radiant,
like a cloud in the evening, when it is united with delightful lightning. Just
as a yogi with insight clasps knowledge to his chest, full of delusion, Rati's
consort embraced Rati. Having obtained her excellent husband, Rati was also
radiant, like Kamala 726 on having obtained Hari. She resembled the
full moon."""
_______________________
723 Kimshuka is a tree with orange-red
flowers, flame of the forest, Butea frondosa.
724 Chamara (chamari is the feminine) is a
kind of deer.
725 The twelve ornaments probably refer to
armlets, bracelets, necklace, earrings, diadem, finger rings, anklets,
ornaments on the hair, on the waist, on the forehead, on the nose and on the
wrist. Sixteen arts of shringara refer to the sixteen steps of
beautification-washing and dressing the hair, an ornament for the braiding of
the hair, the vermilion mark, a tilaka mark on the forehead, collyrium on the
eyes, a nose ring, earrings, a necklace, armlets, bangles, the colouring of the
hands, wearing rings on the fingers, wearing a ring on the thumb, wearing an
ornament around the waist, wearing anklets and wearing toe rings. Though there
is agreement on sixteen steps, drawing on an analogy with the sixteen phases of
the moon, the listing of the sixteen steps isn't consistent.
726 Kamala is Lakshmi, so named because
she is seated on a lotus.
“Suta said, "The excellent
sage heard Brahma's words and rejoiced. Delighted in his mind, he remembered
Shankara.""
"Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O immensely fortunate one! O Vishnu's shishya! O immensely wise one!
You have recounted the wonderful pastimes of the one who wears the moon on his
head. Having obtained a wife, Madana happily went to his own abode. Daksha went
to his own house and so did you, the creator. Your sons, born through mental
powers, also returned to their own residences. Where did Sandhya, Brahma's
daughter and the mother of the ancestors, go? What did she do, and which man
did she marry? Please tell me in detail everything about Sandhya's
conduct.'""
"Suta said, "Hearing the
words of Brahma's intelligent son, Brahma, who knows the truth, devotedly
remembered Shankara.""
"Brahma answered, 'O sage!
Hear everything about Sandhya's auspicious conduct. O sage! Hearing this, all
virtuous ladies always obtain everything they wish for. In ancient times,
Sandhya was my daughter, born through mental powers. Performing austerities and
giving up her body, she was born as Arundhati. The intelligent one was born as
the daughter of Medhatithi, best among sages. Following the words of Brahma,
Vishnu and Mahesha, she observed vows and obtained the great-souled Vasishtha,
praised for his vows, as a husband. She is foremost among those who are devoted
to their husbands and obtains a great deal of worship even now.'""
"Narada asked, 'How did
Sandhya torment herself through austerities? Where and for what purpose? How
did she give up her body and become Medhatithi's daughter? What was ordained by
the divinities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva? How did she obtain the great-souled
Vasishtha, praised for his vows, as a husband? O grandfather! Please make me
hear all this in detail. I am eager to know about Arundhati's character. Please
tell me the truth about this."""
"Brahma said, 'On seeing my
own daughter, Sandhya, my mind was quickly enticed by desire. Scared of Shiva,
I abandoned her. Agitated by Kama's arrows, Sandhya's mind had also wavered.
This also happens to great-souled rishis who have controlled their minds. She
heard Bharga's words and the way he laughed at me. She realized that she had
wavered and that she had caused offence to the rishis. She had seen how Kama
used similar sentiments to repeatedly confound the sages. On seeing this, Sandhya
was extremely miserable at the prospect of her getting married. O sage! At the
time, I, Brahma, cursed Madana. Shiva left for his own residence, and I also
vanished. O supreme among sages! Sandhya was filled with great intolerance. My
daughter reflected on this and performed dhyana. The spirited one quickly
started to meditate on what had taken place earlier. Remembering all this, at
the time, Sandhya thought about what should be done. Sandhya said, "As
soon as I was born, my father saw my youth and goaded by Madana, was attracted
towards me and loved and desired me.
Behold the state of the sages born
through mental powers. They had cleansed their atmans. But on seeing me, they
violated the norms, and their minds were filled with desire. The evil-souled
Madana managed to agitate my mind as well. Consequently, on seeing all the
sages, my mind was greatly agitated. The wicked Madana repeated the fruits of
what he himself had done. That is the reason, in front of Shambhu, the
grandfather cursed him. I am wicked. I have also committed a crime and must
reap the fruits. I wish to quickly find a means to purify myself of those
fruits. On seeing me, my father and my brothers were filled with desire. On
seeing this, I also desired them. Therefore, since I caused it, I am the
greater sinner. On seeing them, I also violated the rules and was filled with
desire. I behaved towards my own relatives as I would naturally do towards a
husband. Having committed the sin, I must myself perform the prayashchitta. I
will follow the path of the Vedas and offer myself as an oblation into the
fire. I alone will establish an ordinance on earth, so that no person with a
body is filled with desire immediately on birth. For this purpose, I will
torment myself through extremely terrible austerities. I will establish the
ordinance. After that, I will give up my body. This is the body, for which, my
own father desired me. This was also true of my brothers. There is no need for
this body. As a result of this body, my father naturally felt inclinations of
desire. Therefore, this cannot be a means for accomplishing good deeds."
Thinking this in her mind, Sandhya left for the best of mountains. She went to
the place known as Chandrabhaga,727 because River Chandrabhaga is
there.'""
""I got to know that
Sandhya had gone there, towards that supreme mountain. I, Brahma, spoke to my
son, Vasishtha, who had controlled himself through austerities. He was in
control of his atman. He knew everything. He was a yogi who possessed jnana. He
was accomplished in the Vedas and the Vedangas.728 At the time, he
was seated near me. Brahma said, "O Vasishtha! O son! Go to my spirited
daughter, Sandhya. She has made up her mind to perform austerities. Go and
initiate her in the proper way. O supreme among sages! You should pardon the
wicked desire she earlier felt on seeing you. She was filled with desire
towards all of you and towards me as well. That was an act she had done
earlier. It is as if she had done it in earlier life and after death, has
forgotten it. Since she wished to give up her life, she no longer has such
feelings towards any of you. She follows ordinances and is performing
austerities so as to establish an ordinance. To perform austerities, the
virtuous lady has gone to the mountain known as Chandrabhaga. O father! She
does not know anything about performing austerities. Therefore, instruct her,
so that she can accomplish what she wants. O sage! Give up this form and assume
a different form. Instruct her about performing austerities. She has seen this
form of yours earlier and might be ashamed. Therefore, you should assume a
different form." O Narada! Out of pity, I instructed Vasishtha in this
way. The sage agreed with what I had said and went to Sandhya's presence. He
saw that divine lake, which was as full of qualities as Lake Manasa was.
Vasishtha saw Sandhya on the banks of that lake. She was radiant on the banks
of that lake, bright with lotuses. It resembled the evening sky when the rise
of nakshatras has taken place. Seeing her there, the sage was filled with
eagerness and good sentiments.
______________
727 Chenab. The mountain in question is
the Himalayas.
728 Vedanga means a branch of the Vedas,
and these were six kinds of learning that were essential to understand the
Vedas-shiksha (phonetics), kalpa (rituals), vyakarana (grammar), nirukta
(etymology), chhanda (metre) and jyotisha (astronomy).
He saw the lake, known as
Brihallohita.729 River Chandrabhaga originates from that range and
flows towards the southern ocean. The sage went there and saw the summit of
that large mountain. The river breaks through the western ridge of the mountain
known as Chandrabhaga, just as, the Ganga flows from the Himalayas towards the
ocean. Vasishtha saw Sandhya on Mount Chandrabhaga, on the shores of Lake
Brihallohita."""
""He spoke to her
affectionately. Vasishtha said, "O fortunate one! Why have you come to
this secluded mountain? Whose daughter are you? What do you wish to do? If it
is not a secret, I wish to hear this. Your face has the complexion of the full
moon but has no expression." Hearing the words of the great-souled
Vasishtha, she looked at the great-souled one, who blazed like a fire. He had
matted hair and it was as if the radiance of brahmacharya was personified in
him. Sandhya lovingly prostrated herself and spoke to the store of austerities.
Sandhya said, "The purpose for which I came to this mountain has already
been achieved. Please listen to me. O lord! Since I have seen you, from that
very sight, success will be ensured. O brahmana! I came to this desolate
mountain to perform austerities. I was born as Brahma's daughter and am known
by the name of Sandhya. If you are interested and if you can tolerate me,
please instruct me. This is what I wish. There is nothing that is a secret. Without
knowing about the techniques for austerities, I have come to this forest meant
for austerities. Worrying about this, I was drying up and my mind was
trembling." Hearing her words, Vasishtha, who knew about the brahman and
had himself accomplished everything, did not ask anything else. She had
controlled her atman and was ready to embark on austerities. In his mind, he
remembered Shankara, who is affectionate towards his devotees. Vasishtha said,
"He is the supreme and great energy. artha, kama and moksha. He alone is
the cause of the universe. Worship Purushottama. O one with an auspicious face!
Use this mantra to worship Shambhu, lord of devas. There is no doubt that
through this, you will obtain everything. 'Aum namah Shankaraya Aum. 730
Through this, and using silence, austerities will commence. Listen attentively
to me. Bathing He is supreme and great austerities. He is supreme and the most
worthy of worship. In your mind, meditate on Shambhu. He is the single and
original cause for those who seek dharma, must be done in silence. Hara's puja
must be done in silence. In the first and the second of the six kalas in a day,
food must only be in the form of water. 731 One must fast in the
third of the six kalas. This must continue until the austerities are over and
the rites must be undertaken at the end of each of the six kalas. This is known
as austerities in silence and yields the fruits of brahmacharya. O lady! This
yields everything that is desired. This is true. There is no doubt that this is
the truth. You should desire to accept this instruction and wish to think about
Shankara. If he is pleased with you, he will soon give you what you wish
for." Vasishtha sat down and told Sandhya about the rites for austerities.
Having explained what was proper, the sage vanished from the
spot."""
_____________
729 Brihallohita means the large Lohita.
Though regarded as a tributary now, the Lohita (Louhitya or Lohit) river is
identified with the Brahmaputra. The Vayu Purana says that the river Louhitya originates
from Lake Lohita, which is at the foot of the mountain known as Lohita or
Hemashringa. This is to the south-east of Kailasa. Chandrabhaga actually
consists of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, both of which have sources near the
Bara-lacha la pass.
730 AUM. I prostrate myself before
Shankara. AUM.'
731 Kala means part/portion. Here, the day
is divided into six kalas, each lasting for four hours.
"Brahma said, 'O noble son! O
immensely wise one! DHear about Sandhya's great austerities. If one hears about
this, there is no doubt that accumulated sins are destroyed in an instant.
Having instructed her about the rites for austerities, Vasishtha returned to
his own house. Having learnt about the rites required for austerities, Sandhya
was delighted. Her garb was like that of a person who rejoices mentally. On the
shores of Lake Brihallohita, she commenced her austerities. As an instrument
for the austerities, she used the mantra uttered by Vasishtha. Full of
devotion, she used that mantra to worship Shankara. Single-minded in attention,
she performed those great austerities. She thought of Shambhu alone and a cycle
of four yugas passed. Shambhu was pleased and content at her austerities. He
showed his form to her, inside her and outside in the sky. He manifested
himself in the form that she had been thinking about. She saw the lord in front
of her, in the form that she had thought about him. Shankara's pleasant face
was serene, and she was delighted. "What am I capable of saying? How will
I praise Hara?" Full of these great thoughts, she closed her eyes. Though
her eyes were closed, Hara entered her heart. He bestowed divine jnana, divine
words and divine sight on her. She obtained divine jnana, divine sight and
divine words. She directly saw Durga's732 lord. She praised the lord
of the universe."
"Sandhya said, "You are
without form. You can be perceived through jnana. You are supreme. You are not
gross, subtle, or high. Internally, yogis think of you. You are the creator of
the universe. In that form, I prostrate myself before you. You are everything.
You are serene. You are sparkling. You are indifferent. You can be reached
through jnana. You are self-illuminated. You are without transformation. You
are spoken of as the road to heaven. You are the path that is beyond darkness.
You are pleased. I prostrate myself before that supreme form of yours. You are
alone. You are pure. You are radiant. You are without origin. You are
consciousness. You are bliss. You are naturally without transformation. You are
eternal joy. You are truth. You are prosperity. You are pleased. I prostrate
myself before that glorious form of yours. Your form can be thought of as
knowledge. You are different from all that is sentient. Your form is the atman,
and you can easily be meditated on in that way. You are the substance. You are
the distant shore. You are the most purifying among those who purify. I
prostrate myself before that form of yours. Your form is pure. Your form is
agreeable to the mind, adorned with jewels. You are clear and as fair as
camphor. In your hands, you hold what is desired, freedom from fear, a trident
and a skull. You are full of yoga. I prostrate myself before that form of
yours. The sky, the earth, the directions, the water, the fire and time are
your forms. I prostrate myself before that form of yours. Pradhana and Purusha
emerged from your form. But you are not manifest in your form. I prostrate
myself before you. O Shankara! I prostrate myself before you. You create as
Brahma. You preserve as Vishnu. You destroy as Rudra. I prostrate myself before
you. I bow down before you. O cause behind all causes! You are the one who
bestows divine amrita, jnana and prosperity. You are the one who bestows
prosperity inside everything. Illumination is your form. You are greater than
the greatest. There is no other station in the universe that is superior to
yours.
___________
732 Durga is Parvati.
The earth, the directions, the sun,
the moon, the one born from the mind, space and everything inside and outside
originated from your navel. I prostrate myself before that Shambhu. I bow down
before you. You are supreme. You are the paramatman. Hara is known through all
the different kinds of knowledge. You are the truth. You are the brahman. You
are the supreme brahman. You are the object of all reflection. You have no
beginning, no middle and no end. The universe originated from you. O divinity!
How can I praise the Hara who cannot be approached through words or the mind? Brahma,
devas and sages who are stores of austerities are unable to describe his forms.
How can he be described by me? I am a woman. O lord! You are nirguna. How can
your gunas be known to me? Indra, the gods and asuras do not know your form. I
prostrate myself before Mahesha. I prostrate myself before the one who is full
of tamas. O Shambhu! Please show me your favours. O lord of devas! I repeatedly
prostrate myself before you." Hearing her words of praise, Parameshvara
was greatly pleased.""
"Shankara, who is affectionate
towards his devotees, was satisfied. Her body had been clad in bark and
deerskin, but was now covered in long strands of matted hair that hung down
from her head. The auspicious one was radiant. Her face resembled a lotus
covered in front. On seeing this, Hara was filled with compassion and spoke to
her. Maheshvara said, "O fortunate one! I am pleased with your austerities
and supreme praise. O one auspicious in wisdom! Ask for a boon now. Let the
boon be anything that is in your mind, anything that accomplishes the purpose.
O fortunate one! I will grant it to you. I am pleased with your vows."
Hearing Mahesha's words, her mind was pleased. Rejoicing, Sandhya repeatedly
prostrated herself before him. Sandhya said, "O Maheshvara! If a boon is
to be given to me out of affection, if I am worthy of being given a boon, if I
have been purified of that sin and if the divinity is pleased with my present
austerities, let the first boon granted to me be as follows. O lord of devas!
This firmament is full of desire. But as soon as a being is born, let the being
not succumb to it. Let me also choose the boon that no other woman should
become, or will ever become, as famous in the three worlds as I am. Let nothing
created by me succumb to desire or fall down in any way. O protector! Let my
husband be someone who will be my well-wisher. Let any man who looks at me with
desire lose his manliness. Let him become a eunuch." Hearing her words,
Shankara, affectionate towards his devotees, spoke to her. She had been
cleansed of her sins and he was greatly pleased with her. Maheshvara said,
"O goddess! O Sandhya! Listen. Your sins have been reduced to ashes. I
have cast aside my anger towards you. Because of your austerities, you have
become pure. O fortunate one! I will grant you every boon you have asked for. O
Sandhya! I am extremely pleased with your austerities, and I will grant you
every boon. For any embodied being, the first quarter rter will be infancy and
the second quarter will be childhood. The third quarter will be youth and the
fourth quarter will be old age. With these divisions in the lifespan, desire
will only surface in the third quarter. In some cases, it will happen at the
end of the second quarter. Because of your austerities, I will establish this
ordinance in the world. As soon as an embodied being is born, the being will
not suffer from desire. You will become a sati 733 in this world. No
one in the three worlds will be like you or will ever be like you. Without
accepting your hand in marriage, if any person looks at you with eyes of
desire, he will immediately become weak and impotent. Your husband will be
immensely fortunate, possessing beauty and austerities. Along with you, he will
live for seven kalpas. ___________
733 A chaste and virtuous woman, devoted
to her husband.
These are the boons you have asked
from me, and I have granted them to you. I will also tell you about something
that transpired in your former life. It has been pledged that you will give up
your body in the fire. I will tell you how to ensure this. You must certainly
act in this way. The sage Medhatithi is performing a sacrifice that will last
for twelve years. He has lit all the blazing fires. Therefore, you must act
without delay. In a hermitage of ascetics, on the banks of River Chandrabhaga
and in the valley of this mountain, Medhatithi is performing this great
sacrifice. Go there easily, without being noticed by the sages. Through my
favours, you will become his daughter, born from the fire. If you have ever thought
of a desirable groom and husband in your mind, think of him as you give up your
own body in the fire. O Sandhya! While you performed those fierce austerities
on the mountain, a cycle of four yugas has passed. After krita yuga and in the
first part of treta yuga, Daksha had daughters. They possessed eloquence and
good conduct and were married appropriately. He bestowed twenty-seven daughters734
on the moon. But ignoring the others, Chandra loved Rohini the most. Because of
this, Daksha cursed Chandra in rage. At the time, all the devas assembled near
you. O Sandhya! However, since your mind was fixed on me, you could not see
Brahma and the devas. You regained your sight later. Meanwhile, to free Chandra
of his curse, Vidhatri created Chandranadi.735 At that time,
Medhatithi arrived there. There is no one who is his equal in austerities.
There has not been nor will there ever be. He is the one who has started the
sacrifice, with jyotishtoma and other great rites. A great fire has been lit.
Give up your own body there. You are extremely pure now and all your desires
have been accomplished. O ascetic lady! I have done all this to accomplish a
certain purpose. O immensely fortunate one! Go to that great sage's sacrifice
and act accordingly." Having indicated what was beneficial for her, the
lord of devas vanished from the spot.'""
،،،Brahma
said, 'O sage! Having granted the boon, Shambhu vanished. Sandhya went to the
place where the sage Medhatithi was. Because of Shambhu's favours, she was not
noticed by anyone. She remembered the brahmachari who had instructed her about
austerities earlier. O great sage! Following the words of Parameshthi and to
instruct her in austerities, Vasishtha had earlier assumed the form of that
brahmachari. In her mind, Sandhya remembered the brahmana brahmachari who had
instructed her in austerities and accepted him as a husband. A fire had been
kindled for that great sacrifice. Because of Shambhu's favours, she was not
noticed by the sages. Vidhatri's daughter happily entered the fire and her body
immediately merged into the cakes offered into the fire. She was burnt along
with the cakes, her fragrance unnoticed. Because of Shambhu's instructions, the
fire burnt her body and conveyed it, in pure form, into the solar disc. To
cause pleasure to devas and ancestors, Surya divided her body into two parts
and placed them on his chariot. O lord among sages! The upper part of her body
became the morning sandhya, placed between night and day. The remaining part of
her body became the evening sandhya, placed between day and night. This always
pleases devas and ancestors. Before the sun rises, but when the sun is about to
rise, that period is known as morning sandhya and brings pleasure to devas. When
the sun has set and assumes the tinge of a red lotus, this period is known as
evening sandhya and brings pleasure to ancestors.
________________
734 The twenty-seven nakshatras. Rohini
nakshatra is Aldebaran.
735 The moon's river, that is,
Chandrabhaga.
The protector, Shambhu, is full of
compassion. Therefore, he has given embodied beings her prana, her mind and her
divine body. When the sacrifice of the sages was over, the sage726
found this daughter in the middle of the fire. Her radiance was like that of
molten gold. Full of joy, the sage accepted this daughter, born from the
sacrifice. The sage bathed her and placed her on his lap. The great sage gave
her the name of Arundhati. Surrounded by his disciples, he was filled with
great joy. She never obstructed dharma, for any reason whatsoever.
That is the reason she obtained
this name, which made her famous in the three worlds.737 The sage
completed the sacrifice successfully and obtained this treasure of a daughter.
O divine rishi! Along with his disciples and offspring, he reared this beloved
daughter in his hermitage. The lady grew up in the supreme hermitage of the
sage. It was located on the banks of Chandrabhaga and was known as Tapasaranya.738
When she attained five years of age, as a result of her qualities, the virtuous
one purified Chandrabhaga and Tapasaranya. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara
arranged for her marriage with Vasishtha, Brahma's son. The marriage was
concluded with great enthusiasm and enhanced delight. O sage! All the gods and
sages were filled with great delight. From the water that flowed out of the
hands of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara, seven rivers originated, Shipra739
and others. They are supremely purifying. Arundhati was supremely virtuous,
supreme among all virtuous wives. O sage! Having obtained Medhatithi's
daughter, Vasishtha became even more radiant. Through her, he obtained
auspicious and excellent sons, Shakti and others. O supreme among sages! She
obtained Vasishtha as her beloved and was radiant. O supreme among sages! 1
have thus told you about Sandhya's conduct. This is sacred, purifying and
divine. It yields everything desired as fruits. If a man or woman listens to
this, auspicious in vows, that person obtains everything wished for. There is
no need to think about this.""
“Suta said, "Hearing the words
of Prajapati Brahma, Narada was delighted in his mind and spoke.""
"Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O immensely fortunate one! O Vishnu's shishya! O immensely wise one!
O Shiva's devotee! You are blessed. You are the one who shows the path to the
supreme truth. You have made me hear this excellent and divine account and it
increases devotion towards Shiva. You have told me about Arundhati's conduct
and who she was earlier. O one who knows about dharma! Now please tell me about
Shiva's sacred and supreme conduct. It is excellent, destroys sins and bestows
all that is auspicious. Having obtained a wife, Kama was delighted and left.
Sandhya left for austerities and the others also departed. What happened
thereafter?"""
"Suta said, "Hearing the
words of the rishi, who had cleansed his atman, Brahma was delighted even more
and spoke these words.""
__________________
736 Medhatithi.
737 Rundhan is to block. Someone who does
not do this is Arundhati.
738 Literally, forest of ascetics.
739 Also
known as Kshipra.
"Brahma replied, 'O Narada! O
Indra among brahmanas! Hear devotedly about his auspicious conduct and about
Shiva's pastimes. Since you serve Shiva, you are blessed. O son! Since I had
also been deluded earlier, I vanished from the spot. Suffering from the poison
of Shambhu's words, I constantly thought about this. I thought for a long time.
My mind was still deluded by Shiva's maya. Because of my jealousy towards
Shiva, listen to what I did. I will tell you. I went to the place where Daksha
and the others were. On seeing Madana, along with Rati, I felt slightly happy.
O Narada! Full of joy, I addressed Daksha and the other sons. Deluded by
Shiva's maya, I addressed them in these words. Brahma said, "O Daksha! O
Marichi and the other sons! Listen to my words. After listening, think of a
means to dispel my misery. Just because he saw the desire for a woman, Shambhu
reprimanded me and you. He is a great yogi and he reprimanded us in many ways.
I am tormented by that misery and cannot find the slightest bit of peace.
Therefore, we must endeavour to act so that he accepts a wife. When he accepts
a wife, I will be happy and will no longer be miserable. But on thinking about
it, I arrive at the conclusion that this wish is extremely impossible to
accomplish. As soon as he saw that I desired a woman, Shambhu censured me, in
front of the sages. How will he accept a wife? Which woman in the three worlds
will be fixed in his mind, so that he abandons the path of yoga? Who will
delude him? Even Manmatha is not capable of deluding him. He is a complete yogi
and does not tolerate even the name of a woman. Until Hara is pierced by those
arrows, this creation will be middling. No one can counter his words. On earth,
there are great asuras who are bound in maya. Some are bound in that created by
Hari and some are bound in that created by Shambhu. Shambhu has turned away.
from samsara. That is the reason he has no attachment towards a woman. That
being the case, there is no doubt that we can do nothing about the
matter." Telling my sons this, I looked at Daksha and the others. Full of
joy, I then spoke to Madana, along with Rati. Brahma said, "O Kama! You
are foremost among my sons and have brought pleasure in every possible way. O
one who is devoted to his father! Along with your wife, now listen
affectionately to my words. O one who originated from the mind! With this
companion, you are radiant. With you as a husband, she is also extremely
radiant. This is like Hrishikesha with his wife, Hari with Rama. This is like
the night united with the moon and the moon united with the night. In that way,
placing matrimony at the forefront, the two of you are radiant. O child! For
the welfare of the universe, if you succeed in deluding the wielder of Pinaka,
you will become the standard of the world and the standard of the universe. You
must act swiftly, so that Shambhu's mind turns towards accepting a wife. Go
wherever he goes, to desolate and pleasant spots, mountains and rivers. Take
her with you and make efforts to delude Hara, who has turned away from women.
With your exception, there is no one who can delude him. O one who originated
from the mind! When love is generated in Hara, it is only then that your curse
will be pacified. Therefore, do what is beneficial for you. Bhava Maheshvara,
the noble yogi, will save you only when he desires a beautiful woman and feels
attachment for her. Hence, you must make unmatched efforts to delude Hara. When
you delude Maheshvara, you will become a standard for the universe." I am
his father and the lord of the universe."""
""Manmatha heard my words
and spoke to me, the lord of the universe. Manmatha said, "O lord! I will
act in accordance with your words and delude Shambhu. But where is the
beautiful woman who will be my weapon? O lord! Create her. When Shambhu is
deluded by me, he has to be deluded by her. O Vidhatri! It is now your task to
devise a supreme means of ensuring this."
When Kandarpa said this, I,
Vidhatri, and Prajapati 740 thought about the matter. "Who will
delude him?" As I thought about this, I exhaled my breath. Vasanta 741
was born from this, adorned with his clusters of flowers. He resembled a red
lotus, and his eyes were like a blossoming lotus. His face was like the full
moon when it rises in the evening. He possessed an excellent nose. His feet
were arched, like bows. His hair was dark and curly. He was adorned in a pair
of earrings, and he resembled the sun at dawn. His stride was like that of an
elephant. His arms were thick, and his shoulders were raised. His throat was
like a conch shell. His chest was extremely broad, and his face was round. He
was handsome in all his limbs. His complexion was dark everywhere and he possessed
all the auspicious signs. He was wonderful to behold and could enchant
everyone. He enhanced desire. Vasanta, a store of flowers, was born in this
way. A fragrant breeze started to blow, and all the trees were in bloom.
Hundreds of cuckoos called sweetly, in the panchama note. 742
Lotuses bloomed in lakes and clear ponds. On seeing that this excellent being
had originated in this way, Hiranyagarbha743 addressed Madana in
these sweet words. Brahma said, "O Manmatha! He will always be your aide.
He will do everything possible to please you. Just as the wind is a friend to
the fire and helps in every possible way, he will always be your friend and
will follow you. Since he is the cause for residing, he will be known as
Vasanta. 744 His task will be to follow you and delight people.
Shringara will reside in him. The breeze from Malaya will reside in him. He
will be your well-wisher in every kind of sentiment and will be under your
control. Just as they are your friends, the sixty-four arts, feigned indifference
and others, will be Rati's friends.745 O Kama! With all these aides,
Vasanta being the foremost, along with Rati, make great efforts to delude
Mahadeva. O son! After having reflected properly, I will use my mind to
attentively fashion the woman who delude charm Hara." Kama was thus
addressed by me, the eldest among the gods. He rejoiced, and along with his
wife, prostrated himself at my feet. He also prostrated himself before Daksha
and all my sons, born through mental powers. Manmatha then went to the place
where Shambhu, the atman, was.'""
“Brahma said, 'Along with his
followers, Manmatha went to Shiva's abode. O lord among sages! Hear about his
conduct and the wonderful account. The immensely brave Manmatha, the creator of
delusion, went there. With his natural powers, he deluded beings. To delude
Hara, Vasanta also exhibited his powers. O sage! All the trees flowered at the
same time. Along with the one who originated from the mind, Rati made many
efforts.
____________
740 Meaning Daksha.
741 Spring.
742 The seven notes are shadaja, rishabha,
gandhara, madhyama, panchama, dhaivata and nishada, that is,
sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni. Cuckoos are believed to call in the panchama note. Other
than being the fifth, the panchama note is believed to originate from the wind
in five parts of the body-navel, thighs, heart, throat and head.
743 One born from the golden egg, Brahma.
744 From the root for residing.
Presumably, this means the residing of love and desire.
745 Sixty-four arts are mentioned as
skills of kama kala, such as in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra (listed in the third
chapter of the first book). These include skills like singing, playing of
musical instruments, dancing, writing, drawing, tailoring, cooking, knowledge
of languages, solving puzzles and so on.
All the beings came under
subjugation, but not Shiva, the lord of ganas. O sage! The efforts made by
Vasanta and Madana were futile. Bereft of his pride, he returned to my abode.
He prostrated himself before me, Vidhatri. O sage! Despondent, bereft of pride
and in piteous tones, he spoke to me. Kama said, "O Brahma! Shambhu is
devoted to yoga and cannot be deluded. I do not possess the strength, nor does
anyone else, to delude Shambhu. O Brahma! Along with my friends, I made many
kinds of efforts. Rati also tried everything. But against Shiva, all those were
unsuccessful. O Brahma! O father! O sage!746 Hear about the many
kinds of attempts we made to delude Hara. Shambhu was in samadhi and had
controlled his senses. I tried to agitate Rudra with a fragrant breeze that was
cool and forceful. It always causes delusion. I used that against the
three-eyed Mahadeva, who was in samadhi. I fixed my own five arrows to the bow.
Along with my companions, I circled around him. As soon as I entered, all
beings came under my control. But along with his ganas, the lord Shankara was
unperturbed. O Vidhatri! When the lord of pramathas went to the Himalayas, I,
Rati and Vasanta also went there. When Rudra went to Meru, Nagakeshara 747
or Kailasa, I also went there. On the occasions when Hara got out of his
samadhi, I arranged for a pair of chakravaka birds748 to be placed
in front of him. O Brahma! I arranged for those birds to repeatedly make
gestures with their brows and indulge in many kinds of excellent activities
couples engage in. Along with my companions, I placed many kinds of animals and
birds in front of Nilakantha Mahadeva, seeking to entice and delude him.
Couples of peacocks engaged in such amorous activities, seeking to entice him.
They exhibited many kinds of gaits, in front of him and along his sides. My
arrows could not find any weakness in him. O lord of the worlds! I am telling
you the truth. I do not have the capacity to delude. Vasanta also made efforts
to bring about delusion. O immensely fortulate one! Hear about that. This is
true. I am telling you the truth. At the place where Hara was, he made many
kinds of flowers bloom-champaka, keshara, bala, karana, patala, nagakeshara,
punnaga, kimshuka, ketaki, fragrant mallika and clumps of kurubaka. 749
The lakes were filled with blossoming lotuses and Malaya breeze blew. He made
efforts to make the hermitage in the mountains very fragrant. Flowering
creepers were made to twine around the trees, as if they were resting on the
laps of trees, deep in love. On seeing the trees laden with flowers and on
inhaling the fragrant breeze, even sages come under the subjugation of desire,
not to speak of others. But it is true that no reason for Shambhu's delusion
was noticed. Shankara did not exhibit any feeling towards me, not even one of
rage. On seeing all this and learning about his sentiments, I will refrain from
making any attempt to delude Shambhu. That is what I am telling you. When he
gives up his samadhi, we cannot remain in the vision of his sight, not even for
an instant. We are incapable of remaining there. Who will delude Rudra? His
eyes blaze like the fire. With his mass of matted hair, he is fierce. O Brahma!
He is like a horned animal. On seeing this, who is capable of standing before
him?" I, the four-faced one, heard the words uttered by the one who
originated from the mind. Though I wished to, I could not say anything. I
remained immersed in thoughts. The one who originated from the mind was
incapable of deluding Hara. O sage! Hearing his words, I was filled with great
misery."
___________________
744 Since Kama is speaking to Brahma and
not to Narada, this is an inconsistency.
747 Identified with Mount Naga in the
Fergana range in Central Asia.
748 Chakravaka is the Brahminy duck.
749 Keshara (also known as nagakeshara)
is a flowering tree, bala is a kind of jasmine, karana probably means karnora
(oleander), patala is rose, punnaga is white lotus and kurubaka is amaranth.
""From my sighs, many
strong beings emerged. As soon as they originated, they lolled their tongues.
Those lolling tongues were fearful. All of them played on innumerable musical
instruments. There were drums and many other things.
There was a terrible and loud roar.
Emerging from my deep sighs, those gigantic beings stood in front of me,
Brahma. They said, "Kill. Slice." Hearing their words of
"Kill" and "Slice", addressed to me, Vidhatri, Kama started
to speak to me. O sage! Seeing those many beings, Madana spoke to me. Smara
restrained those beings who stood in front of Brahma. Kama said, "O
Brahma! O lord of subjects! O one who engineered every kind of creation! Who
are these brave ones who have originated? They are extremely cruel and
terrible. O Vidhatri! What task will they embark on? Where will they be
established? What are their names? Where will they be employed? Please tell me
that. Employ them in your own tasks. Give them a place to reside in. Give them
names. O lord of devas! After that, show me your compassion and assign an appropriate
task to me." O sage! Hearing his words, I, the creator of the worlds,
spoke to Madana and instructed him about his task. Brahma said, "As soon
as they originated, they uttered the word 'Kill'.
Since they repeatedly said this,
their names will be Maras.750 These beings will always create
impediments for creatures. O Kama! However, since they are addicted to desire,
they will not prevent you from your tasks. O one who originated from the mind!
Their primary task will be to follow you. There is no doubt that they will
always be your aides. Wherever you go, engaged in your task, they will always
go there and act as your aides. They will cause confusion in the senses and
make people come under the subjugation of your weapons. They will always impede
learned ones who follow the path of jnana." O supreme among sages! Hearing
my words, along with Rati and his great follower,751 his face turned
somewhat cheerful. Hearing these words, all those beings surrounded me and
Madana on every side. Having surrounded us, each of them assumed whatever form
he wished. Brahma spoke to Smara affectionately and instructed him. "To
delude Hara, go again, along with these aides. Along with these Maras, make
efforts to distract his mind, so that Shambhu is deluded and seeks to accept a
wife." Hearing these words, Kama spoke to me again. O devarshi! Realizing
how important this was, he prostrated himself and addressed me in words full of
humility. Kama said, "I have already made proper efforts to delude him. O
father! However, he was not deluded, and it will not happen now. However, since
I think your views are important, I will go there again with my wife and with
these Maras. I will follow your command. But I am certain that there will be no
delusion. O Vidhatri! I am scared that he will reduce my body to ashes." O
lord among sages! Saying this, along with Spring, Rati and the large number of
Maras, Kama went to Shiva's abode. As was the case earlier, the one who
originated from the mind exhibited his powers. He and Vasanta used their
intelligence to devise many kinds of means. The large number of Maras also made
diverse efforts. But there was no delusion of any kind in Shambhu, the
paramatman. At this, Smara again returned to my residence. The large number of
Maras had lost their pride. They were depressed and stood there. O son! Having
lost his enthusiasm, Kama prostrated himself and stood in front of me, along
with the Maras and Spring, all of whom had lost their pride. He said, "O
Vidhatri! We made even greater efforts than we did last time.
________________
750 From the root word for killing.
751 Vasanta.
However, he was immersed deep in
dhyana and there was no delusion. Since he is full of compassion, my body was
not reduced to ashes. My earlier good merits may also have been a reason. The
lord was indifferent. O one who originated from a lotus! If you wish that Hara
should take a wife, you should think of some other means. Having lost my pride,
this is what I think." Saying this, along with his companions, Kama returned
to his own residence. Smara prostrated himself before me and remembered
Shambhu, the one who is affectionate towards the distressed and the one who
dispels pride.'"
“Narada Vidhatri! fortunate one!
Since your mind is attached to Shiva, you are blessed. You have spoken about
the excellent conduct of Shankara, the paramatman. Along with those beings and
along with Rati, Kama returned to his own residence. What happened then and
what means did you resort to? Please tell me that now.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O Narada!
With a great deal of love, listen to the conduct of the one who wears the moon
on his crest. As soon as a man hears about this, he becomes indifferent. With
his companions, Kama returned to his own residence. Hear from me about what
happened next and about his conduct. 752 O Narada! Having lost my
pride, there was great surprise in my heart. My wishes not having been met, my
mind was filled with unhappiness. My mind grieved in many kinds of ways. How
will he accept a woman? Shankara is indifferent and has conquered his atman. He
is devoted to yoga. O sage! In this way, having lost my pride, I reflected in
many kinds of ways. Full of devotion, I remembered Hari. I was born from his
body, and he has Shiva in his atman. I praised him with auspicious hymns and my
words were full of distress. Hearing this, the lord swiftly manifested himself
in front of me. He was four-armed, and his eyes were like lotuses. He held a
conch shell, a lotus and a mace. He was clad in dazzling yellow garments and
his complexion was dark. Hari always loves his devotees. On seeing him in that
form, I repeatedly sought refuge with him. I praised him again, in words full
of love. My voice choked with tears. Hari heard the praise and was extremely
pleased. He takes away the miseries of his devotees and Brahma had sought
refuge with him. He spoke to me. Hari said, "O Vidhatri! O Brahma! O
immensely fortunate one! You are the creator of the worlds, and you are blessed.
Why have you remembered me now? Why have you praised me? What is the great
misery you face? In front of me, tell me now. I will pacify everything. There
is no need to reflect on this." Brahma replied, "O lord of devas! O
Rama's lord! O one who bestows honours! Listen to my words. Hearing this, show
me your compassion. Act so as to take away my grief. I sent Kama to delude
Rudra. O Vishnu! He went, surrounded by his companions and relatives, along
with the Maras. He made many kinds of efforts, but they were unsuccessful. He
is a yogi who is impartial in outlook, and he was not deluded." Hearing
these words, Hari was surprised and spoke to me. He knows everything and
possesses every kind of jnana. He is knowledgeable about Shiva's tattvas.
Vishnu said, "O grandfather! How is it that you developed this kind of
inclination?
_____________
752 Shiva's conduct.
O Brahma! Use your intelligence to
reflect on everything and tell me the truth." Brahma replied, "O
father! Listen to what happened. Your maya deludes everyone and the entire
universe succumbs to it. This leads to happiness and misery and everything
else. Because of this, I got ready to commit a sin. O lord of devas! Listen to
what happened. Following your command, I will tell you. At the beginning of
creation, ten sons were born to me, Daksha and others. An extremely beautiful
woman was born from my speech. Dharma was born from my chest, Kama was born
from my mind and the others were born from parts of my body. O Hari! When I saw
the daughter who had been born, I was filled with delusion. Confounded by your
maya, I looked at her with a wicked glance. At that instant, Hara arrived there
and reprimanded me and my sons. Taking himself to be the supreme lord, he
rebuked all of us. He possesses jnana. He is a yogi. He is the lord of
serpents, and he has conquered his senses. O Hari! Even though he manifested
himself as my son, he rebuked me to my face. This is my great misery and I have
now stated it in your presence. If he accepts a wife, I will be happy and the sorrows
in my mind will be destroyed. O Keshava! That is the reason I have sought
refuge with you." Hearing the words of Brahma, that is me, Madhusudana
laughed.'""
""He delighted me by
speaking to me, the creator. Vishnu said, "O Vidhatri! Listen to all my
words, so that all your confusion is dispelled. This is supreme in meaning and
is in conformity with the Vedas and the agama texts. O Vidhatri! How has this
great folly generated in your mind? You are the one who uttered all the Vedas.
You are the creator of all the worlds. Yet, you have turned evil-minded. Cast
off this lassitude. Let your intelligence not be such that your mind is wicked.
What do all the Vedas say? Who do they praise? With a virtuous mind, remember
that. O evil-minded one! You think of Parameshvara Rudra as your own son. O
Vidhatri! Though you are the one who uttered the Vedas, you have forgotten all
vijnana. Taking Shankara to be an ordinary god, you hate him. Your good
intelligence has left. Instead, evil intelligence has arrived. I will tell you
about the truth and the determination. Listen with a virtuous intelligence. He
is the one whom the nigama texts have described as the true cause of creation.
Shiva is the creator of everything, the preserver and the destroyer. He is
greater than the greatest. He is the supreme brahman. He is the supreme lord.
He is nirguna and eternal. He cannot be ascertained. He is without
transformation. He is the paramatman. He is without a second. He does not
decay. He is infinite. He is the destroyer. He is the lord who pervades
everything. He is Parameshvara. For purposes of creation, preservation and
destruction, he divides himself into the three gunas. He is spoken of as
Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. But he is beyond sattva, rajas and tamas. He is
distinct from maya. He is accomplished in maya, but he is indifferent towards
maya. He possesses gunas but is independent of them. He finds bliss within
himself. He does not have an alternative. He finds delight within his own
atman. He is without the opposite pair of sentiments. His excellent image is
under the control of his devotees. He is a yogi who is always engaged in yoga.
He is the one who shows the path of yoga. He takes away pride. He is the lord
of the worlds. He is always affectionate towards the distressed. Such is the
lord, and you think of him as your own son. Give up such wicked jnana and seek
refuge with him. With all your heart worship Shambhu. That is the way he is
satisfied. O Brahma! If there is a thought in your mind that Shankara should
take a wife, perform excellent austerities. Remember Shiva. Perform dhyana on
Shivaa, with the objective of accomplishing your desire. If Deveshi is pleased,
every task will be accomplished. If Shivaa assumes gunas and takes an avatara,
if she becomes someone's daughter in this world, then she will certainly become
his wife. O Brahma! Command Daksha to make efforts to perform austerities with
devotion, so that she is born as his daughter, for the sake of becoming Shiva's
wife. O son! It is well known that both Shiva and Shivaa are under the control
of their devotees. Though they are forms of the supreme brahman, following
their own wills, they assume gunas and are born." At that time, addressing
me in this way, my lord remembered Shiva, his own lord. Having obtained his
compassion, he obtained jnana and spoke to me. Vishnu continued, "O
Vidhatri! Remember the words that Shankara had spoken earlier on his own when
we had been born and had entreated him. You have forgotten all of that.
Shambhu's maya is truly blessed. You have been confounded in every way by that.
Other than Shiva, no one can fathom it. Shiva is nirguna. But out of his own
will, he assumed gunas and was born. Through his own powers and in his own
excellent pastimes, he created me and you. At that time, Lord Shambhu
instructed you to embark on the task of creation. O Brahma! The undecaying and
original cause gave me the task of preservation. Having obtained our stations,
we bowed our heads and joined our hands in salutation. We said, 'O Sarvesha!
You should also assume gunas and take an avatara. Thus addressed, the lord
smiled and was filled with compassion. The one who is accomplished in many
kinds of pastimes was extremely pleased and looked up at the firmament. He
said, 'O Vishnu! O Vidhatri! My supreme form will manifest itself from my body
and will be famous in the world under the name of Rudra. He is my complete form
and must always be worshipped by both of you. He will ensure everything wished
for. He will be the lord of dissolution and the controller of gunas. Without
any differentiation, he will practice excellent yoga. All three divinities are
my forms. But in particular, Hara is complete. O sons! Uma will also have three
kinds of forms. Under the name of Lakshmi, she will be Hari's wife. As Sarasvati,
she will be Brahma's wife. In her complete form, she will be named Sati and
will become Rudra's wife. Having shown his compassion and having said this,
Maheshvara vanished. We were filled with joy and returned to our respective
abodes to engage in our respective tasks. O Brahma! In the course of time, we
acquired our wives, but not Shankara. He has himself taken an avatara as Rudra
and resides in Kailasa. O lord of subjects! Shivaa will also take an avatara
under the name of Sati. One should devise a means and make efforts so that this
task is carried out." Having shown me great compassion and having said
this, Vishnu vanished. I rejoiced greatly and my jealousy went away.'"”
"Narada Tarada said, 'O
Brahma! O father! O immensely wise one! O supreme among eloquent ones! Please
tell me what happened after Vishnu departed. O Vidhatri! What did you wish to
do?"""
"Brahma replied, 'O noble son
of a brahmana! Listen attentively. When Bhagavan Vishnu departed, I will
certainly tell you what I did. She is pure. She is the form of the supreme
brahman. True knowledge and false knowledge are in her atman. I praised Devi
Jagaddhatri753 Durga, who is always loved by Shambhu. She pervades
everything. She is eternal and without a support. She is without agitation. She
is the mother of the three divinities. She is grosser than the grossest but is
without a form. "O Deveshi! You are consciousness. You are supreme bliss.
Your form is that of the paramatman. Be pleased with me and accomplish my task.
I prostrate myself before you."
______________
753 The
mother of the universe.
O sage! In this way, I praised
Yoganidra.754 O devarshi! Chandika manifested herself in front of
me. She had a beautiful form, with the gentle hue of collyrium. She was
four-armed and divine. She was astride a lion and one of her hands was in
varada mudra. Her hair was adorned with pearls and jewels. Her face was like
the autumn moon. The sparking moon was on her forehead. She was three-eyed and
beautiful in all her limbs. The nails on her lotus feet were radiant. O sage! I
saw Uma, Shiva's Shakti, in front of me. Full of devotion, I lowered my lofty
shoulders. I prostrated myself and praised her. Brahma said, "I bow down.
I prostrate myself before the one who has the form of pravritti and nivritti in
the universe. You are the form of creation and preservation. You are the
excellent power behind mobile and immobile objects. You are the one who
confounds everyone. You are Shri, always a garland around Keshava's image. As
someone who holds up the universe, everything is inside you. Earlier, you were
Maheshi, the cause behind creation. You are the destroyer of the three worlds.
You are beyond the gunas. You are the agreeable one who is inside yogis. You
are the substance in paramanus. 755 1 prostrate myself before you.
You are perceived in the hearts of yogis. You manifest yourself in the path of
dhyana followed by yogis. You are illumination, purity and non-attachment. The
many kinds of knowledge find a refuge in you. You are hidden and not manifest.
Your form is infinite. You are radiant. As time, you pervade the universe. You
are responsible for the seed of transformation. You are eternal. But you are
also the gunas in all kinds of beings. O Shivaa! You are the refuge of the
three gunas, but you are also beyond them. They are spoken of as sattva, rajas
and tamas. But you are without transformation and these three originate in you.
In the form of the gunas, you are the single cause behind the universe. The
brahman is inside you. You create, preserve and destroy. You are the seed of
the entire universe. You are known as one whose form is jnana. You are always
engaged in the welfare of the universe. O Shiva's wife! I prostrate myself
before you." Hearing my words, Kali, the creator of the worlds, was
pleased. The creator and mother of the universe addressed me in words that were
like those spoken by ordinary people. Devi asked, "O Brahma! Why have you
praised me? Please tell me. If anyone has abused you, please quickly tell me. I
have manifested myself in front of you. I will certainly accomplish your
objective. Therefore, let me know what you wish, and I will certainly do what
you want.""
"Brahma said, 'Brahma replied,
"O Devi! O Maheshani! Listen and take pity on me. You know everything
about my have commanded me, I will you. O Deveshi! Earlier, your husband,
Shiva, manifested himself through my forehead. Known as Rudra, he is a yogi and
resides in Kailasa. The lord of beings is performing austerities. He is alone
and without a second. He is without a wife and is indifferent. He has no
second. O Sati! Since he does not look at anyone else, please bemuse him. With
the exception of you, no one else will be able to entice his mind. Therefore,
assume a form that will bemuse Hara. O Shivaa! Become Daksha's daughter and
Rudra's wife. You assume the form of Lakshmi and cause delight to Keshava. For
the welfare of the universe, act like that. Merely because I looked at a woman
with eyes of desire, Vrishadhvaja rebuked me. O Devi! How will he voluntarily
take a woman? If Hara does not accept a wife, how will this auspicious creation
continue? He is the cause behind the beginning, the middle and the end. But he
is indifferent. That is the reason I am overcome by thoughts. To ensure
benefit, there is no other refuge but you. __________________
754 The goddess who is the sleep (nidra)
of yoga.
755 Atoms.
For the benefit of the universe,
please go through this hardship. Vishnu is incapable of confounding him, or
Lakshmi, or the one who originated from the mind or I. O mother of the
universe! There is no one other than you who can do this. O one who is divine
in form! O Maheshvari! Therefore, become Daksha's daughter. Because of my
devotion, become the wife of the yogi and entice Ishvara. O Deveshi! On the
shores of the ocean of milk, Daksha is performing austerities. He is firm in
his vows and has fixed his mind on you." Shivaa heard my words and started
to think. Surprised in her mind, the mother of the universe spoke to me. Devi
said, "O one who uttered the Vedas! O one who created the universe! This
is an extremely great wonder. O one who possesses great jnana! O Vidhatri! What
is a person like you saying? O Vidhatri! Great delusion has been generated in
your mind and that is the cause of misery. Hara is indifferent and you desire
to confound him. O Vidhatri! You are seeking a boon from me so as to delude
Hara. What gain will occur as a result of this? He is without delusion and
without an alternative. Shambhu is spoken of as the supreme brahman. He is
nirguna and without transformation. I am always his servant. I always follow
his commands. In his complete form, Shiva has the name of Rudra. Though he is
independent, to save the devotees, Parameshvara has manifested himself in this
form. Lord Shiva is Hari and Vidhatri. He is not inferior to anyone else. He is
lovingly engaged in yoga. He is the lord of maya but does not succumb to maya.
He is greater than the greatest. O Brahma! You think of him as a son, as an
ordinary god. That is the reason, deluded by ignorance, you wish to confound
him. This is the truth. Yet, if I do not grant a boon, there will be deviation
from the policy of the Vedas.756 What will I do, so that Lord
Maheshvara is not angry with me?" Reflecting this, Shivaa remembered
Mahesha in her mind. Having obtained Shiva's permission, Durga spoke to me.
Durga said, "O Brahma! Everything that you have said is the truth. Other
than me, there is no one in this world who can entice Shankara. If Hara does
not take a wife, then eternal creation cannot continue. What you have stated is
certainly true. I will therefore make efforts so that Hara takes a wife. O
Vidhatri! I will entice him myself. I will assume the form of Sati and remain
under his control. I will become his beloved, just as the immensely fortunate
Lakshmi is Vishnu's. O Vidhatri! Through his favours, I will make efforts so
that he remains under my control. In the form of Sati, I will be born through
Daksha's wife. O grandfather! Through my pastimes, I will then serve Shankara.
Just as other creatures on earth are subservient to their wives, through my
devotion, Hara will also become subservient to a woman." Shivaa, the
mother of the universe, addressed me in this way. O son! While I looked on, she
vanished from the spot. When she had vanished, I, the grandfather of the
worlds, went to my own sons and described to them everything that had
occurred.'",
“Narada said, 'O Brahma! O wise
one! O unblemished one! O supreme among Shambhu's devotees! You have properly
described to me Shiva and Shivaa's conduct. This has done me good, and my birth
has been purified. Please tell me now about the austerities Daksha, firm in his
vows, practiced. What boon did he obtain from Devi and how did she become
Daksha's daughter?'""
_____________________
756 When a boon is sought, it must be
given.
"Brahma replied, 'O Narada!
Listen. You are blessed. All the sages regard you with devotion. I will tell
you about how Daksha, excellent in his vows, tormented himself through
austerities and obtained a boon. Because of my instruction, the extremely
intelligent and great lord, Daksha, controlled himself and started to worship
Devi, the mother of the universe, so that his wish could be satisfied. He went
to the northern shore of the ocean of milk and fixed her in his heart. Wishing
to directly see Ambika, he started to torment himself through austerities.
Daksha performed austerities for three thousand divine years. Firm in his vows,
he controlled his atman. He subsisted on air. He fasted. He subsisted on water.
He only ate leaves. He spent his time in this way, thinking of the one who
pervades the universe. He spent time in such austerities, devoting to
performing dhyana on Durga. Excellent in his vows, he followed many different
niyamas and worshipped Devi. O supreme among sages! Daksha observed yama and
other rites. He worshipped the mother of the universe and Shivaa manifested
herself in front of him. He directly saw the mother of the universe, the one
who pervades the universe. At this, Prajapati Daksha thought that he had been
successful in his objective. Kalika was astride a lion. She was dark, with a
beautiful face. She possessed four arms with the varada and abhaya mudras, a
blue lotus and a sword is her hands. She was beautiful and her eyes were red.
The mother of the universe wore her beautiful hair loose. He prostrated himself
and praised the extremely radiant one with wonderful and eloquent
words."""
""Daksha said, "O
mother of the universe! O Mahamaya! O Maheshvari! O one who rules over the
universe! I prostrate myself before you. It is because of your compassion that
you have shown your form to me. O original one! O Bhagavati! Please show me
your favours. O one who is Shiva's form! Please show me your grace. Be pleased
with me. O one who bestows boons on your devotees! O one who pervades the
universe with maya! I bow down before you." Daksha controlled his atman
and praised Maheshani in this way. O sage! Though she herself knew that he
wished for, she spoke to him. Devi replied, "O Daksha! This great devotion
of yours has satisfied me. Ask for the boon you desire. There is nothing that
cannot be given to you." Hearing the words of the mother of the universe,
Daksha Prajapati was filled with great joy. He pronounced her name repeatedly
and spoke to Shivaa. Daksha said, "O mother of the universe! O Mahamaya!
If you wish to bestow a boon on me, please listen to my words. Be pleased with
me and satisfy my desire. My lord, Shiva, has been born as Brahma's son. His
name is Rudra, and he is a complete avatara of the paramatman. If you are not
born in an avatara, who can be his wife? O Shivaa! To entice Mahesha, please
take an incarnation on earth. With the exception of you, no one has the
capacity to delude him. Therefore, become my daughter now and become Hara's
wife. Exhibit your excellent pastimes and become the one who will delude Hara.
O Devi! This is the boon I want. In front of you, I have spoken the truth. This
accomplishes my own objective, but it also accomplishes the objective of the
entire universe, of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. I have been sent by Brahma."
Hearing the words of the lord of subjects, the mother of the universe
remembered Shiva in her mind. She smiled and replied. Devi said, "O son! 757
O Prajapati Daksha! Listen to my supreme words. I am telling you truthfully
that I am extremely pleased with your devotion and will bestow everything on
you. O Daksha! I will be born as your daughter and will become his wife,
Maheshvari.
__________________
757 The word used is tata, which can mean
both father and son. Given what follows, it can also be translated as father.
Since you have conquered me with
your devotion, there is no doubt about this. I will make efforts and will
undertake extremely difficult austerities. O unblemished one! I can become
Hara's wife only after I have obtained a boon from him. Otherwise, there is no
means of ensuring success in the task. The lord is indifferent. Sadashiva is
complete and deserves to be worshipped by Vidhatri and Vishnu. In birth after
birth, I have always been his beloved and his servant maid. My lord, Shambhu,
assumes many different kinds of forms. It is because of the power of his boon
that he manifested himself through Vidhatri's eyebrows. Following his command
and as a result of his boon, I will also incarnate myself on earth. O son! I
have got to know the message. Return to your own residence. I will shortly
become your daughter and Hara's wife." Addressing Daksha in these virtuous
words, in her mind, she obtained Shiva's permission. Remembering Shiva's lotus
feet, Devi spoke again. "O Prajapati! But you must take a pledge in your
mind. Hear this. Know that this is the truth and is not false. When I am born
again, if you do not show respect towards me, I will cast aside my body and
myself assume a different form. This is the truth. O Prajapati! This is the
boon that has been granted to you, for every secondary cycle of creation. I
will become your daughter and will become Hara's beloved." Maheshani spoke
in this way to Daksha, the foremost among the Prajapatis. While Daksha looked
on directly, she instantly vanished. When Durga had vanished, Daksha was
delighted that she would become his daughter. He returned to his own
abode.'""
"Narada Tarada said, 'O
Brahma! O Vidhatri! O immensely wise one! O eloquent one! O supreme among
eloquent ones! Daksha returned home happily. What happened next?'""
"Brahma replied, 'Cheerful in
his mind, Daksha Prajapati returned to his own hermitage. Following my command,
he undertook many kinds of mental creation. On seeing that his creation of
subjects was not being extended, Daksha Prajapati reported this to his father,
me, Brahma. Daksa said, "O Brahma! O father! O lord of subjects! O lord!
These subjects are not increasing. Everything I have created remains stable. O
lord of subjects! What will I do? How can they flourish on their own? Please
tell me about the means and there is no doubt that I will create
subjects." Brahma replied, "O Daksha Prajapati! O son! Listen to my
supreme words and act accordingly. O best among gods! Shiva will ensure what is
beneficial. O Prajapati! Panchajana's daughter is beautiful. O lord of subjects!
Her name is Asikni.758 Accept her as your wife. Through the dharma
of intercourse with a beautiful woman, create subjects again. Through this
method, many beautiful women will be born." Following my command and the
dharma of physical intercourse, he married Virana's daughter and had subjects
through her. Through his own wife, Virini, Daksha Prajapati had sons who were
known as Haryashvas. O sage! All these sons were identical in dharma and
conduct. They were always devoted to their father and followed the path
indicated in the Vedas. O son! Following the words spoken by their father, so
as to create subjects, Daksha's sons went to the western direction to perform
austerities. They went to the supremely purifying tirtha of Lake Narayana, at
the place where the divine River Sindhu has a confluence with the ocean.
______________
758 Asikni is sometimes known as Virani
(Virini), Virana's daughter.
As soon as they touched the water,
their intelligence was kindled. The dharma of Paramahamsas759
completely cleansed their impurities. So as to increase subjects, those
excellent ones practiced austerities there. Daksha's sons were firm in their
resolve to obey their father and controlled themselves. O Narada! You got to
know that they were performing austerities for creation. You went there and
repeatedly addressed them lovingly, creating an impediment. "O Haryashvas!
O Daksha's sons! Without having seen the world, how have you embarked on this
task of creation?" You affectionately told them this. The Haryashvas heard
your words attentively. Intent on creation, all of them thought about this a
lot. "How can a person understand his father's command if he does not
comprehend what the excellent sacred texts say about nivritti? Having
understood, how can one trust the gunas and engage in creation?" Having
determined this, all those sons, with excellent intelligence, prostrated
themselves before you and embarked on the task of circumambulation. They
followed the path of nivritti. O sage! O Narada! With your mind fixed on
Shambhu, you wandered around the worlds. You were indifferent and your mind was
fixed on following Mahesha. A long period of time elapsed and my son,
Prajapati, got to know his sons had been destroyed because of what Narada had
done. Confounded by Shiva's maya, Daksha repeatedly grieved a lot. "Many
sons are a reason for sorrow." I went and cheerfully comforted Daksha, my
son. I told him about serenity and that destiny was powerful. Comforted by me,
through Panchajana's daughter, Daksha had one thousand sons known as
Sabalashvas. Obeying their father and firm in their vows, so as to become
successful in the creation of subjects, they followed the direction traversed
by their brothers. When they touched the water, their sins were destroyed, and
they became sparkling. They tormented themselves through great austerities
there. They were excellent in their vows and meditated on the brahman. O
Narada! Knowing that they were about to embark on the creation of subjects, you
went there. Remembering the path followed by Ishvara, 760 you
repeated your earlier words to them. O sage! Infallible in your insight, you
showed them the path followed by their brothers. Those sons followed the path
traversed by their brothers and you went upwards. My son, Daksha Prajapati, saw
many kinds of evil portents. He was amazed and miserable in his mind. He heard
a repetition of what you had done earlier and was extremely sad. He grieved
because his sons had been destroyed. As a result of his great misery on account
of his sons, he lost his senses. At that time, as an act of destiny and to show
compassion towards him, you went there. But angry at you, Daksha addressed you
in wicked words. Daksha was overwhelmed by sorrow and his lips quivered in
rage. As soon as you approached, he addressed you in shameful and reprehensible
words. Daksha said, "O foremost among wicked ones! O one who bears the
marks of a virtuous person! What have you done? You have showed my sons the
path of a mendicant, one that is not virtuous. They have not been freed from
their three debts.761 You have created impediments for them, both in
this world and in the next one. This is not beneficial. You are cruel and
deceitful. Without repaying the three debts, if a man leaves the house,
abandoning his father and his mother, and embarks on sannyasa in the pursuit of
moksha, he heads downwards. You are cruel, without any sense of shame. You take
away fame from the minds of children. Foolish in intelligence, why do you roam
around amidst Hari's attendants?
______________
759 Supreme Hamsas or sadhakas.
760 Of indifference.
761 To devas, rishis and ancestors. The
first two are respectively paid through worship and studying, the third
requires the generation of offspring.
O worst of the worst! You have repeatedly
caused me injury. Therefore, as you roam around the worlds, you will never be
able to remain stationary in any one place." Though you are revered by the
virtuous, in his sorrow, Daksha cursed you in this way. Confounded by Shiva's
maya, he did not understand Ishvara's desire. O sage! Indifferent in your
intelligence, you accepted the curse. All sadhakas who follow the brahman
accept it in this way and take it on themselves.'""
“Brahma said, 'O divine sage!
Meanwhile, knowing about your conduct, I, the grandfather of the worlds, was
greatly delighted and swiftly arrived there. As had been the case earlier, I
comforted Daksha. Using my discrimination, I attracted his love and made him
extremely affectionate towards you. O noble sage! Full of great love, I
comforted you, my son who is loved by devas. Having assured both of you, I
returned to my own residence. Comforted by me, through his own wife, Daksha
Prajapati had sixty revered daughters, who were extremely fortunate. Attentive,
he married them to Dharma and others. O lord among sages! I will tell you about
them. Listen with great love. O sage! In the proper way, Daksha bestowed ten
daughters on Dharma. He bestowed thirteen on the sage Kashyapa and twenty-seven
on the moon. He bestowed two daughters each on Bhrigu, Angiras and Krishashva.
The others were bestowed on Tarkshya. The offspring of these daughters filled
the three worlds. I am scared of describing this in detail."""
""Some say that Shivaa was
the eldest, others that she was in the middle. Still others say that she was
the youngest of them all. All three views are correct in different kalpas. When
the daughters were born, along with his wife, Daksha Prajapati cheerfully
meditated on the mother of the universe. He praised her in words full of love,
his voice faltering. He prostrated himself repeatedly and humbly joined his
hands in salutation. Devi was delighted at this and reflected in her mind.
"So as to keep my promise, I will take an avatara through Virini." O
supreme among sages! Having decided this in her mind, the mother of the
universe told Daksha this and he became radiant. At an auspicious muhurta,
Daksha happily deposited his seed in his wife. Full of compassion, Shivaa
started to reside in the mind of Daksha's wife. All the signs of pregnancy
started to show. O son! Virini became even more radiant and was happy in her
mind. Through the powers of Shivaa residing within her, she exhibited all the
extremely auspicious signs. In accordance with his lineage, prosperity and the
shruti texts, with a lofty mind, Daksha happily performed all the excellent
rites, pumsavana and the others. Along with those rites, there were great
festivities. As they desired, Prajapati donated riches to brahmanas. Meanwhile,
Hari and the other gods got to know that the goddess Virini had conceived and
were filled with joy. All of them arrived there and praised the mother of the
universe. They repeatedly prostrated themselves before the one who ensures the
welfare of the worlds. Delighted in their minds, they praised Daksha Prajapati
and Virini in many kinds of ways and returned to their own abodes. O Narada!
Through those nine months, the customary rites were observed. O sage! When the
tenth month was completed, Shivaa manifested herself before her mother. The
muhurta was full of bliss and the moon, the planets and the stars were
favourable. As soon as she was born, Prajapati was filled with great joy. On
seeing her great energy, he thought that this was indeed Devi. Flowers were
showered down from above and the clouds showered down water. O lord among
sages! As soon as she was born, the directions instantly turned serene. The
gods assembled in the firmament and played on auspicious musical instruments.
The fires blazed in serenity. Everything was extremely auspicious.'""
""On seeing that the
mother of the universe had been born through Virini, Daksha joined his hands in
salutation and prostrating himself, devotedly praised her in many ways. Daksha
said, "O Maheshani! I prostrate myself before you. O Jagadamba!762
O eternal one! O Mahadevi! O true one! O one whose form is the truth! Please
show me your compassion. O Shivaa! O serene one! O Mahamaya! O Yoganidra! O one
who pervades the universe! O one who brings about everything that is
auspicious! Those who know the Vedas speak about you and I prostrate myself
before you. Formerly, you are the one who engaged Vidhatri in the creation of
the universe, and he always does that. I prostrate myself before the supreme
Maheshvari, the mother of the universe. You are the one who engaged Vishnu in
the preservation of the universe, and he always does that. I prostrate myself
before the supreme Maheshvari, the mother of the universe. You are the one who
engaged Rudra in the destruction of the universe, and he always does that. I
prostrate myself before the supreme Maheshvari, the mother of the universe.
Sattva, rajas and tamas are your forms and you are the one who always does
everything. You are Devi, the mother of the three divinities. O Shivaa! I
prostrate myself before you. O Devi! You are supreme. In their atmans, there
are those who think of you as both vidya and avidya. 763 Objects of
pleasure and emancipation are always in the palms of their hands. O Devi! O
Shivaa! Those who directly see you, the purifying one, are certain to obtain
emancipation. You are the one who manifests vidya and avidya. O mother of the
universe! Those who praise you as Bhavani, Ambika, Jaganmayi and Durga obtain
everything." Shivaa, the mother of the universe, was praised by the
intelligent Daksha in this way. She spoke to Daksha, so that her mother764
could not hear. She confounded everyone else, so that no one other than Daksha
could hear. Parameshvari Shivaa told him the truth. Devi said, "Ο Prajapati!
To obtain me as a daughter, you had worshipped me earlier. Your wishes have now
been met. Continue with your austerities." Having spoken to Daksha in this
way, Devi used her own maya and assumed the form of an infant, crying near her
mother. Hearing her weeping, the women spoke in agitated tones and full of love
and respect, the servant maids arrived there. Seeing the form of Asikni's
daughter, all the women rejoiced. All the inhabitants of the city uttered words
of "Victory". Along with singing and the playing of musical
instruments, there were great festivities. Having seen the auspicious face of
their daughter, Daksha and Asikni were filled with joy. Following the norms of
his lineage and the shruti texts, Daksha performed all the rites. He made donations
to brahmanas and gave riches to others. As was appropriate, there was singing
and dancing everywhere. Many auspicious musical instruments were played. Hari
and all the other devas, along with their companions, and large numbers of
sages arrived to join the appropriate festivities. They saw Daksha's daughter,
Parameshvari, the mother of the universe. All of them bent low humbly and
praised her through auspicious hymns. Delighted, all of them uttered words of
"Victory". Rejoicing, they specially praised Daksha and Virini.
Following their instruction, Daksha named her Uma. Since she possessed sattva
and all the other gunas, she was praised, and he was filled with delight.
Later, the worlds got to know her under other names.
___________________
762 Mother of the universe.
763 Respectively, knowledge and lack of
knowledge (ignorance).
764 Virini.
Those names bring everything that
is auspicious. In particular, they destroy miseries. With his hands joined in
salutation, Daksha bowed down before Hari, me and all the immortals and sages.
Full of devotion, he praised and worshipped us. At this, Vishnu and all the
others praised him. Remembering Shiva and Shivaa, they happily returned to
their own residences. The mother purified the daughter in the proper way.
Following the norms used for feeding infants, she offered her breasts and other
things. The great-souled Daksha and Virini reared her. She grew, like the
digits of the moon during shukla paksha. O supreme among brahmanas! Even when
she was a child, all the pure and virtuous qualities entered her, like all the
agreeable digits enter the moon. Amidst her friends, she followed her own
sentiments and conduct. She would repeatedly etch images of Bharga. As a child,
Shivaa sang excellent songs, but always remembering Sthanu, Hara, Rudra, the
chastiser of Smara. Every day, the couple found that her unmatched compassion
increased. Even in her childhood, she was constantly and repeatedly filled with
devotion. As a child, she possessed all the qualities and illuminated her own
household. She constantly and repeatedly brought satisfaction to her
parents.""”
“Brahma said ‘O Indra mong sages!
On one occasion, I saw Sati standing next to her father. All the essence of the
three worlds was with her. After bowing down to her father, Sati saw us and
honoured both you and me. Following the customs of the world, she cheerfully
and devotedly prostrated herself. After the prostration was over, Sati saw you,
Narada, and I, seated on the seat given by Daksha. I humbly spoke to her.
"O Sati! The omniscient lord of the universe desires you and you desire
him. Obtain the divinity as your husband. He has not accepted anyone else, he
does not accept anyone else and he will not accept anyone else as a wife. O
auspicious one! Such a person, without equal, will be your husband." O
Narada! Having said this, we again remained in Daksha's residence for a long
time. Then, granted permission by him, we returned to our respective abodes. On
hearing this, Daksha was no longer anxious and was filled with delight. He
thought he had obtained a daughter who was Parameshvari herself. When she was a
girl, she engaged in charming pastimes, affectionate towards her devotees.
Having voluntarily assumed the form of a human, she passed this stage of being
a girl. When childhood was over, Sati was in the early phase of youth. Her body
was radiant, and she was enchanting in all her limbs. Daksha, lord of the
worlds, saw that she had attained the early stage of youth. He wondered,
"How will I bestow this daughter on Bharga?" She also desired that
she be bestowed on Bharga. Knowing what her father wanted, she approached her
mother. Humble in her intelligence, Sati Parameshvari sought her mother Virini's
permission to perform auspicious austerities for Shankara.'",
""Sati
was firm in her vow that she would obtain Mahesha as a husband. Having obtained
her mother's permission, she worshipped him in her own house. In the month of
Ashvina, on Nanda tithi,765 she bowed down before Hara and devotedly
worshipped him with cooked rice mixed with molasses and salt.
_____________
765 Tithis (lunar days) are divided into
five groups-Nanda (1st, 6th and 11th), Bhadra (2nd, 7th and 12th), Jaya (3rd,
8th and 13th), Rikta (4th, 9th and 14th) and Purna (5th, 10th and 15th). Nanda
is for happiness, Bhadra for good fortune, Jaya for victory, Rikta for
emptiness (for negative acts, like cleansing) and Purna is for completion.
She spent the month in that way. On
chaturdashi in the month of Kartika, she remembered Parameshvara and worshipped
him with apupas and payasam. On ashtami in krishna paksha in the month of
Margashirsha, Sati worshipped Hara with cooked barley mixed with sesamum and
spent the days in this way. On saptami in shukla paksha in the month of Pousha,
Sati stayed awake at night and worshipped Shiva in the morning with. cooked
rice and krisara. 766 On pournamasi 767 in the month of
Magha, she stayed awake in the night. On the banks of a river, wearing wet
clothes, she worshipped Shankara. On amavasya 768 in the month of
Phalguna, she stayed awake in the night and undertook a special worship,
offering bilva leaves in every yama. On chaturdashi in shukla paksha in the
month of Chaitra, day and night, she remembered Shiva and worshipped him with
palasha and damana flowers.769 She spent the month in this way. On
tritiya in shukla paksha in the month of Vaishakha, Sati worshipped Rudra with
cooked rice mixed with sesamum and spent the month in this way. On the night of
pournamasi in the month of Jyeshtha, she worshipped Shankara with garments and
brihati flowers770 and fasted through the month. On chaturdashi in
shukla paksha in the month of Ashadha, she wore dark clothes and worshipped
Rudra with bribati flowers. On ashtami and chaturdashi in shukla paksha in the
month of Shravana, she worshipped Shiva with sacred threads and auspicious
garments. On trayodashi in krishna paksha in the month of Bhadra, she used many
kinds of flowers and fruits to worship and subsisted only on water on
chaturdashi. She restrained her diet and used many kinds of seasonal flowers
and fruits to spend the months worshipping Shiva and performing japa on him. On
every day and every month, Sati was devoted to worshipping Shiva. Devi, who had
voluntarily assumed a human form, was firm in her vows. In this way, completely
controlled, she completed the entire Nanda vow. Full of love, Sati's mind was
fixed on Shiva and not on anyone else."""
""O sage! Meanwhile, all
the devas and sages, with me and Vishnu at the forefront, arrived to witness
Sati's austerities. Having arrived, devas saw Sati, an embodied form of
success. She was completely immersed in performing dhyana on Shiva, having
attained a state of siddhi. Delighted, all the gods joined their hands in
salutation and bowed down to Sati. The sages bent their shoulders down. Vishnu
and the others were delighted in their minds. Vishnu and all the gods and
rishis were extremely happy. They praised Sati's austerities and were amazed at
it. The sages and gods again prostrated themselves before Sati. They
immediately went to the supreme mountain of Kailasa, loved by Shiva. With
Lakshmi, Bhagavan Vasudeva happily approached Hara. I also approached, with
Savitri. 771 Having gone and seen the lord, with great respect, we
prostrated ourselves. Humbly clasping our hands together, we praised him with
many kinds of hymns. The devas said, "We prostrate ourselves before
Bhagavan, who is everything mobile and immobile. He is Purusha, Mahesha,
Paresha, the great atman. You are the original seed of everything. You are
supreme consciousness.
________________________
766 Krisara is a dish made out of sesamum
and grain.
767 The day of the full moon.
768 The day of the new moon.
769 Damana is Artemisia.
770 Solanum indicum.
771 Meaning the goddess of speech.
You are the brahman. You are
without transformation. You are the Purusha who is beyond Prakriti. You are the
one who created this universe. You are the one who illuminates it. You are the
one from whom everything originated. You are the one in whom everything is
established. You are the one who controls everything. You are superior to all
this. You are supreme and indifferent. You are the great Jord. You see all this
within your own atman. We bow down before that Svayambhu. Your vision is not
impeded. You are the supreme witness. You are in all atmans. You have many
different kinds of forms. You are supreme brahman. It is your atman that heats.
We seek refuge with you. Devas, rishis and siddhas do not know about his state.
How are other beings worthy of knowing him or understanding him? Greatly
virtuous people attached to emancipation wish to see his state. Those
unblemished ones observe the vow of salokya, so that they can obtain that
excellent destination. There is nothing that leads to misery there, birth and
other transformations. However, in your maya, you accept all these and show
compassion towards them. We prostrate ourselves before Paresha, who is
extraordinary in his deeds. We prostrate ourselves before the brahman, the
paramatman who cannot be approached through words. You are without form. You
possess a pervasive form. You are supreme and infinite in your potency. You are
the lord of the three worlds. You are a witness to everything. You go
everywhere. We prostrate ourselves before the one whose atman provides the
illumination. You are nirvana, bliss and prosperity. Jnana is in your atman. We
prostrate ourselves before the pervasive Ishvara. When one ceases to perform
karma, you are easily obtained. We prostrate ourselves before the lord of
kaivalya. We prostrate ourselves before the eternal Purusha Paresha. Kshetrajna
is a form of your atman.772 You are the cause behind every kind of
perception. You are the great one who controls everything. We prostrate
ourselves before the foundation of Prakriti. We bow down before the eternal
Purusha Paresha. We prostrate ourselves before the three-eyed and five-faced
one who is always illuminated. You are the witness to all the senses and the
gunas. We prostrate ourselves before the one who is without a cause. We bow
down to the one who is the cause of the three worlds. We prostrate ourselves
before the one who bestows emancipation. O one who swiftly bestows
emancipation! O one who saves those who seek refuge! O one who is an ocean of
learning of all the agama texts! O Parameshthi! O destination of devotees and
gunas! We prostrate ourselves before you. You are the heat that is latent in
the arani of the gunas. O Maheshvara! We prostrate ourselves before you. O one
whose form is impossible for the foolish to reach! O one who is always there in
the hearts of the learned! O one who frees animals from the noose! O one who
bestows emancipation on devotees! O self-illuminated one! O eternal one! You
are infinite in your learning. O one without decay! O one who is the complete
witness! You are without transformation. You are the foundation for supreme
prosperity. There are those who pursue the four purusharthas. There are those
who desire a virtuous end. Please show them your compassion. O Bhava! We
prostrate ourselves before you. Show us your favours. Your devotees desire you
alone and nothing else. They only sing about your supremely auspicious conduct.
You are without decay. You are the supreme brahman. You are the lord whose form
is not manifest. You are complete and can be reached through the yoga of adhyatma,
773 We praise you. You are bevond the senses. You are without
support. You are the cause and support everything. You are infinite. You are
the original. You are subtle.
__________________
772 Kshetra is the physical body,
kshetrajna is one who knows about the kshetra, that is, the atman.
773 Transcendental knowledge about the
paramatman and the jivatman.
We prostrate ourselves before the
lord of everything. Hari and all the other devas, the worlds and mobile and
immobile objects possess slight differences in names and forms but have all
been created as your portions. This is said to be like flames from the fire or
rays from the sun emerging, residing and disappearing. All these flows are
minor. You are not a deva. You are not an asura. You are not a mortal. You are
not inferior species. You are not a bird. O lord! You are not a man or a woman.
You are not a eunuch. You are nothing existent or non-existent. You are what
remains after all this has been negated. You create the universe. You preserve the
universe. You dissolve the universe. The universe is your atman. We prostrate
ourselves before that Ishvara. Yogis who have restrained karma through yoga see
you, because their consciousness has been purified through yoga. O lord of
yoga! We bow down before you. We prostrate ourselves before the one whose force
is impossible to withstand. You are the three Shaktis. The three are in you.
774 We prostrate ourselves before the pleasant one who preserves. We
prostrate ourselves before the one who is infinite in potency. O Ishana! The
wicked senses find it impossible to reach you. You are beyond all paths. You
are engaged in saving your devotees. We prostrate ourselves before the one
whose rays are hidden. According to capacity, we meditate on your atman. Enough.
Those with foolish intelligence cannot know you. Your greatness cannot be
surpassed. We prostrate ourselves before you, the great lord." In this
way, Vishnu and all the other gods praised Mahadeva. With their shoulders
lowered in virtuous devotion before the lord, they then remained
silent.'""
"Brahma said, 'Shankara heard
the praise uttered Dby by Hari and the others. The origin of creation was
pleased and smiled. Hara saw that Brahma and Vishnu had arrived, along with
their wives. He addressed them in the appropriate way and asked them about the
reason why they had come. Rudra said, "O Hari! O Vidhatri! O devas! O
sages! O sons! Without any fear, tell me the true reason for your arrival here.
Why have you come here? What task must be accomplished now? I wish to hear
everything. My mind has been pleased at your praise." O sage! Thus asked
and goaded by Vishnu, I, the grandfather of all the worlds, addressed Mahadeva.
"O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord! Please listen
to the reason why we have come here, along with the gods and the rishis. O
Vrishadhvaja! There is a special reason for our arrival and praise. We seek the
appropriate help from you. Otherwise, all will not be well with the universe. O
Maheshvara! Some asuras must be killed by me, some must be killed by Hari and
there are others who have to be killed by you. O great lord! Some will be
killed by the son who results from your seed. There will be asuras who can only
be killed through maya. O Shambhu! Hence, the gods can obtain ultimate
happiness only through your favours. Until all the terrible asuras are
destroyed, the welfare of the universe will always be subject to fear. You are
always engaged in yoga, devoid of attachment and hate. Thus, since they are the
subjects of your compassion, some can never be killed by you. O Vrishadhvaja! O
Isha! Until they are restrained, how can the equilibrium of creation,
preservation and destruction be constantly maintained? It will always be
unstable. The tasks of creation, preservation and destruction are carried out
by us. That there is no difference in our forms can only be perceived by those
who are free from maya. We are one in form.
________________
774 The three are Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra
and the three Shaktis are Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Uma.
The differences only because there
are differences in the tasks. Had a difference in tasks not existed, there
would have been no need for differences in forms. The paramatman, Maheshvara,
is one, but divides himself into three. The reason behind this is maya. The
lord is independent in his pastimes. Hari was born from his left side, I from
the right. You were born from Shiva's heart and are Shiva's complete form. We
thus originated in three forms and our powers and forms are different. O
eternal one! You know in your heart that we are the sons of Shiva and Shivaa.
To perform our tasks, Vishnu and I were born along with our wives. O lord!
Following your command, we are engaged in performing our tasks for the worlds.
For the welfare of the universe and to ensure the happiness of the gods, you
should accept a beautiful and auspicious lady as your wife. O Mahesha! Please
listen to something else. I have remembered what transpired earlier. In ancient
times, in your form as Shiva, you yourself told us this. 'O Brahma! This is my
supreme form, and it will manifest itself from your body. It will be known in
the worlds under the name of Rudra. Brahma will carry out the task of creation.
Hari will carry out the task of preservation. In the form of Rudra, I will
assume gunas and will carry out the task of dissolution. I will carry out the
excellent task carried out in the worlds of taking a woman as a wife. I have
thus remembered what you yourself said. Now please fulfil your pledge. O lord!
It was your instruction that I should be the creator. Hari will be the one who
preserves. To carry out dissolution, Shiva himself has manifested through your
form. Without you, we are incapable of carrying out our respective tasks. We
carry out our tasks for the worlds. But you are alone. Please accept a woman.
The one who resides on the lotus is Vishnu's companion and Savitri is mine. O
Shambhu! In that way, accept a beloved now." Hearing the words spoken by me,
Brahma, in front of Hari, Hara, the lord of the worlds, had a smile on his
face."""
""Ishvara said, "O
Brahma! O Hari! I always love you the most. Indeed, on seeing you, I have been
filled with joy. The two of you are distinguished among the gods and are indeed
the lords of the three worlds. Since you are engaged in Bhava's tasks, what you
have said is important. O best among the gods! However, it is not appropriate
for me to marry. It is known that I am a yogi who is indifferent, always
engaged in yoga. I follow the virtuous path of nivritti. I find delight in my
own atman and am without blemish. I possess the body of an avadhuta.775
I possess jnana. I am myself the witness and am devoid of desire. I am without
transformation, never enjoying objects of pleasure. I am always regarded as
impure and inauspicious. That being the case in the world, what need do I have
of a woman? Please tell me. I am only immersed in yoga. I always experience
bliss. A man devoid of jnana desires many things. In the world, it is known
that marriage is the reason for a great bondage. Therefore, I have no
inclination towards it. This is true. I am telling you the truth. I have no
interest in pravritti. But I have thought about this, without any selfish
motive. Therefore, for the welfare of the universe, I will do what you have
said. I think your words are weighty. In addition, I must fulfil my pledge.
Since I am always controlled by my devotees, I will marry. O Hari! O Brahma!
However, in conformity with my pledge, hear about the kind of woman I will
accept. This is in accordance with my words. She must be capable of accepting
parts of my energy. For the sake of a wife, please indicate a yogini whose form
is desirable. She must be a yogini and must be united with me in yoga. She must
be a desirable woman who engages in acts of desire with me. Shiva is without
decay.
______________
775 An avadhuta is an ascetic who has
renounced all worldly attachments. However, it also has the nuance of someone
who has been cast off from society and has been excluded by it.
Learned ones who know the Vedas
describe him as one whose form is energy. They think about that eternal one.
When I immerse myself in thinking about the brahman, the beautiful lady must
not be a cause for any impediments and must not destroy the meditation. You,
Vishnu and I are portions of Shiva, whose form is the brahman. We are extremely
fortunate, and it is appropriate that we should meditate on him. O one who
resides on a lotus! It is because I have thought about this that I have stayed
away from marriage. Therefore, tell me about a wife who will always follow what
I practice. O Brahma! There is yet another part of my pledge that you must hear
about. If she does not trust me, or trust what I say, I will abandon her."
Hearing the words spoken by Hara, Vishnu and I smiled and were delighted in our
minds. I humbly replied, "O lord! O Mahesha! Following the path indicated
by you, I will happily tell you about such a woman. O lord! She is Uma. To
accomplish the task, she has been born in a different form. O lord! In ancient
times, she divided herself into two, as Sarasvati and Lakshmi. The beautiful
Padma 776 is to Vishnu what Sarasvati is to me. To ensure the
welfare of the worlds, she has now assumed a third form. O lord! She has been
born as Daksha's daughter and her name is Sati. She will be an appropriate wife
for you, and she will ensure your welfare. O lord of devas! For your sake, firm
in her vows, she is tormenting herself through austerities. She desires to
obtain you as a husband. Sati is great in her energy. O Maheshvara! Show your
compassion towards her. Go and grant her the boon. Full of affection, grant her
the boon and marry her. She is appropriate. O Shankara! Hari, I and all devas
also desire this. Satisfy our wishes and let us lovingly witness the
festivities. This will be extremely auspicious for the three worlds and will
bring about happiness. There is no doubt that it will dispel every kind of
anxiety that anyone suffers from." After my words were over, Achyuta Madhusudana
spoke to Ishana, who is affectionate towards his devotees and assumes different
forms in his own pastimes. Vishnu said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O
Shankara! O reservoir of compassion! There is no doubt that what Brahma has
said represents everything that I have to say. O Mahesha! Show your compassion
towards me and act accordingly. Cast a favourable glance towards the three
worlds and be its protector. Marry her." O sage! After saying this, the
intelligent Bhagavan Vishnu was silent. The lord, who is affectionate towards
his devotees, smiled as a result of this praise. He agreed. Having obtained his
permission, the sages and gods and both of us were greatly delighted. Taking
leave of Isha, we departed, along with our wives.'""
"Brahma said, 'I have thus
told you how all devas B exhibited their supreme devotion towards Shambhu. O
sage! Now hear lovingly to how Shivaa obtained a boon. On ashtami in shukla
paksha in the month of Ashvina, Sati fasted again. She devotedly worshipped the
lord of everything. The Nanda vow was completed in this way and the day of
navami arrived. As she was immersed in dhyana, Hara manifested himself before
her. He was handsome in all his limbs and fair in complexion. He had five faces
and three eyes. The moon was on his crest, and he had a pleasant appearance. He
was blue in the throat and had four arms. He held a trident and the brahman was
in him. His hands were in the varada and abhaya mudras. He was smeared in ashes
and radiant. The celestial river dazzled on his head.
_________________
776 One seated on a lotus, Lakshmi.
He was handsome in all his limbs.
He was the embodiment of great grace. His face resembled one crore moons. His
beauty was like that of one crore Smaras taken together. His form was such that
it was agreeable in every possible way to women. Sati saw her beloved lord,
Hara, in front of her. She worshipped his feet and lowered her face in
bashfulness. Mahadeva spoke to Sati, who had observed the virtuous vow. He
desired her as a wife and wished to bestow on her the fruits of her
austerities. Mahadeva said, "O Daksha's daughter! O one who is excellent
in vows! I am pleased with your vows. Please ask for a boon. I will grant you
whatever is your wish." Mahadeva, the lord of the universe, knew her
sentiments. Nevertheless, because he wished to hear her words, he asked her to
ask for a boon. However, she was embarrassed and was incapable of stating what
was in her heart. She tried to express her wish but was again enveloped in
shame. Though she heard Shiva's beloved words, she was overwhelmed by love.
Understanding this, Shankara, affectionate towards his devotees, was pleased.
He again quickly said, "Ask for a boon. Please ask for a boon." Since
Shambhu knew about Sati's devotion and virtuous inner sentiments, he was
attracted to her. After making efforts to suppress her shame, Sati spoke to
Hara. "O one who bestows boons! Please grant me the boon I desire, without
any impediments.777 Vrishadhvaja is affectionate towards his
devotees. Therefore, without waiting for her to finish her words, he told her,
"Be my wife." Hearing these words, which were the substance of her
desired fruits and thoughts, she was silent. But she was delighted at having
obtained her desired boon. The one with the beautiful smiles stood in front of
Hara, who was filled with love. She expressed her sentiments through gestures,
and these served to increase desire. Shringara rasa gathered together all these
sentiments and swiftly entered their hearts. O devarshi! As soon as it entered,
they followed the pastimes of ordinary people and glowed, like the conjunction
between Chitra nakshatra and the moon.778 Having obtained Hara, Sati
was radiant, with a gentle glow, like that of a mass of collyrium. She sparkled
like crystal and resembled a line of clouds near the moon. Dakshayani779
repeatedly spoke to Hara, who is affectionate towards his devotees. She was
pleased. She joined her hands in salutation and lowered her head. Sati said,
"O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O lord! O lord of the universe! Informing my
father, please follow the rites and accept me in marriage." Mahesha is
affectionate towards his devotees. Hearing Sati's words, he looked at her with
eyes full of love and agreed. Knowing this, Dakshayani devotedly bowed down
before Shambhu. Having obtained his permission, with an enchanting gait and
full of joy, she returned to her mother."""
""Hara returned to his
hermitage on the plains of the Himalayas. Since he was separated from
Dakshayani, with difficulty, he devoted himself to dhyana. Having composed his
mind, Shambhu Vrishadhvaja thought of following the customary practices of the
world. O devarshi! He mentally thought of me. Mahesha, the wielder of the
trident, thought of me. As soon as he thought of me, goaded by the urge to
ensure Hara's success, I quickly presented myself in front of him. Hara, the
yogi, was on the plains of the Himalayas. O son! Along with Sarasvati, I
presented myself there.
__________________
777 The word vara means boon, as well as
groom. Hence, implicitly, Sati asked for the groom of her choice.
778 On the night of the full moon in the
month of Chaitra, the moon transits through Chitra nakshatra (Spica). The word
'Chitra' means the bright one.
779 Daksha's daughter.
O devarshi! The lord saw me, along
with Sarasvati. Since he was bound in love to Sati, Shambhu was eager and
spoke. Shambhu said, "O Brahma! In the matter of marriage, I have shown a
selfish motive. Because of that selfishness, a sense of ownership manifests
itself before me now. Sati Dakshayani has devotedly worshipped me. Because of
the powers of the Nanda vow, I have bestowed a boon on her. O Brahma! She asked
me for the boon that I should be her husband. Satisfied in every possible way,
I told her that she would be my wife. At this, Sati Dakshayani told me, 'O lord
of the universe! Accept me after informing my father.' O Brahma! Satisfied with
her devotion, I pledged that I would do this. O Vidhatri! She returned to her
mother, and I have come here. Therefore, follow my instructions and go to
Daksha's residence. Tell Daksha that he should bestow his daughter on me. Do
everything so that I am no longer separated from Sati. O one who is
accomplished in every kind of knowledge! Assure Daksha." Having said this
in the presence of me, the Prajapati, Mahadeva quickly looked at Sarasvati. He
was suffering from the pangs of separation. Thus commanded by him, I had become
successful in my objective and was happy. I replied to the lord of the
universe, who is affectionate towards his devotees. Brahma said, "O
Bhagavan Shambhu! O Vrishadhvaja! After due reflection, it has been determined
that what you have said is the primary interest of devas, and mine too. Daksha
will himself bestow his daughter on you. In his presence, I will tell him what
you have said." Having told this to Mahadeva, the lord and master of
everything, on a swift chariot, I went to Daksha's residence."""
"Narada asked, 'O Vidhatri! O
wise one! O immensely fortunate one! O eloquent one! O supreme among eloquent
ones! After Sati returned home, what did Daksha do?""”
"Brahma replied, 'Having
tormented herself through austerities, Sati obtained her desired boon.
Returning home, she prostrated herself before her father and her mother. Her
friends told her father and mother everything, about how Maheshvara had been
satisfied at Sati's devotion and how he had bestowed a boon on her. Through the
mouths of the friends, her mother and father heard everything. They were filled
with supreme joy and organized great festivities. Generous of mind, they gave
desired objects to brahmanas. Great-minded Virini donated to others, the blind
and the distressed. Virini embraced her daughter, who had enhanced their
delight. She happily inhaled the fragrance of her head and repeatedly praised
her. After some time had passed, Daksha, supreme among those who knew about
dharma, wondered about how his daughter might be bestowed on Shambhu.
"Pleased, Mahadeva had come here. But he has returned. For the sake of my
daughter, how might he be brought back again? Can I easily send someone to
Shambhu? That is not right. If he refuses, I will suffer the pangs of failure.
Alternatively, shall I worship Vrishadhvaja? He has himself been satisfied with
my daughter's devotion. She made efforts to worship him and obtain what she
desired. Shambhu has given her the boon that he will be her husband." As
Daksha was thinking this, I suddenly presented myself in front of him, along
with Sarasvati. Seeing me, his father, Daksha prostrated himself and stood
there. As is natural, he offered me an appropriate seat. Though Daksha was
overcome with thoughts, he was happy and quickly asked me, the lord of all the
worlds, the reason why I had arrived there. Daksha asked, "O creator! Why
have you come here? O guru of the universe! Is it that you are showing me your
great favours? O creator of the worlds! It is out of affection towards your
son? Please tell me. Is there some other reason behind your coming to my
residence? I am delighted to see you." O supreme among sages! My son,
Daksha, asked me this. I smiled and addressed Prajapati in words that delighted
him. Brahma said, "O Daksha! Listen to the reason why I have come to you.
I desire your benefit and it is something I want too. Your daughter has
worshipped Mahadeva, the lord of the universe. The time has arrived to
implement her desired boon. It is certain that Shambhu has sent me here, for
the sake of your daughter. I will present before you the course of action that
is best for you. Listen. Having bestowed the boon, Rudra has left. However,
since he left, because of separation from your daughter, Shankara has not been
able to find any peace. Though he made repeated efforts with every kind of
flowery arrow, Madana did not find a weakness in Girisha. However, having now
been pierced by Kama's arrows, he has abandoned thinking about the atman. Like
an ordinary person, he is agitated, thinking about Sati. Separated from her, he
forgets himself and utters words in front of his ganas. 'Where is Sati?' They
tell him that she is not there. O son! Earlier, this is what I, you, Madana and
Marichi and other great sages desired. That objective has now been
accomplished. Your daughter has worshipped Shambhu. He resides in the Himalaya mountains,
thinking about her, searching for her and desiring her. Full of sattva, she
worshipped him through many kinds of vows. Just as Sati worshipped Shambhu, he
worships her now. Daksha's daughter has been intended for Shambhu. Therefore,
without any delay, one must accomplish the objective and bestow her on him.
Using Narada, I will have him brought to your residence. She was intended for
him. Bestow her on him." Hearing my words, my son rejoiced. Filled with
joy, Daksha uttered words of assent. O sage! I happily went to the place where
Girisha was, eager to follow the practices of the world. Narada also went
there. Daksha, his wife and daughter obtained their wishes. It was as if they
had been filled with nectar.'"”
"Narada asked, 'What occurred
after you went to Rudra? O father! What did you tell him? What did he himself
do?'"י
"Brahma replied, 'With a happy
mind, I went to Parameshvara, who was then residing in the Himalaya mountains.
I wanted to bring Mahadeva. Vrishadhvaja saw that I, the creator of the worlds,
was approaching. His mind was filled with repeated doubts about whether he
would get Sati. In his pastimes, Hara had happily assumed the ordinary conduct
of people. As a result of Sati's devotion, he quickly spoke to me, like an
ordinary person. Ishvara said, "O best of the gods! What has your son done
about bestowing Sati on me? Tell me. Otherwise, Manmatha will shatter my
inside. O best of the gods! This pang of separation from Sati rushes and
strikes me alone. It does not touch her; she still sustains her life. O Brahma!
Tell me what I must do. O Vidhatri! Sati is always present. There is no
difference between her and me. Tell me what must be done to get her." I
heard Rudra's words, which were deeply in conformity with custon customary
conduct. O Narada! O sage! I spoke to Shiva and comforted him. Brahma answered,
"O Vrishadhvaja! Hear what my son has said about Sati. Understand that
whatever you wanted to achieve has been accomplished. 'My daughter will be
bestowed on him. It is for him that she has been born. That is my desire and
your words have reinforced it. In addition, my daughter has herself worshipped
Shambhu for this purpose alone. He is asking for me for the one whom I must
bestow on Hara. Let him come to me at an auspicious lagna780 and
excellent muhurta. O Vidhatri!
_________________________
780 Lagna is the specific rashi (zodiacal
sign) which is on the horizon at that time.
When Shambhu comes and asks me for
alms, I will give my to him.' O Vrishadhvaja! Daksha spoke to me in daughter
this way. At an auspicious muhurta, go to his house and bring her here." O
sage! Rudra, affectionate towards his devotees, was following the conduct of
ordinary people. He heard my words, smiled and answered. Rudra said,
"Along with you and Narada, I will go to his house. O creator of the
universe! Therefore, you and I should remember Narada. Also remember your own
sons born through mental powers, Marichi and the others. O Vidhatri! Along with
them and the ganas, I will go to Daksha's abode." Devoted to the conduct
of ordinary people, this is the way Isha instructed me. I remembered you,
Narada and Marichi and the other sons. As soon as I remembered, you and all the
sons born through mental powers swiftly arrived and were happy to see me. As
soon as Rudra remembered, Vishnu, king among Shiva's devotees, swiftly arrived.
He was astride Garuda and was accompanied by Kamala and his own soldiers. It
was shukla paksha in the month of Chaitra. The divinity of the nakshatra was
Bhaga.781 As soon as the sun arose on trayodashi, Maheshvara left.
All the large number of gods were with him, Brahma and Vishnu leading the way.
Shankara left along with the sages and was resplendent along the path. As he
left, devas and others arranged for festivities along the way. The minds of
Hara's ganas were filled with joy and they also did this. Obeying Shiva's
wishes, all his appropriate ornaments went with him-the hides of an elephant
and a tiger, the snakes, his matted hair and the crescent moon. With Vishnu
leading the way and on his powerful bull, Hara, the yogi, reached Daksha's
residence in a short while. Daksha's body hair stood up in delight. Along with
all his own relatives, he humbly arrived and welcomed him. Daksha himself
honoured the large number of gods. In due order, the best among sages were
seated along the side. Daksha invited Shiva inside the house, along with all
his companions, the gods, the ganas and the sages. Pleased in his mind, Daksha
himself offered Sarveshvara Hara an excellent seat, following the norms and
honouring him. Full of devotion and observing the appropriate norms, he
worshipped Vishnu, me, the brahmanas, the gods and all the ganas. Daksha
worshipped them in the appropriate way, using objects of worship and in front
of the assembled mental sons, made the announcement. After this, my son,
Daksha, happily looked at me, his father. He prostrated himself and said,
"O lord! It is your task to conduct the marriage ceremony." Delighted
in my mind, I agreed. Thereafter, we arose and conducted all the rites, when
the muhurta was auspicious and the lagna was such that the planets were
powerful. Full of joy, Daksha bestowed his daughter Sati on Shambhu. Following
the norms of marriage, Vrishadhvaja happily accepted the hand of Dakshayani,
whose limbs were beautiful. I, Hari, you, the gods, the sages and the ganas
prostrated ourselves and praised and satisfied the lord of the gods. There were
great festivities, accompanied by singing and dancing. All the sages, ganas and
gods were filled with great joy. Daksha, my son, was successful in the
bestowing of his daughter. Shiva and Shivaa were happy and everything was an
abode of all that is auspicious.
__________
781 The nakshatra was Uttara Phalguni
(Denebola). Nakshatras have divinities associated with them and that for Uttara
Phalguni is Bhaga. The names of these divinities used to be the former names of
the nakshatras.
"Brahma said, 'Having bestowed
his daughter on BHara, following the norms, Daksha gave her various items as
dowry,782 Extremely happy, he donated many kinds of riches to
brahmanas. Along with Kamala, the one who has Garuda on his banner783
got up and approached Shambhu. He joined his hands in salutation and spoke.
Vishnu said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord!
O father! You are the father of the universe and Sati is the mother of
everything. In your pastimes, you always assume avataras to ensure the welfare of
the virtuous and to chastise those who are crooked. The eternal shruti texts
say this. O Hara! She is dark blue, like gentle collyrium. With Dakshayani's
radiance, you have become even more resplendent. You are the opposite of Padma
and me.784 Along with Sati, protect devas, humans and the virtuous.
O Shambhu! For those who are in samsara, let everything be auspicious. O lord
of all beings! If anyone looks at her, or hears about her, with eyes of desire,
my request is that you should kill that person." Hearing Vishnu's words,
Parameshvara laughed. The one who knows everything told Madhusudana that it
would be that way. O lord among sages! Hari returned to his own abode, but I
remained there. Keeping the matter secret, I organized for the festivities. I
approached Sati and had all the practices of the grihya sutras performed. The
decreed fire rites were observed in great detail. Following the instructions of
me, the preceptor and the brahmanas, Shiva and Shivaa happily did pradakshina
of the fire. O supreme among brahmanas! There were great festivities there.
There was singing and dancing and the playing of musical instruments, bringing
joy to everyone. Thereafter, an extraordinary event occurred. O son! It was
very strange. I will tell you. Listen. Shambhu's maya is impossible to
understand. It confounds the universe, devas, asuras, humans and mobile and
immobile objects. Earlier, I wished to delude Shambhu through deceitful means.
O son! In his pastimes, Shankara deluded me now. If a person tries to harm
another, it is he who is harmed instead. There is no doubt about this.
Therefore, it is held that a man should not harm another. O sage! As Sati was
performing pradakshina of the fire, her two feet could be seen below her
garment, and I saw them. Desire overwhelmed my mind and I looked at Sati's
limbs. O best among brahmanas! I was confounded by Shiva's maya. The more
eagerly I looked at Sati's beautiful limbs, the more I was afflicted by desire.
O sage! I looked at Daksha's daughter, who was devoted to her husband. With my
heart overwhelmed by desire, I wished to see her face. However, because she was
ashamed of Shambhu, she did not show her face. As a result of her bashfulness,
I could not see her face. I thought of a means whereby I might be able to see
her. Greatly afflicted by desire, I thought of using strong smoke. I flung
heaps of wet kindling into the fire. Since there was little ghee and a lot of
wet kindling, swirls of smoke arose and covered every direction. There was
darkness around the sacrificial altar. The lord, Parameshvara Mahesha indulges
in many kinds of pastimes. Suffering from the smoke, he covered his eyes with
his hands. O sage! At this, I raised the garment and looked at Sati's face.
____________
782 The word youtaka (here dowry] means a
woman's private and individual property.
783 Vishnu.
784 Padma (Lakshmi) is fair and Vishnu is
dark, while Shiva is fair and Sati is dark.
I was suffering the pangs of desire
inside and looked at her. O son! I repeatedly looked at Sati's face. I was no
longer in control of myself, and my senses were in a whirl. As I looked at her,
my semen quickly oozed out. Four drops, resembling snowflakes, fell down on the
ground. O sage! I was silent but was immediately scared and astounded. So that
no one might see, I covered the semen. However, with his divine sight, Bhagavan
Shambhu got to know. Since the semen had oozed out, he was filled with rage and
spoke to me. Rudra said, "Why have you committed this reprehensible and
contemptible sin? At the time of my marriage, you have looked at my beloved's
face with eyes of desire. You thought that Shankara would never get to know
about this act. O Vidhatri! There is nothing in the three worlds that is
unknown to me. How can this remain a secret? O foolish one! Just as there is
oil in sesamum seeds, I am amidst everything in the three worlds, mobile and
immobile." He loved Vishnu and saying this, he remembered Vishnu's words.
So as to kill Brahma, Shankara raised his trident.'""
"""O supreme among
brahmanas! When Shambhu raised his trident to kill me, Marichi and the others
uttered sounds of lamentation. Shankara blazed and filled with fear, the large
number of devas and all the sages praised him. The devas said, "O
divinity! O Mahadeva! O divine one! You are affectionate towards those who seek
refuge. O lord of those who protect! O Maheshvara! Save Brahma and show him
your compassion. O Mahesha! It is held that you are the father of the universe
and Sati is the mother. O lord of gods! Hari, Brahma and all the others are your
servants. The pastimes you engage in are extraordinary. O lord! Your maya is
wonderful. O Ishvara! Other than a person who is your devotee, everyone is
confounded by it." Maheshvara, lord of devas, was filled with rage. The
anxious and distressed devas and sages praised him in many kinds of ways.
Scared, Daksha quickly arrived in front of the lord of beings and raising his
hands, pleased, "Don't. Please don't." Maheshvara glanced at Daksha,
who was in front of him. He remembered Hari's words and replied in disagreeable
words. Maheshvara said, "O Prajapati! I have pledged to do what my
devotee, Vishnu, has requested me. Vishnu told me, 'O lord! Anyone who looks at
Sati with eyes of desire must be killed by you.' Those words can't be
falsified, and I must kill Vidhatri. Why did Brahma look at Sati with eyes of
desire? He has also committed a crime by releasing his semen. Hence, I must
kill him." Full of wrath, Mahesha, lord of devas, said this. Everyone,
devas, sages and humans, trembled. There were great sounds of lamentation and
despondency everywhere. I had wanted to delude him but had myself been
confounded. Vishnu is extremely loved by Mahesha and is discriminating about
what must be done. The intelligent one prostrated himself before Rudra and
praised him. Shankara is affectionate towards his devotees, and he praised him
through many kinds of hymns. He quickly arrived in front and restrained him
through these words. Vishnu said, "O lord of beings! Please do not kill
Vidhatri. He is the lord and creator of the universe. You are affectionate
towards those who seek refuge, and he has sought refuge with you. I am a
devotee who is greatly loved by you and am described as the king of all your
devotees. Please listen to what is in my mind and show me your compassion. O
protector! Please listen to another reason that is full of grave import. O
Mahesha! Please show me your compassion and reflect on this. O Shambhu! The one
with the four faces has been manifested so that he may create subjects. If the
creator of subjects is killed, there will be no one like him. O protector! We
three divinities are forms of Shiva. Following your command, we repeatedly
undertake tasks of creation, preservation and destruction. O Shambhu! If he is
killed, who will carry out your task? O lord of dissolution! Therefore, you
should not kill the creator. O lord! For your sake, it is he who devised an
excellent means so that Shivaa might become Sati, Daksha's daughter."
Mahesha heard Vishnu's pleading. Firm in his vows, he replied so that everyone
might hear. Mahesha answered, "O divinity! O divine one! O Rama's lord! O
Vishnu! I love you as much as my own life. O son! Please do not restrain me
from killing this wretch. I will carry out the pledge you yourself requested me
about earlier. The one with the four faces has committed a great sin and is
wicked. I will kill him. I will myself create all subjects, mobile and
immobile. Alternatively, using my own energy, I will create another creator. I
must kill Vidhatri and fulfil my pledge. I will create another creator! O lord!
Please do not restrain me." Hearing Girisha's words, Achyuta smiled within
himself and again spoke to him, restraining him. Achyuta said, "You are
Purusha, and it is appropriate that you should fulfil your pledge. O Isha! O
lord! But please reflect on this. One cannot kill one's own self. O Shambhu! We
three divinities are part of your own atman and are not different. We are the
same form and are not distinct. Please reflect on the truth of this,"
Shambhu heard the words of Vishnu, his great favourite. He spoke again,
describing his distinctive inclination. Shambhu said, "O Vishnu! O lord of
all my devotees! How can Vidhatri be part of my atman? He can be seen as
different, directly standing in front." In front of everyone, Mahesha
spoke in this way, with a view to instructing. The one with Garuda on his
banner spoke, satisfying Mahadeva. Vishnu replied, "O Sadashiva! Brahma is
not different from you, and you are not different from him. O Parameshvara! I
am not different from you, and you are not different from me. O Parameshvara! O
Sadashiva! You are omniscient and know everything. Nevertheless, you wish to
hear everything through my mouth. O Isha! Following your command, I will speak.
Let all the gods and sages hear about Shiva's tattva and fix it in their minds.
O lord! We three divinities are parts of the resplendence. We are insignificant
parts of the significant whole. Who are you? Who am I? Who is Brahma? You are
the paramatman. For purposes of creation, preservation and destruction, we are
three distinct parts. Thinking of yourself within your atman, in your own
pastimes, you assumed these forms. The brahman is one. The three of us are
saguna parts. This is like a single body possessing a head, a neck and other
parts. O Hara! The three of us are Isha's limbs. You are the sparkling radiance
and possess your own abode. You are ancient and hidden. You are not manifest.
You are infinite in form. You are eternal. You are devoid of lofty and other
adjectives. Everything is Shiva." O lord among sages! Hearing these words,
Mahadeva was extremely pleased and did not kill me.'""
“Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O immensely fortunate one! O supreme among Shiva's devotees! O lord!
You have made me hear about Shambhu's wonderful conduct and it ensures
everything that is auspicious. O father! Please describe what happened
thereafter. The conduct of Sati and the one who wears the moon on his crest is
divine and destroys all the heaps of sins.'""
"Brahma replied, 'Shankara is
compassionate towards his devotees and refrained from killing me. Devoid of
fear, everyone was pleased and happy. All the sages lowered their shoulders,
joined their hands in salutation and prostrated themselves. They devotedly
praised Shankara and cheerfully uttered words of "Victory". O sage!
At this time, I was also delighted and lost my sense of fear. I devotedly
praised Shankara, using many auspicious hymns. The lord Shambhu, who indulges
in diverse types of pastimes, was pleased in his mind. O sage! While everyone
heard, he addressed me in the following words. Rudra said, "O Brahma! O
son! I am pleased with you. Get rid of your fear. Follow my command without any
fear. Touch your head with your hand." The lord Shambhu indulges in
diverse types of pastimes. Hearing his words, I touched myself, Kah, and in
that posture, prostrated myself before Vrishadhvaja. As soon as I touched
myself, Kah, with my hand, in that position, I assumed the form of his mount,
the bull. Full of shame in all my limbs, I stood there, my face facing
downwards. Indra and all the other immortals stood around and saw me in that
form. Full of shame, I prostrated myself before Maheshvara. I praised
him and said, "Please pardon
me. Please forgive me. O lord! Please tell me about a prayashchitta so that I
can purge myself of this sin. Chastise me in the proper way, so that this sin
leaves me." I prostrated myself before Shambhu and addressed him in this
way. Sarvesha is affectionate towards his devotees. He was extremely pleased
and spoke to me. Shambhu replied, "With me astride you, you will worship
me in this form. With a cheerful mind, you will perform austerities and be
devoted to worshipping me. You will become famous everywhere on earth under the
name of Rudrashira.785 Full of energy, you will perform every kind
of rite for brahmanas. Discharge of semen is something that humans do. Since
you have done that, you will become human and roam around on earth. If anyone
sees you roaming around earth in this form and asks, 'What is this on Brahma's
head?' you will reply, 'It is the destroyer.' If a person commits the sin of
outraging another person's wife, as soon as he eagerly hears everything you
have done, he will be instantly freed. As you continue to tell people what you
have done, you will gradually be purified of your sin. O Brahma! This is the
prayashchitta I have decided for you. In the world, people will laugh at your
extremely reprehensible deed. When you were overcome by desire, I saw your
semen fall down in the middle of the altar. It will not remain there. Four
drops of semen fell down on the ground. Those will become clouds of dissolution
in the firmament." Meanwhile, in front of devas and rishis, clouds
instantly emerged from the semen. O son! Samvartaka, Avarta, Pushkara and
Drona-these are the four great clouds that bring about dissolution. As soon as
Shiva wishes, they thunder and release torrents of water. O best among sages!
Those clouds spread throughout the firmament and roar loudly. They thunder
loudly and envelope the firmament. After this, Shankara and Devi Dakshayani
were pacified and quickly turned extremely serene.'""
"O sage! Following Shiva's
command, I lost my fear and completed the remaining marriage rites. Flowers
showered down on the heads of Shiva and Shivaa. O best among sages! Everyone,
devas and ganas, rejoiced. There was singing and musical instruments were
played. Full of devotion, noble brahmanas chanted from the Vedas. Rambha and
other celestial women lovingly danced. O Narada! There were great festivities
and loud exclamations by wives of devas. Parameshvara, the lord of sacrificial
rites, was pleased. As I joined my hands in salutation, following the practices
of ordinary people, he spoke to me. Ishvara said, "O Brahma! You have conducted
all the marriage rites exceedingly well and I am pleased with you. What
dakshina will I give to you, the acharya? O eldest among the gods! Ask for it,
even if it is extremely difficult to obtain. O immensely fortunate one! Tell me
quickly. There is nothing that I will not give you." O sage! Hearing
Shankara's words, I joined my hands in salutation. Humbly, I repeatedly
prostrated myself before Isha and spoke. _____________
785 Rudra's head.
Brahma said, "O lord of devas!
O Mahesha! If you are pleased with me and if I am worthy of being given a boon,
then you should cheerfully do what I am asking you to do. O Maheshvara! To
purify men from their sins, please always remain established in this altar, in
your present form. O Shashishekhara! O Shankara! So as to destroy my own sins,
I will set up my hermitage near it and perform austerities. O Hara! If any man
on earth comes here and devotedly visits on Sunday, in the month of Chaitra, in
shukla paksha, when the nakshatra is Uttara Phalguni,786 let all his sins be
destroyed. Let his store of good merits increase and become extensive and let
all his ailments be destroyed. If any woman is unfortunate, barren, one-eyed or
ugly, as soon as she sees this, let her certainly become free of those
taints." Hearing was pleased in his mind and uttered words of assent.
Shiva my words, the lord Shiva, who ensures every kind of happiness, said,
"For the welfare of the worlds, along with my wife, Sati, I will remain
established in this altar. O Vidhatri! I will act in accordance with your
request." Saying this, along with his wife, Bhagavan Vrishadhvaja created
an image from his own portion and established himself in altar.'""
""Parameshvara Shankara,
affectionate towards those who are his own, then wanted to leave, along with
his wife, Sati, and sought Daksha's permission. Meanwhile, the intelligent
Daksha bent down in humility and joined his hands in salutation. Happy, he
praised Vrishadhvaja. Vishnu and all the other gods, the sages and the ganas
bowed down and praised him in many kinds of ways, cheerfully uttering sounds of
"Victory". Taking leave of Daksha, Shambhu made Sati sit on the bull.
Happily, the lord himself sat on the bull and left for the slopes of the
Himalayas. Her teeth were excellent, and her smile was beautiful. As she sat on
the bull with Shankara, she was radiant, resembling the dark mark at the end of
the moon. Vishnu and all the other gods, Marichi and the other rishis, Daksha
and all the other people were confounded and remained immobile. Some of them
played on musical instruments, others sang. They chanted about the pure fame of
Shiva and Shivaa and followed Shiva happily. Midway along the path, full of
pleasure, Daksha took Shambhu's leave. Full of love, along with his ganas,
Shambhu reached his abode. Though Vishnu and the other gods had been released
by Shambhu, full of joy and devotion, they followed Shiva. Will all his ganas
and with his wife, Sati, Shambhu reached his own abode and saw the beautiful
Himalaya mountains. Having reached, he lovingly honoured all devas, sages and
others a lot and cheerfully released them. Taking Shambhu's leave, Vishnu and
all the other gods and sages bent down and praised him, returning to their own
respective abodes. Shiva was delighted with his wife, Daksha's daughter.
Following the customs of the world, he sported on the slopes of the Himalayas.
O sage! Along with Sati and his ganas, Shiva reached his own residence and saw
Kailasa, supreme among mountains. I have thus told you everything that happened
earlier, about the marriage of the one who uses the bull as a mount, towards
the end of Svayambhuva manvantara. After worshipping Vrishadhvaja, if a person
eagerly hears this account at the time of a marriage or before starting a
sacrifice, all his impediments for marriage and every kind of rite are
destroyed. As a result of listening to this auspicious account, all rites are
always free from obstructions. The bride is happy and possesses the qualities
of good fortune and good conduct. If she lovingly listens to this auspicious
account, she is chaste and has sons."""
___________________
786 The text uses the word 'Bhaga'.
"Narada Tarada said, 'O
father! O unblemished one! O one who knows everything! You have spoken well. We
have heard about the great, wonderful and auspicious conduct of Shiva and
Shivaa. We have heard the complete account of the marriage, and this destroys
every kind of delusion. This bestows a person with supreme jnana and makes him
the excellent reservoir of all that is auspicious. However, I still wish to
know about Shiva and Shivaa's auspicious conduct. O immensely wise one! Because
of your unmatched compassion towards me, please describe it."""
"Brahma replied, 'O sage! It
is appropriate that you have wished to hear about the one who is compassionate.
O amiable one! You have goaded me into describing Shiva's pastimes. Hara
reached his own He married Devi Sati, Daksha's daughter and the mother of what
he cheerfully did thereafter. Along with his own ganas, the three worlds. He
went to his own residence. Hear about delightful abode. O devarshi! There, he
lovingly descended from the bull. As is right, Sati's friend entered his own
residence. O devarshi! Extremely happy, Shiva practiced the norms of the world.
Having obtained Dakshayani and having reached his own residence, Virupaksha
released Nandi787 and the other ganas from the cave in the mountain.
The lord, an ocean of compassion, was following the practices of ordinary
people. He addressed Nandi and the others in pleasant words. Mahesha said,
"O ganas! Immediately leave my presence, but lovingly remember me in your
minds. You will not come to me until I remember you." Vamadeva addressed
his own ganas, Nandi and the others, in this way. Those immensely forceful and
immensely valiant ones departed in various directions."""
""Ishvara was left with
the radiant one. In private and extremely happy, he sported with Dakshayani.
Sometimes, he gathered beautiful wildflowers and making a garland with these,
placed it around Sati's neck, in place of a necklace. Sometimes, when Sati was
looking at herself in a mirror, Hara followed her and saw his own face
reflected in it. Sometimes, he played with her earrings, taking them off,
cleaning them himself and putting them back on again. Sometimes, Vrishadhvaja
applied red colour, as bright as the fire, on her feet, making her naturally
red feet completely red. There are words that cannot be spoken in front of
many. Hara whispered them into her ears and looked at her face. He never went
far from her. If he left, he immediately returned. While she was thinking of
something, he approached from the rear and covered her eyes. Vrishadhvaja used
his maya and disappeared. When she became scared and agitated, he would suddenly
embrace her. Her two nipples were like the buds of golden lotuses. He used musk
to make marks resembling bees around these. Hara suddenly took her necklace off
her two breasts and repeatedly touched and kneaded them with his hands. He
repeatedly took off her bracelets, bangles and rings and embracing her, put
them back in their respective places. While she looked on, he suddenly touched
the areolas on the tips of her peaked breasts and remarked, "This is known
as Kalika. __________________________
767 In these sentences, the text
repeatedly says nadi (river). We have corrected it to Nandi.
This is your friend, who bears the
same complexion as you.788 Sometimes, Pramathadhipa789
became senseless with desire. Full of joy, he addressed his beloved in
endearing words of love. Shankara gathered lotuses and other beautiful flowers
and lovingly adorned her limbs with ornaments made out of flowers. Maheshvara,
affectionate towards his devotees, sported with Sati in all the beautiful
groves in the mountains. He didn't go anywhere without her. Without her, he
didn't do anything. Without her, Shankara did not obtain the least bit of
peace. He spent a long period of time in the groves on Mount Kailasa. He then
went to the slopes of the Himalaya mountains and of his own will, remembered
Smara. As soon as Kama reached Shankara's presence, Vasanta entered there and
following the lord's commands, spread his powers everywhere. There were flowers
on all the trees. All the creepers bloomed. There were blossoming lotuses in
the water and bees buzzed around the lotuses. As soon as he entered, the
beautiful Malaya breeze started to blow, bearing with it the fragrant and
intoxicating scent of fragrant flowers. There were radiant palasha flowers,
resembling the crescent moon in the evening. The trees rejoiced and bore
flowers, Kama's weapons. Dazzling lotuses bloomed in the lakes. With an
excellent face, the divinity of the wind generated delusion. There were
nagakeshara flowers, golden in hue, on the trees. Pleasant in appearance, they
bloomed near Shankara, resembling Madana's banner. In those ancient times, the
breeze was fragrant with the scent of clove creepers and deluded those whose
minds were full of desire. Divine tones wafted through the mango trees, their
leaves resembling flames of fire. It was as if, urged by Madana, they had
become couches for Madana's arrows.790 There were radiant and
spotless flowers blossoming in the water, as if lying down on beds of kusha
grass. They were like the minds of sages, in which, the supreme illumination
had become manifest. As soon as the ice came into contact with the sun's rays
outside, like hearts, it melted and became water. The moon was clear, not
obstructed by mist and resembled a beautiful and radiant woman, in the company
of her beloved. At that time, on that excellent spot on earth, Mahadeva easily
sported with Sati for a very long time, in the groves and along the rivers. O
sage! Dakshayani was just as radiant as him and without her, Hara couldn't find
any peace, not even for an instant. In matters of intercourse, Devi Sati
brought pleasure to his mind. She entered Hara's limbs and seemed to drink up
his juices. Her entire body was ornamented with garlands of flowers that he had
fashioned himself and this gave her newer pleasures. Hara glanced at her with
smiling eyes and conversed with her. Her husband instructed Girija791
in matters connected with the atman. Hara remained there and drank up the
nectar from her moon-like face. In many general and specific ways, he never wavered
from that slender-limbed one. Like a giant tusker that has been bound and is
incapable of movement, he was bound to the fragrance of her lotus face, her
beauty, her pleasantries and her qualities. In this way, along with Daksha's
daughter, Mahesha sported every day, in the groves and plains of the Himalaya
mountains. O divine rishi! While he sported there, measured in years of the
gods, twenty-five years passed."""
______________
788 Since this shloka is terse, we have
expanded it a bit, to make the meaning clear.
789 Lord of pramathas, Shiva.
790 The mango trees were ready to bloom.
791 Parvati, the daughter of the mountain.
“Brahma said, 'Vrishadhvaja was on
the slopes of Mount Kailasa. On one occasion, when the clouds arrived, Daksha's
daughter spoke to him. Sati said, "O divinity! O divine one! O Mahadeva! O
Shambhu! O one who I love like my own life! O protector! O one who bestows
honours! Please listen to my words and act accordingly. The clouds have
arrived, and it is a time that is extremely difficult to tolerate. There are
masses of clouds with many kinds of hues. Their singing can be heard in the sky
and in the directions. Speedy gusts of wind are blowing, washing the kadamba
flowers792 and gathering up the drops of water, thus enticing the
heart. The clouds are thundering loudly and releasing torrents of water. They
are tinged with flags made of lightning. They are fierce and are agitating our
minds. The sun cannot be seen and the lord of the night793 is
shrouded in clouds. The day seems to be night and causes distress to those who
suffer pangs of separation. Goaded by the wind, the clouds do not remain in one
place and are scattered. O Shankara! It seems as if they will fall down on the
heads of people. Struck by the wind, large trees seem to be dancing in the sky.
O Hara! On seeing this, cowards are scared, and desire is kindled. The clouds
in the sky are like masses of blue collyrium and flocks of cranes swiftly
follow them, resembling foam on the Yamuna. At the end of the day, a dark
circle can be seen, resembling the blazing Vadavamukha fire in the ocean. 794
O Virupaksha! Crops have started to sprout in the courtyards of temples. I need
not speak about crops sprouting elsewhere. There are dark, silver and red
masses of clouds on the Himalayas and Mandara and they resemble birds on the
ocean of milk. There is an unmatched radiance on the kimshuka flowers, but they
have lost their fragrance. It is as if, in times of prosperity and adversity,
Lakshmi has forsaken virtuous people and is serving those who are crooked. On
every forest in Mandara, the repeated calls of peacocks and their extended
tails indicated their constant delight. Chataka birds795 stand like
travellers on the paths, calling in sweet tones, eager to drink up the drops of
rain and quench the heat. Behold the wickedness of the clouds. They seem to be
touching my body with their hands but are also covering the peacocks and
chatakas that follow them. On seeing that even the sun has been conquered,
peacocks and saranga birds796 have happily gone to Lake Manasa, far
away from this lord of mountains. At a time like this, even crows and chakoras797
build nests. If you don't have hope, how can you possibly find peace? O wielder
of Pinaka! Let us not suffer from this great fear on account of the clouds now.
Listen to my words and quickly construct a residence for us. Let it be on
Kailasa, the Himalaya mountains or the great Kashi on earth. O Vrishadhvaja!
You should construct an appropriate home." In this way, Dakshayani spoke
to Shambhu more than once. He laughed and the beams of the moon on his head
seemed to smile. The great-souled and omniscient Parameshvara spoke to Devi
Sati with a smile quivering on his lips, comforting her.
___________________
792 A flower that blossoms at the time of
the rains.
793 The moon.
794 Vadavamukha fire is the subterranean
fire, in the shape of a mare's (vadava) head (mukha).
795 The chataka bird is believed to
survive on raindrops.
796 Cranes or flamingoes.
797 Partridges.
Ishvara said, "O beautiful
one! O beloved! To bring you pleasure, it is my task to construct a home for
you, one that the clouds will never be able to reach. O beautiful one! Even at
the time of the monsoon, the clouds only swirl around the buttocks of the
mountain and never approach the summit. O Devi! Like that, they generally clean
Kailasa's feet. They never reach or proceed above that. Nor do the clouds ever
reach above the summit of Mount Sumeru. Pushkara, Avarta and others only reach
up to Jambu's798 foundation. Choose the summit of any of these
Indras among mountains. Quickly tell me which of these appeals to you as a
home. On any of these mountains in the Himalayas, you will be able to eagerly
roam around, as you wish and appropriately enjoy yourself. Swarms of bees with
golden wings will fan you with that breeze and their excellent buzzing sound
will be like sweet songs. As you roam around, as you wish on the grounds of
that jewel-studded mountain, siddha women will eagerly offer you a beautiful
seat and bring you fruits and other things that you want. Daughters of the king
of serpents, mountain maidens, naga maidens and kinnara women will always help
you in every possible way, accompany you and give you joy. The women will look
at your unmatched beauty and excellent face and will no longer be able to
tolerate their own beauty. Though they are beautiful in form, they will no
longer have any respect for their bodies, their beauty and their qualities.
With unblinking eyes, they will always look at you. Menaka, the wife of the
king of the mountains, 799 is famous in the three worlds because of
her beauty and qualities. She too will constantly entreat you and bring
pleasure to your mind. There are many women in the residence of the king of the
mountains, extensive in their beauty. Pleased with your qualities, they will
seek you out with joy and honour you, imparting instruction to you, though
there is no need for that. O beloved! Is that where you want to go? The power
of spring is constantly felt there. There are wonderful groves, filled with the
delightful calls of cuckoos. In the Himalayas, Indra among mountains, there are
many varied waterbodies, filled with cool water. Hundreds of excellent lotuses
blossom there. There are green meadows and trees that yield every object of
desire, so that they are known as kalpavrikshas. 800 You will always
see flowers, horses and elephants and cows in the pastures. The place is
surrounded by sages and even the predatory beasts are calm. O Mahamaya! There
are many kinds of animals, and it is like a temple of devas. It is radiant with
crystal, gold and silver. It is ornamented with Manasa and other lakes. There
are golden buds and blooming lotuses, with stems made out of jewels. The water
is inhabited by innumerable porpoises, 801 turtles and makaras.
There are gallinules and blue lotuses. O Deveshi! All these release fragrance
and pollen. The waterbodies are full of clear, sparkling and fragrant water.
The shores are beautiful, adorned with green moss. Abandoning their own nature,
the branches of the trees seem to be dancing. They are adorned with cranes and
chakravaka birds, intoxicated by the god of love. There are sweet and maddening
sounds of the buzzing of bees. They ignite desire in the guardians of the
directions, Vasava,802 Kubera, Yama, Varuna, Agni, Nirriti, Vayu and
Ishana. 803 The abode of the gods and the lovely cities of these
guardians are on the lofty summit of Meru. ____________________________
798 Meaning, Jambudvipa.
799 The Himalayas.
800 The same as kalpadrumas, trees that
yield every object of desire.
801 Shishumara.
802 Indra.
893 The guardians of the eight directions.
They are served by Rambha, Shachi,
Menaka and others. 804 Among all these mountains, do you desire this
mountain? It is extremely beautiful and represents the essence of all the great
mountains. There, the goddess Shachi, along with her friends and large numbers
of apsaras, will always assist you, in every appropriate way. Alternatively,
Kailasa, Indra among mountains, is my constant abode. Do you desire a residence
there, ornamented by the city of the lord of riches? That place is as
resplendent as the full moon and is washed by the waters of Ganga. In the
valleys and summits there, maidens constantly utter sounds of the brahman.
There are diverse types of animals there and hundreds of waterbodies filled
with lotuses. O beautiful one! The summit of Sumeru possesses every kind of
virtuous quality. Which region does your mind desire? Tell me quickly and I
will build a residence for you there." Hearing Shankara's words,
Dakshayani slowly spoke to Mahadeva, expressing her own
preferences."""
""Sati said, "Along
with you, I wish to reside on the Himalayas. Without any delay, please arrange
for a residence on that great mountain." Hara was greatly in love with
her. Hearing her words, along with Dakshayani, he went to the summit of the
Himalayas. He went to the beautiful summit, beyond the reach of birds. Large
numbers of siddha women resided there and there were lakes and forests. There
were wonderful and beautiful lotuses, and the summit was variegated with
jewels. Shambhu, Sati's friend, reached that place, which resembled the rising
sun. It was covered with clouds that resembled crystal. It was radiant with
grass and trees. There were colourful flowers and lakes. There were blossoms on
the tips of the branches, surrounded by buzzing bees. Clumps of lotuses and
blue lotuses bloomed. The place resounded with the calls of chakravakas,
kadambas, 805 swans, shankus, 806 intoxicated cranes,
curlews and peacocks. Male cuckoos sang in melodious voices. Turangavadanas, 807
siddhas, apsaras, guhyakas, vidyadhara women, goddesses and kinnara women
sported there. There were married women and maidens from the mountains, who
played on lutes, trikamas, 808 drums and kettledrums. Beautiful
apsaras danced with enthusiasm. There were beautiful goddesses, beautiful ponds
and beautiful fragrances. The groves were always adorned with blossoming
flowers. On that beautiful abode on the king of the mountains, along with Sati,
Vrishadhvaja sported for a very long time. That place was like heaven. With
Sati, Shankara happily sported for ten thousand divine years. Sometimes, Hara
went to a different spot. Sometimes, on the summit of Meru, he surrounded
himself with gods and goddesses. Sometimes, he went to the many continents,
gardens and forests on the surface of the earth. However, having gone there, he
returned and happily sported with Sati. Whether it was night or day, he did not
sacrifice. Nor did he perform austerities or think of the brahman. It was Sati
alone who caused pleasure to Shambhu's mind. Sati constantly looked towards
Mahadeva's face. Mahadeva also constantly looked towards the face of Daksha's
daughter. In this way, in association with each other, the tree of love was
nourished. Kali and Shiva nurtured it with their sentiments."""
___________________________
804 Apsaras. This Shachi seems to be an
apsara, different from Indra's wife.
805 A kind of goose.
806 A kind of goose.
807 With the face of a horse, another name
for kinnaras.
808 Probably a musical instrument in the
shape of a triangle.
"Brahma said, 'Sati sported in
this way with Shankara. B She was content and non-attachment resulted. One day,
Devi Sati approached Shiva in private. She devotedly prostrated herself before
him, joining her hands upwards in salutation. Sati, Daksha's daughter, bowed
down before the lord, who was extremely pleased. She devotedly joined her hands
in salutation and humbly addressed him in these words. "O divinity! O
divine one! O Mahadeva! O lord! O ocean of compassion! O one who saves the
distressed! O great yogi! Please show me your compassion. You are the lord who
is the supreme Purusha. You are beyond sattva, rajas and tamas. You are nirguna
and saguna. You are the indifferent witness. You are the great lord. Since I
was born as woman who became your beloved and sported with you, I am blessed. O
Hara! When I was born, because of your affection towards your devotees, you
became my husband. O protector! I spent many years in supreme sport with you. O
Mahesha! I am satisfied and my mind has turned away from that. O Devesha! O
Hara! I wish to know the supreme tattva that ensures happiness, whereby living
beings easily cross over the miseries of samsara. How do living beings who are
addicted to material objects obtain the supreme destination? O protector! How
can they transcend samsara? Please show me your compassion and tell me about that
principle." O sage! Full of devotion, Sati asked Shankara this. Maheshani
is the original Shakti. She did this only for the sake of saving the
living.'"809
""Shiva's intellect is
devoted to yoga, and he is indifferent. As a result of his own wishes, he assumed
a form and became her husband. Hearing her words, he was extremely happy and
spoke to Sati. Shiva replied, "O Devi! O Dakshayani! O Maheshvari! I will
tell you about the supreme tattva, following which, a person is emancipated.
Listen. O Parameshvari! Know that the supreme tattva is vijnana. The intellect
is purified than and nothing else is remembered then, other than, 'I am the
brahman. O beloved! This knowledge is extremely difficult to obtain. 'I am
directly the constant brahman and there is nothing that is superior to this.
This sentiment is rare in the three worlds. It can only be gained through
bhakti towards me, which bestows objects of pleasure and emancipation. Bhakti
can easily be obtained through my favours and is said to be of nine types.
There is no difference between bhakti and jnana and a person who follows bhakti
always obtains happiness. O Sati! In a person who opposes bhakti, there is no
vijnana. O Devi! As a result of the power of bhakti, there is no doubt that I
go to the homes of those who are inferior and lowly, even to those who are
devoid of a proper jati. O Devi! It is said that bhakti is of two types, saguna
and nirguna, following the norms and natural. It is also said to be superior
and inferior. Based on whether it is continuous or intermittent, there are also
two differences. Of the two, it is said that continuous bhakti is of six types.
The learned also know of differences based on whether it is prescribed, or not
prescribed. Thus, there are many kinds of bhakti, described elsewhere. O
beloved! As described by sages, know that there are nine aspects to bhakti. I
will narrate these nine aspects to you. O Daksha's daughter! Listen lovingly. O
Devi!
______________________
809 She knew and had no reason to ask.
Constant hearing, chanting,
remembering, tending, serving, worshipping, prostrating, friendly conduct and
surrender810 the learned know these as the nine aspects. O Shivaa!
Their sub-divisions are said to be of many types. O Devi! Listen to the
separate characteristics of these nine aspects. When a devotee offers up his
mind to me, that bestows bhakti and emancipation. Always seated in a steady
posture on a seat, when a person always honours my account, drinking it in, and
that causes delight to his body and other parts, that is said to be hearing.
When a person visualizes my origin and deeds inside his heart and lovingly
recites, that is said to be chanting. O Devi! When a person constantly sees me
pervading everything everywhere, offering freedom from fear to the worlds, that
is said to be remembering. At the time of sunrise, if a person performs the
appropriate service to me, in thought, words and deeds, that is said to be
tending. If a person uses all the senses to serve me all the time, enjoying the
beloved amrita in the heart, that is said to be serving. Depending on his
fortune, if a person always behaves like a servant towards me, the paramatman,
offering me padya and the other sixteen upacharas, that is worshipping.
Uttering the mantras in words, gradually moving on to dhyana in the mind and
doing sashtanga pranama on the ground, that is known as prostrating. 'Anything
good or bad that Ishvara does to me is always for my welfare.' This belief is
the sign of friendly conduct. Lovingly dedicating the body and everything else
and retaining nothing for one's own self, that is known as surrender. These
nine aspects bestow bhakti towards me, objects of pleasure and emancipation.
These generate jnana and are extremely loved by me. There are said to be many
sub-divisions of bhakti towards me. Nurturing a bilva tree can be regarded as
one of those. O beloved! These aspects and sub-divisions of bhakti towards me
are best of all. They lead to jnana and non-attachment. A person is radiant
because it leads to emancipation. The fruits of all tasks are always obtained.
I love such a devotee as much as I love you. A person who constantly holds me
in his heart is extremely loved by me. There is no path in the three worlds
that brings as much of happiness as bhakti does. O Deveshi! Out of the four
yugas, this is especially true in kali yuga. In kali yuga, jnana and
non-attachment have assumed the form of old men, bereft of joy. O Devi! They
have become old because no one who accepts them is born. In kali yuga, and
indeed in all the yugas, bhakti directly yields fruits. There is no doubt that
I always succumb to its powers and come under its subjugation. If a man on
earth possesses bhakti towards me, I always help him. There is no doubt that I
punish any enemy who causes him impediments. O Devi! I protect my own. For the
sake of my devotee, I was overcome with rage and burnt down Kala with the fire
that emerged from my eyes. 811 O Devi! Indeed, in ancient times, for
the sake of my devotees, I defeated Ravi. I became extremely angry and seizing
my trident, conquered him.812 O Devi! For the sake of a devotee, 813
I became angry and abandoned Ravana and his followers, showing no partiality
towards him. O Devi! For the sake of a devotee, when Vyasa was grasped by
wicked intelligence, I became angry and asked Nandi to chastise him with a rod,
expelling him from Kashi.814 O Deveshi! What is the need to speak a
lot?
___________________________
810 Respectively, shravanam, kirtanam,
smaranam, sevanam, dasyam, archanam, vandanam, sakhyam and atmarpanam.
811 To protect Markandeya, Shiva burnt
down Yama (Kala).
812 To protect Mali and Sumali, Shiva
vanquished Ravi (Surya).
813 Rama. Ravana was also Shiva's devotee.
814 This devotee is Vishnu. Vyasa
committed the crime of thinking that Vishnu is superior to Shiva. He was
punished by Nandi.
I am always under the control of my
devotees. There is no doubt that I am always under the control of a man who
acts in such a way." Sati, Daksha's daughter, heard this about the
greatness of bhakti. She was delighted in her mind and happily prostrated
herself before Shiva.'""
""Full of virtuous
devotion, she again asked about the sub-divisions of bhakti. This is described
in the sacred texts and brings pleasure to the worlds. It leads to the
salvation of living beings. In particular, she asked about the greatness of
yantra, mantra and the sacred texts and many other aspects of dharma that lead
to the salvation of living beings. Hearing Sati's question, Shankara's mind was
pleased. Extremely happy, he described everything about the salvation of living
beings. Maheshvara, the supreme divinity, spoke about the greatness of yantras,
as described in the sacred texts and their five parts, 815 He
described the Itihasa accounts and the greatness of devotees. O lord among
sages! He spoke about the dharma of varnas and ashramas and the dharma of men.
He told her about the greatness of the dharma of sons and wives and the eternal
dharma of varnas and ashramas. He told her about the sacred rexts of medicine
and the sacred texts of astronomy, both of which bring happiness to living
beings. He also explained to her the many supreme sacred texts of astrology.816
Exhibiting compassion, Mahesha described the truth about all these. Sati and
Shiva know everything. This was done for the welfare of the three worlds. For
the welfare of the worlds, they assumed bodies with virtuous qualities and
sported in many kinds of ways in Kailasa, in the Himalayas and other places.
They are actually forms of the supreme brahman.'""
“Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O lord of subjects! O immensely wise one! O one who shows compassion!
I have heard about Shankara's fame and the auspicious account of Sati and
Shankara. Now, full of great affection, tell me more about their excellent
fame. As a couple located there, what else did Shiva and Shivaa
do?'""
"Brahma replied, 'O sage! Full
of love, hear from me about the conduct of Sati and Shiva. Adopting the
practices of ordinary people, they constantly engaged themselves in pastimes. O
sage! Thereafter, Mahadevi Sati was separated from her husband, Shankara. Those
who possess excellent intelligence say this. Sati and Isha are always united,
like a word and its meaning. O sage! That being the case, how could separation
have taken place? All of this occurred because they were indulging in their
pastimes. Isha and Sati followed the ways of the world. Daksha's daughter said
that at the time of her father's sacrifice, her husband abandoned her. Since
Shambhu did not show her the affection, she gave up her body. The one named
Sati manifested herself again in the Himalayas. Having become Parvati, she
obtained Shiva again and married him.'""
"Suta said, "Hearing
Brahma's words, Narada asked Vidhatri about Shiva and Shivaa's great fame.""
______________
815 The bija mantras, associated with the
five elements.
816 Samudrika shastra, reading of marks
on the body, or sometimes, palmistry.
""Narada said, 'O
Vishnu's devotee! O immensely fortunate one! O Vidhatri! Please tell me in
detail about Shiva and Shivaa's conduct when they followed the ways of the
world. For what reason did Shankara abandon his beloved wife, whom he loved
more than his own life? O father! Tell me about this. I think this is
extraordinary. On the occasion of his sacrifice, why did your son dishonour
Shiva? Having gone to her father's sacrifice, how did she cast aside her body?
What happened thereafter? What did Maheshvara do? Please tell me all this. Full
of devotion, I wish to hear.'""
"Brahma answered, 'O son! O
Narada! Full of great love, listen, along with the sages. You are a noble son.
O immensely wise one! Hear about the conduct of the one who wears the moon on
his crest. Having bowed down before Mahesha, served by Hari and the other gods,
I will tell you about the extremely wonderful conduct of the supreme brahman.
Everything is Shiva's pastime. The lord displays many kinds of pastimes. He is
independent and indifferent. Sati is also like that. O sage! Otherwise, who is
capable of performing such deeds? He is the supreme brahman. He is
Parameshvara, the paramatman. Shri's lord, I and all the gods always worship
him. So do the great-souled siddha sages, Sanaka and the others. O son!
Happily, Shesha always sings about the fame of the lord Shiva Shankara but is
unable to complete it. If one is confused about all the tattvas, this is
because of his pastimes. No blame is attached to this. Pervading everything, he
is the one who urges this.'""
On one occasion, along with Sati,
Rudra Bhava was roaming around the three worlds. Accomplished in pastimes,
astride the bull, he wished to visit. Having wandered around the earth, right
up to the girdle of the ocean, he reached Dandakaranya. Devoted to the pledge
of truth, 817 the lord showed Sati the beauty of the earth there.
Hara saw Rama there. Along with Lakshmana, he was searching for his beloved
Sita, who had been deceitfully abducted by Ravana. His mind suffering from the
pangs of separation, he was exclaiming, "Alas, Sita!" Repeatedly
weeping, he was casting his eyes around, in this direction and that. His heart
wishing to get her back, he was asking about where she might have gone. Because
of the evil effects of Kuja 818 and other planets, his intelligence
had been destroyed. Lacking any shame, he was overwhelmed by grief. The brave
one was born in surya vamsha. He was the son of King Dasharatha. He was
Bharata's elder brother. He was bereft of joy and had lost his radiance. Hara
has no desires. He happily bestows boons on those he loves. Extensive in his
intelligence, he saw Rama wandering around in the forest, along with Lakshmana.
Remaining invisible, he exclaimed, "Victory to you." He did not show
himself and remained hidden. In this way, Shankara, affectionate towards his
devotees, addressed Rama in the forest. Witnessing this, Sati was confounded by
Shiva's pastimes. Extremely surprised and deluded by Shiva's maya, she spoke to
Shiva. Sati said, "O divinity! O divine one! O supreme brahman! O
Sarvesha! O Parameshvara! All the gods, Hari, Brahma and the others, always
serve you. Everyone must prostrate before you. You must be served by everyone.
You must always be meditated upon. When one makes efforts, you can be known
through Vedanta. You are without transformation. You are the supreme lord. O
protector! Who are these two men, suffering from the pangs of separation?
Suffering and distressed, they are roaming around in the forest, though they
are brave and wield bows.
________________
817 Perhaps a pledge to show her the
earth.
818 The text uses the word Mars.
Why were you delighted when you saw
the older one, as dark blue as a lotus? You were delighted and extremely
pleased, behaving like a devotee. O husband! O Shankara! I have a doubt about
this, and you should dispel it. O lord! A master does not prostrate himself
before a servant." Devi Sati Shivaa is the primordial Shakti. She is
Parameshvari. Nevertheless, overwhelmed by Shiva's maya, she asked the lord
Shiva. Hearing Sati's words, Parameshvara Shankara laughed. Accomplished in
pastimes, he spoke to Sati. Parameshvara answered, "O Devi! O Sati! Listen
lovingly to the truth. There is no deceit in the matter. Because of the power
of the boon, 819 I affectionately prostrated myself before him.
These are the brothers Rama and Lakshmana, revered as valiant ones. O Devi!
They are wise and have been born in surya vamsha, as Dasharatha's sons. The
fair-complexioned younger brother is Lakshmana, who has been born as a portion
of Shesha. The elder one is Rama, born as Vishnu's complete portion. He is incapable
of suffering. To protect the virtuous and ensure our welfare, he has taken an
avatara on earth." Saying this, Shambhu, the lord who bestows prosperity,
stopped. Despite hearing Shambhu's words, her mind did not trust them. Shiva's
maya is powerful and confounds the three worlds. Knowing that her mind did not
believe this, the eternal Shambhu addressed her in the following words. The
lord is accomplished in pastimes. Shiva said, "O Devi! If your mind does
not believe, listen to my words. Using your own intelligence, test Rama. O
Sati! O beloved! Act so that your confusion is destroyed. He is standing there,
under the vata tree. Go and become his examiner." Following Shiva's
command, Sati went there.'""
"Ishvari wondered, "How
will I test Rama, who is roaming around in the forest? I will assume Sita's
form and go to Rama's presence. If Rama is Hari, he will know everything, not
otherwise." Thinking this, she assumed Sita's form and approached Rama.
Overcome by delusion, Sati approached, so as to test him. On seeing Sati in
Sita's form, the descendant of the Raghu lineage discerned the truth and
smiled. He bowed down and did japa with Shiva's name. Rama said, "O Sati!
My love for you is great. Please tell me. Why has Shambhu not come with you?
Without your husband, why have you come here alone, to this forest? O Sati! Why
have you given up your own form and assumed this form? O Devi! Please show me
your compassion and tell me the reason." Hearing Rama's words, Sati was
amazed. She remembered what Shiva had said and realized it was true. She was
extremely ashamed. Understanding that Rama was Vishnu, she assumed her own
form. Remembering Shiva's feet in her mind, with a pleased mind, Sati replied.
"The lord Shiva is roaming the earth, along with me and the ganas. The
self-ruling Parameshvara came here, to this forest. He saw you here,
accompanied by Lakshmana, searching for Sita. You were separated from Sita and
your mind was suffering. While you, who are Vishnu's form, stood near the root
of the vata tree, he came and prostrated himself before you. Full of great joy,
he praised your greatness. On seeing this unblemished form, he was filled with
supreme delight, a joy greater than the one he obtains when he sees you, Hari,
in your four-armed form. When I heard Shambhu's words, my mind did not accept
them. O Raghava! Therefore, following what he told me, I wanted to test you. O
Rama! I have now got to know your nature as Vishnu. I have seen your great
lordship. O immensely intelligent one! I no longer harbour any doubts.
Nevertheless, listen to me. Why did he prostrate himself before you? Please
tell me the truth about that. Dispel my doubt about this, so that I can quickly
become happy."
_____________________
819 Bestowed by Shiva on Rama.
Hearing her words, Rama's eyes
dilated in joy. He remembered Lord Shambhu and was flooded with even greater
delight. O sage! Without Sati's permission, he did not approach Shambhu.
However, Raghava spoke to Sati again, describing his
greatness."""
“Rama said, "O Devi! In
ancient times, on one Loccasion, Shambhu, who bestows great prosperity,
summoned Vishvakarma to his own region, greater than the greatest. He made him
construct a beautiful shed for his cows, an appropriate and extensive residence
and an excellent throne there. To removed impediments, Shankara made
Vishvakarma construct a great and divine umbrella, excellent and extremely
wonderful. He quickly invited Shakra and the large number of devas, siddhas,
gandharvas, nagas, all the texts containing instructions, all the agama texts,
Vidhatri and his sons, the sages, all the goddesses and the apsaras, who
brought many kinds of objects. To undertake the auspicious rites, sixteen
maidens were brought from each of the categories of devas, rishis, siddhas and
serpents. O sage!820 Many kinds of musical instruments, primarily
veenas and mridangas821 were played. With the playing of musical
instruments and excellent singing, festivities were organized. All the
appropriate objects required for the consecration of a king were brought,
including all the herbs. Five pots were filled with water taken directly from
tirthas. His ganas brought every other kind of divine article. Shankara
arranged for the loud utterance of sounds of the brahman. With a delighted
mind, he invited Hari from Vaikuntha. O Devi! Maheshvara was delighted at his
complete devotion. At an auspicious muhurta, Mahadeva made Hari sit down on
that excellent throng. Lovingly, he adorned him with every kind of ornament. A
beautiful crown was fixed, and all the auspicious arrangements were made.
Mahesha himself consecrated him, in that pavilion that was like the universe.
He bestowed all his prosperity on him, including that which should not be given
away. The self-ruling Shambhu is affectionate towards his devotees. He praised
him. He is pervasive and independent. However, he is affectionate towards his
devotees and can be conquered by boons he has bestowed. He addressed Brahma,
the creator of the worlds, in these words. Mahesha said, 'O lord of the worlds!
All of you listen. From now on, following my instructions, I will prostrate
myself before Hari Vishnu and so should all of you. O son!822 All
devas should prostrate themselves before Hari. Following my command, Hari will
be extolled in the Vedas, just as I am.' Saying this, Rudra prostrated himself
before the one who has Garuda on his standard. He is affectionate towards his
devotees and bestows boons. He was pleased at Vishnu's devotion. Since then,
Hari has been worshipped by Brahma and all devas, asuras, sages and siddhas.
Extremely pleased and affectionate towards his devotees, Mahesha bestowed great
boons on Hari and the residents of heaven. Mahesha said, 'Following my command,
you will be the creator, preserver and destroyer of the worlds. You will bestow
dharma, artha and kama. You will chastise those who follow wicked policy. You
will be the lord of the universe. You will be worshipped by the universe. You
will be immensely strong and valiant. In battle, you will be invincible against
everyone, even me. I will voluntarily bestow three Shaktis on you. Accept them.
_________________
820 Since Rama is speaking, this is
clearly an inconsistency.
821 Kind of drum.
822 Since Rudra was born from Brahma, this
can be translated as father too. The word used is tata.
You will be independent in the
three worlds and will have the power of diverse kinds of pastimes. O Hari!
Indeed, I will make efforts to chastise those who hate you. O Vishnu! I will
bestow excellent nirvana on your devotees. Accept my maya, which even the gods
find impossible to comprehend. It confounds the universe and renders it bereft
of consciousness. O Hari! You are my left hand and Vidhatri is my right. You
and Vidhatri will become the creator and the preserver. There is no doubt that
Rudra is my heart and that I am he. You must certainly worship him and so must
Brahma and the others. While stationed here, you will preserve the entire
universe. In particular, you will assume many avataras and always devise diverse
means of preservation. In my world, you will have a place that is full of great
prosperity. It will be extremely radiant and will be known as Goloka. O Hari!
You will have avataras on earth who will be those who protect. They will
certainly be my devotees. On seeing them, I will be delighted and will treat
them with affection.' Thus, Hara himself bestowed unlimited prosperity on Hari.
Thereafter, as he willed, Umapati 823 sported on Kailasa, with his
own ganas. Since then, Lakshmi's lord has assumed the garb of a cowherd. The
lord of gopas, gopis824 and cattle was extremely happy and wandered
around. Since then, Vishnu has been pleased in his mind and has protected the
entire universe. Following Shiva's command, so as to become the agent of
preservation, he assumed many kinds of avataras. Now, following Shiva's
command, he has assumed four different avataras. They are-I, Rama, Bharata,
Lakshmana and Shatrughna. O Devi! Obeying my father's command, with Sita and
Lakshmana, I have now come to the forest and am distressed because of what
destiny has done. Using some means, the roamer in the night825 has
abducted my wife, Sita. I am separated from my relatives in this forest and am
searching for my beloved. Since I have had the good fortune of seeing you, all
will be well. O mother Sati! There is no doubt that you will show me your
compassion. O Devi! There is no doubt that I will obtain the supreme boon of
getting Sita back. Through your favours, I will kill the wicked rakshasa who
has caused me grief. It is my good fortune that both of you have decided to
show me your compassion now. Any man on whom you bestow the boon of your
compassion is blessed." Having said many such things, he prostrated
himself before Sati Shivaa. Taking her permission, the descendant of the Raghu
lineage roamed around in the forest.'""
""Sati heard the words of
Rama, who had controlled his atman. Having witnessed the devotion in his heart
towards Shiva, she praised him. Remembering her own acts in her mind, she
suffered from great grief. Distressed and pale, she returned to Shiva's presence.
As she travelled along the path, Devi repeatedly thought. "I had evil
thoughts about Rama and did not pay heed to Shiva's words. Having returned to
Shankara's presence, what answer will I give him?" Suffering from
repentance, she thought a lot in this way. Having reached Shambhu's presence,
in her heart, she prostrated herself before Shiva. Her face was distressed. She
was anxious with sorrow. Her radiance had faded. On seeing that she was
miserable, Hara asked if all was well. He affectionately asked her, "Have
you completed the test?" Hearing Shiva's words, she lowered her face and
said nothing in reply. Distressed and miserable, she stood there, near him.
Mahesha is a great yogi, accomplished in many kinds of pastimes.
___________________________
823 Uma's consort, Shiva.
824 A gopa is a cowherd, gopi is the
feminine.
825 Rakshasa, that is, Ravana.
He meditated and understood what
was going on in the mind of Daksha's daughter. He remembered the pledge that he
had himself made to Hari when he was angry with him.826 Rudra always
keeps the pledge he makes to someone who asks. He is one who speaks about
dharma, acts in accordance with dharma and always protects dharma. The lord was
distressed and thinking about it in his mind, spoke. Shiva said, "If my
love towards Daksha's daughter remains as great as it was earlier, I will
destroy the purity of my pledge, even if I act in accordance with the practices
of the world." Thinking about this in many kinds of ways, in his heart, he
abandoned Sati. The one who protects the dharma of the Vedas did not destroy
his pledge. Thus, in his mind, Parameshvara distanced himself from Sati. The
lord returned to his own mountain bound by the pledge of separation he had
made. As they travelled along the path, a voice from the sky spoke to
Maheshvara. Everyone heard this, especially Daksha's daughter. The voice from
the sky said, "O Paramesha! You are blessed. You have adhered to the truth
of your pledge. There is no one like you in the three worlds. You are the great
lord. You are a great yogi." Hearing this voice from the sky, Devi, who
had lost her radiance, asked Shiva. "O Parameshvara! O protector! Please
tell me. What is the pledge you have made?" The lord Girisha, who always
does what brings welfare, was asked this by Sati. He did not speak about his
own pledge, which he had made in front of Hari earlier. At this, Sati meditated
on Shiva, her husband, whom she loved more than her own life. O sage! She
understood everything about the reason why her beloved had abandoned her. She
grieved a lot but immediately understood that Shambhu had made up his mind to
forsake her. She sighed repeatedly. Shiva comforted himself and kept what was
in his mind about her a secret. Though, outwardly, the lord spoke a lot, he
kept his own pledge from Sati. When he reached Kailasa with Sati, they
conversed about many things. The yogi fixed himself on his own supreme form and
entered samadhi. Sati remained in that residence, extremely distressed in her
mind. O sage! No one understood the conduct of Shiva and Shivaa. O great sage!
A long period of time passed, and they remained in that state. Having used
their powers to assume bodies, they followed the ordinary practices of the
world. Thereafter, suffering from great affliction, Girisha abandoned his
dhyana. Realizing this, Sati, the mother of the universe, went to the spot.
With her heart shattered, Devi bowed down before Shiva. Shambhu, pervasive in
his intelligence, gave her a seat in front of him. They happily conversed about
many kinds of agreeable things. Indulging in such pastimes, he managed to
immediately dispel her sorrow. He got her former happiness back, but he did not
abandon his own pledge. O son! For Shiva, who is Parameshvara, this is not
extraordinary. Nor need it be commented upon. O sage! The sages speak about
this account of Shiva and Shivaa. Some who are not learned, ask, "How
could they be separated?" Who knows the supreme meaning of Shiva and
Shivaa's conduct? They sport as they will and always act according to that.
Sati and Shiva are always connected to each other, like a word and its meaning.
Their union and separation are possible and can happen only if they so will
it."""
_____________________
826 That he would not marry a woman who
disbelieved his words.
"Brahma said, 'In ancient
times, all the great-souled B sages happened to undertake a great sacrifice in
Prayaga. All the siddhas, Sanaka and other celestial rishis, devas, Prajapatis
and learned ones who knew about the brahman assembled there. Along with my
companions, I went and embodied forms, accompanied me. With this wonderful
there too. The nigama and agama texts, in extremely radiant assembly, there
were great festivities. They debated jnana, as described in many sacred texts.
O sage! At that time, the lord Rudra, the lord who brings benefit to the three
worlds, arrived there, to ensure welfare. Bhavani and the ganas were with him.
On seeing Shiva, all the gods, siddhas and sages devotedly bowed down before
the lord and praised him, as did I. Full of joy, as instructed by Shiva, they
seated themselves in their respective places. They were satisfied at having
seen the lord and described this as their own good fortune. At that time, the
lord Daksha, the lord of Prajapatis, arrived there voluntarily. He was
extremely happy and extremely radiant. Daksha prostrated himself before me and
when I instructed him, seated himself. He regarded himself as the revered lord
of the universe. He was proud and only knew about the truth externally. All the
gods and rishis praised Daksha and prostrated themselves before him. They
honoured the one who was superior in energy. They humbly joined their hands in
salutation. The supreme lord, Maheshvara, rules himself and indulges in many
kinds of pastimes. He did not budge from his seat and did not bow down before
Daksha. On seeing that Hara did not bow down, my son was mentally displeased.
Daksha Prajapati suddenly became angry with Rudra. Full of great pride, he cast
a cruel glance towards Rudra, the great lord. While everyone heard, bereft of
jnana, he spoke loudly. "All these gods and asuras bowed down before me.
So did the noble brahmanas and rishis. Who is this wicked person who takes
himself to be great-minded? He is surrounded by pretas and pishachas. He is
shameless and resides in cremation grounds. Why has he not prostrated himself
before me now? He is devoid of rites. He is served by bhutas and pishachas. He
is intoxicated, devoid of norms. He always condemns good policy. He is a
heretic and an evil person. He is wicked in conduct, like an insolent person
who criticizes when he sees a brahmana. Though he is old, he is always engaged
in intercourse with his wife. Therefore, I will prepare myself to curse him
now." Having said this, the extremely crooked person was filled with rage.
He addressed Rudra in these words. Daksha said, "O noble brahmanas! O
gods! Listen. This person deserves to be killed by me. I will expel this Rudra
from sacrifices. He is beyond varnas and has a disgusting form. Along with
devas, he does not deserve a share. He resides in cremation grounds. He is
devoid of nobility of birth." Hearing Daksha's words, Bhrigu and many
others, who held the same view about Rudra being a wicked person, reprimanded
him."""
""Nandi heard these words
and his eyes rolled around in rage. With the intention of cursing Daksha, the
gana immediately spoke to him. Nandishvara said, "O deceitful one! O
extremely foolish one! O Daksha! Your intelligence is evil. If my lord, Mahesha,
is kept away from a sacrifice, how will it be completed? As soon as he is
remembered, all sacrifices are rendered successful. The tirthas are rendered
pure. How can you curse that Hara? O Daksha! O evil-minded one! In your
fickleness as a brahmana, you are seeking to curse him in vain. O wicked one!
You have laughed at the great lord, Rudra, in vain. He is the one who creates
this universe, preserves it and at the end, destroys it. O worst among
brahmanas! How have you cursed Rudra Mahesha?" Prajapati was censured in
this way by Nandi. Full of rage, Daksha cursed Nandi. Daksha said, "All
Rudra's ganas will be expelled from rites of the Vedas. You will be abandoned
by maharshis and those who follow the path of the Vedas. You will be addicted
to heretical views. You will be devoid of virtuous conduct. You will be
addicted to drinking liquor. You will have matted hair and will wear ashes and
bones." Daksha cursed Shiva's servants in this way. Hearing this, Nandi,
loved by Shiva, was filled with great rage. He instantly replied to Daksha, who
was insolent and exceedingly crooked. The energetic Nandi, Shilada's son,827
was loved by Shiva. Nandishvara said, "O Daksha! O deceitful one! O one
with evil intelligence! You cursed Shiva's servants in vain. Because of your
fickleness as a brahmana, you do not know about Shiva's tattva. Bhrigu and the
others are wicked in intelligence. They are foolish and have laughed at the
great lord, Mahesha. Taking themselves to be brahmanas, they are insolent.
Brahmanas like them, who turn away from Rudra, are deceitful. With the power of
Rudra's energy, I am cursing them. You will speak about the Vedas, but you will
only know about the meaning of the Vedas externally. These brahmanas will
always say that nothing else exists. 828 They will be addicted to
desire and pursue heaven. They will be full of rage, avarice and insolence.
Without any shame, these brahmanas will always be beggars. While placing the
path of the Vedas at the forefront, these brahmanas will act as officiating
priests for shudras. They will be poor and will always receive gifts. All of
them will receive from the wicked and go to hell. O Daksha! Some of them will
always become brahma-rakshasas. 829 Anyone who hates and abandons
Shiva, taking Parameshvara to be an ordinary god, will be evil in intelligence
and will never know the truth. They will always pursue mysterious dharma in
homes, wishing for happiness and carnal pleasures. They will debate the eternal
Vedas and lay down norms for rituals. Daksha's pleasant face will vanish. He
will become an animal and forget the path of the atman. He will always deviate
from karma. He will soon come to have a goat's head." After Ishvara was
cursed by Daksha and the brahmanas were angrily cursed by Nandi, great sounds
of lamentation arose. Hearing this, I, the creator of the Vedas and one who
knew about Shiva's tattva, repeatedly reprimanded Bhrigu and the other
brahmanas in grave words.'"
"Hearing Nandi's words,
Ishvara laughed. Sadashiva addressed him in sweet words, kindling his
understanding. Sadashiva said, "O Nandi! O immensely wise one! Listen. You
should not act in rage. In your confusion, you thought that I had been cursed
and cursed the lineage of brahmanas in vain. I am directly present in the
aksharas in the mantras of the Vedas. The suktas are full of me. The atman is
present in all suktas and in all those with bodies. Therefore, a person who
knows about the atman must never curse in rage. With a wicked intelligence, no
one must ever curse the Vedas. I have not been cursed now. You should
understand the truth. O extremely intelligent one! Be calm. Enlighten Sanaka
and the others. I am the sacrifice. I am the rites of the sacrifice. I am all
the limbs of the sacrifice. I am the atman of the sacrifice. I am the one who is
devoted to sacrifices. I am also the one who is outside the sacrifice. Who is
this? Who are you? Who are they? In truth, I am everything. You have forgotten
this understanding and have cursed the brahmanas in vain. Use jnana about the
truth to extract the essence from this prapancha.
_________________
827 The sage Shilada prayed to Shiva and
obtained Nandi as a son.
828 These shlokas are reminiscent of
Bhagavat Gita 2.42-43.
829 A brahmana who is born as a rakshasa.
O immensely intelligent one! Understand
this and get rid of your rage." In this way, Shambhu kindled understanding
in Nandikeshvara. He obtained a great sense of discrimination and became
serene. He lost his rage. Shiva thus swiftly enlightened his own gana, whom he
loved more than his own life. Along with his gana, he cheerfully returned to
his own abode. Daksha was still full of rage. Surrounded by the brahmanas, he
returned to his own residence, but his heart was full of hatred for Shiva.
Daksha remembered how, full of great anger, he had cursed Rudra. Foolish in
intelligence and giving up his devotion, he greatly criticized those who
worshipped Shiva. I have thus spoken about Daksha's wicked intelligence
vis-à-vis Shambhu, the paramatman O son! Hear about what he did with this wicked
intelligence subsequently. I will tell you.""
"Brahma said, 'O sage! On one
occasion, he started a great sacrifice. All the gods and rishis arrived there
and consecrated themselves. For purposes of the sacrifice and confounded by
Shiva's maya, all the unblemished maharshis arrived there-Agastya, Kashyapa,
Vamadeva, Bhrigu, Dadhichi, the illustrious Vyasa, Bharadvaja, Goutama, Paila,
Parashara, Garga, Bhargava, Kakupa, Sita, Sumantu, Trika, Kanka, Vaishampayana
and many other sages. They went there happily, along with their wives and sons,
to my son Daksha's sacrifice. All the large number of gods, the extremely
prosperous guardians of the worlds and all other unblemished ones went to help
in whichever way they could. I, the creator of the world, was honoured and
invited from Satyaloka, along with my sons and companions and the embodied
forms of the Vedas. With a great deal of affection, Vishnu was invited from
Vaikuntha and was taken to the sacrifice, along with his attendants and
companions. There were other deluded ones who went to the sacrifice. The
evil-souled Daksha welcomed all of them. Tvashtri830 created divine,
extremely expensive, large and extremely radiant mansions and these were given
to them. As each deserved, all the lords were honoured and kept there. Along
with Vishnu and me, they were radiant. The great sacrifice was conducted in the
tirtha of Kanakhala.831 Bhrigu and the others were made ritvijas, 832
Along with the large number of Maruts, Vishnu himself presided. I, Brahma, was
there, to indicate how the rites of the three833 should be followed.
The guardians of the worlds became the gatekeepers and guards. Along with their
attendants, they held weapons, and this excited curiosity. The personified form
of a sacrifice itself arrived there, in the form of the sacrifice. All the
great and best sages were those who held up the Vedas. The sacrificial fire
divided itself into thousands of parts, so that it could swiftly receive the
oblations offered at the great festival of the sacrifice. Eighty-six thousand
ritvijas offered oblations. Sixty-four thousand divine rishis functioned as
udgatris. Narada and others were adhvaryus and hotris. The saptarshis recited
separate chants.
_______________________
830 The architect of the gods.
831 Kanakhala in Haridwar district.
832 Ritvijas are officiating priests.
Though the classification varied over time, there were four types of ritivijas.
The adhvaryu chanted hymns from the Yajur Veda, the hotri chanted hymns from
the Rig Veda, the udgatri chanted hymns from the Sama Veda and the brahmana
chanted hymns from the Atharva Veda.
833 The three Vedas.
Daksha himself invited gandharvas,
vidyadharas, large numbers of siddhas, large numbers of adityas and their
companions and innumerable excellent nagas and their followers to his
sacrifice. There were large numbers of brahmana rishis, royal rishis, divine
rishis and kings, with their friends, advisers and soldiers. There were the
best of Vasus and all the ganadevatas.834 All of them went to the
sacred sacrifice. Daksha arranged for all the auspicious requirements and
consecrated himself for the sacrifice. Having had the auspicious benedictions
pronounced, along with his wife, he was extremely radiant. The evil-souled
Daksha did not invite Shambhu to the sacrifice. Deciding that he was a Kapali,835
he did not invite him to the sacrifice. This was despite the fact that
his beloved daughter, Sati, was Kapali's wife. Since Daksha could not see her
qualities, she too, was not invited to the sacrifice. In this way, the great
festival of Daksha's sacrifice commenced.'""
"There, all the revered ones
were engaged in tasks connected with the sacrifice. Meanwhile, Dadhichi,
Shiva's devotee, did not see the lord Shankara there and was mentally agitated.
He spoke the following words. Dadhichi said, "O foremost among devas and
rishis! Listen cheerfully to my words. Why has Shambhu not come to this great
festival of the sacrifice? All the lords of the gods, the best of sages and the
guardians of the worlds have arrived. Despite this, without the great-souled
wielder of the trident, the sacrifice is not resplendent. Greatly learned ones
praise him as the one who ensures everything auspicious. He is the ancient
being, Vrishadhvaja Paresha, blue at the throat. He cannot be seen here. Daksha
knows that he changes everything inauspicious into the auspicious. In the three
worlds, the supreme and ancient one makes everything auspicious. Therefore, it
is our task to invite Paramesha here. Let Brahma, the lord Vishnu, Indra, the
guardians of the worlds, the siddhas or the brahmanas quickly bring Vishnu's
lord here now. For the sacrifice to be complete in every way, Shankara must be
brought. Everything goes where the divinity Maheshvara is. Therefore, Shambhu,
along with Dakshayani, must be quickly brought. It is Shambhu, the paramatman,
who makes everything pure. O lords of gods! The paramatman must be brought
here, along with Amba. As soon as one remembers his name, everything becomes
well. Therefore, every attempt must be made to bring Vrishadhvaja. If Shankara
is brought, this sacrifice will be purified. Otherwise, it will remain
incomplete. I am telling you the truth." Hearing his words, Daksha was
filled with rage. The foolish one, evil in intelligence, spoke quickly and
seemed to laugh at these words. "Vishnu is the foundation of all devas and
eternal dharma vests in him. I have invited him in the proper way. What else is
needed for the sacrificial rites? All the Vedas, sacrifices and various kinds
of rites are established in him. That Vishnu has come here. Brahma, the
grandfather of the worlds, has come here, accompanied by the Vedas, the
Upanishads and the various agama texts. The king of the gods has himself come,
along with large numbers of gods. All of you rishis, devoid of sins, have come
here. They are like serene receptacles of everything required for a sacrifice
and they have come. All of them are firm in their vows and know the Vedas and
the truth about the meanings of the Vedas. Since they are here, what is the
need for Rudra? O brahmana!836 Urged by Brahma, I bestowed my
daughter on him.
_________________________
834 Deities (devata) who appear in groups
(gana).
835 One who holds or wears a skull, an
expression used for an inferior person. Kapali is also Shiva's name.
836 Addressed to Dadhichi.
O brahmana! Hara lacks a lineage.
He does not have a father or a mother. He is the lord of bhutas, pretas and
pishachas and is insufferable.837 The foolish one has created
himself. He is immobile, silent and envious. He is unworthy of this rite. That
is the reason I have not brought him now. Therefore, you should never utter
such words again. The task of all of you is to make my great sacrifice
successful." Hearing his words, while devas and sages heard, Dadhichi
replied in words that were full of substance. Dadhichi answered, "Without
Shiva, this great event is no longer a sacrifice. In particular, your
destruction will occur here." Saying this, Dadhichi emerged from Daksha's
sacrificial arena and swiftly left for his own hermitage. The foremost devotees
of Shankara and those who followed the views of Shiva's devotees also left for
their own hermitages, after having pronounced instant curses. When these sages
and others had left the sacrifice, the evil-minded Daksha laughed and spoke to
the sages who hated Shiva. Daksha said, "The brahmana who loves Shiva, by
the name of Dadhichi, has departed. Others who are like him have also left my
sacrifice. Consequently, since this has become even more auspicious, I approve
of this in every possible way. O lord of devas, gods and sages! I am speaking
the truth. They have lost their senses and are wicked. They speak what is false
and are deceitful. They are beyond the pale of the Vedas and are evil in
conduct. They should be cast away from sacrificial rites. With Vishnu at the
forefront, all of you speak about the Vedas. O brahmanas and gods! You will
soon render my sacrifice successful." Hearing his words and deluded by
Shiva's maya, all the gods and rishis performed that sacrifice to the gods. O
lord of sages! I have thus described how the sacrifice was cursed. I will now
tell you about the events that led to the destruction of the sacrifice. Listen
lovingly.'""
“Brahma said, 'When the gods and
rishis were leaving for the festival of Daksha's sacrifice, at that time, Devi
was on Mount Gandhamadana. Under a canopy that had bathrooms,838
surrounded by her friends, Dakshayani Sati was engaged in many kinds of sports.
While happily engaged in her sports, Devi Sati saw Rohini headed towards
Daksha's sacrifice. Seeing her in that state, with her hair parted, 839
Sati quickly spoke to Vijaya, the foremost among her friends, one whom she
loved more than her own life and one who ensured her welfare. Sati said,
"O best friend! O one whom I love more than my own life! O Vijaya! Where
is Rohini going with Chandra? Ask quickly." Addressed by Sati in this way,
Vijaya swiftly went to their presence.
_______________________________
837 A preta is a ghost, the spirit of a
dead person or simply something evil. A bhuta has the same meaning. Strictly
speaking, there are differences between preta, bhuta and pishacha (one who
lives on flesh). A preta is the spirit (not necessarily evil) of a dead person
before the funeral rites have been performed, A bhuta (not necessarily evil
again) is the spirit of a dead person who has had a violent death and for whom,
proper funeral rites have not been performed and may not even be performed. A
pishacha (necessarily evil) is often created deliberately through evil powers.
But the three terms are often used synonymously.
838 Dharagriha, that is, a bathroom with
some kind of shower or waterjet.
839 Meaning Rohini was dressed up.
In the appropriate way, she asked
the moon, "Where are you going?" Having heard Vijaya's words first,
he affectionately told her everything, about the festival of Daksha's sacrifice
and other things. Hearing this, Vijaya was alarmed and quickly returned to
Devi. She told Sati everything that the moon had said. Hearing this, Devi
Kalika Sati was amazed. Not knowing and not remembering any reason for this, 840
she thought in various ways. "Daksha is my father. Virini is my mother. I
am their daughter Sati, and I am not wicked. Why have they not invited me? Have
they forgotten me, their beloved daughter? I will lovingly ask Shankara about
the reason for this." Having thought about this and having made up her
mind, she went there. Devi Dakshayani left Vijaya, her best friend, there. She
quickly went to Shiva's presence. She saw him in the midst of the assembly,
along with many ganas-Nandi and other immensely valiant ones, the foremost
leaders and leaders of groups. Daksha's daughter saw her lord and husband
Ishana there. To ask him about the reason, she swiftly reached Shankara's
presence. Full of love, Shiva took up his beloved on his own lap. He showed her
a great deal of respect and addressed her in delightful words. Shambhu is
Sarvesha and engages in many kinds of pastimes that yield pleasure. Amidst the
ganas, he quickly addressed Sati lovingly. Shambhu asked, "Why have you
come here, in the midst of this assembly? You seem to be surprised. O
slender-waisted one! With a great deal of affection, tell me the reason."
O lord among sages! When Mahesha spoke to her in this way, Sati Shivaa quickly
prostrated herself before her lord and joined her hands in salutation. Sati
said, "I have heard that my father is organizing a great sacrifice. All
the gods and rishis have assembled at that great festival. Why does going to my
father's great sacrifice not appeal to you? O divinity! O lord of devas! O
lord! Please tell me everything. The dharma of well-wishers is that they must
associate with well-wishers. O Mahadeva! A well-wisher does what enhances
delight. O lord! Therefore, you must now make every effort to go with me to my
father's sacrificial arena. O husband! That is my request." Hearing Sati's
words, the divinity Maheshvara was pierced yet again by the arrows of Daksha's
words. Nevertheless, he replied in courteous words. Maheshvara answered,
"O Devi! Your father, Daksha, hates me in particular. I have been
respected by all the foremost gods and rishis. But there are other foolish ones
who are devoid of jnana. They have gone to your father's sacrifice. O Devi!
Without being invited, if a person goes to someone else's house, he is
dishonoured and that is worse than death. In such a situation, even if a person
like Indra goes to someone else's house, he demeans himself. What need be said
of others? Such a journey will be inimical. Therefore, especially you and I
should not go to Daksha's sacrifice. O beloved! I have told you the truth.
People are not hurt by arrows shot by enemies as much as they are hurt when their
hearts are pierced by wicked words uttered by one's own. They strike at the
inner organs. That is my view. O beloved! Those who are deceitful do not
perceive that they strike at their own positions when they abuse those who
possess the six qualities, 841 learning and others. That is the view
of the virtuous." The great-souled Mahesha addressed Sati in this way. She
was filled with rage and spoke to Shiva, supreme among eloquent ones. Sati
replied, "O Shambhu! O lord of everything! You are the one who makes a
sacrifice successful. My father has committed an evil act by not inviting you
there now. O Bhava! However, I wish to know everything about the sentiments of
that evil-souled one and also those of the evil-souled gods and rishis who have
assembled there.
__________________________
840 Obviously, Shiva had not told Sati
about the conflict with Daksha.
841 Usually learning, purity,
truthfulness, compassion, liberality and non-violence. But the listing isn't
uniform.
O lord! Therefore, I will go to my
own father's sacrifice. O lord! O Maheshvara! Please grant me permission to go
there." Bhagavan Rudra was thus addressed by Devi. Shiva himself knows
everything and is a witness to everything. He is the one who ensures welfare.
Having seen, he addressed Sati. Shiva said, "O Devi! If that is what
appeals to you, you must certainly go. O one who is excellent in vows! With my
permission, you must quickly go to your father's sacrifice. Ascend this Nandi,
the bull who will be lovingly decorated. He will be ornamented in greatly
resplendent fashion and possesses many qualities." Thus addressed by
Rudra, Sati ascended that ornamented bull. Ornamented properly, Sati left for
her father's residence. The paramatman gave her many great and radiant gifts,
excellent umbrellas and chamaras, superb garments and ornaments. Obeying
Shiva's command, sixty thousand of Rudra's ganas cheerfully went with her, full
of curiosity about that great festival. As they left, in every direction, great
festivities were organized by Sati and Shiva's beloved ganas, Vamadeva and
others. Eagerly, the ganas chanted about Shiva and Shivaa's fame. Delighted,
those immensely valiant ones, loved by Shiva, leapt around like children. As
the mother of the universe departed, everything was extremely beautiful. Joyous
sounds of happiness filled the three worlds.'""
“Brahma said, 'Dakshayani went to
the place where the extremely radiant sacrifice was being performerd by
enthusiastic gods, asuras and Indras among sages. She saw her father's
extremely radiant and beautiful house, full of extraordinary objects and large
numbers of gods and rishis. While she was still at the gate, Devi got down from
her seat astride Nandi and quickly went inside, to the place where the sacrifice
was being held. On seeing that Sati had come, her illustrious mother, Asikni,
and her sisters received her in the appropriate way, with affection. However,
on seeing her, Daksha did not show the least bit of affection. Confounded by
Shiva's maya, and out of fear, nor did any of the others. O sage! Extremely
surprised at everyone's behaviour, Devi Sati bowed down before her father and
mother. In that sacrifice, she saw the shares of devas, Hari and others. But
since no share had been arranged for Shambhu, Sati was filled with intolerable
rage. Full of severe and complete anger, Sati glanced at Daksha and everyone
who had caused such dishonour with a cruel glance, as if she was going to burn
them down. Sati asked, "How is it that the extremely auspicious Shambhu
has not been invited? He is the one who purifies the entire universe and all
its mobile and immobile objects. He is the sacrifice. He is the best among
those who know about sacrifices. He is part of a sacrifice. He is the dakshina
of a sacrifice. He is the performer of a sacrifice. How can there be a
sacrifice without Shambhu? As soon as he is remembered, everything is
sanctified. Anything done without him is not sanctified. All the articles used,
the havya and the kavya, 842 are full of him. How can a sacrifice be
done without Shambhu? Did you wish to disrespect Shiva, taking him to be an
ordinary god? O worst among fathers! You have now become full of confused
intelligence. Vishnu, Brahma and other devas serve Maheshvara and obtained
their own positions as a result of that. You do not know Hara. When Shambhu,
their own lord, is not present, how have Vishnu, Brahma and other gods and the
sages come to your sacrifice?"
____________________
842 Respectively, oblations offered to
gods and ancestors.
Having said this, Parameshani, with
Bhava in her atman, spoke separately to Vishnu and all the others, reprimanding
them. Sati said, "O Vishnu! Do you not know the truth about Mahadeva? The
shruti texts speak about his saguna and nirguna forms. There are many occasions
when Maheshvara has extended his helping hand to you. O Hari! In the past, for
your sake, he instructed many, Shalva being the foremost. 843 O one
with evil intelligence! Despite that, your mind has not been filled with jnana.
Without Shiva, your own lord, being present, you desire a share in Daksha's
sacrifice. You844 had five faces earlier and were insolent.
Sadashiva reduced you to four faces. Have you forgotten that so quickly? O
Indra! Don't you know about Mahadeva's valour? Hara had ruthlessly reduced your
thunderbolt to ashes. 845 O gods! Don't you know about Mahadeva's
valour? O Atri, Vasishtha and other sages! What have you done? On an earlier
occasion, the lord was roaming around in Daruvana, 846 begging for
alms. At that time, you sages cursed Rudra, in his form as a mendicant. Have
you forgotten what Rudra did when you cursed him? His lingam burnt down the
entire universe, with its mobile and immobile objects. All of you, Vishnu,
Brahma and the gods and the sages, have been filled with foolishness. You have
come to a sacrifice that does not have Shambhu. Even if one uses everything
accumulated in the Vedas, the Vedangas, the words of the sacred texts and
Vedanta, one will not be able to obtain complete understanding of Shambu."
With her heart shattered, Sati, the mother of the universe, spoke many such
angry words. Hearing these words, the minds of Vishnu and all devas and sages
were agitated and filled with fear. They remained silent."""
"However, Daksha heard his
daughter's words. He glanced towards Sati with a cruel glance and addressed her
in angry words. Daksha said, "Why are you speaking so much? There is
nothing for you to do here now. You can go or stay. O fortunate one! Why have
you come here? The learned know that your husband, Shiva, is inauspicious. He
doesn't have a lineage. He is outside the pale of the Vedas. He is the king of
bhutas, pretas and pishachas. O daughter! Therefore, knowing this, I have not
invited Rudra, who wears evil attire, to this sacrifice and this assembly of
devas, rishis and learned ones. Urged by Vidhatri, I bestowed you on this evil
and wicked person. Rudra is evil-souled and haughty. He does not know the true
meaning of anything. O one with the sweet smiles! Therefore, cast aside your
rage and be calm. Since you have come to this sacrifice, accept what is given
to you." Daksha addressed his daughter, Sati, worshipped by the three
worlds, in this way. Seeing that her father was full of such contempt, she
became extremely angry. She wondered, "How can I return to Shankara? I
desire to see Shankara. But if he asks me, what will I say in reply?" Full
of anger, Sati, who gives birth to the three worlds, sighed. She replied to her
father, the evil-minded Daksha. Sati said, "Those who criticize Mahadeva
and listen to such criticism will go to hell and remain there, until the moon
and the sun exist. Therefore, I will cast aside my body and enter the fire. O
father! Having heard this disrespect shown to my lord, what is the point of my
remaining alive? In particular, if a person possesses the capacity to slice off
the tongue of a person who utters the intolerable criticism of Shambhu, there
is no doubt that he is purified.
_______________________
843 This is a reference to King Shalva,
Shiva's devotee, who hated Krishna and fought against him.
844 This is spoken to Brahma.
845 When Indra had attacked Shiva with his
vajra.
846 Daruvana or Darukavana is named after
a demon named Daruka and his wife Darukaa, really the latter. The lingam is
identified as the Nageshvara jyotirlingam in Dvaraka.
If he doesn't possess the capacity,
a supreme and learned person should cover his ears and leave the spot. He will
be purified. That is the best way to avoid going to hell." She spoke about
this policy of dharma and repented. With a mind full of grief, she remembered
Shankara's words. Enraging Daksha even more, Sati addressed all devas and
sages, Vishnu and the others, in these determined words. Sati said, "O
father! Having criticized Shambhu, you will repent later. You will undergo
great hardships in this world and face pain thereafter. The paramatman is
loved. There is no one in the world he does not love. Other than you, who can
hate and be adversarial towards Sharva? However, it is not surprising that
those who are jealous should indulge in such great criticism. The great dust
from his feet destroys tamas and makes everything auspicious. In any
connection, even if men utter the two askharas in Shiva's name once, 847
all their sins are swiftly destroyed. His deeds are sacred and unblemished, but
you hate Shiva. Shambu is Sarveshvara. His command cannot be crossed. Alas! You
are crooked. Like bees, the mind searches out his lotus feet. They are full of
the essence of the brahman and bestow everything. If one lovingly tends to
them, one obtains everything. All the noble people in the world instantly serve
Shiva, lovingly. O foolish one! But you hate him. You will suffer infinite
bonds. He is spoken of as auspicious.848 Other than you, have other
learned people, Brahma and Sanaka and other sages, regarded Shiva as
inauspicious? He wears matted hair. He resides in cremation grounds and holds a
skull. Ashes are his ornament. Knowing this, those who are pervasive in
intelligence love him. They affectionately touch his feet and place that dust
on their heads. The sages know that these are the ornaments of Parameshvara
Shiva. The Vedas speak of two kinds of rites-pravritti and nivritti. Learned
ones reflect on these two kinds of conduct. They are contrary to each other,
and both cannot be followed simultaneously. But Shambhu is the supreme brahman
and these rites do not touch him in any way. Let us never follow the footsteps
of my father and do what he does. The trails of smoke that emerge from your
sacrificial pavilion are not the path of supreme liberation. The lingam that is
not manifest is always served by avadhutas. O father! O one with wicked
intelligence! You should not show any pride. What is the need to speak a lot?
You are wicked, with every kind of evil intelligence. I have no further need of
a body that originated from you. Shame on such a greatly futile life, which has
originated from a person who is crooked. A learned person must specially avoid
any association with such a person. Bhagavan Vrishadhvaja has said that you
have given me your gotra. Therefore, my name has abruptly come to be Dakshayani
and my mind is greatly distressed on this account. Therefore, I will cast aside
this body, born from you. It stinks and is always contemptible. Hence, I will
certainly give it up now and obtain what ensures happiness. O gods! O sages!
All of you listen to my words. Evil in your minds, you have perpetrated an act
that is evil in every possible way. All of you are foolish. You are addicted to
criticizing Shiva and picking quarrels with him. Hara will certainly punish and
restrain all of you." In that sacrifice, Sati spoke these words to Daksha
and the others. She mentally remembered Shambhu, whom she loved more than her
own life.'"
______________________
847 Shi + va.
848 The word Shiva means auspicious.
"Narada said, 'Sati, loved by
Shankara, was silent. O Vidhatri! What happened after that? Out of affection,
please tell me.'""
"Brahma replied, 'Lovingly
remembering her own husband, Devi Sati was silent. Tranquil in her mind, she
quickly sat down on the ground, in the southern direction. She sipped water and
purified herself, covering herself in her garment. She closed her eyes and
remembering her husband, entered the path of yoga. Wan of face, she maintained
equilibrium between the two breaths of life-prana and apana. From the chakra in
the navel, she raised udana up. Using her intelligence, Sati raised it up to
her heart, then to her throat and finally to the middle of her eyebrows. The
unblemished one was loved by Shankara more than his own life. In this way,
angry at Daksha, Sati suddenly gave up her own life. Resorting to the path of
yoga, she held the pure breath of life and burnt her body. She thought of her
own husband's feet and nothing else. With her intelligence fixed on the path of
yoga, that is all Sati saw. Purified of sins, the body was reduced to fire. O
best among sages! Following her own wish, she instantly reduced it to ashes.
Loud exclamations were uttered by those who witnessed this on earth and from
the sky. There were extraordinary and wonderful sounds of lamentation, causing
fear to the gods and others. "Alas! Devi Sati, supremely loved by Shambhu
like a divinity, has given up her life. Which extremely wicked person has
enraged her? Alas! Behold the extremely wicked thing that Daksha has done. He
is Prajapati's son and is the lord of all mobile and immobile objects. Alas!
The spirited Devi Sati was distressed in her mind. The virtuous should always
look at Vrishadhvaja's beloved with eyes full of respect. Shame on Prajapati,
who hates the brahman and has intolerance in his heart. He will obtain endless
ill fame on earth. His daughter was born from his own body, and he proceeded to
hate Shambhu. When he dies, because of his crime, he will enjoy great miseries
in hell." Witnessing this extraordinary act of Sati giving up her own
body, people spoke in this way. Her attendants were instantly filled with
wrath. They stood up and raised their weapons. All the ganas, who were
stationed at the door, were filled with anger. The lord Shambhu's attendants
were extremely strong and were enraged. They lamented and uttered words of
"Shame." The valiant leaders of Shankara's ganas uttered such loud
words of lamentation. Those loud sounds of lamentation enveloped the
directions. All devas and sages present there were filled with fear. Consulting
each other, all the angry ganas raised their weapons up. They created
destruction and the sounds of their weapons spread in the directions. Some of
them were filled with grief and used their weapons to slice their own limbs. O
devarshi! With those extremely sharp weapons, which could take away lives,
others sliced their own heads and faces. In this way, when Dakshayani died,
twenty thousand ganas died along with her. It was extraordinary. When these
ganas were destroyed, the remainder of the great-souled Shankara's ganas stood
up and raised their weapons. Angry, they rushed forward to kill Daksha. O sage!
Seeing that they were swiftly advancing and were going to destroy the
sacrifice, the illustrious Bhrigu uttered mantras from Yajur Veda and offered
oblations into the dakshinagni fire.
When Bhrigu offered these
oblations, thousands of 849 giant asuras known as the Ribhus arose.
They were exceedingly valiant. O lord among sages! They used liquids on fire850
as weapons and there was an extremely terrible clash between them and the
pramathas. Even hearing about it makes the body hair stand up. The Ribhus were
extremely brave. They were full of the energy of the brahman and slaughtered
the pramathas, who could no longer endeavour, in every direction. Slaughtered
in this way, Shiva's ganas swiftly fled. This extraordinary event occurred as a
result of the wishes of Shiva and Mahashakti. Witnessing this, the rishis,
devas, Shakra and the others, the large number of Maruts, the Vishvadevas, the
Ashvins and the guardians of the world were silent. From every direction, some
beseeched the lord Vishnu. They were anxious and repeatedly consulted the one
who removed impediments. Some, with good intelligence, thought for a long time
about the consequences of what had been done and were greatly anxious. The
gods, Vishnu and others had repeatedly heard the sounds of destruction. In this
way, there were impediments to the sacrifice of the evil-souled one. O sage!
Daksha was Brahma's relative and hated Shankara."""
“Brahma said, 'O lord among among
sages! Meanwhile, a voice was heard from the firmament. While Daksha and the
others heard, it spoke the truth. The voice from the firmament said, "O
Daksha! O evildoer! O one who is addicted to insolent conduct! O immensely
foolish one! What have you done? This deed will bring disaster. You did not act
according to the words of Dadhichi, king among Shiva's devotees. That was the
yardstick for ensuring every kind of happiness and auspiciousness. O foolish
one! But you did not do that. After invoking an intolerable curse on you, the
brahmana departed from the sacrifice. Even then, you did not comprehend
anything. You are foolish in your mind. Why did you not treat your own daughter
with great affection? The auspicious Sati came to your house of her own accord.
O one who is weak in knowledge! Why did you not worship Sati and Bhava? You
were deluded and haughty since you are Brahma's son. Sati must always be
worshipped. She is the one who destroys all sins. She is the mother of the
worlds. She ensures welfare and is half of Shankara's body. Sati must always be
worshipped. She bestows every kind of good fortune. Maheshvari bestows
everything auspicious on her own devotees. If Sati is constantly worshipped,
she destroys the fear of samsara. Devi bestows what the mind desires and takes
away every kind of calamity. If Sati is constantly worshipped, she bestows fame
and prosperity. She is supreme Parameshani and confers objects of pleasure and
emancipation. Sati is the mother of the universe. She protects the universe.
She is the primordial Shakti. At the end of the kalpa, she destroys the
universe. Sati is the mother of the universe. She is Vishnu's enchanting
mother. She is described as the mother of Brahma, Indra, the moon, the fire,
the sun and devas. Sati is the one who bestows the fruits of austerities,
dharma and donations. Mahadevi is Shambhu's Shakti. She is the slayer of the
wicked. She is greater than the greatest. Such is Devi Sati, and you did not
offer a share to the one whose beloved wife she is. In your folly, you have acted
in a wicked way. Shambhu is Paramesha. He is the lord of everything. He is
greater than the greatest.
_________________
849 Ribhus, also known as Vibhus, are
divinities whose notion has evolved over time.
850 Alternatively, flaming torches.
He deserves to be worshipped by
Brahma, Vishnu and the others. He bestows every kind of welfare. Desiring to
see him, siddhas torment themselves through austerities. Desiring to see him,
yogis engage in yoga. The sight of Shankara is said to yield great fruits-infinite
wealth and grain and success in sacrifices. The lord Shiva is the creator of
the universe. He is the lord of every kind of knowledge. He is the supreme and
primordial lord of knowledge. Among everything auspicious, he is the most
auspicious. O crooked one! You have shown disrespect to his Shakti. Therefore,
your sacrifice will be destroyed. If someone who should be worshipped is not
worshipped, the consequence is inauspicious. Shiva should have been worshipped,
but you did not worship him. Every day, with delight, Shesha bears the dust
from his feet on his one thousand hoods. Sati is that Shiva's Shakti. With
constant love, Vishnu worshipped his lotus feet and performed dhyana on them.
That is how he obtained the status of being Vishnu. Sati is the beloved of that
Shambhu. With constant love, Brahma worshipped his lotus feet and performed
dhyana on them. That is how he obtained the status of being Brahma. Sati is the
beloved of that Shambhu. With constant love, Indra and the other guardians of
the worlds worshipped his lotus feet and performed dhyana on them. That is how
they obtained their respective positions. Shiva is the father of the universe.
Sati Shakti is the mother of the universe. O foolish one! Not having honoured
her, how will you obtain what is good for you? Since you did not devotedly
worship Bhavani and Shankara, misfortune will cross your path. Calamities will
cross your path. Without worshipping Shiva Shambhu, how could you aspire for
welfare? What is this indomitable pride that you possess? Your pride will now
be destroyed. Since Sarvesha has turned away from you, what will devas do for
you? I do not see how they can help you in any possible way. If devas try to
help you now, they will be destroyed, like moths by a fire. Your face will
burn, and your sacrifice will be destroyed. Anyone who helps you will also be
swiftly burned. If any of the immortals seeks to help this evil-souled one, he
will now confront the inauspicious. That is a pledge. Therefore, let all the
immortals leave this sacrificial pavilion. Otherwise, in every possible way,
they will now be destroyed. Let all the others, the sages and nagas, also leave
this sacrifice. Otherwise, in every possible way, they will now be destroyed. O
Hari! Leave this sacrificial pavilion quickly. Otherwise, in every possible
way, you will now be destroyed, O Vidhatri! Leave this sacrificial pavilion
quickly. Otherwise, in every possible way, you will now be destroyed." The
voice from the firmament, which ensures every kind of welfare, spoke in this
way to everyone who was present in the sacrificial arena. O son! Hearing this
voice from the firmament, Hari and all the other gods and the sages and others
were filled with wonder."""
“Narada asked, 'After hearing this
voice from the firmament, what did the ignorant Daksha do? What did the others
do? What occurred? Shiva's ganas were defeated by the strength of Bhrigu's
mantras. What did they do? Where did they go? O immensely intelligent one!
Please tell me.'""
"Brahma replied, 'Hearing the
voice from the firmament, the gods and all the others were astounded. They did
not say anything. Confused, they remained there. The brave remnants of Shiva's
ganas were made to flee by the strength of Bhrigu's mantras. They went and
sought refuge with Shiva. After lovingly prostrating themselves before the
infinitely energetic Rudra, they told him everything that had occurred. The
ganas said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! We have sought refuge with you.
Please save us. O protector! Please listen affectionately to everything
connected with Sati. O Mahesha! The extremely evil-souled Daksha was insolent.
Without any discomfort, he dishonoured Sati and did not show her any affection.
The wicked and insolent Daksha gave devas a share but did not give you a share.
Instead, he uttered harsh words. O lord! Seeing that you were not given a share
in the sacrifice, Sati became angry. Censuring her father in many ways, she
gave up her body. In shame, ten thousand of the ganas died there. They sliced
off their limbs with weapons. We, the others, were enraged. Armoured and
fearful in appearance, we powerfully rushed forward to destroy the sacrifice.
However, using his own powers, Bhrigu abused us and countered us. O lord who
holds up the universe! We have come here to seek refuge with you. Please grant
us freedom from fear. We are scared that we will be killed. O great lord! In
particular, we have witnessed the dishonour exhibited by Daksha and the others
at the sacrifice. They are wicked and extremely insolent. They are foolish in
intelligence. Do what you want with them." O Narada! In this way, they
told him everything connected with Sati.'""
""Hearing the words of
his own ganas, the lord remembered Narada, so that he might quickly hear
everything that had occurred. O devarshi! O one with divine sight! You swiftly
went there. Having devotedly prostrated yourself, you stood there, your hands
joined in salutation. The lord praised you and asked you about Sati's account,
about what had transpired after she went to Daksha's sacrifice. O son! Asked by
Shambhu, with Shiva in your atman, you told him everything that had happened at
Daksha's sacrifice. O sage! Ishvara heard the truth, spoken through your mouth.
Rudra, extremely terrible in his valour, was instantly angered. Rudra, the
destroyer of the worlds, plucked out a strand from his matted hair and seething
in rage, flung it on top of the mountain. O sage! The strand from the lord's
matted hair divided into two parts. There was a mighty roar, like the terrible
sound heard at the time of the great dissolution. O devarshi! From the first
part of that strand of matted hair, the immensely strong Virabhadra arose. He
was extremely terrible and was foremost among the ganas. He covered the entire
earth and extended ten angulas above it. He stood there, lofty, resembling the
fire of dissolution. He possessed two thousand arms. As the great Rudra sighed
in rage, one thousand juaras and thirteen sannipatas were generated. 851
Mahakali originated from the other part of the strand of matted hair. O son!
She was extremely fearful and was surrounded by crores of bhutas. All these
embodied forms were cruel and harsh, causing terror to the worlds. They blazed
in their own energy and burnt everything down."""
"The valiant Virabhadra
prostrated himself before Parameshvara. Skilled in the use of words, he joined
his hands in salutation and spoke the following words. Virabhadra said, "O
great Rudra! O extremely terrible one! O one with the sun and the moon as your
eyes! What is my task? O lord! Quickly command me about what I must do. O
Ishana! Are the oceans to be dried up in an instant? O Ishana! Are the
mountains to be crushed in an instant? O Hara! Is the universe to be reduced to
ashes in an instant? Are the gods and lords among sages to be reduced to ashes
in an instant? O Shankara! Are all the worlds to be destroyed? O Ishana! Is my
task one of causing violence to all beings? O Maheshvara! Through your favours,
there is nothing that I am incapable of doing.
_______________
851 Juara is fever and sannipata is
aggravation caused by disequilibrium in three doshas or humours in the body,
vata, pitta and kapha.
There has been no one who is my
equal in valour, nor will there ever be. O lord! Instruct me about my task and
send me. Through your favours, I will swiftly accomplish that task. O Shankara!
Through your command, even the inferior can cross over the ocean that is the
world. Am I therefore not capable of crossing an ocean that is full of great
adversity? O Shankara! Sent by you, even a blade of grass is capable of easily
accomplishing a great task. There is no doubt about this. O Shambhu! Through
your pastimes, any task meets with success. Therefore, through your favours,
send me. O Shambhu! A strength like mine has been obtained through your
favours. O Shankara! Without your favours, who can be strong? Without your
command, not even a blade of grass can be moved. One is incapable. There is no
doubt that this is the truth. O Shankara! All devas and others are subject to
Shambhu's control. I am controlled in that way. All those with bodies are
controlled. O Mahadeva! I prostrate myself before you. I prostrate myself
again. O Hara! Now, swiftly dispatch me to successfully accomplish whatever you
desire. O Shambhu! My right limbs are throbbing repeatedly. 852 O
lord! Dispatch me. I will be victorious today. For some reason, there is a
special kind of enthusiasm and delight. O Shambhu! My mind is fixed to your
lotus feet. There has been something auspicious at every step that I have
taken. If a person has firm devotion towards Shambhu, the refuge of everything
auspicious, that ensures auspiciousness for him, and he is always
victorious." The lord of auspiciousness heard these words and was content.
Pronouncing benedictions, he said, "O Virabhadra! May you be
victorious." Maheshvara said, "O son! O Virabhadra! With an excellent
mind, listen to my words. Make efforts to do this and that will bring
satisfaction to me. Daksha, the crooked son of Vidhatri, is engaged in the task
of organizing a sacrifice. In particular, he opposes me. He is immensely proud
and has become ignorant now. Along with everything that accompanies the
sacrifice, reduce that sacrifice to ashes. O supreme among ganas! After that,
return quickly to my abode. If there are any gods, gandharvas, rakshasas or
others there, swiftly reduce them to ashes too. If Vishnu, Brahma, Shachi's
consort or Yama are there, make efforts to bring all of them down. If gods,
gandharvas, yakshas or others are there, quickly and violently, reduce them to
ashes too. If anyone is there, crossing the pledge Dadhichi made about me, make
determined efforts to blaze against them. The pramathas will go with you. In
their confusion, if Vishnu and the others are present, they will be attracted
with mantras and quickly burnt down. Those who are insolent and remain there,
crossing the pledge made to me, they act against me. They will be blazed in
garlands of fire. Blaze and reduce to ashes those who are present at the place
of Daksha's sacrifice, along with their wives and material objects. After that,
swiftly return. When you go there, it is possible that the Vishvadevas will
lovingly praise you. Even then, like a fire, swiftly blaze against them. If
devas have acted in a contrary way, surround them with garlands of flames.
Perform dhyana on me, your protector, and swiftly blaze against them, using a
fiery form. O brave one! Blaze against Daksha and everyone else, their wives
and relatives. After this, toying with Daksha, drink water.853 With
eyes coppery-red in rage, the protector of the ordinances of the Vedas, Kala's854
enemy and everyone's lord, spoke these words to the immensely valiant one,
before stopping."""
_____________________
852 An auspicious sign.
853 Don't drink any water before
accomplishing the task.
854 Yama's.
"Brahma said, 'Virabhadra
lovingly heard Shri Mahesha's words hade kovinely satisfied and prostrated
himself before Maheshvara. He bowed his head down and accepted the command of
the lord of devas, the wielder of the trident. After this, Virabhadra quickly
left for the sacrifice. To increase the dazzle, Shiva dispatched crores of
ganas. Along with them, the immensely valiant one resembled the fire of dissolution.
Those powerful ganas proceeded ahead of Virabhadra. Brave ganas also followed
him at the rear, exciting curiosity. Along with Virabhadra, there were hundreds
of thousands of ganas. These were companions in the form of time and destiny
and in appearance, all of them resembled Rudra. The great-souled Virabhadra
wore attire and ornaments that were like those of Hara, and he was with these
ganas. He possessed one thousand firm arms, resembling the king of serpents.
Powerful and terrifying, he was astride a chariot. There were so many chariots
that two thousand nalvas855 of ground were covered. Ten thousand
lions made efforts to pull the vehicles. Like that, there were many powerful
lions, tigers, makaras, fish and thousands of elephants to act as those who
protected the flanks. To destroy Daksha's sacrifice, Virabhadra advanced
quickly. Released by kalpavrikshas, there was a shower of flowers. The ganas
praised the brave one, who was engaged in carrying out the task instructed by
Shipi. 856 As the festivity of the march commenced, there was
curiosity everywhere. Along with the large number of bhutas, Mahakali advanced
to destroy Daksha. The nine Durgas were with her-Kali, Katyayani, Ishani,
Chamunda, Mundamardini, Bhadrakali, Bhadra, Tvarita and Vaishnavi. To destroy
Daksha's sacrifice, dakinis, shakinis, bhutas, pramathas, guhyakas, kushmandas,
parpatas, chatakas, brahma-rakshasas, bhairavas and kshetrapalas emerged
swiftly. 857 These brave ones were intent on obeying Shiva's
command. There were sixty-four categories of yoginis. 858 To destroy
Daksha's sacrifice, they rushed forth, enraged. O Narada! Hear about the
numbers of the ganas. There were large numbers. The foremost among them were
extremely strong and full of fortitude. Ganeshvara Shankukarna advanced with
ten crores. Kekaraksha had ten crores and Vikrita had eight. Vishakha had
sixty-four crores and Pariyatrika had nine. The brave Sarvankaka had six crores
and so did Vikritanana. Jvalakesha, bull among ganas, had twelve crores.
Samadjjiman had seven crores and Dudrabha had eight. Kapalisha had five crore
ganas and Sandaraka had six. Kotikunda had crores and crores. The brave
Vishtambha, supreme among ganas, had eight crores. O son! Sannada and Pippala
each had one thousand crores. Aveshana had eight crores and Chandrapatana also
had eight crores. Mahavesha, leader of ganas, had one thousand crores. O sage!
Kundi had twelve crores and so did Parvata, the excellent gana.
______________________________
855 A nalva is a measure of distance,
equal to 400 hastas or cubits.
856 Shipi is Shiva's name and also that of
Vishnu.
857 In this context, these are different
types of demons and demonesses.
858 The number of yoginis varies, but is
usually given as sixty-four, or groups of sixty-four. The names also vary.
Often, yoginis are linked with matrikas, though the names/numbers of matrikas
also vary. Each matrika is associated with seven other yoginis. With eight
matrikas, there are 8 x 8 yoginis. But this taxonomy is not consistent.
They advanced to destroy Daksha's
sacrifice. Kala, Kalaka and Mahakala advanced towards Daksha's sacrifice, each
with one hundred crores. Agnikrit had one hundred crores and Agnimukha had one
crore. Adityamurdha and Ghanavaha each had one crore. Sannaha had a hundred crore
ganas and Kumuda had a crore. Amogha and Kokila, lord of ganas, each had crores
and crores. O son! Kashthagudha, Sukeshi, Vrishabha and Sumantraka, lord of
ganas, each advanced with sixty crores. Kakapadodara, supreme among ganas, and
Santanaka, bull among ganas, each had sixty crores. Mahabala and Pungava had
nine crores each. O son! Madhupinga, leader of ganas, departed with ninety
crores. Nila and Purnabhadra also had that number each. Chaturvakra, leader of
ganas, departed with one hundred crores. Kashthaguda, Sukesha and Vrishabha had
sixty-four crores each.859 Virupaksha, leader of ganas, had
sixty-four crores. Talaketu, Shadashya and Panchasya, leader of ganas, had the
same number each. O sage! Samvartaka, the lord Kulisha, Lokantaka, Diptatma,
Daityantaka, Bhringiriti, Devadevapriya, Ashani and Bhalaka each had sixty-four
thousand ganas. Following Shiva's command, the valiant Virabhadra, lord of all
those who are brave, advanced, surrounded by crores and thousands of crores,
hundreds and twenty times that number. As the valiant one rapidly marched,
thousands of crores of bhutas and three crores of canine ganas born from the
body hair proceeded with him. There was the loud sound of drums and many kinds
of sounds from conch shells. There were many kinds of horns. All these emerged
from Hara's mouth and matted hair. In that great festival, many kinds of
musical instruments were played. The sound spread everywhere and tied
everything in a pleasant bond. O great sage! In this way, Virabhadra marched
with his army and many pleasant portents were repeatedly seen.'""
"Brahma said, 'Along with the
ganas, Virabhadra advanced in this fashion. Daksha and the gods witnessed bad
omens. As Virabhadra and the ganas marched, there were diverse evil portents of
the three types. 860 These signified the destruction of the sacrifice of devas
and rishis. Daksha's left eye, arm and thigh throbbed. O son! There were many
such inauspicious indications, suggesting hardships of many kinds. There was an
earthquake at the place where Daksha's sacrifice was taking place. At midday,
Daksha saw extraordinary nakshatras. The directions turned extremely dirty, and
the sun seemed speckled. The environment was besieged with one thousand
terrifying signs. Nakshatras, blazing like lightning and the fire, fell down.
Some nakshatras moved of vultures arrived and touched Daksha's head. Shadows
from diagonally. Others descended, facing downwards. Thousands the wings of
vultures darkened the sacrificial pavilion. Jackals howled towards the top of
the sacrificial ground. Netraka 861 showered down meteors and white
scorpions were born from these. Harsh winds started to blow and there were
showers of dust. Insects862 arose and were whirled around, trembling
in the wind. The new pavilion constructed for Daksha's sacrifice by devas and
Daksha was flung upwards by the gust of wind.
______________________
859 This sentence is unnecessary
repetition.
860 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny),
adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one's own nature).
861 An evil star or planet.
862 Specifically, locusts.
Daksha and all the others
repeatedly vomited blood, lumps of flesh and stakes. It was extraordinary. The
lamps flickered, as if they had been struck by the wind. Everyone was miserable,
as if struck by showers of weapons. The eyes of Daksha and the others resembled
lotuses growing in the forest. But at that moment, they seemed to have been
struck by showers during the monsoon or struck by showers of hail. Suddenly,
they resembled lotuses at night or lotuses at the time of early dawn. Devas
seemed to shower down blood and the directions were covered in darkness. In
particular, the directions blazed and terrified everyone. In this way, the gods
and others witnessed diverse evil portents. O sage! Vishnu and the others were
filled with great fear. Some shrieked "Alas! We have been killed."
They fell down on the ground, senseless. They were like trees along the banks,
struck by the force of a river. They fell down immobile on the ground, like
cruel snakes that had been killed. Like balls, they fell down on the ground and
rose up again. Tormented and scorched, they wept like female ospreys. Their
words and the sounds of their weeping mingled with each other. All of them,
including Vishnu, were anxious and their power was impeded. Anxious, they clung
to each other's throats and seemed to move like tortoises. Meanwhile, a
disembodied voice spoke and was heard by all devas present there, particularly
by Daksha. The voice from the sky said, "O Daksha and the other extremely
foolish ones! You are wicked in intelligence. Originating from Hara, great
miseries that cannot be countered will descend on you. The foolish ones, devas
and others, present here, will utter words of lamentation. There is no doubt
that they will confront great miseries." Hearing the voice from the sky
and witnessing the evil portents, Daksha was filled with fear. This was also
true of other devas. Daksha trembled and his mind turned numb. He went and
sought refuge with Vishnu, his own lord, the destroyer of enemies. Overwhelmed
by fear and insensible, he prostrated himself and praised him. He spoke to
Vishnu, the lord of devas, who is affectionate towards those who are his
own."""
""Daksha said, "O
lord of devas! O Hari! O Vishnu! O friend of the distressed! O ocean of
compassion! You should protect me and my sacrifice. You are the one who
protects a sacrifice. You are the sacrifice. You are the one who performs the
sacrifice. You are the atman of the sacrifice. O lord! Please show me your
compassion and ensure that this sacrifice is not
shattered.""""
"Brahma continued, 'In this
way, Daksha lovingly told him many things. His mind overwhelmed with fear, he
fell down at his feet. Daksha's mind was suffering, and Vishnu raised him up.
He heard the words of the evil-minded one and remembered Shiva. He remembered
his own lord, Shiva Mahesha Parameshvara. He knew about Shiva's tattva. Hence,
he kindled understanding in Daksha. Hari said, "O Daksha! Listen. I will
tell you the truth. Listen to my words. They are like a great mantra and are
beneficial to you in every possible way. They will bring you happiness. O
Daksha! You did not know the truth and you have shown disrespect to the lord of
everything, Shankara, the paramatman. If Ishvara is dishonoured, every task
becomes futile in every possible way. In fact, there is a calamity at every
step. When those who should not be worshipped are worshipped, and those who
should be worshipped are not worshipped, poverty, death and fear-these three
occur. Therefore, every possible effort must be made to honour Vrishadhvaja.
Since Mahesha has been dishonoured, a great fear has presented itself. Though
we possess powers, we have no powers now. Because of your bad policy, this has
happened. I am telling you the truth." Hearing Vishnu's words, Daksha was
filled with worries. His face turned pale. He sat down on the ground and was
silent."""
""Meanwhile, sent by
Rudra, Virabhadra, the leader of ganas, arrived at Daksha's sacrifice, along
with the soldiers. Some followed him at the rear, others arrived through the
sky. There were others who enveloped all the directions and sub-directions.
These brave ganas followed Sharva's command. They were fearless and like Rudra
in valour. There were innumerable, such supremely valiant ones, and they roared
like lions. Their loud roars echoed in the three worlds. Dust covered the
firmament, and the directions were enveloped in darkness. Terrified, the earth,
along with its seven dvipas, mountains and forests, quaked. All the oceans were
agitated. Those great soldiers were like that, signifying the destruction of
the worlds. Seeing this, the immortals and others were astounded. Witnessing
the arrival of the soldiers, Daksha's agitated face turned red. Like a rod,
accompanied by his wife, he fell down at Vishnu's feet. Daksha said, "With
you as my strength, I embarked on this great sacrifice. O Vishnu! O great lord!
You are the yardstick in accomplishing any virtuous task, O Vishnu! You are the
witness to rites and the one who protects sacrifices. You are the womb of the
dharma of the Vedas. O great lord! You are the brahman. O lord! Therefore, you
must devise a means to save my sacrifice. Who other than you is capable? You
are the lord of everything." Daksha had turned himself away from Shiva's
tattvas and was miserable at the time. Hearing his words, Vishnu addressed him
in the following words, kindling understanding in him."""
""Vishnu said, "O
Daksha! I will devise a means to protect your sacrifice. My pledge of
protecting truth and dharma is famous. What you have said is the truth.
However, you have committed a transgression. O Daksha! Listen. I will tell you
now. Cast your cruel intelligence aside. There was a wonderful incident in
Naimisha kshetra and it occurred in an instant. 863 O Daksha! Don't
you remember it now? Has your evil intelligence made you forget it? Among those
present here, who is capable of protecting you against Rudra's rage? O Daksha!
If anyone protects an evil-minded person like you, he will meet with no
approval. O evil-minded one! You do not see what should be done and what should
not be done. Just because one is capable, a rite doesn't always find success.
Understand that your own karma does not take place because of your own
capacity. Other than Sha 864 Ishvara himself, no one else can bestow
karma. If a person is devoted to Ishvara and is serene and full of faith in his
mind, Shiva bestows on him the fruits of karma. If men resort to jnana alone
and are not devoted to Ishvara, they go to hell for one hundred crores of
kalpas. After this, in birth after birth, they are bound in the nooses of
karma. As a result of karma alone, they are cooked in hell. Virabhadra, the one
who crushes enemies, is the leader of Rudra's ganas. He has originated from the
fire of Rudra's rage and has arrived at this sacrifice, along with the ganas.
There is no doubt that he has come here for our destruction. Indeed, there is
nothing that he is incapable of doing. There is no doubt that all of us will be
set ablaze. There is no doubt that the great lord's heart will be pacified only
after that. In my confusion, I have also deviated from the pledge given to Shri
Mahadeva.
________________
863 Nimesha is the twinkling of an eye.
864 Sha is one of Shiva's names.
Since I have remained with you,
together with you, I will also face miseries. O Daksha! I no longer possess the
capacity to counter this. I have transgressed the pledge and have opposed
Shiva. Those who oppose Mahesha cannot find happiness in the three periods of
time. 865 Hence, together with you, there is no doubt that I will
also face miseries now. My Sudarshana chakra is incapable of striking him. It
is a chakra that originated with Shiva and is used by Shiva for purposes of
dissolution. Even if Virabhadra had not been here, Ishvara's chakra would have
slain us now. Having done that, it would have swiftly returned to Hara's
presence. Even after I transgressed the pledge made to Shiva, the chakra
remained with me and was not suddenly withdrawn. That only indicates his
supreme compassion. After this, it is certain that the chakra will no longer
remain with me. Now, with its garland of flames, it will swiftly depart. We
must quickly worship Virabhadra, with great affection. However, he is suffused
with great anger and may not save us. Alas! An untimely act of dissolution has
suddenly come upon us. Alas! A destruction has presented itself before us now.
Alas! In the three worlds, there is no one who can be a refuge now. In the
worlds, who will provide refuge to a person who hates Shankara? Even when the
body is destroyed, Yama's pain will remain. That leads to many kinds of
miseries and is impossible for us to bear. On seeing a person who hates Shiva,
Yama himself gnashes his teeth. He makes such a person fall into a pot filled
with heated oil. It cannot but be otherwise. After saying all this, I should
have adhered to the supreme pledge and left. Nevertheless, as a consequence of
my association with wicked people, I did not leave swiftly. Even if we seek to
run away from this place, Sharva's devotee will use his weapons to drag us
back. There is no place that Shri Virabhadra's weapons cannot go to, heaven,
earth or the nether regions. Such are the powers of all the ganas of Shri
Rudra, the wielder of the trident. This is certain. Earlier, in Kashi, Shri
Kalabhairava had playfully used the tips of his nails to sever Brahma's fifth
head. This is certain.""""
"Brahma continued, 'Having
said this, the lotus-faced Vishnu remained there, full of distress. Meanwhile,
Virabhadra reached the sacrificial pavilion. While Govinda was speaking, that
ocean of soldiers arrived, along with Virabhadra. The gods and others
watched."""
"Brahma said, 'While Vishnu
was saying this, Indra laughed at him. Accompanied by the other gods, the one
with the vajra in his hand wished to fight. Thus, Indra mounted his elephant
and Anala 866 mounted a goat. Yama was astride a buffalo and Nirriti
was on a preta. The one with the noose867 was astride a makara and
the one who goes everywhere868 was astride a deer. Kubera
attentively armoured himself and mounted Pushpaka. 869 Large numbers
of other powerful gods, yakshas, charanas and guhyakas mounted their own
respective mounts.
___________________
865 The past, the present and the future.
866 Agni.
867 Varuna.
868 Vayu.
869 Kubera's vimana.
Witnessing their preparations,
along with his wife, the red-faced Daksha approached them and spoke to them.
Daksha said, "On the basis of your strength, I started this great
sacrifice. O immensely radiant ones! You are the yardsticks in accomplishing
all virtuous tasks." Hearing Daksha's words, all devas, along with Vasava,
swiftly emerged, ready to do battle. All the large number of powerful devas
fought. Shakra and the other guardians of the worlds were confounded by Shiva's
maya. There was a great battle between devas and ganas. Using sharp javelins
and iron arrows, they fought against each other. In that great festival of a
battle, conch shells and drums were sounded. There was the loud sound of battle
drums, kettledrums and smaller drums. That loud sound stoked the pride of the
gods. Accompanied by the guardians of the worlds, they started to slaughter
Shiva's servants. O tiger among sages! With the power of Bhrigu's mantras,
Indra and the other guardians of the worlds forced Shambhu's ganas to retreat.
To rout them, perform a sacrifice for devas and satisfy those who had been
consecrated for the sacrifice, Bhrigu performed a sacrifice. Seeing that his
own side had been defeated, Virabhadra was filled with rage. He asked bhutas,
pretas and pishachas to remain at the rear. Astride a bull, the immensely
strong one himself led from the front. Seizing a giant trident, he brought down
the gods. With great force, all the ganas used tridents to slay devas, yakshas,
large numbers of sadhyas, guhyakas and charanas. Some were sliced into two.
Others were uprooted with swords and clubs. The ganas used other weapons to
shatter the gods. Defeated in this way, all of them resorted to running away.
Abandoning each other, devas fled to heaven. Only Shakra and the other
guardians of the worlds remained, eager to fight in that terrible battle. They
were immensely strong and resorted to their fortitude. In the field of battle,
Shakra and the other devas gathered together and bending down in humility,
spoke to Brihaspati. The guardians of the worlds said, "O guru! O
Brihaspati! O father! O immensely wise one! O ocean of compassion! Please tell
us quickly. How can we possibly be victorious?" Hearing their words,
Brihaspati made efforts to remember Shambhu. He then spoke to the great Indra,
whose knowledge was weak. Brihaspati replied, "Everything that Vishnu
spoke about earlier has come true now. O Indra! I will expand on that. Listen
attentively. There is a lord of sacrifices who bestows the fruits of every act.
The lord does not do anything himself. He gets it done through the apparent
agent. All the mantras, herbs, abhicharas, ordinary tasks, karma, Vedas,
mimamsas 870 and many other sacred texts based on the Vedas are
incapable of knowing Isha. All the ancient ones have said this. Mahesha himself
cannot be known through any of these texts associated with the Vedas. He can
only be known if one seeks refuge in bhakti. That is the great learning.
Through supreme serenity and a vision that is indifferent in every possible way
and through his favours, Sadashiva can indeed be known. Having examined it, I
will now tell you what should be done and what should not be done. O lords of
gods! This will ensure your success. Listen to what is good for you. O Indra!
As a result of your childishness, always accompanied by the other guardians of
the worlds, you came to Daksha's sacrifice. What will you do with this prowess?
These extremely angry ganas have Rudra as their aide. They have come to create
impediments to the sacrifice and there is no doubt that they will accomplish
this. There is no means to counter it in any way. There will be impediments and
the sacrifice. This is the truth. I am telling you the truth." Thus, the
residents of heaven heard Brihaspati's words. Along with Vasava, all the
guardians of the worlds were filled with thoughts.
______________
870 Meaning examination and inquiry. A
school of philosophy (darshana).
Surrounded by the extremely valiant
ganas, Virabhadra remembered Shankara in his mind and spoke to Indra and the
other guardians of the worlds, Virabhadra said, "O foolish ones! Expecting
to receive a gift, all of you arrived here. I will now give you a return gift. 871
Come near me. I will give you that avadana. O Shakra! O Shuchi872 O
Bhanu! 873 O Shashin!874 O lord of riches! O one with the
noose in the hand875 O Vayu! O Nirriti! O Yama! O Shesha! O large
number of gods! You are indeed discriminating. O supreme among wicked ones! I
will grant you avadana and satisfy you now." Addressing them in this way,
full of rage, Virabhadra, foremost among the ganas, immediately struck them
with sharp arrows. All the gods, Vasava and the other lords among gods, were
struck by these arrows. They fled in the ten directions."""
""When the gods and the
guardians of the worlds had departed, with the ganas, Virabhadra approached the
sacrificial arena. All the rishis were scared and wished to quickly inform
Rama's consort about this. Extremely anxious, they spoke urgently. The rishis
said, "O lord of devas! O Rama's consort! O Sarveshvara! O great lord!
Please save Daksha's sacrifice. There is no doubt that you are the sacrifice.
You are the one who performs the sacrifice. The sacrifice is your form. You are
the limb of the sacrifice. You are the protector of the sacrifice. Please save
this sacrifice. Protect it. Other than you, there is no one who can protect
it." Hari heard the words uttered by the rishis, who said them in fear.
Vishnu wished to fight with Virabhadra. The four-armed one armoured himself. In
his hand, he wielded the chakra as a weapon. Along with the immortals, the
immensely strong one emerged from the sacrificial arena. With the trident in
his hand, Virabhadra was surrounded by many ganas. He saw the great lord
Vishnu, armoured and desiring to fight. Seeing him, Virabhadra furrowed his
eyebrows and forehead. He faced him, the way the Destroyer faces a sinner, or
the lord of deer876 faces an elephant. Virabhadra, the crusher of
enemies, looked at Hari. Angry and surrounded by brave ganas, he swiftly spoke
to him. Virabhadra said, "O Hari! You have violated the pledge you made to
Mahadeva. How is it that your mind is full of insolence now? What has happened
to you? Do you possess the strength to violate Shri Rudra's pledge? Who are you?
Who in the three worlds will save you? Why did you come here? We do not know
the reason for that. How did you become a saviour of Daksha's sacrifice? Please
explain that. Have you not seen what Dakshayani did? Have you not heard what
Dadhichi said? You also came to Daksha's sacrifice to receive gifts. O
mighty-armed one! Therefore, I will give you avadana too. O Hari! I will use
the trident to shatter your chest. Why did you come into my presence? Who will
save you now? I will bring you down on the surface of the earth and burn you
with fire. After burning you, I will swiftly crush you now. O Hari! O evildoer!
O worst among those who have turned away from Mahesha! Do you not know about
Shri Maharudra's purifying greatness? O mighty-armed one! Despite that, you are
stationed in front of me, desiring to fight. If you still wish to stand here, I
will convey you to the state you were formerly reduced to."
_____________
871 Dana is a gift. The gods came to the
sacrifice, expecting dana. Virabhadra promised them avadana, the word means a
heroic act. But it also means to cut into pieces.
872 The pure one, Agni.
873 Surya.
874 Chandra.
875 Varuna.
876 A lion.
Hearing the intelligent
Virabhadra's words, Vishnu, lord of gods, was pleased and smiled as he spoke.
Vishnu said, "O Virabhadra! Standing in front of you, I will tell you.
Listen. Do not speak of me as someone who has turned away from Rudra. I serve
Shankara, Earlier, for the sake of the sacrifice, Daksha had repeatedly
beseeched me. He did not know the truth and was firm in his devotion towards
karma. I am subservient to my devotees, just as Maheshvara is. O father! Daksha
is my devotee. That is the reason I have come to this sacrifice. O brave one! O
one who has originated from Rudra's rage! Listen to my pledge. Your energy is
like that of Rudra. O lord! You are the reservoir of great power. I will
counter you. You can also counter me. Whatever is going to happen, will happen.
I will exhibit my valour." When Govinda said this, the mighty-armed one
laughed. He said, "I am extremely pleased that you are loved by our great
lord." Hence, Virabhadra, foremost among the ganas, was extremely pleased
and laughed. In words of assurance, he humbly spoke the truth to the divinity
Vishnu. Virabhadra said, "O great lord! I said that to test your
sentiments. I will now tell you the truth. Please listen attentively. You are
just like Shiva. Shiva is just like you. O Hari! Following Shiva's command,
this is what the Vedas say. All of us follow Shiva's command. We serve Shankara.
O Rama's lord! Nevertheless, urged, we speak to each other without
affection." Hearing Virabhadra's words, Achyuta laughed and addressed
Virabhadra in the following words. Vishnu said, "O immensely brave one!
Without any hesitation, fight against me. With your weapons striking me all
over my body, I will return to my own hermitage." He ceased speaking and
armoured himself for the clash. Accompanied by his own ganas, the immensely
strong Virabhadra also armoured himself."""
“Brahma said, 'In the battle with
Vishnu, the immensely strong Virabhadra remembered Shankara, the remover of all
hardships, in his mind. The one who could crush all enemies mounted his divine
chariot. He took up his supreme weapons and roared like a lion. The powerful
Vishnu blew loudly on his own large conch shell, Panchajanya, delighting those
on his own side. Hearing the blare of the conch shell, devas who had abandoned
the field of battle and had fled earlier, returned again. Roaring like lions,
the powerful guardians of the world, together with Vasava, fought against
Virabhadra and his ganas. The duels between the ganas and the guardians of the
worlds were fearful. It was tumultuous and they roared like lions. Shakra
fought with Nandi and Anala with Ashman. 877 The powerful Kubera
fought against Kushmandapati. Indra struck Nandi with the vajra, which had one
hundred spikes. Nandi used his trident to strike Shakra back between the
breasts. Those two powerful ones cheerfully fought against each other. Wishing
to defeat each other, Nandi and Shakra struck each other in different ways.
Full of anger, Shuchi struck Ashman with a javelin. He also powerfully struck
Pavaka back with a sharp trident. Mahaloka, foremost among ganas, fought
against Yama. In that tumultuous clash, the brave one remembered Mahadeva and
was happy. Chanda, supreme among strong ones, approached Nirriti. He fought
with his supreme weapons and discomfited Nirriti. The immensely strong and
brave Munda was Varuna's equal. He fought with an excellent spear and amazed
the three worlds. Vayu struck Bhringi with his greatly energetic weapon.
______________
877 The text states Vaishnava. This is a
typo. A few sentences later, it becomes clear that this is meant to be Ashman.
The powerful Bhringi struck Vayu
back with a trident. The brave and powerful Kushmandapati meditated on
Maheshvara in his heart and clashed against Kubera. The great leader of
bhairavis 878 was surrounded by a circle of yoginis. She shattered all
the devas and drank up their blood. It was extraordinary. In a similar way,
Kshetrapala also devoured the bulls among gods. Kali also shattered and drank
up the blood of many. At this, the immensely energetic Vishnu, the slayer of
enemies, started to fight. He flung his chakra with great force, and it seemed
to burn the ten directions. Kshetrapala saw that the chakra was advancing with
great force. The brave and powerful one rushed to the spot and violently
devoured it. Vishnu, the destroyer of enemy cities, saw that the chakra had
been devoured. He seized the enemy by the throat and forced him to vomit it
out. Having got his own chakra back, the immensely honourable one, who alone
preserves the world, was filled with great rage. Angry, the immensely powerful
one picked up many kinds of weapons and fought against those brave ones. In
that great battle, Vishnu cheerfully fought against them. He exhibited his
terrible valour and hurled many tumultuous weapons. Bhairava and the others
fought a lot. The supremely energetic ones were angry and unleashed many
weapons. Seeing that they were fighting against the infinitely energetic Hari,
the powerful one879 withdrew from his own duel and fought against
him. Vishnu raised his greatly energetic chakra and consequently, he fell down
senseless. After this, Bhagavan Madhava fought against Virabhadra. The clash
between the two was extremely terrible and made the body hair stand up. O sage!
As a result of the powers of yoga of Vishnu, lord of devas who lies down on the
water, many brave warriors originated from his body. Their number was
innumerable. They were extremely terrible and held conch shells, chakras and
maces in their hands. They also roared and fought against Virabhadra. These
hordes were as powerful as Vishnu and held many types of weapons. All of them
were brave and as radiant as Narayana. However, he remembered Lord Shiva and
using his trident, struck them and reduced them to ashes. As if playing in the
field of battle, the immensely strong Virabhadra then struck Vishnu on the
chest with a trident. O sage! Violently struck in this way, Purushottama Hari
lost his senses and fell down on the ground. A wonderful energy then arose from
the sacrifice, and it resembled the fire of dissolution. It was fierce and consumed
the three worlds, causing terror even among the brave. The prosperous lord
arose again, his eyes red with rage. The bull among beings stood there, ready
to strike with his chakra. That chakra was extremely terrible, as radiant as
the sun at the time of destruction. However, Lord Shiva bestowed freedom from
fear on Virabhadra and he was not distressed in his mind. O sage! As a result
of the powers of Shambhu, the lord of maya, the immensely radiant chakra was
numbed and did not move at all from Hari's hand. Virabhadra, leader of ganas,
spoke to Vishnu. "Remain stupefied in this fashion, like the summit of a
mountain." O Narada! In this way, Vishnu was stupefied by Virabhadra. In
his mind, the wielder of the Sharnga bow recited mantras used to free oneself
from stupefaction. In this way, Rama's lord was freed from the stupefaction. O
sage! He angrily seized his own Sharnga bow and arrows. O sage! However, in
that very instant, Virabhadra used three arrows to strike the Sharnga bow in
Hari's hand and severed it into three parts. A voice told Vishnu that the
radiance of the great ganas was impossible to withstand. Knowing this in his
mind, he vanished from the spot. He got to know everything that was going to
happen, as a result of what Sati had done. It was impossible for anyone else to
tolerate.
_____________
878 That is, Mahakali.
879 This
seems to mean Bhairava.
Therefore, he remembered the
self-ruling Shiva, the lord of everything, and returned to his own world.
Suffering and grieving on account of my son, I too went to Satyaloka. Extremely
miserable, I wondered about what I should do.'""
""Vishnu, 1, devas and
sages departed. All those who were left at the sacrifice were vanquished by the
ganas. The sacrifice itself witnessed the calamity and the destruction of the
great sacrifice. Therefore, extremely terrified, it assumed the form of a deer
and fled. As it fled in the form of a deer through the sky, Virabhadra seized
it and sliced off its head. After this, the brave one, the great gana, seized Prajapati
Dharma, Kashyapa, Arishtanemi, the lord of sages, along with his many sons, the
sage Angiras, Krishashva and Datta, bull among sages. He flung them down and
kicked them on their heads with his feet. Using the tips of his hands, the
powerful Virabhadra sliced off the tips of the noses of Sarasvati and the
mother of devas. 880 The other devas and others were flung down on
the surface of the ground and crushed. His eyes were full of rage. Virabhadra
crushed the foremost devas and sages. Even after this, he was not pacified. He
was like the king of serpents, wrath easily roused. Virabhadra seized the
enemy, just as a maned lion seizes a forest elephant. He then looked around in
various directions, examining, "Who else is here?" Meanwhile, the
powerful Manibhadra uprooted Bhrigu. He kicked him on the chest with his feet
and tore off his beard. With great force, Chanda uprooted Pushan's teeth. When
Hara had been cursed earlier, he had exhibited them in joy. In rage, Nandi
plucked out Bhaga's eyes and flung them down on the ground. When Daksha had
uttered the words of the curse earlier, he had used these to wink at him. The
leaders of the ganas caused discomfiture to Svadha, Svaha, Dakshina, Mantras,
Tantras and others present there. 881 In wrath, the ganas showered
down excrement and spread this over the sacrificial fires. Those brave ganas
rendered the sacrifice impure. Scared of these powerful ones, Daksha had hidden
himself inside the sacrificial alter. Virabhadra commanded that he should be
dragged out from there. He seized him by the head and using a sword, tried to
sever his head. However, because of his powers of yoga, it could not be sliced
off. He got to know that the head could not be severed with any astra or
shastra. Therefore, he kicked him in the chest with his feet and used his hands
to tear off the head. Daksha was wicked and hated Hara. Virabhadra, foremost
among ganas, flung his head into the fire pit. As he wandered around, with the
trident in his hand, Virabhadra was radiant. The angry Ranaksha and Samvarta
resembled mountains and blazed. However, Virabhadra easily killed them. In
rage, he flung them into the fire, like moths hurled into a blazing fire.
Virabhadra saw that the foremost on Daksha's side had been burnt. He roared in
laughter and the sound filled the three worlds. He was surrounded by a
prosperity that befits all heroes. A divine shower of flowers rained down from
Nandana882 on Virabhadra and his ganas. Fragrant and cool breezes blew gently,
bearing pleasant scents and causing happiness. At the same time, excellent
celestial drums were sounded. Having accomplished his supreme task, the brave
one returned to Kailasa as quickly as the sun, the firm destroyer of all
darkness. Seeing that Virabhadra had succeeded in his task, Shambhu was pleased
in his mind. Parameshvara made him the leader of the valiant
ganas.'""
___________________
880 That is, Aditi.
881 In their personified forms.
882 The celestial garden.
“Suta said, "Hearing the words
of the infinitely intelligent Vidhatri Nrada. Supreme among brahmanas, was
amazed and happily asked again.""
"Narada asked, 'Daksha's
sacrifice was taking place in Shiva's absence. What was the reason for Hari and
the gods to go there, where there was bound to be dishonour? Please tell me.
Did Hari not know about Shambhu's powers of dissolution? Like an ignorant
person, why did he fight with the ganas? I still have a doubt about this. O
ocean of compassion! Please dispel it. O lord! Please tell me about Shambhu's
conduct. It fills the mind with enthusiasm.""
"Brahma replied, 'O noble
brahmana! Listen cheerfully to the conduct of the one who wears the moon on his
crest. What you have asked about dispels every kind of doubt. In ancient times,
Hari was cursed by the sage and that made him lose his jnana. Therefore, to
help Kshuva, he went to Daksha's sacrifice, along with the
immortals."""
"Narada asked, 'Why did
Dadhichi, the excellent sage, curse Vishnu? How did Hari harm him by helping?'",883
"Brahma answered, 'It is said
that the extremely energetic King Kshuva was born. He was the friend of
Dadhichi, the immensely radiant Indra among sages. In connection with
austerities, there was a prolonged debate between Kshuva and Dadhichi. This
occurred in earlier times and caused a great deal of harm. It is famous in the
three worlds. Dadhichi was Shiva's devotee and knew the Vedas. He said,
"Among the three varnas, there is no doubt that brahmanas are the
best." King Kshuva heard the words of Dadhichi, the great sage. He was
confounded by the insolence of prosperity. Kshuva replied, "In his body, a
king holds the eight guardians of the world. Therefore, a king is best. He is
the lord of varnas and ashramas. The shruti texts state that all devas exist in
the king, who is supreme. O sage! Thus, I am that divinity. Therefore, a king
is superior to a brahmana. O Chyavana's son! Reflect on this. 884
Therefore, I must not be disrespected and must be worshipped in every possible
way by you." The excellent sage heard Kshuva's views. These were contrary
to the shruti and smriti texts. Bhargava was filled with great rage. O sage!
The immensely energetic one felt that his pride had been hurt and was angry.
Dadhichi struck Kshuva on the head with his left fist. Kshuva struck Dadhichi
with the vajra and severed him. After this, evil in intelligence, the lord of
the world roared angrily. Struck by the vajra, Bhargava fell down on the
ground, dead.'""
""When Kshuva did this,
the extender of the Bhargava lineage remembered Shukra. 885
_________________
883 Helping Kshuva.
884 Oddly, Dadhichi is described as
Chyavana's son, here and later. Dadhichi's father was Atharvan, identified with
the Bhrigu lineage.
885 Shukracharya, the preceptor of the
demons, who knew the art of bringing the dead back to life.
The yogi arrived at the spot where
Dadhichi's body was lying down. Shukra joined the two parts that had been
severed by Kshuva. Bhargava 886 joined the two parts, so that the
body became as it had been earlier. The foremost among Shiva's devotees, the
one who initiated the knowledge about conquering death, then spoke to Dadhichi.
Shukra said, "O son! O Dadhichi! Worship the lord, Sarveshvara Shiva. Hear
the excellent Mahamrityunjaya mantra, stated in the shruti texts. I will state
it to you. 887 'We worship Tryambaka, the father and lord of the
three worlds. He is the father of the three mandalas, 888 Maheshvara of the
three gunas. He is in the three tattvas, the three fires and divides himself
into three in everything. He is in the three parts of the day, the three arms
and divides himself into three in everything. Mahadeva is in the three
divinities. He is the fragrance that enhances nourishment. He is everywhere in
all beings. He is the one who has created the three gunas. He is in the senses
and in everything else, devas and ganas. Like the fragrance in flowers, he is
the fragrance in gods. He is the lord of the immortals. He is the nourishment
in Prakriti Therefore, Purusha and Prakriti are two. He is in Mahat and every
kind of transformation. He is in Vishnu, the grandfather and the sages. He is
in the senses of devas. Therefore, he is the one who enhances nourishment.' O
supreme among brahmanas! O one excellent in vows! O great sage! He is the immortal
divinity, Rudra. Therefore, worship him through deeds, austerities, studying,
yoga, dhyana, japa, truth and every other means. He is the most subtle. He is
himself the noose of death. Like a cucumber, the lord is the cause of bondage
and emancipation.889 It is my view the Mritasanjivani mantra is the
best. 890 Follow the niyamas, remember Shiva and happily perform
japa with this. Day and night, drink water after using this mantra to perform
japa and offer oblations. If dhyana is performed in Shiva's presence, there is
no fear from death. After having done nyasa and everything else, follow the
norms and worship Shiva. If the norms are eagerly followed, Shankara is
pleased. He is affectionate towards his devotees. I will tell you about dhyana.
Japa must be performed after dhyana. Until the mantra ensures success through
Shambhu's powers, an intelligent person will use it. 'Along with Girija, I
worship the three-eyed one, the conqueror of death. Holding two pots of water
in her two hands, she sprinkles water on his head.891 She holds two
other pots of water in her two other hands. He holds a string of rudraksha
beads, a deer and a lotus in his hands. The moon on his head exudes nectar all
over his body." Shukra himself instructed Dadhichi, supreme among sages. O
son! He remembered Lord Shankara and returned to his own abode.'""
""Hearing his words, the
great sage, Dadhichi, remembered Shiva. Full of great joy, he went to the
forest to perform austerities. Having gone there, he followed the norms and
used Mahamrityunjaya mantra. He cheerfully used that to perform japa. He
remembered Shiva and tormented himself through austerities. He used the mantra
to perform japa for a very long time and used austerities to worship Shankara.
Using Mahamrityunjaya mantra, he satisfied Shiva. Shambhu is affectionate
towards his devotees.
_________________
886 Shukracharya's father was Bhrigu.
887 As stated here, the mantra is
different from, and an expansion of, the standard Mahamrityunjaya mantra.
888 Since the word mandala can have
different meanings, we have not translated it.
889 The cucumber remains tied to the bond
of the plant or is freed.
890 The same as the Mahamrityunjaya
mantra. Mritasanjivani means something that brings the dead back to life.
891 These sentences are convoluted, and
some liberties have been taken.
His mind was pleased as a result of
the japa. O great sage! Pleased, he manifested himself in front of him. Seeing
his own lord, Shambhu, the lord among sages was delighted. Full of devotion, he
prostrated himself in the proper way. He joined his hands in salutation and
praised him. O son! Shiva was pleased at this and was pleased with the sage who
was Chyavana's son. Extremely pleased, he said, "Ask for a boon."
Hearing Shambhu's words, Dadhichi, supreme among devotees, humbly joined his
hands in salutation and spoke to Shankara, who is affectionate towards his
devotees. Dadhichi answered, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! Please grant me
three boons-the vajra should be in my bones, I should be incapable of being
killed and I should never be distressed in any way." Hearing these words,
Parameshvara was happy and granted him the three boons, agreeing to what
Dadhichi had said. Having obtained the three boons from Shiva, the great sage
was delighted. The one who followed the path of the Vedas quickly went to
Kshuva's abode. He had obtained the excellent boons that he could not be
killed, the vajra would be in his bones and he would never be distressed. He
kicked the Indra among kings on the head with his feet. King Kshuva became
angry. In particular, he was insolent because Vishnu had shown him his favours.
He struck Dadhichi on the chest with the vajra. The vajra could not destroy the
great-souled Dadhichi. This was because of Paramesha's powers and Vidhatri's
son892 was amazed."""
"He quickly went to the forest
and worshipped Hari Mukunda, Indra's younger brother.893 Because of
Mahamrityunjaya mantra and because Dadhichi served the one who was a refuge of
the distressed, he had been vanquished by him. Bhagavan Madhusudana was
satisfied at his worship. Astride Garuda, he showed himself before him in his
divine form. Using his divine sight, he saw the divinity, Janardana. He
prostrated himself before the one who was astride Garuda and praised him with
eloquent words. He praised the divinity who was the unconquerable lord, the one
who was worshipped by the lord of the gods and others. Full of devotion, he
looked at Janardana, prostrated his head and spoke to him. The king said,
"O Bhagavan! There is a brahmana known as Dadhichi. He is humble and knows
dharma. Earlier, he used to be my friend. But because of the powers of Sarvesha
Shankara, he cannot be killed in any possible way. He has worshipped Mahadeva,
the unblemished one who conquers death. In an assembly, he dishonoured me and
kicked me on the head with his left foot. The great ascetic, Dadhichi, struck
me with force. In his pride, he told me that he is not frightened of anyone. O
Hari! Having obtained the excellent boon of conquering death, his insolence is
unmatched." Knowing that the great-souled Dadhichi could not be killed,
Hari remembered Mahesha and his unmatched powers. Remembering this, Hari
quickly spoke to Kshuva, Vidhatri's son, "O Indra among kings! Brahmanas
have nothing to be scared about. O lord of the earth! In particular, Rudra's
devotees have nothing to fear. If I cause unhappiness to the brahmana, he will
curse me and the gods. O Indra among kings! As a result of his curse, I and the
lords of the gods will be destroyed at Daksha's sacrifice. But I will rise up
again. O Indra among kings! Therefore, nothing will be achieved by undertaking
any sacrifice. O Indra among kings! I will make efforts so that you can defeat
Dadhichi." Hearing what Hari had said, King Kshuva uttered words of
assent. Delighted, he remained there, anxious to achieve his mind's
desire."""
_________________
892 Meaning Kshuva.
893 As sons of Aditi. Vishnu (Upendra) was
Indra's younger brother.
“Brahma said, 'Bhagavan is
affectionate towards his devotees. To do something for Kshuva, he assumed the
form of a brahmana and went to Dadhichi's hermitage. The guru of the universe
honoured the brahmana rishi, Dadhichi, and spoke to him. To accomplish Kshuva's
task, he resorted to deception and spoke to the Indra among Shiva's devotees.
Vishnu said, "O Dadhichi! O brahmana rishi! O one engaged in worshipping
Bhava, the one without decay! I am asking you for a boon. You should grant it
to me." Dadhichi, supreme among Shiva's devotees, was thus entreated by
the lord of devas, who wished to accomplish Kshuva's objective. He quickly
addressed Hari in these words. Dadhichi said, "O brahmana! I know what you
wish for. You have come here to accomplish Kshuva's task. You are Bhagavan Hari
and have used your maya to come here in the form of a brahmana. O lord of
devas! O Janardana! Through the favours of Rudra, I always possess knowledge
about the three periods of time, the past, the present and the future. O one
who is excellent in vows! I know you as Hari Vishnu. Give up this state of
being a brahmana. You have been worshipped by King Kshuva, who is deceitful in
his intelligence. I know you as Bhagavan Hari, who is affectionate towards his
devotees. Abandon this deceit. Remember Shankara and assume your own form.
Since I am engaged in worshipping Bhava, why should anyone be scared of me?
Basing yourself on the truth, you should make efforts to speak to me. With my
intellect addicted to remembering Shiva, I do not utter a lie. There is no one
in the universe I am scared of, devas, daityas or anyone else." Vishnu
replied, "O Dadhichi! O one who is excellent in vows! All your fears have
been destroyed. This is because you are devoted to worshipping Bhava and know everything.
I bow down before you. At least once, you should say that you are frightened.
Because of my request, tolerate Kshuva, Indra among kings." Hearing
Vishnu's words, the great sage laughed. Dadhichi, supreme among Shiva's
devotees, was fearless and replied. Dadhichi said, "I do not have the
slightest fear of anyone. This is directly because of the powers of Shambhu,
the wielder of Pinaka and the lord of devas." Hearing the sage's words,
Hari became angry. He raised his chakra and stood there, wishing to burn down
the excellent sage. However, the extremely terrible chakra had no effect on the
unperturbed brahmana. This happened because of Isha's powers, in the king's
presence. Seeing that the chakra had been repulsed, Dadhichi smiled and spoke
to Vishnu, who was himself the cause behind existence and non-existence.
Dadhichi said, "O Bhagavan Vishnu! In ancient times, you made efforts and
obtained the extremely terrible chakra, known as Sudarshana. But this is Bhava
Shambhu's chakra, and it will not kill me. O Bhagavan Hari! Be angry with me
and use every kind of weapon against me. Please make efforts to use brahmastra,
arrows and every other weapon." Hari heard his words and saw that he was
only human, without any vigour. One by one, he angrily unleashed every possible
weapon. The devas lovingly sought to help Vishnu. With their intelligence
distorted, they fought against that single brahmana. From every direction, they
quickly hurled their own respective astras and shastras. Shakra and others, on
Hari's side, hurled these on Dadhichi, with great force. Remembering Shiva,
Dadhichi grasped some kusha grass in his fist and hurled this at all the devas.
With the vajra in his bones, he could control everyone. O sage! As a result of
Shankara's powers, that kusha in the sage's fist became a trident that blazed
like the fire of destruction. It made up its mind to burn down devas, with
their weapons and their crests. Shiva's weapon blazed in every direction,
surpassing the fire at the end of a yuga in its radiance. There were various
weapons that had been hurled by devas, Narayana, the moon and others. All these
prostrated themselves before the crest of that weapon. With their valour
destroyed, all devas and residents of heaven fled."""
"""Scared, Hari,
supreme among those who used maya, alone remained there. From his own body,
Bhagavan Vishnu Purushottama created hundreds of thousands of divine beings,
who were just like him in appearance. Those brave ones, Vishnu's companions,
also fought against the solitary devarshi, Dadhichi, who possessed Shiva in his
atman. In the battle, he fought against those several companions of Vishnu.
Dadhichi, Shiva's excellent devotee, violently burnt all of them down. Hari was
astounded at what the sage Dadhichi had done. The universe is his form, and he
is accomplished in the use of great maya. Hence, in Hari's body, Dadhichi, the
excellent brahmana, directly saw thousands of devas and other beings. There
were crores of beings and crores of entities. There Chvavana's son saw all
these things there. He spoke to the lord were crores of eggs in the one whose
body was the universe.
Vishnu Jagannatha, the one without
origin who is praised by the universe. Dadhichi said, "O mighty-armed one!
Give up this maya. On reflection, this is only an illusion. O Madhava! I also
know of thousands of things that are impossible to understand. Behold
attentively and see the entire universe inside me. I will bestow divine insight
on you, and you will see yourself, Brahma and Rudra." Saying this, the
sage showed him everything inside in his own body. The entire body of
Chyavana's son was full of Shambhu's energy and the universe was inside him.
Dadhichi, supreme among Shiva's devotees, remembered Shankara in his mind. The
intelligent one was without fear. He laughed and spoke to Vishnu, lord of
devas. Dadhichi said, "O Hari! What power do your maya or mantras have?
Therefore, you should wish to fight properly and make efforts without using
these." Vishnu heard the words of the fearless sage, who was infused with
Shambhu's energy. He became angry with the sage. Devas returned again to help
the divinity Narayana, who desired to fight against the powerful sage,
Dadhichi. At this time, Kshuva came to their presence. He restrained the one
born from the lotus, Hari and the gods and made them cease. He heard my words
and those of Hari. "The brahmana has not been vanquished. Go near the sage
and prostrate yourself before him." Even more distressed, Kshuva went to
the lord of sages. He honoured Dadhichi and helpless, beseeched him. Kshuva
said, “O tiger among sages! Be pleased. You are the crest of Shiva's devotees.
May Paramesha show his favours. He cannot be seen if one is in the company of
wicked people." Hearing the words of the king and those of the large
number of gods, Dadhichi, ocean of austerities, showed them his favours.
However, the sage then saw Rama's lord and others and his rage agitated him.
Remembering Shiva in his heart, he cursed Vishnu and the others. Dadhichi said,
"Devas, along with Indra of the gods, lords among sages, the divinity
Vishnu and his companions, will be burnt down by the fire of Rudra's
rage." Having cursed the gods in this way, the sage looked towards Kshuva
and spoke to him. "O Indra among kings! A supreme brahmana deserves to be
worshipped by devas and kings. O Indra among kings! Brahmanas possess the
strength of Vishnu's powers." Clearly stating this, the brahmana entered
his own hermitage. Kshuva honoured Dadhichi and returned to his own home.
Vishnu went to his own world and the gods to wherever they had come from. Since
then, that place has become a tirtha and is known as Sthaneshvara.894
A person who goes to Sthaneshvara attains sayujya with Shiva.
_______________
894 In
Kurukshetra (Thanesar).
O son! I have briefly told you
about the dispute between King Kshuva and Dadhichi and about how Brahma and
Vishnu were cursed that they would be without Shiva. If a person constantly
recites this account about the dispute between Kshuva and Dadhichi, he conquers
untimely death. When he dies, he goes to Brahma's world. If a person always
recites this before entering a field of battle, he does not suffer fear of
death and is victorious.'""
"Narada Tarada said, 'O
Vidhatri! O immensely wise one! O Vidhatri! O one who shows the path about
Shiva's tattva! You have made me hear the wonderful account about Shiva's
pastimes. It is extremely wonderful. The brave Virabhadra destroyed Daksha's
sacrifice and went to Mount Kailasa. What happened after that?'""
"Brahma replied, 'The large
number of devas and the sages were all vanquished. With their limbs mangled by
Rudra's soldiers, they went to my world. They bowed down before me, Svayambhu,
and repeatedly praised me. They their words, I suffered grief on account of my
son. With my specifically told me everything about their hardships. Hearing
mind afflicted, I anxiously thought. "What should be done? So as to ensure
happiness of devas, which task must be swiftly undertaken? How can Daksha be
brought back to life? How can the sacrifice of the gods be completed?" O
sage! I reflected on this in many kinds of ways and could not find any peace.
Full of devotion, I remembered Vishnu and obtained the appropriate jnana.
Therefore, with devas and sages, I went to Vishnu's world. We bowed down.
Having bowed down, we praised him in many kinds of ways and reported the
hardship. "O lord of devas! O Rama's consort! O Vishnu! O one who ensures
happiness for devas! We, devas and sages, have sought a certain refuge in you.
He was performing a sacrifice. Please make all the gods and sages happy. Please
act so that the sacrifice is completed." Hearing the words of me, Brahma,
Rama's lord, distressed in his mind, remembered Shiva. With Shiva in his atman,
he replied. Vishnu replied, "An offence committed against an energetic
person is not conducive to welfare. Such an offence leads to many kinds of
miseries. All the gods have committed a crime against Parameshvara Shiva. O
Vidhatri! They have appropriated a share that belongs to another, that of Shambhu.
With pure minds, all of you must seek his favours. You should clasp Shiva's
feet and obtain his supreme favours. When that divinity is angry, he destroys
the entire universe. With his command, the guardians of the world and the
sacrifice will be revived. Therefore, without any harsh words, one should
quickly seek to please the divinity. He will pardon the offence the extremely
evil-souled Daksha has committed, directed against his heart. O Vidhatri! This
is the great means, and the only one, to ensure peace. I think that Shambhu
must be satisfied. I am telling you the truth. I, you, the other gods, the
sages and those with bodies do not know his tattva and his measure. Nor do we
know the extent of his strength and valour. He rules himself and is supreme. He
is the paramatman. O Vidhatri! What other means can there be to bring success
to foolish ones who have opposed the supreme one? O Brahma! Along with all of
you, I will also go to Shiva's abode. I have also committed an offence against
Shiva, and I will certainly seek forgiveness from Girisha." This is what
Vishnu instructed me, Brahma, and the immortals. Along with devas, he made up
his mind to go to the mountain.'""
""With the immortals,
sages and the lords of subjects, Hari Vishnu went to that auspicious and
supreme mountain, Shiva's abode. This was a spot that was greatly loved by the
lord. It was constantly full of kinnaras, those who were not humans, apsaras,
yogis and siddhas. It was extremely lofty. There were many kinds of jewels on
the summits, and it was beautiful in every direction. There were many colourful
minerals and diverse trees and creepers. It was populated by large numbers of
many kinds of animals and there were diverse birds. There were many waterfalls
full of water, frequented by celestial and siddha women. With those they loved,
they sported in the many lakes. There were many caves and summits. It dazzled
with many wild species of trees that were silvery in hue. It was populated with
large creatures, tigers and others, but they were devoid of any signs of
cruelty, infused with Sarvesha's sentiments. It was divine and gave rise to
great wonder. Ganga originated from Sati's region and made the place even more
sacred. The sparkling river emerged from Vishnu's feet and purified everything.
Such was the mountain known as Kailasa, loved by Shiva. On seeing it, devas,
Vishnu and the others and the lords among sages were filled with wonder. Near
that place, they saw the beautiful city known as Alaka. This was the sparkling
and extremely divine city of Kubera, Rudra's friend. Near that, they saw the
grove Sougandhika, full of every kind of celestial rivers that flowed outside
it-Nanda and Alakananda. Even if tree. It was extraordinary. There were two
divine and purifying one saw these, sins were destroyed. Every day, celestial
women came from their own regions to bathe there and drink the waters. Full of
desire, they sported there with the men. The gods passed beyond the city of the
lord of yakshas and the grove Sougandhika. They reached Shankara's vata tree.
The tree extended constant shade all around it but had no roots. 895
It was one hundred yojanas tall and there were no nests on it. It was devoid of
heat. They saw that extremely sacred, extremely purifying and beautiful tree.
After this, there was the divine place where Shambhu practiced yoga. It was
excellent and served by yogis. The vata tree was immersed in great yoga and
could only be seen by those desiring to seek refuge in moksha. Vishnu and the
other gods saw Shiva seated there. He was always happily served by Vidhatri's
sons, great siddhas and Shiva's devotees, who were themselves the images of
serenity and tranquillity. His friend, Kubera, the lord of guhyakas and
rakshasas, was also there. He was also specifically served by his own ganas and
their kin. Parameshvara's radiant form was one desired by ascetics. Shiva's
affection extended towards these well-wishers. With bhasma and other things, he
was extremely resplendent. O sage! You were urging him by asking him excellent
questions about jnana and he was replying. He was seated on a seat made of
kusha grass and all the virtuous people heard. His left leg was placed over his
right thigh and knee. A string of rudraksha beads was in his hand and his other
hand was in tarka-mudra. 896 Such was Shiva and Vishnu and the other
gods saw him. All of them quickly joined their palms in salutation and
prostrated themselves. On realizing that I and Vishnu had arrived, Rudra, the
refuge of the virtuous, arose. The lord lowered his head in greeting. Vishnu
and all the other divine beings paid obeisance at Shiva's feet. They bent down,
just as Vishnu does to Kashyapa, the virtuous refuge of the worlds. The gods
and Vishnu showed every affection and spoke to him, worshipped by gods,
siddhas, the lords of ganas and maharshis.""
_______________________
895 It was without hanging roots.
896 Literally, this means the posture
adopted for debating and arguing. The tip of the thumb touches the index
finger. The other fingers are close together and are held out straight.
Tarka-mudra specifically refers to the position of the hands, rather than the
overall posture. It is also known as jnana-mudra.
“Vishnu and the others said,
"O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O lord who has decreed the customs of the
world! As a result of your compassion, we know that you are the brahman,
Ishvara Shambhu. O father! Why are you confounding us through your supreme
maya? O Parameshvara! You are impossible to fathom and always delude men.
Purusha and Prakriti are the seed and the womb of the universe. However, you
are beyond them. You are the supreme brahman, impossible to reach through words
and thoughts. You are the one who weaves his strands and creates and protects
the universe, like a spider with its web. O Shiva! You sport with Shakti, who
is your own form. O Ishana! Full of compassion, you are the one who created the
sacrifice. You used Daksha as a strand. You are always the lord of the three.897
You populated the worlds and established the ordinances, followed by brahmanas
accomplished in the path of the Vedas, pure, firm in their vows and full of
faith. O lord! Auspicious sacrifices bring happiness to the doer and to others.
Inauspicious acts can lead to benefits, mixed results or adverse effects. You
are the one who always bestows the fruits of every karma. All the shruti texts
have said that you are the source and lord of fame. Those who only undertake
extensive karma with wicked wishes are inferior in intelligence. Full of jealousy,
those foolish ones oppress others with harsh words. O lord! Though such devas
should be killed, you should not slay them. You are Bhagavan Paramesha. O
supreme lord! You should show them compassion. We prostrate ourselves before
Rudra, the serene one. You are the brahman and the paramatman. You are Mahesha
with the matted hair. We prostrate ourselves before that great radiance. You
are the creator of the universe. You are the creator of the creator. You are
the great-grandfather. The three gunas are in your atman, but you are nirguna.
You are beyond Purusha and Prakriti. We prostrate ourselves before Nilakantha,
the creator and the paramatman. You are the universe. You are the seed of the
universe. You are the cause of bliss in the universe. You are Aumkara,
Vashatkara898 and the initiator of every enterprise. You are
Hantakara and Svadhakara. You are the one who always partakes havya and kavya.
O one who is devoted to dharma! How could you have broken up the sacrifice? O
Mahadeva! O lord! You do what is beneficial for brahmanas! How could you have
destroyed the sacrifice? You are the protector of brahmanas, cattle and dharma.
O lord! At the end, you are always the refuge of all beings. O Bhagavan Rudra!
You possess the splendour of an infinite number of suns. We prostrate ourselves
before you. We prostrate ourselves before Bhava, the divinity who is in juices
and water. We always prostrate ourselves before Sharva, the fragrant one who
exists in the form of the earth. We prostrate ourselves before the extremely
energetic Rudra, who exists in the form of fire. O Isha! In the form of wind
and touch, we prostrate ourselves before you. We bow down. You are Pashupati.
You are the performer of the sacrifice. You are the creator. O Bhima! In the
form of space and the principle of sound, we prostrate ourselves before you. We
prostrate ourselves before Mahadeva, who is Soma and pravritti. We prostrate
ourselves before Ugra, who is the form of the sun, the yogi who undertakes
karma.
_________________
897 The three Vedas.
898 Vashat is the exclamation made at the
time of offering an oblation. Vashatkara means the act of uttering vashat, or
the one who says it. Similarly, Svadha is said at the time of offering
oblations to the ancestors and hanta is a benediction, also uttered when
presenting an offering to a guest.
We prostrate ourselves before the
destroyer of Kala. We prostrate ourselves before the wrathful Rudra. We
prostrate ourselves before the terrible Shiva, the auspicious Shankara. As
Ugra, you control all beings. For us, you are the auspicious. You cause
yourself to pervade the universe. You are the brahman. You are the destroyer of
afflictions. You are Ambika's lord. We prostrate ourselves before Uma's lord.
You are Sharva, existing in every form. You are Purusha, the paramatman. You
are beyond manifestations of cause and effect. You are the great cause. We
prostrate ourselves before the one who is born in many extensive forms in the
world. We prostrate ourselves before Nila, Nilarudra, Kadrudra and Prachetas.
You are the divinity who is Midushtama. 899 We prostrate ourselves
before the one who is pervaded by rays. We prostrate ourselves before the one
who is the greatest. You always slay the enemies of devas. You are the
extremely energetic Tara, Sutara and Taruna. We prostrate ourselves before the
divinity with the tawny hair. We prostrate ourselves before Mahesha. You are
Shambhu of the devas. You are absolution. You are the paramatman. We prostrate
ourselves before the supreme one. We prostrate ourselves before the one who is
dark in the throat. You are golden. You are Paresha. We prostrate ourselves
before the one who has a golden body. You are Bhima, terrible in form. You are
engaged in terrible deeds. You smear your body with bhasma. The rudraksha is your
ornament. We prostrate ourselves before the short one, the tall one. We
prostrate ourselves before the one who is a dwarf. We prostrate ourselves
before the divinity who can kill from a distance. We prostrate ourselves before
the one who can kill from the front. You possess a bow and a trident. We
prostrate ourselves before the one who wields a mace and a plough. To destroy
daityas and danavas, you wield many kinds of weapons. We prostrate ourselves
before Sadya, Sadyarupa and Sadyojata. We prostrate ourselves before Vama,
Vamarupa and Vamanetra. We prostrate ourselves before Aghora, Paresha and
Vikata. You are Tatpurusha, the protector and the ancient Purusha. You are the
one who bestows the purusharthas. You are the one who follows vows. You are Parameshthi.
We prostrate ourselves before Ishana. We prostrate ourselves before Ishvara. We
bow down. You are the brahman. Your form is the brahman. We prostrate ourselves
before the one who is himself the paramatman. For all those who are wicked, you
are fierce and control them. For us, you are auspicious. You are the one who
swallowed the kalakuta poison and protected devas and others. You are Vira,
Virabhadra, one who wields the trident and protects the brave. You are the
great Mahadeva. We prostrate ourselves before Pashupati. Valour is your atman.
You are excellent learning. You are Srikantha, wielder of Pinaka. We prostrate
ourselves before the infinite one. We prostrate ourselves before the subtle
one. You are the death of anger. You are the supreme Paramesha. You are greater
than the greatest. We prostrate ourselves before the pervasive one who is
greater than the greatest. We prostrate ourselves before the one whose form is
the universe. We prostrate ourselves before Vishnukalatra, Vishnukshetra, Bhanu,
Bhairava, Sharanya, Tryambaka and Viharin. You are Mrityunjaya. You are grief.
You are the three gunas. The gunas are in your atman. The sun and the moon are
your eyes. You are the bridge behind every cause. You are the one who pervades
the entire universe with your energy. You are the supreme brahman. You are
without transformation. You are consciousness, bliss and illumination. O
Maheshvara! All the gods, with Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, the moon and others as
the foremost and all the sages originate in you. Since you divide the radiance
in your body into eight different parts, you are known as Ashtamurti.900
______________
899 Shiva's name.
900 Bhava,
Sharva, Rudra, Pashupati, Ugra, Mahadeva, Bhima and Ishana.
You are the original Isha, full of
compassion. The wind blows because it is scared of you. The fire burns because
it is scared of you. The sun heats because it is scared of you. Because it is
scared of you, death rushes around everywhere. You are an ocean of compassion.
O Mahesha! Please be pleased with us. O Parameshvara! Please save us. You have
always saved us from calamities. We are insensible. O protector! O ocean of
compassion! We have always been protected by you. O Shambhu! In that way,
please save us now from many kinds of fears. O protector! Please show us your
favours quickly and save the sacrifice and Daksha Prajapati. O Durga's lord! It
is incomplete. Please restore Bhaga's eyes. Let the performer of the sacrifice
come back to life. Let Pushan's teeth grow back. Let Bhrigu's beard be as it
used to be earlier. O Shankara! Devas and others have had their bodies mangled,
through weapons and stones. Through your favours, let all of them be healthy. O
protector! You will get a complete share. Vasishtha, the performer of the
sacrifice, will earmark a share of the sacrifice as belonging to Rudra. There
will never be a violation of this." Stating this, along with Prajesha, 901
Ramesha joined his hands in salutation and prostrated himself on the ground like
a rod, seeking forgiveness."""
“Brahma said, 'Brahma's lord,902
Prajesha and all the sages entreated Shambhu in this way. Parameshvara was
pleased. The ocean of compassion smiled and comforted Vishnu and the other
devas. Showing a great favour, Paramesha replied. Shri Mahadeva said, "O
excellent gods! Listen attentively to my words. O ones! You have indeed spoken
the truth. I have always tolerated your wrath. I do not describe, or think
about, sins committed by children. I wield the rod of chastisement over those
who are overwhelmed by my maya. I did not cause the breaking up of Daksha's
sacrifice. If a person hates others, this invariably happens to the person. One
must never act so that there is suffering to others. If a person hates others,
that effect is felt on the person himself. At the sacrifice, Daksha's head was
severed. Let him have the head of a goat. With restored eyes, Mitra 903
will be able to behold his share of the sacrifice. O sons! Pushan used his
teeth to devour food offered at sacrifices. However, he will now perform
sacrifices with broken teeth. I have spoken the truth. Bhrigu opposed me. Let
him have a goat's beard. I will restore their natural bodies on devas who
opposed me. Let the arms of the Ashvins and the hands of Pushan act as mounts
for the other adhvaryus. Since I am pleased with you, I have spoken thus."
Full of compassion, Paramesha said this and ceased. He is the overlord and
divinity of all mobile and immobile objects. He is the one who ensures the
following of the Vedas. All the gods heard what Shankara had said. Along with
Vishnu, all of them were content and uttered words of praise,'"
"Shambhu summoned me, Vishnu,
gods and rishis. Full of joy, we proceeded again to the sacrifice of the gods.
At Shambhu's request, Vishnu and the other gods went to Kanakhala, to
Prajapati's sacrificial arena. There, Rudra saw what Virabhadra had done. The
sacrifice, and specifically devas and rishis, had been destroyed.
_________________________
901 Lord of subjects, Brahma.
902 Vishnu.
903 That is, Bhaga.
In the field of battle, Svaha,
Svadha, Pushti, 904 Tushti, Dhriti, Sarasvati, all the other rishis,
ancestors, fires and many others, yakshas, gandharvas and rakshasas-had been
mutilated, wounded and killed. He saw that the sacrifice was also like that and
summoned Virabhadra, the extremely brave leader of ganas. The lord smiled and
spoke to him. "O Virabhadra! O mighty-armed one! What have you done here?
O son! You have swiftly imposed a great punishment on devas, rishis and others.
O son! Quickly bring Daksha here. He is the one who undertook an inauspicious
sacrifice and brought abcut such consequences." When Shankara said this,
Virabhadra swiftly brought the headless torso and flung it down in front of
Shambhu. Shankara, who brings welfare to the worlds, saw that the torso was
without a head. O supreme among sages! He laughed and spoke to Virabhadra, who
was standing in front of him. "Where is the head?" Thus addressed,
the lord Virabhadra replied, "O Shankara! I have offered the head as an
oblation into the fire." Hearing Virabhadra's words, the lord Shankara
affectionately told devas to do what he had already told them earlier.
Everything was done exactly as Bhagavan Bhava had said. I and Vishnu quickly
told Bhrigu and the others. A sacrificial animal was tethered to the
sacrificial post. Following Shambhu's excellent instruction, that goat's head
was joined to Prajapati's torso. After the head had been fixed, Shambhu cast a
favourable glance and Prajapati instantly got back his life, as if he had been
asleep. When he got up, he saw Shambhu, the ocean of compassion, in front of
him."""
""Daksha's intelligence
was pleasant now. He stood there affectionately now, with his mind extremely
happy. Earlier, his mind had been tainted by great enmity towards Hara. But as
he looked at Shiva now, it was as clear as the autumn moon. He wished to praise
Bhava. But as a result of his love, he was incapable. He was incapacitated
because of his anxiety. Besides, he remembered his daughter. Full of shame, but
with a delighted mind, Daksha eventually prostrated himself and praised Shiva
Shankara, who brings welfare to the worlds. Daksha said, "I prostrate
myself before the divinity who bestows boons and deserves to be worshipped. The
eternal Maheshvara is a reservoir of jnana. I prostrate myself before Ishvara
Hara, the lord of devas. He always bestows excellent happiness and is the only
relative the universe possesses. I prostrate myself before the lord of the
universe. The universe is his form. He is ancient. The brahman is a form of his
own atman. I prostrate myself before Sharva Bhava, the one who conceives the
world. He is greater than the greatest. I bow down before Shankara. O lord of
devas! O Mahadeva! Please show me your compassion. I prostrate myself before
you. O Shambhu! O ocean of compassion! Please pardon my offence now. O
Shankara! Under the pretext of chastising me, you have shown me a favour. I was
crooked and foolish in intelligence. I did not understand your tattva. I have
now got to know your tattva. It is my view that you are above everyone else.
Vishnu, Brahma and the others serve you. O Maheshvara! You are known through
the Vedas. For the virtuous, you are a kalpavriksha. Against the wicked, you
always wield the rod of chastisement. You are the self-ruling paramatman. You
bestow the desired boons on devotees. From your mouth, you created brahmanas
first, so that they might uphold learning, austerities and vows and comprehend
the truth about the atman. You are like a cowherd who protects animals. You
take up the rod against the wicked. You are the one who protects the
ordinances. O Parameshvara! In the form of abusive words, I have pierced you
with arrows. Consequently, immortals who are favourably disposed towards me
were distressed.
_____________
904 The text reads Pushan but should
probably read Pushti.
You are Bhagavan Shambhu, the
friend of the afflicted. You are greater than the greatest. O one who is
affectionate towards devotees! You are satisfied through the extensive deeds
you yourself undertake." Full of humility, Prajapati praised Mahesha
Shankara, the great lord who brings welfare to the worlds, in this way. Pleased
in his mind, Vishnu also praised Vrishadhvaja. His voice choked with tears. He
joined his hands in salutation and prostrated himself properly. Vishnu said,
"O Mahadeva! O Mahesha! O one who is the cause of favours to the worlds!
You are the supreme brahman. You are the paramatman. You are the friend of the
afflicted. You are an ocean of compassion. You pervade everything. You follow
your own inclinations. O lord! Your fame is known through the Vedas. You have
shown us every kind of benevolent favour. Daksha is my devotee. Earlier, he was
crooked and criticized you. O Mahesha! Since you are indifferent, you should
pardon that now. O Shankara! In my folly, I also committed an offence against
you. I took his side and fought against Virabhadra and the ganas. You are the
lord. You are the supreme brahman. O Sadashiva! I am your servant. Like a
father does, I should always be nurtured by you." Brahma said, "O
lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O lord who is an ocean of compassion! You are the
self-ruling paramatman. You are the undecaying Paramesha, without a second. O
divinity! O Ishvara! You have shown a favour to my son. You did not consider
the disrespect shown towards you. Please save Daksha's sacrifice. O lord of
devas! Please be pleased. Please counter every curse. You are the one who
kindles understanding in me and urges me. You are also the one who
counters." O great sage! Mahesha was praised in this supreme way. I joined
my hands in salutation and lowered my head in humility. Shakra and the other
devas and the guardians of the worlds, excellent in intelligence, praised the
divinity Shankara, whose pleasant face was like a lotus. Similarly, pleased in
their minds, all the devas, siddhas, rishis and lords of subjects cheerfully
praised Shankara. So did the minor gods, the assistant priests and brahmanas.
Full of great devotion, they prostrated themselves and praised him
separately.'""
"Brahma said, 'Ramesha, I,
gods and rishis praised him in this way and so did the others. Mahadeva was
pleased. Shambhu cast a glance of compassion towards the rishis and gods. He
comforted Brahma and Vishnu and spoke to Daksha. Mahadeva said, "O Daksha!
O Prajapati! I am pleased with you. Listen to my words. Though I am self-ruling
and the lord of everything, I am always under the control of my devotees. There
are four kinds of people, virtuous in deeds, who always worship me. O Daksha
Prajapati! A succeeding category is superior to a preceding one. They are the
afflicted, the inquisitive, those who desire artha and as the fourth, those who
possess jnana. The first three are ordinary, while the fourth is special.
Therefore, it is said that I love a person with jnana the most. There is no one
who is loved more by me. This is the truth. I am telling you the truth. A
person who possesses jnana, knows about the atman and is accomplished in
Vedanta and the shruti texts, can reach me. Those who are limited in
intelligence endeavour to reach me without jnand Foolish men are addicted to
karma and seek to obtain me through Vedas, sacrifices, donations and
austerities. They never succeed. You wished to cross over samsara through karma
alone. That is the reason I was angered and caused the destruction of your
sacrifice. O Daksha! From now on, think of me as Parameshvara. Possess supreme
jnana in your intellect and then control yourself and undertake karma. O
Prajapati! In addition, with virtuous intelligence, listen to my words. For the
sake of dharma, I will tell you about this secret. I will tell you about
saguna. Brahma, Vishnu and I are the supreme cause behind the universe. But in
my atman, I am Ishvara. I am the witness. I am the one who sees, devoid of
attributes. O sage! 905 I enter my own maya, which consists of the
gunas. I create, preserve and destroy the universe and assume descriptions
appropriate to the tasks. However, I am supreme and without a second. My atman
is only that of the brahman. The ignorant see differences in the entities,
Brahma, Ishvara and so on. A man does not regard his head, hands and other
limbs as separate from his own self. Those who are immersed in me do not see
differences in beings. O Daksha! If a person sees that the three divinities
exist in the atmans of all beings and that they are one, he obtains peace. If a
person, worst among men, possesses intelligence that differentiates between the
three divinities, he resides in hell for as long as the moon and stars exist. A
discriminating person who is immersed in me worships all devas. He obtains the
jnana that leads to eternal emancipation. Without devotion towards Vidhatri,
there cannot be devotion towards Vishnu. Without devotion towards Vishnu, no
devotion towards me is generated." The lord Shankara, the lord of
everything, spoke in this way. Everyone present there heard the words uttered
by the one who shows compassion. "If Hari's devotee criticizes me, or if
Shiva's devotee criticizes him, both of them will be cursed and will never
obtain the truth."
Mahesha's words brought happiness.
O sage! Hearing his words, everyone present there, gods and sages, were
delighted. Daksha was extremely happy and became devoted to Shiva. Along with
his family, the gods and others, he formed the view that Shiva was the lord of
everything. They praised Shambhu, the paramatman. Shambhu, satisfied in his
mind, bestowed boons on them."""
""Serene in his
intelligence, Daksha, Shiva's devotee, quickly performed japa to Shiva. O sage!
Through Shiva's favours, the sacrifice was completed. He gave shares to all the
gods and a complete share to Shiva. Having obtained Shambhu's favours, he donated
to brahmanas. Following the norms, the great task of devas was completed. Along
with the ritvijas, Daksha Prajapati completed everything in the proper way. O
lord among sages. In this way, Daksha's sacrifice was completed through the
favours of Shankara, who is a form of the supreme brahman. All the devas and
rishis praised Shankara's fame. Content and full of great joy, they returned to
their own respective abodes. Vishnu and I were filled with great delight and
returned happily to our own respective abodes. We sang about Shambhu's
extensive glory, which always brings everything that is auspicious. Daksha
affectionately honoured Mahadeva, the goal of the virtuous. Extremely happy,
with his own ganas, he returned to Mount Kailasa. Having returned to his own
mountain, Shambhu remembered his beloved Sati. He told the most important of
his ganas about her account. Having spoken about her account, the one who
possessed jnana spent a long period of time. However, the lord then resorted to
the path followed by ordinary people and desired to see her. O sage! The lord
never follows wrong policy. He is the supreme brahman and the goal of the
virtuous. How could he be deluded? How could he grieve? How could be suffer
from such great aberration? I, or Vishnu, can never know the truth about this,
nor can others, like sages, devas, humans and yogis. This is Shankara's
infinite greatness, impossible for even the learned to comprehend.
_____________________
905 While Daksha can be addressed as a
sage, it is likely that this is meant for Narada and has crept in.
Through his favours, without any
effort, a devotee, full of true devotion, can get to know. There is not the
least bit of aberration in Shiva, the paramatman. By following this kind of a
path, he merely instructs the worlds. O sage! By reading this, or hearing it,
all the intelligent people in the world obtain a virtuous destination and
divine and excellent happiness in the world hereafter. Thus, Dakshayani Sati
gave up her own body. She was born again, as the daughter of the Himalayas and
his wife, Mena. This is famous. She again performed austerities and obtained
Shiva as her husband. Shivaa became Gouri. Beautiful in her limbs, she engaged
in wonderful pastimes with him. I have thus described the extremely wonderful
account of Sati's conduct. This is divine and bestows objects of pleasure and
emancipation. It confers everything that is desired. This unblemished account
is sacred and supremely purifying. It bestows the fruits of heaven, fame, a
long life and sons and grandsons. O son! Full of devotion, men who listen to
it, or full of faith, make it heard, accomplish every kind of karma. In the
world hereafter, they obtain the supreme destination. If a person reads or
teaches this auspicious account, he enjoys every, object of pleasure. At the
end of these pleasures, he obtains emancipation.'""
This ends Sati Khanda.
“Narada asked, 'O Brahma! After
Devi Dakshayani Sati gave up her body in her father's sacrifice, how did the
mother of the universe become the daughter of the mountain? How did she
undertake fierce austerities and obtain Shiva as a husband? I am asking you
this specifically. Please explain it completely to me.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O tiger among
sages! Listen to Shivaa's excellent account. It is divine and supremely
purifying. It is auspicious and destroys every sin. Devi Dakshayani
Parameshvari, in her pastimes, was happily sporting in the Himalayas with Hara.
At that time, Mena, loved by Himachala, 906 knew that she would
become her daughter. Therefore, like a radiant mother, she wished to nurture
her with every kind of nourishment. Parameshvari Dakshayani went to her
father's sacrifice and angry, gave up her own body. O sage! At that time, Mena,
loved by Himachala, desired to worship Devi, who resides in Shiva's world.
Sati's heart desire was, "I will become her daughter." Having given
up her body, her mind was determined to become the daughter of the Himalayas.
When the time arrived, Devi Sati, praised by all devas, who had given up her
body, happily became Menaka's daughter. Named Parvati, instructed by Narada,
Devi went through austerities that were impossible to tolerate and again
obtained Shiva as a husband.'""
"Narada said, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O immensely wise one! O supreme among eloquent ones! Please tell me
about Menaka's origin, marriage and conduct. Devi Sati was born as Menaka's
daughter. Therefore, she is blessed. That lady, devoted to her husband, is
blessed and should be revered by everyone.'",
"Brahma replied, 'O sage
Narada! Hear about the origin, marriage and conduct of Parvati's mother. It is
sacred and enhances devotion. In the northern region, there are the great
Himalayas, lord of mountains. O best among sages! That mountain is greatly
energetic and enjoys prosperity. It is famous in two forms, divided as mobile
and immobile. I will briefly describe his own subtle form. He is embedded and
stationed, extending from the eastern to the western ocean. He is beautiful and
is the reservoir of many jewels. He is like a measuring rod on earth. He is
full of many kinds of trees and there are diverse colourful summits. He is
frequented by lions, tigers and other animals. Many happy ones always reside
there. He is fierce, the reservoir of snow. He is colourful, with many kinds of
wonders. He is resorted to by devas, rishis, siddhas and sages and he is loved
by Shiva. There are places for austerities. Pure in his atman, he is
great-souled and purifying. He bestows success in austerities. He is the store
of many auspicious minerals. Such is his beautiful and divine form, handsome in
all his limbs. He is the untransformed portion of Vishnu. He is the emperor
over all kings among mountains and is loved by the virtuous.
______________________
906 The Himalayas in personified form. The
word Himalayas is used both in animate and inanimate forms. Mena/Menaka was
Himachala's wife.
To establish his lineage, extend
dharma and with a desire to enhance the welfare of devas and ancestors, the
mountain wanted to marry. At that time, devas thought about all their selfish
interests. O lord among sages! They approached the divine ancestors and spoke
to them lovingly. The devas said, "O ancestors! Pleased in your minds, all
of you listen to our words. If you wish to accomplish the task of devas, you
must quickly do this. Your eldest daughter is named Mena and she is auspicious
in form. 907 With a great deal of happiness, get her married to the
great mountain, the Himalayas. In this way, there will be great gains to
everyone. At every step, your miseries and those of the immortals will be
destroyed." Hearing these words, the ancestors remembered how their
daughters had been cursed and replied in words of assent. Following the
excellent rites, their bestowed their daughter, Mena, on the Himalayas. There
were great festivities on the occasion of this auspicious marriage. Hari and
other devas, the sages and everyone else arrived there, remembering Vamadeva
and fixing their minds on Bhava. They organized festivities and gave away many
kinds of donations. They praised the divine ancestors and also praised
Himachala. All the devas and lords among sages were filled with great delight.
Thereafter, remembering Shiva and Shivaa, they returned to their own respective
abodes. Having obtained wonderful gifts and having obtained his beloved in a
marriage, the lord of mountains happily returned to his own residence. O lord
among sages! I have lovingly described to you the excellent marriage that took
place between Mena and the Himalayas. This brings happiness. What else do you
want to hear?"""
“Narada said, ‘O Vidhatri! O wise
one! Now, full of affection, please tell me about Mena's origin. Please dispel
my doubt and also tell me about the curse."""
"Brahma replied, 'O Narada! O
noble son! O greatly intelligent one! Along with the sages, lovingly use your
sense of discrimination to hear about Mena's origin. I will tell you. O sage!
Earlier, I have told you about my son, known by the name of Daksha. For
purposes of carrying forward creation, sixty daughters were born to him. He had
them married to Kashyapa and other grooms. O Narada! You know all that. Now
listen to what I will tell you now. Among them, the daughter known as Svadha
was bestowed on the ancestors. She had three extremely fortunate daughters and
they were the embodiments of dharma. O lord among sages! Hear their sacred
names. These are extremely auspicious and always remove every kind of
impediment. The eldest daughter was named Mena. Dhanya was the one in the
middle and Kalavati was the youngest. All these were born through the mental
powers of the ancestors, they were not born from the womb. However, following
the customary practice, they were regarded as Svadha's daughters. When people
utter their excellent names, they obtain everything that they wish for. These
mothers of the world are always supremely worshipped by the world. They are
supreme yoginis, reservoirs of jnana. They could go anywhere in the three
worlds."""
___________________
907 Mena was born as a daughter to the
ancestors. There were three daughters-Mena, Dhanya and Kalavati. Since they
didn't recognize and show respect to Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara,
they were cursed that they would be born on earth. In addition, Mena would
become wife of the Himalayas and be Parvati's mother. These incidents will be
described in the next chapter.
""O lord among sages! On
one occasion, the three sisters went to Shvetadvipa, desiring to see Vishnu's
world.908 They prostrated themselves before Vishnu and full of
devotion, praised him. Obeying his command, they remained there, where a great assembly was taking place. O sage! At
that time, Brahma's siddha sons, Sanaka and the others, went there. They bent
down before Hari and praised him. Obeying his command, they remained there.
Seeing Sanaka and the other sages, everyone present quickly got up. They bent
down and honoured the ones who are worshipped by devas and others in the
worlds. O sage! However, deluded, the three sisters did not stand up. Because
of destiny and paramatman Shankara's maya, they were rendered immobile. Shiva's
great maya confounds all the worlds. Everyone in the universe is subservient to
it and this is known as Shiva's wish. It has many names and is spoken of as
prarabdha. 909 But it is nothing other than Shiva's wish. There is
no need to think about this. Having come under its subjugation, they did not
show any respect and only remained there, surprised. Sanaka and the other lords
among sages saw the state they were in. Though they possessed jnana, they
succumbed to great and intolerable rage. Sanatkumara, lord among yogis, was
confounded by Shiva's wish and spoke angrily. He invoked a curse as punishment.
Sanatkumara said, "Because of your pride, you did not get up and bow down
to us. Since you were deluded by human sentiments, you will go far away from
heaven. Your jnana was deluded. Hence, you will become human women. Reflecting
the power of your own deeds, you will reap this kind of fruit." Hearing
this, the three virtuous ones were extremely surprised. They lowered their
heads and fell down at his feet. The daughters of the ancestors said, "O
noble sage! You are an ocean of compassion. You should be pleased with us now.
We were foolish and did not prostrate ourselves before you. There was no
thought behind this. O brahmana! O great sage! We have reaped the consequence.
It is not our fault. Please show us your favours, so that we can return to
heaven again." O son! Hearing their words, the sage spoke. Pleased in his
mind, Shiva's maya also urged him to lift the curse. Sanatkumara replied,
"O three daughters of the ancestors! Listen to my words with happy minds.
My words will destroy your misery and bring you happiness in every possible
way. The eldest one will become the beloved wife of the Himalayas, the mountain
that is Vishnu's portion. Parvati will be her daughter. The second, Dhanya,
will be a yogini and will be Janaka's beloved. Mahalakshmi will be her
daughter, under the name of Sita. The youngest, Kalavati, will be the beloved
of Vrishabhana, the vaishya. At the end of dvapara yuga, Radha will be her
daughter. As a result of a boon bestowed by Parvati, along with her husband,
yogini Menaka will go to Kailasa, the great destination, in her body.
Siradhvaja, born in Janaka's lineage, will be blessed with Sita. 910 He
will be jivanmukta and a great yogi. He will go to Vaikuntha. Kalavati will
enjoy herself with Vrishabhana. She will be a jivanmukta and there is no doubt
that, along with her daughter, she will go to Goloka. Without a calamity, how
does one achieve greatness anywhere? For those with good karma, the misery goes
away and that power leads to happiness that is extremely difficult to obtain.
All of you, daughters of the ancestors, will enjoy yourselves in heaven. As a
result of seeing Vishnu, your karma has been exhausted." Having said this
and having lost his rage, the lord among sages spoke again. In his mind, he
remembered Shiva, who bestows jnana and confers objects of pleasure and
emancipation.
___________________________
908 One of the seven dvipas into which the
world is divided.
909 Prarabdha karma, karma that has
ripened.
910 Siradhvaja was Sita's father. All the
kings in the lineage were known as Janaka.
"Affectionately, listen to
something else. My words always ensure happiness. You will be blessed and loved
by Shiva. You will be instantly revered and worshipped. Mena's daughter will be
Parvati, the Devi who is the mother of the universe. Having undertaken
austerities that are extremely difficult to tolerate, she will become Shambhu's
beloved. Dhanya's daughter, known as Sita, will become Rama's wife. Adopting
the practices of the world, she will enjoy herself with Rama. Kalavati's
daughter, Radha, is one who directly resides in Goloka. She will become
Krishna's wife and will be bound to him in love that will remain a
secret." After saying this, the illustrious sage, Sanatkumara, was praised
and along with his brothers, vanished from the spot. O son! The three sisters,
daughters born to the ancestors through their mental powers, were freed from
their sins. Having obtained happiness, they swiftly returned to their own
abode.'""
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
wise one! O immensely intelligent one! O supreme among eloquent ones! O great
and virtuous guru! What happened after this? You have described an
extraordinary account, about what happened to the auspicious Mena earlier. I
have heard the complete account about the excellent marriage. After having
married Mena, what did the mountain do next? Please tell me that. How was
Parvati, mother of the universe, born? How did she undertake intolerable
austerities and obtain Hara as her husband? Please tell me all this and
Shankara's fame in detail.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O sage!
Listen lovingly to Shankara's excellent and auspicious fame. If one hears this,
a person who kills a brahmana is purified and obtains everything that he
desires. O Narada! After marrying Mena, when the mountain returned home, there
were great festivities in the three worlds. Himachala was also greatly pleased
and arranged for supreme festivities. With a virtuous intelligence, he
performed supreme worship of brahmanas and many kinds of relatives. All the
brahmanas were satisfied and pronounced excellent benedictions. They returned
to their own respective residences and so did the many kinds of relatives and
others. With Mena bringing happiness to the home, Himachala was extremely happy
and amused himself in Nandana and other groves and other excellent spots. O
sage! Meanwhile, devas, Vishnu and all the others, and the great-souled sages
approached the mountain. Seeing that devas had come, the mountain happily
prostrated himself. Full of devotion, he followed the norms and praised them
greatly. He lowered his head and joined his hands in salutation. He devotedly
praised them. The great mountain's body hair stood up and he shed tears of joy.
Extremely happy and pleased in his heart, Himalaya mountain prostrated himself.
O sage! Having prostrated himself, he spoke to Vishnu and the other gods.
Himachala said, "Today, my birth has been rendered successful. My great
austerities have been rendered successful. Today, my jnana has been rendered
successful. All my rites have been rendered successful today. I have been
blessed today. My entire dominion is blessed. My family is blessed. There is no
doubt that my wife and everyone else is blessed. All of you have collectively
come here, together. Take me to be your own servant and affectionately tell me
about your command." Hearing the great mountain's words, the gods, Hari
and the others, were happy. They thought that their own task would be
accomplished and spoke. The devas said, "O Himachala! O immensely wise
one! Listen to our beneficial words. All of us will happily tell you about the
reason why we have come. O mountain! The mother of the universe was Daksha's
daughter earlier. Having become Rudra's wife, she sported on earth for a very
long time. When her father dishonoured her, Sati remembered her own pledge. The
mother gave up her body and returned to her own abode. O Himalaya mountain!
This is known in the world, and you know it too. As a result of this, there
will be a great gain to the large number of devas. In every way, all the gods
will be under your control. Hearing the words of Hari and the other gods, the
lord of mountains was pleased in his mind and agreed, speaking to them
affectionately. With a great deal of love, they instructed him about the proper
method.'""
""They themselves went
and sought refuge with Uma, Shankara's wife. They remained in an excellent
spot, and controlling their minds, remembered the mother of the universe. The
gods prostrated themselves and devotedly praised her in many kinds of ways. The
devas said, "O Devi Uma! O mother of the universe! O one who resides in
Shiva's world! O Sadashiva's beloved! O Durga! O Maheshvari! We prostrate ourselves
before you. You are Shri. You are Shakti. You are the one who purifies. You are
serene. You are supreme nourishment. You are pure. You are Mahat. Your form is
not manifest. Full of devotion, we prostrate ourselves before you. O Shivaa! O
one who ensures auspiciousness! O pure one! O gross one! O subtle one! O
refuge! You are delighted with inner learning and good learning. We prostrate
ourselves before you. You are faith. You are fortitude. You are prosperity. You
are inside everything. Your radiance enters the sun. You yourself illuminate
the universe. Everything that exists in the universe, every living entity in
the universe that moves, from Brahma to a blade of grass, is pervaded by you.
We prostrate ourselves before you. You are gayatri, the mother of the Vedas.
You are savitri. You are Sarasvati. You are the conduct of the entire universe.
You assume the form of the three kinds of dharma. 911 In all beings,
you are sleep, hunger, satisfaction, thirst, beauty, complexion and
contentment. You always bring every kind of joy. For those who perform goods
deeds, you are Lakshmi. For those who are wicked, you are always Jyeshtha. 912
For the entire universe, you are peace. You are the mother who nurtures lives.
Your form is inside all beings. You are the essence of the five elements. You
are the one who upholds justice. Your forms exist in good policy and
transactions. You are the songs of the Sama Veda. You are the chords of the
Yajur Veda. You are the oblations of the Rig Veda. You are the measurements of
the Atharva Veda. You are the ultimate objective. You are the power of tamas
that exists in all the gods. You are the power of rajas that exists in the
qualities of Vidhatri. The universe is your form. We have heard of you as the
one who creates. We praise you. Cruel samsara is like an ocean, and you are the
one who counters its miseries. You are the sacred thread that enables us to
cross over. You are accomplished in pastimes, and you are the one who protects
ashtanga yoga. You always love to reside in the Vindhya mountains. 913
We prostrate ourselves before you. She always holds up the nose, eyes, face,
arms, chest and mind of living beings and extends happiness. The extremely
fortunate one makes the universe go to sleep, for the sake of its preservation
and protection. May she be pleased with us." Maheshani Uma Sati, the
mother of the universe, was praised by all of them in this way. With happy
minds, they waited, desiring to see her.""
_____________________________
911 The three Vedas.
912 Meaning, the elder one. Alakshmi, the
goddess of adversity, is regarded as Lakshmi's elder sister.
913 As Vindhyavasini, she resides in the
Vindhyas.
"Brahma said, 'Devi Durga, the
destroyer of afflictions, was praised by devas in this way. The mother of the
universe appeared in front of the devas. Extremely resplendent, she was astride
a divine chariot, studded with jewels. It was extremely wonderful and was
adorned with nets of bells. A supreme and soft spread was laid on it. The
dazzle of her beautiful limbs surpassed that of one crore suns. She was like a
supreme image, in the midst of her own mass of energy. Mahamaya, who always
sports with Sadashiva, is without a parallel. She possesses the three gunas.
She is nirguna. She is eternal. She resides in Shiva's world. She is the mother
of the three divinities. She is Chandi Shivaa, the destroyer of every kind of
affliction. She is the mother of everyone. She is the great slumber. She is the
one who saves all people. As a result of the powers of that great mass of
energy, the gods could not see Shivaa.914 Desiring to see her, the
gods praised her again. They instantly obtained her compassion. Vishnu and the
large number of devas, wishing to see her, saw the mother of the universe. All
the residents of heaven were filled with great joy. They repeatedly prostrated
themselves. In particular, they extolled her. Devas said, "O Shivaa! O
Sharvani! O Kalyani! O Jagadamba! O Maheshvari! O destroyer of all afflictions!
All the gods bow down before you. O Deveshi! All the Vedas and sacred texts do
not know you. O Shivaa! Your greatness is beyond thoughts and words. In their
fear, the shruti texts are always agitated and define you as what you are not.915
What need be said about others? As a result of their devotion, devotees obtain
your compassion and know you in many kinds of ways. Devotees who seek refuge
with you never suffer from any kind of fear. O Ambika! We are always your
servants. Listen affectionately to what we will tell you. O Devi! O Mahadevi!
We, the inferior ones, will describe it to you. O one loved by Hara! You were
formerly born as Daksha's daughter. You destroyed the great vanity of Brahma
and the others. As a result of your pledge, when your father dishonoured you,
you gave up your body. You caused grief to Hara and returned to your own abode.
O Maheshvari! But the task of devas has not yet been carried out completely.
We, devas and sages, are anxious and have sought refuge with you. O Maheshani!
Make us well and satisfy our wishes completely. O Shivaa! Let Sanatkumara's
words come true. O Devi! Descend on earth and become Rudra's wife again.
Perform the appropriate pastimes and let us be well and happy. Let Rudra, who
is in Mount Kailasa, also be happy. Let everyone be happy. Let all miseries be
destroyed." Full of love, Vishnu and all the other immortals said this and
were silent. They stood there, humble in appearance and full of
faith.'""
""Hearing the praise of
the immortals, Shivaa was extremely pleased. She remembered her own lord,
Shiva, and understood the entire reason for their arrival. Devi Uma spoke.
Affectionate towards her devotees, she smiled at them, led by Rama's lord. Uma
said, "O Hari! O Vidhatri! O devas! O sages! Your distress has gone. All
of you listen to my words. There is no doubt that I have been pleased. My
conduct is such that it brings happiness everywhere in the three worlds.
___________________________
914 The text states that they could see
Shivaa. In view of what follows, there is a negative missing.
915 She is not this, she is not that and
so on.
I am the one who induced delusion
in Daksha and did everything else. There is no doubt that I will take a
complete avatara on earth. There are many reasons for this. Full of great
affection, I will tell you about them. O devas! In earlier times, full of great
devotion, Himachala and Mena served me, in my body as Sati, like a father and a
mother. Even now, they constantly serve me with great devotion. This is especially
true of Mena. There is no doubt that I will become their daughter. Like you,
Rudra wishes that I should assume an avatara in Himachala's house. Therefore, I
will descend in that way and there will be an end to miseries. All of you
return to your own respective abodes. You will shortly obtain happiness. I will
assume an avatara and becoming her daughter, bestow happiness on Mena. I will
become Hara's wife. However, that is my great secret. Shiva's pastimes are
wonderful. They delude even those who possess jnana. O gods! On witnessing my
father's disrespect and the fact that my husband had not gone to the sacrifice,
I gave up my body as Daksha's daughter. Since then, my husband, Rudra, has
assumed the traits of the fire of destruction. Thinking of me alone, he quickly
became Digambara.916 He saw Sati's rage when she went to her
father's sacrifice. The one who knows about dharma decided that I had given up
my body out of love for him. Therefore, he turned into /became a yogi and
discarded his home. He followed a conduct that is contrary to customary
practice. Maheshvara could not tolerate the separation from Sati. Immensely
miserable on my account, he assumed inappropriate attire. He discarded all the
excellent pleasures that result from desire. O Vishnu! O Vidhatri! O sages! O
gods! There is more. Listen. The pastimes of the great lord, Mahesha, protect
the world. Full of love and suffering from the separation, he started to wear a
garland made out of my bones. However, though he possesses understanding, he
could not find peace anywhere. The lord Rudra roamed around here and there, as
if he was not Isha. He always roamed around here and there, incapable of
distinguishing between proper and improper. The lord Hara desired to indulge in
such pastimes, illustrating what lovers go through. As if he was overwhelmed by
the pangs of separation, he uttered the words of a lover. In reality,
Parameshvara is without transformation, without distress and can never be
conquered. My lord, Shiva, is complete. He is the lord of maya and is the lord
of everything. Otherwise, what is the need for him to be deluded by desire? Why
did he swiftly succumb to transgressions? The lord is not touched by maya. The
lord Rudra desires to accept my hand again. O gods! Therefore, I will assume an
avatara on earth, in the house of Mena and Himachala. To provide satisfaction
to Rudra, I will descend and follow customary worldly practice, with Himachala
and his wife, Mena. I will become a devotee and practice extremely intolerable
austerities, becoming Rudra's beloved. I will accomplish the task of devas.
This is true. There is no doubt that this is the truth. All of you return to
your own residences and constantly worship Bhava. Through his compassion, there
is no doubt that all your miseries will be destroyed.
______________
916 Literally, with the directions as
garment, naked. But implying someone who is indifferent to the home and
material objects. Digambara is one of Shiva's names.
He will become compassionate, and
his compassion always bestows what is auspicious. Since I am his wife, I am
revered and worshipped in the three worlds." Jagadamba spoke to devas in
this way. O son! As they looked on, Shivaa vanished and swiftly returned to her
own world. Vishnu and all the gods and sages rejoiced. They bowed down in her
direction and returned to their own respective residences. O lord of sages! I
have thus described Durga's excellent conduct. It always bestows happiness on
men and gives them objects of pleasure and emancipation. If a person controls
himself and constantly hears it, makes it heard, reads it or makes it read, he
obtains everything that he wishes for.""
“Narada said, 'Devi Durga vanished
and returned to "N her own abode and the large number of immortals also
left. What happened after that? How did Mena and the lord of mountains torment
themselves through great austerities? O father! How did Mena obtain a daughter?
Please tell me that.""" "Brahma replied, 'O noble brahmana!
O best among sons! Listen to the great account. I will prostrate myself before
Shankara, which always enhances devotion, and then tell you. O son! When the
large number of gods instructed them and departed, the lord of mountains and
Menaka tormented themselves through supreme austerities. Day and night, the
couple thought of Shivaa and Shambhu. Full of devotion in their minds, they
constantly worshipped in the proper way. The mountain's beloved was filled with
great joy and worshipped Devi and Shiva. She donated to brahmanas and
constantly satisfied them. Desiring to have a child, for twenty-seven years,
commencing in the month of Chaitra, she worshipped Shivaa for a month. She
fasted on ashtami and donated sweetmeats, offerings, cakes, payasam and
fragrant flowers on navami. In Oushadhiprastha, 917 on the banks of
the Ganga, she fashioned Uma's earthen image and using many kinds of objects,
worshipped this. On some days, she fasted. On some days, she observed vows. On
some days, she subsisted on air. On some days, she only subsisted on water. For
twenty-seven years, Menaka's mind was fixed on Shivaa and full of great joy and
exuding radiance, she spent this time. At the end of twenty-seven years, Uma,
Shankara's beloved, the mother of the universe, the one who pervades the universe,
was extremely pleased. Devi was satisfied at the great devotion. Therefore, to
show her favours, Parameshvari manifested herself in front of Mena. Her body
possessed divine limbs and she was in the midst of a circle of energy. She
smiled, showed herself to Mena and spoke.'""
""Devi said, "O
extremely virtuous one! Ask for the boon that is in your mind. O beloved of the
mountain! I am extremely pleased with your austerities. O Mena! You have
resorted to austerities and vows. I will give you what you ask for, everything
that you wish for." Menaka saw Devi Kalika in front of her. On seeing her,
she prostrated herself and addressed her in the following words. Mena said,
"O Devi! I have now directly seen your form. I desire to extol you. (
Kalika! Therefore, be pleased. Kalika confounds everyone."
When Mena addressed her in this
way, pleased in her mind, she embraced Menaka with her arms. Menaka obtained
great jnana.
________________
917 A mountain near Kailasa, where many
kinds of herbs and medicinal plants were found. The capital of Himachala's
kingdom.
With eloquent words and full of
devotion, she praised the auspicious Kalika, who had appeared in front of her.
Mena said, "O Mahamaya! O Jagaddhatri! O Chandika! O one who holds up the
worlds! O Mahadevi! O one who bestows everything that is desired! I prostrate
myself before you. You are the one who bestows eternal bliss. You are maya. You
are Yoganidra. You are the one who gives birth to the universe. O one who is
always a siddha! O one who wears a garland of auspicious lotuses! I prostrate
myself before you. O maternal grandmother! 918 O constant bliss! O
one who destroys grief for devotees! O one who is an ideal for women! O one who
assumes the form of intelligence in living beings! You are the cause behind the
severance of bonds for mendicants. How can someone like me sing about your
powers? You are the violence mentioned in the Atharva Veda. May you always
grant me everything that I desire. Though large numbers of beings are united
with sentiments of temporary and permanent and the tanmatras, you are beyond
them. You are their power and are always eternal in form. You are a woman who
is capable of being united with yoga at the right time. You are the mother of
the earth. The universe is you. You are the eternal Prakriti, and you are
beyond that. You bring everything under control. Your form is the brahman. You
are always full of sattva. O mother! Be pleased with me now. You are the fierce
power in the fire. You are the power of scorching in the sun's rays. You are
the many kinds of delight in the moon's beams. I extol you. I prostrate myself
before Chandi. You are loved by virtuous women. To those who hold up their
seed, you are eternal. For the entire universe, you are desire. That is the way
Hara thinks of you. O Devi! You are the endeavour behind creation, preservation
and destruction and accordingly, you assume different forms. You are the reason
behind Brahma, Achyuta and Sthanu assuming bodies. Please be pleased with me
now. I prostrate myself before you again." In this way, she praised Durga
Kalika again."""
"Thus addressed, Devi asked
Menaka to seek the desired boon. Uma said, "O Himachala's beloved! I love
you more than my own life. There is no doubt that I will give you what you ask
for. There is nothing that cannot be given to you." Menaka, loved by the
mountain, heard the words Maheshani spoke and they were like nectar. Content,
she replied. Mena said, "O Shivaa! Victory, victory to you. O wise one! O
Maheshvari! O mother of the world! If you think that I deserve to be given a
boon, I will ask you for a boon. Then, I will ask for a boon again. O mother of
the universe! Let my first boon be that I should have one hundred sons. Let
them be valiant and possess long lifespans. Let them possess prosperity and
success. After that, let me have a single daughter, possessing beauty and
qualities. Let her bring joy to both the lineages.919 Let her be
worshipped in the three worlds. O Shivaa! To accomplish the task of devas,
become my daughter. O mother of the world! Become Rudra's wife and indulge in
your pastimes." Hearing what Menaka said, pleased in her mind, Devi
replied. Smiling first, she fulfilled her wishes with her words. Devi answered,
"You will have one hundred sons who will be full of valour. The first one
to be born will be foremost in valour. Satisfied with your devotion, I will be
born as your daughter. Since all the gods have served me, I will perform the
task of devas." Jagaddhatri Kalika Parameshvari spoke in this way. As Menaka
looked on, Shivaa vanished from the spot. O son! Having obtained the desired
boon from Maheshani, Menaka was filled with infinite delight and all the
sufferings because of the austerities were destroyed. Pleased in her mind, the
virtuous one prostrated herself in Sati's direction.
_______________________
918 By extension. Mena's mother was Svadha
and Svadha has different origins, depending on the text.
919 The father's and the mother's.
Uttering the word
"victory", she entered her own residence and informed her husband
about the excellent boon. Through good omens and his intelligence, he already
knew this but her excellent words reinforced that. Hearing Mena's words, the
lord of the mountains was delighted. He lovingly praised his beloved and her
devotion towards Shivaa. O sage! In the course of time, they engaged in
intercourse. Mena conceived and the foetus increased every day. She gave birth
to the excellent son, Mainaka, who deserved to be enjoyed by naga women.
Subsequently, he was bound in a wonderful pact of friendship with the ocean. O
devarshi! When the slayer of Vritra became angry and severed the wings of the
mountains, his excellent wings remained and his limbs could not be harmed.920
He was supreme among the one hundred sons, immensely strong and valiant. He was
foremost among mountains and was instated as the Indra of mountains. There were
great and wonderful festivities in Himachala's city. The couple was filled with
supreme joy and their sorrows were over. They donated to brahmanas and gave wealth
to others. For both of them, the love for Shiva and Shivaa became
greater."
“Brahma said, 'For the sake of the
birth and to accomplish the task of devas, full of love and affection, the
couple remembered the mother of the world. Earlier, because of her father,
Chandika had used yoga to give up her body. She now desired to be born through
the mountain's beloved. She cheerfully bestows everything desired and wanted to
make her own words come true. Therefore, with all her portions, Maheshvari
entered the mountain's mind. Extremely delighted, he became radiant, with a
resplendence that had not existed earlier. With a mass of energy, the
great-minded one was as unassailable as the fire. At an extremely auspicious
time, the mountain immersed himself in samadhi and deposited Shivaa's entire
portion in his beloved. Through Devi's favours, the mountain's wife meditated
and fixed her mind on the mountain, who was now a reservoir of compassion and
happiness, and conceived. The refuge of the entire universe now resided inside
the mountain's beloved. Therefore, Mena became even more radiant, as if she was
in the midst of a circle of energy. Mena showed the signs of being pregnant and
this increased her husband's joy. The auspicious one was happy that she had
conceived one who would bring the desired happiness to devas. Since her body
was weak, she could not don all her ornaments. Her face was like a lodhra
flower,921 resembling the time of the night when there are few
nakshatras and the moon is waning. O sage! When he inhaled the fragrance of her
mouth, bearing the scent of the earth, in private, the lord of mountains wasn't
satisfied, and his love increased. The mountain asked her friends, "Does
Mena desire any object? Because she is embarrassed, she does not ask me for
anything." In her difficult state of pregnancy, whenever she desired
anything, he would see that it was quickly brought. There was nothing in the
three worlds he would not do. As she passed beyond the first stage of
pregnancy, her body turned heavier. Mena was as radiant as a young creeper,
sprouting new leaves and flowers. The mountain considered his pregnant queen
was like the earth, with an abode of treasures inside its womb, or the shami
tree, with fire hidden inside it.
___________________
920 Earlier, mountains had wings. These
wings were sliced off by Indra, but Mainaka's remained.
921 The lotus bark tree, implying that her
face was pale.
His mind delighted with his wife,
the wise one performed all the appropriate rites, as befitted his own riches,
his uplifted state and the shruti texts."""
At the right time, he felt that
Mena was about to deliver. She resembled the sky covered with clouds and along
with physicians, he had her placed in the delivery chamber. Looking at his
beloved, auspicious in all her limbs, the lord of mountains rejoiced. Since the
mother of the universe was in her womb, she was extremely energetic at the
time. O sage! At that time, Vishnu and the other devas and sages arrived and praised
Shivaa, who was still inside the womb. Devas said, "O Durga! Victory to
you. O wise one! O Jagadamba! O Maheshvari! Victory to you. You are truthful in
your vows. You are supremely devoted to the truth. You are trisatya. 922
Your form is the truth. You are established in truth. You are extremely pleased
with the truth. You are the womb of truth. You are the truth. You are truth
amongst everything that is true. Your sight is truth. We are afflicted and have
sought refuge with you. O Shiva's beloved! O Maheshani! O destroyer of the
misery of devas! O mother of the three worlds! O Sharvani! O pervasive one! O
one affectionate towards devotees! O lord of the three worlds! Manifest
yourself. Accomplish the task of devas. O Maheshvari! It is because of your favours
that all of us have a protector. All those who are happy obtain that excellent
happiness from you. O Amba! Without you, nothing in the three worlds is
beautiful." In this way, they lauded Maheshani, who was still inside the
womb, in many kinds of ways. With pleased minds, devas then returned to their
own respective abodes."""
""Nine months were
complete, and the tenth month arrived. It was evident that the progress of
Kalika Jagadamba in the womb was over. An excellent time arrived, and the
planets and the stars were serene. The sky was clear, and all the directions
were radiant. There were auspicious signs on earth, with its forests, villages
and oceans. Lotuses bloomed in lakes, rivers and ponds. O lord among sages! The
various kinds of breezes that blew were pleasant to the touch. All the virtuous
people were delighted and there was misery amongst the wicked. Gods assembled
in the firmament and sounded their drums. Flowers were showered down and
excellent gandharvas sang. Vidyadhara women and apsaras danced in the sky. In
the sky, devas and others organized grand festivities. At this time, in her
entire potency, Devi Shivaa Sati appeared before Mena in her own form. The
season was Vasanta, the month was Madhu, 923 it was navami and the
nakshatra was Mrigashira. Like Ganga from the lunar disc, she was born at
midnight. Like Lakshmi emerging from the ocean, at the right time, Shivaa
emerged from Menaka's womb in her own form. As soon as she was born, Bhava was
pleased. A slow and heavy breeze started to blow, bearing auspicious
fragrances. There was a shower of flowers, followed by a shower of rain. The
fires that blazed were serene and the clouds rumbled. As soon as she was born,
everything in Himachala's city turned pleasant and all míseries were destroyed.
At that time, Vishnu and all the other gods arrived. They were happy and
delighted and wished to see Jagadamba. They praised Shivaa Amba Kalika, desired
by Shiva. She is Mahamaya, divine in form. She resides in Shiva's world. The
devas said, "O Jagadamba! O Mahadevi! O one who bestows every kind of
success! You are the one who always accomplishes tasks of devas. We prostrate
ourselves before you. O one who is affectionate towards devotees! In every
possible way, you bring welfare to devas. You have satisfied Mena's wish.
__________________
922 Truth in its three aspects of
thoughts, words and deeds.
923 Chaitra.
Now please satisfy that of
Hara." Extolling Shivaa in this way, Vishnu and the other devas
prostrated themselves. Delighted, they praised the destination of the virtuous
and returned to their own respective abodes. O Narada! When Devi was born,
Menaka looked at her and rejoiced. She was dark, with a complexion like the
petals of a blue lotus. On looking at her divine form, the mountain's beloved
obtained jnana. Knowing that this was Parameshani, she delightedly praised her.
Mena said, "O Jagadamba! O Maheshani! You have shown great compassion. O
Ambika! Radiant, you have manifested yourself in front of me. O Shivaa! Among
all Shaktis, you are the original one. You are the mother of the three worlds.
O Devi! You are Shiva's beloved. You are always supremely praised by all devas.
O Maheshani! Show me your favours and remain in my dhyana in the form in which
you have appeared before me. But otherwise, assume my daughter's form."
Hearing the words of Mena, the mountain's wife, Devi Shivaa happily replied to
the mountain's beloved. Devi said, "O Mena! Earlier, you were engaged in
serving me well. Extremely pleased with your devotion, I appeared before you,
to grant you a boon. 'Ask for a boon.' Hearing my words, you asked for an
excellent boon and said, 'O Mahadevi! Become my daughter and ensure the welfare
of the gods. Affectionately granting you the boon, I returned to my own abode.
O beloved of the mountain! With the time having arrived, I have become your
daughter. So that I remain in your memory, I have assumed the divine form now.
Otherwise, had I assumed a mortal form, you would not have realized it was me.
The two of you can think of me as a daughter or in my divine form. I will
reside with you. Show me affection. Subsequently, you will obtain a destination
with me. Engaging in wonderful pastimes on earth, I will accomplish the task of
devas. I will become Shambhu's wife and save virtuous people." Shivaa
Ambika said this and was silent. While her mother looked on lovingly, using her
own maya, she instantly assumed a daughter's form.'""
"Brahma said, 'In front of
Mena, the immensely radiant one assumed a daughter's form. Resorting to
practices of the world, she started to cry. O sage! As she lay down on the
couch in the delivery chamber, her great radiance spread in every direction and
made the lamps burning in the night seem dim. Hearing the beautiful sound of
her cries, all the women of the household were eager and happy. Full of joy,
they quickly arrived there. A messenger from the inner quarter swiftly informed
the mountain about Parvati's birth, an auspicious incident that brought happiness
and would accomplish the task of devas. On hearing the auspicious news of his
daughter's birth from the messenger, there was nothing that the mountain could
not instantly give the messenger, even his white umbrella. 924 Along
with the priest and a brahmana, the mountain happily went there. He saw his
extremely radiant and beautiful daughter. Her excellent and pleasant radiance
was dark, like the petals of a blue lotus. Seeing a daughter like that, the
lord of mountains rejoiced. All the citizens present, men and women, rejoiced.
There were great festivities, and many musical instruments were sounded. There
were auspicious songs and courtesans danced. He donated to brahmanas and
performed the decreed jatakarma rites. Himachala arrived at the gate and organized
great festivities.
_____________________
924 One of the signs of royalty.
Pleased in his mind, he donated
riches to those who sought them. At a muhurta believed to be good, along with
the sages, Himachala named his daughter Kali and also gave her other names that
bring joy. With a great deal of love and affection, he donated to brahmanas.
Along with singing, he arranged for many types of festivities. Organizing the
festivities, along with his wife, the mountain repeatedly looked at Kali. Though
he possessed many sons, she made him rejoice. In the home of the king of
mountains, Devi Shivaa grew up, like the Ganga during the monsoon or the moon
during autumn. Devi Kalika was beautiful in all her limbs and was charming to
behold. Every day, she grew more and more beautiful, like kalas being added to
the moon's disc. As was appropriate for the lineage, she was known by the name
of Parvati. 925 She loved all the relatives and was a friend to
everyone. She possessed the qualities of good conduct. O sage! Her mother tried
to restrain Kalika from performing austerities, exclaiming, "Uma!"926
Hence, subsequently, the one with the beautiful face came to be known on earth
as Uma. Although he possessed sons, the mountain's eyes were not satisfied from
looking at the child known as Parvati. She possessed all the signs of good
fortune. O lord among sages! During spring, there are an infinite number of
flowers. However, swarms of bees are especially attracted towards mango
blossoms. Mount Himalaya was adorned and purified by her, just as learned men
are by polished speech. A lamp in the house obtains greater radiance because of
the leaping flames and those who follow the virtuous path by the Ganga. That is
what happened to the mountain because of Girija. In her childhood, amidst her
friends, the daughter repeatedly played on the sandy bed of the Ganga with
artificial balls. O sage! The time then arrived for Devi Shivaa to receive her
instructions. With joy and attention, she learnt the various forms of learning from
a virtuous guru. In the autumn, swans return to the divine river. 927
In the night, radiance returns to the herbs. In that way, she got back the
learning from her former life. I have thus described some of Shivaa's sports. O
sage! I will now describe her other pastimes. Listen lovingly.'""
“Brahma said, 'Narada possesses
jnana about Shiva. DHe He is i supreme among those who know about Shiva's
pastimes. Sent by Shiva, he happily arrived in Himachala's house. O sage! On
seeing you, the lord of mountains bent down and worshipped you. He summoned his
daughter and asked her to fall down at your feet. O lord among sages! Mount
Himachala prostrated himself again and spoke to you. Thinking that he should
follow the norms, he joined his hands in salutation and repeatedly lowered his
head. Himalaya said, "O sage! O Narada! O lord with jnana! O Brahma's
supreme son! You are omniscient. You are compassionate and engaged in the
welfare of others. Please tell me about the qualities and taints of the
daughter who has been born to me. Whose beloved will my fortunate daughter
become?" Addressed in this way by Himalaya, lord of mountains, the noble
sage examined Kalika's palm and particularly, her limbs. O son! You are
wonderfully accomplished in the use of words. You possess jnana and know about
the end of everything. _________________________
925 Parvata's (mountain's) daughter.
926 Uma = U + ma, meaning, 'Oh! Don't!’
927 Ganga.
Pleased in his mind, Narada spoke
to the mountain. Narada said, "This daughter, yours and Mena's, will grow
like the digits of the moon, starting with the first kala. O king of mountains!
She possesses all the auspicious signs. She will bestow infinite happiness on
her husband. She will extend the fame of her parents. She will be greatly
virtuous, She will always bring great happiness to everyone. O mountain! Your
daughter's palm bears all the extremely auspicious signs. There is only one
inauspicious line. Hear the truth about its consequences. This is about her
husband. He will be a naked yogi. He will be without gunas and without desire.
He will be without a father and a mother. He will not be respected and will be
attired in inauspicious clothes. Her husband will be like that." Hearing
his words, the couple took them to be true. Therefore, Mena and Himachala were
unhappy. O sage! However, hearing the same words, Shivaa Jagadamba formed the
view that it was Shiva who possessed these attributes. There was joy in her
heart. Shivaa thought that Narada's words could not be false. Therefore, she
turned her love and mind towards Shiva's two feet."""
""O Narada! With sorrow
in his mind, the mountain spoke to you. "O sage! This is a reason for
great sorrow. What can be done?" O sage! You are accomplished in the use
of words. Hearing his words, you addressed him in auspicious words that filled
him with joy and great wonder. Narada said, "O mountain! Listen lovingly
to my words. My words are true and are never false. The lines in the palm are
drawn by Brahma. They can certainly not be false. Hence, there is no doubt that
she will have a husband like that. However, listen lovingly to the means
whereby you will obtain happiness. The lord Shambhu, who assumes a form full of
pastimes, is a groom like that. In him, the wicked qualities become good
qualities. Taints in such a lord do not lead to grief. They only cause misery
in a person who is not such a lord. The sun, the fire and Ganga can be cited as
instances of this. Therefore, use your discrimination and bestow your daughter,
Shivaa, on Shiva. Shiva is the Sarveshvara who should be served. He is the
undecaying lord who has no transformation. There is no doubt that Shiva's
favours can be quickly obtained. Specifically, this can be accomplished through
austerities. Let Shivaa observe austerities. In every possible way, Shiva,
everyone's Ishvara, is an appropriate person. He cannot be destroyed, not even
with the vajra. He is the one who keeps Brahma under this control." O
brahmana! O sage! O son! You again spoke these auspicious words to the king of
mountains, delighting him. "She is meant to be Shambhu's beloved, and Hara
will always be favourably disposed towards her. He is extremely virtuous and
excellent in her vows. She will extend the happiness of her parents. She will
become an ascetic and make Shambhu's mind devoted to her. He will marry no
woman other than her. A love like theirs has not existed in the past. It does
not exist now. Nor will it exist in the future. O best among sages! Together,
they will accomplish the task of the gods and bring those who are dead back to
life. O mountain! This maiden will be half of Ardhanarishvara Hara. Their union
will give rise to delight. Satisfying Mahesha, everyone's lord, through the
power of her austerities, your daughter will take half of Hara's body.
Satisfying Hara through her austerities, she will have a golden hue and will
become Svarnagouri. 928 Your daughter will become fairer than
lightning. This daughter will be famous under the name of Gouri. She will
deserve to be worshipped by all devas, Hari, Brahma and the others. O supreme
among mountains! You should not bestow her on anyone else. This is a secret of
the gods and must never be divulged."
___________________
928 Golden Gouri.
O devarshi! O Narada! O sage! O one
who is accomplished in the use of words! Hearing your words, Himalaya addressed
you in the following words. "O sage! O Narada! O wise one! O one who
brings happiness! There is something I have to say. Please listen to it lovingly
and act accordingly. It has been heard that Mahadeva is in He is constantly
engaged in austerities and even devas control of his atman and that he has
abandoned attachment. cannot approach him. He is following the path of dhyana
and his mind is immersed in the supreme brahman. O devarshi! How can he made to
deviate from that? I have a great doubt about this. The supreme brahman is
without decay, like the burning wick of a lamp. His own form is known as
Sadashiva, without transformation, without origin and beyond the brahman. He is
nirguna and saguna. He is without any distinctive attribute and without desire.
He always looks towards the inside and not towards anything outside. O sage!
This is what we have always lovingly heard from the mouths of kinnaras, when
they have come here. Why should they lie? Their words must be true. We have
also heard that, formerly, the one known as Hara had entered into a pledge.
Hear my words about this. Hearing this, you told him the truth. Narada
answered, "O king of mountains! O immensely intelligent one! You should
not worry on this score. In earlier times, your daughter, Kali, used to be
Daksha's daughter. Her name was Sati and she always brought everything that was
auspicious. Sati, Daksha's daughter, became Rudra's beloved. At her father's
sacrifice, she 'O Dakshayani! O beloved Sati! I will not accept anyone other
than you as a wife. The words I have spoken are true.' In earlier times, this
is the pledge he made to Sati. How can he himself render that false and accept
someone else?" In your presence, the mountain said this and was silent. O
devarshi! O son! was dishonoured and witnessed Shankara being dishonoured. Full
of rage, Sati gave up her own body. Ambika Shivaa has been born in your home
again. There is no doubt that Parvati will be Hara's wife." You explained
all this in detail to the mountain, Parvati's earlier form and conduct. All
this about Kali's earlier account increases delight. Hearing this from the
mouth of the sage, the mountain, his wife and his sons no longer had any
doubts. When Kali heard this account from Narada's mouth, she lowered her head
in shame, but there was an extended smile on her face. Hearing about her
conduct, the mountain touched her with his hand. Inhaling the fragrance of her
head for a long time, he made her sit down on his own seat. O sage! On seeing
her seated there, you spoke again, delighting the king of mountains, Menaka and
their sons. "O king of mountains! Why have you made her sit on your
throne? Her seat will always be Shambhu's thigh. Having obtained Hara's thigh
as a seat, your daughter will go to a place that no eye and mind can
reach." O Narada! Speaking these words to the lord of mountains, you
immediately happily went to heaven. The mind of the king of mountains was filled
with delightful joy. He returned to his home, full of every kind of wealth and
prosperity."""
“Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
father! You are supreme among Shiva's devotees. O wise one! Out of compassion
towards me, you have described a wonderful account and have increased my joy
even more. O Vidhatri! I, the possessor of divine sight, went to my own abode.
O father! What happened after that? Out of compassion towards me, please tell
me that now.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O sage!
After you went to heaven, a period of time elapsed. On one occasion, Mena
approached the mountain and prostrated herself. The mountain's beloved stood
there and humbly spoke to her husband. The virtuous lady loved her daughter
more than her own life and she spoke to the lord of mountains. Mena said,
"Because of my feminine nature, I have not been able to understand the
sage's words groom. If a marriage is conducted according to this, it always
completely. One should marry a daughter to a handsome brings unprecedented
happiness. Let the mountain's daughter have a groom who possesses good
qualities and is from a good lineage. O beloved! I love my daughter more than
my own life. This is how she will be happy. I prostrate myself before you. Let
her obtain a good groom and be extremely happy." He heard the words of his
wife, who had fallen down at his feet. Her face was bathed in tears. The
mountain, supreme among wise ones, raised her up and spoke to her. Himalaya
said, "O Menaka! O queen! Listen. I will tell you the truth. Give up your
confusion. Do not make the sage's words false. If you love your daughter,
instruct your daughter affectionately. With her mind fixed in devotion, let her
perform austerities for Shankara. O Menaka! Thus pleased, Shiva will accept
Kali's hand. Everything will be auspicious then. What Narada said about the
inauspicious will be destroyed. In Sadashiva, everything inauspicious turns
auspicious. Therefore, so that your daughter can obtain Shiva, quickly instruct
her about austerities." Hearing the mountain's words, Mena became
exceedingly happy. She went to her daughter, intending to instruct and turn her
inclination towards austerities. Menaka saw that her daughter's limbs were
delicate. She was distressed and her eyes quickly filled with tears. The
mountain's beloved was unable to instruct her daughter. Parvati instantly
understood what her mother intended. Devi Kalika, Parameshvari who knows
everything, repeatedly comforted her mother and immediately spoke to her.
Parvati said, "O mother! O immensely wise one! Listen. Show me your
compassion. In the night, at brahma muhurta when the sun rises, I had a dream.
I will tell you about it. O mother! Full of love and compassion, a brahmana
ascetic instructed me to perform austerities for Shiva." Hearing these
words, Menaka quickly summoned her husband there. She told him everything about
the dream their daughter had seen. Hearing about the dream seen by their
daughter from Menaka, the lord of mountains was extremely happy. He addressed
his beloved in gentle words. The lord of mountains said, "O beloved!
Towards the end of the second half of the night, I too had a dream. With a
great deal of joy, listen to it. I will lovingly tell you. There was a supreme
ascetic, possessing excellent limbs, just as Narada had said. He cheerfully
arrived on the outskirts of the city, so as to perform austerities. Taking my
daughter with me, full of great joy, I went there. I got to know that this was
the lord Shambhu, the groom Narada spoke about. I instructed our daughter to
serve that ascetic. I asked him to give her what she asked for, but he did not
agree. There was a great discussion between them on samkhya and Vedanta.
Thereafter, obeying his command, my daughter remained there. Hiding the desire
in her heart, she devotedly served him. This is the dream I saw. O one with the
beautiful face! I have told you about it. O beloved! For some time, I think we
must test the consequences of this. I have certainly understood that this is
the appropriate course of action for us." O lord among sages! The king of
mountains spoke to Menaka in this way. Pure in their minds, they decided to
wait and test the consequences.'""
""A few days passed.
Paramesha is the goal of the virtuous. Separation from Sati had led to severe
unhappiness in him, and he wandered around, here and there. With a few ganas,
the lord arrived there, so as to perform austerities. His mind was overwhelmed
by love for Sati and stricken because of the separation from her. While he
himself engaged in austerities there, along with two of her friends, Parvati
always served him cheerfully. The lord Shambhu does not suffer from
transgressions. The gods sent Smara to delude him and though pierced by his
arrows, he was not affected. 929 Instead, with the fire that emerged
from his eyes, he burnt Smara down there. Remembering the words I had spoken,
he was enraged and vanished. After some time, he destroyed Girija's pride. As a
result of her great austerities, Maheshvara was pleased. To show his favours to
Vishnu, Rudra resorted to customary practices of the world. He married Kali and
many kinds of auspicious things resulted. O son! I have thus briefly told you
about the lord Shankara's supremely divine conduct. What do you wish to hear
again?"""
“Narada said, 'O Vishnu's disciple!
O immensely fortunate one! O Vidhatri! O supreme among Shiva's devotees! O
lord! Full of affection, you should speak to me about Shiva's pastimes in
detail. Separated from Sati, what did Shambhu do? To perform austerities, when
did he go to the excellent slopes of the Himalayas? Please fulfil my wishes by
telling me how the auspicious conversation between Shiva and Shivaa occurred?
Having performed austerities, how did Parvati obtain Shiva Shambhu? O Brahma!
You should tell me about all these and about Shiva's other conduct. This is
auspicious and yields great joy."
"Suta said, "The supreme
lord of the worlds heard Narada's question. Extremely happy, Vidhatri
remembered Shiva's lotus feet and spoke.""
"Brahma replied, 'O devarshi!
O Shiva's noble devotee! Hear lovingly about his glory. It is purifying and
brings everything that is auspicious. It enhances supreme devotion. Suffering
from separation from his beloved, Shambhu returned to his own mountain. In his
heart, he remembered his beloved Devi Sati, whom he loved more than his own
life. Grieving, he summoned his ganas and happily described her qualities,
which increased love, to them. He thus exhibited the customary practices of the
world. The directions were his garments. He abandoned the virtuous path
followed by householders.
Accomplished in every kind of
pastime, he roamed around the worlds again. Miserable at being separated from
Sati, he could not see her anywhere. Shankara, who bestows welfare on his
devotees, returned to the mountain. He made efforts to fix his mind in samadhi.
Samadhi destroys miseries. When he did this, he saw his own undecaying form. He
remained stationary in this way for a long time, destroying the three gunas. He
is the supreme brahman, without transformations. The lord is himself the lord
of maya. After many years passed, he gave up this state of samadhi. I will now
quickly tell you what happened thereafter. As a result of the exertion, drops
of sweat emerged from the lord's forehead. They fell down on the ground and a
wonderful child emerged from this. He was four-armed, with a red complexion. O
sage! He was charming in appearance. He was handsome and his radiance was not
of this world. He was energetic and impossible for others to withstand. In
front of Paramesha, the child started to cry. Bhava behaved towards him as an
ordinary being would towards his own child. The earth thought about this for a
very long time and assumed a beautiful body.
_____________________
929 These sentences don't really belong
here.
Full of fear, she appeared there,
before Shankara. Like a mother, she quickly took the child up on her lap. She
happily fed him the milk that was flowing from her breasts all over her body.
As if she was playing with her own son, she smiled and lovingly kissed his
face. In Sati's absence, to do what would be good for Paramesha, she behaved
like the child's mother. On witnessing her conduct, Shambhu was amused. Hara
knows what is inside everyone. Knowing that this was the earth, he smiled and
spoke to her. "O earth! You are blessed. Lovingly nourish this child of
mine. This extraordinary child has emerged from drops of perspiration that fell
down on you. He will be supreme and extremely energetic. O earth! This child
was born from my exertion. Nevertheless, since you have shown him love, he will
become famous on earth under your own name. He will always be free from the
three types of distress. This child of yours will possess qualities but will
bestow what is inauspicious.930 He will bestow happiness on me. But
for householders, he will bestow what he wills." Having said this, he
stopped, his mind somewhat free of the pangs of separation. Rudra is
indifferent and loves the virtuous, but he was following customary practices of
the world. The earth accepted Shiva's command. The earth quickly returned to
her own residence. At having obtained a son, she was filled with great joy. The
child, known as Bhouma, swiftly became a youth. In Kashi, he served Lord
Shankara for a very long time. As a result of Vishveshvara's favours, the
earth's son obtained the status of becoming a planet. He swiftly attained the
divine world, a supreme region beyond Shukra's world. Shambhu's conduct, after
his separation from Sati, has thus been described. O sage! Now listen lovingly
to how Shambhu engaged in austerities."""
“Brahma said, 'Shakti, worshipped
by the worlds, grew up as the mountain's daughter. Born in Himalaya's house,
the virtuous one attained eight years of age. Distressed on account of
separation from Sati, Girisha knew about her birth. O Narada! Knowing about
this, he was delighted internally. At the time, Shambhu was engaged in
following the practices of the world. Therefore, he made up his mind and wished
to perform austerities. There is an excellent place in the Himalayas, known as
Gangavatara. In ancient times, Ganga descended there, flowing from Brahmapura.931
O sage! She destroys all sins and is supremely purifying. Along with a few
serene ganas, Nandi and others, he went there to bathe. Hara controlled himself
and remaining there, started his austerities. He single-mindedly fixed his
thoughts on his own atman. His consciousness is the source of jnana. He is
eternal, in the form of illumination and without any affliction. He pervades
the universe. He is consciousness and bliss. He is without a second and
requires no support. When Hara immersed himself in dhyana, some of the
pramathas also engaged in dhyana. So did some of the ganas, Nandi, Bhringi and
others. Some other ganas served Shambhu, the paramatman. Others became
doorkeepers, remaining silent and not conversing.'""
_________________________
930 As the earth's child, Mangala (Mars)
is known as Bhouma and is regarded as an inauspicious planet.
931 Gangavatara should be Gomukh, at the
foot of the Gangotri glacier. In that case, Brahmapura will be higher up.
However, if Brahmapura is identified with Vairatapattana in Dhikuli in
Uttarakhand, Gangavatara might be Gangadvara or Haridvara.
""Meanwhile, hearing that
Shankara had come to Oushadhiprastha, Mount Himalaya affectionately arrived
there. Along with his companions, the lord of mountains prostrated himself
before Lord Rudra. He honoured him and worshipped him. Full of joy, he joined
his hands in salutation and praised him. Himalaya said, "O lord of devas!
O Mahadeva! O Kapardin! 932 O Shankara! O lord! As the lord of the
worlds, you are the one who protects the three worlds. O divinity! O lord of
devas! I prostrate myself before you. You are the one who assumes the form of a
yogi. You are nirguna. I bow down before you. In your pastimes, you become
saguna. O one who resides in Kailasa! O Shambhu! O one who roams around the
worlds! I prostrate myself before Paramesha, the one who engages in pastimes
and wields the trident. You are a complete abode of qualities. You are without
transformations, I prostrate myself before you. You are without wishes. You are
the one who abandons. You are the patient one. You are the paramatman. You are
the one who bestows internal enjoyment. You are affectionate towards people. I
prostrate myself before you. O lord of the three gunas! O lord of maya! O
brahman! O paramatman! You deserve to be served by Brahma, Vishnu and others. Vishnu
and Brahma are your own forms. You are the one who created Brahma and Vishnu. O
one who is affectionate towards devotees! I prostrate myself before you. You
are engaged in austerities. You are the place for austerities. You bestow the
fruits of good austerities. You love austerities. O serene one! I bow down
before the one whose form is the brahman. You are the one who determined the
norms for worldly transaction and behaviour. You possess gunas! I prostrate
myself before Paresha, the paramatman. O Mahesha! Your pastimes cannot be
understood. They bring happiness to those who are virtuous. Your own form is
one that is controlled by devotees. You are subservient to your devotees. You
undertake karma. O lord! It is my good fortune that you have come here. You
have become my protector. You are described as one who is affectionate towards
those who are distressed. Today, my birth has been rendered successful. Today,
my life has been rendered successful. Since you have arrived here, today,
everything has been rendered successful. O Maheshvara! Know that I am your
foremost servant. Command me. With single-minded intelligence, I will serve you
and obtain great joy." Maheshvara heard the words of the lord of
mountains. He opened his eyes a little and saw the mountain and his
companions."""
""Vrishadhvaja saw the
lord of mountains and his companions. Immersed in dhyana and yoga, the lord of
the universe seemed to smile as he spoke. Maheshvara said, "I came to this
secluded spot so that I could torment myself through austerities atop you. Act
so that no one can approach near me. You are great-souled and a store of
austerities. The sages always seek refuge with you. So do devas, rakshasas and
other great-souled ones. Brahmanas and others always reside here, constantly
purified by the Ganga. You do a good deed to all the others and are the master
and lord of mountains. I will perform austerities in this spot, in Gangavatara.
I have controlled my atman and have happily sought refuge with the king of
mountains. O mountain! In my austerities, let there be no cause for impediment.
O best among mountains! That is what you must do now, ensure it in every
possible way. O supreme among mountains! This is the greatest service you can
do for me. Make efforts to ensure it and when it is over, cheerfully return to
your own residence." Having said this, the protector of the world was
silent. The king of mountains prostrated himself before Shambhu and spoke these
words. Himalaya said, "O lord of the universe! O Parameshvara! ____________________
932 One with matted hair, Shiva.
I have worshipped you. I have
myself come to you now. You are located in my kingdom and there is nothing I
cannot give you. You cannot be obtained, even when devas make efforts and
engage in great austerities. That Mahesha has arrived here on his own. There is
no one who is superior to me. There is no one whose good merits are superior to
mine. You have come and are going to engage in austerities on my slopes. O
Parameshvara! I consider myself to be superior to Indra of the gods. You are
the one who bestows fortune and you have shown me a favour and have come here,
along with your ganas. O lord of devas! You are self-ruling. Perform your
supreme austerities without any impediments. I am your servant and will serve
you. O lord! I will always be there for you." Saying this, the lord of
mountains quickly returned to his own residence. He lovingly reported this
incident to his beloved. O Narada! He summoned all his relatives and
companions. The lord of mountains told them about the truth. Himalaya said,
"From today, none of you should go to Gangavatara. Let this be an
instruction for anyone who is in my capital. I am telling you the truth. If any
person goes there, he will be extremely crooked, and I will impose specific
punishment on him. I have spoken the truth." O sage! He swiftly told all
his companions about this rule. After this, the mountain made excellent
efforts. Listen. I will tell you.'""
“Brahma said, 'The lord of
mountains collected an excellent pile of flowers and fruits. Taking his
daughter with him, he approached Gangavatara. Having gone there, he prostrated
himself before Jagannatha, who was immersed in supreme dhyana. In his mind, he performed
the wonderful act of bestowing his daughter, Kali, on him. With all the flowers
and fruits, he made his daughter stand ahead of him. Placing his daughter in
front, the king of mountains spoke to Shambhu. Himalaya said, "O Bhagavan!
O Chandrashekhara! My daughter is eager to serve you. Since she desires to
worship you, I have brought her here. Along with her two friends, let her
always serve Shankara. O protector! Please show me your favours and grant her
the permission to do that." At this, Shankara looked at her. She was in
the first bloom of youth. Her face was like a fully blown blue lotus or like
the full moon. She was attired in an auspicious garment and every kind of charm
was spread throughout her body. Her throat was like a conch shell and her eyes
were large. Her beautiful ears were radiant. Her graceful arms were like the
stalks of lotuses. Her breasts were thick and firm, and her nipples were like
the buds of blue lotuses. With a slender waist, she dazzled, and her stomach
was beautiful, with three lines. Her two beautiful feet were like lotuses that
grew on the land. 933 She was like a crest among beautiful women.
The sight of her was capable of agitating the minds of sages who were immersed
and bound in dhyana. O son! Her beautiful form was such that it could make
those engaged in tantra and mantra deviate. She enhanced desire. On seeing her,
the great yogi quickly closed his eyes and meditated on his own excellent form.
He is the supreme and undecaying truth, beyond the three gunas. The lord of
everything saw her in that form. Desiring to engage in austerities, the lord
closed his eyes. Kapardin was adorned with the crescent moon as an ornament. He
is the one who is known through Vedanta and was in his supreme posture.
Himachala was filled with doubt. Distressed in his mind, he lowered his head
down.
________________
933 Sthalapadma, Hibiscus mutabilis.
The lord of mountains, supreme
among those who are eloquent in the use of words, spoke these words to the
single friend the universe has. Himachala said, "O lord of devas! O
Mahadeva! O abode of compassion! O Shankara! O lord! I have sought refuge with
you. Please open your eyes and look at me. O Shiva! O Sharva! O Mahesha! O lord
who ensures happiness to the universe! O Mahadeva! You are the one who destroys
every hardship, and I am bowing down before you. O lord of devas! All the Vedas
and sacred texts do not know you. Your greatness is always beyond thoughts and
words. Therefore, all the shruti texts say little about you. In their fear,
they say what you are not, not what you are. What need be said of others? Many
devotees know you. That is because they have devotion and have obtained your
compassion. For devotees who seek refuge with you, there never is any reason
for confusion. Please listen lovingly to me now. I am your servant. O divinity!
O father! In my ignorance and since I am inferior, I dare to state it. O
Mahadeva! O Shankara! As a result of your favours, I have been fortunate. O
protector! I prostrate myself before you. Taking me to be your servant, please
show me your compassion. O lord! Every day, I will come here to see you, along
with this daughter. O lord! Please grant us the permission." Hearing these
words, Maheshvara opened his eyes.'""
"Having given up his dhyana,
the lord of devas thought a little and spoke these words. Maheshvara said,
"O mountain! Do come every day to see me. But leave the maiden in your
house. She cannot see me." Shivaa's father heard Mahesha's words. The
mountain lowered his shoulders and spoke to Girisha in this way. Himachala
said, "Please tell me why I should not come here with her. Why is she
unworthy of serving you? I do not know the reason." Shambhu Vrishadhvaja
laughed and spoke to the mountain. In particular, he showed him the worldly
conduct followed by bad yogis. Shambhu said, "This maiden possesses
beautiful hips. She is slender and auspicious, and her face resembles the moon.
She should not be brought to my presence. I am repeatedly forbidding you. Those
who are accomplished in the Vedas have said that a woman is the form of maya.
In particular, this is true of a young woman. She creates impediments for
ascetics. I am an ascetic and yogi, always unaffected by maya. O mountain! What
need do I have for association with a woman? Supreme ascetics resort to you.
Therefore, you should not say such things again. You are wise and possess jnana
about the dharma of the Vedas. O mountain! You are supreme among learned ones.
Association with them leads to attachment and destroys non-attachment. That leads
to deviation from austerities. O mountain! Therefore, ascetics should not
associate with women. This is the root of great attachment towards material
objects and destroys jnana and non-attachment." Maheshvara, the great
yogi, said this many times. After this, Lord Girisha, supreme among great
yogis, stopped. O divine rishi! Hearing these beneficial words of Shambhu,
indifferent and cruel, Kali's father was somewhat agitated. But he remained
silent. Bhavani also heard the words spoken by the ascetic and saw that the
lord of mountains was agitated. She reflected on these and prostrated herself
before Shiva. She then started to speak the following words."""
،،،،Bhavani
said, "You are a yogi and an ascetic. What ""B Ddid you tell the
king of mountains? O lord! O one who is accomplished in jnana! O lord! Hear the
reply from me. O Shambhu! You possess the strength of austerities and are
undertaking great austerities. Since you are great-souled, your intelligence
turns towards tormenting yourself through austerities. Know that Prakriti is
the strength behind all karma. Everything is created, preserved and destroyed
through her. Who are you? Who is subtle Prakriti? O Bhagavan! Reflect on this. Without
Prakriti, who is Maheshvara, with the lingam as his form? You are always
revered by beings. They revere you and perform dhyana on you. But it is said
that Prakriti is in all their hearts. Reflect on this." Hearing Parvati's
words, Mahesha, engaged in the great task, was pleased in his mind. He smiled
and spoke these words. Maheshvara said, "I will destroy Prakriti with my
supreme austerities. In truth, devoid of Prakriti, I will remain as Shambhu.
The task of the virtuous is not to ever accept Prakriti. They should establish
themselves as indifferent, devoid of customary worldly conduct." O son!
Engaged in customary worldly conduct, Shambhu said this. Kali smiled within her
heart and replied in these sweet words. Kali answered, "O yogi! O
Shankara! O lord! Based on what you have said, how can you say that there is no
Prakriti and that you are beyond her? Please reflect on the truth of this
statement, as is appropriate. Everything is incessantly bound by Prakriti.
There is nothing that can be said or done without her. In your mind, you should
know that every act of speaking or doing is based on Prakriti. Everything
heard, everything eaten, everything seen and everything done-all that is done
by Prakriti. It is futile to say that is a false statement. If you are superior
to Prakriti, why are you tormenting yourself through austerities? O lord! You
are Shambhu and you are now on Mount Himalaya. O Hara! You do not know your own
self. You have been swallowed by Prakriti. O Isha! If you do not know yourself,
why are you tormenting yourself through austerities? O yogi! What need do I
have to engage in this argument with you? The learned say that inference,
without direct perception, is no proof. 934 For embodied beings, as
long as perception is based on the senses, all that is based on Prakriti. That
is the comment of those who possess jnana in their intellect. O lord of yoga!
What is the need to speak a lot? Listen to my supreme words. You are Purusha
and I am Prakriti. This is the truth. There is no doubt that this is the truth.
It is through my favours that you have assumed this form, consisting of gunas.
Without me, you are without attributes and are incapable of doing anything. You
are under the control of someone else. You are under the subjugation of many kinds
of karma. How are you indifferent? How are you not touched by me? O Shankara!
If you have spoken true words, that you are beyond Prakriti, you should have no
reason to fear my presence." Shiva heard her words, which were in
conformity with the sacred texts of samkhya. He replied to Shivaa in words that
were in conformity with Vedanta. Shri Shiva replied, "O Girija! O one who
upholds the sankhya view! O one excellent in speech! If this is what you say,
unrestricted, serve me every day. But if I am the indifferent brahman, the one
who is known through Vedanta, the Parameshvara who is the lord of maya, and all
this is my maya, what will you do then?" Telling Girija this, the lord
spoke to the mountain again."""
""He is the one who
delights his devotees. He is the one who shows favours to his devotees. Shiva
said, "O mountain! Here, on your extremely beautiful slopes, I will engage
in supreme austerities. I roam around on earth to display my supreme nature,
full of bliss. O lord of mountains! You should grant me permission to undertake
these austerities. Without your permission, no one is able to undertake the
least bit of austerities."
___________________
934 The basic principle of samkhya.
Hearing the words of the lord of
devas, the wielder of the trident, Himalaya prostrated himself and addressed
Shambhu in the following words. Himalaya said, "Everything in the
universe, devas, asuras and humans, belongs to you. O Mahadeva! Who am I? I am
inferior. Nevertheless, I wish to tell you something."935 Himalaya
said this to Shankara, who brings welfare to the worlds. He smiled at the king
of mountains and affectionately asked him to leave. Having obtained Shankara's
permission, Himalaya returned to his own house, along with Girija, though he
wanted to see him every day. Even without her father, along with her two
friends, Kali went to Shankara's presence every day. Full of great devotion,
she served him. O son! On the instructions of Mahesha, who issues pure
commands, none of the ganas, Nandishvara and the others, prevented her. The
conversation between Shiva and Shivaa about samkhya and Vedanta is auspicious
and always brings happiness. If one thinks about it properly, there is no
difference between them.'""
""Shankara showed respect
to the words of the king of the mountains. The lord of the earth allowed his
daughter to remain near him. The lord of the earth spoke these words to Kali
and her two friends. "Serve me every day. You can come, go and remain,
without any fear." Telling Devi this, Hara accepted her service. He is the
great yogi who is indifferent. The lord engages in many kinds of pastimes. Such
is the great patience and fortitude excellent ascetics possess. Even if they
face impediments, they do not succumb to those impediments. O lord among sages!
With his attendants, the king of mountains returned to his own city. He was
filled with delight in his mind. Hara engaged in dhyana and yoga. He lovingly
immersed his mind in the paramatman and thought about it, without any
impediments. Along with her two friends, Kali served Chandrashekhara Mahadeva
every day. She came, went and remained. She washed Shambhu's feet and drank the
water after washing his feet. She wiped his body with a garment purified in the
fire. She worshipped him in the proper way, using sixteen kinds of upachara.
Every day, before returning to her father's house, she prostrated herself
repeatedly. In this way, Shivaa served Shankara, who was immersed in dhyana. O
supreme among sages! A long period of time elapsed. Sometimes, along with her
two friends in Shankara's hermitage, Kali sang beautiful songs, with excellent
tala.936 This enhanced desire. Sometimes, she herself collected
kusha grass, flowers and kindling. Along with her two friends, she always
cleaned the place. Sometimes, she remained in the home of the one who wears the
moon. Full of surprise and desire, she looked at Chandrashekhara. The lord of
bhutas engaged in austerities in that secluded spot. He looked at her and
thought of her. Though Kali was in embodied form and was present near him,
Girisha did not accept her as his wife. She was the store of a great deal of
charm, enough to confound sages. But Mahadeva repeatedly saw that she was in
control of her senses. Full of compassion, he saw that she was constantly
engaged in serving him. He thought, "Let Kali observe vows and perform
austerities. I will accept her when she has lost all seeds of pride."
Thinking this, the lord of bhutas quickly immersed himself in dhyana. Ishvara
is a great yogi. The lord engages in great pastimes. Shiva, the paramatman, was
immersed in dhyana. O sage! There was no other thought in his mind. Every day,
Kali devotedly served Shambhu and always thought about the great-souled one's
form. Every day, Hara, immersed in dhyana, saw Kali standing there.
________________
935 As will be evident, a request that his
daughter should serve Shiva.
936 Tala is the measurement of time in
music.
He forgot his earlier thoughts
about her. Though he saw her, he did not really see her. Meanwhile, following
Brahma's instructions, Shakra and other devas and sages affectionately sent
Smara there. They were suffering from the depredations of the extremely valiant
asura, Taraka. They desired to unite Kali and Rudra. Having gone there, Smara
tried every one of his means. Hara's mind was not agitated. Instead, he reduced
him to ashes. O sage! Following his commands, Parvati lost her pride. The
virtuous one practiced great austerities and obtained Shiva as her husband.
After this, Parvati and Parameshvara were satisfied and extremely happy.
Engaged in the welfare of others, they accomplished the task of the
gods.""
“Narada said, 'O Vishnu's disciple!
O Shiva's great "Narad devotee! O Vidhatri! You have spoken well. This is
the supreme account about Shiva and Shivaa. O Brahma! Who was the asura who
oppressed devas? Whose son was he? Please tell me how he was connected with
Shiva. How did Shankara, in control of himself, reduce Smara to ashes? Full of
affection, please tell me all this. The lord's conduct is extraordinary. For
the How did the primordial Shakti, who is beyond the universe, sake of being
happy, how did Shivaa engage in fierce austerities? obtain Shambhu as her
husband? O immensely intelligent one! Please tell me all this, specifically and
in detail. My atman is in Shiva. I am full of devotion and am your own
son.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O noble son!
O immensely wise one! O divine rishi! O one praised for his vows! Remembering
Shankara, I will tell you everything that occurred. Listen. O Narada! First
hear about Taraka's origin. Devas made great efforts to kill him and sought
refuge with Shiva. My son was the noble Marichi, and his son was Kashyapa.
Kashyapa married thirteen of Daksha's daughters. Diti was the eldest of these
two wives and she had two sons. The elder one was Hiranyakashipu and the
younger one was Hiranyaksha. In the form of Nrisimha and the boar, Vishnu
killed these two daityas. 937 They had caused great misery to devas,
who were now happy and free of fear. Diti was miserable and went and sought
refuge with Kashyapa. Excellent in her vows, she served him devotedly and
conceived again. Knowing this, the great Indra, great in his enterprise, looked
for an opportunity and found it. He entered her womb and repeatedly severed the
foetus with his vajra. Because of the power of her vows, the foetus did not
die. She was sleeping at the time. As a result of destiny, seven times seven
sons were born. 938 These sons became devas and all of them were
known as Maruts. The king of devas honoured them and took them to heaven with
him. Diti was tormented because of what she had herself done and served her
husband again.
___________________
937 Daitya means Diti's son. In the
Nrisimha/Narasimha avatara, Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu. In the varaha
avatara, Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha. Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha were twins.
Sometimes, Hiranyaksha is described as the younger one. Sometimes, it is the other
way around.
938 The number of Maruts varies but is
usually given as 49. Indra sliced the foetus into seven parts and then sliced
each of these seven into seven parts. Indra needed a weakness (in Diti's
observance of vows) to be able to penetrate her womb. On one occasion, she went
to sleep without washing her feet and that was Indra's opportunity.
As a result of her supreme service,
the sage was greatly pleased. Kashyapa said, "Be pure and perform
austerities for ten thousand of Brahma's years. After that, you will have an
unmatched son." O sage! Full of devotion, Diti completed these
austerities. Through her husband, she conceived and obtained the kind of son
she desired. Diti's son was like the immortals and was named Vajranga.
Befitting his name, he was born brave, powerful and strong. 939
Obeying his mother's instructions, the son immediately used force to seize the
king of the gods. He also punished the gods in diverse ways. On seeing the
miseries inflicted on Shakra and the others, Diti was happy. The immortals,
Shakra and the others, suffered miseries because of what they themselves had
done.'""
"I am always engaged in the
welfare of devas. Along with Kashyapa, I quickly went to him and spoke to him
in gentle words, persuading him to release the devas. Having released devas,
Vajranga spoke to me affectionately. He was Shiva's devotee and was pure in his
atman. He was indifferent and pleasant in his intelligence. Vajranga said,
"In order to accomplish his selfish objective, the wicked Indra killed my
mother's son. He has now reaped the fruits of that act. Let him rule over his
own kingdom. O Brahma! I did all this because of my mother's command. I have no
desire to enjoy any of the objects of pleasure in the world. O Vidhatri! O
supreme among those who know the Vedas. Please tell me about their essence, so
that I am always happy, indifferent and pleasant in my intelligence." O
sage! On hearing his words, I replied, "These are spoken out of sentiments
of sattva. I will happily create a beautiful woman who represents their
essence." Her named was Varangi and I bestowed her on Diti's son. After
this, extremely happy, I returned to my own residence, as did Kashyapa, his
father. The daitya, Vajranga, was full of sentiments of sattva. He gave up asura
sentiments. He had no feelings of hatred and was happy. But there were no
sattva sentiments in Varangi's heart. The virtuous lady was full of desire and
devotedly served her husband in many kinds of ways. As a result of her service,
her great lord was quickly satisfied. Her husband, Vajranga, addressed her in
these words. Vajranga said, "O beloved! Tell me what you desire. What is
in your heart?" Hearing this, she bowed down before her husband and told
him about her wish. Varangi said, "O virtuous husband! If you are pleased
with me, please give me a son. Let him be extremely strong and a conqueror of
the three worlds. Let him cause misery to Hari." Hearing the words spoken
by his beloved, he was amazed and agitated. His heart was full of sentiments of
sattva, and he had no sense of hatred. He spoke, full of jnana. "O
beloved! You wish to have enmity with the gods. This does not appeal to me.
What will I do? Where will I go? How will I ensure that my pledge is not
destroyed? If I satisfy my beloved's wish, the three worlds will constantly
suffer and so will the devas and the sages. But if I do not fulfil my beloved's
wish, I will go to hell. In both cases, dharma will be violated. That is what
we have heard." O sage! In this way, Vajranga was whirled around in a
conflict of dharma. He used his intelligence to reflect on the strengths and
weaknesses of both options. O sage! Following Shiva's wishes, the learned one
told his wife that he agreed with what she had said. That is what the king of
daityas told his beloved. To accomplish this, he engaged in extremely difficult
and fierce austerities, directed towards me. Extremely cheerful, he conquered
his senses and did this for many years. O dear one! As a result of his great
austerities, I showed myself to him, to bestow a boon on him. Pleased in my
mind, I said, "Ask for a boon."
______________________
939 Vajranga means one whose limbs are
like the vajra.
Vajranga was happy to see me, the
lord, stationed in the sky. He prostrated himself and praised me in many kinds
of ways, asking for the boon his beloved desired. Vajranga said, "O lord!
Please grant me a son who will bring great benefit to his mother. Let him be
extremely strong and extremely powerful. Let him be extremely capable and a
store of austerities." O sage! Hearing his words, I said that it would be
that way. Remembering Shiva, I returned to my own abode, though I was somewhat
distracted."""
"Brahma said, 'After this,
full of love for him, Varangi conceived. Inside her, the extremely energetic
foetus developed for many years. When the due time was over, Varangi delivered
a son. He was gigantic in size and extremely valiant. His radiance blazed in
the ten directions. At that time, there were great and evil portents, the cause
of hardships. When Varangi's son was born, the gods were miserable. O son!
There were bad omens on earth, in the firmament and in heaven, causing fear in
all the worlds. They signified the three kinds of hardship. I will tell you
about them. Meteors showered down and there were bolts of lightning. They were
fearful and made large sounds. What arose caused agitation in the hearts and
was the cause of misery. The earth, along with its mountains, quaked. All the
directions blazed. The waters in all the rivers were agitated, especially those
in the oceans. Blinding gusts of wind shrieked and blew, harsh to the touch.
They uprooted large trees and dust was like standards on the winds. O Indra
among brahmanas! Rahu repeatedly obscured the sun and covered it with clubs. 940
All this indicated great fear and unhappiness. At that time, storms issued
forth from the cavities in mountains. They thundered like chariots and caused
terror. Jackals and owls howled in extremely hideous tones, vomiting fire
through their mouths. The terrible and inauspicious sound of jackals howling
could be heard inside villages. Raising up their heads, dogs seemed to sing, as
they barked and wept, uttering many kinds of sounds. O son! Groups of asses ran
around here and there, braying harshly. Maddened, they dug up the ground with
their hooves. Terrified in their minds, birds flew up from their nests. They
shrieked, anxious in their minds, and could not find perches anywhere. The
animals seemed to be stricken and did not remain in one place. Full of fear,
they wandered around, releasing urine and excrement in settlements and forests.
The terrified cows had tears in their eyes and could not be milked. The fearful
clouds showered down pus. Images of devas were uprooted and seemed to weep.
Trees fell down, even though there was no wind. The planets fought in the sky.
O supreme sage! In this way, there were many evil portents. The people did not
know what was happening and thought that the world was being submerged."""
""Prajapati Kashyapa gave
the asura a name. He thought about it and named the immensely energetic one
Taraka. The immensely valiant one suddenly manifested his own virility. He grew
and his body was as strong as iron. His size was like a lord of mountains.
Daitya Taraka was extremely strong and valiant. To perform austerities, the
great-minded one sought his mother's permission. He possessed the strength of
maya and could delude with his maya. Having obtained the permission, he made up
his mind that he would undertake austerities so as to conquer all the devas.
_______________________
940 Clubs on the solar disc are a mark of
impending disaster.
Obeying the instruction of his
senior, he went to the forest of Madhu. 941 Having been instructed
in the proper way, he followed the norms and tormented himself through
extremely terrible austerities. He raised both arms up, stood on one leg and
gazed at the sun with his eyes. Firm in his mind and firm in his vow, he
performed austerities for one hundred years. He touched the ground only with
his big toe and stood like that for one hundred years. Taraka, the lord and
king of asuras, was firm in his resolve and tormented himself through
austerities. For one hundred years, he only subsisted on water. For one hundred
years, he only subsisted on air. For one hundred years, he immersed himself in
water. For one hundred years, he performed austerities on land. For one hundred
years, he was inside a fire. For one hundred years, he was upside down. For one
hundred years, he used the palm of his hands to support himself on the ground.942
O sage! For one hundred years, he used his feet to suspend himself from the
branch of a tree. For one hundred years, he was suspended with his face facing
downwards, drinking only pure smoke. In this way, the king of daityas tormented
himself through hardships, as part of excellent austerities. Pursuing his wish,
he undertook austerities in the proper way. It is impossible to tolerate
hearing about them. O sage! As he tormented himself in this way, a great mass
of energy issued from his head and swirled everywhere, causing great
calamities. It went to the world of devas and almost burnt it down. O sage! All
devas and rishis suffered from great miseries. Indra, lord of devas, was filled
with great fear. "Someone is performing austerities and desires to usurp
my position. The lord will rob the universe of its support." He was full
of uncertainty and having decided, could not find any peace.'""
""All the gods and rishis
consulted among themselves. Scared and distressed, they came to my world and
presented themselves before me. Their minds were suffering. All of them
prostrated themselves before me and praised me. They joined their hands in
salutation and reported everything to me. I used my intelligence to determine
the reason behind all this. To bestow a boon, I went to the place where the
asura was tormenting himself. O sage! I told him, "Ask for a boon. You
have tormented yourself through fierce austerities. There is nothing that cannot
be given to you." Hearing my words, Taraka, the great asura, prostrated
himself and extolled me. He then asked me for an extremely terrible boon.
Taraka said, "O one who bestows boons! If you are satisfied with me, what
can I not accomplish? O grandfather! Therefore, hear about the boon I seek from
you. O lord of devas! If you are pleased with me and if a boon is to be given
to me, show me your compassion and please grant me two boons. O great lord! In
all the three worlds that have been created by you, there should not be a
single man who is my equal in strength. If a son born through Shiva's seed
becomes a commander and hurls weapons against me, let my death occur only
then." O lord among sages! This is what the daitya told me then. Granting
him such boons, I swiftly returned to my own world. The daitya obtained the
excellent boons he desired. Extremely pleased, he went to the city known as
Shonita.943 Following the command of Shukra, the guru of the asuras,
the great asura, accompanied by other asuras, was instated in the kingdom of
the three worlds. Thus, the great daitya became the leader of the three worlds.
He had his own orders implemented and oppressed mobile and immobile objects.
_________________________
941 Madhuvana, the region around Mathura.
942 That is, he was upside down. In the
earlier case, he probably hung upside down.
943 Shonitapura was later the capital of
Banasura. Tezpur, in Assam, is in the district of Sonitpur.
In the right way, Taraka ruled over
the kingdom of the three worlds. He protected the subjects, but oppressed gods
and others. Taraka daitya seized jewels from Indra and other guardians of the
worlds and out of fear, they gave those to him. Scared, Indra gave him
Airavata.944 Kubera gave him his nine nidhis. 945 Varuna
gave him his white horses. The rishis gave kamadhenu. Scared of him, Surya gave
him the divine Ucchaihshrava.946 Wherever an auspicious object was
seen, he pursued it and quickly seized it. The three worlds were devoid of
substance. O sage! Scared, the ocean gave him all the jewels. Without being
tilled, the earth provided all the crops that subjects desired. The sun heated
mildly, so that he did not suffer. The moon's light was always seen, and the
breeze was always agreeable. The evil-souled asura seized all the objects that
belonged to. devas, ancestors or others. He subjugated the three worlds and
became Indra himself. He became the wonderful lord, without a second, and ruled
over the kingdom. He removed all devas and installed daityas in their places. He
engaged devas in his own personal tasks. O sage! Restrained in this way, all
the devas, with Shakra at the forefront, sought refuge with me. They were
without a protector and were very agitated."""
“Brahma said, 'Thus, all the gods
prostrated themselves before the lord of subjects. Oppressed by Taraka, full of
great devotion, they praised me. I heard the praise and understood the heart of
the matter. I was extremely pleased and replied to the residents of heaven.
"O gods! Welcome. I Why have all of you come here? Please tell me."
Hearing my hope you are exercising your rights without any impediments. words,
all the residents of heaven bent down. Suffering from Taraka and distressed,
they bent down and spoke to me. Devas said, "O lord of the worlds! Because
of your boon, Taraka daitya has become insolent. Using force, the deceiver has
seized our positions and has taken them over himself. Don't you know about the
misery that has presented itself? So that the misery can be swiftly destroyed,
we have sought refuge with you. Wherever we might be, he causes impediments for
us, day and night. Wherever we run away, we see Taraka there. O lord of
everything! All our miseries stem from Taraka. O father! We are suffering greatly.
Agni, Yama, Varuna, Nirriti, Vayu and all the other guardians of the worlds
have come under his subjugation. All of them follow the dharma of humans. All
of them offer him tribute. They are never independent and serve the great
daitya. Constantly under his subjugation, devas are suffering in this way. All
of us are engaged in doing what he wishes. We obtain our subsistence from him.
The immensely strong daitya, Taraka, has seized all our women and the large
number of apsaras. No sacrifices are going on. The ascetics are not performing
austerities. Donations and other dharma do not exist anywhere in the worlds.
His commander is an extremely wicked danava, Krouncha. He has gone to the
nether region of Patala and is constantly causing impediments to the subjects
there. O creator of the universe! Taraka is evil and has no compassion in him.
The deceitful one has forcibly seized the three worlds. We will go wherever you
instruct us to go.
____________________
944 Indra's elephant.
945 The names of Kubera's nine nidhis
(treasures) are Mahapadma, Padma, Shankha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda,
Nila and Kharva.
946 The horse.
O protector of the world! Our
enemies, the asuras, have barred us from our own places. We have no refuge
other than you. You are the ruler, creator and saviour. All of us have been
scorched by the fire known as Taraka and are very agitated. All our cruel
attempts have been robbed of energy, like a sannipata fever against which
medicinal herbs possess no energy. Our hopes of victory were based on Hari's
Sudarshana chakra. However, hurled against his throat, it was ineffective, like
an offering of flowers around a divinity's throat." O sage! I heard the
words spoken by the gods.'""
""I replied to all the
gods in words that were appropriate for the occasion. Brahma said, "The
daitya known as Taraka has become successful because of my words. O residents
of heaven! It is not appropriate for him to be killed by me. His death from a
source that has led to his prosperity is not appropriate. A person who has
reared a poisonous tree cannot himself become the reason for its severance.
Shankara is the appropriate person to do every task for you. But he can be the
cause. He is himself not capable of countering him. I have myself determined
the means for destroying the wicked one known as Taraka. I will tell you about
the means whereby this can be brought about. Taraka cannot be killed by me, or
by Hari or Hara. Thanks to my boon, no other god can do this. I am telling you
the truth. O gods! If a son is born through Shiva's energy, he alone can kill
the daitya known as Taraka, no one else. O best among gods! I have told you
about the means. Act according to what I have said. There is no doubt that
success will be obtained through Mahadeva's favours. Earlier, Sati Dakshayani
gave up her body. She has now been born through Menaka's womb. This is known to
you. Girisha will certainly accept her hand. O residents of heaven! Therefore,
act in accordance with this means. Thus, make excellent efforts so that his
seed is discharged into Parvati, Menaka's daughter. Shambhu is someone who
holds up his seed. There is no one else who is capable of doing this. Everyone
else is weak and lacks the strength. The daughter of the king of the mountains
is now in the prime of youth. While Hara is performing austerities on Mount
Himalaya, she constantly serves him. Because of the words of her father,
Himalaya, Kali Shivaa is there. Along with her two friends, she is serving
Parameshvara, who is immersed in dhyana. She is the most beautiful woman in the
three worlds. Standing in front of him, she worships him. Mahesha is immersed
in dhyana and there is no distraction in
his mind. Kali must become
Chandrashekhara's wife. O gods! Without any delay, make excellent efforts so
that this comes about. I will myself go to the spot where Taraka daitya is. I
will restrain him from his wicked deceit. O immortals! Now return to your own
abodes.” Having said this to the gods, I quickly approached the asura known as
Taraka. Extremely cheerfully, I addressed him in the following words. Brahma
said, "You are ruling over our kingdom of heaven, which is full of the
essence of energy. This exceeds what you desired when you tormented yourself
through excellent austerities. I bestowed an excellent boon on you but did not
bestow the kingdom of heaven on you. Therefore, you should abandon heaven and
rule over a kingdom on earth. There too, you can undertake all deeds that are
worthy of devas. O best among asuras! Without thinking about it, this is what
you should do." I said this and kindled understanding in the asura. After
this, I remembered the auspicious Shiva, the lord of everything, and vanished
from the spot. Taraka abandoned heaven and went to earth. He established
himself in the city known as Shonita and ruled over the entire kingdom. Having
heard my words, all the devas prostrated themselves before me. Cheerful, they
went to Shakra's region. Having gone there, they met Shakra.
They controlled themselves and
consulted among themselves. Cheerful, all the Maruts addressed Maghavan 947
in these words. Devas said, "There must be liking and desire in Shambhu
for Shivaa. O Maghavan! This is what must be done. This is what Brahma has
said." Everything that transpired was reported to the lord of the gods.
Having reported everything, all the devas happily returned to their own
respective abodes.'"
“Brahma said, 'When all devas had
departed, Shakra remembered Smara. Oppressed by the daitya Taraka, he was
distressed in his mind. Immediately, Kama, loved by Rati, arrived there, along
with Vasanta. The lord who could conquer the three worlds was accompanied by
Rati. Smara prostrated himself and stood in front of him. O son! The
great-minded one joined his hands in salutation and spoke to Shakra. Kama
asked, "What task has arisen? Why have you remembered me? O lord of devas!
Please tell me the truth about that. I have come here to perform your
task." Hearing Kandarpa's words, the lord of gods cheerfully praised him
and said that this was most proper. Shakra said, "Since you are ready to
commence on my work, you are virtuous. O Makaradhvaja! 948 Since you
are ready to do this, you are blessed. With you ready and in front of me,
listen to the words I speak. This is a task meant for you and not for anyone
else. It is true that I have many great friends. O Smara! However, you are a
virtuous friend and there is no one who is your equal. O son! This excellent
vajra has been constructed for my victory. But when the vajra fails, there is
no one other than you. Who is more loved than the person who does something
beneficial? Therefore, you are the best of friends, and you must carry out my
task. Because of destiny, an impossible misery has arisen. Other than you, there
is no one else who can dispel it. A person who donates is tested at the time of
a famine, a brave person in the field of battle. A friend is tested at the time
of a calamity and a woman when the family is incapacitated. O son! A friendship
that is not false is tested in adversity, when a difficulty presents itself and
when the friend is not present,949 O son! This is the test of good
affection. There is no other way, and I am telling you the truth. 1 face a
hardship that cannot be countered by anyone else. O noble friend! Hence, your
test has presented itself now. This is not a task that will bring happiness to
me alone. There is no doubt that this is a task for all the gods too."
Makaradhvaja heard the words spoken by Maghavan. He first smiled and then spoke
words that were deep with affection. Kama said, "Why are you speaking like
this? I will not reply to you. When a person is naturally helped, people do not
see it or speak about it. At the time of a hardship, if a person speaks a lot,
what is he going to accomplish? O great king! O lord! Nevertheless, listen to
my words. I am always your friend. I will bring down the enemy who is
performing extremely terrible austerities so as to take away your position. In
an instant, using the glances of beautiful women, I will make devas, rishis and
danavas deviate. Men do not even enter into my reckoning. Fling the vajra and
many other weapons far away. O friend! When I am present, what task will they
accomplish? There is no doubt that I can make Hari and Brahma deviate. There is
no need to mention others. I can bring down even Hara. I possess five gentle
arrows that are made out of flowers and the three segments of my bow are made
out of flowers. The bowstring is made out of bees.
____________________
947 Indra.
948 With a makara on the standard, Kama.
949 That
is, what the friend says behind one's back.
My beloved is my strength and
Vasanta is known as my adviser. I possess five kinds of strength and the store
of nectar is my friend,950 Shringara is the commander of my forces
and gestures and emotions are my soldiers. O Shakra! All of them are gentle and
I am also like that. An intelligent person uses those who can accomplish the
task. Engage me in all the tasks that are appropriate for me." Hearing
these words, Shakra was extremely happy.'",
"He spoke words of affection
to Kama and his beloved, both of whom bring pleasure. Shakra said, "O one
who originated from the mind! I will tell you about the task that is in my
mind. In truth, you are the person who is capable of accomplishing it, not
anyone else. O Kama! O supreme among friends! Listen. I will tell you. O one
who originated from the mind! I will tell you about the reason why I wished to
see you today. There is a great daitya known as Taraka. He has obtained a
wonderful boon from Brahma. Having become invincible, he is causing misery to
everyone. He has oppressed the worlds and has destroyed dharma in many kinds of
ways. All the gods and all the rishis are miserable. To the best of their
capacity, all the devas have already fought against him. But all their weapons
have been rendered futile. The noose of the lord of the waters was shattered.
Hari's Sudarshana chakra was rebuffed. Vishnu hurled it at his throat, but it
was thwarted. The lord of subjects has indicated that this evil-souled one will
only die at the hands of the son born from the seed of Shambhu Ishvara, the
great yogi. This is the virtuous task that you must make great efforts to
undertake. O friend! Then we, devas, will be supremely happy. Thus, I have told
you what will bring happiness to all the worlds. Remember the dharma of friends
in your mind and undertake this task now. Shambhu is engaged in great
austerities on the king of mountains. There is no desire in the lord.
Parameshvara rules himself. Along with her two friends, Parvati is there. We
have heard that because of her father's command, she remains there and serves
him. Shiva is controlled in his atman. There is no doubt that your task is to
constantly smite him, so that his mind turns towards her. If you do this, you
will become famous, and all miseries will be destroyed. You will be permanently
established in this world, not otherwise." Hearing this, Kama's face
resembled a full-blown lotus. He lovingly told the lord of devas that there was
no doubt that he would do this. He replied in words that indicated his assent.
Confounded by Shiva's maya, Kama instantly accepted the task. Along with his
wife and Vasanta, he cheerfully went to the place where the lord of yoga was
tormenting himself through supreme austerities."""
“Brahma said, 'Confounded by
Shiva's maya, the proud B Smara went there. He remained there, spreading the
enticing dharma of spring everywhere. O lord among sages! Vasanta's dharma
spread everywhere around Oushadhiprastha, the place where Mahesha was
performing austerities. O great sage! The trees in the groves blossomed. O lord
among sages! This happened because of his special powers. There were fragrant
flowers on mango and ashoka trees, igniting lamps of desire. Bees swarmed
around white lotus flowers and especially overwhelmed people with desire. The
sweet calls of cuckoos, extremely charming and pleasant to the mind, also
ignited lamps of desire. O sage! Many kinds of sounds were made by the bees,
and these too were charming and ignited desire. _____________________
950 The store of nectar is the moon, and
the five kinds of strength are the five arrows.
The moon spread its beautiful beams
in every direction. These seemed to be messengers between pairs of lovers. Even
amongst the proud, these were signs that the time for love had arrived. A
virtuous and pleasant breeze blew, not liked at all by those who were separated
from their lovers. In this way, Vasanta extended himself, overwhelming everyone
with desire. The residents of the forest and the sages found this to be
extremely intolerable. O sage! The insentient succumbed to these pangs of love.
How can one describe sentient ones who possessed life? Such were the extremely
intolerable powers of spring. They ignited desire among all beings. O son! Hara
saw that spring had arrived at the wrong time. The lord, who had assumed a body
in his own pastimes, thought that this was a great wonder. However, the one who
engages in pastimes was not moved and continued with his extremely difficult
austerities. The lord is in control of himself. Hara is the one who dispels
miseries. When Vasanta extended everywhere, along with Rati, Kama stood on the
left, affixing an arrow made out of mango blossoms. He extended his powers and
confounded everyone. On seeing Kama with Rati, who will not get deluded? With
soldiers in the form of shringara, they indulged in acts of love. Using
gestures and emotions, they approached Hara. Madana is usually inside the mind
and does not manifest himself outside. But he showed himself. He could not see
any weakness in Shambhu, through which, he could enter. Smara could not find a
weakness in the supreme yogi, Mahadeva. He was confused and filled with great
fear. Shankara was immersed in dhyana. The eye on his forehead blazed,
resembling fiery flames. Who was capable of approaching him?'""
""At that time, along
with her two friends, Shivaa arrived there. To worship Shiva, she brought many
flowers. There are many kinds of great beauty in the world that are described.
It is certain that what existed in Parvati surpassed them all. There were
superb seasonal flowers that she held. How can their beauty be described, even
in one hundred years? As soon as the mountain's daughter approached Shiva, for
an instant, Shankara broke out of his dhyana. Having found his opportunity,
Madana was initially delighted. Rejoicing, he held his arrow and stood by
Chandrshekhara's side. O sage! As if to help Kama, along with sentiments of
shringara and the fragrant one, 951 Parvati approached Hara. To
enhance the interest of the wielder of the trident in her, Smara drew his bow
and quickly affixed the arrow made of flowers. He steadied Shiva. She
prostrated herself, worshipped him and stood there himself and released it. As
she always did, she approached. Parvati saw that the lord Girisha was staring
at her. As a result of the bashfulness of her feminine nature, she covered her
limbs. The lord remembered the boon that Vidhatri had bestowed on her earlier.
O sage! Therefore, Shiva started to happily describe her limbs. Shiva said,
"Is that your face, or is it the moon? Are those your eyes, or are they
lotuses? Are those your eyebrows, or is that the great-souled Kandarpa's bow?
Is that your lower lip, or is that a bimba fruit? Is that your nose, or is it a
parrot's beak? Is that your voice, or is that a cuckoo's call? Is that your
waist, or is it a sacrificial altar? Can her gait be described? Can her beauty
be described? Can the flowers be described? Can her garments be described?
Every kind of beauty and charm that has been created and fashioned, exists
together in this woman's limbs. There is no doubt about that. Parvati,
extraordinary in beauty, is blessed. In the three worlds, there is no woman who
is equal to her in beauty. She is a store of excellent charm. She is radiant in
her wonderful limbs. She will confound the sages.
____________________
951 Spring.
She will extend great
happiness." In this way, he repeatedly described her limbs, thinking about
the excellent boon that Vidhatri had bestowed. After this, he stopped. Shankara
slipped his hand inside her garment and moved it. As a result of her feminine
nature, she was ashamed and moved away. She covered her limbs and repeatedly
looked at him. O sage! Shivaa smiled and glanced deeply at him, causing great
intoxication. Witnessing her movements, Shambhu was bemused. Maheshvara, the
lord of great pastimes, spoke these words. "As soon as one sees her, there
is great joy. If one embraces her, what will the pleasure be?" He thought
about this only for an instant, honouring Girija. Supremely indifferent, the
great yogi collected himself and spoke. "How extraordinary is this
conduct? How has this delusion come over me? Ishvara, the lord of beings, has
succumbed to this distraction because of desire. I am Ishvara, yet I wished to
touch someone else's limbs. How helpless will an inferior being be? What are
the things such a person will not do?" Having thus turned indifferent, he
prevented her from sitting down on the couch. How can there be a downfall for
Paresha, who is in all atmans?'""
“Narada asked, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O immensely fortunate one! What happened after that? Show me your
favours and tell me about the account that destroys all sins."""
"Brahma replied, 'O son! Hear
about what occurred thereafter. Out of affection towards you, I will tell you
about Shiva's account. It brings joy. On witnessing the distraction that had
come about in his fortitude, the great yogi, Maheshvara, thought about this in
his mind and was filled with great wonder. Shiva said, "While I was
engaged in excellent austerities, how did this impediment originate? Who has
performed this wicked deed and agitated my mind? I have expressed affection
towards someone else's wife. This has contravened dharma. It has transgressed
the ordinances of the shruti texts." The great yogi, Paramesha, the
destination of the virtuous, thought in this way. Full of suspicion, he looked
in different directions. He saw Kama standing on the left, the bow, with an
arrow affixed, drawn. Foolish in intelligence and proud, he wished to release
his arrow. Girisha, the paramatman, saw Kama standing in this way. O Narada! He
was filled with rage and wished to destroy him, that very instant. O sage!
Standing in the sky and holding his bow and arrow, Kama released his weapon,
infallible and unerring, at Shankara. However, against the paramatman, the
infallible weapon failed. It was pacified by the enraged Parameshvara. When his
weapon was rendered unsuccessful by Shiva, Manmatha was filled with fear. He
saw the lord who conquers death standing in front of him and trembled. Agitated
by fear, he remembered all the gods, Shakra and the others. O tiger among
sages! Smara had failed in his objective. O lord among sages! Kama remembered
Shakra and other devas and all of them arrived. They bowed down and praised
Shambhu. All the devas praised the angry Hara. A great blazing fire issued from
his third eye, from the middle of his forehead. The flames of fire blazed
upwards, as dazzling as the fire at the time of dissolution. It swiftly shot up
into the sky and then fell down on the ground. It whirled around and fell down
on the ground. Before the Maruts could say, "Please pardon, please
forgive", it reduced the wicked Madana to ashes. When the valiant Smara
was killed, devas were filled with grief. Agitated, they wept and shrieked
loudly, "What has happened?" The daughter of the king of the
mountains was distressed and her limbs turned pale. Taking her friends with
her, she returned to her own residence.'""
""As a result of sorrow
on account of her husband's death, Rati immediately lost her senses and fell
down, as if she was dead. When she regained her senses, Rati was greatly
agitated. She lamented in many loud words. Rati said, "What will I do? Who
will I go to? What have devas done? The gods summoned my husband here and
destroyed him. Alas! O protector! Alas! O Smara! You brought me happiness. You
were a husband I loved more than my own life. Alas! What has happened here?
Alas! O one most loved!" In this way, she lamented and spoke many kinds of
words. She flung her hands and feet around and tore out her hair. O Narada! On
hearing her lamentation, all the residents of the forest were filled with great
sorrow, even those immobile. Meanwhile, Shakra and all the other devas
remembered Maheshvara and spoke words of assurance to Rati. The devas said,
"Take some ashes and keep them safely. Make efforts to give up your fear.
The lord will revive your husband and you will get your beloved back again. He
is the one who bestows happiness. He never causes misery to anyone. Everyone,
even a deva, enjoys the fruits of own deeds. Do not grieve in vain." In
this way, all the devas comforted Rati and approached Shiva. They devotedly
sought to placate Shiva and addressed him in these words. The devas said,
"O Bhagavan! O Shambhu! O lord! Please listen to our words. O one
affectionate towards those who seek refuge! O Mahesha! Please show compassion.
O Shankara! Full of affection, please reflect on what Kama did. O Maheshvara!
Kama did not do this because his own selfish motive. O lord! The wicked Taraka
was oppressing devas and everything else. O protector! O Shankara! Know that
the task was done for that reason and not for any other purpose. O divinity!
The virtuous Rati is alone and is lamenting in her misery. O Girisha! Please
comfort her in every possible way. You have destroyed Smara. O Shankara! In
your rage, if you had really wished to destroy, you would have destroyed all
the devas along with him. On witnessing Rati's misery, devas have almost been
destroyed. Therefore, you must act to dispel Rati's grief." Hearing their
words, Bhagavan Shiva was pleased. He addressed all the devas in these words.
Shiva said, "O devas and all the rishis! Listen lovingly to my words.
There can be no counter to what has occurred as a result of my rage. Until
Krishna takes an avatara on earth and becomes Rukmini's husband, Kama, Rati's
lord and husband, will be Ananga. 952 When Krishna and Rukmini are
in Dvaraka and have sons, Kama will be born to them, and his name will be
Pradyumna. There is no doubt that this will happen. As soon as the son is born,
Shambara will seize him. Abducting him, Shambara, supreme among danavas, will
fling him into the ocean. Taking him to be dead, the foolish one will return to
his city in vain. O Rati! Until then, you will remain happily in his city, 953
You will get back your husband Pradyumna there. Uniting with you, Kama will
kill Shambara in a battle. O devas! Under the name of Pradyumna, he will be
happy with his wife. Taking various objects, along with her, he will return to
his own city. 954 O devas! These are my true words." Hearing
the words Shambhu had spoken, devas were comforted somewhat. They prostrated
themselves, bent down, joined their hands in salutation and spoke. The devas
said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O lord who is an ocean of compassion!
O Hara! Please revive Kama quickly and save Rati's life." Hearing the
words of the immortals, Parameshvara was pleased. The ocean of compassion and
the lord of everything spoke again. Shiva said, "O devas! I am extremely
pleased and will revive him within me.
_________________
952 Without a body (anga).
953 Reborn as Mayavati in Shambara's
household.
954 Pradyumna
will return to Dvaraka with Shambara's possessions.
Kama will become one of my ganas
and will always sport. O gods! This account should not be told in front of
anyone. Return to your own places. I will destroy every kind of misery."
Saying this, while devas lauded him, Rudra vanished. All the devas were pleased
and lost their fear. They were comforted by Rudra's words. O sage! Following
what he had said, they returned to their own respective abodes. As instructed,
Kama's wife went to that city. O lord of sages! As instructed by Rudra, she
waited for the time.'""
“Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! There
was a blazing fire that issued from Hara's eye. Where did it go? Please tell me
that and also tell me about the conduct of the one who wears the moon on his
head. """
"Brahma answered, 'A fire
emerged from Shambhu's third eve and swiftly reduced Kama to ashes. It blazed
everywhere and destroyed everything. There were great lamentations in the three
worlds, among mobile and immobile entities. O son! All devas and rishis quickly
sought refuge with me. Agitated and anxious, they told me everything. They
prostrated themselves, lowered their heads, joined their hands in salutation
and praised me. Hearing this, I remembered Shiva and remembered the reason for
everything. To save the three worlds, I humbly went there. Wishing to burn,
that blazing fire was like a garland of ignited flames. However, because of
Shambhu's favours, I possessed the energy to pacify it. Full of rage, the fire
desired to burn down the three worlds. O rishi! O amiable one! O sage! That
blaze was in the form of a mare's head. As a result of Shiva's wish, I, the
lord of the universe, gathered up the fire that was in the form of a mare's
head. For the welfare of the worlds, I went to the ocean. O sage! On seeing me
arrive, the ocean joined its hands in salutation. The store of jewels assumed a
human form and approached me. The ocean prostrated himself and praised me in
the proper way. Extremely happy, he spoke to me, the grandfather of all the
worlds. The ocean asked, "O Brahma! O lord of everything! Why have you
come here? I will happily carry out your command. Know me to be your servant."
Hearing the ocean's words, I was filled with joy. Remembering Shankara, for the
welfare of the worlds, I replied to him. Brahma said, "O son! O extremely
intelligent one! O one who brings joy to all the worlds! Listen. I have been
sent here by Shiva's will, lodged in my heart. O ocean! I will happily tell
you. This is the rage of the great lord, Mahesha, and has assumed the form of a
mare. Having swiftly burnt down Kama, it wished to burn down everything. The
gods suffered and because of Shankara's will, quickly entreated me. O son! I
quickly went there and pacified the pure fire. It assumed the form of a mare
and taking it, I have come here. O store of water! O store of compassion! I am
instructing you. This rage of Mahesha's has assumed the form of a mare. It is
blazing at the mouth. Hold it until the deluge arrives. O lord of rivers! When
I come here and reside with you, release it then. It is Shankara's
extraordinary rage. Its food will always be your water. Make efforts to hold
it, so that it does not sink within you." Hearing what I had said, the
ocean certainly acted in accordance with that. No one else was capable of
accepting Rudra's vadava fire. Assuming the body of a mare, the pure fire
entered the ocean. It blazed like a garland of flames and aided by the wind,
consumed the torrent of water. O sage! Satisfied in my mind, I returned to my
own abode. The ocean, divine in form, prostrated himself before me and
vanished. The entire universe was well, free of the fear that had arisen. O
sage! Devas and sages were happy.'""
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
father! O immensely wise one! O Vishnu's disciple! O creator of the three
worlds! You have narrated a wonderful account about the great-souled Shankara.
The fire that issued from Shambhu's third eye reduced Smara to ashes and
entered the ocean. What happened after that? What did Devi Parvati, the
daughter of the mountain, do? Where did she go with her friends? O ocean of
compassion! Please tell me that."""
"Brahma replied, 'O son! O
immensely wise one! Hear about the conduct of the one who wears the moon on his
crest. My lord brings great welfare. Hear lovingly. The fire that issued from
Shambhu's eye purified Madana. At that time, a loud and wonderful sound arose
and filled the firmament. Hearing that loud sound and seeing that Kama was
burnt down, she was scared. Agitated, with her two friends, she returned to her
own house. Himalaya and his family were amazed at hearing this sound.
Remembering that his daughter had gone there, he was unhappy. The lord of the
mountains saw that his daughter was extremely agitated and was miserable.
Separated from Shambhu, she was weeping. The lord of the mountains approached
her. Using his hands, he wiped the tears from her eyes. He told the auspicious
one, "Do not be scared. Do not weep." Himalaya, the lord of
mountains, quickly took up his daughter and placed her on his lap. She was
extremely agitated. He comforted her and took her to his own residence. When
Smara was burnt down, Hara disappeared and on account of being separated from
him, Shivaa was very distressed. She could not find any peace. Shivaa went to
her father's house and met her mother. The daughter of the mountain thought
that she had been born again. She criticized her own beauty and exclaimed,
"Alas! I have been undone." Though her friends tried to make her
understand, the daughter of the Indra among mountains would not understand.
Whether she was sleeping, drinking, bathing, walking or amidst her friends,
Shiva could not find any joy. "Shame on my beauty, birth and deeds."
Saying this, she constantly remembered what Hara used to do. In this way,
suffering from separation from Shambhu, Parvati's mind was distressed. Unable
to find any joy, she kept saying, "O Shiva! O Shiva!" With her mind
on the wielder of Pinaka, she resided in her father's house. O son! Shivaa
repeatedly grieved and lost her senses. The king of the mountains, Menaka and
the sons, Mainaka as the foremost, tried to comfort her. But she was dispirited
and did not forget Hara.'"" ""O divine sage! O intelligent
one! Engaged by the slayer of Bala955 and roaming around as you
wished, you arrived worshipped you. Seated on an excellent seat, you asked
about on the slopes of the Himalayas. The great-souled mountain his daughter's
conduct, about how she had served Hara and his welfare. The lord of mountains
told you everything about how Hara had burnt down Kama. O sage! Hearing this,
you told the lord of mountains, "Worship Shiva." Advising him in this
way, you stood up and remembered Shiva in your mind.
O sage! You are loved by Shiva. You
possess jnana and are engaged in the welfare of the worlds. Taking your leave
from him, you quickly went and met Kali in private. Having met Kali, interested
in her welfare, you affectionately kindled understanding in her.
_______________
955 That is, Indra.
O supreme among all those who
possess jnana! You addressed her in the following words. Narada said, "O
Kali! Listen to my words. I am compassionate and am telling you the truth. They
are beneficial in every possible way and are bereft of deviations. They will
lead to great happiness. You served Mahadeva without engaging in austerities.
He is the one who shows compassion. Since you were proud, he destroyed it. The
lord Maheshvara is a great yogi and is indifferent towards you. He is
affectionate towards his devotees. But having burnt Smara, he left you.
Therefore, you should engage in excellent austerities and worship Ishvara for a
long time. Once you have cleansed yourself through austerities, Rudra will
accept you a second time. Never abandon Shankara Shambhu. O Devi! You will not
accept any husband other than Shiva." O sage! Hearing these words, Kali,
the mountain's daughter, sighed in relief. She joined her hands in salutation
and spoke to you cheerfully. Shivaa said, "O lord! You are omniscient and
are engaged in the welfare of the worlds. O sage! Give me a mantra that can be
used for worshipping Rudra. In the absence of a virtuous guru, no rite is ever
successful. I have heard this earlier. This is the eternal truth stated in the
shruti texts." Hearing Parvati's words, the excellent sage followed the
norms and instructed her about Shambhu's panchakshara mantra, 956 O
sage! You used your words to awaken faith in her. O sage! You told her about
the powers of this king of mantras, the greatest of them all. Narada said,
"O Devi! Hear about the supreme and extraordinary powers of this mantra.
As soon as he hears it. Shankara is greatly pleased. This mantra is the emperor
of all mantras and yields what is wished for. It is greatly loved by Shankara
and bestows objects of pleasure and emancipation. O extremely fortunate one! If
one uses this properly to perform japa and worship, there is no doubt that
quickly and without any delay, Shiva manifests himself before that person.
Think of his form and follow the niyamas. O Shivaa! Use the aksharas of the
mantra to perform japa and Shiva will be swiftly satisfied. O virtuous one!
Practice austerities in this way. Maheshvara can be obtained through
austerities. Every fruit can be obtained through austerities, not in any other
way." Narada, loved by Shiva, said this to Kali at that time. Engaged in
the welfare of devas, as you wished, you then went to heaven. O Narada! Hearing
your words and having obtained the excellent panchakshara mantra, Parvati
rejoiced."""
“Brahma said, 'O divine sage! After
you departed, happy in her mind, Parvati thought that Hara could be obtained through
austerities. Therefore, she made up her mind to perform austerities. She
summoned her two friends, Jaya and Vijaya. She used her two friends to seek
permission from her father and her mother. They first went to the father,
Himalaya, lord of mountains. They prostrated themselves and humbly asked him.
The two friends said, "O Himalaya! Hear now what your daughter has said.
She wants to act so that her body, her beauty and her lineage are rendered
successful. This can be accomplished through austerities. No other means can be
seen. O best among mountains! Therefore, grant her the permission now.
Affectionately allow Girija to leave for the forest, so as to perform
austerities." O supreme among sages! The two friends asked in this way.
The king of mountains reflected deeply on what Parvati had said and answered.
______________
956 Na + mah + Shi + va + ya = Namah
Shivaya.
Himalaya replied, "This
appeals to me. If it appeals to Mena too, there can be nothing better than
this. There is no doubt that this will bring success to our lineage. If it
appeals to the mother too, what can be more auspicious than this?" They
heard the words the father uttered. Taking his permission, the two friends next
went to the mother. Having gone to the mother, they prostrated themselves,
clasped their hands together in salutation and affectionately reported
Parvati's words. The two friends said, "O queen! O mother! We prostrate
ourselves. Listen to your daughter's words. If you are pleased with what you
hear, please act accordingly. Your daughter wishes to perform supreme
austerities for Shiva. She has obtained permission from her father for these
austerities. She is now asking you. O one devoted to your husband! She desires
to render her own beauty successful. If your permission is obtained, she will
torment herself through austerities." O lord among sages! Saying this, the
two friends were silent. Distressed in her mind, Mena did not agree to these
words. Hence, Parvati herself spoke to her mother. She clasped her hands together
and with humility in her mind, remembered Shiva's lotus feet. Parvati said,
"O mother! In the morning, I will leave, so as to perform austerities and
obtain Maheshvara. Please grant me permission to leave for the forest where
austerities will be performed, for the sake of austerities." Hearing her
daughter's words, Mena was miserable. The virtuous lady was dejected and called
her daughter close to her. Mena said, "O daughter! O Shivaa! O Parvati! If
you are unhappy and wish to torment yourself through austerities, then perform
those austerities at home. Do not go out. Where will you go to undertake
austerities? All devas exist in my home. There are all the tirthas and many
kinds of kshetras. O daughter! Do not commit this rash act. You should never go
outside. What did you accomplish earlier? What will you accomplish now? O
child! Your body is delicate. Austerities are great and difficult. Hence, you
should not go outside to perform austerities. We have never heard of women
going to hermitages to accomplish their wishes. O daughter! Therefore, you
should not wish to leave and perform austerities." The mother restrained
the daughter in many such ways. However, without worshipping Maheshvara, she
did not experience any joy. Since Mena restrained her from going to the forest
and performing austerities, as a result of that reason, Shivaa obtained the
name Uma then. Mena, loved by the mountain, got to know that Shivaa was
miserable. O sage! Therefore, she instructed Parvati that she could go and
perform austerities. O supreme among sages! The one who was excellent in her
vows obtained her mother's permission. Remembering Shankara, Parvati felt great
happiness. Delighted, Shivaa prostrated herself before her mother and her
father. She remembered Shiva and along with her two friends, prepared to
torment herself through austerities. She made up her mind to cast aside the
many and diverse garments. She quickly wore bark and tied a beautiful girdle
made out of munja grass. She gave up her necklace and wore excellent deerskin.
To undertake austerities, she went to Gangavatarana.'"957
""On the slope of the
Himalayas, Gangavatarana was the place where Shambhu had performed dhyana and
had burnt down the one who originated from the mind. 958 That slope
in the Himalaya mountain was seen to be devoid of Hara. O son! Kali Parvati,
the mother of the universe, remained there. That is the place where Shambhu had
tormented himself through extremely difficult austerities earlier. She remained
there for a while, suffering from the pangs of separation. Shivaa, the daughter
of the mountain, wept, "Alas! Hara."
_______________________
957 The same as Gangavatara.
958 Kama
She lamented in great misery, her
thoughts full of that grief. After a long time, Parvati resorted to her fortitude
and got rid of the confusion. Himalaya's daughter consecrated herself for the
niyamas. She performed austerities in the great and excellent tirtha known as
Shringi. Because of her austerities, it came to be known as Gouri-Shikhara. 959
O sage! Shivaa planted many beautiful trees there, so that she could test the
fruits of her austerities.960 The beautiful one purified the ground
and created an altar. She started austerities that were difficult for even
sages to undertake. She controlled her senses with her mind and undertook
supreme austerities in that spot. In the summer, day and night, she had a fire
blazing around her. In the midst of this, she constantly performed japa with
the mantra. During the rainy season, she remained properly seated on the bare
ground. She remained on the slope of the mountain, constantly drenched by the
downpour of rain. Full of devotion, during the winter, she remained inside the
water. She did it when there was ice. She did this during the night. She
fasted. In this way, she observed austerities, performing japa with the
panchakshara mantra. Shivaa meditated on Shiva, who bestows everything that is
desired. Every day, whenever there was an opportunity, along with her friends,
she tended to the trees she had planted, imagining that they were guests. There
were cold winds, rain, intolerable heat and many other things. With an
excellent mind, she tolerated all these. There were many hardships, but she
ignored them. O sage! Her mind was only fixed on Shiva. In the first year, she only
ate fruit. In the second year, she only ate leaves. In this way, progressively,
Devi spent an unlimited number of years in austerities. Shivaa, Himalaya's
daughter, stopped eating even leaves. Without eating anything, Devi engaged in
austerities. Himalaya's daughter discarded even leaves from her food.
Therefore, devas gave Devi the name of Aparna. 961 Parvati stood on
one leg and remembered Shiva. She engaged in those great austerities,
performing japa with the panchakshara mantra. She was clad in tattered bark.
She had masses of matted hair. With her mind fixed on Shiva, she surpassed even
sages in her austerities. Performing austerities and thinking of Maheshvara,
Kali spent three thousand years in that hermitage. In that spot, Hara had
tormented himself through austerities for sixty thousand years and Shivaa
thought about this. "Does Mahadeva not know about the niyamas I am
following now? Have I not been following his path for a long time? In customary
practices, in the Vedas and in the chants of the sages, Girisha Shankara is
always spoken of as someone who knows everything. He is in all atmans and can
see everything. He is the divinity who bestows every kind of prosperity and is
aware of every kind of sentiment. He always bestows everything that a devotee
desires. He destroys every kind of hardship. I have cast aside every kind of
desire and devoted myself to Vrishadhvaja. Let Shankara therefore be pleased
with me. Full of devotion and following the norms, I have always performed japa
with the panchakshara mantra Narada spoke to me about.962 Let
Shankara therefore be pleased with me. I have been without any transgressions
and have devoted myself to Shiva Sarveshvara, as I have been instructed. Let
Shankara therefore be pleased with me."
__________________
959 Both shringi and shikhara mean peak.
Gouri-Shikhara is identified as Mount Gaurishankar, in that part of the
Himalayas that is in Nepal.
960 To test whether they would bear fruit.
961 Aparna = a (without) + parna (leaf).
962 We have deviated from the text. The
text should be translated as 'the mantra from the Narada tantra', with Narada
tantra interpreted as one of the versions of the Narada/Naradiya Purana
(Samhita). It seems to us that this unnecessary complication is the result of some
distortion in the text at some point. A simpler statement will suffice, as in
our translation.
As she tormented herself with those
austerities for a very long time, she constantly thought in this way. Her face
was cast downwards, and she was without any transgressions. She wore bark and
her hair was matted. She tormented herself through austerities that were
difficult for even sages to undertake. Remembering what she had done, men were
filled with great wonder. They reverentially assembled there and thought that
they were blessed to have witnessed it. All of them used this as a role model
for instruction. "It is said that benefit is obtained by following the
path of dharma shown by the seniors and those who are great. There are no fixed
yardsticks for austerities. The learned always revere every act of dharma.
Having seen, and heard about, these austerities, which other person will engage
in austerities? In this world, there haven't been austerities that have
surpassed these, nor will there ever be." Conversing in this way, all of
them greatly praised Shivaa's austerities, even those who possessed hardened
bodies. Happy, all of them returned to their own respective abodes. O maharshi!
Now hear about the great power of her austerities. Parvati Jagadamba performed
great, wonderful and supreme austerities. There were creatures who were
naturally opposed to each other. When they arrived at her hermitage, because of
her powers, they always lost their natural animosity. Lions and cows were
always full of love for each other. Because of her greatness, they did not make
each other suffer. O best among sages! This was also true of cats and rats.
Though they are naturally enemies, they never showed any transgressions there.
The trees were full of fruit and there were many kinds of grass. O supreme
among sages! Many kinds of flowers always blossomed in that forest, which came
to resembled Kailasa. They assumed these forms because of the success in her
austerities.""
“Brahma said, 'O lord among sages!
In this way, to obtain Shiva, Parvati engaged in austerities. A long period of
time passed, but Hara did not show himself. Parvati had made up her mind to
persevere. Along with his wife, sons and ministers, Himalaya came there and
spoke to Parameshvari. Himalaya said, "O immensely fortunate one! O
Parvati! Enough of austerities. Do not make yourself suffer any more. O child!
Rudra is not to be seen. There is no doubt that he is indifferent. You are
slender, delicate in your limbs. There is no doubt that these austerities will
confound you. This is the truth. I am speaking the truth. O one with a
beautiful complexion! Therefore, get up from here and go to your own house.
What do you have to do with Rudra? In earlier times, he burnt down Smara. Since
he is indifferent, Hara will not come here and accept you. O Deveshi! Since he
will not come, why are you hankering after him? It is impossible to grasp the
moon in the sky. O unblemished one! Like that, Shambhu is impossible to reach.
You should know that." Along with the mountain, Mena, the virtuous lady,
also said the same thing. So did other mountains like Meru, Mandara, Mainaka,
Krouncha and others. So as to dissuade Girija, who was beyond suffering many
kinds of arguments were advanced. The slender one, engaged in austerities, was
addressed in this way. Pleasant in her smiles, she smiled and spoke to
Himalaya. Parvati said, "O father! O mother! O relatives! Have you
forgotten what I told you earlier? Listen to me. I still have the same pledge.
Mahadeva is indifferent. In his rage, he burnt down Smara.
However, Shankara is affectionate
towards his devotees, and I will satisfy him with my austerities. All of you
return cheerfully to your own respective abodes. He will be propitiated. There
is no need to reflect on this. He burnt Madana. He burnt the forest in this
mountain. However, using only my austerities, I will bring him here. Sadashiva
can always be properly served through the great strength of austerities. O immensely
fortunate ones! Know that this is the truth. I am telling you the truth."
Girija Shivaa, the young daughter of the king of the mountains, excellent in
speech, quickly spoke to her father Himachala, Menaka, Mainaka and her
relatives, Mandara and others and was silent. The golden lord of mountains and
the other mountains were addressed by Shivaa in this way. They possessed a
sense of discrimination and listened to what she had said. They were extremely
surprised and repeatedly praising her, returned to wherever they had come
from.'""
"""When they had
departed, intent on her supreme objective and surrounded by her friends, she
tormented herself through even greater austerities. O best among sages! When
she tormented herself through these great austerities, all mobile and immobile
objects in the three worlds, devas, asuras and humans, yakshas, kinnaras,
charanas, siddhas, sadhyas, sages, vidyadharas, giant uragas, guhyakas and the
Prajapatis were scorched. They suffered greater and greater miseries but did
not know the reason for this. All of them. Shakra and the others, were
agitated. They consulted their gurus and assembled on Sumeru. Their limbs
scorched by the austerities, they sought refuge with me, Vidhatri. They lost
their radiance and were agitated. All of them swiftly prostrated themselves and
praised me with identical voices. The devas said, "You have created
everything in the universe, mobile and immobile, O lord! We are being scorched
and we do not know the reason, O Brahma! O lord! You should tell us the reason.
All devas are being scorched. Other than you, we have no other protector."
Hearing their words, I remembered Shiva in my heart. Having reflected on this
in my mind, I understood that all this was the consequence of Girija's austerities.
Everything in the universe was being scorched because of this. Affectionately
taking them with me, I quickly went to the ocean of milk to inform Hari about
this. Having gone there, I saw Hari, radiant on his comfortable set. Along with
the gods, I prostrated myself. Joining my hands in salutation, I praised him
and spoke. "O great Vishnu! Protect us. Save us. Those being scorched have
sought refuge with you. As a result of Parvati's fierce austerities, all of us
are being greatly scorched." Rama's lord, who was lying down on his couch
of Shesha, heard the words I spoke on behalf of the residents of heaven and
replied. Vishnu said, "I know that all of this has been caused by
Parvati's austerities. Along with you, I will now go to Parameshvara. We will beseech
the divinity to accept Girija. O immortals! For the welfare of the worlds, he
should accept her hand in marriage. The lord of devas, the wielder of Pinaka,
should bestow this boon on Shivaa. We must now strive to act so that he does
this. Therefore, we must go to the place where the great lord, Rudra, is
present. He bestows everything that is supremely auspicious and confronting
these fierce austerities, we must go to him." Hearing Vishnu's words, all
the gods were extremely scared of the one who brings about dissolution. In his
rage, he had burnt down the rash Kama. The devas said, "He is supremely
terrifying. When enraged, he blazes like the fire of destruction. All of us
cannot approach the immensely radiant Virupaksha. Invincible in his valour, earlier,
he burnt Madana down. Full of rage, there is no doubt that he will burn by
Shakra and the others. O sage! Hari comforted all the gods us down in that
way." Rama's lord heard the words spoken and attentively to my words. He
will not burn you down. He is and spoke to them. Hari answered, "O gods!
Listen cheerfully the lord who destroys fears devas suffer from. All of you
have a sense of discrimination. It is my view that along with me, you should
seek refuge with the extremely radiant Shambhu. He is the one who ensures
everything auspicious. Shiva is the ancient Purusha. He is the lord whose form
should be worshipped. He is supreme and ancient. He is the paramatman and his
form is worshipped through austerities. He is greater than the greatest. We
must seek refuge with him." The devas were addressed in this way by the
greatly powerful Vishnu. Along with Vishnu, they left, desiring to see the
wielder of Pinaka. But first, they went to the hermitage of the daughter of the
mountain, wishing to see her austerities. Vishnu and all the others were
immensely curious, and it was along the way. They witnessed Parvati's excellent
austerities. Everything was pervaded by her energy. They prostrated themselves
before the mother of the universe. Engaged in austerities, her form was full of
energy. Having witnessed her austerities, the personified form of success, the
gods praised her. They then went to the place where Vrishadhvaja was. O sage!
Having gone there, devas sent you. They watched Hara, who had reduced Kama to
ashes, from a distance. Narada, who had no fear, approached Shiva's place. In
particular, he is Shiva's devotee and was pleased to see the lord. O sage! He
returned and carefully ushered the devas, Vishnu and others, into Shankara's
presence. Vishnu and all the others went and saw the lord, Shiva. The one who
is affectionate towards his devotees was comfortably seated, with a pleasant
appearance. Surrounded by ganas, Shambhu was seated in a posture of yoga.
Though his form is that of Parameshvara, he was seated in a form of
austerities. Vishnu and the other gods, the siddhas and the lords among sages
prostrated themselves. Using hymns from the Vedas and the Upanishads, they
praised him.'",
“The devas said, "We prostrate
ourselves before the divinity Rudra, the destroyer of Madana. We praise the one
who is extensive in radiance. We prostrate ourselves before the one who has
three eyes. We bow down. We prostrate ourselves before the one clad in hides,
the terrible one, the one with the terrible eyes. We bow down before you. We
prostrate ourselves before the powerful Mahadeva, the lord of the three worlds.
You are the protector of all the worlds. You are the father and the mother. You
are Ishvara. You are Shambhu, Isha and Shankara. In particular, you are
compassionate. You are the creator of all the worlds. O lord! You should save
us. O Maheshvara! Other than you, who is capable of destroying
miseries?""""
"Brahma said, 'Hearing the
words of the gods, Nandikeshvara was filled with great compassion and lovingly
informed Shambhu. Nandikeshvara said, "O noble divinity! Vishnu and large
numbers of gods, sages and many siddhas have come here to see you. They have an
objective in mind. They are being chastised by noble asuras. Having suffered
great defeat, they have come to you as the great refuge. O Sarvesha! You should
save the gods and the sages. You are specially spoken of as the friend of the
distressed. You are affectionate towards your devotees." Full of great compassion,
Nandi informed Shambhu in this way. Gradually, he withdrew from the paramatman
who knows everything, withdrew from his his great dhyana and slowly opened his
eyes. Isha Shambhu, samadhi and spoke to all the gods. Shambhu asked, "O
lords among gods! O Hari, Brahma and all the others! Why have all of you come
to my presence? Quickly tell me the reason," Hearing Shambhu's words, all
the devas were filled with great joy. They glanced towards the excellent face
of Vishnu, so that he might explain the reason. Vishnu is a great devotee
Desiring the welfare of devas, he explained the great task that needed to be
performed for devas. I have already spoken about it. "O Shambhu! What
Taraka has done to devas is extremely unusual. Their miseries have become greater
and greater. All the devas have come here to tell you about this. O Shambhu!
The son born from you, and no one else, will kill the daitya Taraka. O
Mahadeva! Please reflect on what I have said and show your compassion. I
prostrate myself before you. O lord! Please save devas from the misery wrought
by Taraka. O divinity! O Shambhu! Hence you should accept Girija with your
right hand. Please accept the hand of the great-minded one, when it is offered
by the Indra among mountains." Hearing Vishnu's words, Shiva was pleased.
Immersed in yoga, he showed himself, the destination of the virtuous, to all of
them. Shiva said, "If I accept Devi Girija, beautiful in all her limbs,
all the Indras among gods, sages and rishis will be full of desire and will not
possess the capacity to follow the other path. As soon as I accept Durga's
hand, Smara will revive. To accomplish everyone's task, I burnt down Madana,
following Brahma's words. O Vishnu! Hence, there is nothing to think about.
When deciding what to do and what not to do, one should remember this in one's
mind. All of you and Indra of the devas should not be rash. O Vishnu! Having
burnt down Kama, I performed an extremely great act for the gods. Along with
me, all of you should be determined to be free of desire. Like me, all the gods
can make efforts to undertake supreme austerities and perform extremely
difficult deeds. O gods! Since there is no Madana, you can immerse yourselves
in samadhi. You are indifferent and are filled with great bliss. O Vidhatri! O
Haril O great Indra! O devas! All of you have forgotten what Smara did earlier.
You should not forget. O gods! Madana is a great archer and is deceitful. In
earlier times, he destroyed the dhyana you have been engaged in. Kama leads to
hell and anger results from it. Delusion results from anger and anger destroys
austerities,963 Since you have given up desire and anger, you have
become best among gods. All of you should think about my words and not act in a
contrary way." Having made them hear this, Bhagavan Mahadeva Vrishadhvaja
asked the gods, Vidhatri, Vishnu and the sages to speak. Shambhu was silent and
immersed himself in dhyana again. He was as immobile as he had been earlier,
surrounded by the ganas. Immersed in his own atman, Shambhu thought about his atman
and nothing else. He is without blemish, without false appearances, without
transformations and without ailments. He is greater than the greatest. He is
eternal. He is without a sense of ownership and without impediments. He is
beyond expressions of speech. He is nirguna and can be reached through jnana.
He is beyond the supreme. Resorting to dhyana, he thought about his own supreme
form. He was submerged in supreme bliss, with many types of prosperity. All the
residents of heaven saw that Sarvesha was immersed in dhyana. Hari, Shakra and
the others bowed down before Nandi and asked. The devas said, "What will
we do now? He is indifferent and has immersed himself in dhyana. You are
Shambhu Shankara's friend. You know everything. You are a pure attendant. O
lord of ganas! What means can be used to please Girisha? We have sought refuge
with you. You should tell us about the means." Devas, sages, Hari and
others asked him this.'""
“Nandi, Shambhu's beloved gana,
replied to the gods Nandishvara said, "O Hari! O Vidhatri! O Shakra and
the other immortals! O sages! Listen to my words. This will satisfy Shiva. If
you are rash enough to insist that Shiva should accept a wife, you should be
extremely miserable and should lovingly praise him.
____________
963 This
shloka is similar to Bhagavat Gita 2.62-63.
O gods! Mahadeva cannot be
conquered through ordinary devotion. But if the devotion is proper,
Parameshvara will do even what he should not do. O gods led by Vidhatri and
Vishnu! All of you should do this. Otherwise, without any delay, return along
the path you used to come here." O sage! Hearing his words, Vishnu and the
gods thought that they should agree to his. Full of great joy, they praised
Shankara. "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord!
Save us from this great calamity. We have sought refuge with you." Thus,
the gods praised Shankara in many kinds of ways. With their minds overwhelmed
by love, all of them wept in loud tones. Hari and I addressed him in many
piteous tones. Full of supreme devotion, we remembered Shambhu in our minds.
The gods, Hari and I praised Shambhu a lot. As a result of affection towards
his devotees, Maheshvara stopped his dhyana. Pleased in his mind, Hara spoke to
Hari and the others, delighting them. Shankara, affectionate towards his
devotees, glanced at them with eyes full of compassion. Shankara asked, "O
Hari! O Vidhatri! O Shakra and other devas! Why have all of you come to me
together? Now that you are in front of me, tell me the truth." Hari
replied, "O Mahesha! You are omniscient. O lord of everything! You are
inside everything. Don't you know what is in our minds? Nevertheless, following
your command, I will tell you. O Mrida! 964 As a result of Tarakasura, we have
suffered diverse miseries. It is for everyone's sake that the gods have sought
to please you. Shivaa has been born, as the daughter of Mount Himalaya. His
death will come about through the son born to you and her, not through anyone
else. This is the boon Brahma bestowed on that daitya. Since he cannot be
killed by anyone else, he has caused impediments has been engaged in performing
difficult austerities and her to the entire universe. Following Narada's
instructions, Shivaa energy has pervaded everything in the three worlds, mobile
and mobile. O Parameshvara! Please go there and bestow a boon on her. O lord!
Destroy the sorrows of devas and bring us happiness. O Shankara! There is great
enthusiasm in my heart and in those of devas to witness your marriage. Please
act accordingly. O one who is greater than the greatest! You had granted Rati a
boon. The time has come for you to quickly make your pledge come true."
Having told him this, Vishnu, devas and maharshis prostrated themselves before
him. All of them stood in front of him and used many kinds of hymns to praise
him. Shankara, who is subservient to his devotees, heard the words of the
devas. The one who protects the ordinances of the Vedas smiled and quickly
replied. Shankara said, "O Hari! O Vidhatri! O devas! Listen affectionately
to everything I say. What I will say is appropriate and it flows from a sense
of discrimination. The ordinances say that it is not good for men to marry. The
firm bonds of marriage are described as a great fetter. There are many wicked
associations in the world. But association with a woman is worse than all of
them. One can save oneself from every kind of bondage, but one cannot free
oneself from association with a woman. Even if one is firmly bound with bonds
made out of iron and wood, one can free oneself from those fetters. However, if
one is firmly bound to a woman, one can never free oneself. The attachment to
material objects increases those great bonds. When a person is attached to
material objects, it is impossible for him to free himself, even in his dreams.
Therefore, a wise person who desires happiness must cast aside every kind of
material object. Material objects are said to be like poison. Material objects
destroy a person. O Indra! Even if one converses with a person who is attached
to material objects, one instantly falls down. Preceptors have said that
material objects are like sita, tali and varuni liquor,965 I know
all this and specifically, I possess jnana. However, I will act so that your
wishes come true. _________________
965 Types of liquor. Sita liquor is made
out of some form of sugar or molasses, while tali liquor is made from palm.
I am subservient to my devotees.
Because of this subservience, I will perform every kind of task. I am famous in
the three worlds as one who does what should not be done. I made the pledge
made to the king of Kamarupa come true and saved King Sudakshina when he was
imprisoned by Bhima.966 I am Tryambaka967 in my atman and
bring happiness, but I caused hardship to Goutama. I cause misery to those who
are wicked, especially those who curse others. I am full of sentiments of
affection towards my devotees and for the sake of the gods, I drank poison. O
gods! I have always made efforts to remove every affliction devas face. I have
made efforts and have gone through many kinds of sufferings for devotees. To
remove the miseries of sage Vishvanara, I became Grihapati.968 O
Hari! O Vidhatri! What is the need to speak a lot? I am telling you the truth.
All of you know the truth about my pledge. Whenever devotees face a calamity,
at that very instant, I swiftly take away every kind of calamity. I know
everything about the misery that has arisen on account of the asura Taraka, and
I will take it away. This is the truth. I am telling you the truth. I do not
have any kind of inclination towards pleasures. Nevertheless, for the sake of
having a son, I will marry Girija. O gods! Without any fear, all of you return
to your own residences. I will accomplish the task. There is no need to think
about this." Having said this, Hara was silent and immersed himself in
dhyana. O sage! Vishnu and all the devas returned to their respective
abodes.'""
“Narada asked, 'Happy, devas,
Vidhatri, Vishnu and after this? O the sages departed. What happened aft
father! What did Shambhu do? After what interval of time did he go to bestow
the boon? How did it happen? To please me, tell me."""
"Brahma replied, 'Brahma and
other devas returned to their own residences. To test her austerities, Bhava
immersed himself in samadhi. He immersed himself in his own atman and thought
of his own atman. He is greater than the greatest. He is self-ruling. He is
devoid of maya. He is without impediments. Bhagavan Ishvara Vrishadhvaja is
truly like that. His movements cannot be discerned. Hara Parameshvara is the
source of prosperity.'"'
""O son! Girija was
tormenting herself through supreme austerities. Rudra was filled with great
wonder at her austerities. He was dislodged from his samadhi. It cannot but be otherwise
for someone who is subservient to devotees. Hara, the cause of prosperity,
remembered the seven sages, Vasishtha and the others. As soon as they were
remembered, the seven sages swiftly arrived there. Their faces looked pleased
and all of them praised their good fortune in many kinds of ways. Full of
delight, they prostrated themselves before Mahesha and praised him. They
clasped their hands and lowered their shoulders, their words faltering.
_______________________________
966 Bhima was a demon who imprisoned the
king of Kamarupa, Sudakshina. Sudakshina was Shiva's devotee. When Sudakshina
prayed to Shiva, Shiva killed Bhima and saved Sudakshina. Kamarupa is
identified with Assam, though the Bhimashankara temple is near Pune.
Tryambakeshvara lingam is also in Maharashtra, near Nasika. The sage Goutama
cursed Indra, was punished by Shiva and was saved when he prayed to Shiva and
Godavari was brought down to earth. This story is narrated in detail in Brahma
Purana.
967 Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra exist within
Mahadeva.
968 The sage Vishvanara's wife,
Shuchismati, prayed that she might have a son resembling Shiva. Vishvanara
worshipped Shiva in Kashi and Grihapati (literally, lord of a household) was
born as his son. Grihapati eventually became the garhapatya fire.
The saptarshis said, "O lord
of devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord! Since we have been
remembered by you now, we are extremely blessed. Why have you remembered us?
Please command us. O lord! We are like your servants. We bow down before you.
Show us your compassion." The ocean of compassion heard what they said. He
smiled and spoke, his eyes dilating like blossoming lotuses in delight.
Maheshvara replied, "O seven sages! O sons! Listen to my words. All of you
possess jnana and are discriminating. You do what is beneficial for me. Deveshi
Parvati Girija is performing austerities now. Firm in her resolve, she is on
the mountain known as Gouri-Shikhara. O brahmanas! She desires me as her
husband and is served by her friends. She has given up all desires and is
determined to pursue this objective and nothing else. O excellent sages! Follow
my command and go there. With love towards me in your minds, act so that you
test the firmness of her resolve. In every kind of way, use deceitful words and
be harsh. O ones excellent in vows! Following my command, there is no doubt
that you should do this." Thus instructed, the sages quickly went
there.'""
""The mother of the
universe, the mountain's daughter, was there, blazing in her radiance. They saw
Shivaa, the direct personified form of success in austerities. Her form was one
of pure energy and as a result of that great energy, she was resplendent.
Mentally, the seven rishis, excellent in their vows, prostrated themselves
before her. They bent down and spoke to her, specially worshipping her. The
rishis said, "O Devi! O daughter of the mountain! Listen. Why are you
tormenting yourself through austerities? Is there any god you desire? What
fruits do you wish for now?" Devi Shivaa, the daughter of the Indra among
mountains, was addressed in this way by the brahmanas. Though it was a great
secret, since they were in front of her, she replied, telling them the truth.
Parvati answered, "O lords among sages! With affection in your hearts, listen
to my words. I have used my own intelligence to think and decide and I will
tell you about that. When you hear my words, you will laugh, considering this
to be impossible. O brahmanas! I hesitate to describe it to you. But what else
can I do? This mind is helpless and is firmly focused on achieving a great
task. Indeed, this is like wishing for a great foundation, with lofty walls, in
the water. Having obtained the instructions of the divine rishi, I am engaged
in these firm austerities. My wish is that Rudra should become my husband. My
mind is like a fledgling bird without wings that wishes to rashly fly into the
sky. Let Lord Shankara, the ocean of compassion, fulfil that desire."
Hearing her words, the sages laughed. Though they loved and honoured Girija,
they spoke deceitful and false words. The rishis said, "In vain do you
pride yourself on your learning. O daughter of a mountain! You do not know
about the conduct of the devarshi. He is thought to be learned but is cruel in
his mind. Narada is crooked in his speech, seeking to agitate the minds of
others. If one listens to his words, there is harm in every possible way. With
excellent intelligence, listen to a wonderful historical account. Out of love
for you and to make you understand, we will gradually tell you. Listen. Daksha
is Brahma's son. Following his father's command, through his wife, he had ten
thousand sons. He loved them and asked to undertake austerities. The sons left
in the western direction and went to Lake Narayana, having pledged to perform
austerities. Narada went there. There, the sage Narada made them listen to
wicked advice. Following his instructions, none of them returned to the
father's home. Hearing this, Daksha became angry, but his father calmed his
mind. He had another one thousand unmatched sons. Following their father's
command, these sons also went there, so as to perform austerities. Narada went
their again and imparted his own advice. When he instructed them in this way,
they too followed the path their brothers had taken.
They did not return to their
father's house and followed the conduct of mendicants. O daughter of a
mountain! Such good conduct of Narada's is famous. Hear about something else he
does. It causes non-attachment among men. Earlier, there was a vidyadhara, known
as Chitraketu. He gave him advice and made his home empty.969 He
gave his advice to Prahlada and made him suffer greatly at the hands of
Hiranyakashipu. He causes confusion in the intelligence of others. Using his
own knowledge, whenever the sage says something, one hears it, and it is
pleasant to the ears. However, the person quickly leaves his own house and
generally follows the conduct of a mendicant. Though Narada's body always
blazes, his atman is full of filth. Since we have resided with him, we know
this especially well. Since one does not know that it always eats fish, a stork
is described as virtuous. A person always knows the conduct of someone he
resides with. You are revered as a person who is wise. But you have also
accepted his advice. You have become a fool and are undertaking these
austerities in vain. O child! You are undertaking such extensive austerities
for a person who is always indifferent. He is without transformations. There is
no doubt that he is Madana's enemy. He has a form that is inauspicious. He is
shameless. He does not possess a home or a lineage. He wears evil clothing and
associates with pretas and bhutas. He is naked and wields a trident. He is
crooked and will use his own maya to destroy your vijnana. You have been confounded
by apparently virtuous words and are engaged in these austerities. If you get
such a groom, what happiness will you obtain? O Deveshi! O daughter of a
mountain! You should think about this yourself. He first married the virtuous
lady Sati, Daksha's daughter, who possesses excellent intelligence. However,
the foolish one could only maintain her for a few days. Finding a taint in her,
the lord himself gave her up. Without any taints and sorrows on account of
this, he continued to meditate on his own form. He is alone, without anyone
else. He is pursuing nirvana and does not associate with anyone else. O Devi!
How can any woman put up with him? Follow our instructions. Give up this wicked
intelligence and return home. O immensely fortunate one! As soon as you leave
us, you will find welfare. Vishnu is the appropriate groom for you. The lord
possesses all the good qualities. He resides in Vaikuntha and is Lakshmi's
lord. He is accomplished in many kinds of pastimes. We will arrange for you to
marry him, and you will obtain every kind of happiness. O Parvati! Give up this
rashness and be happy." Parvati, the mother of the universe, heard these
words.'""
""She laughed and spoke
again to the sages who were accomplished in jnana. Parvati said, "O lords
among sages! According to your jnana, you have spoken the truth. O brahmanas!
But I will not free myself from my rashness. Since I have been born from a
mountain, my body is naturally hard. Use your excellent intelligence to think
about this. You should not restrain me. I will never give up the words of the
divine rishi. They are like medication. Those who are accomplished in their
knowledge of the Vedas say that the words of gurus are like medication. There
are those who are firm in their minds that the words of gurus are the truth. In
this world and in the next one, they obtain supreme happiness, never
unhappiness. There are those whose minds are such that they do not accept the
words of gurus as the truth. In this world and in the next one, they experience
unhappiness, never happiness. O brahmanas! In every kind of way, the words of
gurus must not be ignored.
_________________________
969 Instructed by Narada, King Chitraketu
gave up the life of a householder. The story is told in Bhagavata Purana.
Whether I reside in a home or not,
my rashness will always give me happiness. O supreme among sages! There is a
hidden meaning in what you have said. Let me use my discrimination to briefly
describe it to you. You have described Vishnu as an abode of gunas and as one
who sports. That is true. Sadashiva is spoken of as one without gunas. There is
said to be a reason for this. Shiva is the brahman. He is without
transformations. He assumes different forms for his devotees. He does not wish
to display the customary signs of lordship. Therefore, he assumes a form that
is the greatly loved objective of Paramahamsas Shambhu finds supreme bliss in
his form as an avadhuta. Beautiful ornaments are found in those who are
contaminated by maya, not in those who have found the brahman. The lord is
nirguna and without origin. He is devoid of maya, and his great movements
cannot be discerned. O brahmanas! Shambhu's favours are not bestowed on the
basis of dharma and jati. Through my guru's favours, I know about Shiva's true
nature. O brahmanas! If Shiva does not marry me, I will always remain as one
who is not wed. This is the truth. I am speaking the truth. Even if the sun
rises in the western direction, even if Meru moves, even if the fire becomes
cold and even if a lotus blooms on the rocky summit of a mountain, I will not
deviate from my rashness. I am speaking the truth." Saying this, the
mountain's daughter quickly prostrated herself before the sages. She stopped
and indifferent in her mind, remembered Shiva. Understanding that Girija was
firm in her determination, the rishis uttered words of "Victory" and
pronounced excellent benedictions over her. Pleased in their minds, the sages
prostrated themselves before Devi. O sage! Having tested her, they quickly
returned to Shiva's abode. Having gone there, they bent down before Shiva and
reported what had occurred. Having obtained his permission, they lovingly
returned to their own world.”
“Brahma said, 'The sages returned
to their own world. Shankara, the lord who bestows prosperity, wished to test
Devi's austerities himself. Using the pretext of testing her, satisfied in her
mind, Shambhu wished to see her. He therefore assumed the form of a Jatila970
and went to Parvati's forest. His form was that of an extremely aged
brahmana. He was pleased in his mind and blazed in his energy. He held an
umbrella and a staff. He saw Devi standing there, surrounded by her friends.
Pure, Shivaa stood on the platform, resembling the moon's kalas. Shambhu, in
the form of a brahmachari, looked at Devi. Affectionate towards his devotees
and pleased, he approached her. Shivaa Devi saw the brahmana approach,
extraordinary in his energy. Using every kind of object used for worship, she
worshipped him. Full of great joy, she worshipped and honoured him, following
the norms. Cheerful, Parvati respectfully asked about the brahmana's welfare.
Parvati asked, "You are in the form of a brahmachari. Who are you and why
have you come here? Please tell me. O supreme among those who know the Vedas!
You have illuminated the forest with your radiance." The brahmana replied,
"I am an intelligent brahmana whose body is aged. I wander around as I
will and have come here. I am an ascetic who brings happiness and does good
turns to others. There is no doubt about this. Who are you? Whose daughter are
you? Why are you performing austerities, impossible for even sages to
accomplish, in this desolate forest? You are not a child nor are you aged. You
are a beautiful and radiant woman in her youth. Without a husband, why are you
performing these fierce austerities in the forest?
______________________
970 An ascetic with matted hair.
O fortunate ascetic lady! O Devi!
Are you the companion of an ascetic who does not tend to you in the forest and
has gone elsewhere? Tell me. Which lineage have you been born in? Who is your
father? What is your conduct? Your form suggests great fortune. Why are you
interested in austerities in vain? Are you the one from whom the Vedas originated?
Is your beautiful form that of Lakshmi or Sarasvati? Which of the two are you?
I am not interested in debating the matter." Parvati said, "O
brahmana! I am not one from whom the Vedas originated. I am not Lakshmi or
Sarasvati. I am Himachala's daughter, and my name is Parvati now. Earlier, in a
different birth, I was born as Daksha's daughter and was named Sati. Since my
father abused my husband, I used yoga to give up my body. In this birth, I
obtained Shiva. However, because of destiny, he did not accept me. He abandoned
me and having reduced Manmatha to ashes, departed. When Shankara left, I could
not conquer my torment. O brahmana! I left my father's house and arrived at the
banks of this celestial river to perform extremely firm austerities. I have practiced
hard austerities for a very long time but have not obtained the one whom I love
more than my own life. I was about to enter the fire. But on seeing you, I
stopped for a short while. Please leave. Since Shiva has not accepted me, I
will enter the fire. Wherever I may be born, I will only accept Shiva as a
groom." Having said this, Parvati entered the fire that was in front of
her. Standing in front of her, the brahmana repeatedly tried to restrain
her."""
***As soon as she entered the fire,
because of Parvati's powers, the fire instantly became like sandalwood paste.
She stood inside it for a while and then leapt up into the air. Shiva, in the
form of the brahmana, suddenly laughed and spoke to the one with the beautiful
form. The brahmana said, "O fortunate one! Your austerities are wonderful.
I have not understood anything. Your body has not been burnt by the fire. Nor
have you obtained what your mind desired. O Devi! It is evident that your wish
has not been fulfilled. Tell me what is in your mind. The noble brahmana who
stands before you can bestow every kind of happiness. O Devi! In the proper
way, tell me everything. Since a friendship has developed with you, you should
not keep anything a secret. O Devi! What is the boon that you desire? I am asking
you. Please tell me about your wish. O Devi! Since austerities exist inside
you, all the fruits can be seen. Whether your austerities are for someone else
or for some other objective, you have cast away the accumulated jewels in your
hand and have stored bits of glass. You possess this kind of beauty. Why have
you rendered it futile? Having cast aside many kinds of garments, you have worn
hides instead. Tell me the reason for all this. What is the truth behind your
austerities? Hearing this, a noble brahmana like me will be filled with
joy." When she was asked by him in this way, Ambika urged her friend.
Excellent in her vows, she used her mouth to recount everything. Parvati sent
her friend Vijaya, whom she loved more than her own life. She knew about the
excellent vows and spoke to Jatila. The friend said, "O virtuous one!
Listen. I will tell you about Parvati's supreme conduct. If you wish to hear
about it, I will tell you everything about the reason for her austerities. I am
the friend of the daughter of the king of mountains, Mount Himachala. She is
the daughter of Menaka and is known by the name Parvati. She has been named
Kali. She has not married anyone and does not desire anyone other than Shiva.
The virtuous lady has observed austerities for three thousand years. O virtuous
one! O supreme among brahmanas! I will tell you about the reason why my friend
started such austerities. Listen. Ignoring devas, Indra as the foremost, Hari
and Brahma, Parvati desires to obtain the wielder of Pinaka as her husband. In
earlier times, my friend planted many trees. O brahmana! All of them have grown
and have yielded flowers and fruit. To render her beauty a success, to become
an ornament to her father's lineage, to show a favour to Kama and for the sake
of Mahesha, as these terrible austerities. O ascetic! Why has her desire not
met instructed by Narada, my friend has tormented herself through with success?
O best among brahmanas! I have thus told you about the wish that is in my
friend's mind. To please you, I have described it to you. What else do you
desire to hear?" O sage! Hearing Vijaya's true words, Jatila Rudra laughed
and spoke the following words. Jatila said, "The friend has said this. But
I imagine this must be in jest. O Devi! If this is true, you should use your
own mouth to tell me about it." The brahmana Jatila said this. Using her
own mouth, Devi Parvati replied to the brahmana.""
“Parvati arvati said, "O Indra
among brahmanas! O Jatila! Hear everything about my conduct. What my friend has
stated is the truth. It is not otherwise. In thoughts, words and deeds, I have
directly regarded Shankara as my husband. This is the truth and there has been
no falsity in my conduct. I know that this objective is extremely difficult to
obtain. How can I possibly get it? Nevertheless, my mind is eager, and I am
tormenting myself through these austerities." Having spoken these words to
him, Girija remained there. Having heard Parvati's words, the brahmana replied.
The brahmana said, "Until now, I have had a great desire to know the
object that Devi desires. Why is she undertaking these great austerities? O
Devi! Having heard everything through your lotus face, I have got to know
everything. I am leaving this place and will go elsewhere. You can do what you
want. You should not say anything to me. Our friendship will be futile. One
should however happily say that, what happens, depends on the deed."
Having spoken these words, he got ready to go. However, Devi Parvati prostrated
herself and addressed the brahmana in the following words. Parvati said,
"O Indra among brahmanas! Why are you leaving? Remain here and give me
beneficial advice." Thus addressed, the one who was holding the staff
remained and spoke to her."""
""The brahmana said,
"O Devi! Full of devotion, you have asked me to stay, and you wish to
hear. So that you become wise, I will tell you the truth about everything.
Because of my dharma as a guru, I know everything about Mahadeva. I will tell
you the truth, as it is. Listen attentively. Mahadeva is Vrishadhvaja. He
smears himself with ashes and has matted hair. His garments are the hide of a
tiger. He covers himself with the hide of an elephant. He holds a skull, and
many snakes are coiled all around his limbs. Poison has left a mark on him. He
eats what should not be eaten. He has malformed eyes, and he is awful to
behold. His birth is not known. He is always devoid of the enjoyments of a
home. He is naked and has ten arms. He is always surrounded by bhutas and
pretas. What is the reason you desire he should be your husband? O Devi! Where
has your jnana gone? Reflect on this and tell me. Earlier, I have heard about
his terrible vow. If you are inclined to hear, listen to it attentively now.
The virtuous Sati was Daksha's daughter. In earlier times, she accepted the one
who rides a bull as her husband. Their destined union is known. Since she was
Kapali's wife, Daksha abandoned Sati. Shambhu was deprived of obtaining a share
at sacrifices. As a result of the dishonour, Sati was overwhelmed by great
rage. She gave up her beloved life and she abandoned Shankara too. You are a
jewel among women. Your father is the king of all the mountains. You should
have a worthy husband. Why are you tolerating these fierce austerities because
of him? Handing over a golden coin, you wish to accept a piece of glass. Giving
up pure sandalwood paste, you desire to smear yourself with mud. Giving up the
energy of the sun, you are wishing for a firefly. Giving up silk cloth from
China,971 you desire a garment made out of hide. Giving up residing
in a home, you hanker for residence in the forest. O Deveshi! Giving up
excellent and valuable treasures, you desire a lump of iron. Giving up Indra
and the other guardians of the worlds, you are devoted to Shiva. What you are
doing now is seen to be against the recommendations of the world. You are one
with eyes like the petals of a lotus and he is three-eyed. Your face is like
the moon and Shiva is said to have five faces. The braid of hair on your head
is as radiant as a divine serpent. Shiva is known to be famous for his matted
hair. You have sandalwood paste on your limbs and Shiva has ashes. You have a
beautiful girdle and Shiva has the hide of an elephant. You have divine
ornaments and Shankara has serpents. You move around with devas, he loves to
move around with bhutas, amidst sacrifices made to them. You are associated
with the sound of mridanga, he with a damaru.972 You are associated
with the melodious sound of a bheri, he with the inauspicious sound of a horn.
You are associated the sound of a dhakka, he with inauspicious yells from the
throat. There can be no comparison between your excellent beauty and Shiva. If
he possessed any objects, why should he be naked? His mount is a bull, and he
possesses nothing else. In terms of what brings happiness to women through
qualities in a groom, Virupaksha is said to possess not even one of those
qualities. That is the reason Hara burnt down your beloved Kama. It is also
evident that he showed you disrespect, by leaving you and going elsewhere. His
jati is not known. One does not see any learning or jnana in him. His aides are
pishachas. Poison is seen in his throat. He is always alone. In particular, he
is without attachment. Therefore, you should not fix your mind on Hara. Where
is your necklace and where is his garland of skulls? There are divine unguents
on your body, his body is smeared with ashes. O Devi! Between your form and
that of Hara, everything is contrary. Your wish does not appeal to me but do
what you want. It is evident that you yourself wish for everything evil.
Withdraw your mind from him. Otherwise, do whatever you want." Parvati
heard these words spoken by the brahmana. Mentally angry because Shiva had been
greatly criticized, she spoke to the brahmana.""
"Parvati said, "Until
now, I thought that someone else had come. Now I have got to know everything
and also that you cannot be killed. O divinity! What you have said is known. It
is not true. There are no contrary words in anything that you have said. There
are occasions when Maheshvara is seen in that kind of garb. He is the supreme
brahman. In his own pastimes, he assumes those kinds of forms. In the form of a
brahmachari, you have tried to deceive me. You came here and addressed me with
deceptive words and bad arguments. In particular, I know about Shiva's own
nature. After proper reflection, I will speak about Shiva's tattva. He is
actually the nirguna brahman. But there are reasons why he assumes a saguna
form. How can he have a jati? He is nirguna, though the gunas are in his atman.
Sadashiva is the foundation for every kind of learning. Since he is the
complete paramatman, what does he have to do with learning? In ancient times,
at the beginning of the kalpa, Shambhu used the form of his breath to bestow
the Vedas on Vishnu. Where is there a lord who is as great as him? He is the
primordial being, before anyone else. How can one measure his age?
_____________________
971 Chinamshuka.
972 Damaru
is a small drum, shaped like an hourglass. Bheri is a kettledrum. Dhakka is a
large drum that can be played on both sides.
Prakriti was born from him. He is
the cause behind Shakti. If a person lovingly and constantly worships Shakti
and Shankara, the undecaying Shambu always bestows the three kinds of Shakti973
on that person. A living being who worships him becomes fearless and conquers
death. Therefore, he is famous in the three worlds under the name of
Mrityunjaya. Vishnu obtained his status as Vishnu because of his favour. Brahma
obtained his status as Brahma and devas obtained their status as devas.
Whenever the king of devas goes to see Shiva, he has to honour bhutas and
others, those who guard Shiva's gates. Otherwise, his crown is always struck
with staffs and shattered. Since he is himself the great lord, he does not need
many people on his side. His form is benevolent. If one serves him, everything
can be obtained. Does the divinity Sadashiva desire me? In this world, if a person
is poor for seven lives and serves Shankara, Lakshmi herself serves him. The
eight siddhis always dance before him and satisfy him, lowering their faces.
How can welfare be difficult for him to obtain? Though Shankara does not serve
anything auspicious, as soon as one remembers him, everything auspicious
results. Through the power of worshipping him, every type of desire is
obtained. How can there be an aberration in a person who is always without
transformations? If Shiva's auspicious name is constantly in a person's mouth,
as soon as other people see him, they are always purified. You have said that
ashes from a funeral pyre are impure. In that case, why do devas smear it on
their limbs and wear it on their bodies? The divinity assumes gunas and becomes
the creator, preserver and destroyer of the world. But Shiva's true nature is
nirguna. How can it be known? Shiva is the paramatman. His form is that of the
brahman, without gunas. With their faces turned outwards, how can people know
him? Those who are wicked in conduct, sinners and those who have moved away
from devas cannot know Shiva's nirguna form. In this world, if a person does
not know about Shiva's tattva and criticizes him, all the store of good merits
he has accumulated since birth is reduced to ashes. You have criticized the
infinitely energetic Hara. Since I have worshipped you, I have also become a
sinner. Having seen someone who hates Shiva, one should bathe, wearing one's
clothes. Having seen someone who hates Shiva, one must perform prayashchitta. O
wicked one! You have said that you know Shankara. However, no one knows the
eternal Shiva with certainty. Whatever be Rudra's form, he is extremely
handsome. I desire the eternal one, who is without transformation. He is loved
by the virtuous. Vishnu, Brahma or anyone else is not the great-souled one's
equal. What need be said of other immortals? All devas are subservient to time.
974 Having used my own intelligence to reflect on this, I have got
to know the true tattva. I have come to this forest and am following these
extensive austerities for Shiva's sake. He is Paramesha Sarvesha, affectionate
towards his devotees. He is the one who shows favours to the distressed and I
desire to obtain him."""
"Brahma continued, 'O sage!
Having said this, Girija, the daughter of the king of the mountains, stopped.
With mind that was indifferent, she meditated on Shiva. Hearing Devi's words,
the brahmachari brahmana started to say something again. However, Girija
quickly spoke to her friend, Vijaya. Her mind and inclinations were fixed on
Shiva. She had turned away from any criticism of Shiva. Girija said, "O
friend! Make efforts to restrain this worst among brahmanas. He has made up his
mind to speak again and will criticize Shiva.
______________
973 Power of lordship, good counsel and
enterprise. However, this can be interpreted in other ways too.
974 In the course of time, they face
destruction.
A person who criticizes Shiva is a
sinner. But a person who hears such criticism also becomes a sinner. Those who
criticize Shiva should always be killed by Shiva's devotees. If that person
happens to be a brahmana, one should shun him and quickly leave the spot. This
wicked person will criticize Shiva again. Since he is a brahmana, he cannot be
killed. But he must be shunned and must not be seen in any way. Without any
delay, let us leave this place and go away, so that no conversation with this
wicked person occurs again." O sage! As soon as Uma said this and stepped
forward, Shiva manifested himself and embraced his beloved. He created his own
fortunate form, the one Shivaa had used to perform dhyana on Shiva. Shiva
showed himself and spoke to Shivaa, whose face was cast downwards. Shiva said,
"Leaving me, where are you going? I will not let go of you again. I am
pleased with you. Please ask for a boon. There is nothing that cannot be given
to you. You have bought me with your austerities. From today, I am your
servant. You have bought me with your beauty and from that instant, I wanted to
be united with you. Give up this shame. You are my eternal wife. O Girija! O
Maheshvari! Use your virtuous intelligence to reflect on this. I have tested
you in many kinds of ways, but you are firm in your mind. Please pardon those
offences. I have been following the pastimes of the world. In the three worlds,
I do not see a beloved like you. O Shivaa! I am subservient to you in every
possible way. Let your wish meet with success. O beloved! Come to me. You are
my wife, and I am your groom. With you, I will quickly go to my residence on
that excellent mountain." When the lord of devas said this, Parvati was
delighted. She cast aside the hardship on account of austerities, just as one
throws away something old. O supreme among sages! All her exhaustion was
destroyed. Whenever the fruits are obtained, a being's former exhaustions are
destroyed.""”
"Narada asked, 'O Brahma! O
Vidhatri! O extremely fortunate one! What happened after that? I wish to hear
everything. Please tell me about Shivaa's glory.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O devarshi!
Listen. I will happily tell you everything. This account destroys great sins.
It increases devotion to Shiva. O brahmana! Hearing the words of Hara, the
paramatman, and beholding his form, which caused bliss, Parvati rejoiced. The
extremely virtuous one spoke to the lord, who was standing near her. Devi
Shivaa was extremely happy, and her eyes dilated in joy. Parvati said, "O
Devesha! You are my lord. Have you forgotten how, in earlier times, you
destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, when he performed it deceitfully? To accomplish a
task for devas, I have been born from Mena. O divinity! O Devesha! Taraka has
caused them miseries. O Devesha! O Ishana! O lord! If you are pleased with me
and if you are going to show me your compassion, please become my husband. Act
in accordance with my words. Taking your permission, I will return to my
father's house. Let your pure and supreme fame be known there. O protector! O
lord! You should go to Himachala. You are accomplished in pastimes. Become a
mendicant and ask me from him. You should do this to establish your fame in the
worlds. When my father agrees to everything, you should assume the role of a
householder. Urged lovingly by the rishis and surrounded by his own relatives,
there is no doubt that my father will act in accordance with your words.
In earlier times, when I was
Daksha's daughter, my father975 had bestowed me on you. But you had
not married me in accordance with the rites. My father, Daksha, did not worship
the planets. Therefore, in connection with the planets, there was a great
lapse. O lord! Hence, you should follow the decreed rites for marriage. O
Mahadeva! This is to accomplish the task of devas. One must certainly follow
the rites for the marriage. Let Himalaya also know that his daughter has
completed the austerities successfully." Hearing her words, Sadashiva was
extremely pleased.'""
""He seemed to smile, as
he lovingly addressed Girija in the following words. Shiva said, "O Devi!
O Maheshani! Listen to my supreme words. Let all the auspicious and appropriate
rites be carried out, without deviations. O one with the beautiful face! Brahma
and all other beings are temporary. O beautiful one! Know that everything that
can be seen is subject to destruction. The absolute is one and is nirguna but
assumes gunas. It is self-luminous and like moonlight, others obtain their
radiance from it. O Devi! I am self-ruling, but you have made me subservient to
you. You are Prakriti Mahamaya. You are the one who does everything. This
entire universe has been created out of maya. Through his own intellect, the
supreme atman holds everything up. He is the paramatman and is in all atmans.
Because his atman becomes attached, surrounded by the ganas, he undertakes this
excellent creation. What are planets? What are the several seasons? What are
the other planets you have spoken about? O Devi! O Shivaa! O one who is
beautiful in complexion! The two of us have created these differences in gunas
and tasks. We have created the universe for the welfare of devotees, driven by
sentiments of affection towards devotees. You are the subtle Prakriti. You have
sattva, rajas and tamas within you. You are accomplished and pervasive. You are
always saguna and nirguna. O slender-waisted one! I am in the atmans of all
beings. I am without attachment and without desire. Depending on what a devotee
wishes, I assume an image. O daughter of a mountain! I will not go to your
father, Himalaya. I will never become a mendicant and ask for you. O daughter
of the Indra among mountains! Even if a man is great-souled, even if he
possesses great and superior qualities, as soon as he says, 'Please give, he
becomes inferior. O fortunate one! Knowing this, please tell me what is good
for us. O fortunate one! I will follow your command. Do what you wish."
The virtuous Mahadevi, with eyes like lotuses, was addressed in this way. Full
of devotion, she repeatedly prostrated herself before Shankara and spoke.
Parvati said, "You are the atman, and I am Prakriti. There is no need to
reflect on this. We are self-ruling, but we are subservient to our devotees. We
are both nirguna and saguna. Shambhu! O lord! You should make efforts to act in
accordance with my words. O Shankara! If you ask for me from Mount Himalaya,
you will bestow good fortune on him. O Mahesha! Please show me your
compassion. I am always your devotee. O lord! From one birth to another birth,
I am always your wife. You are the brahman, the paramatman. You are nirguna and
beyond Prakriti. You are without attachment and without desires. You are the
self-ruling Parameshvara. Nevertheless, attentive towards saving devotees, you
become saguna. You are accomplished in many kinds of pastimes and your atman is
always engaged in sport. O Mahadeva! O Maheshvara! I know you in every possible
way. O omniscient one! What is the point of speaking a lot? Please show me your
compassion. Perform your great and wonderful pastimes and extend your fame in
this world. O lord! People will sing about it and cross this ocean that is the
world."
__________________
975 The
father at that time, Daksha.
Saying this, Girija repeatedly
prostrated herself and stopped. She lowered her shoulders before Mahesha and
joined her hands in salutation. Addressed by her in this way, the great-souled
Maheshvara thought that he would mimic the practices of the world and agreed.
He laughed and happily agreed to do that. Extremely delighted, Shambhu
vanished. He went to Kailasa, his mind suffering from the pangs of separation
from Kali. Having gone there, Mahesha told Nandi and the others everything that
had transpired. He was filled with great joy. Hearing this, Bhairava and all
the other ganas were filled with great happiness and organized great
festivities. O brahmana! O Narada! Everything there was extremely auspicious.
All sorrows were destroyed. Everything was full of joy.'""
“Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
father! O immensely fortunate one! You are blessed. You possess insight about
the ultimate objective. As a result of your favours, you have made me listen to
this wonderful account. When Hara left for his own mountain, what did the
extremely auspicious Parvati do? Where did she go? O extremely intelligent one!
Please tell me that.'""
"Brahma replied, 'O son! Full
of great joy, listen to what happened after Hara returned to his own residence.
Remembering Shiva, I will tell you. Parvati had rendered her beauty successful.
Conversing about Mahadeva with her friends, she returned to her father's
residence. Hearing that Parvati was returning, Mena and Himachala were
overwhelmed with delight. They ascended a divine vehicle and left. The priest,
citizens, many friends, relatives and several others went with them. All the
brothers, Mainaka as the foremost, also went, uttering exclamations of
"Victory". They were filled with great exultation. Auspicious and
radiant pots were placed along the royal road, filled with sandalwood paste,
aguru, kasturi976 and branches laden with fruit. Along with the priest,
there were brahmanas and sages who chanted about the brahman. There were female
dancers and well-decorated kings among elephants. In every direction, there
were the trunks of plantain trees. Along with their husbands and sons, there
were women, holding lamps in their hands. Collectively, groups of brahmanas
pronounced auspicious benedictions. Many kinds of musical instruments were
sounded and there was the sound of conch shells. At this time, Durga approached
near her own city."""
Devi entered the city and saw her
parents again. They were extremely happy and rushed forward to meet her, their
minds overwhelmed with joy. Kali and her friends were also over-joyed and
prostrated themselves before them. They pronounced complete benedictions over
her and clasped her to their breasts. They exclaimed, "O child!" Full
of love, they cried. Women who served her and other women rejoiced. The wives
of her brothers were extremely happy and embraced her. "A great task has
been completely accomplished by you and it will save the lineage. All of us
have been sanctified through your virtuous conduct." In this way, all of
them praised her. They rejoiced and prostrated themselves before her.
Rejoicing, they honoured and worshipped Shivaa with sandalwood paste and fragrant
flowers. At this time, the delighted devas gathered in the sky, astride their
vimanas. They showered down auspicious flowers and praised her with hymns.
________________
976 Musk.
All of them placed her on a
beautiful and excellent chariot. The brahmanas and all the others were happy
and made her enter the city. Showing a great deal of respect, her friends and
other women made Shivaa enter the house, the brahmanas leading the way. The
women performed her ablutions, while brahmanas pronounced benedictions. O lord
among sages! Himalaya and her mother, Menaka, were delighted. Himalaya thought
that his ashrama as a householder had been rendered successful. A daughter is
superior to a wicked son. He also applauded Narada with words of praise. The
Indra among mountains gave riches to brahmanas and bandis, 977 He
made brahmanas read auspicious texts and there were great festivities. O sage!
The parents were delighted to see their daughter. Full of joy, the brothers and
the sister gathered together in that arena. O son! Himalaya was happy and
extremely pleased in his mind. He lovingly honoured everyone and left for the
Ganga, to have a bath. Shambhu is affectionate towards his devotees and engages
in excellent pastimes. At this time, he assumed the form of an excellent dancer
and approached Menaka. He held a horn in his left hand and a damaru in the
right. He had a kantha978 on his back and was attired in red
garments. He was accomplished in singing and dancing. In that form of an
excellent dancer, he delighted Menaka's companions. He danced well and sang
many kinds of extremely melodious songs. With a melodious tune, he blew on the
horn and played on the damaru. He performed many kinds of great and wonderful
acts. On seeing him, all the citizens, men and women, aged and young, assembled
there. O sage! Hearing his beautiful singing and witnessing his charming
dancing, all of them suddenly lost their senses, including Mena. Though Durga
also became unconscious, she saw Shankara within her heart. His radiant form
was exceedingly handsome, with the trident and all the other signs. He was
adorned with ashes and wore a beautiful garland of bones. The three eyes blazed
on his forehead. His sacred sacrificial thread was made out of a serpent.
Maheshvara was fair in complexion, and he kept saying, "Ask for a
boon." He is the friend of the distressed and is an ocean of compassion,
enchanting in every possible way. Witnessing Hara Isha within her heart, she prostrated
herself. She made up her mind to ask for the boon and said, "Please become
my husband." With pleasure, Shiva, within her heart, gave her the boon and
disappeared. The mendicant started to dance again.""
""Mena's mind was filled
with affection. She lovingly placed some excellent jewels in a golden vessel,
so as to give these to him. The mendicant did not accept these but asked for
Shivaa instead. Engaged in his pastimes, he started to sing and dance again.
Hearing his words, Mena was greatly surprised and became angry. She rebuked the
mendicant and was about to throw him out. Meanwhile, the noble mountain
returned from the Ganga. He saw the mendicant in his courtyard, in the form of
a man. Hearing everything from Mena's mouth, he was also greatly angered. He
issued instructions that the dancer should be thrown out. O excellent sage!
However, his great energy blazed like a great fire, and it was impossible to
touch him. No one was capable of throwing him out. O son! The mendicant was
accomplished in many pastimes. He displayed his own infinite powers to the
mountain. The mountain saw that he quickly transformed himself into Vishnu's
form. He wore a diadem and earrings. He was four-armed and clad in yellow
garments. The wielder of the mace is offered flowers and other things at the
time of worship.
____________________
977 The sutas were charioteers, as well as
raconteurs of tales. Magadhas were minstrels and bards. So were bandis. But
magadhas seem to have also composed, while bandis sung the compositions of
others.
978 A patched garment worn by mendicants
and yogis, sometimes used to store things.
He saw all these on the mendicant's
body and head. After this, the lord of mountains saw the four-faced creator of
the universe, red in complexion and reading suktas from the shruti texts. He
next saw him in the form of Surya, the eye of the universe. Seeing all this
instantly, the king of mountains marvelled. O son! He next saw the great,
beautiful and wonderful form of Rudra, great in his energy and smiling,
accompanied by Parvati. Thereafter, the form became one that was only energy,
without form, without blemish, without attributes and without desire. It was
extremely wonderful and without form. In this way, he saw many kinds of forms
there. He was greatly surprised and immediately filled with supreme bliss.
Since he would not accept anything else, the mendicant, the source of all
prosperity, asked for Durga as alms. Confounded by Shiva's maya, the Indra
among mountains did not agree to this. Not accepting anything else, the
mendicant vanished. After this, Mena and the lord of mountains realized that
the Lord Shiva had deceived them and had returned to his own residence.
Thinking about Shiva, the two of them were filled with great devotion towards
him. He is the divine one who bestows great emancipation. He is the one who
bestows every kind of bliss."""
“Brahma said, 'O Narada! Shakra and
all the other devas got to know about their supreme and unwavering devotion
towards Shiva. They thought. The devas said, "The mountain is
single-minded in his devotion. If he bestows his daughter on him, he will
immediately obtain nirvana and vanish from Bharata. He is a store of jewels,
and he will leave the earth and disappear. It is certain that any statement
about this land being a store of jewels will be falsified. He will give up his
immobile form and assume a divine form. If he bestows his daughter on the one
who holds a trident, he will go to Shiva's world. There is no doubt that he
will attain sarupya with Mahadeva. There, he will enjoy excellent objects of
pleasure and attain emancipation." Having consulted among themselves in
this way, all the gods were greatly confused and decided to send their guru.
979 O Narada! Thus, full of humility and our affection and desiring to
accomplish their objective, Shakra and all the other devas went to their guru's
residence. Having gone there, all the devas, along with Vasava, bowed down
before the guru. They affectionately told the guru everything that had
happened. The devas said, "O guru! To accomplish task, please go to
Himalaya's house. Having gone there, please criticize the wielder of the
trident. Durga will not accept any groom other than the one who holds Pinaka.
If he bestows his daughter unwillingly, he will still reap the complete fruits
but only after a while. For the moment, let the mountain remain on earth. O
guru! He is the store of many jewels. Let him remain on earth." Hearing
what devas said, the guru remembered Shiva's name. He covered his hands with
his ears and did not agree. After this, Brihaspati, pervasive in his
intelligence, remembered Mahadeva. Shaming them repeatedly, he replied to the
noble devas. Brihaspati said, "All of you devas are selfish and destroy
the objectives of others. If I criticize Shankara, I will certainly go to hell.
O gods! One of you should go to the mountain. Make the Indra among mountains
understand what you wish for. Let him bestow his daughter reluctantly and
happily remain in Bharata. If he bestows his daughter devotedly, he will
certainly obtain emancipation. Subsequently, let all the saptarshis go and make
the mountain understand.
_____________________
979 Brihaspati is the guru of the gods.
Durga will not accept any groom
other than the wielder of Pinaka. Alternatively, let all the gods, along with
Vasava, go to Brahma's world. Tell him everything. He will accomplish your
task." Having heard this and discussed the matter, all the gods came to my
assembly. They bent down and humbly and affectionately, reported everything. O
sage! I am the one who utters the Vedas. I heard the words of devas about
criticizing Shiva. I lamented and addressed the gods. Brahma said, "O
children! Criticism of Shiva is extremely difficult to tolerate. I am incapable
of doing that. It destroys prosperity and beauty. Its form is that of a seed
that brings about calamity. O gods! Go to Kailasa and satisfy Shankara. Let him
quickly go to Himalaya's house. Let him go to the lord of mountains and criticize
himself. The criticism of others leads to destruction. But it is held that
criticizing one's own self contributes to fame." Hearing my words, devas
were happy and prostrated themselves before me. They quickly went to Kailasa,
the mountain that is known as the lord of mountains. Having gone there, they
saw Shiva. They lowered their heads and prostrated themselves. Joining their
hands in salutation, all the gods praised Hara. The devas said, "O lord of
devas! O Mahadeva! O abode of compassion! O Shankara! We have sought refuge
with you. Show us your compassion. We prostrate ourselves before you. You are
affectionate towards your devotees. You are the lord who is always engaged in
carrying out the tasks of devotees. You are the one who saves the distressed.
You are an ocean of compassion. You are the one who saves devotees from
calamities." Mahesha was thus praised by all the devas, along with Vasava.
They lovingly told him everything that had happened. Hearing the words of
devas, Maheshvara consented. He smiled and comforted the devas and made them
return. All the devas were delighted and returned to their own residences. They
were of the view that they had accomplished their objective and praised
Sadashiva."""
"""Bhagavan Mahesha
is affectionate towards his devotees. He is indifferent and is the lord of
maya. He left for the residence of the lord of mountains. At that time, he was
happily seated in an assembly of mountains. He was surrounded by his relatives
and Parvati was also there. At that time, Sadashiva arrived. He held a staff
and an umbrella. He was attired in divine garments and there was the radiant
mark of a tilaka on his forehead. He held a string of threaded crystals in his
hand. He wore a shalagrama around his neck. The brahmana was attired in the
garb of a virtuous person. He was devotedly performing japa with Hari's name.
On seeing him, Himalaya and all his companions stood up. Exhibiting devotion
towards the guest, like rods, they prostrated themselves on the ground in front
of whom she loved like her own life, disguised in the form of a him. Full of
devotion, Parvati prostrated herself before the lord brahmana. Recognizing him
in her mind, Devi was filled with great joy and praised him. O son! Happily,
Shiva, in the form These were especially bestowed on Shivaa, so that she might
obtain the desire of her heart. The brahmana happily accepted madhuparka980
and everything else, offered with great love by the mountain who has ice all
over his body. Mount Himalaya, supreme among mountains, asked about his
welfare. O sage! Observing the proper norms, he worshipped the Indra among
brahmanas with a great deal of affection. The lord among mountains then asked,
"Who are you?" The Indra among brahmanas quickly responded to the
Indra among mountains in affectionate words. The Indra among brahmanas said,
"O best among mountains! I am a brahmana who is devoted to Vishnu and am
supreme among intelligent ones. I roam around on earth and my profession is
that of a matchmaker. I can go wherever I wish. Through the powers of my guru,
I know everything.
___________________
980 Madhuparka
is a mixture of honey and water, customarily offered to a guest.
I am pure in my atman and am
engaged in ensuring the welfare of others. I am an ocean of compassion and
remove transgressions. I have got to know that you wish to bestow your daughter
on Hara. She is divine and supreme in form, resembling a lotus. She possesses
all the auspicious signs. He is without support and associates with no one. He
is malformed and possesses no qualities. He resides in cremation grounds and
his form is like that of a predator who catches snakes, He is a yogi, and the
directions are his garments. His limbs are terrible, and he wears snakes as
ornaments. His name and lineage are not known. His conduct is vile, and he has
nothing to amuse. His body is smeared with ashes. He is prone to rage and has
no sense of discrimination. His age is not known. He always wears extremely
terrible matted hair. He is a refuge for all those who wander around. He is a
mendicant who wears a garland of snakes. He is devoted to a wicked path. He is
deceitful and has abandoned the path of the Vedas. O mountain! This intention
of yours will certainly not bring about anything auspicious. O supreme among
those who possess jnana! O one born into Narayana's lineage! 981
Understand this. For the rite of bestowing Parvati, he is not a worthy
recipient. As soon as they hear about this, the mouths of great people will
break into smiles. O lord of mountains! Behold. He does not have a single
relative. You are a store of great jewels, and he possesses no riches. O lord
of mountains! You should quickly make efforts to consult your relatives,
Menaka, your sons and learned people everyone other than Parvati. O supreme
among mountains! Medication never appeals to a person suffering from disease.
Instead, such a person likes bad food, which always causes even greater
affliction." Having said this, the brahmana ate quickly. Serene Shiva
engages in many kinds of pastimes. He cheerfully left for his own
abode.'""
"Brahma said, 'Hearing the
brahmana's words, Mena's Dheart was shattered. Tears of sorrow flowed from her
eyes, and she spoke to Himalaya. Mena said, "O Indra among mountains!
Listen to my words. They will lead to happiness. Ask the supreme among all
Shiva's devotees about what the brahmana has said. The brahmana who is devoted
to Vishnu has criticized Shambhu. O lord among mountains! Hearing his words, my
mind is very distressed. O lord among mountains! Therefore, I will not bestow
my daughter on Shiva. He is wicked in form and conduct and our daughter
possesses all the auspicious signs. If you do not pay heed to my words, I will
certainly die. I will immediately leave the house or devour poison. Using a
rope, I will tie Ambika to my neck and leave for the desolate forest. I will
submerge myself in the great ocean. But I will not bestow my daughter on
him." Having quickly said this, grieving, Mena entered the chamber of
sorrow. 982 She threw aside her necklace. She lay down on the ground
and wept.'""
"O son! Meanwhile, Shambhu's
mind was agitated by the pangs of separation, and he instantly remembered the
seven rishis. As soon as all these rishis were remembered by Shambhu himself,
they immediately arrived there, resembling kalpavrikshas. __________________
981 Since Himalaya was the son of Brahma,
who originated from Vishnu.
982 Kopalaya, a special chamber that women
(particularly queens) entered when they were angry.
Arundhati, in the form of success
personified, also arrived there. On seeing them, dazzling like the sun, Hara
stopped in his japa. O sage! The best among rishis stood in front of Shiva.
They lowered their heads and praised him. The ascetics thought that they had
become successful in their objective. Extremely surprised, they stood there,
prostrating themselves again. They joined their hands in salutation and spoke
to Shiva, revered by the worlds. The rishis said, "O best of all! O great
king! O emperor of the residents of heaven! How can we even describe our
complete and supreme good fortune? Formerly, we have tormented ourselves
through three kinds of austerities. 983 We have studied the
excellent Vedas. Formerly, we have offered oblations into the fire and visited
words and deeds, we have accumulated some good merits. But many tirthas.
Because of what we have done in thoughts, since you have remembered us, everything
has been obtained now. You have shown us a favour by remembering us. If a man
constantly worships you, he is always successful in his objective. How can one
describe the good merits of those whom you remember? O Sadashiva! Since you
have remembered us, we have become the best of all. When people wish, you don't
usually show yourself. O lord! It is extremely difficult to se you. It is like
fruit stooping down for a dwarf, like sight to a person born blind, like a dumb
person becoming eloquent, like a poor person seeing a store of treasure, like a
lame person crossing a supreme mountain and like a barren woman giving birth.
Since we have seen you today, from now on, the world will worship and respect
us as lords among sages. You have yourself granted us refuge at your feet. What
is the need to speak a lot about this? O lord of devas! O Ishvara of all devas!
Through seeing you, we have become revered in every possible way. If you show
us your compassion and instruct us about a supreme task, we will become complete.
We are your servants. Please give us an auspicious task that is
appropriate." Shambhu Maheshvara, who was following the customary conduct
of the world, heard their words and replied in pleasant words. Shiva said,
"Rishis must always be worshipped, especially those like you. O brahmanas!
There is a reason why I have remembered you. You know that I am always engaged
in doing good turns. In particular, if anything needs to be done for the
welfare of the worlds, it must be accomplished. Devas are suffering miseries on
account of the extremely evil-souled Taraka. Since Brahma has granted him a
boon, what can I possibly do against that unassailable one? O supreme rishis!
My eight forms are spoken about. 984 They manifest themselves for
the welfare of others, not for a selfish objective. I desire to marry Shivaa.
She has tormented herself through extremely difficult austerities that are
difficult for even supreme rishis to undertake. Following Parvati's words, I
assumed the form of a mendicant and went to the mountain's residence.
Accomplished in pastimes, I purified Kali. On getting to know that I am the
supreme brahman, full of great devotion, the couple wished to follow the rites
of the Vedas and bestow their daughter on me. Urged by devas, to diminish their
devotion, I assumed the form of Vishnu's devotee and criticized myself. O
sages! Hearing this, they were distressed and are no longer interested in
bestowing their daughter on me. Therefore, you must certainly go to Himachala's
house. Having gone there, kindle understanding in the supreme mountain and his
wife. Speak to them words that are in conformity with the Vedas. Do everything
so that the excellent task is accomplished. O excellent ones! I desire to marry
their daughter. I have agreed to marry her and have already granted her that
boon. _______________________
983 Tapas (austerities) are of three
types-tamasika (torturing the physical body), rajasika (undertaken with a
motive) and sattvika (done naturally).
984 Bhava, Sharva, Rudra, Pashupati, Ugra,
Mahadeva, Bhima and Ishana.
What is the need to speak a lot
about this? There must be understanding in Himalaya. For the welfare of devas,
Mena must also be made to understood. Whatever method you devise will be more
than enough. This is your task, and you will obtain a share in the good merits
of the task." All the sages were free of any blemish. Having heard these
words, since the lord had shown them his favours, they were filled with joy.
"We are blessed. We have been successful in every possible way. He is
revered by all and specially worshipped by Brahma and Vishnu. Since he
accomplishes every objective, he is worshipped. He is the one who is sending us
and that sending is for a task that will bring happiness to the world. He is
held to be the lord of the worlds, the father and the mother. Any association
with him always increases, like the waxing moon." Having said this, the
divine rishis bowed down before Shiva. Making their path through the sky, they
went to Himalaya's city.'"”
"""On seeing that
divine city, the rishis were extremely surprised. They described themselves as
having been sanctified and conversed with each other. The rishis said,
"Having seen Himalaya's city, we are blessed and have been sanctified.
Shiva has engaged us for a task that concerns devas. This excellent city is
seen to be superior to Alaka, heaven, Bhogavati and Amaravati. 985
There are extremely beautiful houses, made out of many kinds of excellent
crystal. There are wonderful arenas, made out many different kinds of jewels.
In every house, there are wonderful suryakanta and chandrakanta gems. 986
Celestial trees have grown. Gates and Lakshmi can be seen in every house. There
are many kinds of wonderful vimanas, yoked to parrots and swans. There are
wonderful canopies, and the gates are covered with cloth. There are many kinds
of waterbodies and ponds. There are wonderful groves, frequented by happy
people. All the men are like devas and all the women are like apsaras. In karma
bhumi, 987 the followers of Puranas undertake many kinds of
sacrifices, desiring to obtain heaven. Since they have abandoned Himalaya's
city, all these efforts are in vain. O brahmanas! Men wish for heaven only as
long as they have not seen this. What is the need for heaven?' The rishis
described the city in this way. All of them went to Himalaya's house, which
possessed every kind of prosperity. From a distance, Himalaya saw those seven
extremely energetic sages, resembling the sun, arriving through the sky. He was
filled with great wonder. Himalaya said, "These seven, resembling the sun,
are approaching me. I must now make efforts to worship the sages. When such
great-souled ones arrive in any householder's house, they bestow happiness. We
are blessed." Meanwhile, they descended from the sky and stood on the
ground. Seeing them in front of him, so as to show them honour, Himalaya
advanced. He joined his hands in salutation, lowered his shoulders and
prostrated himself before the saptarshis. Showing a great deal of respect, he
worshipped them. To ensure the welfare of Himalaya, lord of the mountains, the
saptarshis clasped him by the hand and with pleasant faces, pronounced
auspicious words of benediction over him. Full of devotion, he placed them in
front and said, "Since you are in front of me, my status as a householder
has been blessed." Saying this, he offered them seats. When they were
seated, he himself stood there, waiting for their command. Himalaya spoke to
the sages, who were full of resplendence. Himalaya said, "I am blessed. My
tasks have been accomplished.
___________________
985 Alaka is Kubera's capital, Bhogavati
is the capital of the nagas and Amaravati is Indra's capital.
986 Suryakanta is the sunstone, believed
to burst into flames under the influence of the sun's rays. Chandrakanta is the
moonstone, believed to melt under the influence of the moon's beams.
997 Bharatavarsha is known as karma bhumi.
My birth has been rendered
successful. People regard me as someone to be seen. I am held to be equal to
many tirthas. But you, who are forms of Vishnu, have come to my house. You are
complete in all your objectives. Why have you come to an inferior person's
house? Nevertheless, I am like a servant. Is there any task that needs to be
done? Please show me your compassion and tell me about it. May my birth yield
excellent fruits.""""
"The rishis said, "Shiva
is said to be the father of the The universe. Shivaa is held to be the mother
of the universe. Therefore, your daughter should be bestowed on the
great-souled Shankara. O mountain full of ice! If you do this, your birth will
be successful. Amongst all the gurus in the world, there is no doubt that you
will become the greatest guru,” O lord among sages! On hearing the words of the
saptarshis, the king of mountains joined his hands in salutation. Prostrating
himself, he addressed them in these words. Himalaya said, "O immensely
fortunate saptarshis! Following the wishes of Girisha, I have already pledged
to do what you have spoken about. However, recently, a brahmana who follows the
dharma of worshipping Vishnu arrived here. He cheerfully uttered words that
were directed against Shiva. Since then, Shivaa's mother has lost her senses.
She no longer wishes to get her daughter married to Rudra, a yogi. Extremely
tormented, she has gone to the chamber meant for rage. Her clothes are dirty.
She is extremely obstinate. O brahmanas! Though I have tried to make her
understand, she does not understand. To tell the truth, I have also lost my senses.
I do not wish to bestow my daughter on Mahesha, who has the form of a
mendicant." Confounded by Shiva's maya, the king of mountains said this. O
sage! After this, he remained in the midst of the sages, silent. All the seven
saptarshis applauded Shiva's maya. So that Menaka might understand, they sent
Arundhati to her. Instructed by her husband, Arundhati, the one who confers
jnana, quickly went to the spot where Mena and Parvati were. Having gone there,
she saw Mena lying down, senseless with grief. The virtuous one carefully
addressed her in sweet and you beneficial words. Arundhati said, "O
Menaka! O virtuous lady! Please get up. I am Arundhati and I have come to your
house. The seven sages, who are full of compassion, have also come." Hearing
Arundhati's voice, Menaka quickly got up. She lowered her head and addressed
the one who was like Padma in her energy. Mena said, "How wonderful! What
sanctification for us! Our births have been rendered successful. The
daughter-in-law of the creator of the universe and Vasishtha's wife has come
here. O goddess! What is the reason for your arrival here? Please tell me
specifically. I am like your servant maid. Please show me and my daughter your
compassion." When Menaka said this, the virtuous lady used many kinds of
words where the rishis were. All of them were accomplished in the use to make
her understand. She then happily returned to the place of words. Remembering
Shiva's two feet, they affectionately made the lord of mountains understand.
The rishis said. "O Indra among mountains! Listen to our words. They will
ensure welfare. Bestow Parvati on Shiva and became the Destroyer's
father-in-law. He is Sarvesha and does not seek. In connection with the task of
destroying Taraka, Brahma strove to get him to ask. Shankara is supreme among
yogis and was not eager to take a wife. Since Vidhatri beseeched him, the
divinity agreed to accept your daughter. Your daughter tormented herself
through austerities and he made a pledge to her. Thus, there are two reasons
behind the Indra among yogis agreeing to marry." Hearing the words of the
rishis, Himalaya laughed. But he was also slightly frightened. Therefore, when
he spoke, it was full of great humility. Himalaya replied, "I do not see
any royal possessions with Shiva. He has no prosperity he can depend on. He
does not possess relatives and kin. He is a yogi who is not attached, and I do
not wish to bestow my daughter on him. You are the sons of the one who created
the Vedas. Please tell me your decision. If a father does not bestow his
daughter on a groom who is worthy, as a result of desire, confusion, fear or
greed, he is destroyed and goes to hell. That is the reason I do not wish to
bestow my daughter on the wielder of the trident. O rishis! However, whatever
be your decision, let that be carried out." O lord among sages! Hearing
Himalaya's words, Vasishtha, accomplished in the use of words, spoke to
him."""
"Vasishtha said, "O lord
of mountains! Listen to my words. They will bring benefit in every possible
way. They are not against dharma. In truth, they will ensure happiness in this
world and in the next one. O mountain! Whether it is in customary practice or
whether it is in the Vedas, words are of three types. Using his pure insight of
jnana, a person who knows the sacred texts knows all this. Using his sharp
intelligence, an enemy utters words that are beautiful to hear now, though they
lead to falsehood and harm later. Such words are never beneficial. A person who
is devoted to dharma and is compassionate will utter words that cause
displeasure now but lead to happy consequences later. He uses these to kindle
understanding in a friend. But the best kind of words, those that are
desirable, are those which are like nectar as soon as they are heard and lead
to happiness for all time to come. They are beneficial and have truth as their
essence. O mountain! Those who know nitishastra 988 thus say that
there are three kinds of speech. Among these three types, tell me which kind of
speech you wish to hear. Shankara, lord of the gods, is devoid of the
prosperity Brahma created. His mind is immersed in the ocean of true jnana.
When he is the lord of jnana and bliss, why should he hanker after objects
created by Brahma? A householder bestows his daughter on a person who possesses
riches and a kingdom. If a father bestows a daughter on a miserable person, he
is like a person who kills his daughter. Since Kubera is his servant, who takes
Shankara to be a miserable person? Through the pastime of bending his eyebrows,
he can create. He is the creator, preserver and destroyer. He is the nirguna
paramatman. He is the supreme lord, beyond Prakriti. He has three forms. For
purposes of creation, he is Vidhatri. Known as Brahma, Vishnu and Hara, he
creates, preserves and destroys. Brahma resides in Brahma's world. Vishnu
resides on the shores of the ocean of milk. Hara has a home in Kailasa. All
these are Shiva's manifestations. Prakriti, originating from Shiva, also has
three forms. In her pastimes, she creates these forms, though she has many
other manifestations too. As the goddess of speech, she has originated from the
divinity's mouth. Originating from his chest, she is in the form of Lakshmi,
with every kind of prosperity. Shivaa's energy is manifest in the power of all
devas. She destroyed all the danavas and bestowed prosperity on devas. In
another kalpa, she was born from the womb of Daksha's wife. Named Sati, she
obtained Hara. Daksha bestowed her on him. Hearing criticism of her husband,
she used yoga to give up her body. Through Mena's womb, that Shivaa has now
been born to you. O mountain! From one birth to another birth, Shivaa is
Shiva's wife. From one kalpa to another kalpa, she assumes the form of
intelligence and is the supreme mother of those who possess jnana. She is always
born in the form of Siddhaa and confers siddhi. Siddhi is her form. Hara
himself devotedly wears the ashes and bones from Sati's funeral pyre.
__________________________
988 Texts on good policy.
Therefore, voluntarily bestow this auspicious
one on Hara. Otherwise, she will go the place where her beloved is and bestow
herself. Witnessing the innumerable hardships your daughter went through, the
lord of devas assumed the form of a brahmana and went to the place where she
was performing austerities. He made a pledge to her. Having bestowed a boon on
her, he returned to his own residence. O mountain! That was the reason why
Shambhu sought Shivaa from you. Both of you possessed devotion towards Shiva in
your hearts and accepted the proposal. O lord of mountains! How has this
opposite view come upon you? When he was beseeched by devas, the lord quickly
sent us, the rishis and Arundhati, to your presence. We were to instruct you,
so that you might bestow Parvati on Rudra. O mountain! If you do this, you will
obtain great happiness. O Indra among mountains! Even if you do not voluntarily
bestow Shivaa on Shiva, the power of destiny will ensure that their marriage
takes place. O son! At the end of the austerities, Shankara bestowed that boon
on Shivaa. Nothing contrary to Ishvara's pledge can be thought of. O mountain!
In this entire world, if a person devoted to Shiva makes a promise, it can
never be violated. What need be said about Isha himself? In his pastimes, the
great Indra single-handedly sliced off the wings of mountains. In her pastimes,
Parvati shattered Meru's summit. O lord of mountains! One should not destroy
all one's riches for a single person. Indeed, the eternal shruti texts state
that for the sake of the family, a single individual should be cast aside. When
fear presented itself on account of a brahmana, King Anaranya protected his
prosperity by bestowing his own daughter on the brahmana. Scared that the
brahmana might invoke a curse, his gurus, the best among his kin and people who
knew about good policy and the sacred texts immediately made him understand. O
king of mountains! You should also bestow your daughter on Shiva and save the
large number of your relatives and your family. You should also do this for the
gods." Hearing Vasishtha's words, he smiled outwardly, but his heart was
dejected. He asked about that king's account. Himalaya asked, "O brahmana!
In what lineage was King Arananya born? How did he bestow his daughter and save
his entire prosperity?" Hearing the mountain's words, Vasishtha, pleased
in his intelligence, told the mountain about the king's account. This brings
happiness.""
“Vasishtha said, "King
Anaranya, lord of men, originated from the lineage of the fourteenth Manu,
known as Indra Savarni. Anaranya, best among kings, was a lord of the earth who
ruled over the seven dvipas. He was powerful and was the son of Mangalaranya.
He was particularly devoted to Shambhu. With Bhrigu as the priest, he performed
one hundred sacrifices. Though the gods offered him the status of Indra, he did
not accept it. O Himalaya! One hundred sons were born to him. He also had a
beautiful daughter named Padma, resembling the one who makes her home on the
lotus. 989 He loved his one hundred sons, but he loved his daughter
even more. O supreme among mountains! The king's feelings towards her were like
that. The king had five beloved queens, whom he loved more than his own life.
All these wives possessed every kind of fortune. In her father's house, the
daughter attained the prime of youth. He sent letters, so that he might obtain
an excellent groom for her.""""
___________________________
989 Lakshmi.
"On one occasion, the rishi
Pippalada was eager to return to his own hermitage. In that desolate spot for
performing austerities, he saw a gandharva. He was with his wife and his mind
was immersed in the ocean of shringara rasa. Skilled in kama shastra990
and full of love, he was amusing himself. Seeing this, the tiger among sages
was filled with desire. His mind was no longer interested in austerities.
Instead, his thoughts turned towards obtaining a wife. This is what happened to
the sage Pippalada. Some time passed, but his mind was churned by desire. On
one occasion, the lord among sages went to the river Pushpabhadra991
to have a bath. He saw a maiden Padma, as beautiful as Padma.992 The
sage asked the people who were around, 'Who is this maiden?" Scared of
being cursed, the people bowed down and replied. The people said, 'She is
Anaranya's daughter, and her name is Padma. She is like another Rama. This
beautiful lady is a store of qualities and the best among kings have sought
her. The sage heard the words of the people, who spoke the truth. His mind was
agitated, and he desired her. Having bathed, the sage followed the norms and
worshipped his ishta deva, 993 Shiva. O mountain! Desiring her, he
went to Anaranya's assembly, so as to seek alms. On seeing the sage, the king
was filled with great fear and prostrated himself. He offered him madhuparka
and other things and devotedly worshipped him. In his desire, the sage accepted
everything and asked for the maiden. The lord of the earth was silent and was
unable to say anything. The sage said, 'O lord among kings! Give me this
maiden. Otherwise, in an instant, I will reduce everything to ashes.' All the
attendants were overwhelmed by the sage's energy. The king and his attendants
looked at the brahmana, who was suffering from old age, and wept. Hearing his
words and unable to decide what should be done, all the queens wept. The chief
queen, the maiden's mother, was overwhelmed by grief and lost her senses. The
minds of all the sons were also filled with sorrow. O lord of mountains!
Everyone associated with the king was thus filled with grief. At that time, a
wise brahmana, best among gurus, arrived before the king, along with the
intelligent purohita. The king prostrated himself in front of them and wept. He
told them everything and quickly asked them about what should be done. The
king's guru and the learned brahmana, who was the priest, were both
knowledgeable about the sacred texts on good policy. They made the king, the
grief-stricken queens and the maiden, who was the king's daughter, understand.
The instructed him about excellent policy that would ensure benefit to
everyone. The guru and the priest said, 'O immensely wise king! Listen to our
beneficial words. Do not grieve. Along with the family members, turn your minds
towards the sacred texts. O king! Today, or at the end of a year, the maiden
must be bestowed on a worthy groom, a brahmana' or someone else who is
distinguished. In the three worlds, we do not perceive a recipient as worthy as
a brahmana. Bestow your daughter on the sage and save all your prosperity. O
king! If all prosperity is going to be destroyed on account of a single person,
a person should give up that person and save everything else, unless that
person happens to be someone who has sought refuge.' Hearing the words of the
wise ones, the king lamented repeatedly. However, he bestowed his ornamented
daughter on that Indra among sages. O mountain! Following the norms of
marriage, the sage accepted the maiden Padma, who was like Padma herself.
Happy, he returned to his own abode. Having bestowed his daughter on an old man,
the king gave up everything.
______________________
990 Kama shastra texts are about love and
sensual pleasures.
991 A river that is also known as
Pushpavaha.
992 The maiden's name was Padma. The
second Padma means Lakshmi.
993 Desired god, tutelary deity.
His mind was full of distress.
However, he collected himself and went to the forest to perform austerities. O
mountain! When her beloved husband left for the forest, the beautiful chief
queen grieved over her husband and her daughter and gave up her life. Without
the king, the revered sons and the servants lost their senses. Thinking that
the king was dead, all the other people grieved. Having gone to the forest,
Anaranya performed austerities for Shankara. Having devotedly worshipped him,
he went to Shiva's world and was freed from all ailments. The king's eldest son
was named Kirtimat and he was devoted to dharma. He ruled over the kingdom and
protected the subjects, as if they were his sons. O mountain! I have thus told
you about Anaranya's auspicious account. He bestowed his daughter, saved his
lineage and obtained all the riches. O king of mountains! You should also
bestow your daughter on Shiva, save your entire lineage and make all the gods
subject to your control.""""
"Narada said, 'O father! After
hearing about Anaranya's conduct and about how he bestowed his daughter, what
did the excellent mountain do? Please tell me that.'""
"Brahma replied, 'The lord of
mountains heard about Anaranya's conduct and about how he bestowed his
daughter. He joined his hands in salutation and again asked Vasishtha The lord
of mountains said, "O Vasishtha! O tiger among sages! O Brahma's son! O
ocean of compassion! You have described Anaranya's extremely wonderful conduct
to me. Anaranya's daughter obtained the sage Pippalada as her husband. Her
conduct brings delight. What did she do after that?""",
""Vasishtha replied,
'Pippalada was supreme among sages, but he was exceedingly old in age. He
returned to his own hermitage, accompanied by the lady who was Anaranya's
daughter. Extremely happy, the ascetic resided there. He was not excessively
dissolute. O supreme among mountains! In that forest, he always followed his
own dharma. Anaranya's daughter also faithfully served the sage in thoughts,
words and deeds, just like Lakshmi serving Narayana.'""""
"""""On
one occasion, the one with the excellent smiles was going to the celestial
river to have a bath. Along the path, she saw Dharma, who had used his maya to
assume a man's form. He was astride a chariot studded with jewels and he was
adorned with many kinds of ornaments. He was handsome and in the prime of
youth. His radiance was like that of Kamadeva. On seeing the beautiful Padma,
the lord Vrisha994 spoke to her. He wished to determine the inner
thoughts of the sage's wife. Dharma said, "O beautiful one! You are as
beautiful as Lakshmi. You deserve a king. You are extremely young and
beautiful. Youth is fixed in you. The sage Pippalada is old, suffering from old
age. O one with the beautiful limbs! I am telling you the truth. In your
presence, he lacks any radiance, The brahmana is engaged in austerities. He is
without pity and wishes to die. Abandon him and look at me. I am an Indra among
kings and am skilled in intercourse. I am afflicted by Smara. O beautiful one!
___________________
994 Dharma.
A lady obtains this auspicious
beauty as a consequence of what she has done in her past life. All that becomes
successful only when one embraces a man of taste. I am loved by one thousand
beautiful women. I am accomplished in kama shastra. O beloved! Abandon your
husband and make me your servant. Find pleasure with me in secluded groves,
beautiful mountains and the banks of rivers. Render your birth
successful." Having said this, he got down from his own chariot. He was
eager to clasp her by the hand. The lady, devoted to her husband, spoke to him.
Padma answered, "Go far away. O wicked king! Go far away. If you look at
me with eyes of desire, you will be instantly destroyed. Pippalada is best
among sages. His body has been purified through austerities. How can I abandon
him and serve a person who is lascivious and addicted to desire, conquered by
women? If one touches a person conquered by women, all good merits are destroyed.
A person conquered by women is extremely wicked. His sight is sinful. Even if a
man constantly performs virtuous rites, if he is conquered by women, he remains
impure. All the ancestors, devas and humans censure him. If a person's mind is
firmly fixed on women, what use are jnana, great austerities, oblations,
worship, learning and donations to him? Your sentiments towards me should have
been those towards a mother, but you have addressed me in words befitting a
wife. Therefore, because of my curse, you will be destroyed within a short
while." Hearing the virtuous lady's curse, Dharma gave up his form as a
king. The lord of devas assumed his own form and trembled as he spoke. Dharma
said, "O mother! Know that I am Dharma, the guru of all gurus who possess
jnana. O virtuous one! My mind is such that I always look upon another person's
wife as a mother. Desiring to know your inner thoughts, I came to your
presence. Though I knew what was in your mind, destiny goaded me. O virtuous
one! By seeking to chastise me, you have not done anything contrary. Ishvara
has determined that those who deviate from the right path must be punished. He
is the supreme one, who alone is capable of bestowing joy and misery on
everyone. He is responsible for prosperity and adversity. I prostrate myself
before that Shiva. He is the one who determines friendship, enmity, love and
quarrels. He is the creator, and he is the destroyer of this creation. I
prostrate myself before that Shiva. In ancient times, he is the one who made milk
white, made water cool and gave fire the power to burn. I prostrate myself
before that Shiva. He is the one who originally created Prakriti, Mahat and the
others, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. I prostrate myself before that Shiva."
Having said this, Dharma, the guru of the universe, stood in front of her. He
was satisfied at her devotion towards her husband but did not say anything.
""""O mountain!
Padma, the virtuous lady who was the king's daughter and was loved by
Pippalada, was surprised to know that this was Dharma. Padma replied, "O
Dharma! You are the witness to all the deeds that are performed. O lord! To
know what was in my mind, why did you resort to deception? O brahmana! Because
of everything I have done, no crime attaches to me. O Vrisha! Because of my
feminine nature and because I did not know, I have cursed you in vain. I am
thinking about what can be done now. When my mind settles down, perhaps it will
occur to me. The sky, the directions and the winds can be destroyed, but a
virtuous lady's curse is never destroyed. O king of devas! In satya yuga, all
the time, night and day, you were radiant with all your four legs, like the
moon on a full moon night. 995 O best among gods! In tretya yuga,
one of the feet will be destroyed.
__________________
995 As yugas progress, Dharma
progressively loses one of its feet (one quarter). Here, this is attributed to
Padma's curse.
O lord! You will lose a second foot
in dvapara yuga and a third in kali yuga. At the end of kali yuga, all your
legs will be destroyed. When satya yuga arrives, you will be complete again. In
satya yuga, you will be pervasive, but in the others, only partially. This will
be the respective arrangements in the yugas. Let these words of mine be true
and bring pleasure to you. O lord! I will leave to serve my husband. You should
go to your own residence." Hearing her words, Vrisha was satisfied.
Vidhatri's son spoke to the virtuous lady who had spoken to him. Dharma said,
"As a result of your devotion towards your husband, you are blessed. O
chaste lady! May you be well. To save your husband, accept this boon. Let your
husband become young. Let him be devoted to dharma and accomplished in
intercourse. Let him possess all the qualities and be handsome. Let him be
eloquent in speech and let his youth always remain stable. Let him live
forever, with a lifespan greater than that of Markandeya. Let him possess
riches more than those of Kubera. Let his prosperity be greater than that of
Shakra. Let him be Shiva's devotee, equal to Hari himself. Let him be a greater
siddha than Kapila. Let him be Brihaspati's equal in intelligence and
Vidhatri's equal in serenity. As long as you are alive, you will share in your
husband's good fortune. O lady! You will be fortunate in this way and your youth
will be steady. You will have ten sons who will possess the qualities. They
will live forever and will surpass your husband. There is no doubt about this.
O virtuous lady! Your home will possess every kind of prosperity. It will
always be radiant and will surpass Kubera's residence." O supreme among
mountains! Dharma said this and stood there. She performed pradakshina,
prostrated herself and returned to her own residence. Pronouncing benedictions
over her, Dharma left for his own home. In every assembly he went to, he
praised Padma. In private, she always sported with her husband, who had become
young. Later, she had sons who exceeded her husband in qualities. The couple
obtained every kind of happiness. In this world and in the next world, they
found peace and every kind of happiness was enhanced. O Indra among mountains!
This ancient history about the couple has been recounted to you and you have
heard it lovingly and affectionately. Using your intelligence, bestow your
daughter, Parvati, on Ishvara. O Indra among mountains! Along with your wife,
Mena, shed the wicked sentiment. In a week's time, there will be an extremely
auspicious and rare moment. The lord of the lagna will be in his lagna. Chandra
and his son996 will be in a happy conjunction with Rohini nakshatra.
The moon and the stars will be in pure states. Monday in the month of
Margashirsha will be free of all taints. All the good planets will be
auspicious, and the bad planets will not cast an inauspicious glance. If
bestowed on a good husband at this time, her husband will live for long and she
will have good fortune. O mountain! Your daughter, Girija, is Jagadamba
Ishvari, who is the original Prakriti. Bestow her on the father of the universe
and be successful in your objective.'"'""
"Brahma concluded, 'O tiger
among sages! Vasishtha, supreme among those who possess jnana, said this and
stopped. He remembered Shiva, the lord who engages in many kinds of pastimes.'
____________________
996 Budha (Mercury).
“Brahma said, 'Hearing Vasishtha's
words, Himalaya, his wife and his companions were amazed. The lord of mountains
spoke to the mountains. Himalaya said, "O Meru, king of mountains! O
Sahya! O Gandhamadana! O Mandara! O Mainaka! O Vindhya! O all the Indras among
mountains! Listen to my words. This is what Vasishtha has said. We must reflect
on what should be done. Determine everything in your minds and tell me."
Hearing his words, the mountains happily made their determination. With Sumeru
as the foremost, they spoke to Himalaya. The mountains said, "What is the
point of consultation now? One should act.
The immensely fortunate one has
been born to accomplish a task for devas. Shivaa, who has taken an avatara,
must be bestowed on Shiva. She has worshipped Rudra and Rudra has also said
this." Hearing the words of Meru and the others, Himachala was very happy.
Within her heart, Girija smiled. Using many reasons, Arundhati made Mena
understand. She
used many words and cited many
historical accounts. Finally, Menaka, the mountain's wife, understood and was
pleased in her mind. She fed the sages, Arundhati and the mountains and then
ate. Having obtained jnana, the supreme mountain served the sages. He was
pleased and happy, his confusion having been destroyed. He joined his hands in
salutation and spoke. Himachala said, "O immensely fortunate saptarshis!
Listen to my words. Hearing everything about Shiva and Shivaa's account, my
confusion has gone. Everything that I possess, my body, my wife Mena, my sons
and my daughter, my prosperity and my success, belong to Shiva and not to
anyone else." Saying this, he looked lovingly at his daughter. He adorned
her limbs with ornaments and then placed these in the laps of the rishis.
Delighted, the king of mountains spoke to the rishis again. "I have made
up my mind that this is the share I am going to give to him." The rishis
replied, "O mountain! Shankara is a mendicant, and you are the one who is
going to give. The alms are Devi Parvati. What can be more wonderful than that?
The ends of your peaks are going to follow this kind of course. O lord of all
the mountains! You are supreme in every possible way. You are blessed."
Having said this, the sages, free of all blemishes, pronounced benedictions
over the maiden and said, "May you bring pleasure to Shiva." They
touched her with their hands and said, "May you be fortunate. Just as the
moon waxes during shukla paksha, may your qualities increase." Saying
this, all the sages happily gave the mountain flowers and fruit, settling the
matter.'""
“The pleasant-faced Arundhati
delighted Mena. The extremely virtuous lady spoke to her about Shiva's
qualities and tempted her. Following the customary practice of the world,
excellent auspicious rites were performed, smearing the mountain's beard with
turmeric paste and kumkuma. Having fixed an excellent lagna, on the fourth day,
the contented sages congratulated each other and went to Shiva's presence.
Having gone there, they bent down and praised Shiva with various hymns. Vasishtha
and all the other sages spoke to Parameshvara. The rishis said, "O lord of
devas! O Mahadeva! O Paramesha! O great lord! Cheerfully listen to our words,
about what your servants have done. O Mahesha! Using many kinds of hymns and
ancient accounts, we have made the king of mountains and Mena understand. There
is no doubt about this. The Indra among mountains has given his word about
bestowing Parvati and it will not be violated. Along with devas and ganas,
leave for the marriage. O Mahadeva! O lord! Leave swiftly for Himachala's
house. For the sake of a son, follow the norms and marry Parvati." Mahesha
was intent on following the customary practices of the world. Hearing their
words, his mind was pleased. He smiled and spoke. Mahesha said, "O
immensely fortunate ones! I have never heard about a marriage ceremony or seen
one. You should specifically speak to me about the norms for this." They
heard Mahesha's auspicious words, which were in conformity with customary
practice. They smiled and replied to Sadashiva, lord of devas. The rishis said,
"Specially invite Vishnu and his attendants. Cheerfully invite Brahma and
his sons, deva Shatakratu, all the large number of rishis, yakshas, gandharvas,
kinnaras, siddhas, vidyadharas and large numbers of apsaras. O lord! Invite all
the others affectionately. There is no doubt that they will accomplish
everything." Having said this, the seven rishis cheerfully took his leave.
They left for their own respective abodes, praising Shankara's conduct.'",
"Narada said, o father! O wise
one! Please show me please tell me your compassion. When the saptarshis
departed, what Mount Himalaya did.'""
"Brahma answered, 'O lord
among sages! The seven sages and Arundhati departed. I will tell you what
Himachala did. He took his leave of his brothers, Meru and the other mountains.
Along with his beloved sons, Himalaya, lord among mountains, rejoiced.
Extremely happy and full of joy, he requested his own priest, Garga, to draw up
the lagna patrika.997 He had this patrika and many kinds of objects,
happily offered by his relatives and himself, sent to Shiva. Those people went
to Shiva in Kailasa. They gave Shiva the patrika and applied the mark of a
tilaka on his forehead. The lord specially honoured them, as is appropriate.
All of them were delighted in their minds and returned to the mountain's
presence. The people who had gone were particularly honoured by Mahesha. Seeing
this, the mountain was extremely happy, and his mind was delighted. Rejoicing,
he invited his own relatives. They brought joy and arrived from all the
different regions. Lovingly, he had objects of gold fashioned. He collected
many kinds of objects, required for the marriage. Heaps of rice, parched and flattened
rice, molasses, sugar and salt were collected. Tanks were constructed for milk,
ghee and curd. There was barley and other kinds of grain, sweetmeats and
sweetmeats in the shape of balls.998 He had tanks constructed for
shashkulis, 999 svastikas, 1000 sugar, sugar cane juice
that tasted like amrita, ghee that would be offered into the fire and asava. 1001
Arrangements were made for cooking large amounts of extremely tasty rice. There
were side dishes that would appeal to ganas and devas. There were many kinds of
priceless garments, purified in the fire. There were different types of gems
and jewels and gold and silver. In the proper way, all these objects were
gathered together.
______________
997 This sets out the lagna for the
marriage. Stated simply, it is a wedding invitation, with those auspicious
details indicated.
998 Respectively, pishtaka and ladduka.
999 A kind of rice gruel.
1000 A kind of cake.
1001 A type of liquor.
On an auspicious day, the mountain
started the auspicious rites. The mountain's women performed the cleansing
rites for Parvati. The brahmana women in the city observed the customary
worldly practices. Adorning themselves in ornaments, they performed the
auspicious rites. Having undertaken the auspicious rites first, there were many
kinds of festivities. Cheerful in his mind, Himalaya also performed the
auspicious rites. He was happy in every possible way and was eager for his
relatives to arrive.'""
""Meanwhile, the invited
relatives arrived, along with their wives, sons and companions. O devarshi!
Hear attentively about the mountains who came. This increases love towards
Shiva, and I will describe it briefly. Mount Mandara is an abode of devas. He
has a large and divine form. Because of the many jewels, he was radiant, and he
arrived with his companions. He had carefully gathered together many jewels and
great gems. He was handsome, attired in excellent garments and ornamented. He
was resplendent in every possible way and came with his wife and sons. Astachala
1002 is divine in his atman. Generous in intelligence, he arrived
with many kinds of objects as gifts. Udayachala, 1003 extremely
handsome, happily arrived, bringing with him gems and jewels. Malaya, king
among mountains, arrived with his family. He was very happy, and his excellent
companions came with him. The mountain named Durdura, divine in form,
cheerfully arrived with his wife and many companions. O son! Nishada was
extremely radiant and went to Himachala's house. His mind was delighted, and he
arrived with his companions. The immensely fortunate Mount Gandhamadana
affectionately went to Himachala's house, with his wives and sons. Karavira,
full of great prosperity, and Mahendra, best among mountains, went to Himalaya.
Pariyatra is a store of gems and jewels. Happy in his mind and extremely
radiant, he arrived with his companions, sons and wives. Krouncha, king among
mountains, was accompanied by a large retinue of attendants. He went to
Himalaya with his family and companions. The best among mountains brought many
gifts. Mount Purushottama came with his companions. He went to Mount Himachala
with great gifts. Full of joy, Nila playfully went to Himalaya's house. He was
with his sons and women and brought various objects. Trikuta, 1004
Chitrakuta, 1005 Venkata, 1006 Shrigiri, 1007
Gokamukhi and Narada 1008 arrived in Himalaya's house. The
auspicious Vindhya, best among mountains happily arrived with his wife and
sons, full of great prosperity. Kalanjara, the great mountain, was filled with
Himalayas. Kailasa, the great mountain, was filled with great great joy. With
many companions, he happily went to Mount joy. He arrived, showing a favour to
everyone, since the lord resided atop him. O brahmana! There were many other
mountains from other dvipas.1009 All the mountains went to
Himachala's house. O sage! The mountains arrived since they had been invited
earlier. All of them happily arrived, for Shiva and Shivaa's marriage. All the
rivers arrived, adorned in many kinds of ornaments. All of them, Shona, Bhadra
and the others, were extremely radiant and very happy.
__________________________________
1002 Mountain behind which the sun sets.
1003 The sun rises from behind Mount
Udayachala.
1004 In Lanka.
1005 This range extends beyond Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
1006 Venkatadri/Venkatachalam, near
Tirumala in Chittoor district.
1007 Srisailam in Kurnool district.
1008 Name of a mountain.
1009 There are seven dvipas. What has been
described so far is from Jambudvipa.
They arrived for Shiva and Shivaa's
marriage. They were divine in form and happily arrived for Shiva and Shivaa's
marriage-Godavari, Yamuna, Brahmastri 1010 and Venika. To attend the
marriage of Shiva and Shivaa, they came to Mount Himalaya. Ganga was extremely
happy and was bedecked in many ornaments. Divine in form, she went to Shiva and
Shivaa's marriage. Narmada is supreme among rivers and is Rudra's daughter.
Delighted and full of great joy, she quickly went to Shiva and Shivaa's
marriage. From every direction, everyone arrived in Himachala's house. The
divine city became full and dazzled in every possible way. There were great
festivities. Banners fluttered on the many gates. There were many types of
radiant canopies to guard against the sun. Full of joy and affection, Himalaya
honoured and welcomed them in various ways, as was due to each. He arranged
separate residences for them. They were completely satisfied with the many
kinds of objects that were offered."""
"Brahma said, 'O supreme among
sages! After this, Himalaya, lord of mounting happily went about decorating his
city in wonderful ways for the great festivities. The roads were cleaned and
sprinkled with water. They were decorated and looked extremely radiant. Plantain
trees were planted, and auspicious objects placed at every door. An arena was
constructed, with plantain trees as pillars. Cords were used to bind cloth
around them, and they were decorated with leaves from trees. The gates were
extremely radiant, with garlands of malati flowers. 1011 Radiant,
sacred and auspicious objects were placed in the four directions. Full of great
joy on account of his daughter, the Indra among mountains carried out all these
things. In determining appropriate auspicious rites, the immensely powerful
Garga was given prime importance. He 1012 affectionately invited
Vishvakarma and had him construct an extremely large pavilion, with a beautiful
altar and other things. O divine rishi! It extended for ten thousand yojanas.
It was full of wonderful objects and possessed many auspicious signs. All the
agreeable mobile and immobile objects could be seen inside this. It was
extraordinary in every possible way and there were many wonderful articles.
Sometimes, the mobile objects depicted surpassed the immobile ones. Sometimes,
the immobile objects depicted surpassed the mobile ones. Sometimes, spots with
water surpassed those with land. In other places, it was the other way round.
Even learned people could not distinguish what was land and what was water. In
places, there were artificial lions. In others, there were artificial arrays of
cranes. In places, there were extremely beautiful artificial peacocks. In some
places, artificial men. women danced, along with artificial n creations,
people were Looking at these artificial confused. In this way, there were
beautiful artificial doorkeepers. With bows raised in their hands, they were
immobile, but resembled the mobile and real ones. An extremely wonderful
artificial image of Mahalakshmi was created and placed at the gate. She
possessed all the auspicious signs and it seemed as if she had herself emerged
from the ocean of milk. There were artificial elephants and horses, fashioned
to resemble real ones.
___________
1010 Meaning Sarasvati.
1011 A kind of jasmine with white flowers.
1012 Himalaya.
There were artificial horse-riders
and elephant-riders too. There were charioteers on chariots, full of great
wonders. There were other vehicles and foot soldiers. But all these were
artificial. O sage! In this way, Vishvakarma created these to confuse people.
The minds of devas and sages were delighted at this. O sage! Nandi was
designed, to stand there as a great doorkeeper. But it was an image. He was as
pure as crystal and was just like the real Nandi. There was the immensely
divine Pushpaka, adorned with jewels. It was radiant and extremely beautiful,
decorated with pure new sprouts, and the immortals were seated on it. On the
left, there were two sparkling elephants, saffron in hue. They were extremely
radiant and possessed four tusks each. They were sixty years of age and caused
dread. In that way, there were two extremely radiant horses, as bright as the
sun. They were divine, adorned with whisks. They were decorated with divine
ornaments. There were the armoured guardians of the worlds, adorned with the
best of jewels. Vishvakarma created each deva, exactly as he truly was. He did
this with all the rishis too, Bhrigu and others, stores of austerities. He
fashioned other gods and other siddhas. Vishnu and all his companions were
there, including the one known as Garuda. All these were artificially created
and were extremely wonderful and handsome. O Narada! I was also artificially
created, surrounded by my sons, the Vedas and the siddhas. I was reciting
hymns. With his attendants, Shakra was astride the elephant, Airavata. But he
was artificially created and resembled the full moon. O devarshi! What is the
need to speak a lot? Urged by Himalaya, Vishvakarma created all the various
gods. In this way, he created a pavilion that was divine in form. It was large
and full of many wonders, confusing the devas. Instructed by the lord of
mountains, the immensely intelligent Vishvakarma carefully crafted residences
for the gods and others to dwell in. There were large and divine couches,
extremely radiant and extremely wonderful. They caused pleasure and Vishvakarma
created these. In an instant, he fashioned the wonderful seven worlds. These
were radiant and divine and were for Svayambhu's 1013 residence. In
this way, the extremely sparkling and divine Vaikuntha was constructed for
Vishnu. He constructed it in an instant and it was full of great wonders. In
that way, he constructed a divine, wonderful and excellent residence of the
lord of the immortals. Vishvakarma created it such that is possessed every kind
of prosperity. He constructed beautiful residences for the guardians of the
worlds. They were divine, wonderful and large and brought them pleasure. In
that way, one by one, he constructed colourful residences for all the
immortals. Vishvakarma was extremely intelligent and had obtained a great boon
from Shambhu. To satisfy Shiva, he constructed all these in an instant. In that
way, he constructed an extremely radiant, supreme and wonderful residence for
Shambhu, worshipped by the best of devas. It sparkled greatly and possessed all
of Girisha's signs. Vishvakarma thus created Shivaloka. It was greatly
resplendent and full of great wonders. It was extraordinary and he did this to
satisfy Shiva. In this way, following customary practices, everything was done.
This having been done, Himachala happily waited for Shambhu's arrival. O
devarshi! I have thus told you the complete account of what Himalaya did. This
brings joy. What else do you wish to hear?"""
___________
1013 Brahma's.
"Narada said, 'O Vidhatri! O
father! O immensely wise one! O Vishnu's disciple! I bow down to you. O ocean
of compassion! In truth, you have made us hear about a wonderful account. I now
wish to hear about the conduct of the one who wears the moon on his crest and
about his extremely auspicious marriage. It destroys heaps of sins. When he
received the auspicious patrika, what did Mahadeva do? Make me hear about the
divine account of Shankara, the paramatman.""
"Brahma replied, 'O child! O
immensely wise one! Hear about Shankara's great glory and about what Mahadeva
did when he received the auspicious patrika. Shambhu happily accepted the
auspicious patrika. Pleased in his mind, the lord smiled and honoured them.
Following the norms, he read it and accepted the proposal. Showing a great deal
of respect, he also informed other people. He said, "O sages! You have
carried out the auspicious task properly. I have accepted the proposal of
marriage and you must come to my wedding." Hearing Shambhu's words, they
were delighted and prostrated themselves before him. Having circumambulated him
and praising their great good fortune, they returned to their own abodes. O
sage! After this, Shambhu, lord of devas, immediately remembered you. The lord
engages in great pastimes and was following the customary practices of the
world. Praising your great good fortune, you arrived, full of joy. You lowered
your shoulders humbly and prostrated yourself, joining your hands in
salutation. O sage! You repeatedly praised and worshipped him with exclamations
of "Victory". Praising your good fortune, you asked for instructions.
Pleased in his mind, Shambhu demonstrated that he was following customary
worldly practices. He used auspicious words of affection to address you, the noble
sage. Shiva said, "O best among sages! Listen lovingly. I am speaking to
you because you are loved by me. You are like the royal crest jewel among all
my devotees. Following your instructions, Devi Parvati undertook great
austerities. Satisfied by her, I granted her the boon that I would become her
husband. I am subservient to my devotees, and I will marry her. The saptarshis
have determined the perfect lagna. O Narada! It will occur seven days from now.
Following the practices of the world, I will arrange for great
festivities." O son! Hearing the words of Shankara, the paramatman, your
mind was pleased. You bowed before the lord and addressed him in the following
words. Narada said, "It is my view that you follow the vow of being
subservient to your devotees. You have acted properly by granting Parvati the
wish that was in her mind. O lord! Please tell me about a task that is fit for
me to carry out. Knowing that I am your own servant, show me your compassion. I
prostrate myself before you." O lord among sages! Addressed by you in this
way, Shambhu Shankara, affectionate towards his devotees, was pleased in his
mind and replied lovingly to you. Shiva said, "O sage! Follow my words and
invited Vishnu and the other devas, the sages, siddhas and everyone else. Full
of enthusiasm, let them all come, full of radiance. Showing respect to my words
and out of love, let them come with their wives, sons and companions. O sage!
Those who do not come to the great festival of marriage, devas and others, are
not my own and can be disregarded." Dear to Shankara, you accepted Isha's
command. O sage! so as to invite everyone. O supreme sage! You left quickly, O
Narada! You swiftly carried out your duty as a messenger and returned to
Shambhu's presence, waiting for his command. Shiva remained there, eagerly
waiting for everyone to arrive. In every direction, his own ganas celebrated
the festival with singing and dancing."""
"""At this time,
attiring himself in excellent garments, Achyuta quickly arrived in Kailasa,
along with his own attendants. Along with his wife and followers, he happily
prostrated himself before Shiva, full of devotion. Having obtained his
permission, pleased in his mind, he remained there, in an excellent residence.
With my own companions, I also came to Kailasa quickly, happy. Along with my
companions, I joyfully prostrated myself before the lord and remained there.
Indra and the other guardians of the world arrived, along with their
companions. All of them were ornamented and arrived for the festival,
accompanied by their wives. The sages, nagas, siddhas and minor divinities
arrived. Others who had been invited came for the festivities. Rejoicing,
Maheshvara separately honoured and welcomed all those who had come, immortals
and others. There were extremely great and wonderful festivities in Kailasa. As
is appropriate, the celestial women danced. O sage! At this time, Vishnu and
the others who had come desired to arrange everything for Shambhu's wedding
procession. All of us were like instruments and followed Shiva's command. All
of us served Shiva and carried out his tasks. Delighted, the seven Matrikas
carried out the appropriate tasks for dressing Shiva. O best among sages! He
possesses natural garments and ornaments. Following his wishes, they became extremely
radiant. Approaching him, the moon took the place of a crown. His beautiful
third eye became the auspicious tilaka mark. O sage! Two serpents came to
assume the form of his earrings and these earrings were studded with many gems.
The serpents that were on his other limbs became ornaments on those limbs. They
were extremely beautiful and were studded with many gems. The ash on his limbs
turned into sandalwood paste. The hide of the elephant became a beautiful and
divine girdle. All of these assumed such handsome forms. It is impossible for
words to describe them. Ishvara himself possessed every kind of prosperity. All
the gods, danavas, nagas, birds, apsaras and maharshis approached Shiva and
joyfully proclaimed that the great festivities had started. All of them said,
"Go! O Mahadeva! O Maheshvara! Leave for the marriage with Girija
Mahadevi. Show us your compassion." Vishnu possessed vijnana. Pleased in
his mind, he devotedly prostrated himself before Shankara. Using appropriate
words, he proposed. Vishnu said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O one who
is affectionate towards those who seek refuge! You carry out tasks for your own
devotees. O lord! Please listen to what I have to say. O Shambhu! O Shankara!
You should carry out your marriage with the daughter of the lord of the
mountains in accordance with the norms laid down in the grihya sutras. O Hara!
You should perform your marriage following those rules. They will then become
extremely famous in the worlds. Following the dharma of the lineage, construct
a pavilion and carry out a nandimukha ceremony. 1014 O lord! If you
lovingly do this, you will establish your own fame in the world." Shambhu
Parameshvara was thus addressed by Vishnu. Devoted to the customary practices
of the world, he performed all those rites. Given the right by him, I, lovingly
and affectionately, performed all the appropriate rites. I was aided by the
sages-Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishtha, Goutama, the guru Bhaguri, Kanva, Brihaspati,
Shakti, Jamadagni, Parashara, Markandeya, Shilapaka, Arunapala, Akritashrama,
Agastya, Chyavana, Garga, the great sage Shilada, Dadhichi, Upamanyu,
Bharadvaja, Akritavrana, Pippalada, Kushika, Koutsa and Vyasa, along with his
disciples. There were many others who had come to Shiva's presence. Following what
I said, they performed the appropriate rites.
____________________
1014 Shraddha ceremony for ancestors,
undertaken before an auspicious rite like a marriage.
All of them were accomplished in
the Vedas and the Vedangas and knew about the rites spoken about in the Vedas. To
protect Mahesha, they performed all the auspicious rites. Many hymns were
recited from the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda. All the rishis happily
undertook many other auspicious rites. Instructed by Shambu and me, they lovingly
worshipped the planets. The gods were worshipped in the pavilion, so that all
impediments might be pacified. Shiva was greatly satisfied that everything had
been performed in the proper way, following customary rites and the rites of
the Vedas. Happy, he bowed down to the brahmanas.""
"Sarveshvara then placed the
brahmanas and devas at the front. Rejoicing, he left Kailasa, the excellent
mountain. Once outside Mount Kailasa, along with devas and brahmanas, the lord
happily stopped, accepting many kinds of offerings. Devas and others undertook
great festivities there. To satisfy Mahesha, there was singing and dancing and
the playing of musical instruments."""
“Brahma said, 'Shambhu summoned
Nandi and all the "B Dother ganas. He happily told them to go with him.
Shiva said, "With me, you will go to the mountain's city. Let a few ganas
remain here and undertake great festivities here." Thus instructed, the
leaders of ganas cheerfully emerged, taking their forces with them. I will tell
you a little bit about this. Along with Shiva, Shankhakarna, leader of ganas,
left for Himachala's city with one crore ganas. In those great festivities,
Kekaraksha took ten crore ganas. Vikrita, leader of ganas, took eight crore
ganas. Vishakha, leader of ganas, took four crore ganas. Parijata, bull among
ganas, took nine crores. The handsome Sarvantaka and Vikritanana took sixty
crores each. Dundubha, leader of ganas, had eight crore ganas. The lord of
ganas, known as Kapala, had five crores. O sage! The brave Sandaraka had six
crore ganas. Kanduka and Kundaka had one crore each. Vishtambha, leader of
ganas, had eight crore ganas. Pippala, leader of ganas, happily advanced with
one thousand crores. O supreme sage! The brave Sandanaka, leader of ganas, had
the same number. Aveshana, leader of ganas, had eight crores. Mahakesha, leader
of ganas, advanced with one thousand crores. O sage! Kunda had twelve crores
and so did Parvataka. The brave Chandratapana advanced with eight crores. Kala,
Kalaka and Mahakala, leaders of ganas, had one hundred crores each. The one
named Agnika had one crore. Agnimukha, leader of ganas, advanced with one crore
ganas. Adityamurdha and Ghanavaha had one crore each. Sannaha and Kumuda,
leaders of ganas, had one hundred crores each. Amogha and Kokila, leader of
ganas, had one hundred crores each. Sumantra, leader of ganas, advanced with
one crore ganas. Kakapadodara and Santanaka 1015 had six crores
each. Mahabala, Madhupinga and Kokila each had nine crores. Nila had ninety
crores and so did Purnabhadra. Chaturvakra had seven crores and Karana had
twenty crores. Ahiromaka, leader of ganas, advanced with ninety crores. O
Narada! Yajvasha, Shatamanyu and Meghamanyu, all leaders of ganas, separately
advanced with one crore each. Kashthangushtha, leader of ganas, had sixty-four
crores. Virupaksha, Sukesha, Vrishabha and Sanatana had the same number. There
were Talaketu, Shadasya, Chanchasya, Sanatana, Samvartaka, Chaitra and the lord
Lakulisha.
_____________
1015 There is no inconsistency since there
was more than one leader with the same name.
O sage! There were also Lokantaka,
Diptatma and Daityantaka. The divinity Bhringiriti, the handsome Devadevapriya,
Ashani and Bhanuka had sixty-four crores each. Along with Shiva, observing
festivities, they went for Shiva's marriage. There were one thousand crore
bhutas and three crore pramathas. Virabhadra had sixty-four crores and Romajana
had three crores. In the great festivities connected with Shankara, Nandi and
the other leaders of ganas advanced, surrounded by crores and crores,
thousands, hundreds and twenties. Kshetrapala and Bhairava were surrounded by
crores and crores of ganas. They happily advanced for the great festivities
connected with Shankara's marriage. There were other innumerable leaders of
ganas, immensely strong. Greatly rejoicing and full of enthusiasm, they joined
the great festivities connected with Shankara. All of them had thousands of
arms and wore matted hair and crowns. They were marked with the lines of the
moon. They were blue in the throat and three-eyed. All of them wore rudraksha
beads as ornaments and smeared their bodies with bhasma. They were ornamented
with necklaces, earrings, bracelets and crowns. They resembled Brahma, Vishnu
and Indra and possessed anima and the other qualities. Those lords of ganas
shone like crores of suns. Some roamed around on earth. Others roamed around in
the nether regions. O sage! Some roamed around in the sky. Others roamed around
in the seven heavens. O devarshi! What is the need to speak a lot? They resided
in all the worlds. Rejoicing, all Shambhu's ganas joined the festivities
connected with Shankara."""
""In this way, with
devas, ganas and others, the lord Shankara advanced towards Himalaya's city for
his marriage. Along with the gods and others, Sarvesha advanced for the sake of
the marriage. At that time, something extraordinary occurred. O lord among
sages! Hear about it. Rudra's sister, Chandi, arrived there. She was extremely
happy but caused terror to others. She was astride a seat made out of a preta
and she wore snakes as ornaments. She was extremely radiant and there was a
golden pot 1016 on her head. She was with her own attendants. Her
face blazed and her eyes blazed. The extremely strong one generated delight and
excited curiosity. O sage! There were crores and crores of bhutas and ganas
there, divine and malformed. Along with these innumerable ones of different
types, she was radiant. The fierce Chandi, malformed in face, advanced in
front. She generated curiosity and joy. She could cause happiness and
calamities. Chandi placed all Rudra's ganas behind her. They numbered eleven
crores. They were fierce and loved by Rudra. There was the sound of damarus
being played and this pervaded the three worlds. There was the tumultuous sound
of kettledrums and the blaring of conch shells. Drums were sounded and there
was a tumultuous noise. This brought everything auspicious to the world and
destroyed anything that was inauspicious. O sage! All the eager devas, all the
siddhas and the guardians of the world were behind the ganas. Ramesha advanced
in the middle, astride his seat on Garuda. O sage! A great and sparkling
umbrella was held aloft his head. He was surrounded by his own companions, who
fanned him with whisks. All his attendants were with him, attired properly in
their respective garments. As I advanced, I was radiant along the route. With
me, the Vedas, the sacred texts, the Puranas and the agama texts assumed
personified form. Sanaka and the other great siddhas, my sons, the Prajapatis
and my family was with me, intent on serving Shiva. Shakra was astride the
elephant, Airavata, amidst his own soldiers. There were shakinis, yatudhanas,
vetalas, brahma-rakshasas, bhutas, pretas and other pramathas. 1017
__________________
1016 Full of water.
1017 Various types of demons, male and female.
There were the supreme gandharvas,
Tumburu, Narada, 1018 Haha, Huhu and others. Kinnaras advanced,
delightedly playing on musical instruments. There were all the mothers of the
world and all the divine maidens. There were Gayatri, Savitri, Lakshmi and all
the divine women. There were other wives of devas and mothers of the world.
Full of joy, all of them advanced for Shankara's marriage. Mahadeva is devoted
to dharma, and he was astride a bull. This bull was as pure as crystal and was
beautiful all over. In the Vedas and the sacred texts, siddhas and maharshis
speak of this bull as Dharma. As he1019 was served by devas and
rishis and advanced, he was resplendent. Mahesha was ornamented in many kinds
of ways and was radiant, along with all these successful maharshis. Accepting
Mount Himalaya's invitation, he was going to his residence to accept Shivaa's
hand. Such was Shambhu's conduct as he advanced for the supreme festivities. O
Narada! Now hear about the virtuous incident that occurred in Himalaya's
city.'""
“Brahma said, 'Hari consulted with
Shankara and obtained his instructions. O sage! He first sent you to the
mountain's residence. Urged by Hari, you, Narada, lovingly prostrated yourself
before Sarvesha and then went on ahead, to Himachala's house. O sage! Having
gone there, you saw your own artificial image, created by Vishvakarma. You were
ashamed and surprised. O great sage! Tired of looking at your own artificial
image, you started to look at the other things created by Vishvakarma. You
entered Himachala's pavilion, studded with jewels. It was adorned with golden
pots and many plantain trees. It has one thousand pillars and was wonderful and
extremely amazing. O sage! On seeing the altar, you were filled with surprise.
So amazed were you that your intelligence was confused and the inana in your
mind was destroyed. O sage Narada! You spoke to the lord of mountains. "O
lord of mountains! Please tell me. Has Mahadeva, astride the bull, surrounded by
the ganas and with the divinity Vishnu leading the way, already arrived? Have
all the maharshis, siddhas and minor divinities also arrived for the
marriage?" Full of surprise in your mind, you spoke these words. O sage!
Hearing them, Mount Himalaya told you the truth. Himalaya replied, "O
Narada! O immensely wise one! Shiva has still not arrived for the marriage with
Parvati. Nor have the companions who will come with the groom. O Narada! Use
your intelligence to understand that these are images created by Vishvakarma. O
devarshi! Give up your wonder and get a grip on yourself. Remember Shiva. Show
me your compassion and happily eat and rest. Along with Mainaka and the other
mountains, then go to Shankara's presence. O immensely intelligent one! Along
with these mountains, go and entreat Shiva. His lotus feet are worshipped by
large numbers of maharshis, gods and asuras. Along with the devas, bring him
here quickly." You agreed and swiftly did what he said. You ate and did
everything else that needed to be done. Then, with the sons of the mountain,
you went to the great-minded Shiva's presence.'""
""You saw Mahadeva,
surrounded by devas and others. You prostrated yourself and so did the devoted
and blazing mountains.
_____________
1018 Also
the name of a gandharva.
1019 Shiva.
O sage! I, Vishnu, all the devas,
along with Vasava and all of Rudra's followers questioned you. Seeing the
mountains, our minds were filled with suspicion. Mainaka, Sahya, Meru and the
others were adorned in many kinds of ornaments. The devas said, "O Narada!
O immensely wise one! We are surprised to see you. Did Himalaya treat you well?
Tell us in detail. Why have these excellent mountains come here? Mainaka,
Sahya, Meru and the others are extremely powerful and are bedecked with
ornaments. O Narada! Does the mountain wish to really bestow his daughter on
Bhava?
residence. We, the residents of
heaven, have doubts in our O son! Please tell us what is happening now in
Himalaya's minds. O one excellent in vows! That is the reason we are asking
you. Please tell us and remove our doubts." You heard the words spoken by
Vishnu and the other residents of heaven. O sage! You had been amazed by
Tvashtri's1020 maya and you now spoke to them. O sage! You took me
and Vishnu aside and spoke to us in these words. There was also Shachi's
consort, the lord of all the gods. Earlier, he had severed the wings of the
mountains. Narada said, "To confuse the residents of heaven, Tvashtri has
created distorted and artificial images. Though created with love, he desires
to bemuse all the gods. O Shachi's consort! Have you forgotten everything?
Earlier, you confused them and acted like a destroyer. 1021 There is
no doubt that the great-souled mountain wishes to defeat you in his house in
this way. I was confused by my radiant image. In that way, Vishnu, Brahma and
Shakra have also been created. O lord of devas! What is the need to speak a
lot? All the large number of devas have been artificially sketched out. Not a
single one has been left out. This has especially been done to bemuse all
devas. These artificial images have been constructed using maya and are meant
to laugh at us." Hearing these words, Indra of the devas was filled with
fear and trembled from head to foot. He immediately spoke to Vishnu Hari. Indra
of the devas said, "O lord of devas! O Rama's consort! Using this
deception, Tvashtri will kill me. He is tormented by grief on account of his
son. "1022 Hearing his words, Janardana, lord of devas, laughed. He
comforted Shakra with the following words. Vishnu said, "O Shachi's
consort! You have earlier been confused by your former enemies, the
nivatakavachas, 1023 They possessed the strength of their great
knowledge. O Vasava! Following my command, you sliced off the wings of Mount
Himalaya and all the other mountains. Remembering that, let the mountains now
show us their maya. Those foolish ones wish to vanquish us. But the immortals
should not be afraid. Shankara is affectionate towards his devotees, and he is
Ishvara for all of us. O Shakra! There is no doubt that he will ensure all is
well." He spoke in this way to Shakra, whose mind was agitated. Girisha
was following the customary practices of the world. Thus, at the time, he spoke
to Hari. Ishvara said, "O Hari! O lord of gods! What is this that you are
conversing with each other about?" O sage! Having said this, Mahesha
replied to you. "O Narada! Please state what the great mountain really
said. You should tell us everything that happened, not hiding anything. Does he
want to bestow the daughter of the mountain or does he not? Answer that
quickly. Having gone there, what did you see and do? O son! Tell us
everything." O sage! Seeing the divinity and addressed in this way by
Shambhu, _______________
1020 Vishvakarma's.
1021 With wings, mountains flew around,
causing a disturbance. Indra used his vajra to sever their wings. Henceforth,
they became stationary. Only Mainaka escaped this fate.
1022 Indra killed Vritra, Tvashtri's son.
1023 They
were descended from Prahlada's lineage and possessed powers of maya.
Eventually, they were destroyed by Arjuna.
you revealed all the mysterious
things you had seen in the pavilion. Narada replied, "O lord of devas! O
Mahadeva! Listen to my auspicious words. O lord! There is no impediment of any
kind to the marriage. The lord of mountains will certainly bestow his daughter
on you. There is no doubt that these mountains have come here to take you
there. However, to bemuse the immortals, a wonderful maya has been created. O
omniscient one! It excites curiosity but does not lead to any impediment. O
lord! Following his command, Vishvakarma, who possesses great maya, has
constructed a wonderful pavilion in his house. It is full of marvellous things.
To cause confusion, all the devas have been created there. On seeing that, I
was amazed and confused by the maya." O son! The lord was intent on
following the customary practices of the world. Hearing these words, Shambhu
was filled with delight. He laughed and spoke to all the gods. Ishvara said,
"Mount Himachala wishes to bestow his daughter on me. Therefore, what do I
have to do with this maya? O Vishnu! Please tell me the truth about this. O
Brahma! O Shakra! O sages! O gods! Tell me the truth. Since the mountain is
going to bestow his daughter, what do I have to do with this maya? Those who
are learned and know about good policy say that the objective must be
accomplished through whatever means. Therefore, with Vishnu leading the way, we
must proceed swiftly and accomplish the task." In this way, Shambhu, lord
of gods, conversed. He was overcome by Smara and behaved like an ordinary man
who has succumbed. At Shambhu's command, Vishnu and the other gods and the
great-souled rishis overcame their confusion and delusion. O sage! Placing you
and the mountains at the front, they proceeded. They were amazed to see the
extremely wonderful residence of Mount Himalaya. Vishnu and the others happily
arrived, along with their own companions. Having arrived in Himachala's city,
Hara rejoiced.""
"Brahma said, "The lord
of mountains heard that Girisha, who can go everywhere, had arrived on the
outskirts of his city. Himalaya was delighted at Isha's arrival. To welcome
Ishvara, he collected various objects. The mountain sent all the brahmanas with
these. Full of devotion, he himself went to see Ishvara, whom he loved more
than his own life. The mountain's mind was full of faith, and he happily
praised his own good fortune. Seeing the army of devas, Himalaya was amazed. He
advanced in front of him, thinking himself to be blessed. Seeing his great
army, devas were also filled with great wonder. Devas and mountains were both
delighted with each other. O sage! There was a great army of mountains and
another of devas. When they met, they were as radiant as the western and
eastern ocean. When devas and mountains met each other, both sides thought that
they had accomplished their objective and were filled with great joy. Seeing
Ishvara in front of him, Himalaya prostrated himself. All the mountains and
brahmanas prostrated themselves before Sadashiva. Astride his bull, he was
pleased. He was adorned with many kinds of ornaments. The radiance of his
divine form illuminated the directions. In an extremely delicate silken
garment, his body was radiant. His bejewelled crown shone. His smile spread
pure radiance. The serpents had become radiant ornaments on his limbs. His
divine form was resplendent and the immortals and lords among gods fanned him
with whisks. Achyuta stood on the lord's left and Daksha's father stood on the
lord's right. Indra stood behind him and the various gods were along his sides.
The gods praised the one who brought welfare to the worlds in various ways. He
was Sarvesha, the one who bestows boons. He was the brahman but had himself
assumed a body. He was saguna and nirguna. Showing compassion, he was
subservient to his devotees. He was beyond Purusha and Prakriti.
He was existence, consciousness and
bliss.""" The mountain saw Hari Achyuta to the right of the lord
1024 He was astride Vinata's son 1025 and was bedecked in
many ornaments. O sage! He saw me to the left of the lord. I was four-faced and
surrounded by my own companions, was radiant. He saw these two lords among
gods, always dear to Shiva. The lord of mountains and his companions lovingly
prostrated themselves. The supreme lord of mountains also saw the extremely
radiant devas and others behind Shiva and along the sides. He prostrated
himself. Following Shiva's command, the mountain returned to his own city. Hari
and all the sages and immortals followed him. Along with the lord, all the
sages and gods went to the mountain's city. O Narada! They rejoiced and praised
it in many kinds of ways. Himalaya instated devas and others on the beautiful
summit that had been created. He then went to the place where the altar had
been erected, following the norms. He had special quadrangles constructed, with
gates. He bathed, donated gifts and checked that everything was in order.
Himalaya, king of mountains sent his own sons to Shiva, along with Vishnu and
everyone else. With great festivities, he wished to ensure that the rites for
receiving the groom were performed. Along with all his relatives, the king of
mountains was extremely happy. The sons of the mountain and their relatives
went and prostrated themselves, informing him about the request of the lord of
the mountains. Obtaining his permission, the sons of the mountain returned to
their own residence. They happily informed the king of mountains that the
marriage party was coming. O sage! On hearing about the mountain's request,
Vishnu and the others, along with Ishvara, were filled with joy and rejoiced
greatly. The large number of gods and sages attired themselves properly. Along
with the lord, they got ready to leave for the residence of the king of
mountains. Meanwhile, Mena desired to see Shiva. O sage! She used you, supreme
among sages, to invite the lord. O sage! Dispatched by the lord, you went
there. You desired to fulfil the desire that was in Shiva's mind. O sage! Mena
was amazed in her mind. She prostrated herself before you and spoke. She said
that she wished to see the lord Shankara's form, the one that destroys
pride.'",
“Mena said, "O sage! I will
first see Girija's husband. What is Shiva's form, for which, she performed
those excellent austerities?""""
"Brahma said, 'O sage! She
lacked jnana. Therefore, along with you, she immediately went to the terrace.1026
Shiva got to know that there was ahamkara in her mind. The lord engages in
wonderful pastimes. O son! Therefore, he spoke to Vishnu and me. Shiva said,
"O sons! Taking devas with you, each of you go separately to the
mountain's gate. Follow my instruction. I will follow later." Hearing
this, Hari, along with me, summoned all the gods and told them about this.
____________________________
1024 Vishnu was to Shiva's left. But since
Himalaya was facing Shiva, Vishnu appeared on the right. This applies to Brahma
too.
1025 Garuda was Vinata's son.
1026 Chandrashala, a room on the top of the
house, from which, the moon can be seen.
Full of enthusiasm, they
immediately departed. O sage! Vishveshvara made Mena remain on the top of the
house, accompanied by you, so that she could see this and be bewildered in her
mind. O sage! At the time, Mena saw the extremely auspicious army. Having seen
it, she was generally delighted. The handsome and extremely fortunate
gandharvas arrived first. They were attired in excellent and sparkling garments
and wore many kinds of ornaments. They had many mounts and played on many kinds
of musical instruments. There were colourful flags, and they were accompanied
by large numbers of apsaras. She saw the supreme lord of the Vasus there. Mena
was delighted and exclaimed, "This must be Shiva." O supreme
amongrishis! You told her, "These are Shiva's attendants. This is not
Shiva, Shivaa's husband." Hearing this, Mena began to think, "Someone
superior to this! What will such a superior person look like?" Meanwhile,
she saw Manigriva1027 and the other yakshas. Their radiance was
double that of the Vasus. She saw their radiant lord, Manigriva. Delighted,
Mena said, "This must be Rudra, Shivaa's husband." You replied to the
mountain's wife, "This is not Rudra, Shivaa's husband. He is Shiva's
servant." Meanwhile, Vahni arrived, with a radiance that was twice that of
the yakshas. Seeing him, she said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's
husband." But you told her that this wasn't he. Meanwhile, Yama arrived,
with twice the radiance. Seeing him, Mena was delighted and said, "This
must be Rudra." You told her this wasn't he. Nirriti, the auspicious lord
of the punyajanas, arrived, with double the radiance. Seeing him, the delighted
Mena said, "This must be Rudra." You told her that this wasn't he.
Varuna arrived, with double the radiance. Seeing him, she said, "This must
be Rudra, Girija's husband." But you told her that this wasn't he. At that
time, Vayu arrived, with double the radiance. Seeing him, the delighted Mena
said, "This must be Rudra." But you told her that this wasn't he.
Dhanada, the resplendent lord of guhyakas, arrived, with double the radiance.
Seeing him, the delighted Mena said, "This must be Rudra." You told
her that this wasn't he. Ishana arrived, with double the radiance. Seeing him,
she said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's husband." You told her that
this wasn't he. At that time, Indra arrived, with double the radiance. He was
the lord of all the immortals. The lord of devas had many divine aspects.
Seeing him, Menaka said, "This must be Shankara." You told her,
"This is Shakra, lord of gods. This isn't he." At that time, Chandra
arrived, with double the radiance. Seeing him, she said, "This must be
Rudra." But you told her that this wasn't he. At that time, Surya arrived,
with double the radiance. Seeing him, she said, "This must be he."
But you told her that this wasn't he. Then Bhrigu and the other lords among
sages arrived. All of them were masses of energy and were with large numbers of
disciples. On seeing Vagisha 1028 in their midst, Menaka said,
"This must be Rudra, Girija's husband." But you told her that this
wasn't he. At that time, the splendid Brahma arrived, with a mass of energy. He
was being praised by the rishis and by his noble sons and was like dharma
personified. O sage! On seeing him, Mena was filled with great joy and said,
"This must be Shivaa's husband." But you told her that this wasn't
he. At that time, the divinity Vishnu arrived there. He was splendid all over.
He was handsome and four-armed and possessed a dark blue complexion, resembling
clouds. His charm was like that of one crore Kandarpas gathered together. He
was attired in yellow garments. He was his own ruler, and his eyes were like
the petals of lotuses. He was serene and his mount was the supreme Indra among
birds. He possessed a conch shell and the other signs. He was adorned with a
crown and other ornaments.
__________________
1027 Kubera's son.
1028 The
lord of speech, Brihaspati.
The srivatsa mark was on his chest.
Lakshmi's lord possessed a splendour that could not be measured. On seeing him,
her eyes were dazzled. Filled with great joy, she said, "This must be
Shivaa's husband. There can be no doubt that this is Shiva." Hearing
Menaka's words, you toyed with her and replied, "This isn't Shivaa's
husband. This is Keshava Hari. Shankara is the lord of every task. This one is
loved by him and obtains his rights because of that. Know that Shiva, Parvati's
husband, is a groom who is superior. O Mena! I am incapable of describing his
radiance. He is the lord of the entire universe. He is Sarveshvara and rules
himself." Hearing these words, Mena thought that her extremely auspicious
daughter was extremely fortunate and would bring great prosperity and happiness
to three lineages, 1029 Her mind was filled with joy and when she
spoke, her face was full of pleasure. She repeatedly described herself as
greatly fortunate. Mena said, "As a result of Parvati's birth, I have now
become blessed in every possible way. The lord of mountains has been blessed
now. Everything connected with me is blessed. I have seen devas and leaders who
are exceedingly radiant. The person who will be her husband is a lord over all
of them. Even if I try for one hundred years, how can I have the capacity to
describe her good fortune? Though I have not seen him yet, he is the lord over
all these." With her mind full of love and assurance, Mena spoke in this
way.'""
""At that time, the lord
Rudra, who does extraordinary things, arrived. O son! His own ganas were
extraordinary and robbed Mena of her pride. He showed himself in his own form,
without any maya. He was devoid of attachment and indifferent. O sage! O
Narada! On seeing him arrive, you showed Mena Shivaa's husband and spoke to her
with a great deal of affection. Narada said, "O beautiful one! Look. This
is Shankara himself. He is the one for whose sake Shivaa tormented herself
through austerities in the great and desolate forest." Thus addressed,
full of joy, Mena happily looked at the lord. Ishana's form was extraordinary
and those who followed him were even more extraordinary. Rudra's greatly
extraordinary army my arrived at the same time. There were bhutas, pretas and
others and many kinds of ganas. Some were in the form of winds. Others had
harsh tones and held flags. Some had crooked mouths, others were disfigured.
Some were cruel, with beards. Some were lame, others did not have eyes. Some
held staffs and nooses. Others held clubs in their hands. Some rode backwards
on their mounts. Others blew on horns. Some played on damarus, others played on
gomukhas,1030 Some had no faces, others had malformed faces. Some
ganas had many faces. Some had no hands, others had malformed hands. Some ganas
had many hands. Some had no eyes, others had many eyes. Some had no heads,
others had malformed heads. Some had no ears, others had many ears. The ganas
were attired in many kinds of garb. In this way, there were many powerful
ganas, with malformed figures. O son! Their number was innumerable, and they
were extremely valiant and awful. O sage! You used your finger to point out
Rudra's ganas to her. "O one with a beautiful face! Look at Hara's
servants and at Hara." O sage! On seeing the innumerable ganas, bhutas,
pretas and others, Menaka was immediately filled with great fear. Shankara was
in their midst. He was nirguna, but superior to those who possessed gunas. He
was astride a bull. He possessed five faces and three eyes, and his body was
smeared with ashes. He had matted hair and the crescent moon was on his
forehead. He possessed ten hands and held a skull.
___________________________
1029 Father's lineage, mother's lineage and
father-in-law's lineage.
1030 A kind of musical instrument.
His upper garment was the hide of a
tiger. The supreme Pinaka was in one hand. He wielded a trident, and his eyes
were malformed. His figure was malformed. His garment was an elephant's hide.
On seeing him, Shivaa's mother was terrified. She was stunned and started to
tremble. She was confused and agitated. You used your finger to point him out
and told her, "This is Shiva." As soon as she heard your words, she
became like a creeper struck down by the wind. Full of grief, the virtuous Mena
immediately fell down on the ground. "What is this disfigured form that I
have seen? I have been deceived by a wicked planet." Having said this,
Menaka immediately lost her senses. Her friends tended to her and made many
kinds of attempts to revive her. Gradually, Mena, loved by the lord of
mountains, regained her senses.
،،،Brahma
"Brahm rahma said, 'Mena, the virtuous lady loved by the mountain, got her
senses back. Agitated, she lamented and reprimanded everyone. Initially, she
repeatedly reprimanded her sons. Then she addressed her daughter in harsh
words. Mena said, "O sage! Earlier, you said that Shivaa would marry
Shiva. After that, you engaged Himalaya in performing rites of worship. The
fruits can truly be seen now. But they are perverse and harmful. O sage! O
evil-minded one! Since I have been deceived by you in every possible way, I am
an inferior person. She then tormented herself through austerities that are
difficult for even sages to follow. The fruits obtained as a result of that can
be seen here and they bring misery. What will I do? Where will I go? Who will
dispel my misery? My lineage has been destroyed. My life is harmful. Where are
those divine rishis? I will tear out their beards. Where is that cunning woman
who came here on her own, pretending to be an ascetic wife? Whose crime has led
to everything being destroyed for me?" Saying this, she looked at her
daughter and addressed her in bitter words. "O daughter! What have you
done? This is a wicked act that has brought grief to me. You have yourself
wickedly given away gold and brought a piece of glass instead. Having given up
sandalwood paste, you have smeared yourself in mud. You have made the swan fly
away and have clutched a crow in your hands. You have flung sanctified water
far away and drunk water from a well. You have cast aside the sun and have
carefully collected a firefly. You have thrown the rice away and are eating the
husk. Throwing away ghee, you are lovingly eating oil from a duck, 1031
You have freed yourself from serving a lion and are serving a jackal instead.
You have freed yourself from learning about the brahman and are listening to
wicked songs instead. There were extremely auspicious ashes from sacrifices at
home. O daughter! But you have flung them far away and have instead accepted
inauspicious ashes from funeral pyres. You have given up supreme devas, Vishnu
and other supreme lords. Instead, wicked in intelligence, you have performed
austerities for such a Shiva. Shame on your intelligence. Shame on your beauty
and conduct. Shame on the person who has instructed you. Shame on your friends.
O daughter! Shame on us, those who have given you birth. Shame on Narada's
intelligence. Shame on the saptarshis, who gave us wicked intelligence. Shame
on the lineage! Shame on the skill in performing sacrifices.
__________________
1031 The text has the word karanda, which
we have taken as karandava, duck. It is likely this is a typo for eranda, in
which case, she is having castor oil.
Shame on everything that you have
done. You have burnt down the house and that is like death to me. Let this king
of mountains not come near me. Let the saptarshis not show me their faces. What
have all of you accomplished together? You have destroyed the lineage. Why was
I not born barren? Why did my foetus not miscarry? Why did I not die? Why did
the daughter not die? Why did rakshasas from the sky not descend and devour
her? I will slice off your head now. What will I do with the bodies?1032
If I give you up, where will I go? Alas! My life has been destroyed."
Saying this, Mena fell down on the ground and lost her senses. Agitated and
suffering from grief and anger, she did not go to her husband. O lord among
sages! At that time, there were great lamentations."""
""One by one, all the
gods approached her. O sage! I myself arrived first. O supreme among rishis! On
seeing me, you spoke to her. Narada said, "You do not know about Shiva's
true handsome form. This is a form he has assumed in his pastimes. This is not
the real Shiva. O one devoted to your husband! Therefore, give up your anger
and gather yourself together. Give up this stubbornness and do what must be
done. Bestow Shivaa on Shiva." Hearing your words, Mena addressed you in
the following words. "O wicked one! Get up and go far away. You are worst
among those who are wicked." When she said this, Indra and all the other
devas and guardians of the world arrived and addressed her in these words. The
devas said, "O Mena! O daughter of the ancestors! Listen cheerfully to our
words. He is the supreme Shiva himself and brings supreme happiness. As a
result of your daughter's extremely intolerable austerities and because of his
compassion, Shambhu showed himself and bestowed a boon on her. He is affectionate
towards his devotees." Addressed by the gods in this way, Mena lamented
repeatedly. She said, "My daughter will not be bestowed on Girisha, who
possesses a fierce form. Why are all of you devas engaging in this deception,
so as to render her supreme beauty futile?" O lord among sages! When she
said this, the seven rishis, Vasishtha and others, arrived there and spoke to
her. The saptarshis said, "O daughter of the ancestors! O one loved by the
mountain! We have come here to accomplish a task. In this connection, how can
we possibly have a contrary view? The sight of Shankara is the greatest gain.
He has come to your house with a vessel for receiving alms." Though they
addressed her in this way, Mena paid no heed to the words of the sages. Weak in
jnana, she angrily replied to the rishis. Mena said, "I will slay her with
weapons, but I will not bestow her on Shankara. All of you should go far away
and should not come near me." Saying this, she immediately stopped. But
she was agitated and lamented. O sage! Great sounds of lamentation could be
heard there."""
""At this, the agitated
Himalaya arrived there. He lovingly tried to kindle her understanding, speaking
to her about true insight. Himalaya said, "O Mena! Listen to my words now.
O beloved! Why are you dejected? So many people have come to our house, and you
are reprimanding them. You do not know Shankara. You have seen this disfigured
form and are agitated. Shambhu has many forms. I know about Shankara. He is the
one who protects everyone. He is worshipped by those who are themselves
worshipped. He is the one who shows compassion. He is also the one who
chastises. O one whom I love more than my own life! O unblemished one! Do not
be stubborn. Get rid of your misery. O one excellent in vows! Get up and do the
tasks that must be undertaken.
___________________
1032 In the plural, implying that Mena
would also die.
Earlier, Shambhu arrived at our
door, assuming a disfigured form. Let me remind you. He indulged in many
pastimes. On seeing his supreme greatness, you and I agreed to bestow our
daughter on him. O queen! O beloved! We have given our pledge and must fulfil
it." O sage! Her husband, the mountain, said this and stopped. Hearing
these words, Shivaa's mother, Mena, replied to Himalaya. Mena said, "O
lord! You should listen to my words and act accordingly. Seize our daughter
Parvati and bind her by the throat. Without any hesitation, fling her down. She
will not be given to Hara. O husband! Alternatively, go with our daughter to
the ocean. O lord of mountains! Submerge her there, abandon her and be happy. O
husband! If you give our daughter to the malformed Rudra, I will certainly give
up my own body." Hearing Mena's stubborn words, Parvati herself arrived
and addressed her in these charming words. Parvati said, "O mother! Your
intelligence has turned perverse, and it brings what is inauspicious. You
should seek support in dharma. Why are you giving up dharma? This Rudra has no
one else who is superior. He is himself Ishvara and everything flows from him.
Shambhu is beautiful in form. He bestows happiness. He is described in all the
shruti texts. Mahesha Shankara rules himself and is the lord of all devas. O
mother! He has many forms and is addressed through many names. Hari, Brahma and
the others serve him. The lord is the foundation for everything. He is the
creator and the destroyer. He has no transformations. He is lord of the three
divinities. He is indestructible and eternal. It is for him that all the devas
have come here, as servants. They are engaged in festivities at your gate. What
can be greater happiness than that? Get up and make efforts to make your life
successful. Bestow me on Shiva and make your own ashrama1033
successful. O mother! Bestow me on Paramesha Shankara. O mother! Please accept
him. I am humbly requesting you. If you do not bestow me on him, I will not
accept another groom. How can a jackal, which deceives others, receive a share
meant for a lion? O mother! In thoughts, words and deeds and through what I
have heard, I have myself chosen Hara. That being the case, you can do what you
wish." Hearing Shivaa's words, Mena, loved by the lord of mountains,
lamented a lot. Extremely angry, she gnashed her teeth and seized her body,
beating her with her fists and knees. Agitated and full of rage, she struck her
daughter. O son! O sage! The rishis and others who were there rescued her from
her hands and took her far away."""
""She repeatedly censured
them and her own destiny. She spoke and made them hear all the wicked words
once again. Mena said, "See what I, Mena, will do to the wicked Parvati,
who has been seized by an evil planet. I will give her virulent poison. I will
certainly throw her into a well. Alternatively, I will use shastras and astras
to slice Kali into bits. I will indeed submerge my own daughter, Parvati in the
ocean. Otherwise, I will cast aside my own body. It will not be otherwise. I
will not bestow my daughter, Durga, on Shambhu, who has a malformed figure.
What kind of a terrible groom has the wicked one obtained? Everyone is laughing
at me, the mountain and the lineage. He has no mother, father or brother. He
has no relatives, or anyone from the same gotra. He possesses neither beauty,
nor cleverness. He does not have a house or anything else. He doesn't possess garments
or ornaments. There is no one who is his aide. He doesn't possess an auspicious
mount. He is not young, nor does he have riches. He has no purity or learning.
What kind of a body does he possess? It causes affliction. What do I see that I
should bestow my extremely auspicious daughter on him?"
_____________________
1033 As a householder.
In this way, Menaka lamented a lot,
in many kinds of ways. O sage! Overwhelmed by grief and sorrow, she
wept."""
"After this, I came there and
spoke to Menaka, telling her about Shiva's excellent tattva, so that her great
ignorance might be dispelled. Brahma said, "O Mena! Listen cheerfully to
my auspicious words. If you listen to this lovingly, your wicked intelligence
will be destroyed. Shankara is the creator, preserver and destroyer of the
world. Since you do not know about his form, why are you suffering from this
sorrow? The lord has many names and forms and engages in many kinds of
pastimes. He rules himself and is the lord over everything. He is the lord of
maya and there is no alternative to him. O Mena! Understand this and bestow
Shivaa on Shiva. Give up this wicked stubbornness and evil ignorance. It
destroys all tasks." Thus addressed by me, Mena lamented repeatedly. O
sage! Without the least bit of shame, she addressed me in these words. Mena
said, "O Brahma! Why do you wish to render her great and supreme beauty
futile? Why don't you kill this Shivaa yourself? You should not speak to me
about bestowing her on Shiva. I will not bestow my own daughter, whom I love
more than my own life, on Shiva." O great sage! When she said this, Sanaka
and the other siddhas arrived there.
Extremely affectionately, they
addressed her in the following words. The siddhas said, "He is the supreme
Shiva himself, the one who bestows supreme happiness. Out of compassion towards
your daughter, the lord showed himself to her." Lamenting repeatedly, Mena
replied, "I will not bestow her on Girisha, who is fierce in form. Why are
all of you siddhas trying to deceive, seeking to render her supreme beauty
futile?” O sage! When I heard her words, I was amazed. All the devas, siddhas,
rishis and humans were surprised. At that time, hearing about her great and
firm stubbornness, Vishnu, loved by Shiva, arrived there and spoke to her. Vishnu
said, "You are the beloved daughter of the ancestors, born through their
mental powers. You possess all the qualities. You are the wife of Himalaya,
directly born in Brahma's excellent lineage. Your aides are like him. 1034
In this world, you are blessed. What more can I say? You are the foundation of
dharma. How is it that you are giving up dharma? Can devas, rishis, Brahma or I
say anything that is contrary? You should reflect on this. You do not know
about Shiva, who is both nirguna and saguna. He is both disfigured and
handsome. He is served by everyone and is the objective of the virtuous. He is
the one who has created Devi Prakriti Ishvari, the foundation. On her side, he
has also created Purushottama. Along with them, Brahma and I have forms that
are based on gunas. To ensure the welfare of the worlds, Rudra has himself take
an avatara. The Vedas, devas and everything that is seen in the universe,
mobile and immobile, originated from him. Everything was created from Shankara.
Who can describe his form? Who knows it? Brahma and I cannot reach him.
Everything that can be seen in the universe, from a blade of grass to Brahma,
know that all this is Shiva. There is no need to reflect on this. In his own
pastimes, he has descended in this form that can be seen. He has come to your
door because of the power of Shivaa's austerities. O Himalaya's wife!
Therefore, cast aside your grief and serve Shiva. You will obtain great bliss
and all your hardships will be destroyed." O sage! In this way, understanding
was formed in Menaka's mind. Instructed by Vishnu, her mind turned softer. But
she did not give up her stubborn view that she would not bestow her daughter on
Hara. Mena did not accept the idea because she was confounded by Shiva's maya.
__________________
1034 Brahma.
Having understood a little, Mena,
loved by the mountain, spoke to Hari. Hearing Vishnu's beautiful words,
Girija's mother said, "I will bestow my daughter if his form is beautiful.
Otherwise, even if one crore of different attempts are made, it will not
happen. I have told you about my firm and true words." Firm in her vows,
Mena spoke these words and was silent. The blessed one was goaded by Shiva's
wishes, which confound everyone.'""
“Brahma said, 'O sage! At this
time, urged by Vishnu, you quickly went to Shambhu's presence, so as to make
his inclinations favourable. Having gone there, to make Rudra understand and
wishing to accomplish the task of devas, you praised him with many kinds of hymns.
Hearing those words, Shambhu was pleased. Displaying his compassion, he assumed
a divine, excellent, wonderful and handsome form. Shambhu's beautiful form
surpassed that of Manmatha's and was full of great charm. O sage! On seeing
this, you were greatly delighted. Full of great joy, you praised him with many
kinds of hymns. O sage! You then returned to the place where Mena and all the
others were. O sage! You were full of great joy and overwhelmed with supreme
love. Having gone there, you delighted Mena, the mountain's wife, with the
following words. Narada said, "O Mena! O large-eyed one! Behold Shiva's
excellent form. Full of compassion and out of pity for you, Shiva has created
this." Hearing those words, Mena, loved by the mountain, was astounded.
She saw Shiva's supreme form, one that bestowed bliss. It was beautiful in all
the limbs and resembled one crore suns. There were colourful garments, and he
was adorned in many kinds of ornaments. He was greatly pleased and possessed an
excellent smile. He was agreeable and enchanting. He was fair in complexion and
resplendent. He was adorned with the lines of the moon. All the large number of
devas, Vishnu and others cheerfully served him. The sun held an umbrella over
his head and the moon made him radiant. He was handsome in every possible way.
He was adorned with ornaments. It was impossible to describe the great radiance
of his mount. Ganga and Yamuna fanned him with whisks. In front of him, the
eight siddhis performed an excellent dance. Vishnu, I, Indra and the other
immortals attired ourselves in our respective excellent garments and followed
Girisha. Ganas, with many different forms, exclaimed "Victory". They
were ornamented and rejoicing greatly, walked in front of Girisha. Extremely happy,
siddhas, minor gods, the extremely delighted sages and all the others, walked
with Shiva. Devas and all the others were full of wonder. Along with their own
ornamented wives, they sang about the supreme brahman. In front of him,
Vishvavasu and others, along with large numbers of apsaras, sang about
Shankara's supreme fame. O supreme among sages! In this way, there were many
great festivities there and Mahesha reached the gate of the mountain's
house."""
""O lord among sages! Who
is capable of describing the special radiance of the paramatman then? Seeing
him in that form, for a while, Mena became as still as a picture. O sage! Full
of joy, she then spoke these words. Mena said, "My daughter is blessed. She
has tormented herself through great austerities. Through the powers of those,
Mahesha has reached my house. Earlier, I used intolerable words to criticize
Shiva. O Shivaa's husband! Please pardon those and be pleased with me
now." In this way, Mena spoke to and praised the one who wears the moon on
his forehead. The mountain's beloved joined her hands in salutation and
prostrated herself. She was full of shame. Giving up whatever they wished to be
engaged in, a large number of women gathered there. These residents of the city
emerged outside their homes, wishing to see Shiva. A lady was bathing and
emerged, still holding the powder used for the bath. She was extremely eager to
see Shankara, Girija's groom. Another was engaged in serving her husband and, along
with her friend, abandoned that task. Full of affection and eager to see
Shambhu, she arrived, still holding the whisk in her hand. Another was lovingly
engaged in feeding a child milk from her breast. Though the child was still not
content, eager to see Shankara, she abandoned it and came. Another was still
tying the cord around her girdle and came holding it. Yet another came, wearing
her garment back to front. A beloved had sat down to eat his food, but the wife
left him and came. She was full of eagerness and curiosity to see Shiva, the
groom. Another wife held the stick she had used to apply collyrium in her hand.
Though she had applied it to only one eye, she left, to see the groom of the
mountain's daughter. Another beautiful lady was applying lac dye to her feet.
Hearing the sound, she gave that up and came, eager to see. In this way, the
women abandoned various tasks and their houses and arrived. Beholding
Shankara's beauty, they were confounded. They were agitated and full of love,
delighted at having seen Shiva. They fixed his image in their hearts and spoke
these words. The women who resided in the city said, "The eyes of the
residents of the city have been rendered successful. Since we have seen this
form, our births have been rendered successful. A person's birth and a person's
rites are successful only if he directly sees Shiva, the one who destroys every
sin. Having undertaken austerities for Shiva, Parvati has accomplished
everything. She is blessed and has accomplished every objective. Shivaa has
obtained Shiva as a husband. If Brahma had not happily united this couple of
Shiva and Shivaa, all his efforts would have been in vain. Since he has united
this excellent couple, he has done well. All the various tasks have all been
rendered successful. Without austerities, it is impossible for men to see
Shambhu. Having seen Shankara, all of us have accomplished our objectives. In
ancient times, Lakshmi obtained Narayana as her husband. In that way, by
obtaining Hara, Devi Parvati has now been adorned. Sarasvati obtained Brahma as
her husband. In that way, by obtaining Hara, Devi Parvati has now been adorned.
All of us, men and women, are supreme and blessed. We have seen Sarvesha
Shankara, Girija's husband." Uttering these words, they used sandalwood
paste and akshata to worship Shiva. They lovingly showered him with puffed
rice. All the women who were eagerly waiting with Mena described the fortunes
of Mena and the mountain as exceedingly great. O sage! Hearing such auspicious
words used by the women in their descriptions, the lord, Vishnu and everyone
else rejoiced."""
“Brahma said, 'Shambhu was pleased
in his mind. Along with the bhutas, his ganas and the gods, he eagerly went to
the mountain's residence. Mena, loved by the supreme among mountains, went
inside the house, along with the large number of women. To perform nirajana 1035
to Shambhu, the virtuous lady prepared vessels with lights. Along with all the
wives of the rishis, she affectionately arrived at the gate. Mahesha Shankara,
Girija's groom, arrived there, served by all the gods. On seeing him, Mena was
happy.
_________________
1035 Waving of lights, the same as
niranjana.
His complexion was as beautiful as
that of a champaka flower. He only had one face, with three eyes. His face was
pleased, and he seemed to be smiling a little. He was adorned in gold and
jewels. He wore a garland of malati flowers and a blazing bejewelled crown. He
was ornamented with an excellent necklace and beautiful bracelets and bangles.
He was attired in two beautiful and delicate garments, purified in the fire.
They were wonderful, priceless and radiant. Because of sandalwood paste, aguru,
kasturi and kumkuma, his body was charming. He held a bejewelled mirror in his
hand and his eyes shone with collyrium. He was extremely enchanting, spreading
his own radiance everywhere. He was exceedingly young and beautiful, his limbs
adorned with ornaments. He was best among all those loved by women. His lotus
face resembled one crore moons. He was handsome in all his limbs and his image
surpassed that of one crore Smaras. Mena saw this excellent divinity standing
in front of her residence. Seeing her son-in-law, she forgot her grief and was
filled with joy. She praised her own good fortune, that of Girija's and the
mountain's lineage. Mena regarded herself to have been successful and rejoiced
repeatedly. With a delighted face, the virtuous lady performed the nirajana.
After this, Mena happily gazed at her son-in-law. Remembering what Girija had
said, Mena was filled with wonder. Her delighted face resembling a blossoming
lotus, she remembered those words in her mind. "I can see the beauty of
Paramesha as he stands in front of me, and it is far more than what Parvati
told me then. Mahesha's present great charm cannot be described in words."
Surprised in this way, Mena entered her own house again. Some other maidens
proclaimed that he was blessed, some that the mountain's daughter was blessed.
Some said that Durga had now become Bhagavati. "As far as we know, such a
groom has never been seen." Other maidens said, "Devi Girija is
blessed." The best among gandharvas sang and large numbers of apsaras
danced. Beholding Shankara's form, all the devas were delighted. Many kinds of
musical instruments, with melodious notes, were sounded. Many kinds of artistes
lovingly played on these. Himachala rejoiced and performed all the rites that
must be undertaken at the door. Mena and all the women engaged in great
festivities. Asking about the welfare of the others, she cheerfully went inside
her own residence. With the ganas and immortals, Shiva went to the place
earmarked for him."""
""Meanwhile, the women in
the mountain's inner quarters took Durga outside the house, so that she might
worship the divinity of the lineage. 1036 Without blinking, devas
happily gazed at her. Her complexion was like that of blue collyrium, and all
her limbs were adorned with ornaments. Ignoring the steadfast glances of
others, her eyes were fixed on the three-eyed one. As the beautiful one cast a
sidelong glance, there was a faint smile on her happy face. Her beautiful hair
was gathered up in a heavy bun that was decorated with flowers. Along with a
dot made out of kasturi, she was decorated with a dot made out of sindura.
There was a radiant and bejewelled necklace that hung over her breasts. She
wore armlets made out of jewels and also bangles made out of jewels. The shine
from her bejewelled earrings made her beautiful cheeks even more lustrous. She
possessed beautiful teeth and there was the radiance of gems and jewels on her
hands. There was red lac on her lips and her lower lip was like a sweet bimba
fruit. There was a bejewelled mirror in her hand, and she playfully held a
lotus. Her body was smeared with sandalwood paste, aguru, kasturi and kumkuma.
Her feet had the sounds of anklets, and the soles of her feet were red.
__________________
1036 Kuladevata.
On seeing Devi, the origin of the
universe and the one from whom the universe originated, all the gods and others
were filled with devotion and lowered their heads before her and Menaka. The
three-eyed one saw her through the corners of his eye and was delighted. Having
seen Sati's form, Shiva gave up the anxiety that resulted from separation. With
his eyes fixed on Shivaa, Shiva forgot everything else. As he glanced joyously
at Gouri, all his body hair stood up in joy. Kali went outside the city and
worshipped Ambika, the divinity of the lineage. Along with the brahmana women,
she then entered her father's beautiful residence. Along with the gods, Hari
and brahmanas, Shankara also happily went to the place indicated by Himachala.
There, everyone happily served Shankara. The lord of the mountains honoured
them with many kinds of riches.""
"Brahma said, 'Rejoicing, the
supreme mountain used 'B mantras from the Vedas Vedas to enthusiastically have
sacred threads prepared for Durga and Shiva. Requested by Himachala, Vishnu and
other devas and sages eagerly entered the mountain's residence. They properly
performed the rites mentioned in the shruti texts and the rites followed on
earth. Shivaa was ornamented with ornaments given by Shiva. She was first
bathed and then bedecked with all the ornaments. Her friends and the wives of
brahmanas performed nirajana rites. The one with the beautiful complexion was
radiant in a pair of new garments. The great mountain's daughter, loved by
Shankara, was resplendent. Her kanchuki1037 was wonderful, supreme
and divine, with many jewels. O sage! When Devi wore that, she became even more
radiant. She wore a divine necklace, studded with gems. Her extremely expensive
bangles were made out of pure gold. The extremely fortunate one stood there,
meditating on Shiva in her mind. The daughter of the great mountain, the mother
of the three worlds, was resplendent. Both the sides happily engaged in great
festivities. Others were given many kinds of great articles. There were Many
kinds of pure objects, were donated to brahmanas. Other were given many kinds
of festivities and amusement, with singing and the playing of musical
instruments. Vishnu, I, Vidhatri, Shakra and the immortals and the sages were
filled with joy and immensely happy, participated in all the festivities.
Remembering Shiva's lotus feet, they devotedly prostrated themselves before
Shivaa. Having taken leave from Mount Himalaya, they returned to their own
respective places."""
"Meanwhile, Garga, skilled in
the sacred texts of jyotisha, addressed Himalaya, Indra among mountains, in
these words. Garga said, "O Himachala! O lord of the earth! O lord! For
the sake of accepting the hand, please bring Shambhu, Kali's lord and husband,
to your own home." The mountain thus got to know that the right time for
bestowing his daughter had arrived. When Garga told him this, his mind was
exceedingly happy. Rejoicing greatly and desiring to bring Shiva there, the
mountain sent mountains, brahmanas and others. The mountains and brahmanas held
auspicious objects in their hands. In the midst of the festivities, they went
to the spot where the divinity Maheshvara was. At that time, many musical
instruments were played and there were repeated chants of the brahman. With
great enthusiasm, there was singing and dancing.
_____________________
1037 A woman's upper garment, a bodice.
Hearing the sounds of the musical
instruments, all Shankara's servants, along with devas and rishis, happily
stood up simultaneously. Full of joy in their minds, they spoke to each other.
"Desiring to take Shiva, the mountains have arrived here. There is no
doubt that the time for accepting the hand has arrived. We think that the time
for our great good fortune is imminent. In particular, we are blessed that we
will certainly witness the marriage of Shiva and Shivaa. This will bring great
enjoy and ensure everything auspicious for the world." In these ways,
those affectionate conversations took place. The ministers of the Indra among
mountains arrived. They went and requested Shiva, Vishnu and the others, since
the right time for bestowing the daughter had arrived and it was time to go. O
sage! Hearing this, all the gods, Vishnu and all the others, were extremely
happy in their minds. Addressed to the mountain, they uttered words of
"Victory". Desiring to obtain Kali, Shiva was also extremely happy.
However, he kept these wonderful signs hidden in his mind. The wielder of the
trident was extremely delighted. He used all the auspicious articles to bathe
himself, so as to show compassion to the worlds. He bathed and attired himself
in excellent garments. He was surrounded by all the others. He mounted himself
on the shoulders of the bull and was served by the guardians of the worlds.
With the lord in front, all of them left for the residence of Mount Himalaya.
Many musical instruments were enthusiastically played. Brahmanas sent by
Himalaya and those excellent mountains proceeded ahead of Shambhu, full of joy.
A great umbrella was held aloft his head. Maheshvara was fanned with whisks and
a canopy was held above his head. I, Vishnu, Indra and the guardians of the
world went on ahead, extremely radiant, handsome and brilliant. Conch shells,
kettledrums, patahas, anakas and gomukhas were repeatedly played.1038
In the great festivities, many musical instruments were played. All the singers
sang supremely auspicious chants. Following many kinds of tala, all the dancers
danced. The radiant Paramesha is the only friend the universe possesses. He
proceeded with them and was served by all the lords among gods, who happily
showered down flowers over him. Worshipped in this way, Shambhu entered the
sacrificial pavilion. While he was still outside, Parameshvara was praised. The
supreme mountains made Mahesha descend from the bull. Extremely happy, amidst
those great festivities, they took him inside the house. When Ishvara arrived,
along with devas and ganas, Himalaya devotedly prostrated himself before him.
He followed the norms and performed nirajana. Amidst the great festivities, he
prostrated himself before all the gods and sages. He joyfully praised his own
good fortune and honoured them. He offered padya and arghya to Achyuta and
Ishana and took the foremost among devas inside his own residence. In the
middle of the arena, he made all of them, especially Vishnu, me and Isha, sit
on bejeweled thrones. Along with her friends, Mena, the brahmana women and
other women from the city happily performed nirajana. The learned priest
offered madhuparka and other things to the great-souled Shankara and happily
did everything else that was necessary. O sage! Proposed and urged by me, the
priest carried out all the auspicious rites and extremely delighted, made him
enter inside the altar prepared by Himalaya. The bride, Parvati, was already
there, adorned in every kind of ornament. The slender-limbed one was extremely
radiant, seated on the altar. Along with me and Vishnu, Mahadeva was taken
there. Noticing that the auspicious lagna for bestowing the bride was arriving,
Brihaspati and the other priests were extremely delighted. Garga was seated at
the place where the clock 1039 was kept.
__________________
1038 Pataha and anaka are different types
of drums.
1039 Ghatika,
some instrument for measuring time.
Until the exact time arrived,
Pranava mantra was chanted. Garga announced that the auspicious moment had
arrived. Filling his cupped hands with akshata, he showered these on Parvati
and Shiva. With a beautiful face, Parvati worshipped Rudra with excellent
curds, akshata, kusha and water. She glanced intently at Shambhu, for whom, she
had earlier performed supreme austerities. Shivaa was extremely happy and
radiant. Shambhu was devoted to following worldly practices. O sage! Therefore,
urged by me, Garga and the sages, he worshipped Shivaa. In this way, Parvati
and Parameshvara, who pervade the universe, worshipped each other and were
resplendent. With all the prosperity of the three worlds in them, they looked
nirajana. After this, the brahmana women and the women at each other. Lakshmi
and the other women performed special from the city performed nirajana. They
looked at Shivaa and Shambhu and were delighted. There were great festivities.”
“Brahma said, 'At this time, urged
by the acharya Garga, Himalaya, along with Mena, started the arrangements for
bestowing the bride. The immensely fortunate Mount Himalaya was attired in
excellent garments and ornaments. He and Mena held a golden pot, each on one
side. Along with his own priest, the delighted mountain offered padya and other
things to the groom, accepting him with garments, sandalwood and ornaments.
Himalaya asked the brahmanas to mention the tithi, pronouncing that the time
for bestowal had arrived. Agreeing to this, the excellent brahmanas, all of
whom knew about time, announced the tithi and said that the excellent moment
had arrived."""
""In his heart, Himachala
was full of affection towards Shambhu. Goaded by this, he smiled and spoke to
Paresha Shambhu. "O Shambhu! Please state your own gotra, pravara,1040
lineage, name and the branch of the Vedas you are associated with it. Please do
not delay." Hearing Himachala's words, Shankara immediately turned his
face away. Though he never suffers from sorrow, he was immersed in grief. The
best among gods, sages, noble gandharvas, yakshas and large numbers of siddhas
saw that no reply issued from his mouth. O Narada! At the time, you did
something that should be laughed at. O Narada! You know about the brahman. Your
mind is fixed on Shambhu. But Shiva must have goaded your mind. You picked up
your veena and started to play. The intelligent Indra among mountains, Vishnu,
I and all the devas and sages tried to restrain you. But you were stubborn.
Since this was Shankara's will, you did not desist. The mountain said,
"Please do not play the veena now." O devarshi! O learned one! Though
you were restrained in this way, you were stubborn. Remembering Maheshvara, you
replied to the lord of mountains. Narada said, "You are foolish and do not
know anything. Your face is turned excessively outwards, and you have spoken
about Mahesha. You have asked Hara himself to state his gotra. On this
occasion, such words should be laughed at a lot. O mountain! Vishnu, Brahma and
others do not know about his gotra, lineage and name. What need be said about
others? O mountain! During one of his days, one crore Brahmas are destroyed.
Through the strength of her austerities, Kali saw this Shankara. He is the
supreme brahman and has no form.
_____________________
1040 Within a gotra, pravara is the line of
descent from a particular rishi. A gotra will have several such pravaras.
He is nirguna and is superior to
Prakriti. He has no form and has no transformations. He is the lord of maya. He
is greater than the greatest. He has no gotra, lineage or name. He rules himself
and is affectionate towards his devotees. When he wishes to be saguna, he
assumes many bodies and names. He has an excellent gotra, but he possesses no
gotra. He comes from a noble lineage, but he possesses no lineage. There is no
doubt that he has become your son-in-law now because of Parvati's austerities.
Through his pleasures and pastimes, all mobile and immobile objects are
deluded. O supreme among mountains! Even a wise person does not know Shiva.
When Mahesha assumed the form of a lingam, Brahma could not see the head.
Vishnu went to the nether regions and was astounded when he could not see the
feet. O best among mountains! What is the need to speak a lot? Shiva's maya is
impossible to understand. The three worlds, Hari, Brahma and the others, are
subject to it. O Shivaa's father! Therefore, you must make efforts to reflect
on this properly. You should not have the least bit of doubt about the groom
who has been chosen." O sage! You possess jnana and carry out Shiva's
wishes. Having said this, you spoke again to the Indra among mountains,
delighting the mountain. Narada said, "O son! O great mountain! O Shivaa's
father! Listen to my words. Hearing them, bestow your daughter, Devi, on
Shankara. In his pastimes, Mahesha assumes a saguna form. Know that nada is his
gotra and lineage. It is true that Shiva is full of nada and nada is full of
Shiva. There is no difference between nada and Shiva. O Indra among mountains!
At the beginning of creation, nada emerged first. In his pastimes, he assumed
the saguna form later. Hence, nada is superior to that form of Shiva. O
Himalaya! Sarveshvara Shankara urged my mind. Goaded by him, I played on the
veena then." O sage! Hearing your words, Himalaya, the lord of mountains,
was content. Bewilderment vanished from his mind.'""
"""Vishnu and other
gods and the sages also lost their sense of wonder. All of them praised those
words. All those discriminating ones comprehended Maheshvara's depth. Amazed
and rejoicing greatly, they spoke to each other. "This entire extensive
universe has been created as a result of his will. He is greater than the
greatest. He can alone understand his form. Sharva rules over his own progress.
He can only be approached through supreme sentiments. He is the lord of the
three worlds. We have seen that now." Meru and the other excellent
mountains were filled with fear. In one voice, they spoke to Himalaya, lord of
the mountains. The mountains said, "O lord of mountains! Do not budge from
the decision you announced, of bestowing your daughter. Do not destroy your
deeds. We are speaking the truth. There is no need to hesitate about this.
Bestow your daughter on Ishvara." Himalaya heard the words spoken by his
well-wishers. Urged by Vidhatri, he decided to bestow his daughter on Shiva. "O
Parameshvara! I am bestowing this maiden on you. O lord over everything! Be
pleased and accept her as your wife." Using the mantra 'tasmai Rudraya
mahate', 1041 Himalaya bestowed his daughter Parvati, the origin of
the three worlds. The mountain placed Shivaa's hand on Shiva's hand. His mind
was delighted, like the wish of crossing over a great ocean being fulfilled.
Parameshvara was pleased. Reciting mantras from the Vedas, Girisha quickly
accepted Girija's hand, which was like a lotus, in his own hand. O sage! He
touched the ground and chanted, "kamasya kodat" 1042
Shankara happily read this and showed the world the path to follow.
_______________________
1041 To the great Rudra.
1042 This
is a mantra from Vajasaneyi Samhita. 7.48 states 'ko adat kosma adat kamo
yadať. Loosely translated, 'Who bestowed it? Who was it bestowed on? Kama
bestowed it, it was bestowed on Kama. Kama is the giver and the receiver.’
There were great festivities
everywhere, conducive to happiness. Sounds of "Victory" arose on
ground, the firmament and heaven. Delighted, everyone uttered words of applause
and obeisance. The gandharvas happily sang. Large numbers of apsaras danced.
The minds of Himachala's citizens were delighted. There were great eat and
exceedingly auspicious festivities. I, Vishnu, Shakra, the immortals and all
the sages were delighted, and our happy faces resembled lotuses in bloom.
Extremely happy, Himachala, supreme among mountains, bestowed not only his
daughter, but appropriate gifts on Shiva. His relatives devotedly worshipped
Shivaa and following the rules, gave Shiva and Shivaa many kinds of objects. O
lord among sages! Himalaya's mind was content. For the pleasure of Parvati and
Shiva, he gave them many kinds of objects. He gave him objects for amusement and
many kinds of jewels. There were wonderful jewels and many kinds of vessels.
There were one hundred thousand cows and one hundred harnessed horses. There
were one hundred thousand devoted servant maids and articles and ornaments. O
sage! He gave one hundred thousand each of elephants and chariots that were
inlaid with gold and decorated with jewels. In this way, Himalaya bestowed his
daughter, Girija Shivaa on Shiva Paramesha, in accordance with the rules. He
was successful in his objective. The best among mountains joined his hands in
salutation and using excellent words, used the madhyandina hymns 1043
to happily praise Paramesha. Instructed by him, the large number of sages,
knowledgeable about the Vedas, cheerfully sprinkled Shivaa's head with water.
Uttering the names of the divinity, they performed the paryukshana rites. 1044
O sage! There were great festivities and they brought great
joy."""
"Brahma said, 'Following my
command, the brahmanas kindled a fire, offered oblations and placed Parvati on
Ishvara's lap. To the sound of hymns from Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda,
Shiva offered oblations into the fire. Kali's brother, known as Mainaka, poured
parched grain into her cupped hands.1045 O son! After this,
following the customary practices of the world, Kali and Shiva happily
performed pradakshina of the fire."""
"At the time, Girija's husband
performed a wonderful act. O devarshi! Hear about it. Out of affection, I will
tell you about it. At the time, I was confounded by Shiva's maya. I glanced at
Devi's feet and saw her beautiful toenails, shaped like the crescent moon. O
divine sage! As soon as I saw them, my mind was extremely agitated, and I was
overwhelmed by desire. Deluded by Smara, I repeatedly stared at her limbs. As
soon as I looked, my semen oozed out and fell down on the ground. When the
semen oozed out, I, the grandfather, was ashamed. O sage! I pressed my penis
with my feet and tried to keep this a secret. O Narada! However, Mahadeva got
to know and became exceedingly angry. He instantly wanted to kill Vidhatri, who
had been deluded by Kama. O Narada! There were great lamentations everywhere.
Everyone trembled. The one who preserves the universe was also filled with
fear. O sage! Vishnu and the other immortals sought to pacify Shambhu.
___________________
1043 Madhyandina is a branch of Shukla
Yajur Veda. More specifically, Himalaya probably chanted from the Vajasaneyi
Samhita.
1044 In paryukshana, water is sprinkled all
around the spot, but silently, without uttering any mantras.
1045 The bride offers these into the fire,
while the groom recites hymns.
As he got ready to kill, he blazed
in rage and energy. The devas said, "O lord of devas! O one who pervades
the universe! O Paramesha! O Sadashiva! O lord of the universe! O Jagannatha! O
one who is everywhere in the universe! Please be pacified. Your atman is behind
all sentiments. You, Ishvara, are the cause. You are without transformations.
You do not decay. You are eternal. You are without a second. You are without
destruction. You are supreme. You are the beginning, the middle and the end. I,
and everything else, has flowed from you. You are without decay. You are
eternal. You are truth. You are the brahman. You are consciousness. Those who
are firm in their vows and desire emancipation, serve your lotus feet. Sages
worship you and rid themselves of fear and attachment. You are the brahman. You
are complete. You are amrita. You are devoid of sorrow. You are nirguna and
supreme. You are only bliss, without any anxiety. There is no transformation in
your atman. You are the cause behind the universe, leading to its creation,
preservation and destruction. You are beyond it. You are the lord of atmans. O
lord! You are always impartial. You are one. You are existence and
non-existence. You have no duality. Whether it is gold, or an object fashioned
out of gold, there is no difference in the essential object. In their
ignorance, people think that there is an alternative to you. Therefore, the best
counter to this is to meditate on you, without a form. O Mahesha! As soon as we
have seen you, we have been blessed. O Shambhu! You bestow bliss on people who
are firm in their devotion. Please show us your compassion. You are the
original atman, without an origin. You are beyond Prakriti. You are Purusha.
You are Vishveshvara Jagannatha. You are without transformation. You are
greater than the greatest. O one whose form is the universe! This Brahma, the
grandfather, is your rajas form. O lord! Through your favours, Purushottama
Vishnu is your sattva form. Rudra, the fire of destruction, is your tamas form.
You are the paramatman, beyond the gunas. You are Sadashiva Mahesha. You are
the Maheshvara who pervades everything. You are manifest. You are Mahat. You
are the elements and other things. You are the tanmatras. You are the senses. O
Maheshvara! Your form is established in the universe. O Mahadeva! O Paresha! O
ocean of compassion! O Shankara! O lord of devas! O divinity! Please show us
your favours. O Purushottama! Please show us your favours. The seven oceans are
your garments. The directions are your mighty arms. O lord! The firmament is
your head. The sky is your navel. The wind is your nose. O lord! The sun, the
moon and the fire are your eyes. The clouds are your hair. The nakshatras,
stars and planets are your ornaments. O lord of devas! How can I praise you? O
lord! You are Parameshvara. O Shankara! You cannot be approached through words
or thoughts. You possess five faces. O Rudra! You possess fifty crore forms.
You are the lord of the three. You are the greatest. You are the truth in
learning. I prostrate myself before you. You cannot be indicated. You are
eternal. Your form blazes like lightning. Your complexion is like the fire. O
divinity! O Shankara! I prostrate myself before you. I bow down before you.
Your radiance resembles that of one crore lightning flashes. You are extremely
beautiful, with eight forms in eight corners. You have assumed a form and are
established in this world. I prostrate myself before you. I bow down before
you." Hearing their words, Parameshvara was pleased.'""
"Affectionate towards his
devotees, he immediately granted Brahma freedom from fear. O son! At this, all
the gods present there, Vishnu and the others, and the sages smiled and engaged
in great festivities. O son! I had repeatedly pressed down on my semen. This
transformed into many drops that were extremely radiant.
Thousands of rishis were born from
these and they were the valakhilyas.1046 They were born from those
drops of semen and blazed in their own energy. O sage! All those rishis
presented themselves there. Full of great joy, they presented themselves before
me and exclaimed, "O father! Father!" O Narada! Goaded by Ishvara's
will, you spoke angrily to the valakhilyas and firmly rebuked them. Narada
said, "All of you go to Mount Gandhamadana. You should not remain here.
There is no need for you here. O lords among sages! Go there and torment
yourselves through austerities. Become Surya's disciples. Following Shiva's
command, I have told you this." Thus addressed, all the valakhilyas
instantly bent down before Shankara and went to Mount Gandhamadana. O lord
among sages! Because of Vishnu and others and because of what Paramesha urged
the great-souled ones to do, I was able to breathe again and lost my fear.
Sarvesha Shankara is affectionate towards his devotees and gets every task
done. He destroys false pride. Knowing this, I praised him. "O lord of
devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord! You alone are the creator,
preserver and destroyer. All mobile and immobile objects are established
because of your will and are like tethered bulls. I have especially understood
this." Saying this, I joined my hands in salutation and prostrated myself.
Vishnu and the others also praised Maheshvara. On seeing that I was miserable,
purified and bent down, and hearing Vishnu and the others, Maheshvara was
pleased. Pleased in his mind, he bestowed on me the great boon of freedom from
fear. O sage! Everyone was greatly happy, and I rejoiced."""
“Brahma said, 'O Narada! Following
Shiva's command, I and the sages happily carried out the remaining rites that
needed to be carried out for Shiva and Shivaa's marriage. Their heads were affectionately
sprinkled. The brahmanas affectionately had Dhruva shown.1047 After
this, the hridayalambhanam rite 1048 was conducted. O Indra among
brahmanas! With great enthusiasm, benedictions were read. Following the
instructions of brahmanas, Shambhu applied sindura on Shivaa's forehead. At
that time, Girija's complexion was such that it is impossible to describe it. Following
the instructions of brahmanas, both of them sat down on the same seat. They
looked extremely radiant and brought joy in the minds of devotees. O sage! They
were engaged in their wonderful pastimes. Therefore, when they returned to
their own places, they followed the instructions and happily observed
samsrava-prashanam.1049 In this way, Shiva's marriage was completed,
following all the rules. The lord gave me, Brahma, the creator of the worlds, a
full vessel.1050 Following the norms, Shambhu donated a cow to the
acharya. He happily made great and auspicious donations. He separately gave
each brahmana hundreds of gold pieces. There were crores of different kinds of
jewels and many other objects. All the immortals, other living beings and
mobile and immobile entities were extremely happy and uttered words of
"Victory".
_______________
1046 60,000 sages who are the sizes of
thumbs. They precede the sun's chariot.
1047 Dhruva (the Pole Star) is shown by the
groom to the bride in the night, indicative of stability in marriage.
1048 A marriage rite-touching (alambhanam)
the heart (bridaya). The groom symbolically touches the bride's heart.
1049 Samsrava is what is left of oblations
and prashanam is the act of licking them up.
1050 As dakshina.
In every direction, there were the
sounds of auspicious songs. The playing of musical instruments enhanced
everyone's delight. Hari, I, devas, the sages and all the others happily took
their leave from the mountain and returned swiftly to their own respective abodes."""
""In the city of the
mountain, the women happily conveyed Shiva and Shivaa to the excellent chamber
where various amusements are carried out. The women affectionately carried out
the various customary practices. There was great enthusiasm everywhere and it
brought joy. The couple, who brought welfare to people, was taken to the
excellent residence. Amidst the rejoicing, the customary practices were carried
out there. When the couple reached the residence, the women from the city of
the Indra among mountains carried out all the auspicious rites. Uttering sounds
of "Victory", they untied the knot 1051 and carried out
the other rites. Their minds and bodies were delighted, and they smiled and
cast sidelong glances. The excellent women entered the residence and as they
gazed at Parameshvara, they were enchanted and praised their own good fortunes.
He was extremely handsome and charming all over. He was in the prime of youth
and charmed the minds of the ladies. Pleased, he smiled a little and cast enchanting
glances. His garments were fine, and he was radiant, decorated with many
jewels. At the time, sixteen divine women arrived and with a great deal of
respect, saw the couple. They were Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Savitri, Jahnavi, Aditi,
Shachi, Lopamudra, Arundhati, Ahalya, Tulasi, Svaha, Rohini, Vasundhara,
Shatarupa, Samjna and Rati. These were the divine women. There were several
beautiful daughters of devas, nagas and sages. Who is capable of enumerating
the ones who assembled there? A bejewelled throne was offered to Shiva, and he
happily sat on it. One by one, the goddesses smiled and addressed him in sweet
words. Sarasvati said, "O Mahadeva! You loved Sati more than your own
life. You are delighted that you have got her back now. Look at your beloved's
face, which has the complexion of the moon. O one who desires! Give up your
torment. O lord of time! Spend your time in Sati's embrace. Because of my wish,
there will never be any separation in your embrace." Lakshmi said, "O
lord of devas! Forget your shame and clasp Sati to your bosom. Keep her there.
What is the reason for this shame? You lose your breath of life without
her." Savitri said, "O Shambhu! Quickly feed Sati and eat yourself.
Do not be dejected. Rinse her mouth lovingly and offer her camphor wrapped in
betel leaves." Jahnavi said, "Your wife's hand has the complexion of
gold. Take it. Brush her hair. For a woman, there is no happiness greater than
the good fortune she receives from her husband." Aditi said, "O
Shiva! O Shambhu! After she has eaten, so that she can rinse her mouth,
lovingly give her water. A love like that of this couple is extremely
rare." Shachi said, "You lamented because of her. Now clasp Shivaa to
your bosom. Day and night, you wandered around in your confusion. Why are you now
ashamed of your beloved?" Lopamudra said, "O Shiva! After eating, in
the bedchamber, a requisite duty must be performed for women. Before sleeping,
you should give betel leaves to Shivaa." Arundhati said, "It is I who
persuaded Mena to give Sati to you, since that wasn't the wish in her mind.
Using many techniques, I made her understand. You must therefore pleasure
yourself with her." Ahalya said, "Give up your old age and became
exceedingly young. Mena is extremely tormented in her mind. Let her approve of
you." Tulasi said, "Earlier, you abandoned Sati and burnt Kama down.
O lord! How did you then send Vasishtha as a messenger now?" Svaha said,
"O Mahadeva! Be steady.
______________________
1051 At the time of the marriage ceremony,
the ends of the garments of the groom and bride are tied.
These present words are those of
women. At that time of marriage, it is the practice of women from the inner
quarters to prattle." Rohini said, "You are accomplished in kama
shastra. Satisfy Parvati's desire. You are yourself a lover. Make the woman who
loves you cross over the ocean of desire." Vasundhara said, "O one
who knows about sentiments! You know the sentiments of a woman who is full of
desire. O Shambhu! She not only desires you as a husband, she also constantly
desires Ishvara." Shatarupa said, "A person afflicted by hunger is
not satisfied until he eats and enjoys divine food. O Shambhu! Do everything,
so that the mind of a woman is satisfied." Samjna said, "Lovingly and
quickly, send Parvati and Shankara away. Give them betel leaves and a
bejewelled lamp. Prepare the bed and let them be alone." Hearing the words
of the women, Shiva himself replied. Bhagavan is without transformations. He is
the guru of all the gurus who are Indras among yogis. Shankara replied, "O
goddesses! Do not speak such words in my presence. You are the virtuous mothers
of the worlds. How can you utter such frivolous words in front of your
son?" Hearing Shankara's words, the divine women were ashamed. They were
silent and nervous, like puppets that have been drawn back. Pleased in his
mind, Mahesha ate sweetmeats and rinsed his mouth. Along with his wife, he
chewed betel leaves with camphor.'"”
،،،
Brahma rahma said, 'Meanwhile, Rati discerned that the time Br Owas right.
Shankara is affectionate towards those who are distressed. Therefore, she spoke
to him pleasantly. Rati said, "You have got back and accepted Parvati.
This is an extremely rare good fortune. I loved my husband more than my own
life and he did not act out of any selfish motive. Why did you reduce him to
ashes? O paramatman! In my journey of life, I desire my husband. Please remove
my torment, caused by separation from him. In these marriage festivities, all
the people are happy. O Mahesha! Without my own husband, I alone am miserable.
O divinity! O Shankara! Be pleased and give me my husband back. O supreme lord!
You are the friend of the distressed. Make what you yourself said come true.
Other than you, who in the three worlds, mobile or immobile, is capable of
dispelling my grief? Knowing this, please show me your compassion. These
festivities, in connection with your own marriage, have brought joy to
everyone. Please show compassion towards the distressed. O lord! Give me a
reason to celebrate. When my husband comes back to life, your amusements with
your beloved Parvati will be complete. There is no doubt about this. You are
Parameshvara and you are capable of doing everything. O Sarvesha! What is the
need to speak a lot? Let my husband quickly come back to life." Having
said this, she offered him Kama's ashes, tied up in a piece of cloth with rope.
She wept in front of Shambhu, lamenting, "O lord! O lord!" Hearing
Rati's cries, Sarasvati and the other women, all the goddesses, also wept and
spoke these miserable words. The goddesses said, "You are known as a
person who is affectionate towards devotees. You are the friend of the
distressed. You are an ocean of compassion. Please revive Kama and infuse Rati
with vigour. We bow down before you." Hearing these words, Maheshvara was
pleased. The lord who is an ocean of compassion quickly cast a favourable
glance. The wielder of the trident's glance was like nectar and Smara emerged
from the ashes. His beautiful form and attire made him distinctive, and he
appeared in embodied form. He was smiling and held his bow and
arrow.'""
""Seeing her husband in
that form and figure, Rati prostrated herself before Maheshvara. Successful in
her objective, she joined her hands in salutation and repeatedly praised the
divinity Shiva. He is the one who had brought her beloved husband back to life.
Shankara heard the praise of Kama and his wife. He was pleased and with his
heart full of compassion, he spoke to them. Shankara said, "O one who conquers
the mind! I am pleased with the praise uttered by you and your wife. O one who
has created himself! Ask for your desired boon and I will grant it to
you." Hearing Shambhu's words, Smara was filled with great joy. He joined
his hands in salutation, prostrated himself and spoke in faltering words. Kama
said, "O lord of devas! O Mahadeva! O ocean of compassion! O lord! O
Sarvesha! If you are pleased with me, be the one who will bring great pleasure
to me. O lord! Please pardon that crime that I had committed earlier. Let me be
greatly affectionate towards my own people. Let me have devotion towards your
feet." Hearing Smara's words, Parameshvara was pleased. The ocean of
compassion smiled. He uttered "AUM" and spoke. 1052
Ishvara said, "O Kama! I am pleased with you. O immensely intelligent one!
Give up your fear. Go near Vishnu and wait outside." Hearing this, he
bowed his head down, circumambulating and praising the lord. He went out and
prostrated himself before Hari and the devas. Devas pronounced benedictions
over Kama and addressed him. Remembering Shiva in their hearts, Vishnu and the
others were happy and spoke to him. The devas said, "O Smara! You are
blessed. You were burnt, but Shiva has shown you his favours. He is the lord of
everything. A portion of his sattva has cast a favourable glance towards you
and has brought you back to life. No one else causes happiness or misery. A man
enjoys the consequences of what he has himself done. Who is capable of
countering destined protection, marriage and conception?" Having said
this, the immortals happily honoured him. Having obtained their wishes, Vishnu
and all the others remained there. Following Shiva's instruction, he too
remained there happily. There were sounds of "Victory" in the
firmament and words of applause."""
""In the bedchamber,
Shambhu placed Parvati on his left and fed her sweetmeats. Rejoicing, she also
fed him sweetmeats. Shambhu followed all the customary practices of the world.
Taking leave from Mena and the mountain, he went to the place where all the
people were residing. O sage! There were great festivities and the sounds of
chanting from the Vedas. People played on the four kinds of musical
instruments. 1053 When Shambhu arrived at the spot, he worshipped
the sages, Hari and me. He was following the customary practices of the world.
The immortals honoured him back. There were sound of "Victory" and
sounds of "I bow down". There were the auspicious sounds of chanting
from the Vedas, removing all impediments. Vishnu, I, Shakra and all the devas,
the rishis, the siddhas, the minor gods and nagas praised him separately. Devas
said, "Victory to Shambhu. O universal support! Victory to the one known
as Maheshvara. Victory to Rudra. Victory to Mahadeva. Victory to the lord
Vishvambhara. 1054 Victory to Kali's husband. You are the lord who
enhances victory and bliss, Victory to the three-eyed Sarvesha. O lord! Victory
to the lord of maya. Victory to the one who is nirguna and without desire. You
are beyond causes and you go everywhere. Victory to the reservoir of all kinds
of pastimes. We prostrate ourselves before the one who assumes forms. O ocean
of compassion! Victory to the one who grants the wishes of his devotees.
Victory to the one whose form is bliss.
_________________
1052 AUM is uttered before making any
pledge.
1053 Stringed, covered (like drums), hollow
(wind) and solid (like bells).
1054 One who sustains the universe.
Victory to the one who causes maya
and gunas. Victory to the fierce lord. You are in all atmans. You are a friend
to the distressed. You are an ocean of compassion. Victory to the one who has
no transformations. O lord of maya! Your form cannot be reached through words
or thoughts." In this way, the lord Mahesha, Girija's husband, was
praised. With great love, Vishnu and the others served him in the proper way.
Shambhu Mahesha is the lord of many kinds of pastimes and had assumed a body. O
Narada! He honoured them and granted boons to everyone. O son! Vishnu and all
the others took their leave of Paramesha and extremely happy, returned to their
own respective abodes, their faces beaming with pleasure.""1055
"Brahma said, 'O son! The best
among mountains was excellent in his fortune and discriminating. After this, he
made arrangements in the arena for feeding people. He made arrangements for the
sweeping and scrubbing. Many kinds of fragrant objects were lovingly used.
Through the mountain's sons and others, the mountains invited all the gods and
Ishvara lord, Achyuta and all the gods cheerfully left, to eat. The to eat. O
sage! Hearing about the mountain's invitation, the mountain honoured the lord
and everyone else in the proper way. Rejoicing, he made all of them sit on
excellent seats inside the house. Many kinds of excellent food were served.
Joining his hands in salutation, he respectfully invited them to eat. Devas,
with Vishnu leading the way, were honoured in this way. Placing Sadashiva at
the forefront, all of them ate. They sat down in separate rows, smiling and
eating. The immensely fortunate Nandi, Bhringi, Virabhadra and the ganas were
in a separate row and ate with enthusiasm. Devas, Indra and the guardians of
the world were resplendent. Those immensely fortunate ones joked while they
ate. All the sages, brahmanas, Bhrigu and the other rishis happily ate, seated
in a separate row. All of Chandi's companions also ate with enthusiasm, happily
joking in different ways. Having happily eaten in this way, all of them rinsed
their mouths and left to rest. Rejoicing, Vishnu and the others also went to
their respective residences."""
"""Following Mena's
instruction, the virtuous ladies devotedly requested Shiva to go the excellent
bedchamber, where all kinds of great festivities were going on. Mena gave
Shambhu a handsome and bejewelled throne. Seated on that, he happily looked at
the bedchamber. There were hundreds of radiant and bejewelled lamps, creating illumination.
There were bejewelled vessels and pots. Gems and pearls were strewn around.
There were radiant and bejewelled mirrors and white whisks, studded with
jewels. There were expensive necklaces made out of gems and pearls everywhere.
It was great and divine, without a parallel. It was wonderful and extremely
beautiful. The place had been constructed in wonderful ways and brought
pleasure to the mind. The power of the boon granted by Shiva had led to this
unmatched prosperity. Since it resembled Shiva's world, he saw it and was
pleased. It was fragrant with many kinds of scents and was illuminated well,
There was sandalwood and aloe. The bed was covered with flowers. Using many
kinds of excellent colours, Vishvakarma had constructed it. He had used the
essence of the best of jewels and excellent necklaces.
_________________________
1055 As will be clear, this only means they
returned to residences Himalaya had constructed for them.
In some places, the divinity had
created the beautiful Vaikuntha. In others, he had created Brahma's world. In
others, he had created the cities of the guardians of the worlds. In some
places, he had created the beautiful Kailasa. In another, he had created
Shakra's residence. Above all these, there was the resplendent Shivaloka.
Maheshvara saw this bedchamber, wonderful in every possible way. He was content
and praised Himachala, lord of mountains. There was an excellent bejewelled bed
there. In his pastimes, Parameshvara happily lay down there.'""
"""Himachala fed all
his brothers and others. Extremely happy, he completed the remaining rites.
While Ishvara slept, this is what the lord of mountains did. The night passed
and it was morning. Full of enthusiasm, the people started to play on all kinds
of musical instruments. Vishnu and all the other gods woke up happily. They
remembered the lord of devas and respectfully got ready. Following Vishnu's
command, Dharma approached the bedchamber. The yogi addressed Shankara, lord of
yogis, in words that were appropriate for the occasion. Dharma said, "O
Bhava! Arise. O lord of pramathas! Arise. Please come to the place where the
people are residing and gratify them." Hearing Dharma's words, Maheshvara
laughed. He cast a glance of compassion and got up from his bed. He smiled and
told Dharma, "You proceed in front. There is no doubt that I will quickly
follow." Addressed by Shankara in this way, he went to the place where the
people were residing. The lord Shambhu also desired to follow him. Getting to
know about this, all the women arrived enthusiastically. Glancing towards
Shambhu's feet, they sang auspicious songs. Following the customs of the world,
Shambhu performed the morning ablutions. Taking Mena's permission, he and the
mountain went to the place where the people were residing. O sage! There were
great festivities there, with chanting from the Vedas. The people played on the
four kinds of musical instruments. Following the customs of the world, Shambhu
arrived at the spot and worshipped the sages, Hari and me. He was worshipped by
the gods and others. There were sounds of "Victory" and sounds of
"I bow down". There were the auspicious sounds of chanting from the
Vedas. There was a great tumult.'""
“Brahma said, 'Vishnu and the other
devas and the "Brahm sages, stores of austerities, completed the remaining
rites. They told the mountain that they wished to return. The supreme mountain
bathed and attentively worshipped his Ishta devata. He summoned his relatives
from the city and happily went to the place where the people were residing. He
happily worshipped the lord and requested him, "Along with the others,
please remain in my house for a few more days. O Shambhu! Since you have
glanced at me, there is no doubt that I have become successful in my objective.
Since you have come to my house with the gods, I am blessed." Joining his
hands in salutation and prostrating himself, the lord of mountains said many
such things. He requested the lord and Vishnu and the other gods. The sages and
devas, Vishnu and the other gods, lovingly remembered Shiva in their minds and
replied cheerfully. The devas said, "O tiger among mountains! You are
blessed. Your deeds are great. In the three worlds, there is no one with such a
store of good merits as you. Mahesha isthe supreme brahman. He is the
destination of the virtuous, He is affectionate towards his devotees. Out of
compassion towards you, such a person arrived at your door, along with his
servants. The residences you have created for people are beautiful. You have
shown us many kinds of honours. O lord of mountains! It is impossible to
describe in detail the various types of food you have offered. But this is not
surprising in a place where Devi Shivaa Ambika reşides. We are complete in every
possible way, and we are blessed that we came." In this way, those
excellent ones praised each other. There were many kinds of festivities,
accompanied by sounds of "Victory" and chanting from the Vedas.
Auspicious songs were sung and large numbers of apsaras danced. The magadhas
sang words of praise and many kinds of objects were donated. The mountain took
his leave from the lord of devas and returned to his own house. Following the
different kinds of rules, he made arrangements for different kinds of food to
be prepared. In the proper way, he lovingly and enthusiastically invited the
lord Ishvara to come and eat, along with his companions. With a great deal of
respect, he washed Shambhu's feet and Vishnu's and mine. The lord of mountains,
helped by his relatives, happily invited all the immortals, the sages and all
the others to enter the pavilion and be seated, in due order. The mountain
satisfied the gods with diverse kinds of food. Along with Shambhu, Vishnu and
I, all of them ate. Cheerfully, the women from the city abused them. 1056
Then they used gentle words to laugh at them, carefully observing what they
did. O Narada! Invited by the mountain in this way, they ate and rinsed their
mouths. Happy and content, they returned to their own respective residences. O
sage! Similarly, the lord of mountains honoured them on the third day too,
lovingly honouring them with many kinds of gifts. On the fourth day, the
chaturthi karma 1057 rites of purification were observed. Without
this being performed. the separation could not have taken place. There were
many festivities, sounds of "Victory" and words of praise. There were
many gifts, excellent sons and many kinds of dancing.'",
"On the fifth day, full of
great love, the delighted devas informed the mountain that they wished to
leave. Hearing this, the lord of mountains joined his hands in salutation and
told the devas, "O gods! Please show me your compassion and stay for a few
more days." Addressed in this affectionate way, the lord, Vishnu and the
others resided there for a few more days. Every day, they were respectfully
honoured. In this way, many days passed, and we resided there. After this, the
gods sent the saptarshis to the lord of mountains. They made him and Mena
understand what was right for the occasion. With praise, they happily told them
everything about Shiva's supreme tattva. O sage! They made them understand the
pledge Paresha had made. Along with the immortals, Shambhu told the lord of
mountains that he wished to leave. Along with Shivaa and the immortals, the
lord of devas had pledged to leave for his own mountain. Hearing this, Mena
lamented loudly and spoke to the ocean of compassion. Mena said, "O ocean
of compassion! Show compassion towards Shivaa and make the pledge you have made
come true. You are quick to be satisfied and you must pardon one thousand of
Parvati's faults. From one birth to another birth, my child has been devoted to
your lotus feet. In her sleep, in her jnana and in her memory, there is no one
other than the lord Mahadeva. As soon as she hears about devotion towards you,
her body hair stands up in delight. O Mrityunjaya! As soon as she hears you
being criticized, she is silent, as if she is dead." Saying this, Menaka
bestowed her daughter on him. She wept loudly. In front of him, she lost her
senses. He made Mena understand and took leave from her and the mountain. Along
with devas and amidst great festivities,
__________________
1056 Done in jest.
1057 Performed on the fourth day after
marriage and indicative of the bride being separated from her parental home.
he made arrangements to leave. With
the lord and his ganas, all the immortals started to leave silently, wishing
auspiciousness for the mountain.In a grove outside Himachala's city, along with
Ishvara, the delighted gods waited for Shivaa to arrive, amidst those
festivities. O lord among sages! I have thus told you about Shiva's departure
with the devas. Now hear about Shivaa's journey and amidst the festivities,
about her separation from her parents.'"'
"Brahma said, 'The saptarshis
spoke to Himalaya, the lord of mountains. "O mountain! Please make
arrangements for your daughter, Devi, to leave today." Hearing this, the
lord of mountains understood about the great separation. O lord of sages!
Because of his great love, he was depressed for some time. In a short while,
the king of mountains regained his senses. The mountain agreed and told Mena
about the message. O sage! Learning about the mountain's message, she was
overwhelmed by both joy and grief. However, Mena made arrangements for the
journey. O sage! Following the norms of the shruti texts and her own lineage,
she had all the rites performed. Mena, the mountain's beloved, carried out the
various festivities. Girija was ornamented with many jewels and excellent silk
garments. She was adorned with the twelve ornaments of shringara, revered by
royalty. Understanding Mena's mind, a virtuous brahmana lady instructed Girija
about the supreme tasks of a devoted wife.'"”
"The brahmana's wife said,
"O Girija! Hear my words with great affection. They enhance dharma. They
bring joy in this world and in the next one. Hear about what brings happiness.
A woman devoted to her husband is blessed. There is no one else who is specially
worshipped. She purifies all the worlds and destroys floods of every kind of
sin. If a woman lovingly worships her husband, as if he is Parameshvara Shiva,
she enjoys all the objects of pleasure in this world. When she dies, along with
her husband, she obtains an auspicious end. There are ladies who are devoted to
their husbands-Savitri, Lopamudra, Arundhati, Shandilya, Shatarupa, Anasuya,
Lakshmi, Svadha, Sati, Samjna, Sumati, Shraddha, Mena, Svaha and many other
virtuous ladies who have not been mentioned. That would be too much of detail.
They have purified through their vows of dharma and have been worshipped by
everyone. They have been revered by Brahma, Vishnu, Hara and lords among sages.
Therefore, you must always serve your husband, the lord Shankara. He is the one
who shows compassion towards the distressed. He is the destination of the
virtuous and must always be served. The great dharma and vow of serving the
husband has been spoken about in the shruti and smriti texts. It has been
determined and described that there is nothing as supreme as this. A beloved
wife who is devoted to her husband will eat only after the husband has eaten. O
Shivaa! If he stands, the woman must always stand. When he sleeps, she sleeps.
But an intelligent woman will always wake up before her husband. With
single-minded attention, she will always do what he likes and what is
beneficial. O Shivaa! Without being ornamented, you must never show yourself to
him. When he goes elsewhere on work, she must avoid ornamenting herself. Under
no circumstances must a woman who is devoted to her husband utter her husband's
name, Even if the husband abuses her, she must not abuse back. Even when he
strikes her, she will remain pleased and will say, "You are my lord and
can kill me. But please show me your compassion. When summoned, she must
abandon the household tasks and go to him quickly. She must lovingly join her
hands in salutation, prostrate herself and say, 'O lord! Why have you summoned
me? Be pleased and let me know.' With a happy mind, she must perform whatever
task he asks her to do. She will not stand near the gate for a long period of
time. Nor will she go to another person's house. She will not take anything
from him, however trifling, and give it to someone else. Even if she is not
asked, she will herself arrange for all the objects of worship. She will wait
for an opportunity and the right time to do something beneficial for him.
Without her husband's permission, she will never undertake a visit to a tirtha.
From a distance, she will shun the desire to witness a festival where there is
an assembly. A woman desiring to visit a tirtha will drink the water obtained
after washing the husband's feet. There is no doubt that all the tirthas and
kshetras are present in it. She will eat her husband's leftovers and any other
food that is given by him. She will not eat without first offering food to
devas, ancestors, guests, groups of servants, cows and noble mendicants. O
Devi! A lady devoted to her husband must always be accomplished in running the
household with limited means and must not be prone to excessive expenditure.
Without her husband's permission, she must not fast or observe vows. Otherwise,
there are no fruits in this world and in the world hereafter, she will go to
hell. After happily amusing himself, when the husband is lying down, or when he
is amusing himself as he wills, she must not wake him up, or go inside the
house on some task. Even if he is impotent, distressed, diseased or old and
regardless of whether he is happy or miserable, a husband must never be
contradicted. For the three days of the feminine dharma, 1058 she
must not show her face or make him hear her words, not unless she has purified
herself through a bath. After bathing, she must first see her husband's face,
not that of someone else. Or, after thinking about her husband in her mind, she
can look at the sun. If a woman devoted to her husband desires her husband's
long life, she will not discard turmeric, kumkuma, sindura, collyrium, a
bodice, betel leaf, auspicious ornaments, cleaning and braiding the hair and
earrings and other ornaments. She must never become friends with a washerwoman,
a harlot, a female ascetic 1059 or an unfortunate woman. She must
not converse with a woman who hates her husband. She must never stand alone.
She must never bathe naked. A virtuous lady must not sit on a mortar, a pestle,
a broom, a stone, a mechanical contrivance or the threshold. Except at the time
of sexual intercourse, she must not talk excessively. She must love whatever
her husband is interested in. When he is happy, she will be happy. When he is
miserable, she will be miserable. She will love whatever he loves. O Devi! A
woman devoted to her husband will always desire her husband's welfare. A
virtuous lady will have the same nature, irrespective of prosperity or
adversity. She will always resort to her fortitude and never deviate. When
ghee, salt, oil and other articles are exhausted, a woman devoted to her
husband will not directly tell him this and cause exertion to him. O Deveshi!
For a woman devoted to her husband, it is held that the husband is superior to
Vidhatri, Vishnu and Hara. Her own husband is like Shiva to her. If a woman
transgresses her husband in matters concerning vows, fasting and niyamas, she
reduces her husband's lifespan. She desires hell for herself, after death. When
spoken to, if a woman replies in rage, she is reborn as a female dog in a
village or a vixen in the desolate forest. She must not sit on a lofty seat or
walk near a wicked person. A woman must never address her husband in agitated
words. She must not utter words of slander and must avoid quarrels. In the
presence ence of seniors, she must not speak or laugh loudly. When she sees
that her husband has returned from outside, she must quickly bring him food,
water, betel leaves and garments.
________________________
1058 The monthly period.
1059 The word used is shravanaa and cannot
be translated any other way. But it is possible that this is a typo.
She must massage his feet. After
this, she must use skilled words to get rid of his exhaustion. When the beloved
is pleased, the three worlds are pleased. What the father gives is limited.
What the brother gives is limited. What the son gives is limited. However, what
the husband gives is unlimited. Therefore, he must always be worshipped. O
Devi! The husband is the guru. The husband is dharma, tirtha and vows.
Therefore, ignoring everyone else, it is the husband alone who must be
worshipped. If an evil-minded woman abandons her husband and engages in secret
dalliances, she is reborn as a cruel female owl that lives in the hollow of a
tree. When struck, if she strikes back, she is reborn as a tigress or female
cat. 1060 If she casts sidelong glances at another man, she is
reborn with a squint in her eyes. If she ignores her husband and eats
sweetmeats alone, she is reborn as a female pig in a village or as a wild goat
that eats its own excrement. If a woman addresses her husband as 'tvam', she is
reborn dumb. 1061 If she hates her co-wife, she is repeatedly reborn
as unfortunate. Hiding it from her husband, if a woman glances at another man,
she is reborn one-eyed, malformed in face or ugly. When life leaves the body,
in an instant, the body heads for the funeral pyre. Like that, even if she
bathes properly, a woman without a husband is impure. O Devi! In this world, if
a woman devoted to her husband is present in the house, the mother's lineage,
the father's lineage and the husband's lineage are blessed. Because of the good
merits of the woman who is devoted to her husband, the mother's lineage, the
father's lineage and the husband's lineage go to heaven and enjoy happiness
there. If a woman is evil in conduct and violates good norms, she makes three
lineages the mother's, the father's and the husband's miserable in this world
and in the next world and makes them fall down. Wherever a faithful lady's feet
touch the ground, those spots are purified and sins are destroyed. The lord
Bhanu, Soma and the bearer of fragrances 1062 touch the limbs of a
woman who is devoted to her husband to purify themselves, not someone else.
Water always wishes to touch a woman who is devoted to her husband, saying,
'Our sluggishness has been destroyed today and we can purify others. For a
householder, the wife is the foundation. The wife is the foundation for
happiness. It is the wife who yields the fruits of dharma. The wife ensures
that the offspring flourish. In every house, there are women who are proud of
their beauty and charm. However, it is only through devotion to Shiva that a
woman becomes a faithful wife. Such a wife wins over both this world and the
next one. A man without a wife is not worthy of performing rites for devas,
ancestors or guests. A true householder is a person in whose home there is a woman
devoted to her husband. Every day, others are devoured by rakshasas in the form
of old age. The body is purified by immersing oneself in the Ganga. Like that,
on seeing a woman who is devoted to her husband, everyone is purified. A woman
who regards her husband as a divinity is no different from Ganga. Such a couple
is like Uma and Shiva themselves. Therefore, a learned person worships them.
The husband is the high tone, and the wife is the low tone. 1063 The
husband represents austerities, and the wife represents fortitude. The wife
represents the rites, and the husband represents the fruits. O Shivaa! When a
couple is like that, they are blessed. O daughter of the Indra among mountains!
I have thus described to you the dharma of a woman who is devoted to her
husband. Now, lovingly and attentively, hear from me about different types.
__________________
1060 Vrishadamshika.
1061 Tuam and bhavan both mean 'you'. The
latter is used to show respect and is the form that must be used for the
husband. The former is used for close friends and juniors.
1062 Vayu.
1063 In music.
O Devi! There are said to be four
types of women who are devoted to their husbands-superior, middling, inferior
and very inferior. These are the differences, superior and so on. Even if one
remembers these, sins are destroyed. I will describe their characteristics to
you. Listen attentively. O fortunate one! If a woman constantly sees her own
husband in her mind, even in her dreams, and does not look at anyone other than
her husband, she is described as superior. O daughter of a mountain! If a woman
devoted to her husband possesses intelligence such that she looks at other men
as a father, a brother or a son, she is said to be middling. O Parvati! If a
woman thinks about her own dharma in her mind and does not transgress, she
possesses good conduct and is described as inferior. If a woman devoted to her
husband is scared of her husband or the lineage and does not transgress, she is
said to be very inferior. Earlier, learned persons have said this. O Shiva! But
all these four types of faithful wives destroy sin. They purify all the worlds
and enjoy happiness in this world and in the next one. There was a brahmana who
died because of the varaha's curse. Atri's wife was devoted to her husband.
Because of her powers and for the sake of the three divinities, he came back to
life. 1064 O Shivaa! Knowing this, your task is to always serve your
husband. O daughter of the mountain! If you always do this lovingly, you will
obtain everything that is desired. O Maheshi! O Jagadamba! Shiva himself is
your husband. As soon as they remember you, women become devoted to their
husbands. O Devi! What is the need to mention all this in front of you? O
Shivaa! But, since you are following the customary practices of the world, I
have told you about it now.""""
"Brahma concluded, "The
brahmana's wife said this and stopped, prostrating herself. Shivaa Parvati,
loved by Shankara, was greatly delighted."""
"Brahma said, 'The brahmana
lady taught Devi about the the vow. She 1065 then asked for Mena's
permission to start the journey. Though overwhelmed by love, she spoke words of
assent. Suffering from the imminent separation, she resorted to her fortitude.
Assuring herself, she summoned Kali and embraced her. She embraced her
repeatedly and wept loudly. Parvati also uttered piteous words and wept loudly.
Suffering from the grief, the mountain's beloved and Shivaa lost their senses.
As a result of Parvati's weeping, the wives of devas also lost their senses.
All the women cried and lost their senses. At the time of departure, the
supreme lord, the lord of yoga, himself cried. Meanwhile, Himalaya quickly
arrived there. All his sons and advisers and other brahmanas were with him. As
a result of his confusion, he too wept, clasping his daughter to his breast. He
repeatedly exclaimed, "Where are you going, leaving the house empty?"
The priest and other brahmanas knew about adhyatma.
________________________
1064 Atri's wife, Anasuya, was devoted to
her husband. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva went to Anasuya, in the form of sages, to
test her. They desired that she give them alms while she was naked. Anasuya
used her powers to convert them into infants, whom she fed as babies, after
taking off her clothes. In a separate story, the brahmana Koushika had been
cursed that we would die. But Anasuya used her powers to bring him back to
life. Koushika had been cursed by the sage Mandavya. The allusion to varaha is
unclear.
1065 Parvati.
Full of compassion and resorting to
jnana, they made everyone understand. Parvati devotedly bowed down to her
mother, her father and the guru. Following the customary practices of the
world, Mahamaya repeatedly wept. When Parvati wept, all the other women also
wept. This was especially true of her mother, Mena, her sisters and her
brothers. Out of their love and their firm bonds of affection, Shivaa's mother,
her sisters, other women, her brothers and her father repeatedly cried. The
brahmanas arrived and lovingly made them understand. They informed them that
the lagna had arrived for the journey to be a happy one. At this, Himalaya and
Mena resorted to their fortitude. They had the palanquin fetched, so that
Shivaa might ascend onto it. The brahmana women helped Shivaa mount. Her
mother, her father, the brahmanas and all the others pronounced benedictions.
Mena and the mountain gave her royal objects. There was a collection of
auspicious articles, extremely difficult for others to obtain. Shivaa
prostrated herself before all the gurus, her mother, her father, the brahmanas,
the priest, her sisters and the other women who were present. After this, she
started. As a result of his affection, Himachala followed her, along with his
sons.They reached the spot where the lord was happily waiting, along with the
immortals. Everyone was delighted and there were great festivities. Prostrating
themselves devotedly before the lord and praising him, they returned to the
city."""
""You always remember
your past life, 1066 But I am reminding you. If you remember, please
speak. O Deveshi! In my pastimes, I always love you more than my own
life." Parvati heard the words spoken by Mahesha, her husband. The
virtuous lady is always Shankara's beloved. She smiled and replied. Parvati
replied, "O lord of my life! I remember everything and also that you
became silent. I prostrate myself before you. Please propose that every
requisite task is now carried out." His beloved's words were like hundreds
of flows of nectar. Hearing them, Vishvesha was extremely happy. However, he
was devoted to observing customary worldly practices. Therefore, he had
arrangements made for the collection of many agreeable objects. Devas, with
Narayana leading the way, were fed. The lord lovingly fed all the others who
had come for his marriage, using many kinds of succulent food. Having eaten,
devas were bedecked in many kinds of ornaments. With their wives, all the ganas
prostrated themselves before Chandrashekhara. They praised him with eloquent
words and happily circumambulated him. They praised the marriage and left for
their own respective abodes. O sage! Shiva prostrated himself before Narayana
and me. He resorted to customary worldly practices, just as Vishnu had done to
Kashyapa. 1067 Shiva was in front of me, and I embraced him and
pronounced my benedictions. However, knowing that he was the supreme brahman, I
also used supreme hymns to extol him. Then Vishnu and I joined our hands in
salutation and happily took our leave from Shiva and Shivaa. Praising the
marriage, we left for our own excellent abodes."
""On his own mountain,
Shiva happily sported with Parvati. All the ganas were extremely delighted and
worshipped Shiva and Shivaa. O son! I have thus described to you Shiva's
extremely auspicious marriage. This destroys grief and generates happiness. It
bestows a long lifespan and extends wealth. If a man purifies himself, is
devoted in his mind and following the niyamas, constantly hears it or makes it
heard, he obtains Shiva's world.
_______________________
1066 This is Shiva speaking to Parvati.
1067 Vishnu was born as the sage Kashyapa's
son.
This narrative is described as
wonderful and brings everything that is auspicious. It destroys all impediments
and destroys all ailments. It bestows fame, heaven, a long lifespan, sons,
grandsons and everything that is desired in this world. It always bestows
objects of pleasure and emancipation. It dispels accidental death. It is
auspicious and brings great serenity. It destroys all bad dreams. It is a means
for obtaining intelligence and wisdom. People who desire the auspicious must
make efforts to read it whenever there are festivals for Shiva. This brings
pleasure and satisfaction to Shiva. In particular, it must be read when devas
and others are instated. One must lovingly read it before any rite for Shiva is
undertaken. Having purified oneself, if one hears about the conduct of Shiva
and Shivaa, one is successful in all one's endeavours. This is the truth. There
is no doubt that this is the truth."""
This ends Parvati
Khanda.
This ends Volume I.
Rudra Samhita and Shiva
Purana will continue in Volume II.
Tha The corpus of the Puranas is
huge-in scope and size. The Mahabharata is believed to contain 100,000 shlokas.
The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, edited and published by the Bhandarkar
Oriental Research Institute (Pune), doesn't contain quite that many shlokas.
But this still gives us some idea of the size of the epic. To comprehend what
100,000 shlokas mean in a standard word count, I'd like to point out that the
10-volume unabridged translation I did of the Mahabharata amounts to a
staggering 2.5 million words. After composing the Mahabharata, Krishna
Dvaipayana Vedavyasa composed the eighteen mahapuranas, or major Puranas. Or so
it is believed. Collectively, these eighteen Puranas amount to 400,000 shlokas,
meaning a disconcerting and daunting number of 10 million words.
After translating the Bhagavat
Gita, the Mahabharata, the Harivamsha (160,000 words) and the Valmiki Ramayana
(500,000 words), it was but natural to turn one's attention towards translating
the Puranas. This is the daunting Purana Project, so to speak. (All these
translations have been, and will be, published by Penguin India.) As the most
popular and most read Purana, the Bhagavata Purana was the first to be
translated (3 volumes, 500,000 words). The Markandeya Purana, another popular
Purana (1 volume, 175,000 words), came next. Thiswas followed by the Brahma
Purana (2 volumes, 390,000 words) and the Vishnu Purana (1 volume, 175,000
words). That these translations were well-received was encouragement along the
intimidating journey of translating the remaining Puranas and I am indebted to
the reviewers of these various translations. There was some dislocation because
of the Covid pandemic, but translation and publication has now resumed. Which
Purana should one choose to translate next? I have earlier remarked on
coincidences that seemed to indicate the choice and guide the path. Most people
have heard of Maha Shiva Ratri. Loosely, this translates as Shiva's great
night. In determining auspicious days for worship, we follow the lunar calendar
and lunar days (tithis). A lunar tithi does not exactly correspond to a solar
day, which is why a tithi may change in the course of a single solar day. The
lunar cycle is divided into shukla paksha (the bright lunar fortnight, when the
moon waxes) and krishna paksha (the dark lunar fortnight, when the moon wanes).
The former culminates in purnima or pournamasi, the night of the full moon. The
latter culminates in amavasya, the night of the new moon. Chaturdashi (the
fourteenth lunar tithi) in krishna paksha, the night preceding amavasya, is the
night for worshipping Shiva, every month. Thus, there is a masika (monthly)
Shiva Ratri, once every month. Of these twelve Shiva Ratris, one is special and
is known as Maha Shiva Ratri. This falls in February or March of the Gregorian
calendar. Depending on whether the lunar month is calculated as ending in
amavasya or purnima, the month will be Magha or Phalguna. In 2019, the date
happened to be 4 March. Covid had started its onslaught, but its virulence and
vehemence had not been fully fathomed, in India or in the rest of the world.
Sadguru (Jaggi Vasudev) invited us (me and my wife) to the Isha Foundation for
the Maha Shiva Ratri celebrations. As the celebrations went on throughout the
night, before Adiyogi, it was an amazing, ethereal and mystical experience.
When we returned, it was as if we had been permeated by Shiva. I was still
completing the translation of the Vishnu Purana. Covid's impact was still
relatively muted and wherever we travelled, we seemed to be drawn to places
with Shiva lingams, including the jyotirlingams.
Which Purana are you going to do
next?" asked my wife. 'Probably Matsya Purana', I remarked. She responded,
'Why don't you do one on Shiva? You have already done several associated with
Vishnu and there is Devi in Markandeya Purana. Time for Shiva.' I was
reluctant. Among the Puranas associated with Shiva, the Shiva Purana is the
most important. It is also a difficult Purana to translate, as the reader will
discover while reading the translation. Contrary to popular impression,
generally fewer people are familiar with Shaivite philosophy, Shiva's tattvas
being a case in point, than with Vaishnava philosophy. The liturgy of worship, in
this text, had several mantras that needed to be tracked down. Stated briefly,
this is the most difficult Purana I have translated so far. With almost 25,000
shlokas (3 volumes, 675,000 words), this is also a relatively long Purana, as
the reader will also discover.
As
I have traversed the route of the Purana Project, my wife, Suparna Banerjee
Debroy, has been a constant source of support and encouragement, providing the
conducive environment required for the translation work to continue unimpeded. तया विना स्म नो याति नास्थितो
न स्म चेष्टते। तया विना क्षममपि
शर्म लेभे ना (3.2(21).27). Shiva Purana says this
about Shiva's behaviour, vis-à-vis Sati. 'He didn't go anywhere without her.
Without her, he didn't do anything. Without her, he did not obtain the least
bit of peace.' भार्या मूलं गृहस्थास्य भार्या मूलं सुखस्य च। भार्या धर्मफलावापत्यै भार्या सन्तानवृद्धये। (3.3(54).64). Many texts have highlighted
the role of a wife and the Shiva Purana also has a chapter on the dharma of a
virtuous wife. 'For a householder, the wife is the foundation. The wife is the
foundation for happiness. It is the wife who yields the fruits of dharma. The
wife ensures that the offspring flourish.' Suparna has been that and much more.
As I translated the Shiva Purana,
through the second half of 2020 and 2021, Covid raged around us. We lost
friends and acquaintances, near and dear ones. The entire family was affected
by Covid, during the second phase. But it was as if Shiva's unseen hand guided
and protected us. It was as if Shiva's unseen hand ensured the translation was
completed.
The journey of translation hasn't
been an intimidating one only for me. Penguin India must also have thought
about it several times, before going ahead with the Purana translations. Most
people have some idea about the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. But the Puranas
are typically rendered in such dumbed down versions that the readership has to
be created. However, Penguin India also believed in the Purana Project, which
still stretches into some interminable horizon in the future, almost two
decades down the line. For both author and publisher, this is a long-term
commitment. But the Bhagavata Purana, Markandeya Purana, Brahma Purana, Vishnu
Purana and Shiva Purana have been completed. Brahmanda Purana, in 2 volumes,
comes next. I am indebted to Penguin India. In particular, Meru Gokhale,
Moutushi Mukherjee and Binita Roy have been exceptionally patient, persevering
and encouraging. The exceptional editing has ensured the final product is
superior to what I delivered. These Purana translations have been brought alive
by the wonderful cover designs and illustrations and I thank the illustrators
and the designers.
Who should these three volumes of
Shiva Purana be dedicated to? Who else but Sadguru, Jaggi Vasudev, who has
brought all of us closer to Shiva.
Bibek Debroy
October 2022