A Story of Divine Deception

I WILL END THIS section on Lalitaa Parameshvari from Brahmanda Purana.

When Bhandasura was killed, Brahma and the other gods praised Parameshvari. Meanwhile, Sati had given up her life at the time of Daksha’s sacrifice. The grief-stricken Shiva had resorted to brahmacharya. But there was the asura named Taraka and he could only be killed by Shiva and Parvati’s son, Sati having been reborn as Umaa or Parvati, Himalaya’s daughter.

After praising Parameshvari, Brahma continued. Madana is the god of love and is also known as Smara, Manmatha, Madana, Kandarpa and Manobhava. Since his standard has the aquatic creature makara (loosely translated as crocodile or shark), he is also known as Makaradhvaja. When the gods sent Kama to tempt Shiva, Shiva’s angry glance (from his third eye) burnt Madana down. He thus became Ananga or Atanu, both words meaning someone without a body. Kama’s wife is named Rati. Brahma continued, “Shiva is indifferent towards enjoyment. We sought to unite him with the maiden Umaa, born in the lineage of the mountain. Hence, when he was engaged in extremely terrible austerities, we sent Smara. Shiva became angry. The fire that arose from his forehead burnt Madana down. Bhandasura was born from the remaining ashes. Kama has become Atanu for our sake and we should quickly revive him. Separated from her husband, Rati is depressed. If you bring Kama back to life, she will again be united with her lord. When the one with the moon on his crest sees you, Manobhava may be able to charm him, as he had done earlier. Parvati has undertaken austerities for a very long period of time. Perhaps Isha will wish to marry her. Kumara will be born from their union and he will be the commander of all the armies of the gods. That brave one will kill the king of the enemies of the gods, named Taraka. He is a friend of Bhanda daitya, who harboured impossible hopes. When Shrikantha’s [Shrikantha is Shiva] son kills him in a battle, we will get our lives back again. You should devise a means so that Rati’s miserable state of widowhood is countered. She has sought refuge with you. As a result of her husband’s destruction, her body has become as thin as a stick. She is prostrating herself before you.”

Maheshani was praised by Brahma and the other excellent gods. She saw the jaded Rati, suffering from grief. Tears flowed from her face. Her hair was dishevelled and she was grey with dust. Since she was a widow, she had cast aside her ornaments. She prostrated herself before the mother of the universe. On seeing her, Parameshvari was filled with compassion. Manmatha was reborn from her sidelong glances, with his lotus face smiling. His body was more beautiful than it had been earlier. His arrows were made out of flowers. His bow was made out of flowers. With a sidelong glance, he delighted Rati, as he had done in his previous birth. The noble Rati was immersed in a great ocean of bliss. On seeing her husband, she was filled with joy. Vasishtha and the other brahmarshis performed the act of marriage. The couple was made to perform the auspicious act of accepting each other’s hands. All the apsaras danced and sang. On seeing this, the great Indra and the others, and rishis, stores of austerities, uttered words of praise. They lauded and eulogised Lalitaa Ambikaa. Delighted in their minds, all of them showered down flowers.

Obeying Lalitaa’s command, Kandarpa confounded the divinity. He used his arrows to torment the mountain’s daughter. She suffered from the fiery pangs of separation

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Full of great devotion, both of them prostrated themselves before Laliteshvari. The valiant Kandarpa was full of devotion. He requested her, “O Lalitaa Ambikaa! Through Isha’s eye, my body was burnt down. Through the favours of your glance, I have got it back again. I am your son. I am your servant. Engage me in whatever task you wish.” Thus addressed, Parameshani replied to Makaradhvaja. Shri Devi said, “O child! O one born from the mind! You can go. You need have no fear. Through my favours, you will use your unimpeded arrows to confound everyone in the universe. When your arrows descend on him, they will disturb Ishvara’s fortitude too. He will quickly marry Gouri, the mountain’s daughter. Through my favours, one thousand crores of Kamas will be born from you. They will enter everyone’s body and grant them supreme sexual pleasure. Since he is not attached, Ishvara may be enraged. However, because of my favours, he will not be able to burn down your body. Your form will be invisible and you will confound all living beings. O Kandarpa! From now on, as a result of my favours, you will be great. Anyone who criticises you, or frustrates your wishes, will certainly be a eunuch. There are evil- souled sinners, who oppose my devotees. Bring them down and destroy them. Make them have intercourse with women they shouldn’t have intercourse with. There are those who worship me. Their minds are devoted to me. Ensure that they obtain every happiness and desire that is wished for.” Addressed by Shri Lalitaa Devi, Smara pledged that he would act in accordance with her command. Joining his hands in salutation, he departed. From every pore on Ananga’s body, many Madanas arose. They were beautiful in form and confounded the universe.

Desiring to conquer the one with the moon on his crest, he again went to Sthanu’s (Shiva’s) hermitage. His friend was Vasanta (spring) and the moon was his general. Calls of male cuckoos and gentle sounds of musical instruments were with him. He possessed the prowess of shringara and Rati embraced his body. Foremost among brave ones, he brandished his victorious bow. The one with the moon on his crest was engaged in austerities and he struck him with his arrows. Thus, Chandrashekhara was struck by Kandarpa’s arrows. He cast aside his non-attachment and discarded the austerities. Shiva abandoned all the niyamas and gave up his fortitude. Afflicted by Smara, he repeatedly meditated on Parvati. Sharva sighed many times and his cheeks turned pale. Tears flowed from his eyes. He was separated and tormented and he lost his patience. He repeatedly remembered that he had seen the daughter of the mountain earlier. Scorched by Ananga’s arrows, the wielder of the trident was tormented. Struck by the flowery arrows, he constantly became unsteady and the mark of the moon, Ganga, Nandi, Bhringi, Mahakala and the foremost ganas were incapable of assuaging the torment his body experienced. Nandi supported him by the hand. He went from one flowery couch to another flowery couch and struggled repeatedly. The flowery beds, amrita flowing from the moon’s part and the cold water from the ice could not counter the fever his body felt. Wishing to calm the fiery blaze in his body, Shiva repeatedly sought recourse in the snowy slabs of the mountains. He used his nails to etch pictures of the mountain’s daughter on the slabs. But when he looked at these, Ananga’s affliction did not go away. It only increased. He was embarrassed at what he had etched. He lowered his head and cast sidelong glances at these. He touched his limbs to those pictures on the slabs and his body-hair stood up. He had great thoughts of being united with her and this greatly increased his desire for intercourse. He saw her everywhere. His mind was only directed towards her. In his madness, he saw only her and wished to converse only with her. She alone was in his heart. His mind was devoted to her. He spent night and day only on the nectar of her words. He was eager to describe her conduct and eager to see her form. Shiva was immersed in her alone and suffered from great torment. Dhurjati (Shiva) could find no medication for the affliction wrought by Manobhava. Deciding that marriage was the only way, he made great efforts towards that end.

Obeying Lalitaa’s command, Kandarpa confounded the divinity in this way. He then used his arrows to torment the mountain’s daughter. She repeatedly suffered from the fiery pangs of separation. She turned pale and sighed deeply. Her lips were like petals and they dried up. Her cheeks turned pale. While eating, lying down or sleeping, she could not find any peace. Thousands of friends constantly sprinkled her, using devices to cool her down. But she was repeatedly tormented and repeatedly agitated. Manmatha’s fire was great and nothing could pacify the pain. Tormented by separation, Parvati could not sleep. The torment in her body increased the distress of her parents. Her father urged her, “O fortunate one! Use austerities to satisfy the divinity Maheshvara. You will obtain him as a desired husband.” For the sake of obtaining a husband, Parvati performed extremely difficult austerities on the summit of Mount Himalaya, named Gourishekhara. During winter, she resided in the water. During summer, she undertook extremely difficult austerities, standing amidst fires, with her eyes cast on the sun. Satisfied with these austerities, Shiva agreed to marry her.

For a long period of time, Maheshvara pleasured himself with her. He resided in his father-in-law’s residence in the city of Oshadhiprastha (a mountain near Kailasa). Along with all the pramathas, he then returned to Kailasa again. In this way, Skanda was born and killed Taraka.

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Bibek Debroy

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