Shiva’s Dilemma

FROM MATSYA Purana, let me recount a Shiva- Parvati story that may not be very familiar.

Shiva said, “O slender-limbed one! Your dark shine has embraced my fair body. It is as if a dark serpent is coiled around a fair sandalwood tree. The beautiful night is tinged by the light of the moon. But you resemble a night in krishna paksha. You are defiling my vision.” Hearing this, Devi let go of Pinaki’s neck. Her eyes turned with rage. Devi replied, “Everyone suffers as a result of the foolish act he himself commits. O one ornamented with the moon! After a long period of austerities, I obtained what I wished for. However, as a consequence of that, I suffer from disrespect at every step. O Sharva! O Dhurjati! I am not crooked. Nor am I coarse. You are famous as one who has imbibed poison. It is evident that you bear a store of taints. I did not destroy Pusha’s teeth or Bhaga’s eyes. The illustrious Aditya, with the 12 manifestations, knows me. As a result of your own sins, you have abused me and planted a stake on my head. Though you are famous as Mahakala, you have addressed me as ‘Krishnaa’. [Krishnaa means the dark one. So does Kaali, explaining the mention of Mahakala.] Therefore, I will renounce all this and go and perform austerities in the mountain. Insulted by a crafty person, I no longer desire this life.”

Shiva spoke to her in words that were a mix of love and great fear. Shiva said, “O daughter of a mountain! I have not criticised you because you are a mountain’s daughter. I will tell you the reason why, with a respectful mind, I suggested a name for you. O daughter of a mountain! My mind is clear and you should not think that I contemplate an alternative to you. O timid one! If you get angry in this way, I will not speak words of jest to you again. O one with the auspicious smiles! Conquer your anger. I prostrate my head before you. I have joined my hands in salutation. If dishonour and criticism are caused by love and if a person becomes angry because of that transgression, no one will joke with that person.” In this way, Shiva tried many kinds of flattery to make Devi understand. However, Devi had been pierced in her inner organs and did not cast aside the fierce rage. Shankara held her garment by the hand. However, with dishevelled hair, the mountain’s daughter forcefully tried to free herself. As she prepared to leave in her rage, Tripura’s destroyer spoke to her again. “It is true. In every possible limb, you are just like your father’s daughter. Because of the nets of clouds that crowd Himachala’s peaks, the sky is difficult to reach. Like that, the inner recesses of your heart are hard and impossible to reach. The signs are that they are harder than many forests. You are more crooked than the curving paths in the mountains, difficult to traverse. O slender-limbed one! In every way, you are as cold as the ice in the mountains.” When Girisha said this again, the mountain’s daughter shook her head in rage and her lips quivered as she spoke.

The great asura discarded the form of a snake. Evil in intelligence, to deceive Girisha, he assumed Uma’s form. Using his maya, he devised this enchanting form. All the limbs were complete, so that no one was in a position to detect

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Uma said, “Please do not criticise the qualities of people, since you are the one who has given them those taints. All those evil associations have affected you too. You have assumed great deceitfulness from serpents and lack of affection from the ashes. You have assumed taints from the moon and lack of understanding from the bull. What is the need to speak a lot? Enough. Speech is a waste of effort. You are fearless because you reside in cremation grounds. Since you are naked, you possess no shame. Since you bear a skull, you have no compassion. Pity has left you a long time ago.” Saying this, the mountain’s daughter emerged from the house. The ganas of the lord of devas chattered and followed her. “O mother! Abandoning us, where are you going?” Weeping, they rushed behind her again. Viraka (a gana) clasped Devi’s feet, his voice choking with tears. He exclaimed, “O mother! What happened here? Where are you going in rage? You are leaving, forgetting all bonds of love. But I will follow you. O one devoted to austerities! Otherwise, abandoned by you, I will fling myself down from a summit.” Placing her right hand on his face, Devi, the mother, spoke to Viraka. “O son! Do not grieve in vain. Do not fling yourself down from the summit of a mountain. Do not come with me. O son! I will tell you about the reason why I am going. Listen. Though I should not be criticised, Hara has criticised me as ‘Krishnaa’. Therefore, I will perform austerities so that I can become Gouri [the fair one]. Meanwhile, when I have left, the divinity should not lust after other women. Your task is to guard the gate and constantly keep an eye on weaknesses. Let no other woman enter this place and approach near Hara. O son! If you see any other woman here, inform me. I will quickly act about what should be done next.” Viraka told Devi that it

e efforts. If anyone enters near Pinaki, you must inform me. In that event, I will decide what needs to be done thereafter.” Thus addressed, she agreed and returned to her own auspicious mountain. Uma, the mountain’s daughter, quickly went to her father’s garden through the sky, like radiance penetrating a mass of clouds. She cast aside her ornaments and donned the bark of trees. In the summer, she tormented herself with five fires (four fires on four sides and the sun overhead). During the monsoon, she dwelt in the water. She survived on forest fare. She fasted. She slept on the dry and bare ground. In this way, she engaged in austerities there.

Meanwhile, there was a powerful and proud daitya who was Andhaka’s son. He remembered his father’s death and got to know about the mountain’s daughter. He was Baka’s brother and terrible in battle. He defeated all the devas. His name was Adi and he constantly waited for an opportunity. This enemy of the immortals arrived at the city of the one who wears the moon on his crest, the destroyer of Tripura. Having gone there, he saw Viraka stationed at the gate. Earlier, the one born from the lotus had granted him a boon and he thought about this. When Girisha had killed daitya Andhaka, the enemy of the immortals, Adi had performed extremely terrible and extensive austerities. Satisfied at his austerities, Brahma had appeared before him and had spoken to him. “O Adi! O best among danavas! What do you wish to achieve through your austerities?” The daitya had told Brahma, “I ask for the boon that I should not die.” Brahma had replied, “There is no man or danava who does not suffer from death. O Indra among daityas! In one way or another, everyone with a body faces death.” Thus addressed, the lion among daityas had spoken to the one who had originated from the lotus. “O one born from the lotus! Let me face death when my form is transformed. Otherwise, let me be immortal.” Satisfied, the one born from the lotus had agreed to this. “When you are transformed and have a second form, that is when you will die, not otherwise.” Thus addressed, the immensely strong son of a daitya had regarded this as good as being immortal. At the time, he remembered the means of his death. Accordingly, to save himself from Viraka’s line of vision, he assumed the form of a snake. Avoiding the line of vision, he entered through a hole. The danava thus avoided the extremely invincible ganesha. Unnoticed by the ganesha, he entered inside the city. Thereafter, the great asura discarded the form of a snake. Evil in intelligence, to deceive Girisha, he assumed Uma’s form. Using his maya, he devised this enchanting form. All the limbs were complete, so that no one was in a position to detect. However, inside his mouth, the daitya had teeth that were as firm as the vajra and sharp at the tips. In his deluded intelligence, he prepared to slay Girisha. Having assumed this form, the daitya approached Hara. The wicked one attired himself in beautiful and colourful garments and ornaments.

I will continue in the next column.

About The Author

Bibek Debroy

Bibek Debroy has translated the Mahabharata and the Valmiki Ramayana into English. He is the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister

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