As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 04

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Chanchula attains salvation, sings hymns of glory of lord’s holy consort, and asks about the fate of Bidunga …if he listens to holy Shivapurana with dedication, salvation is certain she learns.

Lord Shiva was pleased with the woman. Immediately, a divine plane descended in front of her and as she boarded the aircraft, the counselors of Shiva escorted Chanchula to the celestial land of Shiva, the lord of the mountains. A great devotee cleansed of sins she was now and so divine ornaments and clothes adorned the body while virtuous qualities enhanced her glow and splendeur. She found the lord of glory and divinity incarnate, sitting on the most exalted and divine throne as prominent gods of heavens attended. Goddess Parvati sat beside him. Devotee Chanchula was unable to withstand the glow and brilliance. She was under the spell of supreme bliss, and out of ecstasy, she bowed before the great lord. She stood emotionally surcharged, tears rolled down in a continual stream as love, rapture, excitement and inner light and satisfaction filled body and soul. Granting a special status, Shiva asked Chanchula to come near and so she felt blessed, and thus, proximity to goddess Parvati, earned her a permanent acquaintance.

One day, she meditated on Shiva, and looked engrossed in pleasurable moments. After some time, she stood up, went to goddess Uma with folded hands and said, “O holy daughter of the lord of Mountains (Daksa), human beings worship you forever. You lavish comforts of life on living beings. O holy consort of Shiva, you are an image of Brahma. Vishnu and Brahma worship you. You are an embodiment of saguna (shape and form or a picture of virtues and gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas) and nirguna – (beyond gunas or form) and the Supreme lord. You are the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of universe. You are the refuge of three gunas (sattvic, rajasic and tamasic). You are the supreme abode of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, and confer Supreme Status on the great lords because you are the divine power beyond (parashakti), the potency beyond divinity.”

Chanchula attained Supreme bliss and moksa, and after praising goddess Uma, the consort of Shiva, she stood silent with a bowed head and eyes filled with tears of love and admiration.

Overwhelmed with love and affection, Parvati spoke tenderly, “O dear friend Chanchula, I am pleased with the expression of praise. What boon you need? Please tell. I can give you everything you wish.”

She said, “O holy daughter of lord Hima (also called Daksa or Himalaya or Himvana), where is Bidunga? I do not know anything about his present attainment or yoni. O goddess, you bless all. I want to unite with him. Kindly favour and bless. O goddess, holy consort of Maheshwara, O great divinity, a prostitute belonging to a family of sudras enamored and allured him (my husband) and thus, absorbed in sins and evil acts, his sensuous and passionate thirst and hunger increased. He died before my death. I do not know to which yoni he was driven to…?”

Goddess Girija said, “O dear daughter, Bidunga was a sinner. His soul and ‘the inner self’ were polluted and malicious. After living a lecherous life with a prostitute, the big foolish man suffered immensely many tortures in hell for many years. It was not the end of pains and miseries. After suffering in hell, he is born in the yoni of a pisacha (a ghost, who lives on human flesh) and at present, lives in the mountains of Vindhya. Yes, he lives in the yoni of a pisacha and suffers many agonies. He breathes in pain and sorrow, and lives in acute anguish.”

Miserable and agonising life of Bidunga in hell deeply pained and disturbed Chanchula. After some time, she recovered, cooled down and with a distressed heart, said to the goddess, “O great goddess, please be generous. Bestow mercy and grant deliverance to wicked Bidunga, who committed numerous crimes and bad karmas. How immoral, polluted and evil-minded husband can attain liberation, O goddess? Please tell soon. I salute you O holy goddess.”

Parvati said mildly, “O Chanchule, if he listens to the holy legends from the sacred book Shivapurana, he will be free from the yoni of evil and wickedness, and will become part of a pious and virtuous life, and very soon would get deliverance.”

Chanchula expressed gratitude to the holy goddess after she heard mild, sweet and nectar-filled words of Gauri, beloved of Shiva.

She bowed respectfully, saluted and then requested, “O goddess, I implore before you. Please guide. I shall make proper arrangements for the rendering of holy and legendary tale so that husband Bidunga is purified and gets rid of sins.” Thus, she continued to make earnest requests, adored, and praised holy goddess.

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