As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 80

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Nataraja as Supreme Brahma – and then the extraterrestrial artiste often changes into various celestial beings and then, he astonishes everyone with a massively dazzling figure. Devotion of Himavana and Maina – Shiva appears in the court as a brahmin and Parvati recognises him but the brahmin speaks ill of Shiva.

Later on, Nataraja changed into the figure of Supreme Brahma, the creator of the universe. The colour of the body appeared red and he was engaged in the study of Vedic suktas. Soon, Himavana observed him in the figure of a dazzling sun. Thereafter, he found brilliant figure of Rudra. Nataraja continued changing into different divine figures, and caused amazement. When he saw Rudra and Parvati standing just beside him and seemed to emit mesmeric smiles and divine light, he was amazed. Thereafter, only an illumined mass astonished.

Again, he appeared as the ever-glowing figure of eternity, infiniteness, and enlightened phenomenon with a bright and luminous divine force, simply astounding and unborn. Himachal observed various divine figures in Nataraja. It filled him with surprise and soon he was lost in a delightful ecstasy as if he enjoyed divinity. Again, Nataraja felt encouraged to ask Maina for the hand of Durga (Parvati), stretched the bowl and implored. He did not accept anything else. Interestingly at that time, Himavana was under the affect of the delusory power of Shiva and therefore, did not accept the claim of Nataraja. 

However, Nataraja did not accept anything and disappeared from the scene. When he left and was invisible, Maina and Himavana reflected deeply, and whispered loudly, “Shiva exercised delusory powers and now, he is gone.” Immense devotion and bhakti for Shiva besieged and subjugated the king and the queen and soon they found a door that opened to moksa. It was divine and full of celestial joy and pleasure.

Indra and the gods of heavens were very pleased at deep devotion of Maina and Himavana to Shiva and soon they thought deeply and held consultations. Thereafter, they went to guru Bhrispati and Supreme Brahma and after securing their consent, appeared before Shiva and said, “O great Mahadeva, we come to seek refuge and therefore, O lord, be generous and kind. We salute you, O great lord. You love devotees and therefore, work for the joy and happiness of devotees so that you fulfill wishes of believers. You deliver the vulnerable from sufferings as you are an ocean of mercy, and help devotees get rid of the miseries and difficulties.”

They continued to praise Shiva and told about the intensity of devotion of Himachal and Maina. Shiva smiled and agreed to everything they said. Now, the gods thought of the objective for which they had exerted hard for ages. After the gods went to heavens, Sambhu the formless, the infinite, and the eternal and the divine master of delusory powers arrived at the court of the king of the mountains, Himavana.

At that time, Himavana was present in the conference hall along with friends, relations, courtiers, and ministers. Parvati sat cheerfully at a divinely raised seat of honour. When they saw Sadashiva with danda (a wooden stick), chhatra (an umbrella), divine clothes on body and the pious dazzling forehead with a mark of brilliance, they were impressed. Disguised as a brahmin he began to intone the name of Sri Hari and appeared in the court of the king. The king, courtiers and eminent citizens greeted the lord appropriately. They thought as if the god had descended. Parvati recognised Shiva in the guise of a brahmin, felt very happy, and saluted the lord with a bowed head. However, she praised the great lord within so that it is not obvious.

The king offered many gifts to the Brahmin as a mark of reverence and worship and he accepted everything with pleasure and appeared immensely happy with the king. Afterward, the king asked about the purpose of visit and said, “O brahmin, who are you and what can I do to serve you properly?”

Brahmin heard genuine praise and words of respect and said, “I am a Vaishanava brahmin, O king of the mountains. I wander about with the mindset of an astrologer and thus, go around the world. I travel with the speed of mind and am capable of going anywhere. With the consent and blessing of the guru, I am the knower of everything. I work for the benefit of all. I am pure, an ocean of compassion and destroyer of sins and blemishes.”

He thought and then resumed, “I learn you want to marry off daughter Parvati, who is beautiful, divine and an embodiment of virtues of goddess Laksmi, to Mahadeva. I know he is homeless, friendless, ugly and devoid of any quality. O king, Rudra lives at the burial ground, snakes keep encircling the body and he is forever engaged in yoga. He is poor, does not wear clothes, and therefore, loiters about naked.”

He said again, “O king, instead of ornaments, he covers the body with snakes. None knows about lord’s family and lineage. He is uncultured and therefore, unfit for the divine girl. He stays away from love and warmth, and walks around with ash-smeared body. He is angry and unwise. Nobody knows about the age. He keeps burden of ugly jetted hair on head. He offers shelter to the good and the bad without distinction. He does not possess any good quality. He is a wanderer, a bearer of snakes, a beggar and pursues efforts in the direction of not very unhealthy and ugly objective, and thus, does not revere path of Vedic principles.”

He read facial expressions of the king and said again, “Do you wish to marry off your daughter to an incompetent and hideous person? It is not a noble thought…try to understand the essence of what I say. He is not the right choice I tell you. You should not offer the hand of Parvati to him. O king of the mountains, just see he does not have any relations and friends whereas you are a mine of jewels. He is a beggar, a poor person… you may ask anyone but please do not ask Parvati because she cannot correctly find out what is good and bad.”

He said, left the court, and went away happily.

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