As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 103

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Nandi mediates …Shiva is very happy with Nandi and makes him the chief of ganas – the indomitable attendants…later with the blessing of lord Nandi marries a divine girl Suyasha, daughter of Maruta and the couple lives near the god and goddess, a status superior as compared to gods of heavens

Nandi was extremely disturbed. He had assured his father Shilaada that he would only sing hymns in glory of Mahadeva and further told that he could visualise no other way to run away from the blight of short life. Nandi thought over, left for the forest, and embarked on the course of harsh meditation at a lonely place, which was even difficult for monks of great tapa. Very soon, Shiva was delighted at the intensity of penance he underwent. He appeared before him and asked for a boon and blessings. Nandi prostrated and fell at the feet of lord and began to sing songs of lord’s grandeur.

Lord lifted Nandi with love, looked at goddess Parvati and said, “O child, I had sent those brahmins. O wise child, where is the fear of death? You are like me. There is no doubt about it. You will be immortal, ageless, sans anguish and suffering and without change, and live always as leader of ganas and stay as the most beloved devotee. You will stay and live at the back and I shall love you always. Because of blessing, birth, age and death will not affect you.”

Shiva took out his lotus rosary and adorned him with it. Rosary granted Nandi three eyes and ten arms immediately and he appeared as if another Sankara. Then, Shiva held his hand and asked to get a boon and so he turned into five rivers of pure and divine water. Nearness of lord makes one consecrated and chaste. Later, lord decorated him with the status of chief of ganas. Parvati was very happy. Lord asked all ganas to adorn him with the status of chief and so he became swamy of ganas.

After some time, Shiva married Nandi to a divine girl Suyasha, a daughter of Maruta. Lord blessed him supreme position and asked him to stay where he would live. Thus, Nandi had blessings of the lord and so with a status and position near to Shiva and Uma he lived a happy marital life. Divine couple sanctified Nandi’s spouse and blessed her with three eyes and steadiness and intensity in devotion. Later, Brahma, Vishnu and gods of heavens also blessed Nandi and Suyasha. In fact, Nandi narrated his legendary tale of devotion and blessing he attained through devotion to Shiva and Parvati and reached a status unrivaled among gods of heavens.

Nandi and spouse Suyasha always lived near goddess Parvati and lord Shiva.

He now narrated the legends of Kaal – Bhairava, Virbhadra, monk Visvanara and Agni Dev and thereafter, spoke with feeling about the incarnations – Mahakala, Tara, Bala Bhuvanesi Shiva, Shodsa Srividyesha, Bhairava, Chhinmastaka, Dhumavana, Baglamukh, Matanga and Kamal

Nandi narrated the birth of Kaal Bhairva, an incarnation of Shiva, the lord of divine exploits and delusory potency and told that whoever humiliated devotees of Kaal – Bhairava would suffer in life and would go to live another yoni of miseries. He, who would go to enjoy glimpses of Kaal Bhairava, the lord would bless him and so, cleanse the devotee of impurities. To be devotee of Kaal-bhairava was blissful because he granted fulfillment of all wishes. Nandi was a true devotee of lord, and in earnestness, he narrated tales of Virbhadra and monk Visvanara. On the riverbank of sanctified Narmada, monk Visvanara of Shandilya gotra lived.

He was a treasure of dazzle, radiance and wisdom with the glow of Brahma and exercised full and total control on senses. After sometime, he married Suchismati a woman of dedication and tapa and lived a life in devotion, and after marriage, felt fully satisfied.

One day, she expressed a desire to have a son of glory who should be equal to Maheshwara. Monk was surprised at what she said, for it was a wish, hard to fulfill. He left for Varanasi and meditated on Shiva’s lingam. Shiva was always generous to devotees. Intense tapa of monk pleased him immensely and so, blessed him that ‘he would take birth through the womb of Suchismati known as Grihapati (incarnation of lord of Fire also).’ Later, sage Narada made some prophesies about the future of monk’s son, who with the consent of monk went to Kashi and undertook austere penance and in future with the blessing of Shiva, he got the status of Dikpala.

Nandishwara recalled ‘avatara’ of Agni Dev and told that a person who performed rites relating to lord of fire, was praised in the land of fire, Nandi told and further added that he was an image of guru, god, fast and tapa, tirtha etc. and a mere contact with fire purified everything. Whatever, a devotee offered as oblations with a pure heart, the gods of heavens accepted it, he told. It was auspicious and blissful if one heard about the ‘avataras’ of Mahakala with a devoted and pure heart.

First incarnation was Mahakala. It conferred pleasures of life to saintly people, and dedication led to the path of deliverance. ‘Tara’ was the next ‘avatara’, who situated ‘the self’ as Taradevi and the generous goddess blessed her devotees. ‘Bala Bhuvanesa’ was ‘Bala Bhuvanesi Shiva’ and she bestowed comforts and joys to godly people. ‘Shodsa Srividyesha’ was the fourth ‘avatara’ and in the same way, other incarnations of lord were ‘Bhairava, Chhinmastaka, Dhumavana, Baglamukh, Matanga and Kamal’ he further told.

‘Lord’s images and incarnations provide joys of life to the devotees and protect them from wicked forces, and further, infuse saintly thoughts even while images of goddess Parvati bless. If a devotee on holy occasions prays before Sankara and listens to the holy tales of incarnations, he is very dear to the lord. It confers radiance and energy. If a brahmin is blessed with light, illumination, wisdom and glow, a ksatriya is blessed with victory and a vaisya becomes rich, for his devotion to the lord, confers all the pleasures of the world on devotees.’ He continued and felt satisfied that it fulfilled all desires, and brought cheers on the faces of monks.

Nandi looked at the benign and conscientious faces of monks and told that he would tell about the birth of Rudra and his various ‘avataras’, who were generous to righteous and sanctified souls and shattered degenerate forces so that creation of Brahma could live in peace. Even to hear the sacred tale helped human beings pursue the path of truth and virtues.

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