As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 120

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Wickedness has its end. Daityas signify violence, sins, brutalities while gods want to live in eternal peace and harmony, and are engaged in penance and tapa, and so devotion to the lord determines life.

One loves to recall immortal lessons from legends, as these appear very contemporary and still very ancient. If a man works against the decree of lord, he wastes life and retribution is inevitable for the Supreme god wants continuity, stability and never-ending happiness for humanity, created beings on earth and celestial beings of heavens. If a wicked person brings miseries and takes delights in the sufferings of human race and created beings, celestial or otherwise it exhibits naked wantonness because taking pleasure in the sufferings and agonies of people is sadistic and spiteful.

In such an eventuality, even natural world experiences the anguish of humanity. The horrid and iniquitous nature of daitya Durgama is disgusting, unendurable and ferocious and is against the message of the Vedas and yajnas. When it becomes unbearable, they pray before the goddess and seek blessing so that they are free from the nasty and violent acts of the mighty daitya. She, the creator, the preserver and the destroyer blesses all and decides to eliminate the cruel daitya, and therefore, in the war, she kills him and establishes peace and rule of dharma. Acts of uprightness are cathartic and if life adheres to virtues and truth. Noble life purifies life and existence. If one values the consecrated impact of yajna and religion, it elevates man.

Evil forces do not survive for a long time. Asuras symbolise power of iniquity, hostility, sin, brutality and ruthlessness whereas gods are invariably harbingers of peace, harmony, prosperity and opulence. They believe in bhakti and tapa. Going back, one learns that gods stood for the wellbeing of created beings, and never wanted to disturb the system. Natural flow   managed and controlled life and created beings, who encompassed various aspects of life and society as a whole which appeared befitting to the nature of the gods. Supreme Lord sanctified celestial beings with divine powers and eternity, not just an act of generosity it was but the gods also earned it through austere tapa and penance.

Blessed with celestial powers and immortality, the gods and the celestial beings through godly powers were to promote goodwill, tapa, bhakti, wellbeing and prosperity among the created beings. One notices that whoever worked against the dictates of the Supreme lord received retribution, and so the reprisal drove a reprobate to oblivion. The Supreme lord always wanted the system, an eternal continuity of humanity and its movement to adopt corrective measures to operate invariably in all eventualities and move to deliverance, the ultimate objective of life and existence. Whenever, anyone tried to bring anarchy, confusion or disharmony, reprimand awaited malevolent dynamism. It is the law of nature, life and of the Supreme Invisible lord – one may speak in contemporary jargon – when it becomes difficult to believe in the existence of god, and if one believes, it is awesome rather impossible to portray.

If gods and goddesses in different ages and times appeared on the scene, it was to bring peace, concord and synchronisation in the movement of created beings. Faith is essential. Now, goddess appeared every time to kill evil forces, for it was because of the wish and boon of the Supreme lord and the prayers of the sufferers.

Initial brief from the ancient tale becomes inevitable. One finds a perennial fight between gods and daityas continues. At times, daityas governed the three worlds. Unfortunately, they could not live in peace and during the regimes of daityas, the created beings and the gods suffered. Demons also suffered from myriad flaws. When the gods assumed the control of the three worlds, it was all pervasive peace and harmony and evil forces did not survive for long. Evil has a definite end is a great truth and revelation.

Long ago, a dreadful daitya Durgama lived and ruled a vast kingdom. He was a courageous son of Ruru, a man of tapa and meditation and thus, underwent tapasya for many years.

After the death of powerful daityas Nishumbha and Shumbha, monk Suta spoke about the great and magnificent character of goddess Uma, who grants deliverance to devotees. Once, a terrible war broke out between the gods of heavens and daityas. Because of the delusory powers of goddess, the gods of heavens were the victors. Therefore, under erroneous belief, the gods were proud of their conquest over demons. Out of ego and pride, they began to tell around that they were fortunate and deserve gratitude from created beings. Daityas, afraid of gods’ power, shouted out of fears ‘run, run away’ and entered the subterranean world. Daityas ran away because of fear of gods’ power. Gods said, “Our radiance is astonishing. Our power and luminosity is capable of destroying dynasty of daityas. O! How fortunate gods are.”

Therefore, they began to chant hymns of praise of their strength and glory. As they were lost in singing hymns of self-glory, a great bunch of radiance appeared before the gods, which they had not seen before. It filled gods with bewilderment. Their throats were choked and so, they asked one another, “What is it? What is it?” They failed to understand the supreme grandeur of Bhagvati Uma that had emerged to wipe out ego and pride of gods.

Lord of gods Indra asked gods to find out the truth of bunch of glittery brilliance. Vayudeva – the lord of Air was the first to go near the cluster of light.

When asked, Vayudeva answered with a sense of arrogance, “I am Vayu, the life of entire cosmos. I am basis of all beings – motionless and in motion, the great lord – parmeshwara. I take care of the universe and guide its movements.”

The mighty cluster of light said, “If you are competent to run the affairs of the universe then… here is a tiny blade of grass, just make it run it as you wish.” Vayudeva failed and in humiliation returned to Indra and said, “O lord of gods, all gods are liars, the great pretenders. We cannot even move a single straw.”

Indra sent all gods one by one to find out the truth of amazing bunch of glittering light but all failed. Indra was astonished and therefore, he decided to go to find out the secret of unknown marvel. The moment, Indra went, the bunch of light disappeared. Indra was surprised at the strange phenomenon and so thought it better to take shelter of lord of all gods. Thousand-eyed Indra continued to deliberate for some time and later, the great goddess – cluster of brilliance, the self-illumined, fully ornamented and armoured with divine jewels, the beloved of Shiva, who bestows true delight Uma appeared, who wipes out conceit and self-image of gods of heavens. She, the exquisitely red-attired goddess illuminated all the ten directions and appeared to tell gods that she was the ‘Parabrahma Paramatma’ and the lord of all bhutas, the image of Parabrahma – the great Mahamaya.

Goddess Uma told them that she was the Supreme light, the radiance, an image of pranava and she was everything and there was nothing beyond. She was nirguna and yet saguna – the form and the formless…and therefore, she continued to speak of glory and at times, she told, she appeared as man and also as a woman and simultaneously also she was present as man and woman – an image of Ardhanarishwara and was the image of all gods.

She was the creator of the world Supreme Brahma. She was the preserver – lord Vishnu, and she was the destroyer – Rudra. She was potent delusory might – Mahamaya who drove the created world to delusion and illusion. She was Kaali, Laksmi and Saraswati and embodiment of all powers. It was because of her influence and strength that they had secured victory over daityas. They were gravely mistaken, because they thought they were the lord of gods. She told gods that she was the goddess, who ran the affairs of the created beings.

The lords of Air, Fire, Lokpals and others not only feared but obeyed her also. She told, “I am free and with the delusory powers I grant victory to gods, and at times, I am the reason of triumph of daityas. I am the abode of all eternal powers and shrutis and I am the image – saguna or nirguna. Two images: one is bereft of delusory potency and the other is delusory – Maya speak of my strength and omnipresence. O gods, know the truth, abandon feelings of self-esteem and conceit, and worship me devotedly, for I am the eternal image.”

Gods heard heavenly and compassionate words, understood the timeless truth of omnipotent and omnipresent goddess, folded hands with devotion, bowed heads and began to praise Parameshwari, Supreme Goddess, “O lord and goddess of the entire universe, please forgive and be happy with us O Parameshwari. Be happy. O Mother, be kind and bless so that we do not nurse ego and pride.” Later, all gods of heavens left feelings of ego and began to worship goddess Uma appropriately and religiously.

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