As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 129

Continued from Previous Page 

Increase in prajas and birth of Shumbha and Nishumbha, who later invade and control the three worlds and heavens and bring miseries and sufferings to gods… Shiva’s remarks on goddess and her laments…is beauty an important thought quite relevant whether in ancient times or contemporary age reflects on man’s bunged mind and hypocritical approach

Thousands of years rolled on and one could see tremendous increase in prajas with the physical union of males and females. Later on, powerful daityas Shumbha and Nishumbha took birth. Through a long and rigorous tapa, the daitya brothers greatly pleased Brahma, who blessed daityas with a boon that no one in the world would be able to kill them but kept the subtle import secret.

When Brahma appeared before them after the completion of meditation and tapa, they said to Brahma, “O lord Brahma, only a daughter born of the limbs of goddess Parvati and not out of any yoni should be able to kill. She should be ‘ayonija’ girl, not touched by any man, should be mighty and courageous and at a time, when she captivates, thrills and makes crazy with feelings of love and passion she should destroy us in the ensuing war. However, she should kill only if she is virgin and untouched.”

Brahma blessed and disappeared. Brahma’s boon made daityas fearless and later on, they invaded the three worlds. Fierce war took place between the daityas and the gods. Mighty and cruel demons defeated Indra and gods in a terrific war that continued for years and established sovereignty over the entire universe. Mighty daityas began to adopt immoral and ruthless methods in the art of governance and thus, brought sufferings to gods. Other created beings enjoyed in the kingdom but gods and goddesses suffered and cried in anguish. However, demons took no mercy and without a thought, destroyed tenets of dharma as enshrined in the Vedas and various Scriptures.

Afterward, when sufferings seemed unbearable, all gods assembled and held prolonged consultations and then, appeared in the court of Brahma. On the advice of Brahma, they went to Shiva and said, “O lord, please bless and favour gods, and protect them from the atrocious regime of wicked Shumbha and Nishumbha, the mighty demons. To achieve the objective, please go to Parvati when she is alone and make a request even if you speak unpleasantly to the goddess and she feels dishonored.”

Brahma suggested hesitatingly as they feared anger of Shiva that might burn. After a pause, Shiva said, “O god, you speak impudently. You provoke rather offend and humiliate the great goddess. Do not annoy. When you talk disparagingly about goddess’s beauty and glamour, she gets infuriated. Please rouse passionless and mighty goddess to invoke divine powers and thereafter, O god, you dedicate ‘the selves.’ Pray and worship before goddess so that you achieve the objective. To mitigate sufferings of gods, she would kill the dreadful daityas.”

When Supreme Brahma prayed before lord Shiva, lord Rudra went to meet Parvati when she was alone. He purposely tried to speak in a language that appeared outrageous and disconcerting but the lord was to respect the request of Brahma.

Rudra said smilingly, “O Parvati, you are black.”

Hearing unexpected and condemnable words about colour and beauty, Parvati was enraged. Shiva tried to put black complexion of the goddess in bad light. However, without exhibiting obvious anger and intent to seek remedy of the defects lord Shiva pointed out, she emitted a smile and said, “O lord, if you do not respect black colour, then why did you restrain feelings for a long time?”

Goddess conveyed clearly that she was not very pleased, and did not think that Shiva disliked dark complexion. She kept quiet for some time.

She thought, “If a woman is beautiful in looks and physique and a husband does not exhibit love and warmth, it is waste of woman’s beauty and intrinsic virtue. The very creation of woman is an object of joy and pleasure and thus, forms a major part of man’s life. If it does not materialise then, a woman’s life is a total waste. If dark skin texture deprives a woman of the sacred obligation toward man and society, then woman’s existence is irrelevant. What she would do with the beauty, the charm and the wonderful physical looks? Therefore, O lord, you did not admire colour and beauty when you lived with me. Therefore I cast off present features and would love to take different colour and characteristics or else I would exist no more and finish life.”

Firmness in decision proved a great barrier in the realisation of objective.

She was disappointed but restrained feelings. With feelings of dishonor, she got up and after stubbornly resolving to proceed to undergo tapa and penance she happily asked lord’s consent.

Continued to Next Page