Chapter 9 - Śiva appears before Pārvatī in dream

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:—

1. O Brahmā, O dear one, O foremost among the devotees of Śiva, O intelligent one, taking pity on me you have narrated a wonderful story to me and have increased my pleasure thereby.

2. O Brahmā, when I, of divine vision, had gone to my abode what happened thereafter? Please tell me now.

Brahmā said:—

3. After you had gone to heaven, some time passed. Once Menā approached the lord of mountains and bowed to him.

4. After waiting there for some time with humility, the beloved of the mountain addressed her lord; the chaste lady who loved her daughter as ardently as her own life spoke to the lord of mountains thus.

Menā said:—

5. As but is natural to women, the words of the sage have not been understood by me well. (I think it is better) that you perform the marriage of our daughter with a handsome bridegroom.

6. Let the bridegroom of Pārvatī be born of a good family endowed with good characteristic signs. In every respect that marriage will yield an unprecedented happiness.

7. Obeisance to you. Do everything necessary to make our daughter, as beloved to us as our own lives, very happy and delighted after being united with a good bridegroom.

Brahmā said:—

8. After saying this, with tears in her eyes Menā fell at the feet of her husband. Raising her, the lord of mountains, the most excellent among intelligent people, made a true statement.

Himācala said:—

9. O gentle lady Menakā, listen. I shall tell you the truth. Do not be under false impressions. The sage’s statement will never be false.

10. If you feel affectionate towards your daughter, zealously instruct your daughter. Let her perform the penance with Śiva as the object, devotedly and steadily.

11. If Śiva is delighted, O Menakā, He will marry her. Everything shall be auspicious. The inauspicious features indicated by Nārada will perish.

12. All inauspicious things are auspicious in Sadāśiva. Hence immediately teach your daughter to hasten to perform the penance for attaining Śiva.

Brahmā said:—

13. On hearing these words of the lord of mountains, Mena was greatly delighted. She approached her daughter to advise her to take interest in penance.

14. On seeing the tender limbs of her daughter, Menakā was greatly distressed. Her eyes welled up in tears immediately.

15. The beloved of the lord of mountains was unable to advise her daughter to perform penance. Pārvatī understood the implied wish of her mother quickly.

16. Then the omniscient supreme goddess Pārvatī immediately spoke to her mother after consoling her again and again.

Pārvatī said:—

17. O mother, of great intelligence, listen in the early dawn to-day. At night I had a dream I shall tell you. Be pleased.

18. A brahmin sage advised me lovingly and compassionately to perform the penance of Śiva, O mother.

Brahhmā said:—

19. On hearing that, Menakā called her husband there and told him the dream as seen by her daughter.

20. After hearing the dream of his daughter from Menakā, the lord of the mountains was pleased and he spoke thus to his wife.

The lord of the mountains said:—

21. O dear, at the end of the latter half of the night, I too had a dream. Please listen to it lovingly. I shall zealously explain it.

22. A great saint of exquisite limbs, as mentioned by Nārada, arrived near my city with very great pleasure in order to perform penance there.

23. Delighted much I took my daughter there with me. He was recognised as Lord Śiva, the bridegroom as mentioned by Nārada

24. Advising our daughter to render service to that saint I requested him to approve of it but He didn’t.

25. A great discussion took place (between her and Śiva based on Sāṅkhya and Vedānta)^[1]. Thereafter at His bidding my daughter stayed there.

26. Concealing her love in the heart she served Him with devotion. This is the dream I had, O bright-faced lady and I have told you all.

27. Hence, dear Mena, for some time the result of this has to be watched. Certainly know this to be the proper step for me.

Brahmā said:—

28. O excellent sage, the lord of the mountains having thus explained to Menakā, both of them remained watching its result, pure in mind.

29-30. When a few days passed by, lord Śiva, the goal of saintly men, the cause of protection and enjoyment wandering here and there in his flutter and excitement due to the separation from Satī, came there with pleasure accompanied by a few of his Gaṇas, in order to perform penance. The lord was completely agitated due to Satī’s love and separation from her.

31. He performed his penance there. Pārvatī engaged herself in His service continuously accompanied by two of her maids.

32. Although the lord Śiva was hit and wounded by the arrows of Kāma who was sent thither by the gods to enchant Him, He was not swayed at all.

33. Burning Kāma there by His fiery eye, on remembering my words, the lord became angry with me and vanished from the scene.

34. After sometime, Lord Śiva quelled the pride of Pārvatī but he was propitiated by her again performing great penance.

35. Following the conventions of the world, the lord married Pārvatī after being sponsored by Viṣṇu. Then everything auspicious ensued.

36. O dear, thus the story of the lord, the divine story of Śiva, has been narrated in brief. What is it that you wish to hear again?

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Compare a dialogue between Śiva and Pārvatī who represent the different phases and aspects of Puruṣa and Prakṛti respectively. Cf. Ch. 13 of this section.