Chapter 39 - The gods arrive at Kailāsa on invitation and Śiva prepares to start

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:—

1. O dear father Brahmā, O intelligent disciple of Viṣṇu, obeisance be to you. O merciful one, this wonderful story has been heard by us from you.

2. Now I wish to hear the story of the auspicious marriage of the moon-crested lord that dispels all sins.

3. What did lord Śiva do on receiving the auspicious letter of betrothal. Please narrate that story of Śiva, the supreme soul.

Brahmā said:—

4. Dear child of great intellect, listen to the glory of Śiva, what lord Śiva did on receiving the auspicious letter,

5. On reading the auspicious letter with joy, Śiva laughed in delight. The lord honoured them duly.

6. Causing the letter to be read aloud, He duly accepted the proposal. Honouring the messengers He informed them.

7. He told the sages—“Every thing is auspicious and well done. All of you shall grace the celebration of my marriage. The marriage proposal has been accepted by me”.

8. On hearing these words of Śiva, they were delighted. After bowing to and circumambulating Him they returned joyful of their great luck and grace.

9. Then Śiva, the lord of the gods, the lord indulging in divine sports, remembered you, O sage, in accordance with worldly conventions.

10-11. You came there praising your good luck. Bowing to Him humbly with palms joined in reverence and with stooping shoulders you eulogised Him with the utterances of words “hail to Thee”. O sage, you requested Him for his behest.

12. Then the delighted Śiva, heightening your pleasure with sweet speech and evincing interest in worldly conventions told you thus, O excellent sage.

Śiva said:—

13. O excellent sage, listen to us lovingly. I am speaking to you because you are the crest-jewel of my devotees.

14. At your bidding a great penance has been performed by Pārvatī. Propitiated by her I have granted her the boon of my being her husband.

15. Being subservient to her by her devotion I shall marry her. The auspicious hour free of defects has been fixed by the seven sages.

16. O Nārada, the marriage will take place after seven days from today. Following the worldly conventions I shall make a grand festival of the same.

Brahmā said:—

17. O dear one, on hearing these words of Śiva, the supreme soul, you were delighted and you spoke after bowing to the lord.

Nārada said:—

18. This is your sacred rite. You have been considered subservient to your devotees. You have carried out the desire of Pārvatī.

19. O lord, a task befitting my capacity must be mentioned by you. Considering me your own servant please be kind to me. Obeisance to you.

Brahmā said:—

20. O great sage, Śiva, favourably disposed to His devotees, on being thus requested by you replied very delightedly to you.

Śiva said:—

21. O sage, on my behalf, invite all the gods beginning with Viṣṇu, and sages, Siddhas and others.

22. Giving due weightage to my bidding, may all of them come here enthusiastically, in all their splendour along with their women and children.

23. O sage, those who do not take part in the celebration of my marriage, are not my people, even if they are the gods.

Brahmā said:—

24. Paying heed to this behest of Śiva, O sage, you, a great favourite of Śiva, invited all of them approaching everyone severally.

25. O Nārada, after carrying out your duties as his emissary you, the great sage, returned to Śiva and remained there with His permission.

26. Śiva too waited there eagerly expecting their arrival while his attendants were celebrating great festivities by dance and songs.

27. At the same time, Viṣṇu, along with his retinue, came there suitably dressed.

28. Accompanied by his wife and followers he bowed to Śiva with great devotion and joy, and with his permission stayed there in a good abode.

29. I too accompanied by my attendants went to Kailāsa. After bowing to the lord, I too waited there with pleasure along with my followers.

30. Indra and other guardians of the quarters came there with their retinue and womenfolk richly decorated and in festive mood.

31. Similarly the sages, the Nāgas, the Siddhas, the secondary gods and others who had been duly invited came there in jovial mood.

32. Lord Śiva duly received and welcomed all those gods and others severally.

33. Then a great festival was celebrated at Kailāsa. It was very wonderful. The celestial damsels danced in a befitting manner.

34. O sage, in the meantime Viṣṇu and other gods who had arrived there desired to make Śiva’s procession to start.

35. At the bidding of Śiva, all of them performed service to Śiva considering His work as their own.

36. The seven Mothers performed the rites of bedecking Śiva in a fitting manner very joyously.

37. Even the very natural dress and features of Śiva assumed the work of ornamentation, O excellent sage, at the will of lord Siva.

38. The moon took the place of the crown. The third eye became the beautiful ornament on the forehead.

39. O sage, the serpents that had been embellishing His ears before became the ear-rings studded with various gems.

40. The serpents in the other parts became the befitting ornaments of those parts, very beautiful and studded with gems.

41. The ashes became the sweet unguent smeared over his body. The elephant hide etc. became the beautiful silken cloth.

42. The form assumed a beauty beyond description. Lord Śiva seemed to have acquired from Himself all the riches.

43. Then all the gods, demons, Nāgas, Pataṅgas, Apsarasas, sages and others approached Śiva and proclaimed jovially.

All of them said:—

44. O lord, start on journey for wedding the great goddess, the daughter of the mountain, accompanied by us. Be merciful.

45. Then the omniscient Viṣṇu of joyful mind spoke befitting the occasion after bowing to Śiva with devotion.

Viṣṇu said:—

46. O lord of the gods, favourite of those who seek refuge in you, please carry out the task of your devotees. O lord, please listen to my submission.

47. O Śiva, let the rites of your marriage with the daughter of the lord of mountains be performed according to the laws laid down in the Gṛhya Sūtras.

48. The rites followed in your marriage, O Śiva, will become famous and be followed in the world.

49. Please cause the construction of the altar and the Nāndīmukha^[1] according to family tradition. Thus you will be spreading your glory in the world, O lord.

Brahmā said:—

50. Lord Śiva thus requested by Viṣṇu, and being himself eager to follow worldly conventions performed the same duly.

51. Authorised by Him, I performed all the rites conducive to prosperity, assisted by the sages.

52-55. The sages Kaśyapa, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Bhāguri, Bṛhaspati, Kaṇva, Śakti,^[2] Jamadagni, Parāśara, Mārkaṇḍeya, Śilāpāka, Aruṇapāla, Akṛtaśrama, Agastya, Cyavana, Garga, Śilāda, Dadhīci, Upamanyu, Bharadvāja, Akṛtavraṇa, Pippalāda, Kuśika, Kautsa, Vyāsa, with his disciples, and other sages came to Śiva. Urged by me they performed the sacred rites duly.

56. All of them who had mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas performed the safety rites for Śiva and tied the auspicious thread round his wrist.

57. By reciting hymns from Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman they performed the holy rites. All the sages were greatly pleased.

58. In order to ward off obstacles they performed the adoration of the planets under my instruction. They worshipped the gods stationed in the altar.

59. After performing the social and Vedic rites in a fitting manner Śiva became pleased and bowed to the brahmins joyously.

60. Then the lord of all started from the excellent mountain Kailāsa keeping the brahmins and the gods ahead.

61. Outside the mountain Kailāsa, Śiva stopped for a while along with the gods and brahmins receiving different ovations.

62. Then a great jovial festival was celebrated by the gods and others in order to propitiate Śiva. Songs were sung. Instruments were played. Dances were held.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nāndīmukha is a Śrāddha ceremony performed in memory of the Manes, preliminary to any festive occasion such as marriage.

[2]:

Śakti was the eldest son of Vasiṣṭha.