Chapter 36 - Umā and Śaṅkara leave Himālayas

Brahmā said:

I. When the lord entered his abode and was seated comfortably in an excellent seat, his ruthless enemy the cupid was ready to hit and pierce him with his shafts.

2-4. He was notorious for neglect of good conduct. He was evil-minded and of base family. It was he who harassed the worlds. Concealing his body by covering up his limbs, he put obstacles in the rites of sages. He had come there accompanied by Rati.^[1] Both had assumed the forms of ruddy geese. As an assailant O brahmins, he was ready to hit and wound the lord. Hence, the lord of Devas glanced at him contemptuously by opening his third eye.

5. Then, with thousands of clusters of flames, the fire originating from his eye burned immediately the spouse of Rati together with his attendants.

6. On being burned he became distressed and lamented piteously and out of tune. Propitiating that lord he fell down on the ground.

7. With his limbs encompassed by fire the cupid, the scorcher of the world fell down into a swoon instantaneously.

8. His excessively distressed wife lamented piteously. In great agony she ruefully requested the lord and the goddess for mercy.

9. Realizing her pathetic plight, the sympathetic lord and the lady Umā glanced at the desolate Rati consolingly and said.

Umā and Maheśvara said:

10. Indeed, O gentle lady, he has been burned up. His resuscitation here, is not desired. Bodiless though he be, O gentle lady, he will carry out your tasks.

11. O splendid lady, when lord Viṣṇu incarnates as the son of Vasudeva, your husband will be reborn as his son.

Brahmā said:

12. After securing that boon, the fair-faced wife of Kāma went back to the land of her choice. She was pleased. She was free from languor.

13. O brahmins, after burning up Kāma the delighted bull-bannered lord sported about on the Himālaya mountain in the company of Umā.

14-17. Accompanied by the goddess, the three-eyed lord sported about in various places such as—beautiful caves, lotus-ponds and lakes, charming places free from crowds of people, Karṇikāra forests, lovely banks of rivers frequented by Kinnaras,^[2] peaks of the lord of mountains, tanks and lakes, different parks and groves, amongst Campa bushes, places, resonant with the chirpings and cooings of different birds, holy centres, sacred waters, lawns studded with jewels, etc, etc. In all these holy and charming spots embellished by Vidyādharas and frequented by Gandharvas, Yakṣas and the immortal beings, the three-eyed lord sported about along with the goddess.

18. Surrounded by Devas led by Indra, sages, Yakṣas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, leading Daityas and others of various sorts, the couple derived great pleasure on that mountain.

19. There the celestial damsels and the leading Devas danced; the delighted Gandharvas sang; the brahmins meditated; some hurriedly played on the musical instruments and some eulogised the excellent qualities of the lord.

20. The noble lord, who destroyed the eyes of Bhaga, who was accompanied by his powerful attendants comparable to Indra, Yama and fire-god, did not leave off that mountain just for pleasing the goddess.

The sages said:

21. What did the great lord the destroyer of Kāma do, staying there accompanied by Umā? We wish to know this.

Brahmā said:

22-23. On the peak of the Himavān, the lord with the crescent moon for his caste mark on the forehead delighted the goddess and diverted himself. Desirous of pleasing the goddess he cut jokes and provoked mirth along with the leading Gaṇas of different shapes and sizes, who were omniscient, magnanimous and splendid and who could assume any form they liked.

24-25. Once it so happened that Umā went to her mother Menā who was seated in a bright and wonderful golden seat. On seeing the chaste blameless goddess who came there in a divine form, the mother greeted her by offering a valuable seat. Then, Menā the lotus-eyed beloved of Himavān spoke to her when she was comfortably seated.

Menā said:

26-27. O my daughter of splendid eyes, you have come after a long time. Now tell me why do you play sports with poor wretched persons in the company of your husband? Only the low people sport about as your husband does, my precious girl. Those who are poor and those who have no support sport with such wretched and poor people, O Umā.

Brahmā said:

28. On being bluntly told thus by her mother Umā was not pleased. Endowed with enormous patience she did not say anything to her mother. Dismissed by her mother she went straight to her lord and said:

Pārvatī said:

29. O lord of the chiefs of Devas I will not stay on this mountain. O lord of massive splendour, make another residence for me in any of the three worlds.

The lord said:

30-31. You were being told always by me to go in for a separate residence, O goddess, but, O gentle lady, the proposal did not appeal to you at all. But now, O gentle lady, O splendid one, why do you seek a residence elsewhere? Tell me O lady of pure smiles the cause for the change of your view.

The goddess said:

32-34. O lord of Devas, today I had been to the abode of my noble father. O creator of the worlds, my mother met me in a room where there was no one else. After honouring me by offering seat etc. she spoke to me thus “O Umā, my auspicious girl your husband sports with the poor wretched people. Sports and pastime of Devas are never of that sort.”

O bull-bannered lord Śiva! the fact that you sport about with the attendants of poor status is not approved of by my mother.”

Brahmā said:

35-38. Then, in order to humour the goddess and make her laugh, the lord laughed boisterously and said:

The lord said:

This is true. There is no doubt about this why were you angry? O lotus-eyed one, I do roam about in the forests and mountain caverns, surrounded by naked Gaṇas.^[3] Sometimes I wear the hide of an elephant. Sometimes I have no cloth to wear. Sometimes I stay in the cremation ground and have it as my abode. I have no permanent abode anywhere.

O gentle lady, do not be furious with your mother. Your mother has spoken the truth. Unto all creatures in the world there is no other kinsman on a par with one’s mother.

The goddess said:

39-40. O destroyer of three cities^[4], I have nothing to do with my kinsmen. O great lord, do such things as will enable me to derive happiness.

Brahmā said:

On hearing the words of the goddess the lord of Devas left his father-in-law’s residence for pleasing her consort. Accompanied by his wife and Gaṇas he went to the Meru mountain frequented by Devas and Siddhas and other Beings.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Rati—wife of Kāmadeva, god of love.

[2]:

Kinnara—a mythical being with a human figure and the head of a horse or with a horse’s body and the head of a man, originally perhaps a kind of monkey, in later times reckoned among the Gandharvas or celestial choristers and celebrated as musician.

[3]:

Gaṇas—attendants of Śiva under the special superintendence of god Gaṇeśa.

[4]:

Destroyer of three cities—The three strong cities, triple fortification built of gold, silver and iron in the sky, air and earth, by Maya for the Asuras and burnt by Śiva.