Chapter 8 - Nārada-Himālaya Conversation

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Brahmā said:

1. Once, induced by Śiva, you went to the abode of Himācala lovingly, you who have the knowledge of Śiva and who are the foremost among those who know the divine sports of Śiva.

2. O sage Nārada, on seeing you, the lord of the mountains bowed to you and worshipped you. He called his daughter and asked her to fall at your feet.

3. O excellent sage, he bowed to you again. Himavat joined his palms in reverence and bent his head considering it his duty and spoke to you.

Himavat said:—

4. O sage Nārada, of good knowledge, O lord, foremost among the sons of Brahmā, you are omniscient. You are sympathetic. You are engaged in rendering help to others.

5. Please read the horoscope of my daughter and tell me about her good and bad fortune. Whose beloved wife will my fortunate daughter be?

Bramhā said:—

6-7. O excellent sage, being thus requested by Himavat the lord of mountains, you looked at Kālī’s palm and the limbs as well. O dear, you are wise. You know many facts. You are eloquent in speech. You then spoke.

Nārada said:

8. “O Menā, O king of mountains, this daughter of yours has all auspicious signs. Like the first digit of the moon she will increase day by day.

9. She will delight her husband, and heighten the glory of her parents. She will be a great chaste lady. She will grant bliss to everyone always.

10. I see all good signs in the palm of your daughter, O lord of mountains. There is an abnormal line also. Listen to the indication thereof.

11. Her husband will be a naked Yogin, without any qualities. He will be free from lust. He will have neither mother nor father. He will be indifferent to honours. His dress and manners will be inauspicious.

Brahmā said:—

12. On hearing your words the couple thought them true. Both Menā and Himavat were much distressed.

13. O sage, on hearing your words, and inferring that indications referred to Śiva, Pārvatī’s joy knew no bounds.

14. Convinced that Nārada’s words could not be false, Śivā turned her mind and love to Śiva’s feet.

15. The lord of mountains who was very much grieved in mind spoke to you, “O Nārada, O sage, what is the way out? What shall I do? A great misery has befallen us”.

16. On hearing that, O sage, you who are eloquent in speech, delighted Himavat by your sweet words of auspicious import and spoke to console him.

Nārada said:—

17. “O lord of mountains, listen to my words with affability. They are true. They cannot be false. The lines in the palm are the lines of Brahmā. They cannot be untrue.

18. O lord of mountains, there is no doubt that her husband will be such a person. You now hear what you have to do whereby you will be happy.

19. There is a bridegroom like that. He is lord Śiva who has sportively assumed a physical form. In Him all bad characteristics are equal to good characteristics.

20.In a majestic person a defect does not produce misery. It may well cause misery in a non-majestic person. Sun, fire and Gaṅgā may be cited as examples.

21. Hence you give your daughter in marriage to Śiva. That will be a wise step. Lord Śiva who is the sole lord, unchanging and without any aberration is worthy of being resorted to.

22. By performing penance, Śiva can be propitiated quickly and He will accept her undoubtedly.

23. In every respect, Śiva, the lord of all, is the most suitable person. He cannot be slain even by thunderbolts. He can render Brahmā and others distressed.”^[1]

24. O dear sage, after saying this you continued. You delighted him with auspicious words. You spoke to the king of the mountains.

25. “O lord of mountains, she will be the wife of Śiva and will remain his favourite always. She will be a chaste lady of good rites. She will increase the pleasure of her parents.

26. Performing a penance she will fascinate Śiva’s mind towards herself. He too will marry none else except her.

27. A love akin to this pair will not be found anywhere. Never in the past was it seen nor will it occur in future. Nor it is current now.

28. O best of mountains, the two will fulfil the work of the gods. They will resuscitate those who have breathed their last.

29. O lord of mountains, Śiva will become Ardhanārīśvara (half male and half female), with your daughter forming half the part of your body. Their meeting once again will be delightful.

30. After propitiating lord Śiva, the lord of all, by the power of her penance, your daughter will take away half the body of Siva.

31. By propitating Śiva with her penance she will acquire the lustre of gold and will be known as Svarṇagaurī. Your daughter will be as fair-complexioned as lightning.

32. This girl will be famous in the name of Gaurī, She will deserve the respect of Viṣṇu, Brahmā and the other Gods.

33. O excellent mountain, you shall not give her to anyone else. This is a secret of the gods. This shall not be revealed to any one else.

34. O celestial sage, Nārada, on hearing these words that you spoke O, sage, the eloquent Himavat spoke thus:

Himavat said:—

35. O sage Nārada, O intelligent one, I have one submission to make. Please listen to it lovingly and make us delightful.

36. It is heard that the great God abhors all attachments. He has perfect self-control. He is ever busy in

penance and is out of reach of even the Gods.

37. O celestial sage, He is in the path of meditation. How can He withdraw His mind from the supreme Brahman? I have a great doubt in this respect.

38-39. The supreme Brahman is great and imperishable. It is like the streak of a lamp. It is termed Sadāśiva. It is without aberration. It is beyond Brahmā. It is both full and devoid of qualities. It has no special traits, no desires. It sees within^[2] and not without.

40. O sage, from the Kinnaras who come here, such are the things heard about Him. Can it be untrue?

41. This is also heard that Śiva had entered into a contract with the lady Satī. Listen to what I say?

42. “O Satī, Dākṣāyaṇī, my beloved, I shall not take the hand of any woman except you as my wife. This is the truth that I say.”

43. This was the agreement that He made with Satī formerly. She is dead. How then will He take another woman to be His wife.

Brahmā said:—

44. After saying these words, the lord of mountains kept quiet in your presence. O celestial sage, on hearing that,you spoke words that revealed the truth.

Nārada said:—

45. “O lord of mountains, of great intellect, you need not worry. This daughter of yours, Pārvatī, was formerly the daughter of Dakṣa.

46. Satī was her auspicious name. Satī who was Dakṣa’s daughter became Rudra’s wife.

47. Being dishonoured at the sacrifice of her father, and being the witness of Śiva’s dishonour she was furious and she cast off her body.

48. She herself is born in your house as Pārvatī. There is no doubt that she will become Śiva’s wife.”

Brahmā said:—

49-50. O sage, all these details you mentioned to the lord of mountains. You told the previous history of Pārvatī that increased her pleasure and on hearing which, the lord of mountains, his wife and children were freed from all suspicions.

51. On hearing the story from Nārada, Pārvatī bent down her head in bashfulness but her smile heightened the beauty of her face.

52. On hearing the story, the lord of mountains stroked her fondly, kissed her on the head and placed her on his seat.

53. O sage, on seeing her seated there you spoke again delighting the lord of mountains, Menakā and her sons.

54-55. “O king of mountains, she will have a better throne than this. Śiva’s thigh will be her permanent abode. On getting the seat on the thigh of Śiva your daughter will go to the world where no eye or mind can reach.”

Brahmā said:—

56. O Nārada, after saying this to the lord of mountains, you went to heaven immediately. The lord of mountains too, whose mind was filled with joy, returned to his palace endowed with all riches.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Our translation is based on the following emended text :

“kuliśairapyavidhvaṃsī brahmādīnāmakapradaḥ”

[2]:

We have adopted the reading “antaḥ” for “ataḥ”.