Chapter 4 - The exhibition of Siva’s spell

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:—

1. O dear, O fortunate one, you are blessed, O dear one of great intellect. This wonderful narrative of Śiva that bestows great devotion has been narrated.

2. Mention again the story of Śiva in accordance with Vyāsa’s enquiry. You are omniscient. You are the disciple of Vyāsa and an expert in Śiva’s principles.

Sūta said:—

3. It was in this very same manner that my preceptor Vyāsa asked Sanatkumāra, son of Brahmā, who was an omniscient great sage and a devotee of Śiva.

Vyāsa said:—

4. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, this auspicious story of Śiva, the great lord indulging in different sports has been narrated to you.

5. Speak again particularly of the greatness of lord Śiva. O dear, my faith and eagerness to hear the same is great and it increases.

6. Who are the people deluded by the Māyā of Śiva who indulges in great sports? What is that greatness by which their knowledge has been deluded?

Sanatkumāra said:—

7. O Vyāsa, of great intellect, listen to the pleasing story of Śiva, the mere hearing of which generates devotion to Śiva.

8. Lord Śiva is the lord of all, soul of all and the vision of all. The entire universe has been pervaded by his greatness.

9. It is the great image of Śiva that manifests as Brahmā. Viṣṇu and Śiva. It is that which has become the soul of all living beings. It is both three-symbolled and symbolless.

10. There are eight classes of gods. Human beings constitute the ninth. There are five types of lower beings. Thus there are fourteen types of living beings.

11. All living beings past, present and future originate from Śiva, flourish in him and finally merge into him.

12-13. Śiva is the kinsman, friend, guide, protector, leader, purposeful preceptor, wish-yielding Kalpa tree, brother, father or mother of Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, moon, the Gods, Dānavas, Serpents, Gandharvas, Human beings and all others.

14. Śiva is identical with all; self-manifest to all men, greater than the greatest. Than him it is impossible to predicate anyother greater thing.

15. O sage, his Māyā is divine and great pervading everything. The entire universe is subservient to it, inclusive of the gods, Asuras and human beings.

16. All heroic beings, even Viṣṇu and mighty people, have been overwhelmed by the mighty Kāma, born of the mind who has no other helper.

17. O great sage, Viṣṇu was deluded by Kāma by the power of Śiva’s Māyā. He outraged the modesty of other men’s wives many times.

18. Indra, the lord of the gods, became fascinated by Gautama’s wife. That vicious one committed sin and so was cursed by the sage.

19. Even the firegod, the most excellent in the universe was deluded by Śiva’s Māyā. Due to his pride he became subservient to lust and was ultimately saved by Śiva.

20. The wind-god, the vital air of the universe was deluded by Śiva’s Māyā due to his arrogance. Overwhelmed by Kāma, Vyāsa too, had sexual intercourse with other men’s wives.

21. The sun of fierce rays, deluded by Śiva’s Māyā became lustful on seeing a mare and assumed the form of a horse.

22. The moon deluded by Śiva’s Māyā became lustful and abducted the wife of Bṛhaspati and had his sexual union with her. But he was finally saved by Bṛhaspati himself.

23. Formerly the two gods Mitra and Varuṇa, while performing a severe penance, were fascinated and deluded by Śīva’s Māyā.

24. On seeing the youthful maiden Ūrvaśī, both of them had the emission of their semen. Mitra deposited his semen in a pot and Varuṇa in water.

25. Vasiṣṭha was born out of the pot and is called Mitra’s son. Agastya born of Varuṇa has the lustre of the submarine fire.

26. Dakṣa, son of Brahmā deluded by Śiva’s Māyā, had a desire for sexual intercourse with his sister along with his other brothers.

27. Many times, Brahmā, deluded by Śiva’s Māyā, had the desire for sexual union with his own daughter and other women.

28. Gyavana the great Yogin. deluded by Śiva’s Māyā, became lustful and had sexual dalliance with Sukanyā.

29. Kaśyapa became passionate on being deluded by Śiva’s Māyā. Formerly, out of delusion, he requested king Dhanvan to give his daughter to him.

30. The deluded Garuḍa while abducting the virgin Śāṇḍilī was found out by her and got his wings burnt.

31. The sage Vibhāṇḍaka became lustful on seeing a woman. At the behest of Śiva, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga^[1] was his son born of a hind.

32-33. The sage Gautama had his mind deluded by Śiva’s Māyā. On seeing Śāradvatī in the nude he was excited and he indulged in sexual intercourse with her. He collected the semen emitted in a wooden bowl. Droṇa the foremost among marksmen was born of that bowl.

34. The great yogin Parāśara, deluded by Śiva’s Māyā, indulged in sexual intercourse with Matsyodarī the virgin daughter of a fisherman.

35. O Vyāsa, Viśvāmitra became deluded by śiva’s Māyā and lustfully indulged in sexual dalliance with Menakā.

36. Becoming confounded in thought he rivalled with Vasiṣṭha. But thanks to Śiva’s grace he became a brahmin.

37. Rāvaṇa, the son of Viśravas, became lustful due to Śiva’s Māyā. The wicked-minded one abducted Sītā, became deluded and courted death.

38. The excellent sage Bṛhaspati deluded by Śiva’s Māyā had sexual intercourse with his brother’s wife and Bharadvāja was born.

39. O Vyāsa, thus the power of the Māyā of Śiva, the great soul has been narrated to you. What else do you wish to hear?

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

According to the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata Rṣyaśṛṅga, son of Vibhāṇḍaka was born of a doe and had a small horn on his forehead.