Chapter 29 - Victory over Death

Sanatkumāra said:

1-3. O holy lord, now I wish to know what was committed by the dwellers of the Dāruvana, those persons who had purified their souls by means of penance. How did Rudra the naked lord of sublimated sexuality assume a hideous form and go to Dāru forest? What did that great soul do there? Please recount factually the activities of that lord of Devas.

Sūta said:

4. On hearing his words Nandin, the most excellent among the knowers of the Vedas, said after remembering Śiva and smiling a little.

Nandin said:

5. In order to propitiate the lord of Devas, the sages performed a terrible penance in the Dāru forest.^[1] They were accompanied by their wives, sons and sacrificial fires.

6. Rudra, the lord of the universe, the bull-emblemed omniscient deity known as Nīlalohita, Dhūrjaṭi and Parameśāna was delighted.

7-9. The lord of the universe, Rudra,^[2] wanted to test the sincerity of the dwellers of the Dāru forest in respect of their sacrificial rites. He wanted to turn their minds from the observance of sacrificial rites to the path of renunciation. Thus in order to test their faith, and sportively too, he assumed a deformed but attractive appearance. He had three eyes and two hands. He was nude, and dark in complexion.

10. Even in this form he was extremely handsome. He was smiling and singing, with seductive play of his eyebrows, thereby creating feelings of love in the hearts of women.

11. He the destroyer of cupid, the lord of extremely handsome features increased their sexual feelings.

12. On seeing a man of deformed features, black-red (in colour), even the chaste women followed him with great enthusiasm.

13. On receiving the gesture of a smile from his lotuslike face the women who had gathered at the threshold of huts in the forest or who stayed on the huts above trees, stopped all other activities and followed him not caring for their loosened garments and ornaments.

14. Some of these women, on seeing him felt their eyes reeling due to excitement. Even the old women who were beyond the age of seductive charms of the eye-brow began to display their amorous gestures.

15. On seeing him some women wore smiling faces. With their garments loosened a little, and with their waist bands dislodged they began to sing.

16. Some brahmin ladies on seeing him in the forest found that their own fresh silken garments had got loosened. They cast off their bangles of diverse colours and went to their kinsmen.

17. One of them, on seeing him did not know that her upper and lower garments had stripped off. Others in their excitement could not distinguish between their kinsmen and the multi-branched trees though they were familiar.

18-19. Some sang; some danced; some fell and rolled down on the ground. O leading brahmin, another lady sat on the ground like an elephant and began to talk aloud. Looking smilingly they began to embrace one another all round. After stopping Rudra on his way they began to show all shrewd gestures.

20. They asked, “who are you?”

Others said, “Be seated”.

Delighted in their minds some said, “Where are you going? Be pleased with us.”

21. Due to the Māyā of Rudra even the chaste ladies fell down in an awkward posture with their clothes loosened and their tresses dishevelled, in the very presence of their husbands.

22. Even after hearing their words and seeing their diverse activities, the unchanging lord Rudra did not utter anything, good or bad.

23. On seeing the crowd of women and Rudra in this situation the brahmins, the leading sages began to say harsh words.

24. Their powers of austerity were ineffective against Rudra in the same manner as the lustre of the stars in the sky against the refulgence of the sun.

25. (Such had been the spiritual prowess of the sages, formerly) that the sacrifice of the great-souled Brahmā perished due to the curse of a sage, even though the sacrifice was meant for general welfare.

26. Due to the curse of Bhṛgu, Viṣṇu of great prowess was compelled to take ten incarnations and undergo suffering in each incarnation.

27. O knower of Dharma, Indra’s organ too was cut and cast off by the infuriated sage Gautama.

28. The Vasus had to prolong their stay in the womb by a brahmin’s curse. Nahuṣa was turned into a serpent by the curse of sages.^[3]

29. The milk ocean was dried by the curse of brahmins though it was the perpetual abode of Viṣṇu. The watery ocean was made unfit for drinking by the brahmins’ curse.

30-32. In order to atone for this Viṣṇu went to Vārāṇasī^[4] and resorted to the lord of Avimukta.^[5] He performed the ablution of the three-eyed lord, the lord of Devas, with milk. With unswerving devotion, he, together with Brahmā and the sages, sprinkled Śiva with milk which coming in contact with the body of the lord became nectarlike and filled the ocean wherein lord Viṣṇu made his residential abode.

33. Dharma had been cursed by the noble sage Māṇḍavya. The Vṛṣṇis along with Kṛṣṇa had been cursed by Durvāsas and other noble sages.

34. Rāma and his younger brother Lakṣmaṇa had been cursed by the noble sage Durvāsas. Lord Viṣṇu was even kicked by the sage Bhṛgu.

35. These and many others, except the odd-eyed lord of Umā, the overlord of Devas had been made subservient by the brahmins.

36. Thus deluded the sages of Dāruvana did not understand Rudra^[6]. They spoke harsh words to Rudra who thereupon disappeared.

37-38. In the morning all those sages with perplexed minds and blurred thinking went from Dāruvana to Brahmā of noble soul who was seated in the highest seat. They informed him about what had happened in that holy Dāru forest.

39-40. Pondering over everything in his mind Brahmā understood what they did in the holy Dāru forest. He stood up with palms joined in reverence and bowed to Rudra. He then spoke hurriedly to the sages who had their abodes in Dāru forest.

41. Fie upon you all who had attained excellent treasure,^[7] O brahmins, but had unluckily wasted it.

42. The man with a Liṅga who had been seen by you all without Liṅgas, the person of deformed features was the supreme lord himself

43. O brahmins, never should the guests be dishonoured by the householder even if they happen to be deformed, dirty or illiterate.

44. Formerly, on this very same earth even Kala the God of death was defeated by the excellent brahmin sage Sudarśana through the adoration of a guest.

45. Excepting the adoration of the guests there is no mode of self-expiation in this world, for excellent brahmin householders; there is no other way to cross the ocean, of worldly existence.

46. Formerly, a householder known as Sudarśana, vowed to conquer the God of Death.^[8] He said to his chaste wife.

47. “O lady of good holy rites, fine eye-brows and good fortune, listen to what I say, assiduously. Never should you dishonour the guests who visit your house.

48. Since everyone of the guests is the Pināka-bearing lord, you should dedicate even your self to the guest and adore him.

49. That chaste lady, on being urged thus, became extremely dejected. Helpless that she was, she wept and said to her husband—“O lord! please explain what you have just said.”

50. On hearing her words Sudarśana said again—“O noble lady everything belongs to lord Śiva and since the Guest is lord Śiva himself, everything is his. Hence the guest should always be adored.”

On being urged thus by her husband the chaste wife accepted this behest (wholeheartedly) just as one places on his head (reverently) the flowers offered to God. Thus she went on (attending to her duties).

O excellent brahmins, in order to test their devotion, Dharma himself assumed the form of a brahmin and came to the house of the sage. That sinless lady welcomed the guest and worshipped him with the materials of worship.

54. Thus worshipped by her, Dharma disguised as a brahmin said—“O gentle lady where has your noble husband Sudarśana gone?

55-58. O noble lady, enough of this cooked rice and other eatables! I say, you should dedicate yourself (to me)” Remembering what had been previously mentioned by her husband that chaste lady full of bashfulness and with closed eyes, began to move (towards him). Again she began saying. But then, all the same, she made up her mind to dedicate herself to Dharma^[9] there itself at the behest of her own husband. In the meantime, Sudarśana, the husband of that lady, came to the threshold and called to her—“Come, come, O gentle lady? Where have you been?”

It was the guest himself who replied to him.

59-64. “O Sudarśana, O highly blessed one, I am now engaged in sexual intercourse with this wife of yours. What should be done here may kindly be mentioned. O leading brahmin, the sexual intercourse is concluded. O excellent brahmin, I am satisfied.”

Sudarśana the noble brahmin then said in great delight:—

“O excellent brahmin, enjoy her as you please. I shall go away now.”

Thereafter Dharma who was delighted (at this incident) revealed himself (in his own form). He granted him whatever he desired and told him again.—

“O leading brahmin, even mentally this splendid lady has not been enjoyed by me. Undoubtedly, it was to ascertain her devotion that I came here. O brahmin of good rites, with this single act of piety you have conquered death. O the prowess of this penance!” Saying thus he went away. Hence all guests should be worshipped in the same manner.^[10]

65. O unfortunate noble brahmins, of what avail is much talk. All of you should seek refuge in the very same Rudra immediately.

66. On hearing the words of Brahmā the leading brahmins became distressed. With eyes blinded by tears they saluted Brahmā and said:

The Brahmins said:

67-69. O blessed one, we do not care even slightly for our lives or for our woman folk who have become deformed. But that irreproachable omnipresent trident-bearing and pināka-holding lord has been censured and cursed by us out of ignorance, though our power to curse was rendered ineffective by his mere looking at us. O lord of Devas, you should now tell us the procedure for renunciation in order to see the terrible lord, the chief of Devas, the god with the matted hair.

Brahmā said:

70-74. O excellent brahmins, the devotee shall, at first, learn the Vedas with great devotion from his preceptor. He shall always ponder over their meanings and understand Dharma. He shall remain a disciple till he completes all learning or upto twelve years.

He shall then take the sacred ablution at the conclusion of his student life. He shall marry a wife, and procreate thereafter sons of holy rites. He shall then allot befitting means of livelihood to his sons. Then he shall perform the rites of worship to the lord by performing Agniṣṭoma and other sacrifices. After going to forest he shall worship the great soul. Maintaining a diet of milk and controlling his senses he shall worship Devas in the ñre, for a period of twelve years, or twelve months or twelve fortnights or twelve days.

75-76. Then he shall offer in the same fire all vessels used for the sacrifice. He shall consign all the earthen and wooden vessels to the waters and the metallic ones to his preceptor. He shall distribute all his belongings to the brahmins without hesitation. He shall prostrate on the ground and make obeisance to the preceptor. Becoming detached he shall then, renounce everything and become an ascetic.

77. He shall have off his hairs along with the tuft and cast off his sacred thread. He shall perforin five offerings in the waters saying “Bhūḥ svāhā”.

78-80. Thereafter he shall roam about for attaining complete^[11] liberation, observing the sacred rite of refraining from taking food, and maintaining himself either on water, or leaves, or milk or fruits. If living thus, the ascetic does not die within six months or a year he shall strain his body by undertaking hazardous journeys. By these activities he attains identity with Śiva.

81-83. O men of steadfast holy rites, one endowed with devotion^[12] may even attain liberation immediately—.Of what avail are these to a devotee of Rudra? Neither the holy rites nor renunciation, in accordance with the injunctions, nor sacrifices, nor charitable gifts, nor the different sorts of Homas nor the acquisition of all kinds of Sāstras and Vedas are of any avail to him. By means of devotion to Rudra, death was conquered by Śveta.^[13] May you too have such devotion to the great lord, the benefactor and the Supreme Soul.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See p. 96 note 119.

[2]:

Cekitāna [cekitānaḥ]—who creates doubts by his power of creating illusion. Śivatoṣiṇī. quotes Śivagitā:—[jātaṃ vāpi śivajñānaṃ na viśvāsaṃ bhajatyalam]

[3]:

[verses 25-28] The detail can be traced to the Mahābhārata. It shows how the spiritual power possessed by the sages was misused for worldly ends.

[4]:

See p. 97 note 120.

[5]:

avimukteśvara, the celebrated liṅga of Śiva is placed in the holy city Vārāṇasī.

[6]:

Dāruvana: See p. 96 note 119.

[7]:

prāptanidhanān i.e. though you have obtained a rich treasure in the visit of Śiva to your hermitage.

[8]:

jetum (mṛtyum iti śeṣaḥ) i.e. to conquer death.

[9]:

dharme—dharmarūpe dvije Śivatoṣiṇī. in regard to Dharma who had assumed the guise of a brahmin. Or dharme—dharmviṣaye Śivatoṣiṇī. in regard to virtue.

[10]:

tathā—Sudarśanavat Śivatoṣiṇī. just as Sudarśana did.

[11]:

Śiva-vimuktaye—Śivarūpā vitnuktiḥ kaivalyarūpā ityarthaḥ Śivatoṣiṇī. for absorption in Siva; for the total mergence of the individual soul into the supreme soul.

[12]:

Cf. Bhagavadagītā—[tapasvibhyo'dhiko yogī jñānibhyo'pi mato'dhikaḥ | karmibhyaścādhiko yogī tasmādyogī bhavārjuna || yogināmapi sarveṣāṃ madgatenāntarātmanā | śraddhāvānbhajate yo māṃ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ ||]

[13]:

Śvetena—by Sage Śveta. For detail, read Ch. 30.