Chapter 42 - The origin of Nandīśvara

Sūta said:

1. When the thousand-eyed meritorious bestower of boons had gone, Śilāda propitiated Mahādeva. He delighted the lord by means of penance.

2. Even as the brahmin pursued the penance eagerly and perpetually, a thousand divine years surprisingly passed off like a moment.

3. The sage was completely enveloped by an anthill. He became the victim of torture by groups of worms and blood-sucking insects with their mouths pointed like diamond needles.

4. With skin alone, devoid of flesh and blood he stood there like a wall unaffected. He was a mere skeleton then. The auspicious lord thought of him then.

5. When the sage was touched with hand by the lord, the enemy of the Cupid, the leading Brahmin sage eschewed all his fatigue and strain.

6. Lord Śiva was delighted at the penance of the sage. (Approaching him) along with his Gaṇas and Umā he said to him, “I am delighted with your penance”.

7. “O highly intelligent one, what with this penance? I shall give you an omniscient son who has mastered all the Scriptural topics”.

8. Thereafter bowing down to the lord of Devas and eulogising him Śilāda spoke to the moon-bedecked lord, accompanied by Umā,^[1] with words choked with great pleasure.

Śilāda said:

9. “O lord, O Śaṅkara the most excellent among the good, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, O destroyer of Tripuras, I wish for a son not born of a womb and devoid of death”.

Sūta said:

10. Rudra, Parameśvara who had already been propitiated by his penance by Brahmā spoke thus again to Śilāda with very great pleasure.

The lord said:

11. O brahmin, O ascetic, formerly I had been propitiated by Brahmā, sages and Devas by penance, for the sake of my incarnation.

12. I shall become your son, not born of a womb, by the name Nandin. O sage, I am the father of worlds and you will become my father.

13. After saying thus to the sage who was standing there after bowing to him and looking up to him, the delighted merciful lord who was accompanied by Umā and who was comparable to the Moon vanished there itself.

14-15. O great sage, having obtained the assurance of a son from Rudra, my father was delighted. He was the most excellent among the knowers of sacrifice. For the purpose of sacrifice he came to the courtyard of a great sacrificial chamber. Formerly I was born in that courtyard as his son, at the behest of lord Śiva. I had the lustre of fire at the closing of a yuga.

16. When I was born as the son of Śilāda, the clouds Puṣkara, Āvartaka and others showered rain. The heavenwalkers—Kinnaras, Sādhyas and Siddhas sang songs. Viṣṇu showered fragrant flowers.

17- 19. I had then the lustre of Kālasūrya (sun at the time of pralaya or dissolution). I was having matted hair and coronet. In the form of an infant I had three eyes, four arms holding the trident, axe, iron club and thunderbolt. My curved fangs were adamantine. I was the infant adored by the thunderbolt-wielding Indra. I was terrible in appearance with diamond ear-rings. My voice was comparable to the thundering sound of the clouds. On seeing me Brahmā, Indra and all other gods and leading sages eulogised me. The groups of celestial damsels shouted and danced all round.

20. O leading sage, with mantras pertaining to Maheśvara as well as those taken from Ṛk, Yajus and Sāman, the overjoyed sages eulogised and bowed down to me.

21-25. The following stood all around me:—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Indra, Śivā, Ambikā herself, Jupiter, the moon, the sun of great splendour, wind god, fire god, Īśāna, Nirṛti, Yakṣa, Yama, Varuṇa, Viśve Devas, Rudras, Vasus of great strength, Lakṣmī herself, Śacī, Jyeṣṭhā, goddess Sarasvatī, Aditi, Diti, Śraddhā, Lajjā, Dhṛti, Nandā, Bhadrā, Surabhi, Suśīlā, Sumanas. the lord of bulls. Dharma of great splendour and the sons of Dharma. They surrounded me, embraced me and eulogised me. O excellent sage, even Śilāda my father, the sage, on seeing me like that bowed to me with love. The meritorious soul eulogised his son who gave him what he liked.

Śilāda said:

26-31. O lord, O lord of the chief of Devas, O three-eyed one, O unchanging one, you are my son since you are my protector and the protector of worlds from misery. Since you are the protector of worlds, O son, you are my father. You are omnipresent. O son, not born of a womb, obeisance to you, O source of origin of the universe, O grand father, O father, O son, O Maheśāna, O preceptor of the universe, O dear one, O highly blessed one, O Parameśvara protect me. O lord of Devas, since I am delighted by you, you are to be known by the name Nandin. Hence O Nandin, delight me. I bow down to you, the lord of the universe. O lord, delight my parents who have gone to Rudra’s world. O lord, my grandfather too has gone to the world of Rudra. O Nandin, when Maheśvara has incarnated my birth in the world is fruitful. O lord, the birth of the worlds too is fruitful.

32. When you have incarnated as my son for my protection O Īśvara, O Nandin, O lord of Devas, obeisance to you. O Nandīśvara, obeisance to you.

33- 38. O son of mighty arms, protect me. O lord of Devas, O preceptor of the worlds, O dear one, please forgive what was said by me considering you as my son. You are worthy of being eulogised by means of hymns by Devas and Asuras.

Whoever reads or listens to this speech addressed to my son, whoever narrates this to brahmins with devotion, rejoices along with me. After eulogising the boy his son, after bowing down to him with respect and looking at the leading sages Śilāda of good holy rites said:—

“O ye sages, see my great fortune, since the unchanging lord has incarnated as Nandin in the courtyard of the sacrificial hall. Which man is like me in this world? Neither Devas nor Dānavas are equal to me since this Nandin is born in the sacrificial ground for the sake of my welfare.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

soma [somam]—Umayā saha, accompanied by Umā.