Chapter 44 - Coronation of Nandīśvara

Śailādi said:

1. As soon as Rudra remembered them, the leaders of Gaṇas came there. All of them had a thousand arms with weapons in all their thousand hands.

2. They had three eyes. These noble gaṇas were saluted even by Devas. They resembled crores of fires that burn at the time of dissolution. They had matted hairs and crowns.

3. Innumerable lords of Gaṇas of noble souls came there with jubilation. They were accompanied by crores and crores of Gaṇas all equal in exploits to the chief. Their faces were terrible due to the curved fangs. They were eternal, enlightened and devoid of impurities.

4. Those strong ones were singing, running, dancing and playing on various instruments with facial gestures.

5. These Gaṇas rode in chariots, on elephants, horses, lions and monkeys. They were seated in aerial chariots decorated in gold.

6-8. The Gaṇas of great yogic power came to the assembly of the lord, playing on drums and other musical instruments such as Bherī, Mṛdaṅgaka, Paṇava, Ānaka, Gomukha, Paṭaha, Ekapuṣkara, Ādambaraka, Muraja, Ḍiṇḍima, Mardala, Veṇu (flute), Vīṇā (lute), different kinds of cymbals, Dardura, Talaghāta, Kacchapa and Paṇava.

9. Those lords of Gaṇas of great strength and stamina, the lords of the chiefs of Devas bowed down to the lord and the goddess and spoke these words:

10. O blessed lord, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, O three-eyed lord, O bull-emblemed lord, why are we summoned? O lord of great splendour, command us.

11. Shall we dry up the oceans? Shall we kill Yama along with his servants? Shall we kill Mṛtyu, the daughter of God of Death? Shall we kill the lotus-born deity as an insignificant animal?

12. Infuriated that we are, shall we bind up Indra along with Devas or Viṣṇu along with Vāyu or Daityas along with Dānavas and bring them here?

13. O lord, at your behest, to whom shall we bring about destruction and distress today? Who has great festivities today for the prosperity and increase of his desires?”

14. The lord honoured crores and hundred crores of those chieftains of Gaṇas. Even as they earnestly spoke to him thus, he replied as follows:

15. “You are all persons striving for the welfare of the universe. Listen why you have been called. O noble ones of pure souls, on hearing it do accordingly without hesitation.

16. This Nandīśvara is our son. He is the lord of all chiefs. He is a prosperous brahmin, your leader and commander-in-chief.

17. Hence at my bidding, you all, highly respected ones, crown, him as your lord and commander-in-chief, as the great lord of yogas”

18. Thus directed by the lord, the chieftains of the Gaṇas agreed to the same, by saying “so be it” and thereafter began to gather all the requisites.

19-23. They brought the usual divine seat of Śarva, the splendid seat made of gold, the beautiful one resembling Meru to be offered as seat for him (Nandin). They made a Maṇḍapa with many pillars shining with golden lustre. Pearl pendants were suspended and they were studded with gems and jewels. There were columns of Lapis Lazuli covered with small tinkling bells. The Maṇḍapa had doors on all sides bedecked in beautiful gems and jewels. After making the Maṇḍapa they placed a splendid seat in the middle. In front of it was the foot-stool shining with blue stones. For the installation of the pedestal they kept two water jars nearby. They were filled with sweet waters and covered with lotus flowers.

24. There were a thousand jars of gold, silver, copper and clay. They were filled with waters from all Tīrthas.

25-26. Brahmā, Parameṣṭhin the noble soul, offered these things, viz:—a pair of cloths, divine scents, shoulderlets, earrings, crown, necklace, hundred-ribbed umbrella and the chowries.

27. There was a fine Cāmara (bushy tail of deer used as a flyflap or fan) with gold shaft. The fan was as pure as the moon. It shone with its back as white as conch or pearl necklace.

28. The divine elephants Airāvata and Supratīka were fully caparisoned. A gold crown was made by Viśvakarman.

29-30. There were two pure and divine ear-rings. The excellent weapon thunderbolt was kept there. There was a golden thread and two bracelets. The unexcited leaders of Gaṇas highly honoured by Devas brought many requisite materials from all round.

31-34. Then all these assembled there joyously:—Devas along with Indra, Viṣṇu and others, the sages, Brahmā and nine Brahmās^[1]. When all of them had come, lord Parameśvara directed Brahmā to perform the rite. At the behest of the lord, Brahmā performed the rite of ablution with great attention. After worshipping him Brahmā himself poured the water.

35. At the behest of Śiva, Viṣṇu, Indra and the guardians of quarters bathed the leaders of Gaṇas in succession.

36-37 The sages with Brahmā at their head eulogised him. While they eulogised, Viṣṇu the lord of the universe kept his joined palms over the head and eulogised with great attention. With palms joined in reverence he bowed down and cried out shouts of victory.

38-39. Then the commandants of Gaṇas, Devas and Asuras one after the other, eulogised and bathed him. Thus after being eulogised and bathed by Devas along with Brahmā, his marriage too was performed at the behest of Parameṣṭhin. His wife was the gentle lady named Suyaśā, the daughter of the Maruts.

40-41. A well-decorated umbrella having the lustre of the moon was offered to her. She had Camaras also and she was accompanied by groups of women holding Cāmara in their hands. Along with me, the most excellent throne was occupied by her. She was adorned by Mahālakṣmī with coronet and other ornaments.

42-43. The excellent necklace from the neck of the goddess was gifted to her. The leading bull, the white elephant, the lion, the lion-emblem, the chariot, the golden umbrella with

the lustre like that of the disc of the moon—all these were there. Till now no other lord was equal to me.

44-45. The great lord mounted the bull after taking me on, along with all the members of my family, kinsmen and relatives. He set off with the goddess. On seeing the goddess and the lord along with me, the sages, Devas, Siddhas and brahmins requested for the lord’s order.

46-49. At the behest of the lord, the husband of the daughter of the mountain, Nandī granted those who deserved the splendid behest of the lord. On receiving the order from the leading sage they became great devotees of Śiva. Hence one should worship the lord.

If a person utters the name of the lord without obeisance he will incur great sin on a par with that of ten brahmin-slayers. Hence by all means, one shall utter words of obeisance. At the outset one shall make obeisance and at the end utter the name Śiva.^[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. Liṅga. Chapters 70, 81-82. They are called Marīci, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kratu, Dakṣa, Atri and Vasiṣṭha.

[2]:

It refers to the five-syllabled mantra of Śiva—“namaḥ śivāya.”