Chapter 110 - How a King Became Śiva’s Attendant Agniśikha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Rāma said:

1. Tell me, how this fire named Agniśikha became an attendant of Śiva like that. Salutation to you.

Śambhu said:

2-9a. Formerly he was a kṣatriya who was always angry. He had lost his wife, his army and his country. (Therefore) he was extremely afflicted. Having got a couple of buffaloes, he practised agriculture with his sons. He was full of (i.e. had incurred) a great debt, and so was very much unhappy. The king was also unhappy on account of his son being killed by (the bite of) a serpent. The king, though like that, also gave up agriculture. He also abandoned his two sons, and having given up food, wept. Then the two sons came to the father, and said these (words) to him: “O father, why do you weep? What has gone does not come (back) by weeping excessively. Your lamentation today will (only) lead to the parching up of your body. Due to the grief your eyes have been impaired; so also your throat has been impaired. Similarly your practice of religious rites has been harmed. (Then) why do you torment (yourself)? One that has gone does not come (back). Protect the five breaths that have remained (with you). It is meritorious to protect many, especially those that have resorted to (a person). How do you grieve over this enemy who has resorted to someone else?”

The father said:

9b-10a. O sons, how (do you say that) a son is an enemy? Then you are also my enemies. How do you call an extremely happy son as an enemy?

The two sons said:

10b-21a. The son, as soon as he is born, would snatch away (the father’s) wife. When he is growing he would take away (the father’s) wealth. When he dies, he (would take away the father’s) life. In what way is enmity different from this? I tell you, O king, that which you described as happiness is all resulting in unhappiness. At the time of the birth of a son, there is a thought about the death of the wife. And if the wife survives, then he (i.e. the husband) loses his happiness. When the vulva has become impure, no union is possible. If he becomes intent on embracing her, his body gets covered with milk (coming out of her breasts). Even then if the union takes place, the heart of the wo man necessarily goes to the child due to the child’s weeping (i.e. when the child weeps). Then he (i.e. the man) loses interest. Then, if the child falls into (i.e. comes between) the couple that is united, then there is loss of joy. When the union is disrupted, the displeasure is great. When everything is limited by time, there is a possibility of union (only) on some occasion. At that time there is no food, no water, (no union) with his wife. Due to the trouble caused by Planets such as diseases and thirst etc., there is great pain in protecting children. That beautiful pleasure of getting on the father’s lap, embracing and kissing him, speaking very sweet words—(all) this which is regarded as a pleasure does not deserve (i.e. is not equal to) the sixteenth part of discontinuance of coitus. In (i.e. due to) a son, there are other thousands of sorrows. What will you do with him who will oppose you in this world and in the next? Therefore, give up this grief. We two, your sons, are here.

The king said:

21b-25a. I shall give up the grief which is difficult to check and which goes against (i.e. impedes) all acts. O my sons, in this world and the next one should accomplish one’s well-being. I shall go to Vasiṣṭha, my priest and the foremost and great preceptor and the best sage. He will give (i.e. show) me the (proper) way.

Speaking thus, he went to his preceptor, the brahman a living in Vārāṇasī. He saluted him (prostrating before him) like a staff. He was honoured by the sage, was embraced by him, was smelt on his head, and was offered a seat; and was thus addressed: “What for have you come? What should I do for you?”

The king said:

25b-26a. O brāhmaṇa, give (i.e. show) me the way to cross this worldly existence. I am always unhappy with my fate. (Therefore) I have sought your refuge.

Vasiṣṭha said:

26b-32a. It comes to this: take recourse to the lord of the universe (in the form of) the great Phallus. O lord of kings, worship the god of gods, the trident-holder, propitiating whom, formerly, the sage Śakti, the son of Arundhatī, though devoured by a demon, did not go to Yama’s world. For a short time he went to heaven, and then went to Brahmā’s heaven. My son (i.e. Śakti), (having gone to Viṣṇu’s heaven) from Brahmā’s world, is sporting in Viṣṇu’s heaven. O great king, (also) see this hunter, moving in the forest, and worshipping the lord of the universe, merely with leaves of the śamī-tree collected by himself, with the flowers of pūga tree, also with the kadamba-flowers and with flowers of the jasmine (creeper). See him worshipping the great lord with these and other (materials). It is a wonder that he will die merely after half a watch from now.

32b-41. When his time of death came, the hunter saw, for offering a present to Śiva, by his side a jar full of mangoes, but censurable due to the fruits being left over (after some of them were eaten) by a dog. Due to the absence of an offering as planned by him, the hunter uttered these auspicious words suggesting the devotion of people: “The sage Jamadagni offered his eye in the absence of flowers, his finger in the absence of fruits, and his soul when the Phallus was falling, and cut asunder his body and offered it when the seat of the Phallus was broken. Other devotees of Śiva have also performed great rash acts. I too have to do like that. Otherwise I shall incur a sin.” In the meanwhile a mad man came to Śiva. Having snatched the (materials of) worship performed by the hunter, he, in a moment, ate it up. He also vomitted on the seat of Śiva. Then the hunter thought: ‘Should I or should I not kill this one harming Śiva?’ Then that devotee of Śiva strove to kill himself. (He said to himself:) ‘As this mad man has eaten up the (materials of) worship that I had offered to Śiva, when the Phallus was covered, I must also quickly remove the covering of my body—my skin. This is for making (the materials of) the worship free. One should abandon one’s throat due to the loss of the fruit (of the worship)’.

42-52a. Deciding like this, he, with a sharp axe, did a wonder: He cut off the skin (on) his right leg, and below the waist. He also quickly cut off the skin on the left leg up to the waist. Being delighted and trembling, he also cut off the skin about it (i.e. the waist). The hunter who was delighted, also cut off the skin on the hands, shoulders, chest, and throat and also the skin on the head. Then between the two he cut off the body in a circular way, and having cut off his finger and taking it, he offered his skin to the god. Then the devotee of Śaṅkara, of a divine form, of good eyes, having four hands, having many ornaments (on his person), quickly stood in the sky. Then hundreds of thousands messengers of Śiva, having beautiful crowns, and decorated with all ornaments, having tridents in their hands, all resembling pure crystal, having four arms, of lovely forms, seated in excellent aeroplanes, all resembling the sun, tranquil, accompanied by their beloveds resembling Rambhā, and followed by sons, wives and army, and hundreds of energetic and amorous women resembling the sun in lustre, showered flowers. And the hunter was called by them; but he did not go (to them), and said to them: “Would I or would I not go with my wife and kinsmen?” The followers of Śiva having heard these words of (i.e. uttered by) him, said these (words) to him: “The fruit is to be had by him (only) who has done a virtuous or a sinful act.”

The hunter said:

52b-55. Of practices that are impure, the author is (but) one; but of the practices done in honour of Śiva, the fruit (would go to) two or many.

In the meanwhile, Vīrabhadra arrived (there) with a hundred children and many crores of attendants. (He said to the hunter:) “O hunter, come along with your kinsmen. As you said, (you may come) along with your wife, relatives and kinsmen; and having got into this aeroplane, go to Śiva. Well-being to you.” Then due to those words, he, having got into the aeroplane, reached Śiva’s heaven.

Vasiṣṭha said:

56-60a. You have observed all (this). Perform the worship of the lord. Being free from the bond of sin, you will go to Śiva’s heaven. O king, if you long for kingdom, worship the lord of attendants; and besmear (the ground) with water and cowdung every day. By (doing) this much, you will certainly get the kingdom of the earth. As long as you live you will have (i.e. enjoy) the kingdom, and in the end you will go to Śiva’s position. You will not get the kingdom during this (existence); but (will get it) after death (i.e. in the next existence). Therefore, after having got another body (i.e. existence), you will have due to the prowess of your service to Śiva, the kingdom, and your devotion to Śiva will be stable.

Śambhu said:

60b-70a. Then, having performed the worship like that, he died and went to heaven. Then he again got the birth of (i.e. was born as) a king, and, being devoted to Śiva, he ruled his kingdom. Once the king went to Śiva’s temple, which was having many lamps, like the lord of serpents having gems. There was also the crowd of warriors. One lamp fell on the king. Then the king got angry, and quickly taking the lamp, angrily dropped it in the charming temple. The abode of the god (i.e. the temple) was burnt, and sin came (to him). Then the king again fashioned the temple etc. that was burnt and got Śiva worshipped. Then when the day of his death came, the king who had propitiated Śaṅkara, who had applied sacred ash and who lay in sacred ash, died while muttering (the hymn sacred to) Rudra. He went to Śiva’s heaven. Vīrabhadra (thus) spoke to him: “You become best of the attendants, (and) my servant. On my order bring the devotees of Śiva in my proximity (i.e. to me). You will be without a head, and flames will be coming out of your mouth.” He then said to Vīrabhadra, the noble chief of the attendants (of Śiva): “How would action be possible for me without eyes, ears, and the group of tongue, nose, mouth and head?”

Vīrabhadra said:

70b-75. The beautiful woman who was formerly accepted by you yourself, every day serves the auspicious bull-bannered god (i.e. Śiva) by arranging an auspicious river, an auspicious eddy etc.; by arranging white and blue lotuses, and also a fan and a chowrie. (She also arranges) a trident, a conch, a disc, a mace and a bow. Also a trident, a drum, a sword, a bull and the auspicious (attendant) Bhṛṅgiriṭi. So also other (objects) like an eight-petalled lotus, a mystical diagram etc. Once that prostitute was present in the temple of the deity. A certain jail official of the king entered the temple of the deity. He saw her there, and said these words:

The official said:

76-78. The prostitute is in a secluded part (i.e. alone). I am young, and not old. A woman would abandon a man who is old, diseased, impotent, weak and poor, whose penis is short and who is helpless. A woman should avoid from a distance a man who has no moustache, who is cove red with dirt, who is dull, and is defiled with a bad odour, who is small and has no addiction. Therefore, O prostitute, let me cohabit with you. Quickly restore me to life.

The prostitute said:

79-80. We hear that for women of all castes loyalty to their husbands is a great duty that gives them happiness in this world and the next. A prostitute, when in the charge of a man, does not unite with any other man. She (then) is known as a chaste woman. Therefore she should keep him (only).

The official said:

81-94. If this is so, there is no doubt that (your) death will soon take place.

Then going to the king, he said these (words:): “A prostitute is (just) a prostitute. She is not a wife. It is not proper (i.e. necessary) to say this.” Speaking thus to the king, he took some froth from a hollow lotus stalk from a well, and went to her house. Seeing it was time for (her to) sleep, he extended his hand, and in the hole of her garment, the wicked-minded one put the froth there. Having done like this, and going to the king he said these (words) to the king: “O king, having gone out (of your palace) go to the prostitute, the woman (you love). Having got that prostitute up, please observe her entire body, and loosening the knot of the garment, observe it carefully.” The king went to the house, and said these words to the official: “She is asleep. See her. I (now) go. You see (this).” But he then said to the king: “O king, this is not proper for you. Arrange to see her mot her or father. When they are seen, all this will quickly be clear.” Then the king brought her mother, and made her see (the garment). At the words of the king, she made a search of the garment. Seeing the froth there, the mother rubbed it. The garment became wet due to the rubbing. The king said: “What is it?” The mother of the prostitute said: “There is no thing, O lord, there is nothing.” (Thus she told it) with many words. The king observed the garment with a doubt. He said: “The garment is wet with semen. See it.” Then the men who were near there, said to the king: “It is like that Then the king went home, and said to the chief magistrate: “Now only, without thinking, cut off the head of the prostitute. Within a ghaṭikā (i.e. a period of twenty-four minutes) her head should be shown to me.” The chief magistrate also did like that at the words of the king, and showed (it to him).

Vīrabhadra said:

95-96a. Thus you did formerly; (and) today you have got the fruit. With flame only (in your mouth) you will speak, hear, see and smell. You will know the taste; you will be intelligent and very wrathful.

Śambhu said:

96b-98. Thus the intolerant king has become Śiva’s follower (named) Jvālāmukhī. Therefore, one who desires happiness in this world and the next, should be tolerant. He who would every day listen to this excellent account, will, being free from the bond of sin, be (i.e. live) in Śiva’s heaven.