Chapter 12 - Great Efficacy of the Worship of Śiva: The Story of Sage Lomaśa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-2. Then they saw the great sage named Lomaśa, O Pārtha. He had restrained all his senses, and had the power of Kriyā-yoga. He was penance incarnate; matted hair on his head were turned tawny due to ablutions thrice a day. (He was so brilliant that) he appeared like fire with ghee poured in it.

3. In his left hand he held a sheaf of straw for the sake of shade. The most excellent one among Brāhmaṇas held an Akṣamālā (‘rosary of beads’) in his right hand. He was a follower of the path known as Maitra.

4. Without injuring or causing harm to any living being moving over the earth with harsh words if one attains spiritual perfection by Japya (‘repetition of holy names’) one is called a Maitra sage.

5. The crane, the king, the Brāhrama sage, the owl, the vulture and the tortoise saw that long-lived ascetic in the Kalāpa village and bowed down to him.

6. They were warmly received by this (sage) by welcoming them, offering seats to them and according them all a very hospitable treatment in a befitting manner. They became delighted and disclosed to him what they had in their heart.

The Tortoise said:

7. This is king Indradyumna who has been the leader of all who used to perform Yajñas. In view of the loss of his renown, he has been banished from heaven by Brahmā.

8. Through Mārkaṇḍeya and others, he redeemed his reputation, O excellent one. He does not desire Svarga (heaven) which (appears) terrible (to him) in view of his likely downfall once again and (other similar risks).

9. With your blessings he wishes to have Mahodaya (‘salvation’) here itself. Hence this king needs to be enlightened by you. He is your disciple, O holy lord. He has been brought here to you by me. Tell him the good things that he desires.

10. Helping others is the vow adopted by good men, especially in regard to those who are worthy of being enlightened and so have approached as disciple.

11-12. If a good advice is given to sinners who are not worthy of being enlightened, undoubtedly it causes (mutual) hatred or death to one of them.

This sage who never errs in regard to those worthy of being enlightened gives the very same. Thus you (alone) understand virtue. Whence do we?

Lomaśa said:

13. O tortoise, everything that has been said by you to me today is proper. It is an ancient injunction laid down in Dharmaśāstra. We have been reminded of it.

14. Speak out, O king, confidently, the doubt that is lurking within your mind. Who said what to you? I shall undoubtedly tell you that which remains (yet to be told).

Indradyumna said:

15-16. O holy lord, this is my first question. Let this be explained to me. Even in this summer season, when the sun (is blazing) in the middle (of the sky), why don’t you have an Āśrama (hermitage)? Even a small hut (you don’t have). You make a shade on the head through straws held in the hand.

Lomaśa said:

17. This body shall fall down definitely as death is certainly inevitable. For whose sake is an abode (to be) made by persons in the middle of this transient world?

18-19. In the case of a person whose friend happens to be Mṛtyu (‘god of Death’) or who has imbibed excellent nectar, it is proper for him to say, “This will happen to me tomorrow or this day will come in thousands of Yuga.” But even that has assumed the existence of today. Of what account are persons who have the termination of life in death!

20. An effect has conformity with its cause. This physical body is produced out of the semen virile. How can it have purity like the burning coal when it is washed? Tell me.

21. O excellent king, even for the sake of this body, people who are vanquished by the (internal) six enemies (viz. lust, anger etc.) commit sins. How is it that they are not ashamed?

22-23. (Man) is born of Brahmā here. He is produced out of two sand-grains. How can one who reads and listens to what is said in the Nigamas continue to live?

The Māyā of Viṣṇu, however, deludes the person who lacks discrimination. Even persons Jiving for hundreds of years do not know Death lurking in the heart.

24-25. The teeth are shaky. Fortune is fickle and inconstant. Youth, life, charitable gifts, house of people—everything is transitory and unsteady, O king. After knowing thus that the worldly existence (itself) is worthless and extremely unsteady, for whose sake, O king, are huts (forts, strongholds etc.) being constructed?

Indradyumna said:

26. Your Holiness (‘Bhagavān’^[1]) alone are reported to be the longest-lived one in the whole of the three worlds. It was for this purpose that I came here. So why should you speak thus?

Lomaśa said:

27. Once in every Kalpa, a hair falls off from my body. When all of them have fallen, my death will take place.

28. Have a look at the spot around my knee. A patch of two Aṅgulas on my body has become devoid of hair. Therefore I am afraid: of what avail are houses, when there is certainty of death?

Nārada said:

29. On hearing his words thus the king was surprised much. He laughingly asked him the cause of such a longevity.

Indradyumna asked:

30. I am asking you this, O Brāhmaṇa, whether it was the power of charitable gifts or penance that your life has become so long like this.

Lomaśa said:

31. Listen, O king, I shall recount the meritorious story of what happened in my previous birth. That is connected with the holy rites of the Śiva cult and that dispels all sins.

32. Formerly I was an excessively impoverished Śūdra roaming over the earth very much afflicted with hunger.

33-34. A great Liṅga was caught by me in the net. In the midday a pool of water was seen not very far off.

Thereafter I entered the waters thereof and had my bath. I drank the water and bathed the Liṅga of Śaṃbhu. (Its) worship was performed by means of splendid lotuses.

35. I was overpowered by hunger. After bowing down to Śrīkaṇṭha, I set off once again. I died on the way, O excellent king.

36. Thereafter, I was born as a son in the house of a Brāhmaṇa. I could recollect (the events of) the previous birth, due to the bathing of the Śivaliṅga and adoring it once with lotus flowers.

37. Being aware (of the fact) that this universe is the manifestation of Avidyā,^[2] that it is false and that it has only an apparent reality and after realizing that this universe is the outcome of Avidyā I adopted silence.

38. Since I had been obtained by him (as a son) in hisold age after propitiating Maheśvara, the name given to me by him was īśāna.

39. That Brāhmaṇa decided thus: ‘I will remove (i.e. remedy) his dumbness.’ After resolving thus that Brāhmaṇa brought many medicines endearingly and tried to cure me.

40-43. (He tried) many magical formulae and spells and many physicians were engaged. He tried many other means as well. On seeing the foolishness of my parents whose minds had got deluded by the great Māyā, I began to laugh mentally. Similarly after attaining youth, every night I used to leave the house at night, worship Śaṃbhu with lotuses and then go to bed. Afterwards when my father died I was forsaken by my kinsmen, thinking that I was stupid. I was glad at it. I remained (a devotee) having fruits alone for my food and I took delight in worshipping Īśa with various kinds of lotuses.

44. Thereupon, at the end of a hundred years, the Moon-crested Lord, the bestower of boons became directly visible. He was entreated to grant (me) the abolition of old age and death-

Īśvara said:

45. There is neither immortality nor freedom from old age to one who bears a name and a form. Even if it happens to be I myself, there is the destruction of the physical body. So make a limit for the period of your existence.

46-47. On hearing these words of Śaṃbhu, the following (boon) was chosen by me then: “Let one hair (from my body) fall at the end of a Kalpa. If all the hair fall off, let me die. Thereafter, I shall be your Gaṇa. This is the boon wished for by me.”

Saying “So be it”, lord Hara vanished.

48-49. Ever since then I became wholly devoted to penance. One is liberated from the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter by worshipping Śiva with solar lotuses or other varieties of lotuses. There is no doubt about this. Do this, O great king; you too will obtain what is desired by you.

50-51. There is nothing difficult to be obtained in the three worlds by the people who are devotees of Hara (i.e. Śiva).

If one restrains external activities, and curbs the organs of sense and those of action and merges into Sadāśiva perpetually, this is called Antaryoga (‘Internal Yoga’). Since this Antaryoga is very difficult to be practised, Śiva himself recommended Bahiryoga (‘External Yoga’).

52. The worship with the five Bhūtas (‘elements’) is certainly conducive to special benefits. It is unaffected by hindrances, fruition of Karmas, latent impression etc.

53. After propitiating Īśāna, if one repeats Praṇava (i.e. Om), one shall attain salvation.

Only when all the sins are destroyed, does one feel emotionally attached to Śiva.

54-56. Even the news of Śiva will not reach those persons whose minds are afflicted with sins. Birth in the land of Bhārata is very rare; worship of Śiva is rare; ablution and holy dip in the river Gaṅgā is rare. Devotion to Śiva is still very rare; charitable gifts to a (gifts-worthy) Brāhmaṇa is very rare; the worship of fire is very rare. (The good fortune of) the worship of Puruṣottama is very difficult to be attained by persons with little meritorious deeds.

57. (Defective Verse) Yoga (can be achieved) with a hundred thousand bows (Dhanuṣām?); fire (can be attained) with half of it; one shall become a deserving person with a hundred thousand. Revā (i e. Narmadā) and Rudra (can be attained) with sixty hundred thousand(?).

58. Thus everything concerning how my life got prolonged due to propitiation of Maheśvara, has been spoken to you, O king.

59. It is definite that in the entire three worlds there is nothing very difficult to get, or impossible to be achieved, or rarely to be accomplished by nobīe-souled persons who perform (rites of) devotion to Śiva.

60-61. O king, who will not bow down to Śaṅkara after knowing that Nandīśvara attained fulfilment through that selfsame body after worshipping Śiva?

When Śveta, the king, worshipped Śrīkaṇṭha, even Kāla (i.e. god of Death) was annihilated. Who then will not worship that Īśa?

62. Who will not seek refuge in him by whose will this universe is born (i.e. created), sustained and dissolved?

63. The secret of the above is this that the most important duty of men is the worship of Śiva, O king. The worlds of heaven etc. act as obstacles to the attainment of Śiva. It is a fact that a person who bows down to Śiva, attains Śiva instantaneously.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The term Bhagavān is applied to Lomaśa due to his omniscience. Cf. VP VI. 5.78:

utpattiṃ pralayaṃ caiva bhūtānām āgatim gatim |
vetti vidyām avidyām ca sa vācyo bhagavān iti ||

[2]:

Influence of the Advaita philosophy of Śaṅkara is conspicuous in the whole of this Section.