Chapter 3 - The Greatness of Gokarṇa and the Caturdaśī of Śiva

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The king said

1. O Brāhmaṇa! What miracle did you witness on the road. Where was it?

Gautama said:

2. While returning from Gokarṇa, O king, at the time of midday, I saw a clear lake in a certain place.

3. Taking ablution therein and rinsing the mouth with the water, I removed my fatigue caused by the travel. Then I resorted to a holy fig tree with thick cool shade.

4-8. There, not very far (from me), I saw an old blind Cāṇḍāla woman who was about to die. She was quite emaciated. Her mouth was dry. Evidently she had had no food and was tormented by many ailments. There were a number of leprous wounds on her limbs festering with worms. Round her waist there was a frayed piece of rag stained with pus and blood. Consumptive pulmonary disease appeared to choke her throat, and she was fully agitated. All her teeth had fallen. She was rolling frequently uttering indistinct (groans). The dust outside, being heated by the hot rays of the sun, had spread all over her body. She had been urinating and sending out excrements involuntarily which smeared her body emitting foul smell and obnoxious odour. Besides she was phlegmatic and gasping for breath. All her nerves ached and she was in great pain. The hairs were dishevelled.

9. On seeing her in such a painful situation, I became overwhelmed with pity. Her death was expected any moment, and I stood there watching.

10. Presently I saw a divine chariot brought there by Śiva’s servants. It appeared to sprinkle the celestial path with lustrous rays.

11. In that aerial chariot which was as though a cage of brilliant splendours of the sun, moon and fire, I saw Śiva’s attendants resembling the sun.

12-13. They held tridents, skull-topped clubs, axes, shields and swords in their hands. They were adorned with crescent moon; their brilliance was like that of the moon and the white jasmine flower. They shone with crowns and ear-rings and with coils of great serpents. Four such Śiva attendants with splendid characteristics were seen by me.

14. On seeing them rushing along seated in their aerial chariot, I was surprised. I quickly approached them and asked them, even as they were still in the air:

15-17. “Obeisance, obeisance to you, all the best ones among the Devas, the followers of the holy feet of the Three-eyed Lord. You have on you the onerous task of protecting the three worlds (and hence) you bear the tridents, shields and swords and clubs.

You have been recognized by me as the followers of Maheśvara’s feet. Is this present advent of yours for the protection of the worlds or a mere pastime?

Or perhaps you are endeavouring for victory over the heaps of sins of all the people. Be kind to me and say to me why you have come over here.”

The messengers of Siva replied:

18. Yonder is seen an old Cāṇḍāla woman about to die. Directed by our Lord himself, we have come here to fetch her.

19. On being told thus by those messengers, I asked them again, as I was struck with wonder. I stood with palms joined in reverence.

20. “How can this fierce, sinful Cāṇḍāla woman deserve to ride on the divine aerial chariot, like a bitch daring to step into the area where holy sacrifices are being conducted?

21. Wherefore do you wish to take this hag of evil conduct to the region of Śiva? She is dirty all over ever since her birth, sinning and closely following the sinful.

22. She has neither the knowledge of Śiva nor has she performed any severe penance. She has no truth and no compassion. How do you wish to take her?

23. How do you wish to take her whose regular food is animal flesh, whose belly is filled with liquor and who is ever engaged in rendering injury to living beings?

24. The Five-syllabled Mantra (śivāya namaḥ) has not been recited by her, nor has the worship of Śiva been performed by her. Lord Śaṃbhu has never been meditated upon by her. How do you wish to take her?

25. She has not observed fast on the holy Tithi of Śiva (i.e. the fourteenth day of the dark half); she has not worshipped Śiva; she knows nothing of friendship to living beings; no Bilva leaf has been dropped by her on Śiva; she has not performed Iṣṭa and Pūrta rites (sacrifices and works of public utility). How do you wish to take her?

26. She has not taken holy baths in Tīrthas; she has not made monetary gifts; she has not observed holy vows. How do you wish to take her?

27. Her sight is to be shunned. Conversation etc. with her is just an impossibility. How do you wish to take her, the shrew devoid of any association with the good?

28. Has she any meritorious deed to her credit done in a previous birth? How then is she tormented by worms and the vile disease of leprosy?

29. Wonderful indeed is the working of the Lord. It cannot be imagined by embodied beings. Even sinful souls are being taken to the highest region out of pity!”

30. On being pressingly addressed thus by me, the messengers of the Trident-bearing Lord of Devas lovingly replied to me, dispelling all my doubts.

The messengers of Śiva said:

31. O Brāhmaṇa, listen, if you have curiosity about this Cāṇḍāla woman with reference to whom you have spoken such words.

32. In her previous birth she was a Brāhmaṇa girl named Sumitrā. She had a countenance rivalling the disc of the moon.

33. She was the daughter of an eminent Brāhmaṇa of the Kekaya land.{GL_NOTE::} Her limbs were characterized by the tenderness of a full-blown jasmine flower.

34. All the people were struck with wonder on seeing her growing up in her parental home like another body of Rati (Kāma’s consort) endowed with all characteristic features.

35. Fondled by all the kinsmen lovingly, she grew up day by day and ultimately blossomed into a lovely young woman like the great bow of Smara (god of Love).

36. The virgin was duly given in marriage to a Brāhmaṇa boy by the father along with the kinsmen assembled (there).

37. Having been blessed with a husband in her prime of youth, she continued to be decent in her conduct for some time, happily sporting about in the company of relatives.

38. Then, O sage, after some time, the husband, though a handsome and brilliant youth, was afflicted with some deadly disease and passed away.

39. With her heart excessively distressed with misery at the death of her husband, she spent a few months exercising enough control over her sense-organs and (maintaining) decency in her behaviour.

40. But her youthful state continued to increase day by day, making her heart throb with lust.

41. Though guarded by the kinsfolk and admonished by people of pious disposition, that woman overwhelmed by lustful desires failed to control her mind.

42. Utterly overcome by the all-powerful Manmatha (god of Love), the youthful, comely girl, though a widow in fact, became diverted into the path of a paramour.

43. Shrewd that she was, the fact that she was in the clutches of adultery was not known to anyone. That unchaste girl was able to conceal her felony for some time.

44. She began to exhibit the cravings of a pregnant woman. Her nipples became dark in colour. As time passed, all the kinsfolk came to know that she had been defiled by some lascivious fellow.

45-48. Frightened by this, they were extremely worried and excessively pained.

Women come to ruin through lust, Brāhmaṇas through the service unto a mean fellow (or of a low caste), kings due to the punishment of the Brāhmaṇical power, and ascetics by the collection of means of enjoyment. Cooked rice licked by a dog (is good for nothing) and so also milk mixed with liquor. Comely features afflicted with leprosy, and a noble family got ruined by a wanton woman (serve no purpose).

All the brothers of the husband gathered together and pondered. They abandoned her, casting her off from the family. She was caught by the braid of hair and thrown out by all kinsmen, breaking a pot (in token of severance of all connections).

49-51. She went out of the village and was seen by a certain Śūdra. On seeing her as a beautiful woman with heavy protruding breasts, the leader of Śūdra clan took her to his house, consoling the widow with gentle words. Sporting about in her keen desire for sexual dalliance, she moved about along with that Śūdra. She became a virtual crowned queen to him. Dallying with him day and night, she lived somewhere as a housewife. There she regularly ate meat and drank liquor.

52-58. Indulging in sexual sports with the Śūdra she begot a son.

Once her husband had gone somewhere. After imbibing a lot of wine, in a state of excessive inebriation, she craved for a diet of meat. Outside in the cattle shed sheep had been tethered along with cows. In the pitch darkness of the night, she went out holding a large knife. Being out of senses due to intoxication, she could not distinguish properly. Eager to have some flesh, she killed a cow-calf at night, thinking that it was a sheep, even as it was crying piteously. The wretched woman brought the cow-calf inside. Some merit was lurking somewhere. On recognizing what she had actually done, she became afraid and cried out “Śiva, Śiva”. She brooded over it for a while. But that feeling was transient. The desire for meat and liquor prevailed.

Mincing the dead calf, she had the meal she desired. Half the carcass-meat served her purpose. The other half she threw out and deceitfully cried aloud: “Alas, a tiger has pounced upon my dear cow-calf, mauled it and swallowed it.”

59. Her loud shout echoed in all the houses. All the Śūdra people crowded into the place.

60-63. On coming to know that a cow-calf had been killed by a tiger, they expressed their sorrow over it. After they had gone, when it dawned, her husband returned home and saw the turmoil therein.

In this manner, much time passed off. That beloved wife of the Śūdra too became a victim of death and reached Yama’s abode. Yama reviewed her (record of) activities before and after, reconsidered the first decision of sending her to hell and made her take birth as a Cāṇḍāla girl. Falling from the city of Yama, she entered the womb of a Cāṇḍāla woman.

64-69. Congenitally blind and dark-complexioned like extinguished coals, she was sympathetically nurtured and brought up by her father, a Cāṇḍāla living somewhere. She was fed with dog-licked, foul-smelling, putrefying stuff, unworthy of being eaten. She was given impotable juices and brought up day by day by the mother.

Born blind, after some time in her childhood itself, she became afflicted with leprosy. The excessively wretched girl was not taken in marriage by any Cāṇḍāla boy. After her childhood, her parents too died. Thinking her to be extremely unlucky, kinsmen and brothers too abandoned her. Famished with hunger, the wretched blind girl moved about with a staff in her hand and soiled with lumps of clay. She begged for alms all over the cities.

70-76. She somehow pacified the gastric fire with the balls of rice left as remnant by Cāṇḍālas. Thus bearing a lot of sufferings, major portion of her life passed by. She became old and became all the more miserable. Without taking food or drink, without even a cloth round her body, she came to know of the long procession of people proceeding (to Gokarṇa) on the occasion of the imminent Śivatithi (the annual festival day of Śiva). The procession consisted of people coming from different countries and regions. There were noble-souled Brāhmaṇas performing Agnihotra. They were accompanied by their womenfolk. There were kings with the members of their Antaḥpura, elephants, chariots and horses. The people made a lot of noise, collectively going in their vehicles with umbrellas raised aloft. There were Vaiśyas, Śūdras and other mixed caste people in thousands. As they laughed, sang, danced, ran about, drinking, sniffing, roaming about as they pleased and roared, that procession of men on the move produced a great deal of chaotic sound, as they were going to the Śiva temple at Gokarṇa.

77-86. All the heaven-dwellers were watching with eagerness, seated in their aerial chariots. This Cāṇḍāla woman also keenly desirous of something to eat and cloth to wear, came into the scene slowly, with a view to beg of the laymen there. Clinging to the hands of another (beggar woman) she proceeded ahead thus due to some merit acquired in a previous birth and reached the Gokarṇa shrine. She seated herself a little away from the main road with the palms spread out. In the act of begging frequently, she uttered piteous words.

“Oh people! Take pity on me and offer me something to eat. I have been afflicted for a long time by my sins acquired in the course of many births.

Oh people! Take pity on me; you are the saviours of the excessively distressed; you are the donors of great blessings; you are the doers of many meritorious deeds.

Oh people! Take pity on me, devoid of food to eat and clothes to wear, sleeping on the bare ground and deeply sinking into the vast expanse of dust.

Oh people! Take pity on me, a blind old hag, afflicted with an incurable disease, and distressed by extreme chillness and heat.

Oh people! Take pity on me, burnt acutely by long drawn out starvation, burning all the limbs together with ever increasing gastric fire.

Oh people! Take pity on me, who could never acquire merit in the course of hundreds of births, who is blighted by ill luck and weight of sins.”

Even as she was begging thus importunately, a certain kind-hearted meritorious person hurled a Bilva bunch into the outstretched palms of the Cāṇḍālī.

87. She felt and groped over the bunch that fell into her lap. Finding out that it was not a thing fit for eating, she sadly threw it away.

88. Cast off by her hand in the darkness of the night, the Bilva bunch fortunately fell on the top of a Śivaliṅga.

89-91. On the night of the fourteenth day dedicated to Siva, she was begging for alms but did not unfortunately get anything from the travellers. She spent the night behind the idol of Bhadrakālī, a little away to the north half the way. When it dawned, she lost all hopes and was overwhelmed with grief. Slowly she turned towards her native land.

92. Famished due to long starvation, she became weary, faltering at every step. Highly distressed and trembling, she lamented much complaining about the many ailments she suffered from.

93. With her naked body burnt by the heat of the sun she, travelling this much distance (land) with a stick in hand (for support), fell down on the earth unconscious.

94. Śaṃbhu, the Lord of the universe, the ocean of nectarine mercy, commanded us to fetch her in our aerial chariots.

95. Thus the story of this Cāṇḍāla woman has been narrated to you and the sympathetic attitude of Śaṃbhu towards distressed people explained.

96. O highly intelligent one, see the way how actions fructify. Even the lowliest of the lowly has ascended the highest region free of illness.

97. In her previous births she had never made any gift of food. Hence in this birth, she suffers from hunger, thirst and the like.

98. Blind with wantonness, she committed a very heinous sin. Due to that evil action, she became congenitally blind in the course of this birth.

99. Even after coming to know that it was cow’s calf (that she had killed), she ate it with relish. Due to that evil action, she became a despicable Cāṇḍālī now.

100. She had strayed from the path of the noble and become enthusiastically engaged in the lascivious path of her paramour. Due to that sin, she became unlucky and of evil behaviour.

101. Though a widow, she was overwhelmed with sexual passion on being embraced by her paramour. Due to that great sin, she is tormented by many bruises and wounds of leprosy.

102. Excessively lustful, she diverted herself in the company of a Śūdra formerly. Due to that sin, she is now afflicted with worms in the putrefying blood.

103. She has not observed sacred vows nor has she performed Iṣṭa and Pūrta. Due to that sin, she is undergoing distress, bereft of all types of enjoyment.

104. Deluded that she had been, she imbibed liquor in her previous birth. Due to that sin, she is being afflicted with the foul disease of pulmonary consumption and heart-ache.

105. All the signs and symptoms of sins are seen here itself in all men entirely, O tiger among sages, by noble-souled persons of discrimination.

106-110. Those who are seen distressed and afflicted with many diseases, those who have neither wealth nor progeny, those who experience pain due to bad symptoms, beggars without shame, those who are denied amenities of clothes, food, drink, sleep and rest, ornaments, anointing facilities etc., ugly deformed people, illiterate wretches, handicapped persons with defective limbs, ill-fed ones, unfortunate fellows, censurable creatures, those who serve others—all these had been great sinners in their previous births.

After considering all these things, after observing the condition of the people, a sensible man does not commit sins. If he does so, he is the destroyer of his soul. This human body of ours is the means of doing many deeds.

111. One should always indulge in decent and useful activities and shun evil deeds. He who seeks happiness should do meritorious acts and one who wants misery may indulge in sins.

112-122a. If one of these two things is practised, people shall be happy. After gaining this human body that is rarely obtained, he who is desirous of his own welfare, should have recourse to the divinity. A man may commit all sorts of sins always, but if he meditates on Śiva with single-minded attention, he surmounts sinfulness.

In her previous birth, when she died and was brought to Yama’s abode, there was a serious doubt (about her) among the members of Yama’s assembly. ‘Although she was born as a Brāhmaṇa woman, she defiled herself by not observing the conventions of a good family. Hence she has been brought here. Is she to be cast into the hell or not? Is there any bit of merit in her, achieved at least in her childhood? Still it is better to consider every aspect and then mete out the punishment, not otherwise. After performing meritorious deeds in the course of thousands of births, one gains birth in a Brāhmaṇa family. Hence in many of her previous births, sin has not been committed. Otherwise how do you account for her birth in a good family? It was only in her present birth that she has committed a sin difficult to overcome. Hence too usually she does not deserve being cast into hell. But after killing the cow’s calf, or reflecting thereon, she got frightened and uttered the words Śiva, Śiva. That was clearly due to a merit acquired in the previous birth. For the destruction of sin, if one utters the auspicious name of Śiva, he shall attain the highest region.

122b-128. Let her experience by turns the fruit of a single serious sin perpetrated in one birth by becoming a Cāṇḍāla woman. What would be a hell unto men worse than this that they are being afflicted with the plethora of many painful features frequently. Birth in a heinously vile family, poverty, great disease, complete delusion—each of these severally is hellish enough. What to speak of them when grouped together? Due to the weight of the merit of a previous birth, the fact that she uttered the name (Śiva), albeit out of helplessness, she will in the next birth perform further meritorious actions. Due to that she will surmount the distresses caused by the numerous sins. Taken by his (Śiva’s) men (attendants), she will reach the highest region. We cannot dare to be the chastisers of people of this sort. Let Īśa reflect himself and do what is befitting.’

In the city of Yama, Citragupta and others considered in this m???er and released her; she fell on to the earth.

129-131. At the outset, this woman of unchaste actions uttered Śiva’s name out of madness. But that merit led to another meritorious deed of propitiating Śaṃbhu by means of the Bilva bunch. At Gokarṇa, on the day of Śiva’s Tithi, she kept awake and let fall a Bilva bunch (on a Śivaliṅga) at night. The fruit of this meritorious action without any desire attached thereto, she will experience now itself, even as you watch. It is not an untruth.

Gautama said:

132. After saying thus, those messengers of Śiva pulled out the atomic soul from the Cāṇḍāla body and endowed it with divine splendour.

133. The delighted servants of Śiva placed in an aerial chariot that lady transmuted into a divine body refulgent with a mass of brilliance.

134-135. In the aerial chariot she shone brilliantly with exquisite, handsome features, with the body resplendent with celestial ornaments, wearing divine apparel, with the body emitting divine fragrance, radiating divine brightness and with a heavenly garland for decoration.

136. She rejoiced with beaming countenance in the midst of the messengers of Śiva with gemset umbrellas, flags etc. held aloft, and accompanied with songs and sounds of musical instruments.

137. Remembering again and again the various births she had undergone, she felt certainly frightened as if she woke up after seeing a wonderful dream.

138. ‘Who am I? Who are these supernatural beings of great accomplishment? What is this charming world? Where has my vile, tormented body born of a Cāṇḍāla family gone?

139. Oh! A highly wonderful miracle has been observed arising out of the sportful diversion of Māyā—the fact that I wandered and wandered again and again through thousands of births.

140. Wonderful indeed is the greatness of the worship of Īśvara, inasmuch as he is pleased with even a mere leaf and accords his own region (for it).’

141-142. In this manner, that woman, out of disgust for worldly enjoyments, remembered the feet of the Lord. The servants of Maheśvara took her in the aerial chariot to the vicinity of the great Lord, even as the guardians of the worlds were watching with surprise.

143. O king, thus the miraculous greatness of even the slightest act of devotion unto the Consort of the Daughter of the Mountain, has been narrated. It is destructive of all sins.

The king said:

144. O holy Sir, how is the excellent world of the great Lord? If you have any mercy on me, kindly describe its features.

Gautama said:

145. That is the world of the great Lord where you experience the highest bliss forever—that which is rare in the regions of Brahma and other chiefs of Devas.

146. That is Parameśvara’s world where there is no trace of darkness anywhere and where an all-pervading splendour is well established.

147. That is the world of Lord Śiva which Yogins attain after transcending the functions of the Guṇas and from which all of them never fall (back in Saṃsāra).

148. That is Parameśvara’s world where anger, greed and the like do not exist, and where there is no state such as birth (death) etc.

149. It is mentioned as the sole central shrine of all holy scriptural texts. There is no greater wealth than that. It is the region of Parameśvara.

150. Yogins always strive to reach that region by means of Yogic practices such as Pratyāhāra (withdrawal of senses from external objects), Āsana (posture), Dhyāna (meditation), Prāṇa Saṃyamana (restraint of breath) etc.

151. That is the world of Parameśvara where the Lord sports always with the Goddess, the embodiment of existence, bliss and pure knowledge.

152. By means of the masses of merits accumulated over many thousands of births, men and women ascend to that place and sport about together.

153. Merged into a mass of splendour, very charming yet very difficult to visualize, (these devotees) do not realize the differentiated state of day and night.

154. That world of the great Lord is inaccessible to a degraded Yogin. It can be achieved only by those who are full of devotion.

155. Only those people attain the region of Śaṅkara and stay there happily, those who are delighted in listening to all living beings and well-established in perfect calmness of mind and senses, and those who have gone beyond the cycle of worldly existence dispelling all delusions.

156. Similarly, you too, O eminent king, go to Gokarṇa, the abode of Giriśa and experience contentment after suppressing all sins.

157-158. There, by taking the holy ablution and adoring Mahābala on all the occasions, and by observing fast on the fourteenth Tithi of Śiva, with mental concentration, and also by keeping awake at night, all the time adoring Śaṅkara by means of Bilva leaves, you shall be rid of all sins. You will attain Śiva’s world.

159. This is the purest advice tendered unto you, O king, by me. Hail unto you! I am going to the city of the ruler of Mithilā.

160. Taking leave of him thus, Sage Gautama gladly went to Mithilā. The king too reached Gokarṇa with a delighted mind.

161. There he visited Mahādeva, worshipped Mahābala. Clearing himself of all sins, he attained the region of Śaṃbhu.

162. He who devoutly listens to this story of Śiva everyday, and makes others listen to it, attains the greatest goal.

163. He who listens to this story only once, but with great faith, shall attain Śiva’s world along with twenty-one generations of his family.

164. Thus the story of the Enemy of Manmatha (god of Love) has been entirely narrated. It is the first cause of all welfare and prosperity. It destroys hundreds of sins of worldly existence. It destroys the darkness of delusion. This story is worthy of being sung by the immortal beings. It should always be resorted to by all people aspiring to be happy and well-off.