Chapter 40 - Kuṇḍeśvara (kuṇḍa-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-7. Know that the fortieth deity is Kuṇḍeśvara Liṅga. Hence listen to it. Merely by seeing it, attainment of the good goal is possible.

On Mandara abounding in charming caves, O goddess, I was respectfully requested by you that you wished to see Vīraka: “Where has my son gone?” I replied: “O lady of wide eyes, he is in the midst of water in the excellent Mahākālavana. He performed an excessively severe penance in the company of sages. The intelligent one is shining like the sun, O lady of excellent countenance. We shall go there along with the Gaṇas to see him.” On hearing my words you urged me saying: “Get up, O Śaṃbhu. We shall go. Mount the bull quickly.” As you suddenly remembered Vīraka, your breasts began to exude milk. O goddess, my bull, the eternal Dharma personified, was remembered by me. Knowing that I was thinking of him, he came to me. Then I mounted the bull along with you.

8-19a. Accompanied by different kinds of Gaṇas, I set out at great speed along with you supported by the shoulders of the bull. I was closely embraced by you with your arms with the bangles producing tinkling sound. When the bull was urged to move faster, you became afraid. O lady of wide eyes, the bull was pulled by the leaders of the Gaṇas. On seeing it pulled and moving faster, you spoke out in fright: “O Lord, I am tired now. Further, I have become terrified by this great speed. Hence, O Lord, I wish to rest on the ridge of the mountain for a moment. I would rather walk on foot. But this great mountain is rugged.” On hearing your words, O my beloved, I said: “Very well, O lady having a charming waist, do take rest for a short while sitting at the foot of the hill. I shall go ahead quickly and try to find out a path where you can walk easily. This Kuṇḍa, the leader of the Gaṇas, will stay near you. He has been placed here by me as your servant acting in accordance with your behest.” Thereafter, placing the Gaṇa as guard, O goddess, I climbed on to the ridge of the mountain like the sun rising on the eastern mountain. The beautiful great mountain was observed very carefully by me. Even as I observed the various parts of the excellent mountain exclaiming “How beautiful! How beautiful!” ten years passed by. You began to think in dismay, O goddess: ‘Where has the Slayer of Tripura gone? Certainly he is not aware that I being deprived of the pleasure of dalliance, am scorched by Madana (god of Love). Where is Mahādeva staying carefree after abandoning me? Hara having gone away, the mind-born god of Love has remembered the old enmity. Though he has no limbs (body), he has fitted the arrows to his bow and is now tormenting me.’

19b-31. You then began to lament and look this way and that. On seeing you so lamenting frequently, Kuṇḍa, the leader of Gaṇas, knew your state of mind. He spoke out loudly: “O goddess, do not become dispirited. Your husband will come presently. Do not get your mind excited.” On hearing the words of Kuṇḍa, O lady of a lotus-like face, you said with great distress: “O Kuṇḍa, I am at a loss (to know). I do not know where Śaṅkara has gone or what he is doing all this time. Show Mahādeva to me.” He was repeatedly asked to show (me) but he could not, O lady of excellent countenance. When I was not found by Kuṇḍa, the Gaṇa guard, he was cursed by you, O fair lady, as you became angry: “Since Hara is not traced by you, you go to the mortal world.” In the meantime, O fair lady, I reached the place near you. I was asked by you: “Where did you go? You have left me alone in the impassable desolate mountain. Hence I will cast off my life after going to the top of this mountain. What have you been doing, O Lord?” On hearing your words, I clearly narrated everything: “The mountain is excessively rugged and intractable, O fair lady. In order to do something pleasing to you, O blessed one, I was surveying (and exploring) the paths in order to decide the particular one along which we could proceed without worries, O lady of excellent waistline. But his Kuṇḍa, O fair lady, has become sad and bewildered.” You said: “O Mahādeva, Kuṇḍa, the Gaṇa, has been cursed by me since, he did not carry out my behest. My words cannot be ineffective. Hence let him go to the splendid Mahākālavana in the guise of a Bhairava where you are stationed in the northern sector. In front of it there is a Liṅga that always bestows everything desired. Merely by seeing it he will become the leader of the Gaṇas. That deity will become well-known as Kuṇḍeśvara.”

32-37a. This was said by you. Then he was approached and repeatedly told thus: “Proceed, O Kuṇḍa, at my bidding to Mahākālavana quickly. By propitiating the Liṅga quickly, O son, you will attain permanent fame in all the three worlds.”

On being told thus he went there instantly. After seeing the eternal Liṅga in front of Uttaraśiva he devoutly adored it. Thereupon, Devas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, great sages, Yakṣās and Apsarās came there in thousands, surrounded by the Gaṇas. Then I too came here at that moment along with you. On seeing Kuṇḍa, the leader of the Gaṇas, engaged in propitiating the Liṅga and engrossed in concentration, we respectfully told him:

37b-43. “O son, Pārvatī is pleased with you. May the excellent boon be requested for. By seeing the Liṅga you have attained an everlasting position. From today this deity will become well-known on the earth by the name Kuṇḍeśvara.” Since the deity is always the bestower of all riches, a man who devoutly visits the beginningless Kuṇḍeśvara obtains the fruit of a thousand horse-sacrifices, and not otherwise. He who devoutly worships Kuṇḍeśvara Liṅga always obtains the entire fruit of Dānas and the merit of (visiting) all the Tīrthas always. By touching Kuṇḍeśvara one obtains the fruit of ten horse-sacrifices and a hundred Agniṣṭomas (sacrifices). Those who devoutly visit the deity invariably in the morning, will become delighted undoubtedly and attain the fulfilment of all desires.

Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Kuṇḍeśvara Deva has been recounted to you. Listen to the (story of) the great deity Luṃpeśvara.