Chapter 44 - Uttareśvara (uttara-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śiva said:

1-7. Know the forty-fourth great deity Uttareśvara. By merely seeing him, one will attain the desired benefit. The Liṅga well-known as Uttareśa bestows the desired benefit.

Formerly the entire universe along with mountains and surface of the earth was flooded by the rain-bearing clouds employed by Śakra.

When it turned out to be a single vast expanse of waters and Svādhyāya (study of the Vedas) and utterance of Vaṣaṭkāra became defunct (thereby), the Devas deprived of Svadhā and Svāhā became afraid, O lady of excellent countenance.

They said to one another: “Without Homas there is no satisfaction for us. We are being rendered prosperous by Brāhmaṇas by giving our proper shares in the Yajñas. On being adored through Yajñas and the like we bestow on them what they desire. Now all this is not forthcoming.”

On seeing the earth sunk beneath water, they sought refuge in Brahmā. Those distressed ones bowed to Pitāmaha and said: “The earth has been turned into a single vast sea. O Lord, Kratus have become defunct. O Pitāmaha, the entire universe has been deprived of Svādḥyāya and Vaṣaṭkāra.”

8-18. On hearing the words of the Devas, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, wondered. He thought for a short while: ‘What could this be? Why should there be an untimely deluge? Why has the earth sunk beneath the waters? My creation is destroyed. My words have become futile.’ After thinking thus within himself, he remembered the Slayer of Vala (i.e. Indra). On being remembered, the Slayer of Vala approached Pitāmaha. After bowing down to Pitāmaha, he spoke these words: “O Pitāmaha, for what purpose have I been remembered? Order may be given.” Then Brahmā asked Śakra: “Why is the earth flooded? What has been perpetrated all of a sudden by your absurdly non-sensical clouds?” Thereupon, O Pārvatī, all the clouds were summoned by Śakra. Instantly they came to Pitāmaha. Limits were assigned to them by Pitāmaha and Śakra. The great cloud named Gaja was employed in the Eastern Quarter surrounded by ten thousand clouds of elephantine size. Gavaya was made the Lord of six thousand (clouds) in the Southern Quarter. Śarabha was made the Lord of a thousand in the Western Quarter. The cloud named Uttara surrounded by crores of clouds was installed as the Lord in the Northern Quarter. Thus, O goddess, the boundary (jurisdiction) was assigned by Brahmā and Vāsava: “Do shower in the rainy season when the constellations are productive of water. They are the ten Nakṣatras beginning with Ārdrā and ending with Svāti.”

19-30. On hearing the words of Brahmā and Śakra, the clouds decided accordingly and showered during the scheduled seasons called after their names. Thus when everything was settled duly, the clouds confined themselves to the bounds. Brāhmaṇas became free from feverish excitement and Devas rejoiced much.

Then later, those rain-bearing clouds were thwarted by cruel Planets Saturn, Mars, Sun and Ketu. On being afflicted and frightened, they sought refuge in Indra. With fear they mentioned everything repeatedly by making obeisance. On hearing the words of the clouds, Vāsava too was frightened and he said to them: “O clouds, I am not competent to ward off the Planets. I am incapable in every respect. Formerly I was ousted from my realm by these cruel Planets. Once I was re-established in my office when these Planets became pleased. The Planets are to be esteemed and honoured by me, since they are more powerful. This is my opinion that the Planets be declared as the destroyers of all.” In the meantime, there was an excessively awful drought on the earth extending over a hundred years, destroying all living beings. Bereft of water, O Pārvatī, the earth was turned out to be a skeleton of bony fragments resembling a row of white mountain ridges. All the Devas became afraid once again and sought refuge in Brahmā. Prostrating before him they said: “Save us. We seek refuge in you. O Pitāmaha, the whole universe is afflicted by want of water and rain. Once again utter annihilation has befallen untimely as before. The clouds employed by you and Vāsava have been overpowered by the inordinately fierce and cruel Planets.”

31-41. On hearing the words of the Devas, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, said: “O Devas, I too am afraid of those superior Planets. I know fully well the great power of the cruel-minded Planets. You (people) are always afflicted by the retrograde Saturn. Varuṇa, the Lord of aquatic beings, is adversely affected by Maṅgala (Mars). Vāsava has often been ousted from his realm by Ketu. Formerly I too was beheaded when the Sun was in regression. Even severally they are so powerful. Much more so when they act collectively! Hence let all of us seek succour from Mahādeva. “On hearing the words of Brahmā, all the Devas including Vāsava kept Brahmā at their head and sought shelter under me. I was appealed by all the Devas: “Save us who have sought refuge in you. You are our creator and dispenser of destiny, the cause of creation and destruction. O Mahādeva, the clouds have been thwarted by the cruel Planets all round. They do not shower rain, O Lord. The drought is extremely terrible. It has extended to a century (of years) only to bring about the annihilation of all living beings.”

On hearing their words, O lady of excellent countenance, I realized that the power of the cruel Planets was the same as was known to me.

After realizing this, O great goddess, the means of remedy was thought of by me. The cloud named Uttara who was surrounded by crores of clouds was summoned. He came instantly and said: “What shall I do?” He was advised by me: “At my bidding, go to the beautiful Mahākālavana, the bestower of the benefit desired. Take all the clouds with you. There is the excellent Liṅga to the south of Gaṅgeśvara Deva. Propitiate it assiduously. He will grant you the desire.”

42-54. On being advised by me thus, Uttara in the company of his clouds hastened to the excellent Mahākālavana. After seeing the rain-producing Liṅga, he devoutly worshipped it, after taking the waters from Śiprā and bathing assiduously until all the waters came back to Śiprā.

O my beloved, O beautiful lady, in the meantime a column of smoke arose from the midst of the Liṅga. It was huge and clusters of flames intensified it. Everything present in the sky was pervaded by the flames. The entire planetary system up to the orbit of the constellations was consumed by the cluster of flames. O my beloved, the Planets became frightened. Blinded by the column of smoke, they sought refuge in the cluster of flames. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Indra surrounded by the Devas saw that great miracle and approached the Liṅga. The great flames of fire issuing from the Liṅga covered the firmament. Too dazzling to he looked at and incomprehensibly terrible, it appeared to increase in size. In the twinkling of an eye it increased to ten thousand Yojanas in size. Gazing at the wonderful Liṅga increasing in size Sureśa (Indra) fainted and the Planets too lost consciousness. Currents of waters flowed out from the Liṅga in a single direction, O beautiful lady, and the earth was turned into a sea. From another part of the Liṅga a violent gust of wind blew. From still another part of the Liṅga streaks of lightning came out. From a part of the Liṅga flames of fire issued forth along with smoke. On seeing this wonderful miracle of the Liṅga increasing in size and filling (covering) the whole of the sky, the Planets became bewildered and tormented. Being burnt from all sides they eulogized the Liṅga.

The Planets said:

55-65. Obeisance to the beautiful-formed one; obeisance to the Lord adored by the Suras. Obeisance to the Being activising the deformed Prakṛti. Obeisance, obeisance to one devoid of form. Obeisance to the Being in the form of Waters. Obeisance to you.

O my beloved, O goddess, when this eulogy was offered by the cruel Planets, a form in the shape of an idol manifested from the Liṅga. All its limbs were rendered grey with holy ash. The bodies of serpents were its dazzling bracelets. It had the appearance of heaps of snow and was free from impurities like a silver mountain. It spoke to the Planets who were bowing down with trembling necks: “What is your desire? What is wished for mentally by you? What shall I give you all? My vision is rarely achieved but it is never futile. In order to satisfy the worlds, I shall grant you all my vision.”

On being told thus, all the Planets spoke with palms joined in veneration: “O Lord, if the boon is to be granted, O Śaṅkara, if you are pleased, then, O Mahādeva, see that we are all worshipped at the beginning of all functions. There will be satisfaction due to that.” After saying, “It will be so,” he said to Uttara: “O my dear child, I am pleased with you. Accept the desired boon.” On hearing those words, Uttara who was delighted said: “O holy Lord, if you are pleased with me, may a boon be granted to me. O Lord, it behoves you to cause rain always on the earth and see that no one harasses us much. There should be succour unto all the clouds. We should be protected by you.” O Daughter of the Mountain, then the Liṅga said: “Let it be so. From today I shall be well known on the earth after your name. I shall undoubtedly become designated as Uttareśvara.

66-72. I will always grant the desired benefit to those who worship me with great devotion. Those who remain self-controlled and regularly visit me will go to the city of Śiva and remain there for eighty thousand Kalpas. They will be seated in aerial chariots resembling the Sun and capable of bestowing all desires, abounding in Rudra Kanyās as attending girls and drawn by swans and Sārasa birds. Dances and musical instruments cause sweet notes reverberating clearly therein. The aerial chariots shall be swung by men and the devotees will be eulogized by Suras and Asuras. Even if a man is devoid of devotion but sees me without any protestations, I grant him prosperity and lordship in the Northern Kurus.”

He who remembers Uttareśvara everyday in the morning attains the high place devoid of burning and destruction due to deluge. Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Uttareśvara Deva is narrated to you. Listen to (the story of) Trilocaneśvara.