Chapter 62 - Rūpeśvara (rūpa-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: King Padma, a handsome and powerful king, went a-hunting in a forest, lost his way and by chance entered a beautiful hermitage. He was received by the beautiful foster-daughter of the celibate Sage Kaṇva. They married per Gandharva form of marriage. On his arrival Kaṇva cursed them both to be ugly in appearance. When they begged pardon, he advised them to go to Mahākālavana and propitiate the Liṅga Rūpeśvara. They complied and recovered their original beauty by the grace of Rūpeśvara Liṅga.

Īśvara said:

1. O my beloved, let it be known that the Rūpeśvara Liṅga is the sixty-second deity. Merely by visiting it a man becomes endowed with a handsome form.

2-8a. O great goddess, in the Pādma Kalpa there was a king named Padma. He was born of the inner core of a lotus and was extremely brave. That powerful king engaged in pious rites, ruled the earth having the four oceans as the boundary. Once that mighty-armed king possessing plenty of vehicles and army divisions went to a dense forest with hundreds of horses and elephants surrounding him. The forest abounded in many kinds of trees like Bilva, Khadira, Kapittha, Arka and Dhava and terrible animals like lions and other forest-dwelling beasts. Accompanied by his vehicles and armies, the king hunted thousands of wild animals. Lured by a deer which he followed, he entered another forest alone. Though he was very powerful, he was overwhelmed with hunger and thirst. After reaching the extremity of the forest, he passed on to a great forest. Beyond that, the king saw an excellent hermitage that, being attractive to the eyes, caused great pleasure to his mind. Trees in full bloom were growing all round and there was a pleasing green meadow too.

8b-9. Here he left his ministers and went further in. He could not see the hermit of excellent vows in the hermitage. He enquired loudly, “Who is here?” His voice found a ready echo all over the forest.

10-12a. On hearing that sound, a girl appearing like glory and beauty incarnate came out of the hermitage in the guise of a female ascetic. On seeing the king born of the inner core of a lotus, she honoured him with the offer of a seat and asked him his name. She smilingly asked: “What is the mission to be carried out?”

12b-14a. Looking at the sweet-voiced girl of blemishless limbs, the king, who was glad on being duly honoured, said to her: “O blessed girl, I have come here to pay respect to the excellent sage. O fair lady, where has the revered one gone? Tell me, O splendid lady.”

14b-16. On being asked thus by the king in that hermitage, the girl smilingly replied in very sweet words: “O king, I am the daughter of Sage Kaṇva. He is reputed as a celibate ever since his boyhood. He is a lofty-minded sage conversant with Dharma, He is reputed for his fortitude. O king, let it be known that I consider him my father. I do not know who my (real) father is.”

17-19. On hearing her words, O lady of excellent countenance, the king said: “From the manner in which you speak, O lady of great weal, it is quite clear that you are daughter of a king. O lady of excellent buttocks, be my wife. Tell me what I should do on my part. Gold, jewels, garments and earrings of charming quality, I shall fetch today for your sake. O splendid girl, be my wife by Gāndharva type of marriage. O beautiful lady with thighs resembling a plantain stem, the Gāndharva form of marriage is proclaimed as the most excellent one of all modes of wedding.”

20. On hearing the words of the king the girl spoke thus: “Wait for a short while. He will give me unto you.”

The King said:

21-22. O lady of exquisite features, I desire you. O lady who could never be censured! I am waiting for you. My mind has been captivated by you. Self is the kinsman of self. Self is the goal unto self. It behoves you to offer yourself according to the law.

The Girl said:

23-25a. If this be lawful, if my soul is my Lord, promise unto me that your own self has been given unto me.

On hearing her words thus, the king who was passionately attached to her, married her, O Pārvatī, by the Gāndharva type of wedding. After the desire had been fulfilled by the king, he was about to set off.

25b-29. In the meantime, O goddess, Kaṇva came to the hermitage. Even after seeing her father, the girl did not go near him out of bashfulness. But the sage of great power of penance understood everything through his divine knowledge. Highly infuriated, he said to the girl infatuated with love: “O wicked girl, disregarding me, you have chosen your lover in secret out of delusion. Hence you will turn black and despicable, wretched, pitiable and shameless. You will be devoid of your beauty. This king, your husband, too shall become defiled in form.”

30. On being spoken (cursed) thus, that girl became rid of beauty instantly. Due to the curse of the noble-souled sage, the king became deformed.

31-33. Thereupon the girl herself pacified her father: “I am an ignorant girl under delusion, afflicted by the god of Love. The sin has been committed due to ignorance. Dear father, it behoves you to forgive me. This king has adopted great holy vows and is fully devoted to the immanent soul. Not that I had been sought by him. This king had been requested by me. Hence, father, it behoves you to bless us both.”

34-38. On hearing her words thus, the Brāhmaṇa was moved with great pity. After consoling his daughter repeatedly, he said thus: “Dear daughter, as far as I remember, my words have never been untrue. I consider fate as supreme. Fie upon my intellect! Fie upon this attack! I have been compelled to do what should not have been done, O uncensurable girl. I shall advise you and it behoves you to do accordingly. In the meritorious Mahākālavana, to the east of Paśupeśvara there is a Liṅga that bestows what is desired, and that bestows beauty of form. Therefore, hasten thereto along with the king, your husband. Merely by visiting the Liṅga, you will attain the beauty of form very difficult to attain otherwise.”

39-40. On being told thus, that girl, O my beloved, went to the beautiful Mahākālavana where there was the excellent Liṅga. She was accompanied by her husband. She saw the excellent Liṅga with great devotion. That king, the most excellent of all men, too did so. Instantly she became endowed with a divine body and extremely charming through her beauty. She was clad in divine garments and was embellished with divine ornaments.

41-50. By seeing that Liṅga, the king became one resembling the god of Love in physical features, and unrivalled in the world in beauty of form. Hence, O my beloved, the deity became well-known as Rūpeśvara. The deity is bestower of beauty, wealth, sons and heavenly pleasures. The king went back to his realm abounding in plenty of good grains and vegetation. He administered the territory in the company of his devoted wife, the territory devoid of irritant thorns (enemies). At the conclusion of his reign, O Pārvatī, he went to Svarga along with his wife. Like a second Sun-god, he shone with a brilliant body. He was carried thereto by a shining aerial chariot. In heaven he was duly venerated. By visiting that Liṅga, he attained a position devoid of ailments. O lady of wide eyes, those who see Lord Śiva called Rūpeśvara will never be deficient in beauty, fame and nobility of birth. The Liṅga perpetually causes beauty and bestows worldly pleasures and salvation. To those who visit the deity, the worlds are everlasting (i.e., they attain eternal worlds). Men who adore the great deity Rūpeśvara are themselves adored and they go to my eternal world by divine vehicle. Only he who worships Rūpeśa, the bestower of beauty and of conjugal felicity, is the most virtuous one in the world. His whole family is adorned by him. He becomes an ornament of his family. O Pārvatī, even he who worships the Lord of the Devas incidentally becomes wealthy and a king of the earth endowed with physical beauty.

51. Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Rūpeśvara Deva has been recounted to you. Listen to that of Dhanussāhasraka.