Skanda Purana: Providing the building blocks for Saiva mythology

Mythological Studies investigate the understanding of human experience revealed in mythology and in the diverse links between myth and ritual, literature, art, culture, and religious experience.

Regarding the importance of myth and mythological studies Doniger^[1] observes:

“Myth is cross-culturally translatable, which is to say comparable, commensurable. The simultaneous engagement of the two ends of the continuum, the same and the different, the general and the particular, requires a peculiar kind of double vision, and myth, among all genres is uniquely able to maintain that vision. Myth is the most interdisciplinary narrative‖

The study of Saiva mythology has made significant progress during the last two decades with the ‗discovery‘of the original Skanda Purana.. Chitgopekar believes that Puranic myths are ―multivocal‖; having several layers of meanings, hence our approach to them should be eclectic. As all myths are part of an ongoing oral and textual tradition, rather than tracing the stages of their evolution, she has delineated their salient features.

With the discovery of the ancient 6^th -7^th CE text of Skanda Purana, Saiva mythology has made significant progress. The orders and sects relegated to background in later Saivite texts like Pasupatas and Kapalikas are now seen in a completely different light.Explaining the importance of this text in understanding early forms of Saiva religion Chitgopekar^[2] says:

‘This anonymous 6th/7th-century text stands as a model of an early Saiva Purana presenting an integrated view of the cosmos and its affairs in which the god Shiva is regarded as supreme.”

The Siva Maha Purana starts with the Siva Purana Mahatyam, which is actually an extract from the Skanda Purana, hence implying the importance of the latter text. Skandapurana furnishes a desription of sacred Saiva sites It comes across as a very valuable source for the history and geographical spread of early Saivism. In addition it contains an account of the origins of the Pasupata movement in its descriptions of Karohana, the site of Siva‘s descent as Lakulisa. Bisschop^[3] talks about two different versions of Skandapurana, one transmitted in early Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts, another transmitted in two later recensions styled Ambikakhanda and Revakhanda. The latter version has never been published before and opens up new perspectives for the study of the transmission of Puranic literature and the historical development of Saivism. While talking about early Saivism the text focuses a lot on Pasupata form of Saivism hence making it very important for my study. Out of seven khandas three Mahesvara, Kashi and Prabhasa khanda are important for our study.

Mahesvara khand as the name itself suggests its importance after eulogizing Siva and attributing a subsidiary status to Visnu and Brahma moves to explaining the myth of Daksavadha. Interestingly the myth is narrated by Lomas Rishi and apart from narrating the story he focuses on the importance of Purtta activities like building temples for Siva and its merits. Lomas Rishi has been established as a Saivite ascetic following a very harsh regimen, in the earlier chapters.

The possibility of his being a Pasupata has also been discussed.

“Sage Lomesh told the assembled sages—-One who brooms the courtyard of Shiva temple attains to Shiva loka. Those who make offerings of incense to lord Shiva not only liberate himself from the bondage of this world but also both his 'Kulas'. One who gets constructed a Shiva temple or renovates it, attains incomparable virtue. One who chants the holy mantra 'OM NAMAH SHIVAY' daily and begins his day by visiting Shiva temple in the morning becomes absolved of all his sins. ‖^[4]

It is after killing Daksa for his insolence that we counter the raudra form of Siva who gives way to a yogic Siva, a lord unmoved by everything around. O‘Flaherty has aptly described how Siva at this stage of extreme asceticism comes across as the most efficient seducer. This handsome ascetic form of Siva seduces the wives of saptarishis and in their anger they curse him to get castrated. Significantly Skanda Purana does not mention this ‗Myth of pine forest‘which seems to have a different and probably late origin. It rather talks about extreme asceticism of Siva which the gods wanted to break as it was prophesied that only Siva‘s son could kill Tarakasura who was creating havoc in all the three worlds. So the birth of Skanda and creating the right atmosphere for this noble birth is what this section of Skanda Purana is majorly dedicated to.

The deities were aware that after the death of Sati, Siva had lost all interest in life and was living like a recluse and to get him back to the act of creation was a daunting task. Meanwhile Sati was born as Girija, the daughter of Himalaya with a wish to get Siva as her husband. When Siva remained unmoved gods appointed Kamadeva to hit Siva with his arrow and arouse passion and desire in him. Siva was angered and he opened his third eye to burn Kamadeva to ashes. The significance of ashes is suggested here.

The Pasupata-sutra maxim:

“Every thing is ashes‖ is proved here. The body of desires is nothing but ashes.

Now Girija commenced her penance to please Lord Shiva. There was a great turmoil in the world on account of her penance. Lord Visnu led the deities to Siva and requested him to marry Girija so that the world could be protected from the torments of Tarakasur. Finally, Siva gave his consent and went to the place where Girija was doing penance.

This act of Parvati to win Siva or rather to counter Siva‘s extreme asceticism with her own extreme penance forms an interesting motif. To use O‘Flaherty‘s terminology the route of ‗asceticism‘was chosen by Parvati to become a partner of ‘erotic’ Siva. Matching his asceticism she wanted to win him over.

After reaching to the place where Parvati was meditating, Siva found her engrossed in her penance. Parvati was surrounded by her few trusted companions. Siva decided to test Parvati's devotion towards him. So he disguised himself as a hermit and asked her companions about the reason why Parvati was doing such a severe Penance. Jaya, one of Parvati's companions informed him that her friend was doing penance in order to get Siva as her husband.

Lord Shiva, who was in the guise of a hermit said—

“Why is this tender girl so eager to marry Shiva who is an embodiment of inauspiciousness—who carries a skull in his hand and who lives in a crematorium. How can your friend think of marrying one who has been expelled by Daksha from the yagya ceremony? Does your friend know that Shiva wears a snake around his neck and is surrounded by numerous spirits and ghosts? ‖

Parvati, who had been listening to all those nonsensical utterances, told Jaya—-'This fellow seems to abhor Shiva. We should not talk to this evil person. Tell him to leave at once.'Lord Siva was extremely pleased by Parvati's unwavering devotion towards him. He appeared in his original form and said—'You can ask for anything you wish.'

But Parvati replied—

“O Supreme Lord! I am the same Sati for the sake of whom you had destroyed Daksha's yajna. Don't you recognize me? There is a great purpose behind my reincarnation. A son born to us would kill Tarakasur. So go to my father and request for my hand in marriage.”

But Lord Shiva refused to make a request to Himalaya considering it as an undignified act. He then returned to the place where he had been meditating.After a while, Himalaya and Mena arrived there and asked Parvati how her penance had been progressing. Parvati narrated the whole incident how Lord Shiva had finally given his conscent to marry her. Himalaya and Mena were extremely pleased by this good news.^[5]

This myth can be seen materialized in various sculptural panels from West and South India showing the marriage of Siva and Parvati but the elaborate description in cave 21at Ellora (Ramesvara) is worth mentioning separately. It is believed to have been inspired by Kalidasa’s poem Kumarasambhava written about the birth of Skanda. Kalidasa seems to have been well versed with the mythological details of this incident and he even mentions the kind of penances and hardships faced by young Parvati. These practices like ― pancagni tapas’, wearing animal skin and so on reminds us of Lakulisa-Pasupata aspirants and their harsh practices^[6] .

Kalidasa's epic Kumarasambhava ("Birth of Kumara") details with matchlessly lyrical beauty the story of the maiden Parvati: her devotions aimed at gaining the favor of Siva, the subsequent annihilation of Kamadeva, the consequent fall of the universe into barren lifelessness, the subsequent marriage of Parvati and Siva, the immaculate birth of Kumara, and the eventual resurrection of Kamadeva after Parvati intercedes for him to Siva.

The depiction of Parvati’ s marriage to Siva, in the Siva Purana, could be seen as an allegory illustrating the desire of an individual to achieve a state of liberation from a life of strife and banality. If one sets aside, for the moment, the idea of Siva as a male entity, and sees him instead as representing a state beyond human suffering, then Parvati becomes symbolic of the aspirant who wishes to achieve nirvana, and the story becomes something considerably more than a quaint romantic tale^{[7] [8]} .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Doniger, Wendy. The Implied Spider: Politics and Theology in Myth. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998, p.9

[2]:

Chitgopekar, ‘Encountering Saivism, the deity,the milieu, the entourage,Pub. By The Hindu, 1998

[3]:

Bisschop Peter, Early Saivism and the Skandapurana: Sects and Centres, Groningen, The Netherlands Egbert Forsten 2006

[4]:

Tagare, G.V, Skanda Purana, MLBD, Delhi, 1996

[5]:

Details from ‘Excerpts from Skanda Purana, www.gita-society.com/scriptures/ ALL18MAJORPURANAS.IGS.pdf

[6]:

Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa, Ed. M.R.Kale,Delhi,2011

[7]:

Dayal Harendra Thakur, ‘The Visnu Purana Social Economic and Religious Aspects’ Published

[8]:

,p.92