|
In the chapter 36, Section 3 of Satarudra-Samhita of Shiva Purana, the story of incarnation of Shiva as Ashvattaman is mentioned.
A part of the celestial sage of great intellect Bṛhaspati, the self-possessed and prudent Droṇa was born of Bharadvaja but not of any womb. He was the foremost among the archers, heroes, a brahminical sage, well-versed in all lore, of great fame and brilliance and the most excellent of all the wielders of weapons and missiles. Learned men knew Droṇa as the most excellent, skilful in the lore of archery as well as the Vedas, of variegated activities, and as one who made his race flourish. He was the instructor of the Kauravas. He was the most well known among the six Maharathas among the Kauravas. The most excellent BrahminDroṇa performed an elaborate penance with Shiva in view for obtaining a son in order to help the Kauravas. The delighted lord Shiva appeared in front of Droṇa. On seeing him, the Brahmin Drona whose heart was highly delighted bowed to him with palms joined in reverence and eulogised him. Satisfied and pleased with his eulogy and penance, lord Shiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees told Droṇa—“Mention the boon you wish to choose”. On hearing the words of Shiva, Droṇa bowed low and said—“Please give me a son born of your part who will be invincible to every one and who will be very powerful. On hearing the words of Droṇa, Shiva said, “So be it.” Droṇa returned to his abode highly delighted and free from illusion. He joyously narrated all the details to his wife. Taking the due opportunity, lord Shiva, the annihilator of all and very powerful was born as Droṇa’s son through a part of himself. He became well known as Aśvatthaman on the earth. He was heroic, had lotus-like eyes and he could reduce the strength of his enemy. Securing the permission and behest of his father that famous hero helped the Kauravas in the Mahabharata war. By resorting to that powerful hero, Bhisma and other Kauravas became invincible even to the gods. Fearing him, the Paṇḍavas, though they were great heroes and very skilful, became incapable of conquering the Kauravas. At the instance of Krishna, Arjuna, performed the severe penance of Shiva and obtained a divne missile duo to Shiva’s boon. He then conquered the Kauravas, though the great hero Ashvatthaman was born of a part of lord Shiva. Due to his devotion to the Kauravas, he exhibited his full vigour. He destroyed the sons of Paṇḍavas though they were trained in warfare by Krishna and other great heroes. He had the strength that could not be withstood by the enemy. On seeing Arjuna dejected by the death of his son but rushing on him along with Krishna he fled away from the battle-field. He discharged the divine missile Brahmastiras on Arjuna. Then a fierce splendour enveloping all the quarters manifested itself. Sensing danger to his own life Arjuna was much distressed. Losing all his brilliance and highly frightened he spoke to Krishna becoming utterly exhausted. Arjuna said:-- “O Krishna, what is this? Whence it has arisen I do not know. This unbearable fiery splendour comes from all sides. On hearing the words of Arjuna, Krishna the most excellent among the devotees of Shiva meditated on Shiva and Parvati and then spoke to Arjuna.” Krishan said:-- “Know this to be the most powerful Brahma missile of Ashvatthaman. There is no other missile to counteract this. Immediately think of Shiva, your lord, the protector of the devotees who had given you a weapon capable of every action. Counteract the fiery splendour of the Brahma missile with your Saiva missile.” After saying this Krishna himself meditated on Shiva for that purpose. On hearing the words of Krishna, Arjuna remembered Shiva, touched water, bowed to Shiva and discharged the Saiva missile. Although the Brahmastiras missile never goes futile and cannot be counteracted, it subsided before the splendour of the Saiva missile. Knowing that this happened by the influence of Shiva, Ashvatthaman, born of Shiva’s part and delighted in heart at Shiva’s wish, was not at all sorry. Then the son of Droṇa wishing the world to be rid of Pandava lineage desired to kill the child in the womb of Uttara. The powerful Ashvatthaman hurled the excessively lustrous Brahma-missile that could not be countermanded by any other missile, aiming it at the womb of Uttara. Then Uttara the daughter-in-law of Arjuna, burning within due to that missile and agitated in the mind eulogised Krishna. Then meditating on Shiva mentally, bowing to and eulogising him, Krishna understood that to be the missile of the son of Droṇa. By means of his missile—the brilliant Sudarshana, bestowed on him by Shiva for his protection, he saved her at the behest of Shiva. Ashvatthaman then knew that Krishna had assumed his form at the behest of Shiva and did it as he was the foremost among the devotees of Shiva, slowly refrained from the thought of destroying Uttara. Then the leading devotee of Shiva, the delighted Krishna, made all the Paṇḍavas fall at the feet of Ashvatthaman for pleasing him. Then Ashvatthaman, son of Drona, highly delighted in the mind, blessed the Pandavas and Krishna with various boons. Incarnating thus on the earth in the form of Droṇa’s son, lord Shiva performed various sports. The incarnation of Shiva Ashvatthaman of great strength and exploit is even now alive on the banks of the river Ganga bestowing happiness on the three worlds.
0 Comments
Incarnation of Shiva as Sureshvara – Shiva Purana
In the chapter 32, Section 3 of Satarudra Samhita of Shiva Purana, the story of incarnation of Shiva as Sureshvara is mentioned. The intelligent son of Vyaghrapada, Upamanyu, the beloved of the good, became the son of a sage in another birth. He achieved great attainments then. Upamanyu, the son of Vyaghrapada, while yet a small child stayed in his uncle’s house along with his mother. Due to adverse fate he was very poor. Once he tasted a little milk in his uncle’s hermitage. Approaching his mother he implored for milk, yearning for it. On hearing the words of her son the pitiable mother went in and thought of a proper means to satisfy the child. She ground some seeds and grains she got by gleaning, into a paste with water. She gave this artificial milk to her son after fondling and coaxing him. After drinking the artificial milk given by his mother the boy said “O, this is not milk” and cried again. On hearing the cry of her son, she wiped off his lotus-like eyes and said in grief. The mother said:-- “How can we the dwellers of the forest for ever have milk? Without the grace of Shiva we can never have milk. O son, only that can be attained what we had dedicated to Shiva in our previous birth. We need not worry in this matter.” On hearing the words of his mother, the son of Vyaghrapada excessively fond of his mother, freed of his grief, replied to her, “O blessed mother, do not grieve. Cast off this sorrow. If Shiva is the benefactor, everything will result in welfare. O mother, listen to me. If there is lord Shiva anywhere, sooner or later I shall achieve the ocean of milk”. After saying thus with pleasure and repeating “Let there be a welfare”, he bowed to his mother and left her. He began to perform penance. It was on the mountain Himavat that he went to perform his penance with pure mind taking nothing in except air. He installed Shiva’s phallic image of clay after making a pedestal for it with eight bricks. He invoked Shiva along with Parvati into the phallic image with devotion. He repeated the five-syllabled mantra. The boy worshipped Shiva with leaves, flowers and other things. Due to the penance of the boy Upamanyu, the great soul, the whole world consisting of the mobile and immobile beings blazed as it were. In the meantime, requested by Vishnu aud others, Shiva assumed the form of Indra in order to test his devotion. Parvati took the form of Saci. The Gaṇas became the gods, Nandin became the elephant Airavata. Everything belonging to Shiva became that of Indra. Then Shiva accompanied by Parvati and the Gaṇas, and assuming the form of Indra went to the hermitage of Upamanyu in order to bless him. Shiva in the form of Indra said:-- “O boy of good rites, I am pleased with you and your penance. Mention the boon you wish to have. I shall give you whatever you desire. There is no doubt about this.” The boy replied with palms joined in reverence, “I choose devotion into Śiva.” On hearing it Indra said—“You do not know me the lord of the gods, the lord of the three worlds, Indra, bowed to by all the gods. O Brahmin sage, be my devotee. Worship me alone on every occasion. I shall grant you every benefit. Leave off Rudra devoid of attributes. Enough of Rudra devoid of attributes. What purpose of yours can be achieved by his worship? He is out of the caste of the gods. He has become a Pisacha. On hearing these words, the son of the sage considered them an obstacle to his austerities. Repeating the five-syllabled mantra he told him who had come to create obstacles. Upamanyu said:-- All this has been mentioned by you indulging in insult of Shiva. Incidentally you have mentioned that Shiva, the lord of the gods, is attributeless as well as Pisacha. You do not know Shiva, lord of the chiefs of gods, the father and progenitor of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha and greater than Prakṛti. I choose the boon from that deity, whom the philosophers call eternal, the single, the multitude, separate from the existent and non-existent and the unmanifest. I choose the boon from that deity whom the knowers of reality consider free from causations, disputes and the bestower of the principles of Sankhya and Yoga. There is no greater entity than lord Shiva who is beyond the attributes. He is the cause of all causes. He is the most excellent of Brahma, Vishnu and other gods. I do not wish to take a boon from you or Brahma or Vishnu. Nor do I want any boon from any other god. Let Shiva be the bestower of boons on me. Of what avail is speaking much? I tell you the truth and my decision. I do not request any other god except Shiva. I infer that I have committed sins in the previous birth since I am forced to hear the insult to Shiva, on hearing which one shall shed his own mortal body at the very same moment. He goes to Shiva’s region thereby. After saying thus, Upamanyu who was prepared to die cast off his desire for milk and got ready to kill Indra. He took some ashes from the receptacle and invoked it with the mantra Aghorastra. Thereafter discharged it against Indra and roared. Remembering the feet of Shiva, his favourite deity, he got ready to burn himself. He stood there bearing the fiery pose. When the Brahmin was engaged thus, the lord in the form of Indra warded off the fiery pose of the Yogin by gentle means. At the behest of Shiva, Nandin the favourite of Shiva delightedly caught hold of the Aghorastra discharged by him, in the middle. Assuming his own form with the moon for his crest, lord Shiva revealed it to the Brahmin. Thus Shiva was seen seated on his bull accompained by the goddess. He was surrounded by the leading Ganas and the divine weapons, the trident and others. Then Upamanyu was swept by the waves of the ocean of delight and he prostrated on the ground like a staff, with his mind humble with devotion. In the meantime the smiling lord Shiva called him saying “Come on, Come on” and kissed him on the head. He granted him boons. Shiva said:-- “Dear Upamanyu, I am pleased with your excellent behaviour. O Brahmin sage, you are very firm in your devotion. I just desired to know you thoroughly. Enjoy the pleasure of eating sumptuously forever along with your kinsmen. Be ever happy and free from misery. Be devoted to me. O fortunate Upamanyu, you have been made eternally my son today. Parvati, here, is your mother. Then considering his great penance, the delighted Shiva gave ten boons to the sage Upamanyu. He bestowed on him the knowledge of Shiva and his rites. He instructed him in the vows of Shiva. He gave him fluency of speech and efficiency. He bestowed his own region on him. After granting him the boons, lord Śiva took him with both the hands, sniffed at his head and showed him to the goddess saying: “This is your son.” Listening with pleasure and placing her hands on his head she granted him the everlasting status of a son. She gave him undecaying, compressed ocean of milk, the prosperity and power of yoga, the undying knowledge of Brahman and the great assets. After receiving from Shiva and Parvati the excellent boons, and the eternal status of their son, he rejoiced much. Upamanyu said:-- “O lord of gods, be pleased. O supreme lord, be pleased. Grant me the greatest devotion unto you, divine and unswerving. O great god, give roe great faith in persons devoted to you, the state of being your servant, your great affection and your constant presence.” Shiva said:-- “O dear Upamanyu, O sinless one, you are blessed. You are especially my devotee. Whatever has been chosen by you has been given to you. Be unaging and undying and free from misery. Be respectable to all, free from aberrations and the foremost among devotees. O excellent Brahmin, yon will have undwindling kinsmen, family and race. Your devotion to me will be permanent.” After saying this and granting him all excellent boons, the lord vanished from there, accompanied by Parvati and the Gaṇas. Incarnation of Shiva as Jatila – Shiva Purana
In the chapter 33, Section 3 of Satarudra Samhita of Shiva Purana, the story of incarnation of Shiva as Jatila (Student-ascetic) is mentioned. After abandoning her body when she was insulted by her own father in the sacrificial hall, Sati, the daughter of Daksa, was born of Mena and the mountain Himavat. Desiring to attain Shiva as her husband, she went to the dense forest and performed a pure penance. She was attended upon by two of her friends. In order to test her penance, Shiva an expert in various kinds of sports sent the seven sages to the penance grove of Pārvati. The sages went there and thoroughly tested her. As she was strenuous in her effort they could not dissuade her from her penance. They returned and bowed to Shiva. After mentioning all the details to him and obtaining his permission they returned to heaven eagerly. When they had gone to their abodes, lord Shiva, the cause of excellent sports, desired to test Shiva’s activity himself. Then the lord assumed the pleasant, self-controlled and wonderful form of a student-ascetic. He looked very old and had assumed the body of a Brahmin. He was shining with brilliance. He had a staff and an umbrella. He was mentally delighted. Assuming this form of a Jaṭila (one with matted hair), the delighted Shiva, favourably disposed to his devotees went to the penance-grove of Parvati. There he saw the goddess Parvati, seated on the dais surrounded by her friends. She appeared like the pure digit of the moon. On seeing the goddess, Shiva who had assumed the form of a student-ascetic approached her eagerly and lovingly. On seeing the Brahmin visitor of wonderful splendour, quiet with hairy limbs, bearing the staff and hide of deer, the aged bachelor with matted hair and the water-pot, she welcomed and worshipped him with all the articles of worship. The goddess Parvati enquired after the health of that aged bachelor respectfully after worshipping him with great joy. “O most excellent one among the knowers of the Vedas, who are you, please, in the guise of a student-ascetic and whence have you come illuminating this forest? On being asked thus by Parvati, that Brahmin replied immediately with great pleasure in order to test the feelings of Parvati. The student-ascetic said: “I am a Brahmin bachelor going about here and there as I please. I am a saint pleasing and helping others undoubtedly.” After saying this, the bachelor Shiva stood near her concealing his real form. The student-ascetic said: “What shall I say, O great lady? There is nothing to be mentioned. A great calamity seems to have happened, extremely confusing. In your fresh youth, the means of good enjoyment and the cause of happiness through all requisite articles of pleasure, you are performing this penance in vain. Who are you? Whose daughter are you? Why are you performing a penance in this desolate forest? Your penance is such as cannot be outdone even by sages of elevated souls.” On hearing his words, Parvati laughed and spoke to the excellent student ascetic with reverence. Parvati said:-- “O Brahmin bachelor, listen to the details of my wife. I am born in Bharata in the house of Himavat. Formerly my birth was in the house of Dakṣa. I was then Sati, the wife of Shiva. On account of my father’s insulting my husband I cast off my body by means of Yoga. O Brahmin, in this birth too, Shiva came my way due to merit but he reduced Kama to ashes, abandoned me and went away. When Shiva went away I was overwhelmed with grief. A bit ashamed, I came away from my house to this place for performing penance after being initiated by the statement of my preceptor. Mentally, verbally and through activities too, Shiva has been chosen by me as my husband. I am telling you the truth and not falsehood. I know that this is an extremely inaccessible object. How can I achieve it? Still, thanks to the great zeal, this penance is being pursued by me now. Leaving off Indra and other gods, Vishnu and Brahma I wish to obtain Shiva as my husband really.” On hearing these firm words of Parvati that Jaṭila Rudra laughingly spoke again. Jaṭila said:-- “O gentle lady, O daughter of Himavat, what is this idea that has struck you? You are performing this great penance for obtaining Shiva after leaving off all the gods. I know that Shiva. Listen. I shall tell you that bull-bannered Shiva wears matted hair and is ill-mannered. He is an isolationist for ever. Particularly he is a detached fellow. Hence it does not behove you to get mentally entangled with him. O gentle lady, your features etc. and those of Shiva are ill-matched. I do not like this. But do as you please.” After saying this, Shiva in the guise of a student-ascetic rebuked himself in her presence in order to test her. On hearing his intolerable words, Parvati replied extremely infuriated at him who was engrossed in insulting Shiva. Till now I thought that you would be some one fit to be killed. But now it is quite clear that you are not to be killed. You are some foolish knave in the guise of a student-ascetic. O fool, Shiva has been insulted by you. Hence, I am infuriated. You do not know Shiva. You are averse to Shiva. Since I had already welcomed and honoured you I am now distressed. The accumulated merits of the person who insults Shiva without knowing reality are reduced to ashes. One should perform expiation after touching a Shiva-hater. Shiva alone is the great lord. Assuming many guises through his Maya, Rudra may appear in any form. But the beloved of the good, having no aberrations, lavishly bestows all desired things on me. After saying this, Parvati expatiated on Shiva’s principle, where Shiva was explained as attributeless and unchanging performing the penance of Brahman. On hearing her words, the Brahmin began to say something; but by that time, Parvati whose mind was attached to Shiva and who was averse to Shiva being insulted, immediately spoke to her friend Vijaya. Parvati said:-- “Friend, this base Brahmin must be prevented. He is going to speak again. He is sure to insult Shiva. It is not only the censurer of Shiva who becomes sinful but also him who listens to such insults. A rebuker of Shiva shall be slain by all means by Shiva’s attendants. If he happens to be a Brahmin he shall be abandoned. He shall go away from that place immediately. Let us leave this place and go elsewhere. Do not delay, lest there should be any further talk with this ignorant man.” After saying this Parvati was just to walk away when Shiva revealed himself and caught hold of her cloth. After assuming that divine form which Parvati was meditating upon, Shiva spoke to her as she stood face downwards. Shiva said:-- “O Parvati, where are you going, leaving me? You cannot be forsaken by me. You have been tested by me O faultless one, you are really steady in your devotion to me. Desirous of knowing your feelings I have approached you in the guise of a student-asectic and spoke these diverse words. O Parvati, I am delighted at your steady devotion. Mention the boon that you have cherished in your mind. There is nothing that cannot be given to you. I have been made your slave from now onwards by means of your penance. Due to your beauty, even a moment seems to expand into Yoga. Leave off your bashfulness. You are my eternal wife. O beloved, come on, I shall go to my hilly abode along with you.” When the lord of gods said thus, Parvati rejoiced much. Whatever misery she experienced in performing the penance, she cast off immediately. On seeing that divine form of Shiva, Parvati replied to the lord with face lowered due to bashfulness. Parvati said:-- “O lord of gods, if you are delighted, if you have pity on me, be my lord and husband.” Thus requested by Parvati Shiva took her hand duly and went to Kailasa along with her. On getting him as her lord, she carried out the task of the gods. Thus, the incarnation of Shiva in the form of a student-ascetic was to test the feelings of Parvati. In the chapter 31, Section 3 of Satarudra Samhita of Shiva Purana, the story of incarnation of Shiva as Bhikuuvarya is mentioned.
There was a king in the land of Vidarbha, named Satyaratha. He was virtuous, regularly observing truthfulness and a favourite of great devotees of Shiva. The king ruled over the kingdom virtuously observing piety to Shiva. Once, a great fight ensued between that king and the Salvas who laid siege to his city with many armies puffed up with their strength. The king of Vidarbha had a terrible fight with them. But his armies were destroyed and he was killed by Salvas due to adverse fate. When the king was killed in the battle by the Salvas, the terrified soldiers who survived death fled along with the ministers. His crowned queen who was pregnant and who had been imprisoned by the enemies escaped from the city, during the night. Coming out of the city the grief-stricken crowned queen slowly went very far in the eastern direction with her heart set on the lotus-like feet of Shiva. Early in the morning next day after she had traversed a long way, the queen saw a pure lake, thanks to the mercy of Shiva. After reaching the banks of the lake the distressed beloved of the king, of tender body, resorted to a shady tree for rest and stay. Fortunately in an auspicious and meritorious hour the queen gave birth to a son endowed with all divine characteristics. The thirsty mother, the wife of the king, entered the lake for drinking water but as willed by fate she was devoured by a crocodile in the water. The son bereft of father and mother, distressed by hunger and thirst at the time of birth, cried out. When the new born baby was weeping and wailing in the forest, Shiva, the immanent soul and protector, was moved to pity. A wandering beggar woman came there accidentally, urged mentally by Shiva, the dispeller of fear. She was a widow and was herself carrying her one year old son. She saw an orphaned child weeping there. On seeing an infant boy in the desolate forest that Brahmin woman was surprised and pondered over the situation in diverse ways. “An extremely wonderful thing has been seen by me now. It cannot be conceived by the mind or explained in words. This infant whose umbilical cord has not been cut lies on the bare ground. He has no mother. He is weeping but he is very brilliant. He has no parents or persons to help him. What might have caused this? Alas, how strong is power of fate. I do not know his parentage. There is none who knows him. Whom can I enquire about the details of his birth? But I feel drawn towards him. Without knowing his birth and parentage I shall not touch him, although I wish to nourish him and bring him up as a child born of me.” While the excellent Brahmin lady was musing thus, Shiva favourably disposed to his devotees, took pity. Lord Śhiva, bestower of happiness on devotees in every respect, unconditionally for ever, by himself assumed the form of a mendicant. The mendicant who was lord Shiva himself suddenly came to the place where the doubting Brahmin lady, desirous of knowing the details, was standing. The lord whose ways are unscrutable, who is the storehouse of mercy and who assumed the form of the leading mendicant laughed and told the Brahmin lady. The mendicant said:-- “O Brahmin lady, do not entertain any doubt in your mind. Do not be sorry. Protect this pure boy, your adopted son, lovingly. Ere long you will attain a great glory through this infant. Nourish this extremely brilliant infant by all means.” That Brahmin lady respectfully and lovingly asked Shiva, the storehouse of mercy, in the form of a mendicant who spoke thus. The Brahmin lady said:-- “At your behest I shall nourish and bring up this boy as though he is my own son. There shall be no; doubt in this. You have come here by my good fortune. Still I wish to know the particular details and facts about him. Whose son is he? Who are you that have come here? O lord, O excellent mendicant, again and again the thought occurs to me that you are Shiva, the ocean of mercy and this infant had been your devotee formerly. Through some defect in his past actions he has attained this plight. After experiencing it he will surely attain glory, thanks to your bliss. It is by your Maya that I have been deluded. I had lost my way. In order to protect him I have been urged by you to come over here.” Shiva in the guise of a mendicant spoke to the Brahmin lady who had attained perfect knowledge by seeing him and who evinced the desire to know the details. The mendicant said:-- “O brahmin lady, listen with pleasure to the antecedents of this boy. O sinless one, I shall mention all the details to you. This boy is the son of Satyaratha, king of Vidarbha a great devotee of Shva and devoted to his duty. Listen, the king Satyaratha was killed by his enemies in the battle. His excited and distressed wife set out from the palace at night. She came here in the morning and gave birth to this boy. Due to thirst she got into the lake and as fate would have it, was seized by the crocodile.” Thus he narrated to her all the details, the manner of his birth, the death of his father in the battle and that of his mother due to the crocodile. Then the Brahmin lady who was surprised asked the mendicant of perfect knowledge in the form of a Siddha, again. The Brahmin lady said: - “O mendicant how was his father, the king, killed in the midst of his enjoyment of excellent pleasures, by his enemies the Salvas in a few days? How was the mother of this infant devoured by the crocodile so suddenly? How did he happen to be orphaned and helpless ever since his birth? How are it that my son too is very poor and a beggar? O mendicant, how will these two sons attain happiness? Please tell me.” On hearing these words of the Brahmin wife, the delighted mendicant, lord Shiva himself, said laughingly. The mendicant said:-- “O brahmin lady, I shall answer all questions in detail. Listen with attention to this excellent narrative. The father of this boy, the king of Vidarbha, was the excellent king Paṇḍya in his previous birth. That king was a devotee of Shiva. He ruled over the entire earth virtuously. Quelling all disturbances he made all the subjects happy and contented. Observing fast and other rites in the day and night on a Trayodashi (thirteenth) day, once, he worshipped Shiva at dusk. As he was worshipping Shiva at dusk in the course of his holy rites there arose a great noise, in the city, hideous in every respect. On hearing that noise, the king left the worship of Shiva unfinished and went out of his palace suspecting the arrival of enemies. In the meantime, his powerful minister came near the king catching hold of the enemy king. On seeing the enemy king, he was extremely agitated by anger. Disregardful of the right course he caused him to be beheaded. Without concluding the worship of Shiva, the defiled king, confused in mind and bereft of auspiciousness, took his food at night with pleasure. He was born as the king of Vidarbha. He observed holy rites of Shiva during this birth also since there was a hindrance to his worship of Shiva (during the previous birth) he was now killed in the midst of his enjoyment. His son in the previous birth was born as his son in this birth too but he was bereft of riches due to the break in the worship of Shiva. The mother of this boy had killed her co-wife in the previous birth. Hence due to that sin, she was devoured by the crocodile in this birth. Thus their activities have been narrated to you. People having no devotion to Shiva and not worshipping him attain poverty. This son of yours was an excellent Brahmin in his previous birth. He spent his life in accepting gifts but he did not perform holy rites, like sacrifice etc. O Brahmin lady, hence your son has incurred poverty. Seek refuge in Shiva in order to ward off that sin. Let the worship of Shiva be performed by these two sons. Only after the investiture with the sacred thread will Shiva bestow glory.” After instructing her thus, Shiva in the form of a mendicant, favourably disposed towards his devotees revealed his real self to her. On coming to know that he was lord Shiva the Brahmin lady bowed to and eulogised him with choking words full of devotion. Even as the Brahmin lady stood watching, Shiva who had taken the form of a mendicant vanished there itself. When the mendicant disappeared, the care-free Brahmin woman took that boy and her son home. Their sacred rites and the investiture with the sacred thread were performed by the Brahmins. They grew up thus devoted to the worship of Shiva in their own house. Once when the prince went to the river for his bath without the Brahmin boy, he found an excellent pot of treasure. Thus four months elapsed as the two boys continued their worship of Shiva. As they continued the worship of Shiva again with great joy, a year elapsed in the very same house. After a year had elapsed, the prince once went to a forest along with the Brahmin boy. There a Gandharva came by chance and gave his daughter in marriage to the prince. The prince ruled over the kingdom without any check or hindrance. He considered the Brahmin lady who brought him up as his mother and the Brahmin boy as his brother. In name of Dharmagupta he continued to propitiate the lord of gods and enjoyed pleasures along with the princess in the kingdom of Vidarbha. Thus the incarnation of Shiva as the Bhiksuvarya bestowing happiness on the prince Dharmagupta has been narrated. |
Archives
May 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed