Nārada’s Visit to Himavān

After Pārvatī was born, she grew up among the mountains, playing with divine companions. When she came of marriageable age, Indra called the muni (seer) Nārada to Meru and asked him to unite her with Bhagavān Śiva. Nārada went to the house of Himavān, the king of mountains. There he described Bhagavān Śiva as a husband with very bad marks, and then showed that each mark is a sign of Śiva’s true nature. This account is from the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa.

Indra asks Nārada

Pārvatī grew into girlhood. She played with gandharva girls and with the daughters of the mountain kinnaras and munis. When she was of age to marry, Indra, who lived on Meru, called Nārada to him. When Nārada came, Indra welcomed him with great respect. He stood up and honoured him. Then he said:

“O Mahāmuni! I have called you for a matter of great weight, for you know all things. All three worlds have been made bright by the birth of Pārvatī. For the fruit of this good fortune to ripen, you are the one to act. O Mahāmuni! Unite Pārvatī with Śiva. Make it so that she wishes for no other husband.”

Nārada smiled and agreed. He went to the home of Himavān. Himavān is the king of mountains who shelters countless creatures. He feeds them with his mineral springs, caves, forests and fruits.

Nārada praises Himavān

Nārada reached the palace of Himavān and sat on the golden seat that Himavān gave him. He took the arghya (water of welcome). Then he spoke warmly of the service Himavān does for all worlds:

“O king of mountains! You stand stretched across the north and the south, guarding and feeding all creatures. You are blessed. Because of you, the great brāhmaṇas do their tapas (austerity), japa (silent repetition of mantras), vrata (vows) and snāna (holy bathing). They build their road to the next world with your help. To some creatures you give the things for yajña (fire ritual). To others you give roots and fruits. How can I tell all that you give? Like householders who keep countless beings under their care, you feed countless kinds of life in many ways. For their sake you bear cold, heat, rain and every hardship. Such is the nature of a sādhu (good person). And beyond all this, Bhagavān Maheśvara himself lives in your mountain caves, served by the siddhas of your peaks.”

In this way Nārada honoured Himavān with true words and not with flattery.

Nārada meets Pārvatī

While Nārada and Himavān were speaking, Menā came with Pārvatī and a few attendants to pay respects to the muni. Menā bowed with her veil over her head. Nārada gave her true blessings: “May you be a faithful wife of good conduct and great wealth. May you bear brave daughters, and daughters who lift up the family.”

Nārada then called Pārvatī near, as if looking at a gift fit for a king, and looked at her with great care. Pārvatī was still a child. She hid behind her father’s neck and held on to him in his lap. Himavān said gently, “Darling, bow to the muni. By the grace of munis you will surely get the husband you wish for.” But Pārvatī covered her face with the end of her veil and said nothing.

Nārada spoke to her himself: “Come, child. I have a beautiful doll made of gems that I kept just for you.” Young Pārvatī climbed down from her father’s lap and quickly bowed at Nārada’s feet. Nārada placed her in his own lap, for she is worthy of the respect of all the worlds. He said, “Child! I do not see what blessing would be right for you.”

Pārvatī’s raised right hand

Himavān asked, “What is the meaning of her raised right hand?” Nārada answered:

“This right hand is always raised because it always gives abhaya (freedom from fear) to all creatures. It is not raised for any other reason. O king of mountains! This daughter of yours is the wife of Bhagavān Maheśvara, the protector of the world. She is the mother of all worlds and the cause of all that is. You must quickly arrange her union with Śiva by the right rites. A great purpose of the devas rests on it.”

Nārada describes Śiva

Menā asked Nārada out of a mother’s worry: “Bhagavān Nārada! You know all that is past and all that is to come. We wish to know what kind of person will be this child’s husband.” Nārada smiled and answered, mixing truth with plain obscurity:

“This girl’s husband has not yet been born, and yet he exists. He has very bad marks. He goes naked (nagna). He has no wealth (nirdhana). He is always surrounded by cruel companions (sadā krūraiḥ saha). He is angry (krodhin).”

Hearing this, Himavān was shattered. In a shaking voice and with a heavy heart he said:

“Ah! How strange this saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death) is! Even great ones cannot know it fully. The greatest of men cannot know their own fate by their own power. A human being, after great effort and many kinds of puṇya (merit), gets the very rare human life. Even when it is gained, it slips away if it is not made steady somehow. In this human birth it is very rare to get a fitting wife, one of good training, of high family, and faithful to her husband. It is rarer still to live with her in the dharma that the Vedas and Purāṇas teach, which is good for all worlds. And it is rarer than that to get from her children who are wanted for their own sake.

“Those who get even one of these rare things are fortunate. Saṃsāra always takes one or another of them away from every person. Whatever has been done, its fruit must be met. Now you tell me that my daughter cannot find a fitting husband? You say he has not been born, and that even if he is present he has all these faults? O muni! What fault does my daughter have, that she is not fit for a blessing? Why has her husband not been born? And if he is present, why does he have these marks? Even if a man is poor, how can one who gives everything to all be poor? Your hard words are making me foolish.”

Menā also wept.

The true meaning of the marks

Nārada comforted the sad parents with true words:

“O king of mountains! You are sad where you should rejoice. You are blessed. Listen to what I say, and understand its meaning. This daughter of yours who stands before you is Jagadambā, the giver of all siddhi (perfection). In her past life she was Satī Devī, the own wife of Bhagavān Śiva. What blessing can I give to such a Jagadambā? It would be like giving a lamp to the sun.

“This is why I did not bless her. I said she would not find a husband who had been born, because Śiva was never born. He who was never born, is born, and will be born. He is the cause of all. He alone is worthy of refuge. He is eternal, peaceful and auspicious. He is Parameśvara.

“Śiva is the place that all the devas praise in their highest words. He is the reality that even all the Vedas cannot hold. Even Brahmā counts him as the child’s toy of the universe. That very Śiva looks as if he has marks of ill luck, yet he is the true source of all good fortune. Now hear the real meaning of those marks.”

• He is digambara (naked, sky-clothed). This is because he fills the whole world. The whole world is his clothing. He who is all-pervading can have no garment, for he is the cosmos.
• He is śūlin (bearer of the trident). This is because he holds the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas) as his trident. This is his nature as trideśa (lord of the three).
• He is bhūtapati (lord of the bhūtas). This is because those who are free from bondage (muktas) are his own. The bhūtas include those who are free.
• He lives in the śmaśāna (cremation ground). This is because the śmaśāna is saṃsāra itself. Out of karuṇā (compassion) for those who seek moksha (liberation), he lives in that saṃsāra so that they can reach him.
• He wears bhūti (ash). This is because the vibhūtis (special manifestations) described in the śruti are what he bears. Ash is bhūti, so he is bhūti-bhṛt (bearer of bhūti).
• His vāhana (vehicle) is the bull (vṛshabha). This is because vṛsha means dharma. He who rides dharma is vṛshin (the righteous one).
• He is jaṭila (matted-haired). This is because he bears the many karmas (actions) of the world like braided locks. The knots of all actions rest in him.
• His three eyes are the three Vedas. His triple fire is the threefold world-body called Tripura.
• He destroyed Tripura. This is because the body of the three guṇas becomes ash through him. He is Tripurāntaka.

“Those of fine understanding know Maheśvara in this way. How could anyone fail to worship Hara? Everyone in the world is born with some fear of saṃsāra, and so looks closely before he acts. I looked closely, and so I did not simply give a blessing. I gave only what was true. This union with Śiva is itself the highest good fortune for your daughter.”

Himavān and Menā were filled with joy at this. Their drooping hearts were lifted.

Himavān sends Pārvatī to serve Śiva

Nārada ended with a clear instruction: “Send Pārvatī to attend on Śiva with flowers, fruits and water, as his sevikā (woman attendant). This is the right next step. The devas have a great purpose that depends on it.” Then he took leave and went back to report to Indra: “I have done what was needed. For the rest of the task, Manmatha must be set in motion.”

Himavān now understood and was glad. He called Pārvatī and said, “Go with your friends and serve Bhagavān Śiva with pūjā.” Pārvatī was moved by these words. She went to the āśrama (hermitage) of Śiva and began her service. She brought flowers, gathered fruits and carried water. She cared for every need of Śiva’s tapas-grove with devotion.

Indra calls Manmatha

Nārada reported to Indra and said, “Call Manmatha now. His part must follow.” Indra called Manmatha. The deva of desire appeared at once. With him came Vasanta (Spring in person) and Ratī, his wife. Manmatha carried the mango blossom as his weapon.

Indra touched Manmatha warmly and said: “Rati-priya! You know the hearts of all beings, so I need not explain much. But let me remind you of your task. Great-souled Maheśvara, who is parted from his wife Satī, is now in tapas. Pārvatī has been born in Himavān’s house to be his wife. Unite them. And when Śiva and Pārvatī are together and happy, they can fulfil your own wishes.”

Manmatha was unsure and spoke his doubt: “Master of the devas, this seems wrong. Mahādeva is in tapas. Who can join two fires without being asked? The books of Vedānta speak ill of me again and again: ‘Desire is the great pāpa (sin), like a fire that eats up knowledge.’ How can Maheśvara, the Jagadguru, be pleased by me, a great pāpin, like a man pleased by a drunkard?”

Indra answered with a deep reply. He spoke of Manmatha’s three kinds of desire: tāmasa, rājasa and sāttvika. In the end he won Manmatha over with the argument that the need of the devas came first, and that it was Manmatha’s sāttvika nature that would be used.

Manmatha agreed. He, Vasanta and Ratī set out for the slopes of the Himālaya, to the tapas-grove where Śiva sat in samādhi (deep absorption).

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, Chapter 23