33 - Testing of Pārvati 

Brahma said: 

1-8. Devas rushed to Parvati and said: “O goddess, Shiva, that lord of Devas, by whom you have been created and who cannot remain without you, shall be your husband. Do not perform penance.” Thereafter, O brahmins, Devas circumambulated her and vanished. She stopped her activities of penance and resorted to the Asoka tree that grew at the entrance of her hermitage. 

At that time, lord Shiva who dispels the agony of Devas came there. The moon constituted the ornamental mark on his forehead. He had assumed a deformed body short in stature and simian in features. His nose was split and the hair was tawny. He was huinp-backed too. With twisted contracted face he said, 'O gentle lady, I woo you'. 

Uma who had achieved Yogic power knew that it was Shiva who had come. She honoured and worshipped him with Arghya, Padya and Madhuparka¹ (water for washing the feet and materials of greeting). Respectful to brahmins she offered flowers to that brahmin. With her mind purified by inner cmotional fervour and desirous of obtaining his mercy through her activities she spoke: 

1. Madhuparka. A mixture of honey, milk, curd and butter as an offer. ing to a guest specially to a bridegroom when he first arrives at the bride's house. 

The goddess said: 

9-10. “O lord, I am not free. I have my father and mother. O leading brahmin, I am only a simple girl. My father alone is competent to give me away. Go to my father, the prosperous lord of the mountains and request him. O brahmin, if he gives me to you that is acceptable to me also”. 

Brahma said: 

11. Then the lord approached the king of mountains with the same deformed body and said, “O lord of mountains, give me your daughter.” 

12. At the sight of his deformed body he understood that he was the eternal Rudra. Dispirited because he was afraid of his curse he spoke: 

The lord of mountains said: 

13-14 O lord, I do not insult or disrespect the brahmins. They are gods on the Earth². O highly intelligent one, hear what had already been thought of and desired by us. I am arranging Svayamvara³ of my daughter. My plan has been approved by the brahmins⁴. Whomsoever she may choose he will become her husband. 

2. The lines indicate the position which the Brāhmaṇas had attained during the age of Purāņas. The term Bhūdeva as the synonym of a Brähmaņa supports the view that like the consecrated monarch the Brāhmaṇa was considered to be a deity. Compare verse 48 of this chapter where Parvati tells the crocodile to spare thc Brāhmaṇa boy because Brāhmaṇas were favourite to her, and again in verse 55 where she says, “I consider Brāhmanas to be most excellent among castes.” 

3. Svayamvara-Self-choice, the election of a husband by a princess or daughter of a Ksatriya at a public assembly of suitors. 

4. This shows that the consent of Brāhmaṇas (clergymen) was neccessary for holding Svayamvara where a princess could select a husband of her own choice. 

15. On hearing the words of the mountain lord, the lofty minded, full-bannered lord came near the goddess and said: 

Shiva said: 

16. O gentle lady, I hear that your Svayamvara has been approved by your father. O sinless lady, it is said that he whom you choose therein will be your husband. 

17. Hence, O good-faced lady, I shall take leave of you and go. You are inaccessible to me. Leaving off a landsome person how can you woo one like me? 

Brahmä said: 

18-20. Thus addressed by him she pondered over what he had said. Realising her mental emotion directed towards Rudra, as well as the clarity of her mind, she said to the lord of Devas “Do not misunderstand me. I shall woo you. It is by no means surprising. O lord, if at all you have feelings of suspicion about me, I shall woo you here itself, O highly blessed one. You are already present in my mind.” 

Brahmā said: 

21-22. Pärvati stood there with a bunch of flowers in her hands, placed it on Shiva's shoulders and said “You have been chosen.” 

Thereupon, the lord, who was chosen by Pårvati spoke as if resuscitating the Asoka. 

Shiva said: 

23-28. Since I have been wooed with holy bunch of flowers you will have no old age. You will become immortal. Your form is loveable. Your flowers are lovely. You bestow love. You are my favourite. You will be a steadfast beloved of Devas. You will always possess flowers that will serve as your ornaments. You will be having flowers that will yield fruits which you will eat as food. You will smell as nectar. You will have sweet scents. You will be devoid of fear. Extremely happy you will traverse worlds. Henceforth, the hermitage will be known as Chitrakūta. The seeker of merit who comes to this hermitage will attain the benefit of a horse-sacrifice. He who dies here will go to the world of Brahma. He who performing holy rites casts off his life here shall reap the benefit of your performing penance. He shall be the lord of Gaņas. 

Brahma said: 

29. After saying this, the lord, the creator of the universe, the lord of all living beings took leave of the daughter of Himavån and vanished. 

30. When the lord of unmeasured soul had gone, Parvati sat on a rock with her face turned to the direction where he had gone. 

31. With her face turned to Shiva the great lord, the lord of worlds, she became dispirited like the night devoid of the moon. 

32. Then the daughter of the mountain-lord heard the cry of an unhappy boy in a lake near the hermitage. 

33. Shiva the lord of Devas had assumed the form of a boy who had gone to the centre of the lake for playing. He was then caught by a crocodile. 

34. Adopting the Yogic Máya, the cause of origin of the universe, he assumed that form in the middle of the lake and spoke thus: 

The boy said: 

35-38. Let some one protect me. I have been seized by a crocodile. Fie on this misery, even as a boy who has not yet realized his cherished desire and purpose. I am courting death in the jaws of this wicked crocodile. Although I am very sad on being seized by the crocodile I am not bewailing for myself, I am bewailing for my parents. On knowing that I am dead after being devoured by the crocodile, they who are fond of me, their only son, will surely cast off their lives. Alas, it is tragic that I, a mere boy who have not yet entered the main stage of life will die after being seized by a crocodile. 

Brahma said: 

39. On hearing that cry of the distressed brahmin the splendid lady stood up and proceeded to that place where that brahmin boy happened to be. 

40. That moon-faced lady saw the boy of handsome features caught in the jaws of a crocodile and trembling with fear. 

41. On seeing Parvati approaching, that massive, splendid and glorious crocodile hastened to the middle of the lake taking the boy along with him. 

42. On being dragged thus, the lustrous boy cried aloud in distress. On seeing the boy in this miserable state that lady of great holy rites was distressed and spokc thus: 

Parvati said: 

43. O king of crocodiles of great power, huge fangs and terrible exploit, leave of this boy who is the only son of his parents. Leave him off immediately, 

The crocodile said: 

44-45. O madam, he who comes within my grasp at the outset on the sixth day is ordained as my prey by the creator. O highly blessed daughter of the king of mountains, this boy has come to me on the sixth day. Certainly, he has been urged by Brahma. By no means will I release him. 

Pārvali said: 

46. In exchange of the penance that has been performed by me on the peak of the Himavān, release this boy, O king of crocodiles, obeisance be to you. 

The crocodile said: 

47. O splendid-faced gentle lady, let there not be any wastage of your penance over a small boy. O excellent one, do what I say. I shall release him then. 

48. O lord of crocodiles, speak out quickly. What is not repugnant to good men shall be done. Entertain no doubt about this, since brahmins are very favourites to me. 

The crocodile said: 

49. Offer me quickly whetever penance has been performed by you whether it be very little or much more. Offer the same to me in entirely. He shall be released then. 

The lady said: 

50. O great crocodile of powerful grasp, everything has been granted to you, cvcry thing of the incrit that las been acquired by me ever since my birth, leave off the boy. 

Brahmä said: 

51. Then the crocodile blazed on being enveloped by that penance. Like the sun at midday he became too dazzling to be seen. Delighted in mind he spoke to her. 

The crocodile said: 

52-53. O gentle lady of great holy rites, should this much have been done without thinking deeply? Gathering the power of penance together is a sad affair. Its eschewal is not commendable. O lady of slender waist, take back your penance as well as this boy. I am pleased with your devotion to brahmins. Hence, I grant this boon unto you. Thus urged by the crocodile the lady of great holy rites said: 

Parvati said: 

54. O crocodile, even with my body, the brahmin should be assiduously protected by me. Penance can be acquired by me once again. But the brahmin cannot be secured once again. 

55. O great crocodile, it is after pondering over it deeply that the liberation of the boy has been effected by me. Penance is not more valuable than brahmins. I consider brahmins to be most excellent among castes. 

56. O leader of crocodiles, after giving away I shall never retake it. It has already been bequeathed to you. No man shall take back what has already been given away, crocodile. 

57. This has already been given to you by me. I am not going to take it back, let it rejoice within you. But, let this boy be released. 

Brahma said: 

58. (Decisively) told thus, that crocodile praised her, released the boy and bowed down to her. After taking leave of her he vanished there itself. 

59. Relcascd near the bank of thc lake by the crocodile, the boy too vanished there itself like an object acquired in dream. 

60. Considering that her penance had dwindled down, the gentle lady the daughter of the great mountain Himaván began to perform the same once again with strict observance of regulations. 

61. Knowing that she was desirous of performing penance once again, O brahmins, Shiva appeared before her and asked her not to perform penance. 

62. O gentle lady of great holy rites, as your penance has been granted to me alone, you will get it back a thousand times more and it shall never dwindle down. 

63. Thus acquiring the everlasting excellent penance Parvati was pleased and delighted. She stayed there eagerly awaiting the Svayamvara celebration. 

64. The man who always reads this episode of the daughter of the king of mountains will acquire a change of form. He will become the chief of Ganas and be equal to Kumāra.