39 - Shattering of the Pride of Parvati 

Sri Krishna said- Himavan adored Shiva and then with his permission and the permission of all, he took a seat at a distance from him. He performed puja of Shiva with a devoted mind offering madhuparka and other things and also the sages and the attendants of Shiva.

In the meantime Mena also arrived there with other ladies and she found Shiva seated there under the banana tree who was delightful wearing a smile on his face, clad in tiger skin and seated among the sages, with divine lustre that of like which the moon appears among the stars in the sky. He had the glory of crores of suns and was quite blissful. 

At that point of time Shiva had shed away his old age and was appearing quite youthful. He looked quite beautiful, charming and was liked by the ladies. 

He looked like the passion for the passionate women and bestower of sons to the chaste women, Mahavishnu for Vaisnavas, Sadashiva for Shaivas, the form of shakti for those who believed in Shakti, the form of sun who believes in the sum worship, the death for wicked people, preserver for the noble people, death for the time and destruction for all the types of destruction's. His tiger skin was turned into charming garments. The ashes were turned into sandal-paste, the snakes were turned into beautiful garlands the kalakuta-poison was turned into kasthuri and the beautiful matted locks of hair were turned into tuft. The crescent on the head was turned into sandal-paste and the stream of Ganga was turned into a beautiful garland of jasmine flowers, the garland of bones was turned into a garland of diamonds and the flowers of wood apple trees were turned into campaka flowers. 

In place of five faces only one face could be seen which had only two eyes. The face had the lustre of the full moon of the winter season and was glittering. His lips could put to shame the lustre of the mid-day and his lips added to the beauty of his face. The bull Nandi was burnt into the white moon and the goblins were turned into dancers. О goddess, everything of Shiva was changed at that moment. Finding Shiva in that form, Mena felt pleased. Some of the damsels got infatuated with passion while looking at Shiva and started staring at him. While some of them fainted with the excessive passions. 

Some of them started praising Shiva denouncing their husbands and some of them mentally embraced him. 

Some of the damsels mentally kissed him saying that they would enjoy passionate pleasure with him.

They desired that they should get the same type of husband even after death because in that state of mind there, their condition was of no use to them. They thought that their devoted husbands were of no use to them. Staring at Shiva for such a long time, many of the damsels started expressing their views about Shiva variously. 

Some of them covered their faces in shyness with a piece of cloth smiling at the same time. They were looking at him with side-glances. 

Some of them were saying, "we shall not return to our abodes now and shall go to Shiva and stare at his moon like face which resembles the full moon of the winter season throughout day and night. 

Now we shall not get ourselves involved in the worldly affairs or we shall enter into burning flames, only Shiva could be our husband. Many of the damsels were talking like this.

They said, "Durga is quite virtuous and her birth in the land of Bharata is quite auspicious because she is going to be wedded to Shiva. Some of the damsels were talking among themselves like this. Mena on the other hand having an audience with Shiva delightfully went back to her abode. Himalaya also adored Shiva and bowing in reverence to him went back to his abode. Thereafter Himalaya in consultation with Mena in a secluded place deputed Parvati to Shiva. 

Parvati accompanied by her female friends decorating herself delightfully went to Shiva. 

Finding the peaceful Shiva with a smiling face, she went around him seven times and smilingly offered her salutation to him. Shiva at that point of time blessing her said, "O beautiful one, you achieve an extremely loveable, virtuous, eternal, the best of intellectuals and the beautiful person as your husband. О auspicious one, you would always remain virtuous and filled with fortunes concerning the husband. О chaste damsel, your son would be as virtuous as Narayana himself, О mother of the universe, you will be adored always in the world, you will be best of all the ladies in the three worlds. О beautiful one, you have offered salutation to me after going around seven times, therefore I feel satisfied with you for seven births. You will reap the reward for the same, the one who adores the holy places, the husband, the family god, the teacher, the mantra and the medicine with whatever idea in mind, he achieves success in the same way. Thus, speaking Shiva, the lord of the yogis went into meditation seated on the skin of the tiger.

Thereafter the goddess washed the feet of Shiva with water and sipped it with devotion and rinsed the feet with the costumes sanctified by fire. She then offered to him the lion-throne studded with gems and made by Vishvakarma. Then she offered him naivedya in the bronze vase. Then she offered arghya with the water of Ganga. She also offered the sandal-paste, kasthuri and saffron which were filled with fragrance. Thereafter she adorned his neck which looked beautiful with, spot of the poison, with the garland of jasmine flowers. 

She adored him with devotion and showered flowers on him. Thereafter she offered nectar and sweet honey in vases of gold. She lighted hundreds of lamps around him. Burning fragrant incense around him, she offered him the costumes which were difficult to get in the three worlds beside a yajnopavita of gold and fragrant cool water for drinking. She offered him the ornaments made of the best of gem, Kamadhenu cow with her horn adorned with plates of gold, articles for use in taking a bath, water from the sacred places and charming betels. 

Thus, she performed sixteen types of puja of Shiva and bowed in reverence to him again and again. This became her daily routine. She used to offer puja to Shiva daily with devotion and then returned to the abode of her parents. 

Indra the god of gods heard about the news from the mouth of the apsaras and he also got attracted towards Parvati. He started dancing in ecstasy. Indra at once summoned the god of love by sending a messenger to him. Kamadeva, on his part, arrived in Amaravati, the kingdom of Indra. 

He deputed the god of love at once to the place of Shiva and Parvati. Kamadeva arrived with his five arrows at the place where both Shiva and Parvati were present. The god of love on arriving there found both Shiva and Parvati together. Shiva was quite peaceful being the lord of the three worlds having delightful face and the eyes, the god of love remaining in the sky took the bow in his hand and shot an infallible arrow delightfully at Shiva but the infallible weapon became infructuous when it came into contact with Shiva like the sky which remains infallible. Similarly, the attack of Kama on Shiva was infructuous. At this the god of love was terribly afraid.

Finding Shiva who had overpowered death, Kama the god of love, started trembling and getting terrified started reciting the name of Indra and other gods. All the gods were terrified at the anger of Shiva and felt panicky and arrived there and started praising Shiva reciting the stotras. 

Nandi got you have so adoring. The fire flame emerged from Shiva's third eye on the forehead, the fire-flames that emerge from the forehead of Shiva went on higher. Those fire-flames looked like the fire of-dissolution and started roaming about in the sky and then descended on the earth and searching in all the directions spotted Kamadeva and fell on him with the rage of Shiva. The god of love was reduced to ashes in a moment. 

At the sight of this the minds of the gods were filled with grief, who cast their heads downwards. Thereafter, Rati the spouse of the god of love appeared before Shiva and started lamenting. 

Thereafter the terrified gods also offered prayer to Shiva. Crying again and again the gods spoke to Rati, "O mother you take out some dust of the body of the god of love and keep it safe, shed away the fear we shall somehow bring back the god of love to life and you will again get back your beloved. When the anger of Shiva is subsided and he gets pleased, only then this could be possible. At that point of time, finding Rati so lamenting Parvati fainted. 

Thereafter she started the virtuous Shiva who had controlled all his senses. Leaving Parvati so crying Shiva went to his abode. 

At that point of time the pride of Parvati was shattered. Thereafter the daughter of the mountain disowned the pride for her youthfulness and beauty,

At that point of time she became shy in showing her face to her female friends. Thereafter, all the gods reassuring Rati and prostrating before Shiva getting upset with their mind filled with grief they left for their respective abodes. О Radha, thereafter, Rati the wife of Kamadeva with her mind filled with grief and terror went on crying and with her eyes getting red like blood she offered prayer to Shiva and then left for her abode. But Parvati feeling ashamed never went back to the abode of her father but disregarding the advice of her parents and the female friends, she went to the forest.

Thereafter her female friends with their minds filled with grief, went to their respective abodes. Disregarding the words of her mother, she went to the bank of Ganga and started performing tapas there, in order to achieve the three-eyed Shiva as her husband. 

After the tapas Parvati achieved Shiva and Rati also with the boon of Shiva got back Kamadeva. О Radha, thus I have spoken to you about the episode of the shattering of the pride of Parvati. "Which is quite secretive. What more do you want to listen from me?