40 - Tapas of Parvati 

Radhika said- О virtuous one, I have been able to listen to the unprecedented and astonishing story which serves like nectar for the ears and is quite deep and bestows knowledge. О lord, whatever have I heard has neither been told in brief nor in detail. But now I intend to listen to it in detail you tell me. 

What type of hard tapas was performed by Parvati and what type of boons did she achieve together with lord Maheshvara? How did Rati get the god of love back to life? О lord Krishna, you kindly define the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. 

О ocean of compassion, you describe to me about their union in seclusion, which removes from the sinners of all the sins and the grief of all the grief-stricken people. 

О Krishna, the words of a woman separated from the husband serve as a fire flame for the women. Therefore, I am quite anxious to know about the reunion of Shiva and Parvati. The women can wear the flames of fire and the flames of the poison but they are unable to bear even for a moment the flames of separation.

On hearing the words of Radhika, Krishna was surprised and his face gave an appearance of astonishment. Thereafter he started speaking with his mind overpowered with passion. 

Radha who was unable to listen to the separation of the story of the couple, what shall be her position at the time of her separation from the lord for a hundred years? Thus, thinking in her mind, the lord of illusion who is all filled with Maya and is the ocean of mercy, started narrating the story. 

Sri Krishna said- О beloved of my life, О Radhika, you are dearer to me than my life, now you listen to me. О beloved, you are the goddess of my life, the support of my life, О pleasant one, when lord Rudra left the place where he was lodged under the banyan tree then Parvati also started performing several tapas in spite of the objection by her parents. 

Reaching the bank of Ganga, she took a bath thrice a day and started reciting the mantra given by me. 

With her devotion, the mother of the universe performed tapas for one year without consuming anything, she used to raise fire around her during the summer season and always remained inside it throughout day and night, reciting the mantra. In the rainy season she seated herself in the yogasana posture in the cremation grounds and continued to stare at the stone of lord Shiva getting drenched with the rain water. 

In the winter season she used to enter the cold water and even during the nights of terrific cold during which the snow used to fall she remained without food and performed the hard tapas with devotion. Thus, after performing such a hard tapa for one year, Shiva did not appear before her and at that point of time in utter disgust she prepared herself to enter in to the flames of fire altar. 

Finding Parvati who had grown very weak because of performing tapas was entering into the fire-altar, Shiva, the ocean of mercy, at once reached before her in the form of a dwarf Brahmana boy. Shiva was delighted in his heart.  He had the matted lock of hair on the head and was holding a danda and chatra. He was clad in white garment, white yajnopavita wearing the garland of white lotus flowers and the white sandal-paste was applied on his forehead. He was serenely smiling. 

Finding the boy in lonely place the mind of Parvati was filled with love. Getting influenced with his lustre, she discarding tapas spoke to the boy, “Who are you?” Parvati intended to embrace the boy lovingly. 

On hearing the question of the daughter of the mountain, Shiva the lord of the universe laughed and then spoke the words which entered the ears of Parvati like nectar. 

Shiva said- I am a Brahmana boy and am an ascetic roaming about at will. О beautiful one, who are you and why are you performing tapas in this lonely forest, in spite of your being so beautiful. 

In whose race have you been born? Who is your father? What is your name? You being yourself the one who bestows the reward of tapas, why are you performing tapas yourself? 

О lotus eyed one, you are the actual form of tapas. Surely this tapa of yours is meant for educating the universe. 

You are yourself the ball of lustre, besides being Mula-Prakruti and Ishvari and you have taken to this form for the sake of the devotees in the land of Bharata. 

Otherwise you are the eternal Lakshmi, the goddess of riches in the three worlds, you have reached before Brahma for the protection of the three worlds or are you the mother of the gods or Sati or Savitri who takes to human births with her own will. Or otherwise are you the great goddess of music known as goddess Sarasvati from whom all types of knowledge emerged.  You have been born on earth with your own sweet will. 

Out of these goddesses, whom do you represent. I am unable to visualise the same. О goddess of welfare, whatever I have asked you, be pleased with me. 

O Sati, if you remain happy, the lord also becomes happy and when a chaste lady is pleased the lord Narayana himself gets pleased.  О dear one, with the pleasing of lord Narayana, all the three worlds similarly get pleased, since with the pouring of water at the roots of the trees, the branches sprout. 

On hearing the words of the boy, the great goddess smiled for a moment and spoke the words which were pleasing like the pouring of nectar in the ears. 

Parvati said-1 am neither Savitri the creator of the Vedas, nor Lakshmi or the goddess of speech.  I am pleasantly born in the land of Bharata and am the daughter of the king of mountains. 

In my earlier birth, I had been born in the house of Daksha and happened to be the wife of Shiva named Sati. When my father denounced my husband, I ended my life with the use of yogic practices. 

О Brahmana, in this birth also because of my earlier deeds I achieved Shiva but he, reducing the god of love to ashes disowned me and left the place. 

With the departure of Shiva, I was filled with mental agony and shame. I therefore left my parents and arrived here at the bank of the Ganga. 

I performed severe tapas for long but in spite of that I have not been able to achieve Shiva. I am thus going to enter the flames of the fire-altar.  But finding you here I have stopped for a moment. 

О Brahmana now you go, I am going to enter this fire of dissolution which is burning in flames, in order to achieve Shiva by entering it. 

In future I would achieve Shiva always who is dearer to me than my life, he is my only lord. 

All women are born in human form in order to achieve their beloved. Their birth is only meant for achieving a noble husband. 

The women generally achieve the same husband whom they had in their earlier births.  Whatever woman is destined for one, she achieves the same in every birth. 

Therefore, in case I do not achieve my husband after performing several tapas during this birth. I shall offer this body in the fire-altar.  With the desire of having Shiva as my husband in my mind if I enter the fire, I am sure to achieve him in the next birth. 

Thus, speaking Parvati, in spite of dissuading her by the Brahmana boy, from entering into the fire, she entered the fire-altar. 

But the fire became cool like the sandal-paste.:

О Radha, you enjoy the divine play in Vrundavana, remaining there in the fire for a moment, she came Out end suddenly Shiva asked.

Shiva said- О noble damsel, what is your tapas?  I am unable to understand it. Neither your body could be burnt out in the fire nor could you get the husband of your choice. You intend to achieve Shiva, the form of welfare, as your husband but he is invisible. By achieving an invisible husband, what purpose of yours would be served? 

О damsel, with a pious smile, in case you want to make the one who is the destroyer of all as your husband, then you tell me which one of the women would like to have a destroyer of all as her husband. 

О goddess, in case by achieving him as your husband, you want to achieve moksha then for that purpose your tapas are of no use, because you yourself bestow salvation to everyone. 

The meaning of the word Shiva is welfare or prosperity, besides salvation and destruction, there is no other meaning for the word Shiva. No other meaning has been given to the word Shiva even in the Vedas. 

O beautiful one, in case you are attractive towards the destroyer of all, then you will find yourself attracted towards the one who happens to be the terrific Rudra. 

You would therefore neither achieve moksha nor the desired husband. Reciting of the name of Hari never goes infructuous. The said name always bestowed welfare. Now you should at once go back to your father's house, with my blessing and as a reward of your tapas, you would achieve Shiva who is beyond the reach of all, there itself. 

Thus speaking, the Brahmana disappeared from there and Parvati reciting the name of Mahadeva went back to her parents, house. 

Hearing about the arrival of Parvati both Mena and Himalaya were filled with delight and they moved towards the path, mounted on a divine plane. 

О Radhika, the royal road was sprinkled with sandal-paste, aguru, kasthuri and decorated with fruits, branches and pitchers of welfare and further decorated with banners and flags beside the mango-leaves, tied in cords. The trunks of banana trees were also placed here and there for the purpose of decoration. 

Some of the damsels whose sons and husbands were alive, holding lamps, fried paddy, Durva-grass, food and flowers in their hands moved forward to welcome Parvati. 

On both sides of the road the noble Brahmanas, the sages, the Brahmacaris, the dancers and the elephants stood in attendance looking graceful. 

The family priests holding garlands of jasmine flowers in their hands collectively recited the welfare sound. At that point of time various types of musical instrument were sounded, besides the blowing of conches. The vermilion and sandal-paste were mixed with water and it was sprinkled on the roads. 

At the time of entering into the city, Durga came across her parents who were fully delighted and rushed towards her with the tears of joy flowing from their eyes. 

The delightful goddess accompanied by her female friends offered salutation to her parents.  Both of them collectively blessed her and embraced her. 

They spoke, "О Daughter." Overwhelmed with love, they started sobbing. Then the made Durga to mount on the chariot and moved towards their home. 

All the ladies welcomed Durga and the Brahmanas pronounced their blessing on her.  The riches were distributed among the bards and the Brahmanas. 

They performed the welfare ceremony and also arranged for the recitation of the Vedas.  Then they lived in the palaces with the girl. 

Filled with pleasure and spending time pleasantly, the king of the mountains once went to the bank of the Ganga for performing tapas. Mena was seated in the palace court-yard with Parvati. In the meantime, a beggar arrived there who happened to be a dancer besides being a singer. 

He pleasantly reached before Mena. He had a musical instrument of the horn in the left hand and a damaru in the right hand. 

He had applied ashes on his body. He looked pretty old and suffering from old age. He was clad in red garments and was carrying a bundle on his back. He had a beautiful neck and looked quite charming.

He while dancing recited my glory.  Sometimes he blew the horn and sometimes he played on the damaru. Hearing that music and the songs all the boys, girl, old and young men and women besides the old ladies arrived there delightfully. 

Listening to the charming song of the beggar which was in the sweet and the best tone, all the people were suddenly overpowered with illusion and they also fainted. 

Durga also fainted and she started visualising the form of Shiva who held a trident and pattisa in his hand and was clad in tiger skin. 

All his limbs were plastered with the ashes. He had a charming face and was wearing round his neck a garland of spotless bones. He wore a serene smile on his face, his appearance was indicative of his inner pleasure. He had five faces, each one of which had three eyes. He held a rosary in his hand, wore a yajnopavita of serpent on his shoulder and a crescent crown on the forehead; he looked quite beautiful. He spoke to Parvati to ask for a boon. She bowed in reverence to lord Shiva mentally in her heart had asked for the boon, "You be my husband". Shiva said, "Be it so" and then he disappeared. Finding Shiva having disappeared from her heart, Durga regained her consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she found the beggar singing there.  Mena getting delighted with the song, dance and music of Shiva, went to him carrying the gold coins and gem in a plate in order to offer him but the beggar insisted on getting Durga alone as the offering and nothing else. 

When he again got ready to start his dance, Mena got enraged at his words and she was also surprised.

She denounced the beggar and asked her people to turn him out saying, "Durga has to be the wife of Shiva who is the lord of the three worlds. The degraded beggar who is desirous of her should be turned out". 

At that point of time Himalaya, the king of the mountain arrived home after performing tapas and, reaching the courtyard, he found the beggar there. He was meditating upon Narayana at the pleasant bank of the river Ganga but he was somehow disturbed in his meditation as a result of which his mind was upset. On hearing about the news from the mouth or Mena, he smiled and was enraged as well. 

He then commanded his messengers to turn out the beggar from that place. But It was difficult even to touch the beggar, like the sky.  He was illumining with his lustre.

Nobody could turn him out since no one could approach near him. Himavan then visualised in a moment that the beggar has taken to a beautiful form with four arms, having the kirita-crown on his head, kundalas in his ears and was clad in the yellow lower garment. He had dark complexion which attracted the minds very much. His face had serene smile spread over it. All his limbs were plastered with sandal-paste and was getting anxious to bestow his grace on his devotees, all the flowers which Himavan had offered while performing the puja of Gadadhara, were all seen present on the body of the beggar. He also found the incense, the lamp and the pleasant naivedya which was offered by the lord of the mountain to lord Vishnu was also present there around him before the beggar, in the second moment. The same beggar took to the two-armed form.  Holding a beautiful flute in his hand, he was is the form of a cowherd, in tender age, with a smiling face and a peacock feather fixed on his head. Adorned with all the gem-studded ornaments and the limbs pasted with the fragrant sandalwood-paste he was wearing the long garland of forest flowers. He appeared like Sri Krishna having the dark-complexioned body. He then found him again in the spotless form of Shiva, holding a trident and pattisa in his hand, clad in tiger skin having applied ashes on the body, wearing a garland of bones and the complexion of gold. He held a damaru and horn in his hands. He had an extremely pleasant appearance. 

Holding a rosary of white lotuses, he was reciting the name of Hari and wearing a smile on his face, he appeared anxious and bestowed grace on his devotees. He had five faces, having three eyes on each one of them which had a dazzling lustre. In the next moment he found the beggar in the form of the four-armed Brahma, the creator of the universe who was holding a white rosary and reciting the name of Hari. The next moment he found him in Trigunatmaka-surya, with the divine tejas illumining the universe. In the next moment he found him again in the form of the fire emitting immense fire flames. 

The next moment he found him in the form of a moon who delighted all. In the next moment he found him in the form of tejas invisible, spotless, unattached and in the form of the great soul.  Thus, finding the beggar appearing in several forms, the eyes of Himalaya were filled with tears of joy. He felt overwhelmed. Finding the beggar taking to so many forms he then prostrated before him and with his mind filled with devotion, he went around him offering his salutations to him again and again. 

Thereafter jumping with delight, the king of the mountain, when the again looked at the beggar, he found that he was the beggar in reality. This was visualised by him, with the illusion of Vishnu. The king of the mountain forgot about everything about his taking to various forms. On the other hand, the beggar demanded of alms from him, carrying the begging bowl with him. He was clad in red garments holding a horn and a typical type of damaru, he was only anxious to receive Durga as charity and nothing else.  

But influenced with the illusion of lord Vishnu, the king of the mountain did not accept his request. The beggar on his part refused to accept anything else and disappeared from the scene. О dear one, after the departure of the beggar both Mena and Himavan came to realise that Shiva the lord of the universe before them like a demon during the day but had disappeared finding them so much devoted towards Shiva. The gods then felt worried.

Then they started to device ways and means for the protection of Sumeru because of its weight. They started talking among themselves that in case Himalaya with his utmost devotion would offer his daughter to Shiva then he would surely achieve nirvana as well as moksha. In case Himalaya which is the abode of several gems, disappeared from the land of Bharata then the name of the earth as Ratnagarbha possessing the gems or in her womb Vasundhara would become false. Because by offering his daughter to Shiva, he discarding his pleasant form would achieve the divine form and then Himalaya would achieve Vishnuloka. Reaching there, he would achieve the Sarupya moksha of lord Vishnu without any effort. 

Thereafter they would achieve the place of a courtier and then would become slaves of lord Vishnu. By offering a daughter to a Brahmana, one achieved merit of constructing ten step wells. 

In case the daughter is given to such a person  who is well-versed in the Vedas, having the  noble character the one who does not accept  charity, who performs always sandhya, yajna and the reciting of the Vedas regularly, the one  who is truthful, the father achieves the merit of  digging ten step wells. The one who gives away his daughter to a Brahmana who performs the sandhya, thrice a day, is truthful, householder, well-versed in the Vedas and gives away his daughter to such a person. By performing charity, he becomes successful, the one who accepts charity is devoid of performing of sandhya and is a fool, the giver gets half the merit. The Brahmana, who accepts the wife of others, the one who performed yajna the wicked is devoid of the performing of sandhya and in case a daughter is given to him one achieved the merit of the digging of a single step-well. In case, a daughter is given to a Brahmana who is deprived of the sandhya of three types and the Gayatri mantra, is wicked and is born of a Vaishya, the donor gets the merit of constructing half a step well. A Brahmana who is a sinner, born of Sudra women or the one who is born of Brahmana and Kshatriya or the one who is like chandala and if a girl given to him, the donor falls into the hell. 

If a girl is given to a Brahmana who is devoted to Vishnu, is intelligent, truthful and the one who has controlled all his senses, the donor earns the merit of constructing twenty step wells. He then takes to the divine form for sixty thousand years and the donor enjoys all the pleasures in the abode of Vishnu. By giving away the daughter to Vishnu or Shiva, the donor achieves the form of Narayana. This has been ordained in the Vedas.  When a devotee of Vishnu offers a daughter in marriage to a Brahmana for the pleasure of Vishnu, he surely achieves the slave hood of lord Vishnu. 

О beloved, thus thinking all the gods consulted among themselves and intended depute Bruhaspati to the abode of Himalaya they went to Bruhaspati to depute him for the purpose. All the gods went to Bruhaspati and offering their salutation to him said, 

"You go to the place of Himavan and denounce Shiva because except Shiva, Durga is not going to marry anyone else. 

In that case, Himavan would give away his daughter to Shiva unmindfully and if he does so he would achieve the complete merit of giving away the daughter in charity. In due course of time, the lord of the mountains could be free and achieve salvation but presently he has to remain on earth, you go and arrange for the stay of Himalaya permanently on the land of Bharata.  Listening to the words of the gods, Bruhaspati touched his ears with both the hands declining the offer and, reciting the name of Narayana, he refused to oblige them. Bruhaspati who was quite well-versed in the Vedas besides being the devotee of Vishnu and Shiva denounced the gods repeatedly and said. 

Bruhaspati said- О selfish gods, a you listen to my truthful words which are a gist of polity, according to the Vedas and would result in pleasure. Such of the sinners who denounce Shiva or Vishnu or their devotees, the Brahmanas on earth, their own teacher, the chaste ladies, the noble husbands, the beggars. Brahmacaris and the gods who happen to be the seed of the universe, they fall into the kalasutra hell and remain there till the land of the world. They have to consume their vomit refuse and urine daily.  They are bitten by the crores of insects daily which makes them cry aloud. Those who  denounce the creator of the universe and teacher  of Brahma, Shiva, the best of the gods, Durga,  Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Gita, Tulasi, Ganga, Vedas,  Savitri, Vratas, Tapas, Adoration, Mantra and  the Guru who give the mantra, they fall into the  andhakupa hell and remain there till the life of  Brahma. 

Groups of snakes eat them up, as a result of which they cry aloud always. Such of the people  who compare lord Madhusudana with other gods  and also denounce him such of the people who  find fault with the Puranas which bestow the  devotion of Vishnu or whatever is treated to be the  Vedas and find fault with them, denounce Radha  and the cowherdesses who actually are her forms  denounce adorable Brahmanas, even they have to  fall into the hell till the life of Brahma. They are hanged with their heads placed upside down and the legs are raised up. The serpents with different deformities and other insects like the serpents bite all their limbs and they getting terrified cry aloud. 

They have to consume the vomit, urine and refuse and have to face the unkind messengers of Yama who place burning rods in their mouths. 

They torture them thrice a day beating them with rods and when they feel thirsty, they have to consume only urine. 

In the other kalpas their sins are pardoned.  This has been ordained by Brahma. 

By denouncing Shiva, all the gods would be thrown into the hell. О sons, is it not good whatever you want to do. 

With the inspiration of Brahma, Daksha gave away his daughter to Shiva. Because of this he could not earn a sin even after denouncing him.  On the other hand, he achieved all the fortunes.  

Of course, it happened to be like this that he achieved only one fourth of the merit because he gave away his daughter to Shiva unwillingly, therefore he could not achieve salvation but could achieve only heaven. 

О gods, someone from you should go to the house of the king of mountains and with considerable efforts you should act according to wisdom. By offering his daughter in marriage to Shiva unwillingly, Himalaya can remain in Bharata but in case he offers his daughter with devotion then he would surely achieve the merit and the moksha. 

Thereafter, developing discard Saptarshis together with Arundhati will go to the abode of Himalaya and try to convince him. Durga on the other hand, would never accept anyone else as her husband without Shiva. In that case at the insistence of his daughter, Himalaya would surely give away in marriage his daughter to Shiva. Thus, I have spoken everything to you. All other gods should revert to their respective abodes. Thus, speaking Bruhaspati left for the bank of the Ganga for performing tapas.