44 - Marriage of Parvati 

Sri Krishna said- On hearing the words of Vasistha, Himalaya together with his wife and attendants was surprised but Parvati herself was smiling.

Thereafter, Arundhati consoled Mena who was crying and was without good. Thereafter all of them were relieved of the grief and took delicious food with Arundhati and she also took the good. Thereafter she started performing all the welfare ceremonies. 

О dear one, thereafter with the command of Vasistha, Himavan collected the material for marriage, and he sent the invitation letters expeditiously to various places. 

Thereafter the Mangala-patrika was sent to Shiva together with various types of materials, loaded on many vehicles. О beautiful one, the mountain like heaps of the fried rice were raised the step-well were filled with oil, ghee and curd.  Raw-sugar (guda) beverages, milk, butter, salt, sweet balls sugar and svastika sweets fried in ghee was prepared beside the paste of the flour of the barley. Various kinds of costumes sanctified by the fire, the best of gems and precious stones and jewels, gold and silver ornaments were collected by the lord of the mountains with much efforts. Thereafter the welfare ceremony for the auspicious day were started. 

She wives of the king of mountain-initiated Parvati who after taking bath was clad in two divine garments. 

She was beautifully decorated and adorned with gem-studded ornaments. She then held the mirror together with the Durva-grass and the rice. 

The toes of both the feet were fainted.  Thereafter a silken cord was tied to a beautiful, faced Parvati. 

In the meantime, various gods mounted over different types of vehicles and the gem-studded chariots reached there together with Shiva. 

Himalaya after talking to Parvati who was well-versed in speech and the respectable Brahmana were sent to welcome Shiva and other gods of the marriage party. 

The courtyard was decorated with the trunk of banana trees over which the silken cords were coiled together with the leaves of mango trees. 

The courtyard was decorated with fruits, tree leaves, pitchers filled with water, sandal-paste, aguru, kasturi and beautiful flowers beside the garland of jasmine flowers. Finding the gods having arrived there Himalaya bowed in reverence to them, and he commanded his attendants to provide gem-studded thrones to all of them. Lord Narayana reached there together with all his attendants. 

Не descended from the back of Garuda the son of Vinata and the fourarmed Narayana got himself seated on the gem-studded lion throne. The four-armed attendants of lord Vishnu adorned with gem-studded ornaments holding the fly whisks with gem-studded handed were moving the flywhisk over Vishnu. The assembly consisted of her the best of sages, the best of gods, who were adoring Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had delightful face, wearing the serene smile and looked like getting anxious to shower his grace on the devotees. Brahma the creator of the universe accompanied by other gods took his seat besides Vishnu. 

All the sages and ascetics also took their seats at the place of welfare. In the meantime, descended from his chariot looked at the king of the mountain while taking his seat on the gem studded lion throne. Thereafter the damsels of the Sailendra Nagara arrived there. 

They included the old women, small girls’ damsels, who were all clad in the best of costumes and adorned with ornaments. Some of them carried collyrium in their hand, some of them costumes, some of them vermilion, some of the comb some of them were fully decorated while others were not decorated at all. Some of them arrived there without adorning themselves with the ornaments. All of them entered the abode of the palaces of the king of mountains smilingly. 

The daughters of the sages, the gods, the Nagas, Gandharvas, mountains and other kings also arrived there. 

Rambha and other divine apsaras also reached there. Accompanied by the girls, Mena also looked at the bridegroom who had the beauty of charming flowers, single face, three eyes, wearing a smile on his delightful face, adorned with beautiful, gem-studded ornaments, with his body plastered in sandal-paste, aguru, kasturi and saffron. He had the garland of jasmine flowers and wore a gem-studded beautiful crown on his head which was illumining. He was clad in extremely beautiful costumes which were sanctified by fire, were quite fine, charming and priceless. 

He was holding a mirror in his hand and the collyrium was applied to both his eyes. He looked quite graceful with the lustre emitting from his body,  

He was looking quite young and the ornaments adorning his limbs looked quite graceful. He had taken to the beautiful form at the command of Narayana. Shiva happens to be the form of yoga, lord If yogi’s teacher of yogis, independent, devoid of gunas and representing the eternal flames of Brahman. 

Because of the difference in gunas he takes to many forms but in spite of that he is without any form. He is the one who comes to the rescue of the people, drowning in the ocean of the universe and happen to be the cause of the creation, preservation and the destruction of the universe.  He is the base of all, the seed of all, the lord of all, the life of all, the witness of all, unattached, blissful, eternal free from beginning, middle or end, the form of the beginning of everything.  Finding such a son-in-law Mena's grief disappeared. 

The damsels cried repeatedly, "O Parvati you are really graceful". Thus, they started praising her, some of them said that Durga is quite fortunate. 

Some of the damsels getting infested with passion were totally surprised and kept quiet and some of them uttered "We have never come across such a bride-groom in our lives. 

Some of them continued to stare at him without winking their eyes, while some of them got fainted. Some of them started denouncing their own husbands while some of an became desirous of him. Some of them getting overpowered with emotions were overwhelmed and started sobbing. The Gandharvas were singing and the apsaras were dancing. 

All the gods felt delighted at the beauty of lord Shiva, the persons playing on musical instruments displayed different tunes and played on beautiful and sweet musical instrument. In the meantime, the maidservant of the inner apartment of the palace of Himalaya brought Durga outside, who was fully clad in the divine garments She was seated on the gem-studded lion-throne. Her face was decorated with kasturl vermilion and the spots of different types. Her face was plastered with sandal-paste and was emitting the lustre of the moon and she looked quite beautiful. A garland of gems adorned her breasts. She was looking at the three eyed Shiva with side-glances. She never cast her side glance at anybody else accept Shiva. Her face was wearing a serene smile while looking with side glances she seemed quite graceful. She was adorned with an armlets and wristlets of gems and the waistband, having the small bells producing sweet sound. 

She was clad in two beautiful garments, having no comparison, her cheeks were shining with the lustre of gems studded in her earrings. 

Her teeth resembled the lustre of gems. She held a mirror of gems in her hand and in the other one she was carrying a lotus which was being rotated by her playfully. 

All her limbs were plastered with sandal-paste, aguru, kasturi and saffron. 

Delighted Shiva also looked at Parvati with a side-glance. The complete figure of Parvati resembled the figure of Sati. At the sight of Parvati, Shiva was completely freed from the fever of separation of Sati. 

His mind was fully attracted at Durga, and he forget everything. He felt emotional in his body and his eyes started drooping the tears of pleasure. 

In the meantime. Himalaya accompanied by his family priest offered to Shiva the costumes, sandal-paste and ornaments accepting him as the bride groom. With his mind filled with demotion he offered padya and other types of adorations besides the garland of divine flowers issuing divine fragrance. Thereafter, with the reciting of the Vedic hymns he handed on the hand of her daughter to Shiva. 

О Radhika, Himalaya with his mind filled with delight and large-heatedly, gave away in dowry a large number of gems of various types,  vases built with various types of diamonds, a lakh of cows, a thousand elephants with goads studded with gems, three lakhs of caparisoned horses, a lakh of female slaves adorned with ornaments of gems, a hundred Brahmana boys who were dearer to Parvati like her own brothers and a hundred chariots which were inlaid with  the best of gems. The king of the mountains offered his daughter making great efforts to Shiva who accepted the same uttering the words Svasti, with his delightful mind. After giving away the girl in charity Himalaya offered his prayer to Shiva. He recited the stotra which is prescribed in the Madhyandina-sakha. 

Himalaya said- О destroyer of the yajna of Daksha, О protector of the people falling in the ocean of hell, you are the form of everyone, the lord of everyone and having a blissful body. Be pleased with me. 

You are the ocean of virtues, beyond the gun as, filled with gunas, the lord of gunas because of your qualities, you are the best among the virtuous people. О great lord be happy with me. 

You are the best of yoga, the form of yoga, knower of the yoga, the cause of yoga the lord of the yogas, cause of the yogis and the teacher of the yogis be pleased with me. 

You are the form of dissolution; you are the sole cause of dissolution. After the dissolution you happen to be the seed of the recreation of the universe and preserve that universe completely, be pleased with me. 

You have the form of terrific destruction and are the cause of the total destruction, the horrible one, difficult in adoration but can be pleased in no time. Be pleased with me. 

You are the form of Kala, the lord of Kala, provide the reward at the appropriate time, the only cause of Kala, destroyer of Kala and preserver of Kala, be pleased with me. 

You are the form of welfare, bestower of welfare, the seed of welfare, refuge of welfare, the form of welfare and the life and the abode of refuge for everyone. Be pleased with me. 

Thus, adoring Shiva, Himalaya kept quiet.  Thereafter all the gods and the sages who had assembled there praised Shiva.  

О Radhika such of the persons, who with devoted mind recite the stotra composed by Himalaya, Shiva surely fulfils all his desires.