I (3) Story of Pushpadanta

“Gods are always happy enjoying the solitude (because of knowledge). Mortals are always miserable (because of ignorance). The actions of the demigods do not take away the charm. Therefore I will relate to you the story of Vidyaadharas."

[Shiva narrated her, endless stories so far not occurred anywhere in any creation. His imagination had no bounds. Paarvati was lost in the wonder of it all.  She knew something now, be it just a story, but something which only she and her husband knew. It was their private possession. She now could be proud that she was indeed the dearest of all to Shiva! But imagine her anger and frustration when her own door-keeper approached and told her all the stories as narrated by her husband!

She burst out like volcano and two Ganas who acted against her were cursed to enter the human world.]

As Hara was speaking these words, PushpaDanta, the excellent of the Ganas and a favorite of Shambhu arrived there. Nandi who was guarding the gate refused permission for him. PushpaDanta was surprised that he was barred from entering Shiva’s presence for no valid reason. He was curious. In a second he entered inside invisible to all, by the power of Yoga. After entering, he heard seven most wonderful stories of Vidyaadharas as told by Pinaaki Shiva who holds the Pinaaka weapon or Trident. He returned home and narrated those stories to Jayaa, his wife. Who can hide wealth or secret from women?

[PushpaDanta should have returned back when he saw Shiva and Paarvati in private conversation. But his curiosity won over him. Paarvati was too much absorbed in listening to the wonderful narratives created by Shiva. Shiva, the all-knower did not disturb the course of events that started rolling one after another.

The next mistake of PushpaDanta was to repeat those stories to his dear wife Jayaa!]

Jayaa was amazed by the stories and went to meet the daughter of the Mountain because she was a Prateehaaree (door-keeper) there, and told Paarvati everything.

Where do women have control over their speech!

Girijaa got angry and accused Ishvara saying-“You did not tell me stories unheard by anybody. Even Jayaa knows all these stories.” UmaaPati (Lord of Umaa) understood everything that had happened through his vision of knowledge.  He pacified her saying -“PushpaDanta entered inside through his power of Yoga and had heard everything that I narrated. He has related the stories to Jayaa. No one else knows these stories actually, my dear.” Very much angered, Devi called for PushpaDanta. He stood in front of her frightened and apprehensive. She cursed him- “You disobedient wretch! Get born as a mortal!” Another Gana named Maalyavaan entreated on behalf of PushpaDanta and he also got cursed in the same way.

[In a second, Umaa also understood the future course of events. Her curse was also a part of the play of her Lord! PushpaDanta had recently been acting vain-headed and the forced entry into Shiva’s private chambers was the peak of all arrogance. He had deserved punishment and got it!]

They both fell at her feet along with Jayaa and begged for forgiveness. They all begged her to tell how and when the curse would end. Sharvaani (spouse of Sharva the annihilator) spoke slowly (with her anger under control)- “There is a Yaksha (demigod attendant of Kubera, the wealth god) named ‘Suprateeka’ who attained the state of the Pishaachi (flesh eating clan) with the name of KaanaBhooti by the curse of Kubera and lives in the forest region of the Vindhya Mountains. PushpaDanta! When you come across him, remember your original identity and narrate this story to him. Then you will be freed of the curse. When Maalyavaan hears the story from KaanaBhooti, KaanaBhooti will be freed of his curse. When Maalyavaan makes the story well-popular, then he will be freed of his curse.”

[The story now had to reach the mortals and purify their hearts. So it had to now go from PushpaDanta to Suprateeka to Maalyavaan and spread all over the earth! 

Knowledge cannot become the private property of any one even if he is the Supremacy!]

After this, ‘ShailaTanayaa’ (the daughter of the Mountain) remained silent.

The very next moment both the Ganas vanished from sight.

[Though Paarvati had felt offended by PushpaDanta’s behavior and the curse had shot out of her mouth, she still worried about him! After all, she was the Mother of all! She missed his wonderful hymns! She missed Maalyavaan’s beautiful garlands! She missed also Jayaa, who also had vanished along with her husband!]

As time went by, once Gauree (the daughter of the Mountain) asked Shankara (one who always causes good) with her heart filled with compassion -

“Deva!  In which place have the two excellent Ganas taken birth on the earth?”

 ChandraMauli (one who wears the crescent moon on the head) said -

“There is a great city named Kaushaambi. PushpaDanta is born there with the name of VaraRuchi my dear!  Maalyavaan is also born with the name of Gunaadhya in a renowned city named ‘Supratishtitaa’. That is how they are.”

एवं निवेद्य स विभुः सततानुवृत्तभृत्यावमाननविभावनसानुतापाम्

कैलासशैलतटकल्पितकल्पवल्लीलीलागृहेषु दयितां रमयन्नुवास​॥

After informing in this manner,

that ‘Vibhu’ the all-pervading one, remained entertaining ‘his wife’

‘who was feeling apologetic for embarrassing

the servants who always were well-obedient’;

inside the bowers made of Kalpa creepers that were conducive to their amorous sports,

situated at the base of the Kailaasa Mountain.  

[Shiva consoled his compassionate wife and kept her cheerful through various acts of love and affection.]

I (2) Story of lustrous Linga

 STORY BEGINS AT KAILAASA

Once, Bhavaanee the spouse of Shiva, in an amorous mood, pleased her husband the Ishvara, the Lord of Lords through many eulogies. Shiva was delighted by her praises and made her sit on his lap. ShashiShekhara, the Lord whose crest was adorned by the crescent moon asked her, “Beloved! What shall I do for you?”

Then Girijaa, the daughter of the Mountain-king replied, “Prabhu (Lord)! If you are pleased with me then tell me some new amusing story, hey Deva (divine being)!”

Sharva, the destroyer said-“What is there my beloved, that you do not know whether it is past, present or future?” As the mind of that envious wife (Maanavatee) had a whim to hear something from him, his dear wife then insisted that Her Lord should tell her some new story.

(With so many Ganas, devotees, gods competing for his grace, Paarvati felt that she should get something from her Lord, which no one had access to. That would make her a closest devotee of Shiva and she would be placed above all others as his one and only dearest lover.)

Forced by her pleadings of love, Shiva told her then a short story about her own greatness in order to flatter her.

(What story can you tell the Mother of the world who knows everything already of the past, present and future?)

STORY OF ‘LUSTROUS LINGA’

Long back in the past, Naaraayana and Brahma wanted to have my vision and wandered all over the world; and at last reached the base of the Snow Mountain. There they saw a blazing fire in the form of Linga (ज्वालालिङ्ग​- a lustrous pillar of blazing fire) in front of them.  (It reached down below for endless distances; and raised high above to endless distances.) One of them (Brahmaa) flew up to see the top-end of that Linga; the other (Naaraayana) went down below searching for the bottom-end of that Linga. Both of them could not find the edges of the Linga, above or below.  They then performed penance to propitiate me (Shiva).  I appeared in front of them both and said to both of them, “Ask for any boon you both want!” Brahmaa immediately said-“You please bless me by becoming my son.” Because of his insolence he was cursed that he should not be worshipped by anyone anytime. Then Lord Naaraayana requested me for a boon like this, “Bhagavan! Let me be blessed by serving you always!” Then he was manifested out of me in your form. He who is Naaraayana is you my dear Shakti, my own power manifested in your form. And you were previously also my wife!”

Paarvati then asked - “How was I your wife previously?”

STORY OF DAKSHA’S SACRIFICE

Bharga (the shining one) then replied-

“Long ago, My Devi, Daksha Prajaapati had many daughters including also you my dear. He offered you to me in marriage; and others were offered to Dharma and other Gods. Once he performed a grand Sacrifice. He invited all the son-in-laws to attend that Sacrifice, except me.  Then you questioned him-“Father! Why did you not invite my husband? Tell me!” He spoke then words that pierced your ears like poisonous needles. “Your husband is a KapaalaMaalee (Wearer of skulls’)! How can I invite him for this Sacrifice?” You became very angry and said- “Why should I bear this sinful body born of you?” You discarded your body by entering the sacrificial fire, my dear.

That ‘Sacrifice of Daksha’ was destroyed by me in anger.

Later you were born from the King of Mountains like a ‘ChandraKalaa’ (crescent of the moon) appearing in the ocean.

And then remember! I came to the Snow-Mountain for performing penance. Your father appointed you to serve me, his guest. Manmatha was sent by the Gods to make me get a son to kill Demon Taaraka. Waiting for the right moment, he stuck me and was burnt off. Then you the courageous one brought me off (stole my mind) through the performance of fierce penance. I accepted you as an addition to my own collection of auspicious things. Thus you were previously my wife. What more do you want me to say?”

After saying this, Shambhu (Principle of auspiciousness) remained silent. 

Devi was annoyed.

She said- “You are a trickster! You are not telling an amusing story even after I plead with you so much. You wear Gangaa on your head! You worship Sandhyaa! But can’t you understand my mind?”

Shiva pacified her and agreed to tell a wonderful story. Paarvati discarded her anger.

She ordered Nandi (bull-vehicle of Shiva) that no one should be allowed inside and made him stand guard at the gate.

Shiva started his story-telling.

Since Paarvati knew already everything, there was nothing new that could interest her!

Shiva tried his best to show her that he loved her a lot. Even Naaraayana, his ardent adorer was the form of Paarvati only! And moreover she had always occupied the position of his wife always at all times. She was so great that she had thrown her body into the fire in her love for him!

Whom else would he love other than her?

She was dearer to him than his Self!

He had offered her half the body, as a mark of his love.

She was the closest of all!

No one could occupy her place at anytime! She was unique!

But she was insisting that, she wanted stories that were unknown to her, or any one else!

Brahma the Creator should not know and Naaraayana as the protector should not know!

That means that the stories would not have occurred in the past, present or future!

That means that the stories should not have been experienced by anyone in the creation! So Shiva had to invent stories!

And of course as he narrated the stories, the stories appeared as real experiences of the characters in the story, in the space-time world of Brahma! The stories occupy a sacred position because they are the imaginations of Shiva the Supremacy!)

(Since she was the only one having access to this knowledge, she first of all safe-guarded the place of story-telling from one and all.

She strictly ordered Nandi to stand at the gates of their abode and not allow any god, or a Gana or a devotee inside, for whatever reason!)

(Shiva began to narrate countless stories to Paarvati which still had not occurred in the mind of any gods or humans including Brahmaa and Naaraayana.)

I (1) Glory of Shiva and Paarvati

PEDESTAL OF THE STORY - I LAMBAKA/ I SURGE

FIRST WAVE

प्रथमस्त​रङ्गः / FIRST WAVE

श्रियं दिशतु वः शम्भो श्यामः कण्ठो मनोभुवा अङ्कस्थ​पार्वतीदृष्टिपाशैरिव विवेष्टितः ॥

Let Shiva bless us with all good things!

 His dark-hued neck was enveloped by the ropes

namely the looks of Paarvati seated on his lap, who was induced by passion.

Shiva! The Supreme Lord, spouse of Paarvati!

Paarvati was seated on his lap in the tight embrace of her Lord.

Her heart was disturbed by the rising waves of passion as if stuck by the arrows of Manmatha. She tied her Lord with strong ropes from which he could never escape.

What were they? Her passion filled looks!

सन्ध्यानृत्तोत्सवे ताराः करेणोद्धूय विघ्नजित् शीत्कारसीकरैरन्याः कल्पयन्निव पातु वः ॥

Lord Ganesha, who destroys all the obstacles

swept away all the stars with his trunk,

when he was dancing with glee at the evening time;

and he was spraying cool spray of water as if creating different ones!

Let him protect us!

Happy by the love sports of his parents, Ganesha started dancing at the evening time. As he danced wildly in the cosmos, all the stars were swept away by his violently moving trunk. But as he sucked the waters of the Celestial River flowing from his father’s head and sprayed it all over and lo, the sky was again filled with the white pearly drops of Ganges and shone as if with stars!

प्रणम्य वाचं निःशेषपदार्थोद्योतदीपिकाम् बृहत्कथायाः सारस्य संग्रहं रचाम्यहम् ॥

I salute the Goddess of speech,

who lights up the meaning of all words without any residue.

(Blessed by her)

I now compose the collection which contains the essence of ‘Brhat-Kathaa’

First I will begin with ‘Kathaa-Peeta’ - कथापीठम्  - the pedestal on which the entire work is placed; it will be followed by KathaaMukha -  कथामुखम्

Then the third story will be of ‘Laavaanaka’ - लावानकः

Then NaraVaahanaDatta’s birth - नरवाहनदत्तस्य​ जननम् 

Then ChaturDaarikaa - चतुर्दारिका 

Then MadanaMunchakaa – मदनमुञ्चका

Then the seventh one is named RatnaPrabhaa – रत्नप्रभा

The eight one is named Suryaprabhaa - सूर्यप्रभा

Next Alankaaravatee अलंकारवती and Shaktiyashaa शक्तियशा

Velaa  -  वेला will be the eleventh one.

Then Shashaankavati – शशाङ्कवती, Madiraavati – मदिरावती,

Mahaabhisheka -  महाभिषेक​, followed by Pancha - पञ्च​

Then SurataManjari -  सुरतमञ्जरी, Padmaavati -  पद्मावती

VishamaSheela विषमशीला will be the eighteenth.

The stories are exactly as depicted in the source. There is not the least deviation. Only the original text has been rendered short; the language is not different. At suitable places changes are there without spoiling the essence of the stories. I am not composing this for getting name or wealth; but to make the entangled network of stories easy to remember.

 GLORY OF SHIVA AND PAARVATI

अस्तिकिन्नरगन्धर्वविद्याधरनिषेवितः चक्रव​र्ती गिरीन्द्राणां हिमवानिति विश्रुतः ॥

There is a renowned emperor of all the great hills named Himavaan.

He is served by all the Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and Vidyaadharas.

माहात्म्यमियतीं भूमिमारूढं यस्य भूभृतां यद्भवानी  सुताभावं त्रिजगज्जननी गता ॥

The Mountain was so celebrated for greatness in the world that

Bhavaani, the mother of all the three worlds

 took on the identity of being his daughter.

उत्तरं तस्य शिखरं कैलासाख्यो महागिरिः योजनानां सहस्राणि बहून्याक्रम्य तिष्टति ॥

मन्दरो मथितेऽप्यब्धौ न सुधासिततां गतः अहं त्वयत्नादिति यो हसतीव स्वकान्तिभिः ॥

On his northern side is the great Mountain called Kailaasa;

 covering many thousands of Yojanas.

He shines pure white as if laughing aloud saying,

‘The (milk) ocean did not turn white like nectar

 by the churning of the Mandara Mountain;

but I have turned white without any effort!’

The milk ocean gave out the dark poison along with the nectar; so it did not turn white!

Shiva who resides on Kailaasa swallowed the poison and darkened his throat. But the Mountain which was his abode turned white by such a daring selfless act of Shiva who saved the creation by consuming the poison.

चराचरगुरुः तत्र निवसत्यम्बिकाःसख​गणैर्विद्याधरैः सिद्धैः सेव्यमानो महेश्वरः ॥

The great Lord, who is the Master of all the moving and non-moving,

lives there along with his spouse Ambikaa,

served by the Shiva-Ganas, Vidyaadharas and Siddhas.

पिङ्गोत्तुङ्गजटाजूटगतो यस्याश्रुते नवः संध्यापिशङ्गपूर्वार्द्रिशृङ्गसङ्गसुखं शशी ॥

The moon which stays in the high yellow-hued matted locks enjoys newly,

the joy of the company of the eastern mountain yellowed by the evening twilight.

The moon adorns now the tall matted yellow locks of Shiva and feels great as if he is sitting on top of the eastern mountain which has become yellow by the twilight of the evening. He can boast now of sitting on the eastern mountain and act equal to the so-called great Sun!

येनान्धकासुरपतेरेकस्यार्पयता हृदि शूलं त्रिजगतोऽप्यस्य हृदयाच्चित्रमुद्धृतम् ॥

Shiva had pierced the one single heart of Andhaka demon with his Trident;

and had extracted out the spear that had pierced through the heart of the three worlds!

Indeed it is a wonder!

Andhaka demon was harassing all the three worlds with his wicked deeds. When Shiva killed him with his trident, he had instantly extracted the pain of harassment in the form of the piecing spear from the hearts all the people of the three worlds. One heart was pierced by a spear; all the worlds were free of the spear hurting them!  A great wonder indeed!

चूडामणिषु यत्पादनखाग्रप्रतिमाङ्किताः प्रसादप्राप्तचन्द्रार्धा इव भान्ति सुरासुराः ॥

The Gods and non-Gods shine, as if they have received half of the moon as blessing;

because of the edge of the nails of Shiva reflected in their crest-jewels

(when they saluted his feet)!

Introduction to the Main text

KATHAA-SARIT-SAAGARA OF SOMADEVA

[OCEAN TO WHICH STORY-RIVERS ENTER INTO]


INTRODUCTION

Beautiful hill summit!

Fruit trees abounded there and flowers smiled from all the creepers.

However on that fatal day the forest which populated only tame animals like deer, boars and buffaloes was empty. All the animals were sitting quietly near a Sage who was reciting something aloud in an unintelligible language!

All the quarters echoed the weird sounds coming out of that sacred hill.

There was a huge fire blazing in front of that old man.

The Sage was dropping some old worn out Taala-leaves marked with red letters into the fire one by one.

The dark smelly smoke rising from the fire filled the sky making it a dark day for the entire earth.

The Sage looked very old and emaciated.

His pale skin was hanging loose over the collection of bones which still held the Praana within somehow.

The brown and grey hued entangled mass of hair on his body overflowed and covered his thin body.

His face was covered with lines all over as if exhibiting the countless pains he underwent in his long long life.

He looked very sad!

But he had no tears! His heart had dried up long back fighting the senseless follies of the ignorant and learned alike.

He mechanically read out the words written on the Taala-leaves and dropped the leaves, his life-work, into the ever-hungry mouth of the Fire-God.

It was his Yajna!

A Sacrifice which will prove the end of all his sufferings on the earth!

The deepest pain that pierced his heart was his being away from the lotus feet of his Lord, his Shiva whom he loved so much!

He just wanted to finish his gruesome work of destruction and walk out of this horrifying mortal world to rest under the shade of the lotus feet of Mother Paarvati.

The animals understood his suffering as it were!

They were the only sympathizers he had and they did not fail him.

They had no arrogance! They had no envy!

They were part of the Nature (Prakrti), the Supreme Goddess (Umaa) who watched everything silently. These animals did not even move! They did not eat any grass! They did not drink water also! They sat there just listening to the Sage!

Wonder of wonders!

Did they understand anything?

Or did they all, absorb the thoughts of the Sage just like that?

We do not know!

We know this much only that knowledge was ignored and discarded even in his times!

The Sage was none other than Shri Gunaadya (गुणाड्य​– one rich in virtues), the devoted servant of Shiva stuck in a mortal form by the curse of Paarvati!

The text he was burning was an exact rendering of the countless stories related by Lord Shiva to his beloved wife Umaa!

He had written those stories in the Paishaacha dialect, inside a formidable forest, living with the Paishaacha clan, using his own blood as ink, for seven whole years, day and night without a break.

Actually he had poured his life and blood into his work!

The text contained seven stories, each containing one lakh verses, totally making it seven lakh verses.

But he was burning them all now to be lost forever, for no human knew the value of that work and nobody wanted them.

His two Paishaacha disciples and the animals watched the tragic end of the work, shedding tears at the loss of a great work.

All would have been lost completely but...

                                       … the earth still had some virtuous people maybe!

By their merit as it were, the two disciples begged the Sage to spare the last of the work containing the history of King NaraVaahanaDatta, as they favored the king and his exploits.

That was the only left over work of Gunaadya we have on this earth now.

The sacred stories told by Lord Shiva are not fully given to us because of the folly of human arrogance that always blocks any knowledge given by anybody.

Even this text was so huge that a Kashmir poet named SomaDeva managed to compile into a short form and called it KathaaSaritSaagara – the ocean into which all rivers of stories enter.

Yes! This is an ocean of stories where rivers of stories continuously enter making it ever-turbulent! It is difficult to cross indeed.

Poet SomaDeva divides his work into eighteen ‘Lambakas’ (swells or surges).  Each ‘Lambaka’ again is divided into ‘Tarangas’ (waves).

‘Lambaka’ is not a flooding wave which drowns you but a huge wave which is made of many numbers of waves; which rises high and ‘hangs’ for a fraction of a second before falling down.

In this great work of SomaDeva, eighteen huge waves (Lambaka) of stories carrying within them, many mini waves of mini-stories, appear one after the other.

As SomaDeva is a devotee of Lord Shiva, the book abounds in the various names of Shiva and Paarvati.

This is not just a story book; but the sacred ocean of Shiva’s words.

A humble attempt has been made to translate the Sanskrit text of SomaDeva verbatim, in simple English as an offering to the lotus feet of Lord Shiva and his spouse Shivaa.

मङ्गलाचरणम् / BENEDICTION

इदं गुरुगिरीन्द्रजाप्रणयमन्दरान्दोलनात्पुरा किल कथामृतं हरमुखाम्बुधेरुद्गतम् ।

प्रसह्य सरयन्ति ये विगतविघ्नलब्धर्द्ध्यो धुरं दधति वैबुधीं भुवि भव​प्रसादेन ते ॥

This nectar of stories rose out of Shiva’s ‘mouth-ocean’,

when churned by the ‘heavy Mandara Mountain of love’

 of the ‘daughter of the Mountain-king’!

Those who cross over it perforce,

will have all the obstacles removed from their heart,

 and obtain all the divine prosperities,

by the grace of ‘Bhava’, the source of all.

Everyone knows very well about the nectar that came out of the milk ocean, when the Gods and non-Gods churned the ocean with the huge Mandara Mountain.

But there was another ocean that got churned!

It was the mouth of Shiva, the auspicious milk-ocean wherein resides the Supreme knowledge.

Who placed the Mountain in Shiva’s mouth?

Paarvati, the daughter of the Mountain!

After all, her father was the King of Mountains; and she could easily place some weighty mountain in Shiva’s mouth!

What was the Mandara Mountain?

‘Love’! So much love! It created turbulent waves in the heart of Shiva!

And what nectar came out?

‘Stories’! What could be sweeter than a story?

How many stories?

Countless! Shiva’s mouth overflowed with the nectar of stories!

Who gets benefited by that nectar?

We! The mortals!

Whoever can cross over this ocean of stories will surely be blessed by Lord Shiva and will be rewarded by the prosperities of heaven!