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)!