Balakanda - Doha 61 to 70

Doha - 61

There is great rejoicing at my father's house,O Lord, If You grant me leave,I would fain go and see it, O storehouse of compassion."

Lord Siva replied, "Your suggestion is good and has commended itself to Me as well. But the anomaly is that Your father has sent no invitation to us. Daksa has invited all his other daughters; but because of the grudge he bears to us you too have been ignored In the court of Brahma he once took offence at our behavior; that is why he insults us even now . If you go there uninvited Bhavani all decorum, affection and honor will be cast to the winds . It is no doubt true one should call on one's friend , master , father or teacher without waiting for a formal invitation; you where someone nurses a a grudge against you ,you reap no good by going there". Sambhu expostulated with Sati in so many ways; but as fate had willed it wisdom would not dawn on Her. The Lord repeated once more that if She ween to Her father's place uninvited. He anticipated no good results from it.

Having reasoned with Her in ways more than one when Hara at last perceived that the daughter of Daksa was not going to stay, the Slayer of Tripura detailed a few of His principal attendants as Her escort and sent Her away.

When Bhavani (etymologically, the Consort of Bhava, an epithet of Siva) reached Her father's house, no one greeted Her for fear of incurring Daksa;s displeasure. Her mother was the solitary figure who met Her kindly . Her sisters received Her with profuse smiles. Daksa would not even inquire about Her sisters received Her with profuse smiles. Daskas would not even inquire about Her health; he burnt all over with rage at the very sight of Sati Sati then went to have a look at the sacrifice ; but nowhere did she find any share of oblations set apart for Sambhu Then did She realize the force of Sankara's warning; Her heart burn within Her at the though of the insult offered of Her lord. The former great agony She now felt (as a result of the insult offered to Her husband) . Although there are terrible agonise of various kinds in this world , the same made Sati furios. Her mother tried to pacify Her in many ways.

The insult to Siva was something unbearable; Her heart could not, therefore, be pacified Then, sharply reproaching the whole assembly, she spoke in angry accents;-

"Hear ye elders of the assembly and all great sages! All of you who have reviled Sankara or heard Him reviled must forthwith reap the fruit of your sin and My father too shall fully repent. Wherever you hear a saint ,Sambhu or Visnu (the lord of Laksmi) vilifed, the rule is that if it lies within your power you should tear out the tongue of the reviler or you should run away closing your ears. The Slayer of Tripura , the great Lord Siva ,is the universal Spirit: He is the father of the universe and is beneficent to all. It is Him that my stupid father vilifies; and this body of Mine has sprung from the loines of Daksa. Therefore, installing in My hear Lord Siva, who beas the moon on His forehead and a bull as His emblem, I shall immedately quit this body ." As She spoke thus She burnt Her body with the fire of Yoga. A plaintive cry rose from the whole assembly.

Hearing of Sati's death, the attendants of Sambhu beagn to destory the sacrifice. Seeing the sacrifice being destroyed, the great sage Bhrgu protected it.

Sankara got all the news and in His wrath He sent Virabhadra. Going there the latter made havoc of the sacrifice and requited all the gods according to their deserts. As is well-known to the world , Daksa met the same fate which an opponent of Sambhu generally meets. The story is know throughout the world; that is why I have told it in brief. While dying , Sati asked a boon of sri Hari that She might remain devoted to the feet of Siva in all successive births. That is why She was reborn as parvati (lit daughter of a mountain) in the house of Himacala (the deity presiding over the Himalaya mountain). Ever since Uma was born in the house of Himalaya the mountain became an abode of all blessing and prosperity. Sages built beautiful hermitages here and there and Himalaya assigned them suitable abodes (in the form of caves etc.

Young trees of different varietives were endowed with never- faling blossom and fruits, and mines of jewels of various kinds appeared on the beautiful mountain.

All the rivers bore holy waters; birds beasts and bees, all rejoiced. All animals gave up their natural antipathies and all those who dwelt on the dwelt on the mountain loved one another. With the advent of Girija (a synonym of parvati ) the mountain (Himalaya) wore a cheerful look even as devotion to Sri Rama lights up the face of a devotee. Everyday brought a new delight to the house of Himacala, whose glory was sung even by great gods like brahma' (the Creatoe). Receiving all the news Narada eagerly went to the house of Himacala. The king of mountains (the presiding deity of the Himalayas) , received him with great honour; wasing the sage's feet he led him to a beautiful seat He bowed his head at the sage's feet along with his wife and had his whole mansion sprinkled with the water hallowed by his feet, Himacala exolled his own good luck and, summoning his daughter, placed her at the sages's feet.

You know everything , including the past, present and future, and have access everywhere. Therefore , O good sage, tell me what is good and what is bad about my daughter after a mature consideration."

The sage smilingly replied in the following soft yet significant words: "Your daughter is a mine of all virtues -pretty, amiable and intelligent by nature, She will be called Uma Ambika (lit, mother) and Bhavani Adorned with all good traits,the girl shall win the unfailing love of her husband . She shall remain ever united with her lord and bring glory to her parents. She shall command the respect of the whole universe; he who waits upon her shall lack nothing. By the mere thought of her name women in this world shall be enabled to tread the path of fidelity to their lord, which is sharp as the edge of a sward. Your daughter, O Himalaya, is endowed with auspicious marks. Her now the drawbacks she possesses. Devoid of merits, free from pride, without father or mother, unconcerned and free doubts -

''An ascetic with matted hair and a heart devoid of loging, stark naked and with hideous accoutrements-such a one shall be her lord, as I can read from the lines on her palm."

Hearing the words of the sage and believing them to be true, Himalaya and his wife became disconsolate; while Uma felt delighted. Even Narada could not perceive this difference. Even though their outer expression was same, their feeling was different, Girija and all her playmates , Himalaya and his wife , Mena , all had their hair standing on their end and their eyes were full of tears. The words of the celestial sage Narada could not be untrue ; Uma cherished them in her heart, Love for the louts feet of Siva sprouted in her heart , She however, felt diffident in her mind; union with Siva appeared so difficult to her . Finding the tme inopportune for is disclosure, she concealed her emotion and then sat down in the lap of one of one of her playmates , she concealed her emotion and then sat down in the lap of one of her playmates.The prediction of the sage could not be false: the though made Himavan and his wife as well as the senior playmates anxious. Collecting himself, the lord of mountains said, " Tell me,holy sir , what remedy should now be emplody?"

The chief of sags, Narada, replied; O Himavan; whatever has been decreed by Fate on one can undo- not even gods, demons. human beings, Nagas or sages.

"Nevertheless I tell you one remedly ; this may aval if heaven helps you. Uma will undoubtedly get such a husband as I have described to you But whatever demerits I have shown in her bridegroom exist in Siva so Far as I can guess, If her marriage takes place Sankara, everyone will call the demerits as good as virtues. Even though Sri Hari uses the serpent-god Sesa as His couch and sleeps thereon , the wise do not blame Him for the sames.Even so the sun and fire absorb moisture in all forms , but no one calls them names. Again, water of every description, pure as well as impure , flows into the Ganga; yet no one calls the heavenly stream impure. Even like the sun, fire and the Ganga, the mighty incur no blame."

"If in their pride of wisdom foolish men emulate the great , they are cast into hell for a whole Kalpa or life-time of the universw. Can an embodied soul vie with God?"

"Holy men would never drink wine even if they came to know that it had been made of water from the Ganga; but the same wine becomes pure when it is poured into the Ganga . The difference between an individual soul and God should be similarly explained. Sambhu is all-powerful by nature; for He is no other than God Himself. Hence matrimony with Him will prove auspicious in everyway. The great Lord Siva is creatinly difficult to propitiate; but He is quickly pleased when penance is undergone. If your daughter practises austerity , the Slayer of the demon Tripura, Siva, can even earse the lines of Fate. Even though there my be many a suitior in the world , there is no match for her except Siva . He is the bestower of boons , the dispeller of the agony of the suppliant, an ocean of benevolence and the delight of His devotee. Without propitiating Siva the object of one's desire cannot be attained through millions of Yogic practices and japa (repetitions of a mystic formula).

So saying and with his thoughts fixed on Sri Hari, Narada gave his blessings to Girija and, "Shed all fear, O lord of mountains; all will now turn out well."

Having spoken thus, the sage returned to the abode of Brahma (the Creator). Now hear the end of the story how it come about. Finding her husband alone, Mena (Himalaya's wife) side to him ," My lord I could not follow the words of the sage. If the match, his house and his pedigree are without parallel and worthy of our daughter, the, marriage may be concluded. If not the girl had better remain unmarried; for , my lord , Uma is dear to me as my own life , If we fail to secure a match worthy of Girija everyone will say Himalaya is dull by nature Keep this in mind , my lord , while concluding an alliance, so that there may be no cause for repentance. Having spoken these world Menal laid herself prostrate with her head at the feet of her lord . The lord of mountains, Himalaya, replied in endearing terms "Soner shall the moon emit flames of fire than prophecy of Narada should prove untrue."