॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 31 October 2022 IV.06 - Brahma goes with the gods to pray to Lord Shiva in his heavenly abode, Kailasa.
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Srimad Bhagavatam is extolled as the greatest Purana for a reason. It narrates the stories with a high degree of authenticity and realism which captivates the reader. This is certainly true for me! See how Lord Brahma goes to Lord Shiva and prays for his compassion.
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In this tragicomedy, it was but natural that all those assembled to perform the Yajna, including the gods, went for succour to Lord Brahma. They had been hurt badly by Shiva's army with weapons like tridents and swords. Bowing down to Brahma, they blurted out all the happenings.
उपलभ्य पुरैवैतद्भगवानब्जसम्भव: । नारायणश्च विश्वात्मा न कस्याध्वरमीयतु: ॥
T: Knowing well in advance what was going to happen, both the lotus-born Brahma and Sriman Narayana had not attended Daksha's Yajna.
Brahma now calmly replied.
" It was a miscalculation that you people would be happy to perform that Yajna after blaspheming a great personality like Lord Shiva. Hence you have reaped this unhappy result. By excluding offerings to Lord Shiva, you have offended his lotus feet (shown utter disrespect to someone so great). But I can tell you that Lord Shiva will forgive you if you go at once and fall at his feet asking for mercy."
"Know that Lord Shiva is so powerful that his anger can destroy all the planets and their guardians instantly. Shiva was deeply aggrieved by the death of his beloved Sati, something that happened after he was roundly insulted by Daksha. Neither I nor Indra nor anyone else can truly know how powerful Lord Shiva is. Under the circumstances, the only thing is for all of you to go and beg for Shiva's forgiveness."
Lord Brahma himself led all of them to Kailasa.
Description of Kailasa
जन्मौषधितपोमन्त्रयोगसिद्धैर्नरेतरै: । जुष्टं किन्नरगन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिर्वृतं सदा ॥
कुमुदोत्पलकह्लारशतपत्रवनर्द्धिभि: । नलिनीषु कलं कूजत्खगवृन्दोपशोभितम् ॥
मृगै: शाखामृगै: क्रोडैर्मृगेन्द्रैर्ऋ क्षशल्यकै: । गवयै: शरभैर्व्याघ्रै रुरुभिर्महिषादिभि: ॥
T: The heavenly Kailasa is replete with precious herbs, vegetables, minerals and gems. It reverberates with Vedic hymns and resonates with Yogic practices. All the gods who reside there are advanced mystics, and there are Kinnaras, Gandharvas and Apsaras too.
The mountain sports wonderful waterfalls. There are the musical sounds of many birds.
The heavenly Kailasa is full of many trees; to name a few- mandara, parijata, sarala, tamala, tala, kovidara, asana, arjuna, amrajati (mango), kadamba, dhuli-kadamba, naga, punnaga, campaka, patala, ashoka, bakula, kunda and kurabaka. The entire mountain is decorated with such trees, which produce flowers with fragrant aromas. There are other trees, such as the golden lotus flower, the cinnamon tree, malati, kubja, mallika and madhavi. In addition, it is replete with kata, jackfruit, julara, banyan trees, plakshas, nyagrodhas and trees producing asafoetida. Also there are betel trees, bhurjapatra, rajapuga, trees bearing many berries and so on. Many bamboo groves abound there.
There are different kinds of lotus flowers, such as kumuda, utpala and satapatra. The forest appears to be a decorated garden, and the small lakes are full of various kinds of birds who whisper very sweetly. There are many kinds of other animals also, like deer, monkeys, boars, lions, bears, salyakas, wild cattle, wild asses, tigers, small deer, buffaloes and many other animals that thrive there. Several types of deer exist there including Kasturi (musk deer). The banana groves fringe the lovely lakes. One of them is the Alakananda sanctified by Sati as she used to bathe there.
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The gods passed the fragrant Saugandhika grove and watched with wonder the beauty of Kailasa. They passed the rivers Nanda and Alakananda. These rivers were sanctified by the feet of Lord Shiva. They then came upon a magnificent banyan tree. That tree was unimaginably tall and its canopy spread over an incredible area.
Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurti
तस्मिन्महायोगमये मुमुक्षुशरणे सुरा: । ददृशु: शिवमासीनं त्यक्तामर्षमिवान्तकम् ॥
सनन्दनाद्यैर्महासिद्धै: शान्तै: संशान्तविग्रहम् । उपास्यमानं सख्या च भर्त्रा गुह्यकरक्षसाम् ॥
विद्यातपोयोगपथमास्थितं तमधीश्वरम् । चरन्तं विश्वसुहृदं वात्सल्याल्लोकमङ्गलम् ॥
लिङ्गं च तापसाभीष्टं भस्मदण्डजटाजिनम् । अङ्गेन सन्ध्याभ्ररुचा चन्द्रलेखां च बिभ्रतम् ॥
उपविष्टं दर्भमय्यां बृस्यां ब्रह्म सनातनम् । नारदाय प्रवोचन्तं पृच्छते शृण्वतां सताम् ॥
कृत्वोरौ दक्षिणे सव्यं पादपद्मं च जानुनि । बाहुं प्रकोष्ठेऽक्षमालाम् आसीनं तर्कमुद्रया ॥
T: There the gods saw Lord Shiva, seated under that tree, the Guru of all mystics and Yogis and the deliverer of men. He was serene like eternal Time, and totally devoid of any anger. Shiva was surrounded by the Kumaras, Kubera- the noble lord of wealth, and many other liberated beings.
Lord Shiva displayed total mastery over the senses and possessed complete knowledge of creation and liberation. He was a dear friend to all creation and most auspicious in his affection towards all.
Seated on a straw mat placed over a deerskin, in deep meditation, Shiva looked like the evening cloud, smeared as he was with ashes. There was the crescent moon on his crest of matted locks, a symbol of his divinity.
Lord Shiva was giving Brahma Jnana to Sage Narada.
Shiva's left leg was placed on his right thigh, and his left hand was placed on his left thigh, in a typical Veerasana. Shiva held rudraksha mala in his right hand and his hand was poised in Tarkamudra (Jnanamudra).
All the gods bowed low to Lord Shiva. Shiva got up and bowed to Lord Brahma, touching his feet. Sage Vyasa compares this to the way Maha Vishnu, as Vamana, when born as the son of Kashyapa, bowed to him.
All the sages present also worshipped Brahma. Then Brahma began to speak to Lord Shiva, with a pleasant smile.
Brahma's Prayer to Lord Shiva
ब्रह्मोवाच
जाने त्वामीशं विश्वस्य जगतो योनिबीजयो: ।
शक्ते: शिवस्य च परं यत्तद्ब्रह्म निरन्तरम् ॥
त्वमेव भगवन्नेतच्छिवशक्त्यो: स्वरूपयो: ।
विश्वं सृजसि पास्यत्सि क्रीडन्नूर्णपटो यथा ॥
T: Brahma address the Lord, "My dear Lord Shiva, I know that you control all creation, being its father and mother - Shiva and Shakti, and you are the Supreme Brahman beyond the cosmic manifestation as well. My dear Lord, you create this cosmic manifestation, maintain it, and annihilate it by the expansion of your personality, exactly as a spider creates, maintains and winds up its web."
"My dear Lord, you alone ordained that Yajnas be performed under the leadership of Daksha, for religious and economic rewards. The four Varnas and Ashramas are also set up under your order. Brahmins, therefore, pursue Yajnas assiduously."
"All the Lokas, including Vaikuntha, and the impersonal Brahman, being the destination of worthy seekers, is your arrangement. You have also created hells to condemn the miscreants to. "
न वै सतां त्वच्चरणार्पितात्मनां भूतेषु सर्वेष्वभिपश्यतां तव ।
भूतानि चात्मन्यपृथग्दिदृक्षतां प्रायेण रोषोऽभिभवेद्यथा पशुम् ॥
T: "My dear Lord, devotees who have fully dedicated their lives unto your lotus feet certainly observe your presence as Paramatma in every being, and as such, they do not differentiate between one living being and another. Such persons treat all living entities equally. They are never overcome with anger, unlike lower animals who live in duality. Those who differentiate between entities and pursue desire-driven activities are mean and jealous of others who are flourishing. Such people are given to speaking harsh words, and will naturally be punished by Destiny. Therefore, such people need not be directly killed by you! (The reference is clearly to Daksha!)"
"When worldly persons, completely ruled by Maya, commit offences, a holy and liberated person will not take offence, knowing that they are acting under the influence of Maya. Such a holy person does not bother to punish them. My dear Lord, you are totally beyond Maya. You are omniscient and all-merciful. So kindly be compassionate towards these lowly people!"
"Lord Shiva, you are always entitled to the Havis in Yajnas, as you are the ultimate giver of fruits and rewards! Please, therefore, forgive those bad priests who failed to offer you the oblation! (न यत्र भागं तव भागिनो ददु: कुयाजिनः)"
"My dear Lord Shiva, kindly forgive Daksha and give him back his life. Kindly let Bhaga get his eyes, Bhrigu his moustache and beard, and Pushan his teeth. Kindly be compassionate and restore their broken limbs and heal the gods and priests injured in the melee. Kindly be gracious and accept the oblation in the Yajna, and bless the Yajna to be completed."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
