Arunachala & Devi's Penance Shiva Bhaktivilasam

Here is a Narrative from the ShivaBhaktivilasam.
I found it interesting in that it explains Arunachala scriptorially,
deals with Parvati Devi’s Penance after slaying the Demon Mahishashuri
– something rarely heard about--,
and other rare etc’s.
(Lord Ram does penance for slaying Ravana – remember Ravana was a Brahman and a Shiva Bhakta-Devotee…not to digress but in one of Her discourses this year 2010, Shri Karuna Mayi Devi said that Ravana’s Wife
did Shri Chakra Puja (and anyone who does Shri Chakra Puja it automatically protects the family) and this in turn helped protect Ravana ( Her Husband-Family); She also said Ravana did not have 10 heads but had the power of 10 Heads-Men and that He was Truly Handsome).

I have found Inherently, there are profound gems in this "True Accounting" meaning, There are prescribed remedies for All Actions, no matter how heinous and that God can forgive and redeem anyone.
The Guarantee of Just reading this Narrative is listed below in the Phala Stuti as stated by Sage Upamanyu, either He is Narrating The truth or a lie.
It cannot be half-way if He is a Sage.
Being the Sage that He is, then it All Must Be Authentic and True. Meaning, “If You read this account, You will attain the state of Shivam."

This is the Phala Stuti (benefits) of the following Narrative-Account from the ShivaBhaktivilisam:

Those Who devotedly worship
Lord Arunachaleshwara,
the Beloved Better Half of the Goddess Apitakuchanayaki,
Shall be rid of all sins and shortcomings.

Those Who read, hear or remember
These Wondrous Accounts of
The Great Lord Arunachaleshwara
Shall attain the Immortal State of Shivam.

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Shivabhaktivilasam_____________________________
as Narrated By Sage Upamamyu in Skanda Upapuranam
translated by Lingeswara Rao

Jnana Sambanda’s Pilgrimage to Arunachalam

NOTE: The following Narration of Jnana Sambanda’s visit to Arunachalam is found in a version of Upamanyu’s Bhaktavilasam
That forms the 9th Amsha of Shiva Rahasyam. (The 6th Amsha is the Famed Rbhu Gita.)

UPAMANYU said:

“Jnana Sambanda,
who was renowned as “Bodha Guru” (knowledge-imparting Guru),
stayed with His entourage at Kantapuram, which was dedicated to Shri Atulyanateshwara.
He spent His time there in the Sweet Service of The
3-Striped Lord by singing enchanting Hymns.
While He was there with His Followers,
He was shown the Hallowed Hill of Arunachala in the distance, which rose into the skies and beyond.

The Young Sage broke into a Heart-Melting Song on the Divine Lord
standing naked as a Hill, whose Consort was Apitastanika.
Soon,
He yearned to visit the Sacred Peak, The Mass of Solid Knowledge.
As He was looking for a Guide to lead Him there,
An Old Bramana of uncommon features, who was collecting flowers caught His attention.
Seeing Him
Sambanda’s Face blossomed like the lotus at the sight of the Sun.
He humbly asked the stranger,

“Grandshire!
Whence do you come? Where is Your Abode?
What brings your Noble Self here?”

The Old Man replied with faltering speech,

“Arundadri do I come from,
which is my residence also.
I have come here to collect flowers for worshipping the Lord there.”

Sambanda said,
“How far away is Shonadri?
Look at this dense jungle. Could you possibly lead me to that place?”


The Old Man replied quickly,
“It is not far away.
I come here daily in spite of My Old Age to gather flowers for the Lord’s worship.
Come let us go by a nice path.”


As the Stranger set out to return,
Sambanda earnestly enquired about His experiences with Arunachala.
The Old Man then embarked upon a description of the Matchless
and Wondrous Glories of The Great God Arunachala.

OLD MAN SAID:

“The Lord presiding over the sacred Land Arunachala,
The Wearer of the Sickle Moon and The Support of The Earth covered by garments of the Seas,
is verily the Supreme Lord - Parameshwara.
The Lord of Gods
Who appeared to The disputing Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu as a Column of Fire,
is verily
The Mahalinga Murti.”


“THE Manifestation of Arunachala Lingam”

“The Lord Who was One in the Beginning, willed that He become Many

( So Akamayata Bahusyam Prajayeyetie: Taittiriya Upanishad ),

Resulting in The Manifestation of the Primal Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu.
Soon
The Two Gods became haughty and vied with Each Other claiming superiority,
Despite the fact
that Both of Them had only limited powers.
Soon the Dispute turned into a Fierce Duel,
threatening the Peace of the Universe.

Seeing this,

The Omniscient Lord Reasoned thus,

“If I Do Not Promptly Intervene And Stop The Quarrel,
The Well-Being Of The World Will Be Jeopardized.”

Then
The All-Powerful Lord Manifested as an Effulgent Pillar of Light
with Unlimited Dimensions, spewing Fire.

Bewildered at the intimidating Manifestation,
Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu decided to find the Top and the Bottom of the Effulgent Column.
Lord Vishnu took The Form of a Boar and proceeded to reach the bottom
by digging into The Nether Regions with His Tusked Snout.
Lord Brahma, taking The Form of a Swam,
Flew into The Heavens to reach Its Summit.
But
Both failed miserably in Their attempts,
Driven as They were by Passion.
Brahma’s Wings and Vishnu’s Snout fully drained of power,
They returned to where They had started.
Humiliated,
They stood transfixed in mute adoration of the Unfathomable Manifestation.

An Ethereal Voice spoke to Them,

“This Emanation Is A Form Of Shambu,
Appearing For Your Welfare.
He
Who Generates The Universe
Of The Moving And Unmoving
Has Created You Two.”

Both The Gods
Felt ashamed to have arrogated supremacy to Themselves,
While The Great Lord,
The Sole Cause of Creation,
Was Shambu,
The Dispenser of Auspiciousness.

Renouncing Their Vanity,
They praised Maheshwara thus,

“O Lord Of The Resplendent Form,
The Self Of The Moving And The Unmoving,
And The Solitary Prop Of The Universe!
Be gracious to Us.
Remove Our veil of Ignorance and reveal Your True Form.”

Taking pity on His Children who now turned humble and pious,
The Lord Appeared
In His more Familiar Form,
Having 3 Eyes and Matted Locks,
And Offered Them Boons.

The Gods in all Humility sought unflinching Devotion to His feet and Freedom from Vain Pride.

They beseeched,

“This Linga Form
Taken by You to Bless Us with Boons
Is a Rare Grandeur and Peerless Features.
Pray continue to abide in That Form for The Sake of The Universe,
Withdrawing the raging Effulgence,
Lest it should scorched The Worlds.
Kindly remain Here as
Arunchala
With an Accessible Form,
Fulfilling Desires and Granting Liberation.”

The Easily-Pleased Lord replied,

“Be It So!”
And Remained There as They desired.”

“THE OLD MAN CONTINUED,
“O Auspicious One!
Hearken to more stories about This Hallowed abode.
It was Here that The Consort of The Lord,
Parvati,
Did Penance and Became Half of the Lord’s Body.”

This prompted Sambandu to seek the details of the Episode.

The Old Man resumed The Narration,

“Parvati Attains Half Of Shiva’s Body

Once
In Kailasa,
The Lord Shankara was seated with Parvati
in a Mantapam with tall pillars embellished with luminous gems,
surrounded by groves rich in rare wish fulfilling floras.
This Place was acclaimed by all the Celestials.

Then Our Mother, The Lord’s Ever-Youthful Beloved,
Slipped behind Him.
Thinking that She was very dear to Her Lord,

She wondered,

“Let Me see what will happen if I close His eyes.”

With Her Lotus-Like Palms,
Parvati playfully covered The 3 Eyes of Shambu,
which represented
The Sun, The Moon, And The Cosmic Fire.
Thus
Deprived of Their Light,
The Worlds were soon enveloped by a Horrific Darkness.

In a trice countless Worlds were destroyed,
As a moment of Time in Kailasa meant Eons for the Universe.

The Guardians of the Quarters rushed to Parameshwara and reported
The Holocaust caused by the Inexplicable Darkness.
Then The Compassionate Lord bade Parvati
to remove Her Hands from His Eyes.
As soon as She withdrew Her Hands
The Worlds shone as before.

The Lord observed,

“O Parvati,
This childish and indiscriminate Act of Yours,
though done innocently has resulted in an untold Ruination.
Even I, The Destroyer, cannot think of such an Act except at The Ordained Time of Dissolution.
It does not befit You Who are The Universal Mother to have done so.”

Even this mild reprimand pained the Mother Shri Mata intensely.
Repenting over Her thoughtless act, which might tarnish The Dharma, The Eternal Order,
She pleaded with The Lord to suggest to Her the means for an effective Expiation.

The Lord replied,

“Darling,
You shall worship My Image for The Expiation for Your Misdeed.
In the bounteous Kanchipuram,
situated on the Banks of the Sin-Effacing Kampa River,
There is a Hallowed Mango Tree of lush foliage.
Perform Austerities there and become cleansed of Your Sin.”

Taking The Lord’s advice,
Mother Parvati promptly repaired to the Ordained Spot.
She made a Lingam out of Sand on the riverbed
and worshipped it for a long time in the prescribed 32 methods,
accompanied by the practice of Intense Austerities.

Lord Shiva, in a bid to test Her steadfastedness,
caused the river to swell in flood.
Fearing that the Sand Lingam might be washed away in the floodwater,
Devi ardently hugged it to Her Breast.
The Lingam with Its Imprints of The Mother’s Breast and Bangles
remains to This Day as a Pillar of Victory of Manmata, The Love God.

Devi then heard and Aerial voice speak thus,

“This Lingam
installed and worshipped by You
shall remain as a Blessing to The World.

I abide on The Earth as Arunachala granting all kinds of Boons.
You can proceed to That Centre and propitiate Me in Your Ashram,
in accordance with the Methods of Worship prescribed by Sage Gautama,
I shall reveal My resplendent Form of Consciousness There.”

Gauri Devi, thenceforth, reached the Hermitage of Sage Gautama,
Who rushed ahead and received Her with Great Devotion and Trepidation.
The Sage worshipped Her in the Ceremonial Manner and divining Her Mission with His Yogic Vision, remarked as follows.

SAGE GAUTAMA SAID,

“It is clear That You have come Here at The Lord’s Wish
which will bring Auspiciousness and Protection to the Devotees.

To those Single-Minded Devotees of Shambu,

This Place has paramount significance.
Originally Appearing
as a Fiery Column -- to resolve a Dispute between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu,
It later mellowed into a Stationary Lingam.
Now sporting a Cool Brilliance,
It has become renowned as Arunachaleshwara,
The Primal Manifestation of The Divine.

Upon the Successive Dissolution of 96 Brahmas,
a New Lord Brahma arose
from Lord Vishnu’s Navel
and created The Universe afresh.
Once, as requested by Indra,
He ( the New Brahma) created a Youthful Damsel of enticing looks.
Though She was to be employed to test the chastity of Munis,
Her dazzling countenance captivated Lord Brahma Himself,
who then now tried to pursue Her.
Frightened,
She took the form of a Doe and sped away and following suit, Lord Brahma became a Stag and pursued her.
Then
She turned into a Dove and flew off in fear,
while the Latter chased Her in the form of an Eagle.
As The Two flew near The Arunachala Mount,
the Female cried out to The Lord for Protection.
Soon a Bowman emerged from the Hill and aimed an arrow
at the pursuing Lord Brahma who had donned a despicable guise.

Lord Brahma quickly got over His delusion and prostrated at The Lord’s Feet.
As He pleaded for Mercy--

The Lord Arunachalendra remarked,

“O Brahma, The Very Sight of Mine absolves One of All Sins, No Doubt.
The Kailasa, The Meru and such Holy Mounts reveal only a portion of My Glory,
Whereas
This Hill Arunachala Is Verily Me.

Do a 100 pradakshinas in Silence around the Hill
and
Take a dip in the Brahma Tirtha.
Then
Worship Me
and do 1 more pradakshina,
Which will absolve You of Your Sins completely
and let You resume Your Duties of Creation.”

Lord Brahma followed the Lord’s advice
and reclaimed His Lordship over the Celestial World.”

THE GLORY OF ARUNACHALA

SAGE GAUTAMA CONTINUED,

“Once,
Lord Vishnu, under the influence of Yoginidra,
continued to sleep even after The Lapse of a Kalpa.
This caused The Universe to be enveloped by Nescience.
Then The Eternal Beings such as Nandi and Vishwaksena
prayed to The Consort Uma for the creation of a Fresh World.

The Lord issued forth 33 Crores of Celestials who succeeded in bringing Lord Narayana back to wakefulness.

Shri Lord Vishnu, with a Lotus arisen from His Navel,
Reflected within,

“It is quite strange that I should sleep at an inappropriate time.
Surely It is Lord Shiva’s Maya.
In what way shall I make restitution?
I have no refuge but the All-Knowing and Compassionate Parama Shiva.”

At that instance,
Parameshwara appeared with a Dazzling Radiance.
Lord Vishnu saluted and praised Him with Devotion.

Lord Shiva said kindly,

“I revel as Arunachala on The Earth.
Its very sight shall remove Your Nescience.
In earlier times,
at Arunachala I have given boons to a Vishnu,
One of Your Predecessors.
Denizens of That Region are loathe to leave That Place, in spite of floods,
caused by heavy rains or the massive fires kept dormant in the Hill,
as the very Darshan of The Mount scorches and washes away One’s sins.
One realizes all His desires by propitiating the Lord at That Place.
Worship Me There and continue to protect The World.”

Ordaining Lord Vishnu thus, The 3-Eyed Lord disappeared.

Thereupon, Lord Vishnu reached Arunachala,
He undertook a Ceremonial Bath in the Holy Brahma Tirtham,
and with an Unsullied Mind and Steadfast Resolve, devoutly went round The Hill
and became absolved of All His Shortcomings.

Similarly, many others were blessed:
The Sun became The Controller of Planets.
The Moon got rid of Its disease obtained from curse by Daksa.
Indra was purified from the sin of slaying Vrtra, etc., and became the Chief of the Celestials.
Siddhas, Charanas, Gandarvas, Vidyadaras had Their wishes fulfilled.

On The Northern Facet of The Majestic Mount is a gigantic Banyan Tree,
Its circular shade covering a vast area.
At the base of this Tree,
The Great Lord Maha Deva dwells ever in The Form of a Siddha,
by the name of Arunagiri Yogi.
In the 4 Cardinal Directions of The Hill, at a distance of 2 Yojanas, are 4 hillocks.
The Devatas - Pusha (the Sun), Vishwamitra, Varuna, and Trishula - dwelling on These 4 Hillocks, are ever engaged in the Sweet Service of The Lord.

In the 8 Cardinal Points of The Hill are seen 8 Lingas, each bearing the name of the Deity presiding over that Direction.
There is a Temple of the Lord built by The Celestials for the Sake of Shiva Bhaktas. Sage Vamadeva worshipped the Lingam situated under the Vakula Tree, the Sthala Vriksha.
Sages Vasishta and Agastya established Shivalingas, which took Their names, and performed austerities.
The River Shona, of Holy Waters, flows by the Hill.
The Hallowed Penna River courses around the Hill in diligent service of The Lord.
I (Gautama) too worship the subtle Lingam of Arunachala,
Which brings auspiciousness to the World.
Many Kings of Yore conquered foes and regained Their Kingdoms
by devout Services to The Lord at various spots on The Hill.

You too, O Devi Parvati ,
Should worship the Hill-Shaped Shiva Lingam here for the fulfillment of Your Desires.”

At this,
Mother Gauri enquired of the Sage Gautama
as to how the Blazing Lingam cooled off and became accessible to Worshippers.

GAUTAMA CONTINUED AND SAID,

“This Hill is of The Form of:

A Fire in The Krita Yuga,
A Gem Hill in the Treta Yuga,
A Hill of Gold in The Dwapara and
An Emerald Mount in the Age of Kali.

As It spewed Fire,
The Hill was worshipped by The Devas from afar.

( “Asau Yastmro Aruna Uta Babhrus Sumangalah” : from Shri Rudram
The timeless Vedas thus extolled The Lord, As appearing in The Solar Orb.
As He rises behind the Horizon, He appears red or copper colored (Tamra) light red or rosy (Aruna) and golden hued (Babhrus). He is highly auspicious and dispels darkness.)

The Devas beseeched Him Thus,

“O Shankara manifesting as The Unapproachable Fiery Effulgence!
Obeisance to You! Pray cool down so We can come near You and Worship.”

Thereupon The Hill cooled down on the surface,
Its core still fiery, and remained dormant for the moment.
Soon, tirthas ( sacred pools) appeared around it.

Shri Maha Vishnu became purified by bathing in the Indra Tirtha in the East.
Agni was cleaned of the sin of adultery by dipping in the Agni Tirtha in the Southeast.
Yama was rid of the sin accrued from the Brahmastra Weapon, by taking plunges in the Yama Tirta in the South.
Munis bathed in the Southwestern Nairuti Tirtham and were released from the clutches of Evil Spirits.
Bathing in the Western Varuna Tirtham, Varuna became the God of The Seas.
Vayu became the Vital Force, “prana”, of The Universe by bathing in the Northwestern Vayuvya Tirtham.
Lord Narayana took a Ceremonious Bath in the Saumya Tirtham crowded by fragrant lotuses, in the North and obtained “Shri” (Maha Lakshmi) as His consort.
By taking Ceremonious dips in the Northeastern Ishanya Tirtham, The 9 Grahas (Planets) attained Their present status.

The Altogether Outstandingly Glorious Tank is in the Temple Precincts
called Brahma Tirtham, under the vigilant protection of Saraswati, Bhairava, Ganesha, Durga and Skanda.
There is another highly Hallowed Tank called Shiva Tirtham closer to an Inner Quarter.
Bhairava was relieved of the Skull of Brahma that stuck to His Hand, by bathing in It.
There are other Tirthas, like Ganga, Vasishta, Agastya, Vaishnava, Shani, Lakshmi, Skanda, Vaishwadeva and Ashwina.
Other than these,
Their proximity to Arunachala has endowed them with fabulous grandeur.
The Ganga serves The Shona Hill at the base;
The Yamuna from the Sky, and the Stream arising from The Moon serves The Hill near the Crest.
All These Waters of astounding glory and purity will appear to the Devotees at the time of Food Offering to the Lord.

Earlier, I prayed to Arunachala --
He of an imposing and magnificent stature --
As to how I could possibly worship Him in the procedure prescribed in the texts.

The All-Merciful One revealed Himself to Me
in a Form suitable to My Perception and declared,

“I shall manifest as a Subtle Lingam of Ethereal Charm displaying 50 diverse Shades.
It will be renowned as Arunadrishwara.
You must worship It with the Strength of Your Austerities as prescribed
in The Agama Texts.”

Later,
The Lord Manifested as a Swayambhu Lingam ( self-manifesting) in the Sanctum
surrounded by a number of Prakarams.
My Life’s sole purpose was fulfilled.

At The Lord’s Behest,
Vishwakarma built an enchanting City around The Temple to accommodate Devotees
and arranged for Ceremonial Worship of The Deity.

Those who offered materials for His Service enjoy mundane pleasures
and in the End will Merge with The Lord.
The Lingam consists of The Octonary (8) Form of The Lord and represents The Element Fire.
Those who reverently salute and devoutly circumambulate The Lingam, i.e., perform
Giri pradakshina, have Their accumulated Sins rendered naught
-- and escaping the vicious samsara, They attain The Eternal.

GIRI PRADAKSHINA

Before going on a pradakshina,
One should have a bath and put on simple, clean clothes.
One must go around The Hill slowly and steadily,
Wearing ashes and Rudraksha Garlands-malas, and enjoying The Bliss of repeating Lord Shiva’s Name.
The Devotee should visualize:
The Hill as of Fire in The Krita Yuga, as a Gem in The Treta Yuga, of Gold in The Dwapara, and of Turquoise in Kali.
Or One may imagine The Hill as a Clear Quartz Crystal,
Or as a Self-resplendent Ruddy Form,
and getting over One’s short comings thereby, attain the state of Shiva.

He who goes round barefoot sanctifies The Path by the dust of His feet,
the very sight of which bestows the state of Kailasa.
The rare feat of rolling all around the Hill would make One’s Body tough as a diamond and shine like gold. However, such a Bhakta does not hanker after worldly pleasures.
Why, Shiva Himself, accompanied by Devatas and Rishis,
circumambulates the Hill during the Holy Period of the Sun’s Northern Course called Uttarayana. One should therefore circumambulate only on foot, and never use a conveyance. It would mean falling from austerities and Shiva Dharma.

Once upon a time a King called Dharma Ketana came from Brahmaloka
And went around The Hill on Horseback.
By this virtuous act, the Horse forsook Its Animal Form and Left the King’s service.
He was transformed into a Gananata
and worshipped by The Celestials in The Realm of Shiva.
Astonished at this,
King Dharma Ketana too went on foot and became a Gananata Himself.

Another King, Vajragada,
followed prohibitive methods of Shaiva Dharma and thereby lost His Glory.
However, he became purified by surrendering to Shiva and attained Union with Him.

Two Vidyadaras, Kantishali and Kaladara,
incurred the curse of Durvasa
and were transformed into the lowly forms of a horse and a civet cat.
They regained Their former status by going round the Shona Hill.
The story goes as follows:

Vajrangada was a King of the Pandya Dynasty who wielded authority over a vast domain by virtue of His valor.
Once, He set out hunting on a horse in the forest around Arunachala.
Seeing a civet cat exuding enticing fragrance, He galloped in its direction to capture it.
In a fateful turn of events,
He fell head first of the horse, like a jiva falling from swarga upon the exhaustion of its merit.
He was lying on the ground, unable to get up. Then He saw 2 radiant forms of lightning luster emerging from the fallen bodies of the horse and cat.

They began to narrate Their Story:

“O King! Earlier We were Chiefs of Vidyadaras.
Once, We chanced to pass by a grove in the Sage Durvasa’s Ashram, near the Mount Meru. We took the liberty to pluck flowers from that Grove, and
Came into the fierce view of The Sage.

He let loose His Wrath on Us,

“You had arrogantly taken for granted
that You could behave in My Grove as You please and get away with it.
As You have desecrated this Hallowed abode of Mine,
One of You shall be born as a Horse on Earth and will be ill-treated by its Master.
The Other, for beings enamored by the scent of flowers,
shall become a civet cat and wander in the caves of a hill”

When We pleaded earnestly for His Mercy
He recommended to us Arunagiri Pradakshina,
saying that It amounted to circumambulating The World. He cited an example, too!
Once, Lord Subramanya was asked by Lord Siva to go around The World.
So Then He, The 6-Faced God of Mature Intelligence, went around Arunachala
and claimed the Lord Shiva’s Grace.”

The Vidyadaras continued,

“Later We got Our cursed Forms of Animals,
which We could overcome by going around The Arunachala Hill.
Your present pitiable state is the Result of Your circumambulating on Horseback.
It is not too late.
Continue the Pradakashina on foot.
Worship the Lord Arunacaleshwara with Water Lilies scented with civet.
Use Your Wealth for constructing Halls and Walls in The Temple and for The Renovation of Existing Ones.
Soon Your Desires will be fulfilled.”

Saying this the Two Vidyadaras returned to Their Realm.
Thereupon,
Vajrangada entrusted His Kingdom to His Son Ratnaganda, went around the Hill Barefoot and attained Fulfillment.
IN Ancient Times, when the Celestial Nymph Tilottama was chased by Lord Brahma, She sought protection from The Lord.
Appearing as a Hunter, The Lord saved Her.
He still continues to abide in That Form at That Spot hallowed by several Sacred Tirthas.
Those Who dwell in Arunachala and Those visiting The Place,
and Those Who undertake charitable services to The Temple
and Worship to The Lord,
attain Liberation.

There is No Place more Sacred than Arunachala,
No mantra more efficacious then Panchakshari,
No Shaivite comparable to Lord Vishnu,
And No Talisman superior to Sacred Ashe (Vibhuti).

Even Kailasa or the Mandara Hills are No match to The Immaculate Hill.
In a word It Is “Unique”!
He Who dwells by this Giri (Hill) shall be transformed into Girisha (Shiva).

Those Extending Services there, according to Their Capacity, shall
Reap fruits in abundance. I.e.,

-A Spider weaved a web on The Hill, which shone like and umbrella.
For this Act, though insignificant, It was born as a king and, in That Life, offered valuable Garments to The Lord.

-An Elephant, after drinking water, shook Its trunk sprinkling a few drops over The Hill.
Again, when It romped in The Woods,
It chanced to scatter a few leaves on The Hill.
These simple Acts of Piety, though unintentional,
acquired for It the status of Gananata after Its Life.

-Even worms wallowing in The Mud Puddles on The Hill attain Pure Bodies
and reach The World Of Shiva in the end.

-Once, a Firefly helped out a Wayfarer with Its tiny light and became Liberated.

-A Bird while trying to snatch some food in a Temple
caused some cleaning of The premises by fluttering Its Wings
and thereby
gained Liberation.

Such Innumerable Glories of The Lord defy description.
Who can cognize and comprehend The ways of the Lord Who Is beyond the reach of speech and the Limits of the mind.

O Devi Parvati,
resort without delay to the Loving Service of The Lord Arunachaleshwara
and achieve Your Goal without fail.
It is My firm conviction that Your Austerities are for the Upliftment of The World,
And You shall be Reunited with The Lord soon.”

PARVATI’S PENANCE AT ARUNACHALAM

Maha Devi, The Consort of The Great God,
Listened to the sagacious words of Sage Gautama in all earnestness, faith, and devotion and resolved thus,

“As You advise
I shall propitiate The Lord right Here and win His Heart.
And cultivating a Unitary Relationship with Him, I shall become Part of His Body.”

Later, She had a thatch hut built for Her in a spot designated by Sage Gautama and embarked upon a course of Tapas that was hitherto unheard of.
Soon, Her Brilliant Body started to radiate Purity and Devotion.

Parvati Devi installed a Shiva Lingam on Pravalagiri (Coral Peak),
and eastern Spur of Arunagiri,
And engaged Herself confidentially in Stringent Austerities.

She matted Her Hair,
smeared the Sacred Vibhuti over Her Body,
frugally covered Herself with Bark of Trees
and embarked upon an Unparalleled Tapas.
She appointed Satyavati, Vanavairi, Shubaga and Bandhumari for safeguarding the various entrances to Her Ashram.
She also installed the Valorous and Invincible Durga,
Who is but Her own Form, to protect the area.

THE SLAYING OF MAHISHASHURA

Once,
The Devas approached Her and sought protection from the Mighty Demon Mahishashura.
She assured Them that Mahisha would be killed at the appropriate time
and resumed Her tapas.
Then it chanced that Mahisha, during His hunting pursuits,
entered The Forest where Parvati’s hermitage was located.
His attempt to approach the Mother failed.
He thought awhile,
retreated into the thick of the jungle on a river bank,
and convened a meeting to contrive suitable strategies.

His companions, who were Adepts in Magic, managed to enter Parvati’s Tapovanam (Hermitage).
They saw Parvati and reported Her World-bewitching Form to Their Master.
Mahisha, unable to control His passion,
sent His army to vanquish Devi’s Guards and bring Her in captivity to Him.
But, as The warriors were soon routed by the 4 Shaktis at the entrance of Her Ashramas,
Mahisha dispatched more forces.
In no time, The Fight escalated into a Full-Scale war,
Prompting Durga Devi Herself to jump to action.

Durga Devi, Being an Aspect of Parvati,
manifested there in a Ferocious Form with 16 Arma, Sporting Weapons that blazed like Fire.
While Mahisha put up a fierce attack, being armed with a sword and shield,
- Durga Devi counterattacked with Sword, Shield and Discus.

As The War raged into Catastrophic Proportions,

The Devas prayed to Durga Devi earnestly,

“O Mother Of The Universe!
This War is but a Sport to You.
But The Worlds are reeling under agony by Its Effect.
Pray end the Game quickly.”

Then,
Durga Devi cast Mahisha to the ground
and pressing Him with Her Foot,
pierced His Chest with The Trident.
As He let out feeble moans,
but yet still living,

Devi danced on His Chest and severed His Head from the Trunk with Her Sword.

The Fierce, Happy and Dancing Devi was acclaimed as Mahishashura Mardini.

The Devas rained torrents of fragrant flowers on Her
and extolled Her praises to the accompaniment of celestial instruments,
heralding Her Victory.

They further appealed to Her,

“Though Beheaded, The Demon still haunts Our Imagination.
Let This Form of Yours, “Treading On The Buffalo-Headed Demon”,
Be permitted to be worshipped
and
thereby
grant Emancipation to the Devotees.”

Upon this,
Devi graciously replied,

“Be It so.”

Later,
She installed Her Fierce Form There
and regained Her earlier serene Aspect of Parvati.
She saw a Linga stuck to the throat of Mahisha. As She held it in Her Hand, It stuck to her Palm.
Unable to get it freed, however much She tried, She pondered,

“Surely this must be due to the killing of a Shiva Bhakta- Devotee.
How can I possibly be relieved of it?”

Then Sage Gautama consoled Her saying,

“No need to grieve.
He was a Siddha in His past Life, and as a result of incurring a curse,
He was born as a demon with a Buffalo Head and started to feed on Human Beings.
Once, an unfortunate Devotees wearing a Shivalingam chanced to be His Prey,
That is when The Linga got stuck in His throat.
Thus, His past merits brought Him into the contact of The Shivalinga
And
also Your Lotus feet,
which freed Him of the sinful Curse

It is said that One who could somehow wear a Shiva Linga,
be it without faith or even with hatred,
would be fit for Liberation.
Moreover,
Even treacherous and heinous crimes,
for which no means of expiation are prescribed,
Will be nullified at the very sight of the Red Mount Arunachala.”

Nonetheless, Maha Devi’s Contrition could not be assuaged.
At this juncture,

She was addressed by an Aerial Voice thus,

“Let the 9 Tirthas arise in Unison from the Rocky Ground!

Cleave the Earth with Your trident to let the 9 Sacred Streams
--The Ganga, The Yamuna, The Sindhu, The Godaveri, The Saraswati, The Shona Tirtham, The Shona River, The Kaveri and The Narmada --
All spring forth as a Single Stream.

Commencing on the day with the Moon in the Constellation Jyesta,
in the month of Ashwayuja (September-October),
You must undertake Ceremonial Baths daily repeating The Aghamarshana Mantra

(www.hinduism.co.za/celibacy.htm#Aghamarshana:

Aghamarshana Mantra (Prayer for destruction of sin)
Om ritam cha satyam cha abidat tapaso dhyajayata. Tato ratryajayata, tata samudro arnavaha.
Om samudradarnavadadi samvatsaro ajayata. Ahoratrani vidadad vishwasya mishato vashi.
Om surya chandramasu data yata purvamakalpayat. Divam cha pritivim chantarikshamato swaha. www.vedicpath.com/Aghamarshana.htm: explanation),

making Your dwelling near The Linga by The Tirtha.
Thereby,
Worldly fears and sorrows will be removed
and as I am cooled by the breeze flowing over the Tirtha,
there will be no drought in the Region.
Then,
install The Linga that was separated from Your Palm,
on the Bank, and naming it as Papanasham,
Worship It with a Serene Mind filled with Devotion.
You must meticulously perform My Worship with due austerities and sacrifices,
Ranging from Vaishwadevam to Devayagam.

Commencing thus on the asterism of Uttarasadha,
And perform Avabrita bath in the asterism of Krittika.
Then,
Worship Me in the Form of Arunachala as prescribed in the texts
and I shall reveal to You My Resplendent Form.”

As directed,
Devi Parvati caused a cleft in the rock with Her Trident and the 9 Tirthas emerged.
She bathed in The Sacred Waters along with The Lingam.
While The Sacred Waters pacified Her heart longing for The Lord,
Her Body Luster rendered The Waters of Black Color.

Installing the Linga on the bank,
She spent 1 month, near the Tirtha, at the end of which,
She returned from the spot and performed Devotsavam.

In the month of Kartika and in the asterism of Krittaka,

She contemplated on The Lord and prayed thus,

“O Parameshwara!
If You consider that I am freed of sin,
Let Your Effulgent Form which was, of yore,
Vouchsafed to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu,
Be revealed to Me.”

At this. The Lord’s all-filling brilliance flooded Her Vision.
The Blue-Throated and Golden-Hued Lord Shiva emerged from His manifestation

and spoke to Her these Sweet Words,

“Devi, I am extremely pleased by Your Rigorous Tapas.
By Darshan of My Transcendental Form,
You have been cleansed of the error of closing My Eyes,
Which drowned The Worlds Darkness.

Earlier, Your Son Kumara ( Murugan aka Subramanya) has been nursed by the 6 Celestial Virgins (The Krittikas), thus leaving Your Breasts unsuckled.
For this,
You shall become renowned in The Universe as Apitakuchambika or Apitastananayaki
(The Mother or Devi of Unsuckled Breasts).
Come and Unite with Me, My Dear!”

Saying This, The Lord merged into The Hill.

Ardhanishwara

Following Gautam’s instructions,
Devi went around the Hill
accompanied by Munis, Goddesses such as Lakshmi, Saraswati and Sachi, and the chaste Arundhati.
Envisaging the Self-created Hill of Fire as the Sacred Fire in The Wedding, and Herself as the Bride seeking the Hand of the Groom, who was none other than The Lord,
She completed the Giri Pradakshina.
Then
She prostrated, saluted and praised the Wish Fulfilling Lord of 8-Fold Form.

Instantly,
The Generous and Compassionate Lord,
who is worshipped by all the Celestials,
appeared there.
She feasted Her Eyes on His Comely Form.
What a momentous Scene It was!
Devi’s Whole Frame was overwhelmed, as it were, by an Intense Horripilation.

She prostrated and saluted repeatedly and managed to utter these Prayerful Words,

"May We be inseparable Hereafter.
Let the Worlds flourish thereby.
May The Region abound with the presence of Devas, Brahmana and Other Humans.
Let Your Immaculate and Wish-Fulfilling Form be worshipped with Festivities and Celebrations for Eternity.”

The Lord pleased the Benevolent Devi, His Beloved,
by granting All Her prayers,
including for Her Being One Half of His Body,
and bestowed additional Blessings on The World.
At His bidding,
Vishwakarma, The Celestial Builder, constructed a Beautiful City around The Hill that was glorified as Arunachala -- undoubtedly the First and Foremost of All Cities.
Lord Shiva manifested there as a Self-Born Lingam to be worshipped by Kings, Panditas and All others,
And shone as The Bestower of Boons to The Devotees

Those Who devotedly worship
Lord Arunachaleshwara,
the Beloved Better Half of the Goddess Apitakuchanayaki,
Shall be rid of all sins and shortcomings.

Those Who read, hear or remember
These Wondrous Accounts of
The Great Lord Arunachaleshwara
Shall attain the Immortal State of Shivam."

Dhira, The Tribal Devotee, who Lord Shiva obliged by eating Meat,aka Thinnan as One of the 64 Nayanmars & henceforth He would be called as Kannappan.

By the Grace of God and Guru,
Here is an excerpt from The ShivaBhaktavilasam
(--- published by Shri Ramana Maha Rishi’s Ashram)
regarding an interesting subject prone to controversy;

“orthodox and non-orthodox worship-puja”,
“rajic-tasmic-satvic behavior and devotion”

--Lord Shiva says,
“The Hunter Who is a Novice into Our Love-Fold defies All Standards of Devotion.
The Purity of His Adoration is Matchless which ALONE matters to Us….
I must warn You,
Those Who Hate Him reap My Wraith!..”


Dhira is also known as Thinnan as one of the Nayanmars, and henceforth He would be called as Kannappan or Kannappa Nayanar. Kanappa
___________________________________________________________________________

--I am placing the Last Narrative “29” First because it has The
Final Understanding & Concentrated Pointed Emphasis that I would like to relay on God and Guru’s behalf,
but The Narratives “26, 27, & 28” all have interesting “Subtle Back Story, History & Development that will give a complete overview of “Dhira”.
So You will be reading the Last Narrative out of Sequence as First,
and then going back to the Pre-Narrative (Prequel).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The ShivaBhaktavilasam
as narrated by Sage Upanmayu in Skanda Upapuranam
translated by Lineshwara Rao
published by Shri Ramanashram



29,26,27,28 Dhira, pages 102-121


NARRATIVE 29: DHIRA’S SARUPYA MUKTI

Shri Agastya said and narrated,

"Dhira opened the Leaf Packet of Roasted Meat, cooled The pieces by Blowing air on Them, ‘AND Tasted One or Two Pieces’
Reassured of Their Smoothness and Taste,
He offered Them to His Lord to eat.
Seeing No response to His Offering, Dhira somewhat disappointed, made This plaint,
“Lord These Juicy Pieces I have prepared Myself to The right Tenderness and Seasoned Them with Fresh Honey.
Why don’t You Savor Them to Your Heart’s Content?
However,
Should You prefer The Flesh derived from a Stag or Hog to These,
It will be arranged without delay.
Look, How delicious This Food is!
But, If You do not touch It,
I Shall Fast Unto Death!”

Pleading thus He held a Ball of Meat near The Lingam.
The Lord Who was easily pleased, Ashutosha,
melted with Compassion at These Loving entreaties.

Then,
manifesting Himself in The Lingam,

HE ACCEPTED THE FOOD, COOKED WITH LOVE, AND IT TASTED LIKE AMBROSIA.

With Loving Words and remarks,
Dhira made The Lord eat All That He had brought.
His Mission successful, He danced in Transcendental Joy, forgetting His Own Body and Its Needs.
To Dhira’s Enquiry if The Food was palatable,
The Lord answered Positively with a Gracious Nod.
The Sun, as if to share with the Other Celestials These Great Events of
Dhira’s Pure Love and The Lord’s Condescension,
disappeared behind The Horizon in haste.

Soon, darkness enveloped All the Quarters,
like ignorance overcoming Sinful People.
As if to show that It has No Place in The Lord’s Presence,
The Self-luminous Gems shed by the ‘Naga’ serpents glowed bright,
Their Light being scattered around by The Bamboo Pearls.
Overcoming the sleep of ignorance,
Dhira decided to keep vigil that night against any Invaders.
Was not The Lord’s Presence uncongenial to Darkness and Sleep?
Once in a while,
He would reach over and feel The Lord’s Comely Form.
Even a Mother would not be so anxious for Her New borne Babe.
Thus He spent a Night of Hallowed Silence, Wakefulness, and Ever-surging Joy.
The Sun could not wait long to Dawn, when Dhira repaired to adjacent Jungle to hunt.

Meanwhile,
Shivaloka, The Customary Priest arrived at The Lord’s presence to undertake His Daily Ceremonial Worship.
And What An Obnoxious Sight It was for Him!
Bones and Pieces of Flesh were scattered everywhere on and around The Deity.
Worms and Flies swarmed Everywhere making buzzing sounds, as stinking odors pervaded the Place,
desecrating The Hallowed Spot.
Overtaken by Great Sorrow,
The Brahmana broke out, cursing Himself and The Offenders,

“Woe unto Me!
What Offence have I committed to Witness This Gruesome
and Pitiable Sight?
Certainly, It is the Mindless Adventures of The Tribal Wretches.
Hell Shall Be Their Lot!”

He fell on the ground and wailed aloud for a long time.
Once the Fit of Fury subsided,
He set out to clean The Lingam and premises.
Then He took a bath and bathed The Lingam according to The Rites of Purification, to the chanting of appropriate mantras.
Thus,
completing the Punyahavachana,
He accomplished The Daily Worship of The Lord with Flowers and
Other ingredients, and returned Home.

Not Long After,
Dhira returned from the Hunt and pleaded forgiveness
with The Lord for Undue Delay.
As before,
He removed The Floral and Other Offerings from The Lingam,
bathed It with The Water from His Mouth-receptacle,
adorned It with Flowers and offered Food,
which
The Lord consumed avidly.

Six Days passed thus for Dhira in The Lord’s Service.
Priest Shivakosha too, for His part, continued His worship after
according The Purificatory Rites each Day.

One Day
Naga, The Tribal Chief and Dhira’s Father,
set out on The arduous Journey to The Hill to reclaim His Son,
Who according to Him was “Possessed” by The Forest Spirit.
Accompanied by a Person well-versed in Medicine, He met His Son.
But
However much He tried to persuade Him,
Dhira could not be talked into returning to The Earlier Life of the ‘Senses’.

Heartbroken, The Chief turned Homeward.

Now, Who could see through the Heart of the Hunter,
where from the Perennial Fount of Joyous Love that knew no
guile or reservation, welled up causing a deluge,
in which all rules of Conformity and Etiquette were washed out?
For Dhira, Lord Shiva Alone mattered or Existed.
All else had no being apart from Him.
Whatever He did was for Shiva, In Shiva, and In Fact was Itself Shiva.
His Mind soared High above These explanations to reach, where SHIVAM reigned Supreme and Alone.
Therefore,
The Food offered by Him after tasting it, was to The Lord,
far Superior to the sanctified Food -- Purodasha - obtained in The Yagnas.
All The Golden Flowers of The Celestial Kalpa Tree were no match to even a single Petal of Flower of His Love.
The Water He spat on The Lingam was like The saliva of a New Borne Baby, and was more Sacred than The Ganges.
Would Otherwise Lord Shiva,
Who was said to be Rasa -- Their Essence (raso vai sah: He is The Essence -- vide Taittiriya Upanishad) -- care for The taste of Delicacies?
What would He have to do with Flowers that would wither away,
Himself being The Full-Blown Jnana Lotus that was Untouched by Time?
Would He-The One ever need a Bath That One Who wore The All-cleansing Ganga on His Crest?
For Lord Shiva, Dhira’s Pure Love that surged from His Guileless Heart Alone mattered.
The Rest Were Mere Trivialities.
Shivakosha, Whose Devotion was yet to ripen,
was gravely troubled by the Offbeat Approach of The ‘Raw’ Hunter.

One Day as He returned to The Lord’s abode,
The Usual Ghastly Sight and Scene confronted Him.

His Last Stock of Serenity was Now fully Exhausted.

Beating His Breast He set Up a Loud Wail,

“Ahhhhh, This Hallowed Abode has been converted into a Despicable Slaughter House.
The Culprits surely a Sinful Wretch and Should be Cast Into Hell!
O My Lord!
How could You put up with This Gruesome Ritual and Let The criminal
walk away?
Have You Not punished The Offenders Manmatha, Yama and The Evil Tripurasuras Before?
I’d rather end My Life than remain a Shameless Witness to This Grave Desecration.”

Lamenting thus,
He brushed aside the “Untouchable” matter and undertook The Purificatory Routine,
performed with a Sullen Heart the daily Abhishekam, to
the chanting of the ‘Shata Rudriyam’,
and left the premises indignantly.
Unable to eat even a single bite,
He lay down in helplessness.

The Compassionate Lord appeared to Him in a dream
and to set His Sight aright,
spoke Thus,

“The Hunter Who is a Novice into Our Love-Fold Defies All Standards
Of Devotion.
The Purity of His Adoration is Matchless Which Alone matters to Us.
I Must Warn You,
Those Who Hate Him reap My Wrath!
Should You need to see Depth of His Fondness For us,
Stay and Hide behind a Bush and watch The Proceedings Tomorrow.”

Shivakosha woke up in a jolt
and was overcome with Awe and Surprise.*
( aside,”Shivakosha got Darshan in His sleep and doesn’t even realize It!”)
The Lord’s words were hard to assimilate.
The Night became too Long to Pass,
with His Longing swelling up
to see The Evasive Hunter who had robbed The Lord’s Heart.

He set out well before dawn and reached The Mount
by which Time Dhira had already gone.
After completing His Duties,
He ascended a nearby Tree and sat behind Its Thick Foliage,
Anxiously awaiting The Stranger.

It was indeed a long Wait.

Noon passed when The Huntsman appeared in His Awe-some
inspiring Form.
Carrying His Hunting equipment on One Shoulder,
Floral Bunches in The Locks and Flesh in His Hands,
He walked anxiously towards The Lingam.
Gently emptying the Contents in His Mouth,
He washed The Lingam and sprinkled Flowers over It.
Then, offering The Juicy Pieces of Roasted Flesh in the Lotus Leaf Receptacle,
He pleaded The Lord to eat.
But Alas!
There was NO response from His Beloved.
Dhira’s repeated ministrations caused No Effect.

The He wondered,

“Could It be because I had tarried much to arrive Here/
But, It was only because I had to wander long for a tender calf for My Lord’s Meal.”

Saying This to Himself, He moved closer to The Lord’s Form on which
He saw tears of Blood trickling from The Left Eye.
Dhira, shocked at the Ghastly Sight, fainted and fell down unconscious.

After awhile,
He regained His senses and wailing aloud,
thought of an immediate Remedy.
However much He tried to wipe out The Blood,
The Flow would not stop.

“Surely, It must have been an attack of the Elephant or a Stag or a Hog,”
He thought,
“Or, It could have been The Sinful Deed of The Wicked Priest,”
He suspected.
Then,
as if something Flashed in His Mind,
He sped into The nearby Bushes and returned with Twigs of The Herb Vishalyakarani.
He applied Its juice to The Sore Eye.
The Herb, a proven panacea, proved ineffective in the Case of The Lord, who is Himself The Supreme Medicine for Illness of The World.
Dhira was perplexed.
His senses and mind turned Numb and His Heart was gripped with Consternation.
At Last, He recollected The Age Old Adage -
‘An Eye for an Eye’ - and adapted It to the Present Situation,
only in a different way!
Without a second thought,
He removed His Left Eye with The Sharp Edge of His Arrow,
Not even uttering a moan,
and then He fixed It on The Troubled Eye of The Lingam.

Lo and Behold! The Bleeding stopped ! It worked!

Dhira could not believe His Single ‘Eye”

Relieved at This,
He resumed to feed The Lord,
But Now,
The Right Eye started oozing Blood.
Dhira was shocked and bemoaned with Grief. but soon recovered
and reasoned,

The Eye needs to be healed at Once, too.”

No problem!
The Remedy was at hand.
He attempted to remove His remaining other Eye,
when it occurred to Him that without His Second Eye
He would not be able to locate The Lord’s Second Sore Eye.

As He reasoned thus, He hit upon an idea.
He placed His Toes just below The Troubled Eye
and was about to dig out His Last remaining Eye.
Then,
The Lord, Who now appeared in the Place of The lingam said,
“Stop, Dhira!”
and held His hand tight.
Soon,
Dhira saw Himself in the Tight Lock and Embrace of The Lord’s Arms.
His Whole Frame trembled with Horripilation.
There was a sudden downpour of Fragrant Blossoms.
The Lord graced The Hunter with His Glorious Form seated on The Bull Mount,
along with Uma - Our Mother,
and Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanyam.

Hosts from Kailasa sang praises aloud.
The Brahmana Priest, too, was vouchsafed This Rare Darshan
and became Purified thereby.

Dhira fell prostrate to The Lord and then as He stood up,
He was Shining with not Two
but Three Eyes like Our Lord!
He was bestowed The Sarupya --of The Lord’s Form --
One of The Four Types of Liberation and a Permanent Residence in Kailasa!

------end of NARRATIVE 29,


Narrative 26: DHIRA THE TRIBAL DEVOTEE

Shri Agastya states and narrates,

“Those Who cultivate Devotion to Lord Shiva,
Who is The Sun to the darkness of misery, have no fear of The World.

Compared to Pure Devotion -- Caste, Scholarship, Sacrifices, Penance, Ceremonious Worship, Pilgrimages, ETC are NOT as Efficacious.

O Pious Souls!
A Devotee belonging to a Ruthless Jungle Tribe
offered the Forbidden Animal Flesh as Food and His Eye as a Gift,
and attained Salvation.”


Rishis said,
“It is incredible that a Tribesman should cultivate devotion at All.
How did he dare offer such things unheard of, to The Lord?
Pray narrate This to Us!”

Shri Agastya states and narrates,

“The River Swarnamukhi flowed by Kanchipuram,
the celebrated Shaivite Centre of Great Eminence.
There was an Elephant-shaped Mount on Its Bank called Venugiri.
The Hill had an abundance of flora and fauna of great diversity and various mineral valued for cosmetics and Ayurveda Medicine.
Bamboo shoots kissed the Skies, as it were,
Their tips going beyond the Monsoon Clouds.
Kunda Mandara, karavira, traveler’s palm, palmyra, coconut, deodar – to mention a few – flourished, forming a dense canopy above, letting only the soft sun rays through.

It was a proud habitat of some hardworking, ruthless Clans of Tribes.
The Males with Shining-dark Physiques hunted relentlessly and fiercely as They chased the beasts with shouts of, “ATTACK!”, “SHOOT!!!”, “KILL”, etc.
Killing seemed to be Their Birthright and Sport.
Maidens Who roamed like Lionesses, collected heaps of Pearls emerging from nodes of Bamboo Leaves, Crowns of Wild Elephants and Sharp Tusks of the Wild Boar.
They made Garlands with an assortment of Rubies and other Gems obtained from the Mountains.

Tiger Claws and Tusks of Wild Boar dangled from the Necks and Waists of Their Children; Their Bodies robust and naked,
as They tethered Elephant Calves with creepers in Sport.
They used Lion’s Hair to make twine
and wore them as wristbands and necklaces around Their Necks.
Hounds and wild Boars were Their playmates.

Their Precincts had plenty of food,
such as fowl, pigeon, peacock,
goose and parrot, besides those from the wild -- stag, rabbit, buffalo, etc.
The leftovers which formed hills,
were swarmed by insects and flies, and emitted a foul odor.
The remnant Skins of the slaughtered Beasts
were then cured, dried and made into garments for the Adults.
Their One Theme of Life seemed to be,
“Kill and Live” or, in other words,
“Live and Let Die.”

The Chieftain of the Main Camp, named Godhapuram,
was the Powerful “Naga”.
He amassed wealth by means of taxes from the Neighboring Camps
in the form of food, grains, gems, cosmetics, etc.
His Wife Datta,
hailed from another powerful yet noble clan of hunters.

Amidst the unending resources,
Naga shone with Datta, like a King Elephant and rejoiced like a Sage experiencing unearthly Bliss, however --
Datta had no issue for a long time,
which was the Mark of Womanhood at that time.
Also, being the First Lady of the Camp, She was often weighed down heavily by this great lacuna. Despite Naga’s efforts to cheer Her up with gifts and encouraging words, Her sorrow only waxed.
She would not use proper wear and eat proper food.
Often,
She would not care to dress Her hair and bath in scented waters.
Naga made consultations with His confidants, who advised Him to
approach the Yogini Priestess, living in a secluded thatched shed on the outskirts.

Naga ordered for prompt arrangements, and on as auspicious day went up to the Prophetess along with His Wife.
The Couple offered Her Gifts in abundance,
such as the sacred priyangu, vessels full of honey and solid ghee, and
many other valuables.
Praying to Her in Their Minds, They awaited Her Benediction.
After a while,
The Inspired Yogini made Her appearance at Her Doorway and
Blessed the Tribal Queen with a Pearl Garland, a Gem-studded “Naga” scepter and sanctified Leather Robes.
Overcome by a wave of horripilation,
Datta made her feelings heard to others,
“Our Valli with Her Consort Kumara Deva (Lord Subramanya-Murugan-Skanda) is Bountiful to Us.”
A Rare Blessing Indeed!”
Birds sang in approval from the trees.
At This Auspicious Sign,
Naga promised to bathe The Fertility Goddess Valli with huge quantities of Pearls. He further prayed to the Soothsayer to instruct Them on a full-fledged course for propitiating the Bounteous Deities.
She replied,
“Let Your Chaste Partner approach Me again in Solitude
and Practice My teaching for One Year
to obtain Blessings in the Fullest Measure.”

Prompted by Her Husband,
Queen Datta returned Alone to The Yogini Mata, who was to drench the Queen with Overflowing Grace.
Touching the Sacred Ashes (Vibhuti) to Datta,
The Yogini initiated The Stately Disciple into a Prayer to Valli Devi
as follows:
“O Gracious Mother
You remove the Grievances of Your Servants.
You provide Them with Boons in Abundance,
O Noble Consort of Skanda.”
Datta repeated This Prayer for 3 months, relinquishing meat and liquor.
As to still there were no signs of conception in Her,
She was initiated into a Lord Skanda Mantra:
“The Darling Son of Parvati,
The Stealer of Valli’s Heart
and having a Peacock Mount,
That Guha,
I beseech For Children.”
Datta repeated This Mantra with Complete Faith for 7 Days.
She had a vision at Night of A Brilliance of the Full Moon in Her Lap,
which soon filled Her Chamber.
The Priestess was pleased to hear This, but quickly instructed and warned Her to keep quiet and to keep the news to Herself.
Within a month She was pregnant.

Finally, everyone heard the grand news.
Naga offered the Pearls He vowed to The Priestess.
At an Auspicious Hour,
Queen Datta gave birth to a Baby Boy, to the Great Joy of One and All.
Gifts poured in from within and without the Hamlet.
And Naga, made a Grand Celebration for the Occasion.

A Celestial Voice Declared,
“This Boy Will Excel Narayana In Fame By Offering His Eyes to The Lord” ( While Narayana offered One Eye to Lord Shiva, This Boy, in the future, would offer Both Eyes).

The Babe shone like a dark Monsoon Cloud illumined by Lightning.
The Lines on His Body foretold of a Great Stature -- physical and beyond.
So He was named “Dhira” - “The Spirited”.

With ever-increasing jubilation, The Parents performed appropriate rites for The Boy at each Season. In great wonder They watched Him grow day-by-day and brimmed with ecstatic joy. His movements were a treat to Their Eyes, each cry a feast to ears.
Once He was able to make articulate sounds,
His Father avidly taught Him the 3 R’s of The Wild --
“Raid”, “Rack” and “Ravage”.

Soon,
The Child tottered out to play with Tots of His age on Mud Mounds and among the Pet hounds and Calves.
Naga lost Himself at such sights and would even forget food and drink.
Once He attained Youth,
Dhira dared out into The Deep Wilderness.
He could tame Wild Cats, Dogs, Hogs, Bears, Elephants and even Lions.
A couple of Wild Hounds, nurtured by Him, always followed Him like Shadows and kept watch and guard over Him.

Each Day,
with Love and Reverance, He visited Yogini Mata.
She would offer Him Sacred Ash - Vibhuti and Bless Him saying,

“May You live Long By The Grace of Valli Devi and Lord Subramanya!”


Narrative 27: DHIRA’S HOLY DIP IN SWARNAMUKHI

Shri Agastya states and narrates,

"As Dhira turned twelve,
the Proud Father fixed as Auspicious Day for His Formal Initiation into the Art of Weaponry.
In response to His Invitation, Tribal People of various sects from the Himalayas, the Sumeru, the Nishadha, the Gandhamadhana, the Vindhya, the Mahendra, the Malaya, the Trikuta, and the Shri Shailam Mountains arrived at Venugiri. The Mount became submerged in a Sea of People sporting colorful attire. Naga’s hosts served Them delectable Foods and Liquor.

On the Appointed Day, Dhira was seated facing East,
on High Seat covered with Tiger Skin.
Then in a ceremonial gesture,
Naga handed His Dagger -- the Sign Sovereignty -- over to Dhira.
Sounds of approval penetrated the thick jungle, setting the Wild Beasts on a hasty retreat.
The Youth -- a gift from the Youthful Lord Kumara -- was then given a specially made bow and arrow and asked to hit the target -- a piglet tethered to a distant tree.
Dhira, like a seasoned bowman aimed the arrow at the target
and hit the animal in one stroke.
The Crowds set up loud shouts of applause for a long time and rained flowers on The Worthy Prince. The ecstatic Naga clasped Him and smelt His Crown many a time.
Cheer Girls danced in jubilation, uttering words,
“Ulu, ulu” in praise of Their coveted Chief in the making.

Naga accorded Ceremonial Worship to The Visitors from near and afar; and doled out Valuable Gifts. After partaking of a sumptuous dinner,
The Guests fully satisfied, took leave of the ageing chief and His Son, to return to Their Respective Lands.

Thereafter, Dhira started learning from an Expert Teacher the crafts of The Jungle -- hunting, warfare, sports and administration.
In a short time,
He grew up to everyone’s expectations and even excelled that.
His Mind became a harsh ground for any seed of fear to sprout.
Dawn to Dusk He roamed in The Woods, remembered every inch and detail of His dominion, and identified the Hideouts of Wild Beasts, along with Their distinguishing odors and foot prints, with a keen intellect.
In these matters, He excelled all His Comrades and became Their Master and object of adoration.
Among Them, Gadha and Nanu, the Two Sons of Dhira’s Teacher
became His Closest Friends and followed Him like a shadow.
In this manner, 5 years lapsed in no time.

Once, The Residents of the Southern Quarter of Venugiri, approached Naga, Their Chief.
They complained about attacks from Man-eaters and sought immediate intervention.
Naga replied solemnly,

“Age has taken its toll and my senses fail me of late. You better take care of the problem Yourself or You can take the help of Our Bowmen.

Upon this They said,

“Bear with Us Sire, but We daresay that Your Son,
Our Prince, alone can be worthy to replace You.
Permit Us to have Him as The Leader of Our Campaigns hereafter.”

Overjoyed at These Words, Naga readily gave His Consent.

Dhira, with the Ceremonious Hunting Dress, shone like Turquoise, and
dashed off like an Arrow released from Its Bow.
Followed by Hosts of Men and tamed Hounds,
He pushed deep into the dense interiors of The Wilderness,
Loud Shouts of Hunting Jargon echoed in the Valley,
arousing The Beasts from Their Hideouts. The riotous commotion set up by the shouts and the sounds of drums made the game flee helter-skelter.
Dhira’s Hosts started hitting small animals with long sticks, spears and venom-tipped shafts, while Dhira Himself targeted The Wild Animals like Lions, Tigers and Leopards.
Once a Big Game was subdued,
a Wild Boar caught Dhira’s fancy and He went chasing it.
Now appearing and now vanishing, It disappeared from His Sight, taking Him far away from His kinsmen.
Dhira, forgetting the very purpose for which He had set out, ran avidly after It like Shri Rama after The Illusory Golden Deer of Yore.
Crossing familiar Terrain He entered a hitherto Untrodden Land.
Soon His Two Bosom Friends, Gadha and Nanu caught up with Him. After much pursuing, The Wild Boar could not run further.
Dhira now took out His Sword and killed The Boar tearing it to pieces.
His Friends praised Him for the extraordinary valor shown by Him.
Now Dhira was completely exhausted.

Gadha said with a pant,
“Not far away There is a Great Hill frequented by Celestials and hence, Forbidden by Humans.
The Sacred River Swanamuhki flows encircling it.
It is full of Fragrant Flowers and Tasty Fish.
One plunge into The Waters will put an end to Our Exhaustion and quench Our thirst.
It is familiar to Me”
Dhira bade Him to watch out for the Black Buck and proceeded with Nanu in the direction of The River.
A number of Auspicious Signs appeared as He travelled forth.
Soon, They came face to face with a Magnificent Mount and saw The Sacred Swarnamukhi rushing forward as Rapids, and at some places falling off Steep Cliffs into The Valley below.
The very sight of it refreshed Dhira, and His mind soared to Lofty Heights.
Rivers were said to be The Divine-In-Motion. The Swarnamukhi was sanctified all the more by the proximity of Shri Kalahastishwara Lingam on the Mountain nearby and by the immersion of dried flowers, etc used for His Worship.
Countless Munis engaged in Penance in The Area, and underwent Ceremonial Baths twice a day in Its purifying Waters.
Its Banks were covered thick by cloud-kissing Trees which were veritable habitats for a diverse variety OF Birds like Sparrows, Pigeons, Parrots, Pelicans, Eagles and Vultures that embellished the Ubiquitous silence with Their Songs.
Aquatic forms, like Fish, Tortoise, and Beavers became drunk with The Cool Waters, ever gamboling with the Lilies and Lotuses, chasing away the Honey Bees thereon.
While the Male Swans nibbled the soft Lotus stalks, Females watched Them with avidity.
The Shallow Waters were darkened by the dissolved kasturi unguent from the bodies Of Celestial Damsels and by the Secretions of the Rutting Elephants.
Pearls released from the Crowns of Elephants, torn apart by Lions, were scattered over the Shore, where the Deer grazed on the tender Foliage.
For the Poet’s Eye,
The River Swarnamukhi in All its grandeur
appeared as a Female Celebrity,
with the Full Bloom of the Lotuses as Her Fair-glowing Face,
the Long Mossy Tendrils as Her Silky Front Locks,
the Blues Water-Lilies like Her Eyes,
the Eddies as Her deep Belly-Button,
the Sand Dunes Her Girdle, the Surf Her Sari,
the undulating Waves Her Slender Limbs,
the sounds of Birds and the Aquarian Life as the Tinkling Anklets.

The Romping Dame, Swarnamukhi, gushed rushing forth to mingle with The Ocean, Her Husband.

Now Her Tribal Child - Dhira,
splashed in Her sanctifying waters with overflowing gaiety.
His Body was soothed, mind purified and heart sanctified by
the Hallowed Waters of The Swarnamukhi River.”


Narrative 28: DHIRA WORSHIPS SHRI KALAHASTISHWARA

some youtube videos with kalahasti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEwnPAdYZx4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ759KQGAnc&feature=channel

Shri Agastya said and narrated,

“After the Soul-refreshing bath, Dhira sauntered along The River Bank under the gigantic Trees. He assuaged His hunger with ripened, juicy fruit, which He shared with His Friends.
As They walked forth, soft and elevating sounds of vina and other instruments played by Celestial Musicians touched Their Hearts. Peacocks danced in joy. Plants shone with a new glow and tossed Their Crowns in glee.
All of Nature was transported to lofty spiritual Heights, as it were.
As Dhira wondered and looked in askance at His Friend,
Gadha replied,
“I heard These Sounds in My earlier visit. Some Deity is said to be there receiving services from Devotees.”
At these words,
Dhira was gripped by a deep longing to visit The Place.

Soon They were on Their way to climb The Hill.
A rugged pathway went up the Steep Slope of the Hill,
filled with shiny pearls scattered from the Bamboo shoots growing on the sides.
As They reached the pinnacle,
Dark Clouds kissed Them a welcome.
There was a large flat space surrounded by Tall Trees,
drooping with the heaviness of fruits.
Beings of mutual enmity coexisted There in amity.
A sublime Peace and Sanctity,
surpassing All understanding, permeated The Atmosphere.
Suddenly,
a hissing sound was heard and as Dhira looked in that Direction,
He saw an eminent Shiva Lingam facing West, situated under a Bilva Tree loaded with Fruit.
By Its very Hallowed Sight, Dhira’s sins, accumulated over countless lives vanished and He turned over a New Leaf. A serene feeling that allowed no description possessed Him.

The Lingam was resplendent with the Brilliance of A Million Suns
and the Coolness of A Million Moons.
Signs of a recent worship were evident.
Fragrant Flowers from The Wilderness, Unbroken Rice Grains, Black Sesame Seeds, and Sacred Darbha Grass were seen on
and around the Lingam.
An Odor, characteristic of Elephant Secretions, was in the Air.
Magical Germs laid by Serpents added to The Aura, and The Skins shed by Them appeared like Silk Robes that Inspire Awe.
The Musk Deer, too left a Fragrant Trail of Its secret Rendezvous.

The Lingam was famed as Shri Kalahastishwara,
owing The Name to a Spider, an Elephant and a Snake, which were Blessed by The Lord, of Yore.
Dhira, as if pulled by a great force,
ran up to The Lingam,
went around it and fell in front of it in Prostration.
With Hands clasped tight,
He stood on His Knees,
His Eyes raining tears,
as His attention was firmly fixed on The Lord’s Glorious Form.
Overcome with Waves of Horripilation,
He murmured,

“Save Me, Save Me!”

Then He clasped The Image in the tight lock of His Broad Shoulders.
At that instant, His Filial Bond with The Lord,
spreading over innumerable Lives, reflected in His Purified Mind.
Seeing the Time He had spent so far as futile,
He resolved to dedicate His Life henceforth to The Lord’s Service.
Then,
It occurred to Him that He should worship The Deity with
Fresh Flowers and Offerings, and He started picking Floral bunches from the nearby Trees.
Gadha, who was already shocked at His Strange Behavior,
enquired rather suspiciously,

“What are You doing?
Don’t You feel the urge to return Home and make Your Parents and Pothers Happy?
You are entrusted with Lofty Responsibilities
and Everyone looks up to You for Their Fulfillment.”

But None of These Words could stir Dhira.
He made it clear that His moorings being here, as revealed by The Lord, The question of leaving the place on any account would not arise,
no matter what!
Nonplussed at His Firm Determination,
Gadha was forced to leave Him and return to The Hamlet Alone.

The Aged Parent were shocked in disbelief at the unprecedented turn of events in Their Son’s debut hunting venture and
dispatched a batch of Confidants to persuade Him to return.
The Group soon reached Dhira’s new Habitat and
What They Saw was truly Appalling.

Dhira, Their Master, The Ruthless and Celebrated Marksman, appeared in a State of Complete ‘Derangement”,
characteristic of a Saintly Person.
His Long Wavy Locks were packed and tied into a Mound On His Crown -- The Jatamukutam.
Forsaking All His Jewelry and Flashy Robes,
He covered His Body with The Bare Minimum.
With All His Attention resolved into One Ideal, i,e., Serving The Lord,
He was unaware of anything else.

Collecting Wild Flowers and Bilva Leaves He carefully adorned the Shivalingam.
Then,
He offered Ripe Fruit and Later, partook of It as Prasadam -- sanctified Food.
After The Comrades made repeated requests for His returning to Their Village,
He responded with Profound Detachment and Even Scorn.
Their Warnings of a possible Heartbreak leading to
even Death of His Parents if He delayed,
brought no change in His Posture.
He even remarked,
“I’ve incurred enough loss already by staying away from The Lord.”
The Delegates were forced to depart in despair.

The interruptions gone,
Dhira embraced the Lingam and pleaded forgiveness for His Shortcomings.
He petitioned,
“Lord of The Universe, How d id You chance to abide Here in All loneliness.
Caring not for Attention of any sort, You appeared here For My Sake.
Pray make it impossible for Me to leave You under any circumstances.
Let Me be Your Bonded Slave Forever.
Do bear with My Faults and Imperfections and lead Me Unto You.
Pray accept My Services.
In Truth, What is There that I can do for You, except joining My Palms?”

With Great Effort,
He separated Himself from the Lord and after coming out of the Trance,
He proceeded to clean up the premises, removing entwined Creepers,
Thorny Bushes and Harmful creatures.
Later,
He went into the nearby Woods and hunted Tender-fleshed Animals
like Baby Deer, Rabbits, and Calves.
He roasted pieces of Their Selected Parts in a Bonfire and
carefully collected Them into a Leaf Receptacle.
For want of A Pouring Urn,
He filled His Mouth with Ambrosial Water
from a Perennial Spring of Water for Bathing The Lord.
Then,
He picked Floral Bunches of Rainbow Hues and Wild Scents, and bound Them to His Jatamukutam with a Headband.
With These Things gathered,
He returned to His Lord.
He removed the Dried Flowers and
Other Materials from The Lingam with His Foot still wearing
a Leather Sandal.
Spraying out The Water in a Fine Jet from His Mouth,
He bathed The Lingam and
adorned It with The Flowers carried on His Head.”