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Maheshwar Khanda

Once Sage Lomash ji reached Nemisharanya where a large group of the saints and seers had assembled. On their request, Lomash ji narrated the following story concerning Shiv’s first wife, Sati.

Daksha’s Pride Humbled and His Daughter Sati’s Sacrifice

Once Daksha Prajapati was not shown due respect by his son-in-law, Lord Shiv, which rambled the Prajapati’s heart. He cursed Shiv: Henceforth you shall not be counted as the god deserving a share in the Yagya. Whereupon Shiv’s mount, Nandi also cast a counter curse All those who support you (Dasha) shall never be prosperous. Although Nandi was pacified by Shiv’s counseling, Daksha began to nurse an ill-will for Shiv. He had attained the position of the Progenitor (Prajapati) and was feeling quite elated. In that pride he decided to hold a Yagya at Kankhala (near Haridwar) in which he invited all the gods except Shankar (Lord Shiv).

When the Gods and saints began to assemble at the venue, the great sage Dadheechi, who was a vowed Shiv devotee raised objection for not inviting Lord Shiv. But Daksha chose to ignore him. Dadheechi with some other sages decided to boycott the Yagya. When they left, Daksha didn’t even ask them to stay. On the contrary, he said: Now we will have this Yagya peacefully conducted.

Meanwhile, unperturbed by all these happenings, Lord Shiv was calmly meditating at his abode in Kailash. He didn’t tell his wife Sati about his having any tiff with Daksha, his father-in-law. One day Sati saw a series of Vimanas (aerial vehicles) flying towards Kankhala. When she asked her assistant Vijaya, she learnt about the huge yagya her father was organizing at his native place.

It is surprising that he didn’t extend any invitation to us. After all, I am her daughter and my husband is a god of high stature, without whose presence no yagya can be completed. Why has he not invited us at all?

But Shiv was still unconcerned. At last Sati expressed her desire to go to attend the yagya at her native place, but Shiv advised: Of course, one can always go to one’s father’s place, but going there at a special occasion is not proper. It appears he is in anger towards me, he has decided to neglect you as well.

Yet despite this advice, Sati couldn’t restrain herself from going to her father’s place. When she invited Shiv asked his few henchpersons including Nandi to escort her to Daksha’s Yagya at Kanakhala.

As Sati reached their, she found only her mother welcoming her. Neither her father nor her sisters talked to her in a pleasing tone. On the contrary, they passed taunting remarks at her uninvited welcome. While Sati was going through this deliberate contempt and derision to her and her husband, when she reached near the altar of the Yagya, she was shocked to find nothing reserved for her husband - neither any share to be given to Lord Shiv, nor any place. Now Sati was extremely angry at her father: How can anyone be so contemptuous to the great Lord Shiv? And he is none else but by own father. Fire upon me, for having been born to this world from his seed! I must get rid of this vile body! And saying so, she became so charged that fire broke out from within. She jumped into that altar and that Yagya was stopped.

Sati’s self-immolation caused a great disturbance. Nandi and other henchmen of Lord Shiv began to devastate the Yagya with vengeance. Even all the great Gods including Lord Vishnu was present, none could dare to stop the harsh devotees of Lord Shiv. Bhrigu, the chief priest was severely beaten. Then a heavenly voice boomed there: Anyone disrespecting Lord Shiv is not entitled for holding any Yagya. Hence Daksha must suffer. This Yagya won’t be completed till Lord Shiv is pacified and given his due share and position.

Meanwhile, Sage Narada informed Lord Shiv about these happenings. Shiv became mad in rage. In anger, he plucked a lock from his head and dashed it on to the ground. As the lock of hair touched the ground a deadly figure called Veerabhadra emerged out from it. Lord Shiv ordered Veerabhadra to attack Daksha’s Yagya and destroyed it. With a huge army he led the expedition to wreak havoc at Daksha’s place. Veerabhadra, creating an army from the pores of his skin, went to the venue, broke the sacrificial vessels, insulted the priests, broke Yama’s staff, trod on Indra and cut off Daksha’s head. The gods fled in terror. Even Vishnu refused to provide them any relief for they had participated in the insult of such a great deity as Lord Shiv.

Following this grand victory Veerabhadra reached back Kailash proclaiming Lord Shiv’s triumph over the progenitor. Lord Shiv got delighted at his achieving success against all odds. After Veerabhadra’s return Shiv went to the Yagya-shala to see what Veerabhadra had done. Discerning Lord Shiv’s foul mood Brahma rushed to Vishnu who held everyone who didn’t make Daksha offer the due share to Shiv responsible for this devastation. Vishnu advised all to seek shelter of only Lord Shiv in a way of repentance for the misdeeds they had committed. Then Vishnu and Brahma led the delegation of all gods to Lord Shiv and all laid prostrate in abject adoration. Shiv was duly propitiated and said: the guilty cannot go unpunished. Even then I am satisfied with the gods’ apology. Soon Daksha [beheaded during the devastation] would have a goat’s head on his shoulders. Bhrigu will observe the whole world through the eyes of the sun. Poosha would have his teeth again grown properly so that he may chew his due yagya-share henceforward. Bhrigu would also have his heard as before and all the gods and saints would get back their lost body-parts.

Revived to life Daksha looked at Lord Shiv with much remorse. Then bowing in obeisance he began to hymn Lord Shiv. Lord Shiv gave him the true knowledge which made him supremely wise.

The glory of the Linga and Brahma’s Perjury

Now the assembled sages requested Lomash ji to tell them about the glories of the Lingas, the universal symbol of Lord Shiv and the great narrator told the following story.

Following Sati’s death, Lord Shiv was so woebegone that unmindful of his body he used to wander naked in the Daruvara. Once the sages’ wives happened to reach the Daruvara at noon time and they were amazed to see him totally uncovered. Out of sheer sympathy they gave him much alms and asked him as to why did he roam about this way. Shiv told that owing to the separation pangs that he suffered due to his wife’s death, he was so woebegone. As he left, the sages’ wives followed him out of sheer curiosity and sympathy. "

But when the sages returned they found their wives absent. They learnt the details and went to Lord Shiv to ask. How could you take away our wives when you say you have renounced this material world? But the woebegone Shiv just kept quiet. Then enraged at this in difference, the sages cursed him to have his body broken in parts. This curse materialized in the form of his organ falling on to the ground. But as it felt, it began to grow in size with tremendous speed. In no time, it covered all the realms below the earth and then it became as high as the entire sky and the space. Now the sages were amazed and they were curious of knowing its end or beginning point as it appeared permeating the whole universe. They asked about it to Brahma and Vishnu who also amazed themselves in measuring its size. Having failed to know its end point, Brahma went below. While going down Brahma reached the bottom of the universe but still the organ’s end was nowhere in the sight. But there happened to be a Ketaki (Pandamus) flower plant. In order to claim the false knowledge of the organ’s end, Brahma plucked a Ketaki