The Chandali's Good Destination

The rishis said

Suta, very fortunate, Shiva's supreme devotee, you spoke of the chandali's account. Please tell it to us.

Suta replied

Brahmanas, listen with virtuous devotion to this supreme and wonderful account. It is about Shiva's powers and increases the devotion of those who listen. In her former life the chandali was a brahmana's daughter named Soumini, with a face like the moon and all the auspicious marks. Brahmanas, when his daughter reached the prime of youth, her father bestowed Soumini by the norms on a brahmana's son. Best of brahmanas, having a husband, as she was in her youth she followed worthy conduct for some time and enjoyed herself with him. But then, though young, the brahmana who was Soumini's husband fell ill. By destiny he died. When her husband died the woman was dejected and grieved much in her mind. For a while she followed auspicious conduct, staying in the house with good behaviour. But after that, though a widow, her heart was pierced by Manmatha. She was young and took to sexual transgression. Those of her gotra learned of her evil conduct, which defiled the line. They seized her by the hair, took her a long distance away and left her. A good shudra was there and saw her roaming as she pleased. Seeing her in the forest, he took her to his house and made her his wife. She constantly ate meat and drank liquor. She loved union and had a daughter by that shudra. Once her husband had gone elsewhere. Soumini, who broke the norms of conduct, wished to drink and eat meat. Outside in the pen sheep were tethered along with the cows. It was the start of the night, with blinding darkness. Taking a sword she went out. Addicted to meat and forgetting herself in intoxication, she killed a calf, taking it for a sheep. The unfortunate woman did not even think of it. Having killed it, she brought it home and realized it was a calf. Scared, because of some earlier good merit, she cried out, "Shiva! O Shiva!" For one muhurta she meditated on Shiva. But the desire to eat meat remained. She cut up the calf and had her desired food. Brahmanas, a long time passed.

Coming under the sway of time, Soumini went to Yama's eternal abode. Yama considered dharma and the deeds she had done earlier. He took her out of hell and made her be born in a family of chandalas. She was thrown out of Yama's city and born in a chandali's womb. She was born blind, her colour like coal when the fire has died. Not only was she born blind, but while still a child her father and mother died. She was not married to anyone. The wretch also suffered badly from leprosy. Dejected, suffering from hunger, blind, she wandered with a staff in her hand. She fed her hunger on lumps of leftovers left by chandalas. So she spent most of her life in great hardship. Old age seized all her limbs and her miseries were unbearable. Once the chandali learned that great people were going to Gokarna because Shiva's tithi was near. Wanting clothes, food and water, she slowly wandered among those great people, begging. The chandali went there and begged from them. She wandered here and there, saying wretched words and stretching out her hands for alms. As she stretched out her hands, a virtuous traveller threw a bunch of bilva leaves into them. When the leaves fell into her hands, she felt them over and over and decided they were not edible. Miserable, she threw them far away. Thrown from her hand in the night, that clump of bilva leaves landed on top of a Shiva lingam. It was the night of Shiva's fourteenth. Though she begged the travellers again and again, by destiny she got nothing. So without knowing it she kept the bright vow of Shiva's fourteenth, which gives great bliss, and stayed awake all night. In the morning, in great misery and dejection, the woman gradually returned toward her own region. She was tired from the long fast and fell at every step. Somehow she crossed that distance but then fell down unconscious. By Shambhu's compassion she gained a supreme destination. On an excellent celestial car she was quickly taken there by Shiva's ganas. At the start, without intending to, the woman had spoken Shiva's name. Brahmanas, by that good deed she reached the divine spot of Mahabala. On Shiva's tithi she fasted at Shri Gokarna and, staying awake in the night, worshipped Shiva by offering bilva leaves on Shiva's head. Though she did this unwittingly, she gained the fruit of that good deed and enjoyed it by Mahabala's favour. Such is Shankara's great lingam of Mahabala. It destroys all sins and gives supreme bliss at once. Brahmanas, so I have told you the supreme greatness of Shiva's excellent lingam known as Mahabala. I will tell you some other things about its wonderful greatness. As soon as one hears of it, one quickly gains devotion to Shiva.