Sudeha and Sudharma

Suta said

Next is the jyotirlinga called Ghushmesha. Supreme rishis, hear its excellent greatness. In the south stands the supreme mountain Devagiri, always lovely, radiant and wonderful to see. Near it lived a brahmana called Sudharma, of the Bharadvaja line, supreme among those who know the brahman. His beloved Sudeha was devoted to Shiva's dharma, served her husband constantly and was skilled in housekeeping. Sudharma, best of brahmanas, worshipped the gods and guests, followed the Vedic path and always tended the sacrificial fire. He performed the sandhya rites three times a day, shone like the sun, was learned in the Vedas and sacred texts, and taught his disciples. He was wealthy and generous, of good conduct, and always engaged in Shiva's rites. A devotee of Shiva, he loved Shiva's devotees. A long time passed as he practised this dharma. He had no son, and his wife's cycles were fruitless. But he knew the nature of material things and did not grieve. He was pure and knew that it is the self that carries the self across, and bearing this in mind he did not grieve. Sudeha, however, was miserable at having no son. Every day she begged her husband to try for one. He, accomplished in every kind of learning, rebuked her: "What will a son do? Who is a mother, who a father, who a son, who a relative, who a beloved? Lady, everyone in the three worlds is selfish, without doubt. Use your understanding on this and do not sorrow. Give up this grief, you who are firm in vows, and do not speak of it to me every day." Devoted to Bhagavan's dharma, he checked her like this, and having put aside the miseries of the opposite feeling he was supremely content.

One day Sudeha went to a neighbour's house for friendly talk, and a quarrel arose. By her nature the neighbour's wife insulted her, and the brahmana's beloved Sudeha was spoken to harshly: "What are you proud of? You have no son. I have one, and he will enjoy my wealth. Who will enjoy yours? The king will surely take your wealth. Shame on your wealth, shame on you and your pride. You are barren." Insulted, she returned home miserable and lovingly told her husband all she had heard. The very wise brahmana did not grieve. "Let her say what she likes, beloved. What is to happen will happen." Though comforted so, she could not give up her grief. Anxiously she pleaded: "You are dear to me, so do whatever you can to have a son. Supreme among embodied beings, otherwise I will give up my body." Sudharma heard her. Pained by her words, he remembered Shiva. The brahmana carefully threw two flowers into the fire in front of him, thinking in his mind that the flower on the right would give the son he wished. Having made this resolve, he told his wife: "To get the fruit of a son, take one of the two flowers in front of you." She thought, "I will have a son. Let the flower my husband thought of come to me." She bowed to Shiva, prayed again before the fire and took one of the flowers. By the delusion of Shiva's will, Sudeha did not take the flower her husband had thought of. Seeing it, the man sighed, remembered Shiva's lotus feet and said: "This was ordained by Ishvara and cannot be otherwise. Beloved, give up your hopes and serve the lord." Saying this, the brahmana gave up his own hopes and devoted himself to the rites of dharma and meditation on Shankara.

Sudeha, however, did not give up the wish for a son. With love she bowed, joined her hands and said: "If I cannot have a son, listen to my words. Take another wife, and through her you will certainly have a son." The brahmana, supreme among Shiva's devotees, intent on dharma, answered: "All your miseries and mine have surely gone now. Beloved, do not put obstacles in the way of dharma." Though he restrained her, she brought home her mother's young daughter, Ghushma, and asked her husband to marry her. Sudharma said, "Beloved, you say this now, but if she has a son you will be jealous of her." She clasped her hands and begged again: "Supreme among brahmanas, I will not be jealous of my sister. Do as I ask and marry her for a son." So Sudharma, asked by his beloved, married Ghushma by the marriage rites. After the marriage the brahmana told her: "Blameless one, this is your elder sister. You must always take care of her." With dharma in his soul, Sudharma, supreme among Shiva's devotees, said this and turned at once to what dharma required. Ghushma served her sister like a servant, gave up all opposition and nourished her night and day with great love. With her sister's leave, the younger wife made a hundred and one earthen lingams every day, worshipped them correctly with the offerings, and then threw them into a nearby pond. So she worshipped Shiva every day as she wished, invoking him again each time after casting the lingams away. When a hundred thousand images were complete, all her desires were fulfilled. By Shankara's favour she had a son, handsome and fortunate, with every auspicious quality. The brahmana, supreme among followers of dharma, was delighted to see him. Devoted to the dharma of knowledge, he was happy but not attached. Sudeha, however, grew fiercely jealous of her. At first her heart only grew cold toward Ghushma, and afterward she began to do wicked deeds that caused misery. Lords among sages, listen with attentive minds.