Conversation between Parvati and Parameshvara

Bhavani said

You are a yogi and an ascetic. What did you tell the king of mountains? Lord, skilled in knowledge, hear my reply. Shambhu, you have the strength of austerity and are performing great austerities. Being great-souled, your intelligence turns to tormenting yourself by austerity. Know that Prakriti is the strength behind all karma. Through her everything is created, preserved and destroyed. Who are you, and who is subtle Prakriti? Bhagavan, reflect on this. Without Prakriti, who is Maheshvara, with the lingam as his form? Beings always revere you and meditate on you, but it is said that Prakriti is in all their hearts. Reflect on this.

Brahma said

Hearing Parvati, Mahesha, engaged in his great task, was pleased in mind, smiled and spoke.

Maheshvara said

By my supreme austerities I will destroy Prakriti. In truth, free of Prakriti, I will remain as Shambhu. The task of the virtuous is never to accept Prakriti. They should establish themselves as indifferent, free of worldly custom.

Brahma said

Son, Shambhu said this while following worldly custom. Kali smiled within her heart and replied in sweet words.

Kali said

Yogi, Shankara, lord, on the basis of what you have said, how can you say there is no Prakriti and that you are beyond her? Reflect properly on the truth of that statement. Everything is bound incessantly by Prakriti. Nothing can be said or done without her. In your mind know that every act of speech or deed rests on Prakriti. All that is heard, eaten, seen or done is done by Prakriti. It is futile to call this false. If you are above Prakriti, why do you torment yourself with austerities? Lord, you are Shambhu and you are now on Mount Himalaya. Hara, you do not know yourself. You have been swallowed by Prakriti. Isha, if you do not know yourself, why do you torment yourself in austerity? Yogi, what need have I to argue with you? The learned say inference without direct perception is no proof. For embodied beings, as long as perception is based on the senses, all of it rests on Prakriti. That is the remark of those whose intellect has knowledge. Lord of yoga, why say more? Listen to my supreme words. You are Purusha and I am Prakriti. That is the truth, without doubt. It is by my favour that you have taken this form of gunas. Without me you are without attributes and cannot do anything. You are under another's control, subject to many kinds of karma. How are you indifferent? How are you untouched by me? Shankara, if you have spoken truly that you are beyond Prakriti, you should have no reason to fear my presence.

Brahma said

Shiva heard her words, which agreed with the texts of samkhya, and answered Shivaa in words that agreed with Vedanta.

Shri Shiva said

Girija, upholder of the samkhya view, excellent in speech, if that is what you say, serve me every day, unrestricted. But if I am the indifferent brahman, known through Vedanta, Parameshvara, lord of maya, and all this is my maya, what will you do then?

Brahma said

Having told Girija this, the lord spoke again to the mountain, he who delights his devotees and favours them.

Shiva said

Mountain, here on your lovely slopes I will perform supreme austerities. I roam on earth to show my supreme nature, full of bliss. Lord of mountains, you must give me leave for these austerities. Without your leave, no one can undertake even the least austerity.

Brahma said

Hearing the lord of gods, the trident-wielder, Himalaya bowed and spoke.

Himalaya said

Everything in the universe, gods, asuras and humans, belongs to you. Mahadeva, who am I? I am lowly. Even so I wish to say something to you.

Brahma said

Himalaya said this to Shankara, who brings welfare to the worlds. He smiled at the king of mountains and affectionately asked him to go. Having Shankara's leave, Himalaya returned home with Girija, though he wished to see him every day. Even without her father, Kali went to Shankara's presence every day with her two friends, and served him with great devotion. Son, on the instruction of Mahesha, who gives pure commands, none of the ganas, Nandishvara and the rest, stopped her. This conversation between Shiva and Shivaa about samkhya and Vedanta is auspicious and always gives happiness; thought through properly, there is no difference between them.

Shankara respected the king of mountains' words. The lord of the earth let his daughter stay near him, and said to Kali and her two friends: "Serve me every day. You may come, go and stay without fear." Having told Devi this, Hara accepted her service, the great, indifferent yogi who plays in many ways. Such is the patience and fortitude of excellent ascetics: even if they face obstacles, they do not give in to them. Lord among sages, the king of mountains returned to his city with his attendants, filled with delight. Hara engaged in meditation and yoga, lovingly settled his mind in the paramatman and thought on it, unobstructed. With her two friends, Kali served Chandrashekhara Mahadeva every day. She came, went and stayed. She washed Shambhu's feet and drank the water. She wiped his body with a cloth purified in fire. She worshipped him properly with sixteen kinds of upachara, and every day before going back to her father's house she bowed repeatedly. So Shivaa served Shankara as he sat in meditation. Supreme among sages, a long time passed. Sometimes with her two friends in Shankara's hermitage Kali sang beautiful songs with excellent tala, which stirred desire. Sometimes she herself gathered kusha grass, flowers and kindling, and with her two friends always cleaned the place. Sometimes she stayed in the moon-wearer's home, full of wonder and desire, looking at Chandrashekhara. The lord of bhutas, practising austerity in that lonely spot, looked at her and thought of her. Though Kali was there in bodily form near him, Girisha did not accept her as wife. She was a store of charm enough to confound sages, but Mahadeva saw again and again that she controlled her senses. In compassion he saw that she was constantly engaged in serving him and thought: "Let Kali keep vows and do austerities. I will accept her when she has lost every seed of pride." Thinking so, the lord of bhutas quickly sank into meditation. Ishvara is a great yogi and plays great pastimes. Shiva the paramatman was absorbed in meditation, sage, with no other thought in his mind. Every day Kali served Shambhu devotedly and always thought on the great-souled one's form. Every day Hara, in meditation, saw Kali standing there. He forgot his earlier thoughts about her; though he saw her, he did not truly see her.

Meanwhile, on Brahma's instruction, Shakra and the other gods and sages lovingly sent Smara there. They were suffering from the depredations of the very valiant asura Taraka and wanted to unite Kali and Rudra. Having gone there, Smara tried every one of his means, but Hara's mind was not stirred, and instead he reduced Smara to ashes. Sage, on his commands Parvati lost her pride. The virtuous one performed great austerities and won Shiva as her husband. After that Parvati and Parameshvara were satisfied and very happy, and, engaged in the welfare of others, they accomplished the gods' task.