Parvati's Return

Narada said

Vidhatri, father, most fortunate one, you are blessed. You have insight into the ultimate aim. By your favour you have let me hear this wonderful account. When Hara left for his own mountain, what did extremely auspicious Parvati do? Where did she go? Wise one, tell me.

Brahma replied

Son, listen with great joy to what happened after Hara returned to his own home. Remembering Shiva, I will tell it. Parvati had made her beauty successful. Talking of Mahadeva with her friends, she went back to her father's house. Hearing Parvati was returning, Mena and Himachala were overwhelmed with delight. They climbed into a divine vehicle and set out, with the priest, citizens, many friends, relatives and others. All the brothers, Mainaka first, also went, shouting "Victory", full of great exultation. Auspicious, radiant pots filled with sandal paste, aguru, kasturi and fruit-laden branches were set along the royal road. With the priest came brahmanas and sages chanting about the brahman. There were dancing girls and well-adorned elephants. Plantain trunks stood in every direction. Women with their husbands and sons held lamps in their hands. Groups of brahmanas together pronounced auspicious blessings. Many instruments were sounded, and conches. At this time Durga drew near her own city.

Devi came into the city and saw her parents once more. They hurried to meet her, their minds flooded with joy. Kali and her friends, overjoyed too, bowed to them. Her parents blessed her fully, held her to their breasts and cried "Child!", weeping with love. The women who served her rejoiced, and her brothers' wives embraced her happily. "You have completed a great task and will save our line; your good conduct has made us all holy," they said, praising her, bowing and rejoicing, and honoured Shivaa with sandal paste and fragrant flowers. Then the gods, glad, gathered in the sky on their vimanas, showered down auspicious flowers and praised her with hymns. They set her on a lovely, splendid chariot, and the brahmanas and others took her joyfully into the city. With great respect her friends and the other women led Shivaa into the house, brahmanas leading, while the women bathed her and the brahmanas blessed her. Lord among sages, Himalaya and her mother Menaka were delighted. Himalaya felt his stage as a householder had borne fruit; a daughter is better than a worthless son. He also praised Narada. The Indra among mountains gave riches to brahmanas and bards, had auspicious texts recited and held great festivities. Sage, the parents rejoiced to see their daughter, and glad brothers and sister gathered in that hall. Son, Himalaya was happy and very pleased in mind; he honoured everyone lovingly and went off to the Ganga to bathe.

Shambhu is gentle to his devotees and loves excellent play. Now he took the shape of a fine dancer and came to Menaka's door, a horn in his left hand, a damaru in his right, a patched cloak on his back, dressed in red, skilled in song and dance. In that guise he delighted Menaka's companions. He danced beautifully and sang many sweet songs, blew the horn in a lovely tune and beat the damaru, and did many wondrous things. Seeing him, all the townspeople, men and women, old and young, gathered round. Sage, hearing his lovely song and watching his charming dance, all of them, Mena too, suddenly lost their senses. Durga also fell into a swoon, but in her heart she saw Shankara: his radiant, very handsome form with trident and every mark, adorned with ashes and a lovely garland of bones, three eyes blazing on his forehead, a serpent for sacred thread. Fair in colour, Maheshvara kept saying, "Ask a boon." He is the friend of the distressed, an ocean of compassion, enchanting in every way. Seeing Hara Isha in her heart, she bowed, resolved to ask, and said, "Become my husband." Pleased, Shiva gave her the boon within her heart and vanished, and the mendicant began dancing again.

Mena, full of kindness, put fine jewels in a golden bowl to give him. The mendicant refused them and asked for Shivaa instead, then, at his play, went on singing and dancing. Mena was astonished at his words and angry; she scolded the mendicant and was about to drive him out. Just then the noble mountain came back from the Ganga and saw the mendicant in his courtyard in human form. Hearing the whole story from Mena he was furious too and ordered the dancer thrown out. Excellent sage, but the man's great energy flared like a fierce fire and no one could touch him, so no one could put him out. Son, the mendicant was skilled in many pastimes and showed the mountain his own endless powers. The mountain saw him swiftly change into Vishnu's form, crowned, earring-wearing, four-armed and robed in yellow. The wielder of the mace is worshipped with flowers and other offerings, and he saw those on the mendicant's body and head. Then the lord of mountains saw the four-faced creator of the universe, red in colour, reciting suktas of the shrutis. Next he saw him as Surya, eye of the universe. Seeing this all at once, the king of mountains marvelled. Son, then he saw the great, lovely, wondrous form of Rudra, smiling and mighty in energy, with Parvati. After that the form became pure energy, formless, spotless, free of qualities and desire, most wondrous. So he saw many forms there, was greatly astonished and filled at once with supreme bliss. Since the mendicant, source of all prosperity, would accept nothing else, he begged for Durga as alms. But the Indra among mountains, confounded by Shiva's maya, did not agree. Refusing everything else, the mendicant vanished. After that Mena and the lord of mountains understood that Lord Shiva had tricked them and gone back to his own residence. Thinking of Shiva, the two were filled with great devotion toward him, the divine one who gives great liberation and every kind of bliss.