Assuring the Mountain

The rishis said

Shiva is said to be the father of the universe and Shivaa the mother of the universe. So your daughter should be given to great-souled Shankara. Mountain of ice, if you do this your birth will be successful, and among all the gurus of the world you will without doubt become the greatest guru.

Brahma said

Lord among sages, hearing the seven sages the king of mountains joined his hands, bowed and spoke.

Himalaya said

Fortunate seven sages, following Girisha's wishes I have already pledged to do what you speak of. But recently a brahmana who follows the dharma of Vishnu worship came here and gladly spoke words against Shiva. Since then Shivaa's mother has lost her senses and no longer wishes to marry her daughter to Rudra, a yogi. Tormented, she has gone to the chamber of anger. Her clothes are dirty and she is very stubborn. Brahmanas, I have tried to make her understand but she does not. To tell you the truth, I too have lost my senses and do not wish to give my daughter to Mahesha, who has the form of a mendicant.

Brahma said

Confounded by Shiva's maya, the king of mountains said this, and then sat silent among the sages. All seven sages applauded Shiva's maya. So that Menaka might understand, they sent Arundhati to her. At her husband's bidding, Arundhati, giver of knowledge, went quickly to where Mena and Parvati were, and found Mena lying senseless with grief. The virtuous one carefully spoke to her in sweet and helpful words.

Arundhati said

Menaka, virtuous lady, please get up. I am Arundhati and I have come to your house. The seven sages, full of compassion, have also come.

Brahma said

Hearing Arundhati's voice, Menaka quickly rose, lowered her head and spoke to her, who was like Padma in energy.

Mena said

How wonderful! What a sanctification for us! Our births are made successful. The daughter-in-law of the creator of the universe and Vasishtha's wife has come. Goddess, why have you come? Tell me specifically. I am like your servant maid. Show me and my daughter your compassion.

Brahma said

When Menaka said this, the virtuous lady used many kinds of words to make her understand, and then happily went back to where the rishis were. All of them were skilled in speech. Remembering Shiva's two feet, they affectionately set about making the lord of mountains understand.

The rishis said

Indra among mountains, listen to our words, which will bring welfare. Give Parvati to Shiva and become the Destroyer's father-in-law. He is Sarvesha and does not himself seek. For the task of destroying Taraka Brahma strove to make him ask. Shankara is supreme among yogis and was not eager to take a wife. Since Vidhatri begged him, the divinity agreed to accept your daughter. Your daughter tormented herself in austerity and he made her a pledge. So there are two reasons why the Indra among yogis has agreed to marry.

Brahma said

Hearing the rishis, Himalaya laughed, but he was also a little frightened, and so spoke with great humility.

Himalaya said

I see no royal possessions with Shiva. He has no prosperity to depend on, and no relatives or kin. He is a yogi, unattached, and I do not wish to give my daughter to him. You are the sons of the maker of the Vedas; tell me your decision. If a father does not give his daughter to a groom who is worthy, through desire, confusion, fear or greed, he is destroyed and goes to hell. That is why I do not wish to give my daughter to the trident-wielder. Rishis, but whatever you decide, let it be done.

Brahma said

Lord among sages, hearing Himalaya, Vasishtha, skilled in speech, spoke to him.

Vasishtha said

Lord of mountains, listen to my words, which will benefit you in every way and are not against dharma. They will truly bring happiness in this world and the next. Mountain, whether in custom or in the Vedas, words are of three kinds. One who knows the sacred texts sees this with the pure insight of knowledge. An enemy, with sharp intelligence, speaks words beautiful to hear now that lead later to falsehood and harm; such words are never beneficial. A man devoted to dharma and compassion speaks words that displease now but lead to a happy result later, and uses them to awaken a friend's understanding. But the best words, the desirable ones, are those that sound like nectar the moment they are heard and lead to happiness for all time to come, beneficial and with truth as their essence. Mountain, those who know the science of conduct say speech is of these three kinds. Tell me which kind you wish to hear.

Shankara, lord of the gods, is without the prosperity Brahma created. His mind is immersed in the ocean of true knowledge. When he is lord of knowledge and bliss, why should he hanker after things Brahma made? A householder gives his daughter to someone with riches and a kingdom; a father who gives his daughter to a wretched man is like one who kills her. But since Kubera is his servant, who takes Shankara for wretched? By playfully bending his eyebrows he can create. He is creator, preserver and destroyer, the paramatman without qualities, the supreme lord beyond Prakriti. He has three forms. For creation he is Vidhatri; as Brahma, Vishnu and Hara he creates, preserves and destroys. Brahma lives in Brahma's world, Vishnu on the shore of the ocean of milk, Hara in Kailasa. All these are Shiva's manifestations. Prakriti, born of Shiva, also has three forms, which she creates in play, though she has many other manifestations too. As goddess of speech she was born from the divinity's mouth, and from his chest she is Lakshmi with every prosperity. Shivaa's energy shows in the power of all the gods. She destroyed all the danavas and gave the gods prosperity. In another kalpa she was born from the womb of Daksha's wife, named Sati, and won Hara; Daksha gave her to him. Hearing her husband criticised, she gave up her body through yoga. That same Shivaa has now been born to you through Mena's womb. Mountain, from birth to birth Shivaa is Shiva's wife. From kalpa to kalpa she takes the form of intelligence and is the supreme mother of the knowledgeable. She is always born as Siddhaa and confers siddhi; siddhi is her form. Hara himself devotedly wears the ashes and bones of Sati's funeral pyre. So give this auspicious one to Hara of your own will; otherwise she will go where her beloved is and give herself. Seeing the countless hardships your daughter underwent, the lord of the gods took the form of a brahmana, went to where she was doing austerity and made her a pledge. Having given her a boon he went back to his own residence. Mountain, that was why Shambhu asked you for Shivaa. You both had devotion to Shiva in your hearts and accepted the proposal. Lord of mountains, how has this opposite view come to you? When the gods begged him, the lord quickly sent us, the rishis, and Arundhati to you, to instruct you so that you might give Parvati to Rudra. Mountain, if you do so you will gain great happiness. Indra among mountains, even if you do not give Shivaa to Shiva willingly, the power of destiny will bring their marriage about. Son, at the end of her austerities Shankara gave Shivaa that boon, and nothing contrary to Ishvara's pledge can be conceived. Mountain, in this whole world, a promise made by a Shiva devotee can never be broken, still less one made by Isha himself. In play the great Indra alone cut off the mountains' wings. In play Parvati shattered Meru's summit. Lord of mountains, one should not destroy all one's wealth for one person. The eternal shrutis say that for the family's sake one individual should be given up. When fear came to King Anaranya because of a brahmana, he protected his prosperity by giving his own daughter to the brahmana. Afraid the brahmana would curse him, his gurus, the best of his kin and those who knew good policy and the sacred texts at once made him understand. King of mountains, you too should give your daughter to Shiva and save your many relatives and your family. You should do it for the gods as well.

Brahma said

Hearing Vasishtha, he smiled outwardly but was dejected in heart. He asked about that king's story.

Himalaya said

Brahmana, in what family was King Anaranya born? How did he give his daughter and save all his prosperity?

Brahma said

Hearing the mountain, Vasishtha, pleased in intelligence, told the mountain the king's story, which brings happiness.