Shiva's Wonderful Pastimes

Mena said

Sage, I will first see Girija's husband. What is the form of Shiva, for whom she performed those excellent austerities?

Brahma said

Sage, she lacked knowledge, and so she went at once with you up to the terrace. Shiva knew there was pride in her mind. The lord plays wonderful pastimes, and so, son, he spoke to Vishnu and me.

Shiva said

Sons, take the gods with you and each of you go separately to the mountain's gate. Follow my instruction. I will come later.

Brahma said

Hearing this, Hari and I summoned all the gods and told them. Full of enthusiasm, they set out at once. Sage, Vishveshvara had Mena stay on top of the house with you so that she could see this and be bewildered in mind. Sage, at that time Mena saw the extremely auspicious army and was generally delighted. The handsome, very fortunate gandharvas came first, in excellent shining garments and many ornaments, with many mounts and many kinds of instruments, colourful banners and hosts of apsaras. She saw the supreme lord of the Vasus among them. Mena was delighted and exclaimed, "This must be Shiva." Supreme among rishis, you told her: "These are Shiva's attendants. This is not Shiva, Shivaa's husband." Hearing this, Mena thought: "Someone greater than this! What will such a person look like?" Then she saw Manigriva and the other yakshas, with double the radiance of the Vasus, and their radiant lord Manigriva. Delighted, Mena said, "This must be Rudra, Shivaa's husband." You answered the mountain's wife, "This is not Rudra, Shivaa's husband. He is Shiva's servant." Then Vahni came, with twice the radiance of the yakshas. Seeing him she said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's husband," but you told her it was not. Then Yama came with twice the radiance, and delighted, Mena said, "This must be Rudra"; you told her it was not. Nirriti, auspicious lord of the punyajanas, came with double the radiance, and again Mena said, "This must be Rudra," and you said it was not. Varuna came with double the radiance; seeing him she said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's husband," and you said it was not. Then Vayu came with double the radiance, and Mena said, "This must be Rudra," but you said it was not. Dhanada, the resplendent lord of guhyakas, came with double the radiance, and again she said "This must be Rudra," and you said it was not. Ishana came with double the radiance and she said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's husband," and you said it was not. Then Indra came with double the radiance, lord of all the immortals, with many divine aspects. Seeing him Menaka said, "This must be Shankara." You said: "This is Shakra, lord of the gods. It is not he." Then Chandra came with double the radiance, and she said, "This must be Rudra," but you said it was not. Then Surya came with double the radiance, and she said, "This must be he," but you said it was not. Then Bhrigu and the other lords among sages came, all masses of energy, with large numbers of disciples. Seeing Vagisha among them Menaka said, "This must be Rudra, Girija's husband," and you said it was not. Then splendid Brahma came, a mass of energy, praised by the rishis and his noble sons, like dharma in person. Sage, seeing him Mena was filled with joy and said, "This must be Shivaa's husband," but you said it was not.

Then the divinity Vishnu came, splendid all over, handsome and four-armed, dark blue like clouds, with the charm of a crore Kandarpas together, in yellow garments, self-ruled, with eyes like lotus petals, serene, mounted on the supreme Indra among birds, bearing the conch shell and other signs, adorned with crown and ornaments, the srivatsa mark on his chest, Lakshmi's lord with immeasurable splendour. Seeing him her eyes were dazzled. Filled with great joy she said, "This must be Shivaa's husband. There can be no doubt that this is Shiva." Hearing Menaka, you teased her and replied: "This is not Shivaa's husband. This is Keshava Hari. Shankara is lord of every task, and this one is dear to him and gets his rights because of that. Know that Shiva, Parvati's husband, is a groom who is superior. Mena, I cannot describe his radiance. He is lord of the entire universe, Sarveshvara, self-ruling." Hearing this, Mena thought that her extremely auspicious daughter was most fortunate and would bring great prosperity and happiness to three lineages. Her mind was full of joy, and she spoke with a pleased face, repeatedly calling herself very fortunate.

Mena said

By Parvati's birth I have become blessed in every way. The lord of mountains is blessed now. Everything connected with me is blessed. I have seen gods and leaders of great radiance, and the one who will be her husband is lord over all of them. Even if I tried for a hundred years, how could I describe her good fortune? Though I have not yet seen him, he is lord over all these.

Brahma said

With her mind full of love and assurance Mena spoke so.

Then the lord Rudra, who does extraordinary things, arrived. Son, his own ganas were extraordinary and robbed Mena of her pride. He showed himself in his own form without any maya, detached and indifferent. Narada, seeing him come, you showed Mena Shivaa's husband and spoke to her with great affection.

Narada said

Beautiful lady, look: this is Shankara himself, the one for whose sake Shivaa tormented herself with austerities in the great desolate forest.

Brahma said

Thus addressed, Mena looked at the lord joyfully. Ishana's form was extraordinary, and his followers were more extraordinary still. Rudra's wondrous army came at the same time: bhutas, pretas and others and many kinds of ganas. Some had the form of winds. Others had harsh voices and held flags. Some had crooked mouths, others were disfigured. Some were cruel and bearded, some lame, some eyeless. Some held staffs and nooses, others clubs. Some rode backwards on their mounts, others blew horns. Some played damarus and others gomukhas. Some had no faces and others malformed faces; some had many faces. Some had no hands, some malformed hands, some many hands. Some had no eyes and some many eyes. Some had no heads, others malformed heads. Some had no ears, others many ears. The ganas wore many kinds of dress. So there were many powerful ganas of malformed shape, innumerable, extremely valiant and awful. Sage, you pointed out Rudra's ganas to her with your finger: "Fair-faced one, look at Hara's servants, and at Hara."

Sage, seeing the countless ganas, bhutas, pretas and others, Menaka was at once seized by great fear. In their midst Shankara sat on a bull. He was without qualities, but above those who have them. He had five faces and three eyes, his body smeared with ashes, matted hair, the crescent moon on his forehead, ten hands, holding a skull, a tiger's hide for upper garment, the supreme Pinaka in one hand, a trident, malformed eyes and figure, an elephant's hide for garment. Seeing him, Shivaa's mother was terrified; she was stunned and began to tremble, confused and agitated. You pointed him out with your finger and said, "This is Shiva." As soon as she heard you she was like a creeper struck by wind. Full of grief, virtuous Mena fell to the ground. "What is this disfigured form I have seen? I have been tricked by a wicked planet." Saying this, Menaka at once lost her senses. Her friends tended her and tried many ways to revive her, and gradually Mena, beloved of the lord of mountains, came back to her senses.