Durga's Praise and Brahma's Boon

Narada said

Brahma, wise father, eloquent one, tell me what happened after Vishnu left. What did you want to do?

Brahma replied

Listen attentively, noble son of a brahmana. When Vishnu left I praised Devi Jagaddhatri Durga, the one Shambhu loves, pure, the form of the supreme brahman, containing true and false knowledge in her atman, pervading everything, eternal, unsupported, unagitated, mother of the three divinities, grosser than the grossest yet formless. "Deveshi, you are consciousness, supreme bliss, the form of the paramatman. Be pleased with me and accomplish my task; I bow to you." So I praised Yoganidra. Then Chandika appeared before me: beautiful, with the gentle hue of collyrium, four-armed and divine, on a lion, one hand in the boon-giving gesture, hair adorned with pearls and jewels, face like the autumn moon, a gleaming moon on her forehead, three-eyed, lovely in every limb, the nails of her lotus feet shining. I saw Uma, Shiva's Shakti, before me, lowered my proud shoulders in devotion, bowed and praised her.

Brahma said

I bow to you who are the form of pravritti and nivritti in the universe, the form of creation and preservation, the great power behind the moving and the unmoving. You bewilder everyone. You are Shri, always a garland on Keshava's image. Holding up the universe, you contain everything. Earlier you were Maheshi, the cause of creation; you are the destroyer of the three worlds, beyond the gunas, the agreeable one inside yogis, the substance in paramanus. You are seen in yogis' hearts and appear on the path of their meditation. You are illumination, purity, non-attachment; the many kinds of knowledge rest in you. You are hidden, unmanifest, of infinite form and radiant. As time you pervade the universe, you hold the seed of change, you are eternal, and yet you are also the gunas in all beings. Shivaa, you are the refuge of the three gunas and beyond them: sattva, rajas and tamas arise in you, who are without transformation. In the form of the gunas you are the one cause of the universe, and the brahman is inside you. You create, preserve and destroy; you are the seed of the whole universe, known as knowledge itself, always engaged in the welfare of the world. Shiva's wife, I bow to you.

Kali, maker of worlds, was pleased, and the mother of the universe spoke to me in ordinary words: "Brahma, why do you praise me? If anyone has abused you, tell me quickly. I have appeared before you and will certainly accomplish your aim. Tell me what you wish."

I said: "Maheshani, take pity on me. You know my wish, but since you have commanded me I will say it. Your husband Shiva appeared earlier from my forehead as Rudra, a yogi living at Kailasa, doing austerity, alone, without a wife, indifferent. Sati, since he looks at no one else, please bewilder him. No one but you can entice his mind, so take a form that will bemuse Hara. Become Daksha's daughter and Rudra's wife, as you took the form of Lakshmi to please Keshava. Do this for the welfare of the universe. Merely because I looked at a woman with desire, Vrishadhvaja rebuked me. How will he voluntarily take a woman? If Hara takes no wife how will this creation go on? He is the cause of beginning, middle and end, but is indifferent, and so I am overcome with worry. For the benefit of all there is no refuge but you; bear this hardship. Vishnu, Lakshmi, the mind-born and I are all unable to confound him. No one other than you can do it. So become Daksha's daughter and, out of devotion to me, the yogi's wife, and entice Ishvara. On the shore of the ocean of milk Daksha is doing austerity, firm in his vows, with his mind on you."

Shivaa heard me and began to think; surprised, the mother of the universe said: "Creator of the universe, this is a great wonder. What are you saying? Great delusion has risen in you, and it causes misery. Hara is indifferent and you want to confound him. You ask a boon from me to delude Hara, but what is the gain? He is without delusion, without alternative, and called the supreme brahman, nirguna and without change. I am always his servant and follow his commands. In his complete form Shiva is called Rudra. Though independent, Parameshvara has taken this form to save his devotees. Lord Shiva is Hari and Vidhatri and not inferior to anyone, lovingly engaged in yoga, lord of maya yet never subject to it, greater than the greatest. You think of him as a son and an ordinary god, and so, deluded by ignorance, wish to confound him. That is the truth. Yet if I do not grant the boon, the Vedas' policy will be departed from. What shall I do so that Maheshvara is not angry with me?" So Shivaa remembered Mahesha, and having his permission said: "Brahma, all you say is true. Apart from me no one in this world can entice Shankara. If Hara takes no wife, eternal creation cannot go on. I will therefore make efforts so that he takes a wife, and entice him myself. I will become Sati and remain under his control, his beloved, as Lakshmi is Vishnu's. By his favour I will see that he stays under my control. As Sati I will be born through Daksha's wife. Grandfather, in my pastimes I will serve Shankara. As other creatures on earth are subservient to their wives, so through my devotion Hara will be subservient to a woman." The mother of the universe said this and vanished while I watched. Then I went to my sons and told them all that had happened.