Vaishyanatha Avatara

Nandishvara said

Son, sage, I will tell you of the avatara of Shiva, the supreme self, called Vaishyanatha, which yields great bliss. In earlier times in Nandigrama there lived a courtesan named Mahananda, extremely beautiful, devoted to Shiva, prosperous, wealthy and radiant. She adorned herself with many ornaments, was skilled in the erotic sentiment and charming, and knew all the learning of singing. Kings and queens were delighted by her songs. The courtesan always happily worshipped Shankara with Amba, was addicted to doing japa of Shiva's name, wore ash and rudraksha as ornaments, constantly worshipped Shiva and served the lord of the universe. Full of supreme devotion she sang and danced of Shiva's glory. She had a monkey and a cock, which she decorated with rudraksha, and she sang and clapped and always made them dance. When, full of devotion to Shiva, she saw those two dance, she and all her friends were filled with love and laughed. The monkey, trained by her, wore rudrakshas on its bracelets and earrings and danced before her like a child. The cock too was trained and decorated with rudraksha, and, skilled in dancing, danced constantly, giving happiness to those who watched. Full of enthusiasm and affection, this is what the courtesan did. Mahananda was always full of devotion to Shiva, and for a long time she showed such devotion with great happiness.

Once Shiva himself wished to test her and came to her house in the form of a vaishya. He showed the auspicious signs of one keeping a vow: the tripundra mark on his forehead, rudraksha ornaments, matted hair, japa of Shiva's name and the dress of Shiva's devotee, radiant with marks of ash. Around his wrist was an excellent, dazzling bangle of great jewels, which excited curiosity. When he came the courtesan was very glad and worshipped him, lovingly seating him on her own seat. Seeing that excellent, beautiful bangle on his wrist she was surprised, wanted it, and said it captivated her mind at once and deserved to be a divine woman's ornament. The generous-minded vaishya saw she coveted the nine-jewel bangle, smiled and said she might gladly have it, but what price would she pay him? The courtesan answered that she was a courtesan who did as she pleased, not one devoted to a husband, and the dharma proper to her line was that of a courtesan. So if she took this ornament from his wrist she would be his wife for three days and three nights, her mind only on him. The vaishya said that if what she said was true he agreed: be my wife for three nights and I give you the bejewelled bangle, with the sun and moon as witnesses and proof of this pledge. Say "true" three times and touch my heart. She said she would be his wife for three days and three nights and follow dharma with him, and it was true. Mahananda happily said this three times with the sun and moon as witnesses, and touched his heart. The vaishya gave her the bejewelled bangle. He also put a bejewelled lingam in her hand and said he loved this bejewelled lingam of Shiva more than his own life, so she must guard it and keep it secret. Agreeing, she took the bejewelled lingam, hid it inside the dancing platform and went into the house. At night, keeping the dharma of a lover, the vaishya was with her, and then happily went to sleep on a couch with soft cushions.

In the night, by Vaishyanatha's wish, a fire suddenly arose in the middle of the dancing platform. The great fire blazed, helped by a strong wind, and suddenly enveloped the platform. As the pavilion burned, the courtesan woke up in great fear. She freed the monkey from its bonds, and then the cock, and the two fled far away scattering sparks. The pillar and the lingam were burned and reduced to fragments. Seeing this, the courtesan and the vaishya felt unbearable distress. The lingam he loved like his own life had been burned. Vaishyanatha, wishing to know her mind, resolved to give up his own life, for Mahesha takes the bodies of men and carries out many kinds of curious play. Full of great grief, the vaishya said that Shiva's lingam was burned and shattered, he loved it more than his life, he truly had no wish to stay alive. She should summon her servants high and low and have them build a pyre, and, his mind in Shiva, he would enter the fire. Even if Brahma, Indra, Vishnu and the others came and tried to stop him, he would enter the fire and give up his life at that moment. Realising he was firm in this, she was miserable. She called her servants and had the pyre built outside her house. In his play Shiva had taken a man's form to test her inclinations, and, as the vaishya, he alone circled the kindled fire and patiently entered it while she watched. Seeing what he had done, the courtesan Mahananda was extremely surprised and filled with great torment. In that wretched state she remembered bright dharma and, in piteous words, glancing at her relatives and people, said: when I accepted the bejewelled bangle I took a pledge to spend three days and nights as the vaishya's wife. Because of what I did the vaishya, devoted to Shiva, is dead. So I will enter the fire with him. Teachers who have spoken of truth say this is what I must do to follow my own dharma. If I do it I will be happy and the truth of my pledge will not be lost. Keeping truth is supreme dharma and the supreme goal; through truth one gains heaven and liberation; everything is established in truth. Though her relatives tried to stop her, she was firm. The woman, set on reaching Satyaloka and resolved to give up her life, gave all her possessions to the foremost brahmanas and meditated on Sadashiva. Circling the fire three times she prepared to enter it.

With her mind on the self of the universe she was about to enter the kindled fire when Shiva appeared and held her back. She saw the lord of all gods, three-eyed, with the crescent moon as ornament, bright as crores of moons, suns and fires. Stupefied and terrified she stood there, agitated, trembling and benumbed, tears choking her throat. He comforted her, held her hands and said that, to test her truthfulness, dharma, patience and unwavering devotion to him, he had come to her as a vaishya. By his maya he had lit a fire and burned the dancing pavilion, burned the bejewelled lingam and entered the fire. She had remembered the pledge she had taken and was about to enter the fire with him. So he would give her pleasures even the gods find hard to get, whatever she wanted, for he was pleased with her devotion and nothing could be refused her. Gourisha Shankara, kind to devotees, spoke so, and the courtesan Mahananda answered: I do not desire pleasures in heaven, on earth or in the nether regions. Apart from the touch of your lotus feet there is nothing I wish for. My servants, maidservants and all my relatives wish to see you and their minds are devoted to you. Take them with me to your supreme destination, free us from the terrible fear of rebirth. I bow to you. Maheshvara honoured her words and took her with them to his own supreme destination. Nandi said he had described the supreme Vaishyanatha avatara, which brings great joy and happiness, always gives joy to devotees, is sacred and quickly gives the virtuous everything divine. A person who controls himself and devotedly hears it or has it heard does not stray from his own dharma and in the next world gains the desired destination.