Binduga's Emancipation

Shounaka said

Suta, very fortunate, since your mind is sunk in Shiva you are blessed. Having heard this wonderful account, our devotion has grown. Having gone there and gained an excellent destination, what did Chanchula do? Please tell us. Wise one, and in particular, what of her husband?

Suta replied

Once she approached Devi Parvati and bowed to her. Overwhelmed with great bliss, she joined her hands and praised her.

Chanchula said

Girija, mother of Skanda, people always worship you. You always give happiness. You are Shambhu's beloved, the form of the brahman. Vishnu, Brahma and others serve you. You have qualities, and you are also without qualities. You are the subtle, original Prakriti, your form being, consciousness and bliss. You cause creation, preservation and dissolution. You have the three gunas and are the home of the three divinities. You are the supreme one who establishes Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha.

Suta continued

Chanchula, who had already reached a virtuous end, praised Maheshi so and stopped, her shoulders bowed, her eyes full of tears of love. Parvati, loved by Shankara, was filled with compassion for her, and full of great love, the one who loves her devotees spoke to Chanchula.

Parvati said

Chanchula, friend, beautiful one, I am very pleased with this praise. Ask for the boon you wish. There is nothing that cannot be given to you.

Suta continued

Addressed so by Girija, Chanchula bowed to her, filled with great love, joined her hands and bent her head.

Chanchula said

I do not know where my husband is now, nor what destination he has gone to. Girija, faultless one, please arrange that I may be with him. Fortunate one, kind to the distressed, Mahadevi, Maheshani, my husband was the husband of a vrishali and died before me. I do not know what has happened to that sinner.

Suta continued

Hearing Chanchula, Parvati spoke to her, and the affectionate Girija answered in very loving words.

Girija said

Daughter, your husband Binduga is foolish and a great sinner. The foolish one became attached to a courtesan. After death he went to hell and for a great many years underwent many hardships there. The one with evil in his self still had sins to exhaust, so he has been born as a pishacha in the Vindhyas. He is a pishacha now, suffering many miseries. He suffers from afflictions of wind and must bear hardships always.

Suta continued

Hearing Gouri, Chanchula was moved to tears. Because her husband was in such sorrow, she too was deeply unhappy. She steadied her mind, bowed to Maheshvari again, and asked once more with an anxious heart.

Chanchula said

Maheshvari, Mahadevi, please show me compassion. Though my husband is a deceiver and has done wicked deeds, please save him. My husband is wicked and evil in understanding. Devi, I bow to you. Tell me how he can quickly reach a virtuous end.

Suta continued

Parvati is affectionate to her devotees. Hearing her, she was pleased and spoke to her friend Chanchula.

Parvati said

If your husband hears Shiva's supreme, sacred account, he will overcome this hardship and reach a virtuous end.

Suta continued

She lovingly heard these words of Gouri, whose syllables were like amrita. She joined her hands again and again and bowed her shoulders. Hearing of Shiva's account, her husband would be cleansed of all sins, so she prayed that he might reach a virtuous end, and she begged Shiva's beloved again and again to arrange it. Maheshi Gouri, affectionate to her devotees, took pity on her. She summoned Tumburu, who sang of Shiva's account. The mountain's daughter affectionately addressed the king of the gandharvas.

Girija said

Tumburu, loved by Shiva, fortunate one, do what is in my mind. Go quickly with her to Mount Vindhya. There is an extremely terrible and fearful pishacha there. With great affection, listen: I will tell you everything. In a former life this pishacha was a brahmana named Binduga. That wicked person was the husband of this lady, my friend, and the husband of a vrishali. At the sandhya time he did not bathe or do the other rites of purification. He was angry and foolish. He ate what should not be eaten, hated the virtuous, took what should not be taken, was violent and carried weapons, ate with his left hand and oppressed the afflicted. He was cruel and set fire to others' homes, always kept company with outcastes, was a great deceiver and enjoyed courtesans. The sinner abandoned his own wife and kept company with the wicked. Through his association with a courtesan he destroyed all his merit. Wanting wealth, with no fear, he made his wife accept lovers. He kept up this wicked conduct until he died. In time he died and went to Yama's city, the terrible place enjoyed by sinners. The evil-souled one went through many hells there. Now that deceiver has become a pishacha on Mount Vindhya, enjoying wicked things. In front of him, attentively tell the very sacred, divine Shiva Purana, which destroys every sin. As soon as he hears the account of the Shiva Purana, his self will be purified and he will be cleansed of all sins. He will no longer be a preta. Binduga will be freed from his present hardship as a pishacha. After that, follow my command and bring him before Shiva.

Suta continued

Addressed so by Maheshani, Tumburu, lord of the gandharvas, was delighted and told himself he was most fortunate. Following the command, Tumburu, loved by Narada, climbed into an excellent celestial car with the beloved. He went to Mount Vindhya and saw the pishacha there, with a huge body and large jaws, misshapen; sometimes he laughed, sometimes wept, sometimes talked on and on. Tumburu, who sang of Ishana's excellent account, was very strong. He forcibly seized that fearful pishacha and bound him with nooses.

Tumburu did this so he could recite the Shiva Purana. Having decided so, he arranged great festivities. There was a great stir in all the worlds. "By Devi's command Tumburu has gone to Mount Vindhya to have the pishacha hear the Shiva Purana." To hear this account, all the gods and rishis hurried and gathered there. All went there to hear lovingly the Shiva Purana, and it was a wonderful assembly. Bound in nooses, the pishacha was made to sit. With a lute in his hand, Tumburu began to sing the account of Gouri's husband. He began with the first samhita and ended with the seventh. He described the whole Shiva Purana clearly, with its greatness. Listening lovingly to the Shiva Purana with its seven samhitas, all the listeners felt they had achieved their aims. Hearing the very sacred account of the Shiva Purana, the pishacha was cleansed of all his sins and gave up his pishacha form. He quickly took a divine form, fair in complexion and dressed in white garments, all his limbs adorned with dazzling ornaments. He looked like the three-eyed Chandrashekhara. Having taken a divine form, together with his own beloved, who already had a divine form, he himself sang of the illustrious conduct of Parvati's husband. All the gods and rishis saw him with his wife. They were amazed and filled with great happiness. Hearing Mahesha's extraordinary account, they achieved their aim and were pleased. Praising Shankara's fame, they returned to their own abodes. Binduga, divine in his self, climbed into an excellent celestial car and, his beloved beside him, stood in the sky looking extremely radiant. Singing of Mahesha's excellent and agreeable qualities, with his beloved and accompanied by Tumburu, he reached Shankara's abode. Mahesha and Parvati welcomed Binduga. He was lovingly made a gana, and she became Girija's friend. That world is full of supreme bliss, full of radiance and eternal. He gained a bright home there and was filled with supreme happiness. So I have told this sacred history, which destroys sins. It is faultless and increases devotion. Shiva and Shivaa take great delight in it. A person who controls himself, listens to it devoutly and chants it enjoys many pleasures and at the end gains liberation.