A testing Groom
Parvati performed immense penance at the back
of river Ganga to win lord Shiv as her husband. Initially she remained without
food, sat surrounded by fire chanting mantra during summers to attract Shiv.
Then she meditated in cremation ground during monsoons and sat in the river
during extreme winters. Even then lord Shiv did not appear before her. She decided
to end her life by entering into flames and lighted the pyre with this wish.
Just the n a dwarf Brahman appeared there. The dwarf beamed with joy seeing the
devotion of young Parvati to lord Shiv. His little figure teemed with divine
radiance as he held an umbrella and wrapped a white shawl round his stodgy
body. Smiling at the annoyance of Parvati he stood their quietly gazing at her
face with calm look. Parvati who was desolate having received no response to
her lingering and penance felt relieved to see as some how some one bothered to
share her loneliness.” Who are you young Brahman? Please introduce yourself.’ A
wish to embrace the lad rose in her heart which she kept to herself. The
cherubic lad laughed in insouciance and chirped,-“O I am a wanderer. But who
are you the beautiful one? What makes you undergo such hardship at this tender
age? You appear to be divine mother incarnate on earth. I understand that just
to teach the masses you are behaving so. You look divine and I truly fail to
know you. Please be pleased with this
Brahman. O Sati! When you get pleased the lord of lords also get pleased. One
who pleases his chaste wife also pleases the god. When lord Narayan is pleased
everyone gets pleased.” Parvati laughed to her the words of wisdom. She
replied,-“Neither I am goddess Lakshmi nor divine. I am the daughter of king
Himvant. In the past life I was the daughter of king Daksh. I married lord
Shiv. I gave up life when my father insulted my husband. In this life also
though I found lord Shiv I lost him soon. To win him back I perform this
penance. I was going to end my life but seeing you here I stopped for a while. Please go away. I wish to enter into
fire as I wish to wed only lord Shiv in all my lives. Girls take birth only to
find their soul mates proclaims Vedas. As I could not find my soul mate I shall
meet him heaven now. “Saying so she entered into the flames. To her dismay the
fire got extinguished. She was taken aback. She found Shiv standing in front of
her for a while and then found the same little dwarf smiling and chiding at
her.
“
” O fair one! I fail to understand you.
Neither could you end your life in fire nor did you get your soul mate. You
wish to wed Shiv who is indeed formless what fulfilment shall you get by
wedding a formless man? He is the destroyer of three spheres. What woman would
like to wed a man who is the destroyer of everything? O Goddess! If you have
chosen him to attain liberation then it is actually you who bestows liberation
on human beings. Shiv means welfare and destroyer. There is no other better
meaning of this name. If you are absorbed in his thoughts then you will find
find him also absorbed in you alone. But neither shall you attain him nor
liberation. It is best to worship only lord Krishna because he is the bestower
of best of the boons. Now you better go home. You shall find lord Shiv there.”
Saying so the dwarf vanished.
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