Chapter 16: ‘Nandyopaakhyaana’: Nandeshwara born in human form and back to Maha Deva

King Gonanda enquired of Sage Brihadashwa about the background of Nandeshwara. A Brahmana named Shilaada performed severe Tapasya on Nandi Mountain to Maheshwara by eating nothing else but ‘Shilaachurana’ (rock powder) for hundred years seeking a boon to secure a highly virtuous son. Maha Deva was pleased and granted the boon, while Nandi desired to be born as a human being provided that he should go through the process of normal human birth. Maha Deva was pleased with Nandi’s offer and said that in any case Sage Bhrigu gave a curse to Nandi that owing to an indescrition of his at the Shiva-Parvati wedding, he was destined to a human birth. Nandi was materialised from the cool rays of Chandra Deva as a child and the highly elated Shailada pampered the child and performed all the ceremonies of childhood. As Nandi grew and revealed that he would have to go back to Maha Deva soon, Shailaada was shattered and became uncontrollable. Nandi then did Tapasya to Maha Deva for hundred years on the Mountain of Himalayas on one of the peaks called Haramukuta, where there was a lake called Kalodaka. Meanwhile Shilaada prayed to Devi Parvati to please allow Maha Deva to respond to Nandi’s tapasya and performed Yagna on Mountain tops. Maha Deva proceeded towards the Haramukuta but as the route was rough and rocky, the bull by which he and Parvati were travelling could not proceed further and he alone without Parvati or bull took to a circuitous route on foot and on way crossed Shatadru, Vipasu, Iravati and Chandrabhaga, Vishnupada and the confluence of Vitasta and Sindhu to finally reach the Bharata Mountain. He took considerable time to ascend the peak, even as the Mountain grew higher and higher; the exasperated and exhausted Maha Deva grew up in his body stature and stamped his foot on the mountain’s head since when the mountain was known as Mundaprastha. The mountain could not bear the hit of Parameshwara, came out in human form and sought pardon of the Deva. A water body emerged out of the stamping of the foot and was called Kripani Tirtha, subsequently known as Apsara Tirtha as that was the swimming pool of Apsaras. Then Parama Shiva was enchanted by the most charming Place called ‘Brahmasara Tirtha’ and could not resist the temptation of swimming in it and converted himself as a Swan! The bird broke the Mountain and saw for Himself the Sacred Place where Shailaada was performing Yagna to please Parvati and him self to extend the human life of Nandeswara. As the Swan saw the Sacred Places of Vatika and Sandika where the Yagna was being organised, it also witnessed the Kapila Tirtha. Lord Brahma saw Parameshwara in the Form of a Swan and prostrated before him. As Shakra was there too along with a group of Devas, he saw Brahma there and knelt down and prayed to him thus:

Namastey Devadevesha Jagatkaranakaarana,
Trailokyanatha Sarvajna Sarveswara Namostutey/
Twattonyam naiva pashyaami Jagatyatmin hi kaaranam,
Twayaa Sarvamidam vyaptam Trailokyam sacharaacharam/
Srashtaa twamasya Sarvasya Samhartaa Paalakastathaa,
Yadonmeelayasey netrey Trailokyasyodbhavastadaa/
Bhavateeha Jannatha yadaa cha Swapishey Vibho,
Tadaitakhilam Sarvam Trailokyam tu pranashyati/
Bhumidhrutaa Dharayatitwyedam sacharaacharam,
Twayaa dhrutaa dhaarayanti tathaivaapokilam jagat/
Twattejasaa jagat sarvam vahnidhaarayati Prabho,
Twattejasaa tathaa Vaayurbhaavayat –sakhilam Jagat/
Shabdayonim tathaakaasham Jagat dhaarayatey Prabho,
Veeryena tey Mahaabhaagatwam cha proktastathaaparah/
Twam Buddhistwam tathaivaatmaa Sarvasyaasya prakeertitah,
Avyaktah Purushaschaiva Rajahstatvam tathaa tamah/
Indriyaaneendriyaarthascha Bhutatanmantra sanjakah,
Jnaataa Jneyam tathaa Kshetram Kshetrajnah Parame -swarah/
Dhyaataa Dhyeyam tathaa Dhyaanam Yagnaani vividhaanicha/
Sarvamey tatwamey vaikastatwattah kimapuram Prabho/
Yannatosi Mahabhaga yetanmey Samshayo Mahaan/

(Namastey, Deva Deva, You are the Prime Motivation of the Motives and the Chief Cause of the Causes; you are the Head of the Three Lokas, the All-Knowing Sarveshwara; there could not be any other reason than yourself in the entire Srishti and are also the Omni-Pervading; You are the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer too; as your eyes are open, the Worlds are born and alive and as you have the proverbial forty winks, the Worlds vanish too; as Earth holds the weight of all the Moving and Non-moving Entities of Creation,while Earth is upheld by water but who else is the holder of water and every thing else! You are the radiance that Agni carries all over the Universe and You are the Energy that Wind carries all over; You are the ‘Shabda’/ Sound that Akasha (Sky) carries all over; You are the ‘Buddhi’or the Intelligence and ‘Atma’ or the Soul as also the Unknown Purusha Swarupa being the fountain-head of the three ‘Gunas’ or Satwa-Rajasika and Tamasika Characteristics; You constitute the Physical Limbs and their end- sensations-as in respect of tongue and speech, ears and hearing, eyes and vision etc.; You are the ‘Bhuta’ or composition of Gross Elements and ‘Tanmatras’ / their Concentrated Reactions; You are the ‘Jnaata’or the ‘Obtainer’ and the ‘Jneya’ or that which is ‘Obtainable’; The ‘Kshetra’ or the Physique and the ‘Kshetrajna’ the Soul / Inner Consciousness’; ‘Dhyata’ or the Thinker, the ‘Dhyeum’ or the Thought, and the ‘Dhyanam’ or Thinking. Maha Bhaga! Is there else in ‘Existence’ beyond you!).

As Shakra prayed to Brahma as above, Brahma replied that Maha Deva himself was before him in the Form of a Swan and alerted him to lead the Devas present too to join Shakra to pay tributes to Maha Deva directly and Indra paid homage as follows:

Namastey Deva Devesha Mayaavrutajagatraya,
Yajamaano Mahi swam chathoyaagneendurka Vaayaah/
Tanavastey Vinirdishtaa yaabhyarvyaptam Jagatriam,
Braahmeem tanum tathaasthaaya Raajaseem twam Jagadguro/
Lokaansrujaasi Bhutaatmamstava Kaaryam na vidyetey,
Paorusheem tanumaasthyaaya Saatwikeem twam Maheswara/
Paalayasyakhilam Deva thrailokyam saakshivbat sthitah,
Kaalaakhyaam taamaseem krutwaa jagat samhaarasey tathaa/
Vrisha rupa dharo Dharmo vaahanatwamupaagatah,
Vaamaardham dayitaakaayam Brahmachari bhavo dhavaan/
Namah Shashaanka lekhaanka jataabhaara Maheshwara,
Gangaataranga nirdhuta jataabhaara namostutey/
Tripuraarey Namastestu Namastvandhaka ghaatiney,
Shulaagra bhinna daityaamsha rudhiraadra namostutey/
Kapaala maaliney tubhyam Parvatidayitaayacha,
Ugraayudhaaya Bhimaaya Bhimaayudha dharaayacha/
Urdhwa Lingaaya Sheeghraaya Krathaaya Kratanaayacha,
Maangalyaaya Varenyaya Mahaa Hamsaaya meedhushey/
Bheemaakshaaya Bhusundaaya Vyaala Yagnopapeetiney,
Kshamaswa mama Devesha yan mayaasi na Pujitah/
Tavaiva Mayaya purvam mohitena Jagatprabho,
Prasannosi dhruvam yena jnaatosi vai mayaa/
Suprasaadodi Devesha pranatosmi Maheshwara/

( Our obeisances to you Deva Devesha who has spread out ‘Maya’ or Illusion all over the Three Worlds; the Pancha Bhutas viz. Prithivi, Water, Radiance, Wind power, Sun, Moon and Sky are all the ramifications of Your ‘Swarupa’ or Form extended all over; You assumed the Brahmi Shakti of ‘Rajasa’facilitating Creating, Satvika Shakti to administer and uphold the worlds as a Unique Witness and finally by taking the ‘Kala Swarupa’ perform ‘Jagat Samhara’ or demolition of the Universe; Dharma Swarupa!You take over the Form of a Bull and as an ‘Ardha Naareswara’and as a ‘Brahmachari’ perform the killing of Daityaas with ease and without effort; Our greetings to you, Shashakadhara, Maheshewara, Jatadhaari wet with the waves of River Ganga worn on your head; You were the devastator of Tripurasura and Andhaka; You look dreadful as the killer of Daityas with their bodies strewn on top of your ‘Shula’ with their gushing blood; the ‘Kapaala Maaliney’/ wears garlands of Skulls around neck; ‘Ugraayudhaya’/ Carrier of Fearful Weapons; Bhimaaya / Bhima Shankara Linga; ‘Urthwa Lingaya’; ‘Sheeghraaya’/ The Speediest; Krathaaya, ‘Krathanaaya‘Mangalyaya’ / The Most Auspicious; ‘Varenyaaya’ or the Most Excellent and Distinguished; ‘Maha Hamsaaya’/ the Outstanding and Unique Swan; ‘Bhusundaaya’ / like the Great Yogi /Trikala Gyani and renowned Master of Pranayama who built a Mountain like Nest on Kalpa Vrikshka on Meru; and ‘Vyala Yagnopaveeta’/ wearing a serpent as his Sacred Thread. By so saying, Indra sought Hara Prabhu as he was overcome by a severe Maya / Illusion and could not recognize Maha Deva as the Great Swan).

As Indra’s eulogy was over, Maha Deva discarded his Form as a Swan and as Brahma, Indra and Devatas too were present along with Devi Parvati and the Great Bull reached there by now went to Kalodaka where the Yagna was being performed and further proceeded the Place where Nandi was performing his Tapasya. Nandi was weak and was almost dead. Having revived him, Maha Deva gave back Nandi’s past birth’s memory that he was a ‘Pratihaari’ (Gate Keeper) of Kailasha, that as Brahmana Shilaada’s penance and Bhrigu Maharshi’s Shaapa to Nandi coincided, the latter took to a human form and did penance to seek extension of life to please his father Shilada who had attained salvation herebefore. Maha Deva then blessed Nandi:

Ganeswaratwamaasaadya mayaa saha nivatsyasey/
Asmaad Yojana maatrena Purvey bhaagey Gano mama,
Twayaa saartham navatsyaami Bhutwaa Bhuteswaro Harah/
Tava Nandina pratishthaanam Vasishtho Bhagavan Rishih,
Kartaa Desho shubhey tasmin mama chaapyuta Bhutaley/
Sannidhaanam karishyaamastatra nityam vayam Dwija,
Purvotpannah sa Jyeshthesha-statra Lingo mama Dwija/
Tatraapi Sannidhaanam tey Nityam Vijnaatumarhasi,
Rishikoti Sahasraani madbhaktyaa vaa Dwijottama/
Tatra samsnaapayanti sma Jyeshthesham tey sadaiva tu,
Brahman Divyena toyenashubheynnottara maanasaat/
Teshaam tapah prabaavena Bhaktya cha mama Paarshada,
Sodarasya cha Naagastha sthaanamuttara maanasah/
Swayam praapto Mahaabhaaa tatra ramsyasi nityashah,
Yashmaaddeshaattadhaa yaati Dakshinena Mahaanadi/
Hiranyayani puraaya jalaa naamnaa Kanaka vaahini,
Jyeshthesho vasati bhutairvasa praakaamyatey Dwija/

( Maha Deva blessed Nandi to secure a significant status among ‘Shiva Ganaas’ and stay about a Yojana away to the East of that Place where he himself would be present at Hara Bhuteshwara in the Form of Jyeshthesha Linga and Sage Vasishtha would install Nandi as also of himself in his presence. He also assured Nandi that both he and Jyeshthesha would reside at that Place together always in his ‘Sannidhi’ and that Maha Deva’s devotees of ‘Rishi Koti’ would perform ‘Abhishekas’ with the Sacred Waters of the Lake ‘ Uttara Maanasa’. Nandi prostrated before Maha Deva and the latter himself accompanied Nandi to reach Uttara Maanasa Lake-where Sodara Naga resided- flowing from ‘Hiranayani’/ ‘Kanakavaahini’ atop the peak of ‘Haramukuti’ mountain).