The cosmic dancer Lord Siva moved his blessed foot in tune set by Lord Brahma. As He was performing tandava to the musical accompaniment by the Lord's retinue (Pramath gana) in the Kailasa, there erupted a sudden fire. Everybody in the Lord's abode was shocked at the engulfing fire including Goddess Parvati who was dancing along with the Lord. But the Lord was not shocked. He knew that the fire was caused by the heat of Arjuna's severe penance on the earth. He smiled to himself. He wanted to test Arjuna's prowess in disguise. Arjuna was in tapas to obtain the dreadful weapon Pasupatastra to kill his arch rival Karna in the impending Kurukshetra war in future.
Lord Siva, still with a broad smile on his face ordered the river Ganga in the strands of his hair to sink into his head. Then He changed his third eye on his forehead into a bright vermillion dot. He also transformed his weapon Trisul into a bow. He donned himself in a leopard skin and invited black beard onto his chin. Now the Lord looked like a tribal man. Goddess Parvati now understood the Lord's purpose by intuition. So She also transformed Herself into a perfect tribal woman.
Now the Divine Couple ordered the demon devotee Mookasura to change himself into a wild boar and wander around the hermitage where Arjuna was observing penance.
Accordingly, the demon boar began to move wildly, disturbing Ajuna's tapas.
Arjuna was startled out of his penance. He got up. Spitting fire in great anger, he took his gandiva (bow) and shot an arrow at the boar. The boar was simultaneously hit by another arrow shot by a tribal man, that was Lord Siva in disguise.
Both Arjuna and the tribal man contended for the carcass of the boar. They argued first. But the argument could not settle the matter. Then Arjuna challenged the tribal man to a duel. In the ferocious fight, many trees were uprooted and huge boulders were pulverized. Yet both stood undefeated. Then Arjuna rained arrows at the tribal man and asked him to thwart them if he could. Lord Siva in disguise met all the rival's arrows half way with a smile. Then with a wink of the Lord's eye, Arjuna's arrows disappeared. Now he was left with no arrow to shoot at the tribal man. Thinking that the tribal was exercising black magic, Arjun hurled his bow at the tribal man's head. The tribal woman (Goddes Parvati) was alarmed at this, but the Lord gestured her to stay cool.
Arjuna swooned after hurling his bow. By the time he recovered his senses, the tribal man and his wife appeared before him as Lord Siva and Mother Parvati.
Arjuna fell on the blessed Feet of the Divine Couple and begged forgiveness. He eulogised Them in many slokas.
Lord Siva and his consort were pleased with Arjuna's devotion, and blessed him with the Pasupasthra. They also blessed him with great victory in the future Kurukshetra war.
This episode was moulded into a beautiful drama under the title Kiratarjuneeyam by the great ancient Sanskrit poet Bharavi.
The mountain Indrakeeladri on which Arjuna observed penance was in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. This mountain is also the abode of Goddess Durga, called as Kanaka Durga.
Difficult words explained
- Brahma: the creator of the universe with the living and non living beings
- Cosmic: Universal
- Carcass: dead body of an animal
- Consort: wife or husband
- Duel: fight between two persons on mutual agreement
- Gandiva: The god of fire Agnideva) bestowed this bow to Arjuna
- Eulogise: to praise highly
- Hermitage: shelter for saints
- Kurukshetra: Name of the battle field where the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas, ultimaely the good conquering the evil.
- Prowess: bravery
- Pulverize: to reduce to powder
- Strands of hair: locks of hair
- Retinue: Group of servants
- Siva: who destroys the universe after its legitimate time of existence lapses. The First One among the Trinity - Siva, Vishnu, Brahma.
- Swoon: to lose consciousness
- Tapas: meditating on God to see Him in person
No comments:
Post a Comment