15

Delighted Dakshayani told the king

The three eyed Lord of Kailas would come and wed;

And Daksha's joy was more than plain to see,

And he gave orders for arrangements to speed.

The glittering halls of his palace filled

With bustle and din as men moved about

Arranging for a wedding grand and great.

The blest day dawned; the happy hour drew nigh,

The Devas were all in the wedding hall;

And in a multitude of melodies

Sweet music poured from Veena, Bheri and flute,

And Apsarases danced in ecstasy;

The bride shone in the hues of silk and gold,

And Daksha waited for Lord Siva eagerly.

The bride has seen Lord Siva in a hunter's guise.

Where He gave her His word that He would come and wed;

And like a hunter Siva strode into the hall

And took away the blushing bride on His strong arms;

The priests were dazed, and all assembled were aghast;

In blazing anger Daksha shook from head to foot,

And on Siva he poured abuse and blasphemy.

16

O "Cursed slave", monstrous fool, ill-tempered Daksha,

You know not your own daughter Dakshayani,

She is DAHAR AKASA RUPINI -

The knowledge-space where Lord Siva does shine;

She is Siva Shakti AIKYA RUPINI -

The Power that is ONE with the supreme;

Can Siva be divorced from Siva Shakti?

O lunatic lord ruling the worlds three,

You are a victim of the triple folly

Of ignorance, delusion, arrogance;

And know not Siva, the Lord of all worlds,

Will take the soul he chooses; none may question;

He is the shepherd; and He is the hunter

That picks out the great from among the unwise.

Ungrateful king, He that gave Parvati

As daughter to you out of His large mercy

Has taken her back; you have naught to say:

Do bow to his will; His boon is fulfilled.

Of action's secrets Siva is the Master,

You shall not initiate, compete or question;

For you the Sattwic mode of action is ordained.

17

In Brahma rajas is held in control

By Godly power; but in His son Daksha,

A demi God with powers to create

Won by deep penance, rajas could assert

And blending with avidya, pull him down;

His wounded pride, combined with wrath, made him blind

To Siva's supremacy that held him in debt.

God-gifted Daksha, that had flung the stars

Of his creation, on the azure sky,

Unwisely meddled with the moon in its course.

Lord Siva thwarted and defeated his plot,

And Daksha's ire saw Siva as a foe.

"Immortal hate and study of revenge"

Held Daksha's being in the devil's grasp.

Assembled in Brahma's Yajna hall

Were NANDI, Siva's chief, and Devas all:

The chant of sacred mantras filled the air

And holy fire odoriferous blazed:

And Lord Brahma sat down to dedicate

The sacraments of Yagna to Lord Siva,

When Daksha, wild with envy interposed.

18

"The sacraments, my Lord, shall not be offered,"

Roared Daksha, flaming with hate, wrath and envy,

"To Siva whom I hold in scorn, for He

Has stooped to low deeds of delinquency;

And NANDI, his chief, is but an accomplice

In Siva�s crimes and mean conspiracies:

In thought, word and fact I oppose their presence here."

The Devas held their breath; none dared to say aught;

But NANDI, form of faith and faithfulness,

Aflame with wrath unbounded, jumped to his feet,

And cast his glaring look on Devas all

And then he fixed his gaze on Daksha and roared:-

"Accursed wretch, you shall pay dear for your blasphemy;

None speaks ill of Lord Siva, but suffers agony."

"O wicked ONE, of monstrous passions a tool;

The agonies of 'hell' will help you to cool

Your ignorant and hate-filled ire that dares

To hurl on Siva vulgar taint and insult;

Most odious and fallen one, your death

Shall come, as retribution for your crime,

And violent as your foul deeds are heinous."

"Ye Devas that have heard without protest

The blasphemy cast on the Lord Supreme,

Disloyal ones that have failed to defend

The sanctity and NAME of your Protector;

For this sin of yours I curse ye to suffer

Oppression by the SOORA PADMA gang:

This curse is irrevocable; I leave."

...to continue...