3
"Once on a time*[1] Brahma and Narayana roaming through the world in order to behold me, came to the foot of Himavat. Then they beheld there in front of them a great flame-linga;†[2] in order to discover the end of it, one of them went up, and the other down; and when they could not find the end of it, they proceeded to propitiate me by means of austerities : and I appeared to them and bade them ask for some boon : hearing that Brahma asked me to become his son; on that account he has ceased to be worthy of worship, disgraced by his overweening presumption.
"Then that god Narayana craved a boon of me, saying—Oh revered one, may I become devoted to thy service! Then he became incarnate, and was born as mine in thy form; for thou art the same as Narayana, the power of me all-powerful.
"Moreover thou wast my wife in a former birth." When Siva had thus spoken, Parvati asked, "How can I have been thy wife in a former birth?" Then Siva answered her. "Long ago to the Prajapati Daksha were born many daughters, and amongst them thou, goddess! He gave thee in marriage to me, and the others to Dharma and the rest of the gods. Once on a time he invited all his sons-in-law to a sacrifice. But I alone was not included in the invitation; thereupon thou didst ask him to tell thee why thy husband was not invited. Then he uttered a speech which pierced thy ears like a poisoned needle; Thy husband wears a necklace of skulls ; how can he be invited to a sacrifice ?'
"And then thou, my beloved, didst in anger abandon thy body, exclaiming,— 'This father of mine is a villain; what profit have I then in this carcase sprung from him?'
"And thereupon in wrath I destroyed that sacrifice of Daksha. Then thou wast born as the daughter of the mount of snow, as the moon's digit springs from the sea. Then recall how I came to the Himalaya in order to perform austerities; and thy father ordered thee to do me service as his guest : and there the god of love who had been sent by the gods in order that they might obtain from me a son to oppose Taraka, was consumed,‡[3]; when endeavouring to pierce me, having obtained a favourable opportunity. Then I was purchased by thee,§[4] the enduring one, with severe austerities, and I accepted this proposal of thine, my beloved, in order that I might add this merit to my stock.||[5] Thus it is clear that thou wast my wife in
- ↑ * The Sanskrit word Asti meaning "thus it is" is a common introduction to a tale.
- ↑ † The linga or phallus is a favourite emblem of Siva. Flame is one of his eight tanus or forms.
- ↑ ‡ He was burnt up by the fire of Siva's eye.
- ↑ § Compare Kumara Sambhava Sarga V, line 86.
- ↑ || Reading tatsanchayaya as one word. Dr. Brockhaus omits the line. Professor E. B. Cowell would read priyam for priya.
