‘Let’s pray while we wait, it will calm us down and do him good if he’s in trouble,’ said the mother, inspired.
‘A very good idea! In fact, why don’t you sing a bhajan for us? I often hear you humming or singing the child to sleep but when have we last sat together like this with an opportunity to hear you?’ said the grandmother, smiling.
‘Oh, I would like that. There’s a song that’s been buzzing in my head all day for no reason I can think of except that it’s satsang today,’ said the mother with delicacy, not wanting to call a devotional song an ‘earworm’.
She sat down on the carpet, facing them all, and launched into the song Sheesh Gang Ardhang Parvati, singing it in the slow, meditative style of Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra, not in the fast-paced harati or prayer style. The song described Shiva as half-Parvati with the Ganga flowing from his head, sitting serenely on Mount Kailash, surrounded by his companions amidst heavenly music played by celestials with birdsong adding more music while the sun and moon humbly adored him.
The mother’s sweet, steady voice sang the beautiful Hindi words with such sincerity and conviction that the family’s heart leapt in sudden joy, as though it, too, was present in that delightful gathering amidst the silvery snow mountains. The father and child looked as adoringly at the mother as the sun and the moon looked at Shiva in the song, while the grandparents blinked their suddenly misting eyes. They were a good-natured family on the whole but the day had brought some wear and tear to each one, which had made them uneasy and a little cross while waiting for the guru. The song made them feel well and happy again and they heard it with gratitude for the mother’s talent.
Just as the mother finished the song, even before the family could come out of its spell, the door bell rang. The father sprang up to open the door and found the guru there, holding a fan of peacock feathers and a fragrant twist of paper.
‘I’m so sorry I’m late, and I forgot to charge my phone,’ said the guru when he was ushered in.
‘Thank God you’re here now. We were worried,’ said the grandmother as everyone got up to greet him.
‘It’s been a very exciting day for me. I spent both the morning and the afternoon at Uttara Swami Malai.’
‘Do you mean the Malaai Mandir?’ said the father.
‘Yes, it’s named after the famous old Kartikeya temple at Swami Malai in Tamil Nadu. “Malai” means “hill” in Tamil. The “a” is short in both places, so it’s “malai”, not “malaai”, which is our word for cream. We call it “Malai Mandir” locally. That’s like saying “Hill Temple”, a happy union of Tamil and Hindi, which is perfect since Kartikeya’s temples are usually found on a hill top,’ said the guru.
‘What took you there today on two visits? Was it because temples are usually shut in the afternoon?’ said the grandfather.
‘That’s right. I went back at four o’clock when they reopened for evening service. Since I’d planned to tell you about Kartikeya this evening, I thought it would be nice to spend the day there, thinking of him. I saw the elegant puja they did in the morning service. And a while ago, I saw Kartikeya’s idol with the chandan kaapu or covering of sandalwood paste. When the priest waved the harati fire at him, his face seemed alive! It was so beautiful. I’ve brought you all some holy ash from there, a proper Shaiva prasad. And I couldn’t resist getting this little peacock feather fan for you from the hawkers outside, because Kartikeya’s mount is the peacock,’ said the guru, handing the pretty fan to the child.
‘Thank you, Teacher,’ said the child, doing a namaste to the guru and a little dance step, waving the fan. ‘Kartikeya is far from home here, isn’t he?’
Just then, the mother brought in modaka, chakli and tea for the guru. ‘Let Guruji taste a modaka first,’ she smiled. When the modaka had been duly praised, a crisp, sesame-sprinkled chakli eaten and a cup of restorative tea drunk, the guru fished in his kurta’s front pocket and produced a little laminated ‘calendar god’ picture of Kartikeya as a bright-faced little boy.
He looked a bit like the ‘Murphy baby’ in old calendars from the twentieth century, rosy, plump and smiling, with curly hair. He had holy ash smeared in the three stripes of Shiva across his forehead with a bright red tilak in the middle. He wore gold earrings and tightly held a little golden vel or spear in his chubby fist. The spear represented his mother Parvati, the Shakti or super-strength that he would need later as a warrior.
‘Another good friend for you,’ said the guru, giving the pleasant picture to the child. ‘Kartikeya as a little boy is a special god for children, like his elder brother Ganapati. They are the best of friends, those two, though Kartikeya has a bit of a temper and can fly off in a rage on his peacock whereas nothing can rattle big brother Ganapati. Together, they make a great team and look out for each other. Many children like to think of them as their elder brothers. And how Kartikeya likes that! Since he’s a younger brother himself. He loves people who like to read and write and he absolutely loves poetry. He’s also a warrior in his grown-up form, a tough one. In fact, Sri Krishna says of his own best qualities in the Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter Ten, Verse 24, “Senaninam Aham Skanda (Of generals, I am Skanda)”, Skanda being yet another name for Kartikeya.’
‘Besides little Krishna, Kartikeya is the other boy-god that people love to love, especially in the south. But do you know that Kartikeya was once widely worshipped across the plains of north and east India, and in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir? Old sculptures and texts tell us so. He was once the favourite god of the warlike clans of Haryana and Punjab, the Yaudheyas. A branch of the Yaudheyas, called the Maha Mayurakas, had champion horsemen and horse breeders in what is now Rohtak and regions nearby in Haryana. It says so in the Mahabharata, in the section called the Rajasuya Parva. “Rohitka” as Rohtak was once known, was apparently Kartikeya’s favourite city in the plains. Even ancient Buddhist texts talk about Kartikeya’s popularity in the north.’
‘So Kartikeya actually came home when he came to Uttara Swami Malai? Imagine that!’ said the father.
‘Yes, that’s what he did, after many centuries. Until Uttara Swami Malai was consecrated in 1973, there was not a single temple to Kartikeya to be found in the north except for one at Pehowa near the Punjab-Haryana border, where Kartikeya is a bachelor god, and one at Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. Women are not allowed at the Pehowa temple. Perhaps the turbulent history of that region was a reason.
‘Whereas Uttara Swami Malai has become so holy that it’s now accepted as the seventh chakra, the Sahasrara Kshetra that completes the circuit of six ancient, powerful “chakra temples” to Kartikeya in the south. That’s another story. Today, there are temples to Kartikeya around the world . . . I counted Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK, USA and Canada.’
‘However, it’s quite miraculous how his temple in Delhi came to be. Kartikeya or Kumar, “the young boy”, as we also call him, came back to the north in a most extraordinary way,’ said the guru.
6
Kumar
‘First, we need to recall what we know about Kartikeya’s circumstances,’ said the guru to his expectant audience. ‘Before him, Ganapati was born of Parvati’s body. One day, while bathing, she scrubbed herself with many scented herb powders and from the foam and scurf on her limbs she suddenly thought to make the image of a little boy and she did. He looked so sweet that she impulsively breathed life into him and there he was, her little son Ganesh. But Kartikeya was born very differently. He shot out in six sparks from Shiva himself, from the all-destroying netragni, the fierce fire in Shiva’s third eye, on his forehead.’
‘Ganapati was created by Parvati’s whim and became a universal darling, the embodiment of luck, learning and mystic power. He was made the first god to be prayed to before starting anything. That was by Shiva’s order. But Kartikeya’s birth has a backstory stretching all the way to the oldest tales about Shiva. Listen carefully as I try to tell it step by step, before I t
ell you the saga of Malai Mandir, the first new temple to Kartikeya in the north.’
‘Very long ago, Brahma the Creator was given the task of making people inhabit the three worlds, which were well-connected to each other then. I’ve already told you about the three races he created for Svarg, Bhulok and Patal. For Bhulok, the earth, Brahma first created four handsome young men to be the ancestors of mankind and they sat down to pray for guidance on the shore of Manasarovar. Suddenly, a great white swan swam up before them.’
‘It was Shiva, the ultimate free soul or “supreme swan”, the Paramahamsa. The swan swam all over the lake to warn the four young men that the world was merely maya or illusion, and that the only way to escape its bonds was to refuse to become fathers. Shiva did that because he felt that it was only fair to warn them that creation was just a game for the gods. The young men got the message and serenely continued to meditate by the lake, and for all we know, they may be there still, invisible to the human eye, Sanat, Sanandan, Sanatan and Sanat Kumar, eternally youthful and lost in the ecstasy of meditation.’
‘Shiva warned us, too, and still warns us by wearing ash, vibhuti. By doing this, he silently tells us that that is what it all comes down to ultimately, so don’t fall for the illusion that’ll be around you always. Don’t waste your time on earth just eating, sleeping, gossiping and shopping, pleasantly though it passes the time, it’s not worth it. Life is too short to waste in being mean to others. Instead, use your time to be nice to others, especially to those who need help, to wipe out karma from your past lives.’
‘Whether we listen to Shiva’s message or not, those first four beings certainly did. Brahma saw that they had eluded him. He then breathed out and the sage Narada appeared who too wished to stay single like the four youths, for he wanted to be free to travel the three worlds. Brahma shrugged, blessed Narada and sent him on his way. He next created eight great lords with many powers, strong tastes and big egos. They were the mighty Prajapatis and it was they who let loose the six evil passions into the world that infected the three worlds forever.’
‘These negative qualities are called the Shad Ripu or Six Enemies who destroy us from within. They are kama, lust; krodha, anger; lobha, greed; moha, attachment; mada, pride; and matsarya, jealousy. They prevent us mortals from attaining moksha or salvation, which is what Shiva had warned the four handsome youths about.’
‘To provide men and women to populate the earth that the Prajapatis were sent to rule, Brahma created the first man, Manu, and the first woman, Shatarupa, who created many children.’
‘The chief of the Prajapatis was Daksha. He disliked Shiva because he felt that Shiva had not been respectful enough to him on an occasion. That was just Daksha’s vanity since Shiva was far greater than he. Daksha took an indecent pride in his wealth and luxurious lifestyle, living in a grand palace, eating off gold plates and wearing precious gems. He made fun of Shiva for dressing simply, for living by himself out in the woods and for having friends from all walks of life. But it didn’t matter to Shiva if you were pretty, rich or talented. Rather, he had a soft spot for the lame ducks of the world—the damaged, the broken, the worried, the weeping, the frightened, the sick and the lonely. He liked those people best who had clean hearts and clean minds, innocent of guile.’
‘If Shiva has one weakness, it’s water—abhishekha priyo Shiva. Shiva loves the feel of flowing water and is usually to be found bathing in a lake or river, when not lost in meditation in some icy Himalayan cave or dancing for fun with the goblins in the cremation ground. His best companion is his mount, the gigantic bull, Nandi, who guards him fiercely and the snakes that he shelters on his tall, strong and pale body.’
‘Daksha was married to haughty, beautiful Prasuti, a daughter of Manu and Shatarupa, and had sixteen lovely daughters himself. Daksha was very proud of them and called them “princesses of the blood” as though he were the monarch of the three worlds. Sati, his youngest child, his pet, caught a glimpse of Shiva while out on a picnic with her sisters. After that she couldn’t stop thinking of him in secret. When Daksha set up Sati’s swayamvar, or marriage-by-choice, she was brought into the great hall of the palace to look at the line-up of rich, clever men whom Daksha had invited as would-be bridegrooms. Sati was expected to choose one of them as her husband. She had to put the flower garland she held around his neck. But Shiva was nowhere in sight, because he had not been invited.’
‘In despair, Sati flung her garland into the air, crying, “If I am truly Sati, may Shiva receive this garland!” And suddenly, there stood Shiva, drawn by Sati’s utter sincerity, with her garland around his neck. Daksha felt that Sati had thrown herself away disastrously but had no choice except to let her go with Shiva to his home on Mount Kailash.’
‘This love story had a horrible end. Sati insisted on going to a special puja at Daksha’s palace, although she and Shiva were not invited. You see, the only place you can really go to uninvited is a satsang, to hear katha and bhajan. In the old days, you could go uninvited to a friend’s place, too. But not any more, life has got too busy, hasn’t it? Shiva explained patiently to Sati that it was not correct to go uninvited, but Sati was used to having her way. She insisted on going and went on her own to Daksha’s palace, leaving Mahadev behind on Kailash.’
‘There, her father spoke so harshly and rudely about Shiva that Sati could not bear to hear his words and, rebuking Daksha, gave up her life then and there. Today we might wonder if it was a severe instance of “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy”, or dying of a broken heart, a death caused by a rush of immense emotional or physical stress. Such a death is thought to happen by the toxic effects of stress hormones on the heart muscle and cardiac blood vessels. It is said to occur more in older women, but we can imagine the terrible rush of humiliation and grief that Sati must have felt, to be talked to like that in public by her father.’
‘When Shiva was told, he furiously attacked Daksha, broke up the gathering and wrecked the place before disappearing with Sati’s body flung over his shoulder.’
‘Shiva’s fury and sorrow plunged the whole world into deep gloom. To save the situation, Vishnu repeatedly flung his discus at Sati’s body. He cut it up into fifty-one pieces that fell on earth and became high-energy points called Shakti Peeth, places of goddess-strength. The farthest one north-east is Kamakhya in Guwahati in Assam. The farthest one north-west is Hinglaj Devi in Balochistan. Since it’s in a desert, which is called maru in Sanskrit, old holy texts call it Marutirtha Hinglaj, meaning “Hinglaj, the shrine in the desert”.’
‘Feeling the weight gone, Shiva retreated into a remote mountain cave, vowing never to marry again but to meditate forever.’
‘A tragic story,’ mourned the grandfather. ‘My heart breaks for Shiva and Sati Dakshayini.’
‘Yes, there can be no other opinion on it. But we have to take the rough with the smooth,’ said the guru.
‘But, Guruji, you yourself can’t bear the thought of the Uttara Kanda in the Ramayana,’ said the grandfather. ‘Not that I can. I’ve felt bad about it since I was a boy.’
‘Ah, you’ve got me there,’ sighed the guru. ‘I go to pieces thinking of it. Nor will anybody who gives religious discourses touch it. They can’t bear to. Nor could the audience listen without weeping aloud. It’s too harrowingly out of character for Rama, and as for Sita, the injustice kills us. It’s the saddest love story in the world that we simply cannot resist for so many reasons. Well, I suppose that’s why the epics keep us so deeply attached. We take it all very personally because the gods are so real to us. I’ve met people who know much more about Sri Rama’s family than their own.’
‘Anyhow, let’s proceed to Part Two. With Shiva lost to the world, the forces of darkness in Patal cautiously began to emerge. They were terrified of Shiva, for not only had he drunk up the terrible Kalakuta in one swallow but had also killed many over-ambitious asuras who had won amazing boons by the force of their tapas or austerities, like standing on one leg for years amidst f
ive fires, not eating anything, giving up even water and finally, living only on air. The Shiva Purana has the gory details of how demon after demon was destroyed by Shiva. He is called “Tripurantaka”, the destroyer of three asura cities, after one such difficult labour.’
‘Now, with Shiva having locked himself away, the asuras, although they themselves worshipped Shiva, felt that the coast was clear to take another shot at their favourite activity, which was to harass the devas. So the asura Surapadman and his brother Tarakan embarked on an absolutely horrendous tapas to coax a boon from Brahma. The old Creator could not bear it when his creatures hurt themselves; so tapas to him was emotional blackmail of a high degree. None of the gods could bear to see this, really, and Brahma was particularly susceptible, even more than Shiva who loved austerities and was easily touched if someone made a real effort. That, by the way, is why Shiva is called “Ashutosh”, meaning “easily pleased”. And just as unpredictably, he erupts in fury. Kshane tushta, kshane rushta: pleased one moment and angry the next. It can be an endearing trait, but it sometimes led to complicated lilas.’
‘Having been denied immortality, all asuras who reached the boon-granting stage inevitably began by asking for eternal life. Brahma had to say no each time, for that was not in his power to give, but in Shiva’s, Shakti’s and particularly Vishnu’s, who was known to be too shrewd to fall for asura tricks. So the asuras tried to get immortality from Brahma through indirect moves.’
‘Surapadman and Tarakan came away from Brahma mighty pleased with their deal. The boon they had asked for and received was that nobody could kill them except a son of Shiva. That son had to be born only after Shiva was married but he could not be born of a female. This was so cunningly constructed that the asura brothers felt totally safe and promptly attacked Indralok, the home of the devas.’
‘The devas fled to Brahma for sanctuary.’
‘“Do something! Save us!” they wept.’
Mahadev Page 5