Saturday, September 25, 2010

Dhira, The Tribal Devotee, who Lord Shiva obliged by eating Meat,aka Thinnan as One of the 64 Nayanmars & henceforth He would be called as Kannappan.

By the Grace of God and Guru,
Here is an excerpt from The ShivaBhaktavilasam
(--- published by Shri Ramana Maha Rishi’s Ashram)
regarding an interesting subject prone to controversy;

“orthodox and non-orthodox worship-puja”,
“rajic-tasmic-satvic behavior and devotion”

--Lord Shiva says,
“The Hunter Who is a Novice into Our Love-Fold defies All Standards of Devotion.
The Purity of His Adoration is Matchless which ALONE matters to Us….
I must warn You,
Those Who Hate Him reap My Wraith!..”


Dhira is also known as Thinnan as one of the Nayanmars, and henceforth He would be called as Kannappan or Kannappa Nayanar. Kanappa
___________________________________________________________________________

--I am placing the Last Narrative “29” First because it has The
Final Understanding & Concentrated Pointed Emphasis that I would like to relay on God and Guru’s behalf,
but The Narratives “26, 27, & 28” all have interesting “Subtle Back Story, History & Development that will give a complete overview of “Dhira”.
So You will be reading the Last Narrative out of Sequence as First,
and then going back to the Pre-Narrative (Prequel).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The ShivaBhaktavilasam
as narrated by Sage Upanmayu in Skanda Upapuranam
translated by Lineshwara Rao
published by Shri Ramanashram



29,26,27,28 Dhira, pages 102-121


NARRATIVE 29: DHIRA’S SARUPYA MUKTI


Shri Agastya said and narrated,

"Dhira opened the Leaf Packet of Roasted Meat, cooled The pieces by Blowing air on Them, ‘AND Tasted One or Two Pieces’
Reassured of Their Smoothness and Taste,
He offered Them to His Lord to eat.
Seeing No response to His Offering, Dhira somewhat disappointed, made This plaint,
“Lord These Juicy Pieces I have prepared Myself to The right Tenderness and Seasoned Them with Fresh Honey.
Why don’t You Savor Them to Your Heart’s Content?
However,
Should You prefer The Flesh derived from a Stag or Hog to These,
It will be arranged without delay.
Look, How delicious This Food is!
But, If You do not touch It,
I Shall Fast Unto Death!”

Pleading thus He held a Ball of Meat near The Lingam.
The Lord Who was easily pleased, Ashutosha,
melted with Compassion at These Loving entreaties.

Then,
manifesting Himself in The Lingam,

HE ACCEPTED THE FOOD, COOKED WITH LOVE, AND IT TASTED LIKE AMBROSIA.

With Loving Words and remarks,
Dhira made The Lord eat All That He had brought.
His Mission successful, He danced in Transcendental Joy, forgetting His Own Body and Its Needs.
To Dhira’s Enquiry if The Food was palatable,
The Lord answered Positively with a Gracious Nod.
The Sun, as if to share with the Other Celestials These Great Events of
Dhira’s Pure Love and The Lord’s Condescension,
disappeared behind The Horizon in haste.

Soon, darkness enveloped All the Quarters,
like ignorance overcoming Sinful People.
As if to show that It has No Place in The Lord’s Presence,
The Self-luminous Gems shed by the ‘Naga’ serpents glowed bright,
Their Light being scattered around by The Bamboo Pearls.
Overcoming the sleep of ignorance,
Dhira decided to keep vigil that night against any Invaders.
Was not The Lord’s Presence uncongenial to Darkness and Sleep?
Once in a while,
He would reach over and feel The Lord’s Comely Form.
Even a Mother would not be so anxious for Her New borne Babe.
Thus He spent a Night of Hallowed Silence, Wakefulness, and Ever-surging Joy.
The Sun could not wait long to Dawn, when Dhira repaired to adjacent Jungle to hunt.

Meanwhile,
Shivaloka, The Customary Priest arrived at The Lord’s presence to undertake His Daily Ceremonial Worship.
And What An Obnoxious Sight It was for Him!
Bones and Pieces of Flesh were scattered everywhere on and around The Deity.
Worms and Flies swarmed Everywhere making buzzing sounds, as stinking odors pervaded the Place,
desecrating The Hallowed Spot.
Overtaken by Great Sorrow,
The Brahmana broke out, cursing Himself and The Offenders,

“Woe unto Me!
What Offence have I committed to Witness This Gruesome
and Pitiable Sight?
Certainly, It is the Mindless Adventures of The Tribal Wretches.
Hell Shall Be Their Lot!”

He fell on the ground and wailed aloud for a long time.
Once the Fit of Fury subsided,
He set out to clean The Lingam and premises.
Then He took a bath and bathed The Lingam according to The Rites of Purification, to the chanting of appropriate mantras.
Thus,
completing the Punyahavachana,
He accomplished The Daily Worship of The Lord with Flowers and
Other ingredients, and returned Home.

Not Long After,
Dhira returned from the Hunt and pleaded forgiveness
with The Lord for Undue Delay.
As before,
He removed The Floral and Other Offerings from The Lingam,
bathed It with The Water from His Mouth-receptacle,
adorned It with Flowers and offered Food,
which
The Lord consumed avidly.

Six Days passed thus for Dhira in The Lord’s Service.
Priest Shivakosha too, for His part, continued His worship after
according The Purificatory Rites each Day.

One Day
Naga, The Tribal Chief and Dhira’s Father,
set out on The arduous Journey to The Hill to reclaim His Son,
Who according to Him was “Possessed” by The Forest Spirit.
Accompanied by a Person well-versed in Medicine, He met His Son.
But
However much He tried to persuade Him,
Dhira could not be talked into returning to The Earlier Life of the ‘Senses’.

Heartbroken, The Chief turned Homeward.

Now, Who could see through the Heart of the Hunter,
where from the Perennial Fount of Joyous Love that knew no
guile or reservation, welled up causing a deluge,
in which all rules of Conformity and Etiquette were washed out?
For Dhira, Lord Shiva Alone mattered or Existed.
All else had no being apart from Him.
Whatever He did was for Shiva, In Shiva, and In Fact was Itself Shiva.
His Mind soared High above These explanations to reach, where SHIVAM reigned Supreme and Alone.
Therefore,
The Food offered by Him after tasting it, was to The Lord,
far Superior to the sanctified Food -- Purodasha - obtained in The Yagnas.
All The Golden Flowers of The Celestial Kalpa Tree were no match to even a single Petal of Flower of His Love.
The Water He spat on The Lingam was like The saliva of a New Borne Baby, and was more Sacred than The Ganges.
Would Otherwise Lord Shiva,
Who was said to be Rasa -- Their Essence (raso vai sah: He is The Essence -- vide Taittiriya Upanishad) -- care for The taste of Delicacies?
What would He have to do with Flowers that would wither away,
Himself being The Full-Blown Jnana Lotus that was Untouched by Time?
Would He-The One ever need a Bath That One Who wore The All-cleansing Ganga on His Crest?
For Lord Shiva, Dhira’s Pure Love that surged from His Guileless Heart Alone mattered.
The Rest Were Mere Trivialities.
Shivakosha, Whose Devotion was yet to ripen,
was gravely troubled by the Offbeat Approach of The ‘Raw’ Hunter.

One Day as He returned to The Lord’s abode,
The Usual Ghastly Sight and Scene confronted Him.

His Last Stock of Serenity was Now fully Exhausted.

Beating His Breast He set Up a Loud Wail,

“Ahhhhh, This Hallowed Abode has been converted into a Despicable Slaughter House.
The Culprits surely a Sinful Wretch and Should be Cast Into Hell!
O My Lord!
How could You put up with This Gruesome Ritual and Let The criminal
walk away?
Have You Not punished The Offenders Manmatha, Yama and The Evil Tripurasuras Before?
I’d rather end My Life than remain a Shameless Witness to This Grave Desecration.”

Lamenting thus,
He brushed aside the “Untouchable” matter and undertook The Purificatory Routine,
performed with a Sullen Heart the daily Abhishekam, to
the chanting of the ‘Shata Rudriyam’,
and left the premises indignantly.
Unable to eat even a single bite,
He lay down in helplessness.

The Compassionate Lord appeared to Him in a dream
and to set His Sight aright,
spoke Thus,

“The Hunter Who is a Novice into Our Love-Fold Defies All Standards
Of Devotion.
The Purity of His Adoration is Matchless Which Alone matters to Us.
I Must Warn You,
Those Who Hate Him reap My Wrath!
Should You need to see Depth of His Fondness For us,
Stay and Hide behind a Bush and watch The Proceedings Tomorrow.”

Shivakosha woke up in a jolt
and was overcome with Awe and Surprise.*
( aside,”Shivakosha got Darshan in His sleep and doesn’t even realize It!”)
The Lord’s words were hard to assimilate.
The Night became too Long to Pass,
with His Longing swelling up
to see The Evasive Hunter who had robbed The Lord’s Heart.

He set out well before dawn and reached The Mount
by which Time Dhira had already gone.
After completing His Duties,
He ascended a nearby Tree and sat behind Its Thick Foliage,
Anxiously awaiting The Stranger.

It was indeed a long Wait.

Noon passed when The Huntsman appeared in His Awe-some
inspiring Form.
Carrying His Hunting equipment on One Shoulder,
Floral Bunches in The Locks and Flesh in His Hands,
He walked anxiously towards The Lingam.
Gently emptying the Contents in His Mouth,
He washed The Lingam and sprinkled Flowers over It.
Then, offering The Juicy Pieces of Roasted Flesh in the Lotus Leaf Receptacle,
He pleaded The Lord to eat.
But Alas!
There was NO response from His Beloved.
Dhira’s repeated ministrations caused No Effect.

The He wondered,

“Could It be because I had tarried much to arrive Here/
But, It was only because I had to wander long for a tender calf for My Lord’s Meal.”

Saying This to Himself, He moved closer to The Lord’s Form on which
He saw tears of Blood trickling from The Left Eye.
Dhira, shocked at the Ghastly Sight, fainted and fell down unconscious.

After awhile,
He regained His senses and wailing aloud,
thought of an immediate Remedy.
However much He tried to wipe out The Blood,
The Flow would not stop.

“Surely, It must have been an attack of the Elephant or a Stag or a Hog,”
He thought,
“Or, It could have been The Sinful Deed of The Wicked Priest,”
He suspected.
Then,
as if something Flashed in His Mind,
He sped into The nearby Bushes and returned with Twigs of The Herb Vishalyakarani.
He applied Its juice to The Sore Eye.
The Herb, a proven panacea, proved ineffective in the Case of The Lord, who is Himself The Supreme Medicine for Illness of The World.
Dhira was perplexed.
His senses and mind turned Numb and His Heart was gripped with Consternation.
At Last, He recollected The Age Old Adage -
‘An Eye for an Eye’ - and adapted It to the Present Situation,
only in a different way!
Without a second thought,
He removed His Left Eye with The Sharp Edge of His Arrow,
Not even uttering a moan,
and then He fixed It on The Troubled Eye of The Lingam.

Lo and Behold! The Bleeding stopped ! It worked!

Dhira could not believe His Single ‘Eye”

Relieved at This,
He resumed to feed The Lord,
But Now,
The Right Eye started oozing Blood.
Dhira was shocked and bemoaned with Grief. but soon recovered
and reasoned,

The Eye needs to be healed at Once, too.”

No problem!
The Remedy was at hand.
He attempted to remove His remaining other Eye,
when it occurred to Him that without His Second Eye
He would not be able to locate The Lord’s Second Sore Eye.

As He reasoned thus, He hit upon an idea.
He placed His Toes just below The Troubled Eye
and was about to dig out His Last remaining Eye.
Then,
The Lord, Who now appeared in the Place of The lingam said,
“Stop, Dhira!”
and held His hand tight.
Soon,
Dhira saw Himself in the Tight Lock and Embrace of The Lord’s Arms.
His Whole Frame trembled with Horripilation.
There was a sudden downpour of Fragrant Blossoms.
The Lord graced The Hunter with His Glorious Form seated on The Bull Mount,
along with Uma - Our Mother,
and Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanyam.

Hosts from Kailasa sang praises aloud.
The Brahmana Priest, too, was vouchsafed This Rare Darshan
and became Purified thereby.

Dhira fell prostrate to The Lord and then as He stood up,
He was Shining with not Two
but Three Eyes like Our Lord!
He was bestowed The Sarupya --of The Lord’s Form --
One of The Four Types of Liberation and a Permanent Residence in Kailasa!

------end of NARRATIVE 29,


Narrative 26: DHIRA THE TRIBAL DEVOTEE


Shri Agastya states and narrates,

“Those Who cultivate Devotion to Lord Shiva,
Who is The Sun to the darkness of misery, have no fear of The World.

Compared to Pure Devotion -- Caste, Scholarship, Sacrifices, Penance, Ceremonious Worship, Pilgrimages, ETC are NOT as Efficacious.

O Pious Souls!
A Devotee belonging to a Ruthless Jungle Tribe
offered the Forbidden Animal Flesh as Food and His Eye as a Gift,
and attained Salvation.”


Rishis said,
“It is incredible that a Tribesman should cultivate devotion at All.
How did he dare offer such things unheard of, to The Lord?
Pray narrate This to Us!”

Shri Agastya states and narrates,

“The River Swarnamukhi flowed by Kanchipuram,
the celebrated Shaivite Centre of Great Eminence.
There was an Elephant-shaped Mount on Its Bank called Venugiri.
The Hill had an abundance of flora and fauna of great diversity and various mineral valued for cosmetics and Ayurveda Medicine.
Bamboo shoots kissed the Skies, as it were,
Their tips going beyond the Monsoon Clouds.
Kunda Mandara, karavira, traveler’s palm, palmyra, coconut, deodar – to mention a few – flourished, forming a dense canopy above, letting only the soft sun rays through.

It was a proud habitat of some hardworking, ruthless Clans of Tribes.
The Males with Shining-dark Physiques hunted relentlessly and fiercely as They chased the beasts with shouts of, “ATTACK!”, “SHOOT!!!”, “KILL”, etc.
Killing seemed to be Their Birthright and Sport.
Maidens Who roamed like Lionesses, collected heaps of Pearls emerging from nodes of Bamboo Leaves, Crowns of Wild Elephants and Sharp Tusks of the Wild Boar.
They made Garlands with an assortment of Rubies and other Gems obtained from the Mountains.

Tiger Claws and Tusks of Wild Boar dangled from the Necks and Waists of Their Children; Their Bodies robust and naked,
as They tethered Elephant Calves with creepers in Sport.
They used Lion’s Hair to make twine
and wore them as wristbands and necklaces around Their Necks.
Hounds and wild Boars were Their playmates.

Their Precincts had plenty of food,
such as fowl, pigeon, peacock,
goose and parrot, besides those from the wild -- stag, rabbit, buffalo, etc.
The leftovers which formed hills,
were swarmed by insects and flies, and emitted a foul odor.
The remnant Skins of the slaughtered Beasts
were then cured, dried and made into garments for the Adults.
Their One Theme of Life seemed to be,
“Kill and Live” or, in other words,
“Live and Let Die.”

The Chieftain of the Main Camp, named Godhapuram,
was the Powerful “Naga”.
He amassed wealth by means of taxes from the Neighboring Camps
in the form of food, grains, gems, cosmetics, etc.
His Wife Datta,
hailed from another powerful yet noble clan of hunters.

Amidst the unending resources,
Naga shone with Datta, like a King Elephant and rejoiced like a Sage experiencing unearthly Bliss, however --
Datta had no issue for a long time,
which was the Mark of Womanhood at that time.
Also, being the First Lady of the Camp, She was often weighed down heavily by this great lacuna. Despite Naga’s efforts to cheer Her up with gifts and encouraging words, Her sorrow only waxed.
She would not use proper wear and eat proper food.
Often,
She would not care to dress Her hair and bath in scented waters.
Naga made consultations with His confidants, who advised Him to
approach the Yogini Priestess, living in a secluded thatched shed on the outskirts.

Naga ordered for prompt arrangements, and on as auspicious day went up to the Prophetess along with His Wife.
The Couple offered Her Gifts in abundance,
such as the sacred priyangu, vessels full of honey and solid ghee, and
many other valuables.
Praying to Her in Their Minds, They awaited Her Benediction.
After a while,
The Inspired Yogini made Her appearance at Her Doorway and
Blessed the Tribal Queen with a Pearl Garland, a Gem-studded “Naga” scepter and sanctified Leather Robes.
Overcome by a wave of horripilation,
Datta made her feelings heard to others,
“Our Valli with Her Consort Kumara Deva (Lord Subramanya-Murugan-Skanda) is Bountiful to Us.”
A Rare Blessing Indeed!”
Birds sang in approval from the trees.
At This Auspicious Sign,
Naga promised to bathe The Fertility Goddess Valli with huge quantities of Pearls. He further prayed to the Soothsayer to instruct Them on a full-fledged course for propitiating the Bounteous Deities.
She replied,
“Let Your Chaste Partner approach Me again in Solitude
and Practice My teaching for One Year
to obtain Blessings in the Fullest Measure.”

Prompted by Her Husband,
Queen Datta returned Alone to The Yogini Mata, who was to drench the Queen with Overflowing Grace.
Touching the Sacred Ashes (Vibhuti) to Datta,
The Yogini initiated The Stately Disciple into a Prayer to Valli Devi
as follows:
“O Gracious Mother
You remove the Grievances of Your Servants.
You provide Them with Boons in Abundance,
O Noble Consort of Skanda.”
Datta repeated This Prayer for 3 months, relinquishing meat and liquor.
As to still there were no signs of conception in Her,
She was initiated into a Lord Skanda Mantra:
“The Darling Son of Parvati,
The Stealer of Valli’s Heart
and having a Peacock Mount,
That Guha,
I beseech For Children.”
Datta repeated This Mantra with Complete Faith for 7 Days.
She had a vision at Night of A Brilliance of the Full Moon in Her Lap,
which soon filled Her Chamber.
The Priestess was pleased to hear This, but quickly instructed and warned Her to keep quiet and to keep the news to Herself.
Within a month She was pregnant.

Finally, everyone heard the grand news.
Naga offered the Pearls He vowed to The Priestess.
At an Auspicious Hour,
Queen Datta gave birth to a Baby Boy, to the Great Joy of One and All.
Gifts poured in from within and without the Hamlet.
And Naga, made a Grand Celebration for the Occasion.

A Celestial Voice Declared,
“This Boy Will Excel Narayana In Fame By Offering His Eyes to The Lord” ( While Narayana offered One Eye to Lord Shiva, This Boy, in the future, would offer Both Eyes).

The Babe shone like a dark Monsoon Cloud illumined by Lightning.
The Lines on His Body foretold of a Great Stature -- physical and beyond.
So He was named “Dhira” - “The Spirited”.

With ever-increasing jubilation, The Parents performed appropriate rites for The Boy at each Season. In great wonder They watched Him grow day-by-day and brimmed with ecstatic joy. His movements were a treat to Their Eyes, each cry a feast to ears.
Once He was able to make articulate sounds,
His Father avidly taught Him the 3 R’s of The Wild --
“Raid”, “Rack” and “Ravage”.

Soon,
The Child tottered out to play with Tots of His age on Mud Mounds and among the Pet hounds and Calves.
Naga lost Himself at such sights and would even forget food and drink.
Once He attained Youth,
Dhira dared out into The Deep Wilderness.
He could tame Wild Cats, Dogs, Hogs, Bears, Elephants and even Lions.
A couple of Wild Hounds, nurtured by Him, always followed Him like Shadows and kept watch and guard over Him.

Each Day,
with Love and Reverance, He visited Yogini Mata.
She would offer Him Sacred Ash - Vibhuti and Bless Him saying,

“May You live Long By The Grace of Valli Devi and Lord Subramanya!”


Narrative 27: DHIRA’S HOLY DIP IN SWARNAMUKHI

Shri Agastya states and narrates,

"As Dhira turned twelve,
the Proud Father fixed as Auspicious Day for His Formal Initiation into the Art of Weaponry.
In response to His Invitation, Tribal People of various sects from the Himalayas, the Sumeru, the Nishadha, the Gandhamadhana, the Vindhya, the Mahendra, the Malaya, the Trikuta, and the Shri Shailam Mountains arrived at Venugiri. The Mount became submerged in a Sea of People sporting colorful attire. Naga’s hosts served Them delectable Foods and Liquor.

On the Appointed Day, Dhira was seated facing East,
on High Seat covered with Tiger Skin.
Then in a ceremonial gesture,
Naga handed His Dagger -- the Sign Sovereignty -- over to Dhira.
Sounds of approval penetrated the thick jungle, setting the Wild Beasts on a hasty retreat.
The Youth -- a gift from the Youthful Lord Kumara -- was then given a specially made bow and arrow and asked to hit the target -- a piglet tethered to a distant tree.
Dhira, like a seasoned bowman aimed the arrow at the target
and hit the animal in one stroke.
The Crowds set up loud shouts of applause for a long time and rained flowers on The Worthy Prince. The ecstatic Naga clasped Him and smelt His Crown many a time.
Cheer Girls danced in jubilation, uttering words,
“Ulu, ulu” in praise of Their coveted Chief in the making.

Naga accorded Ceremonial Worship to The Visitors from near and afar; and doled out Valuable Gifts. After partaking of a sumptuous dinner,
The Guests fully satisfied, took leave of the ageing chief and His Son, to return to Their Respective Lands.

Thereafter, Dhira started learning from an Expert Teacher the crafts of The Jungle -- hunting, warfare, sports and administration.
In a short time,
He grew up to everyone’s expectations and even excelled that.
His Mind became a harsh ground for any seed of fear to sprout.
Dawn to Dusk He roamed in The Woods, remembered every inch and detail of His dominion, and identified the Hideouts of Wild Beasts, along with Their distinguishing odors and foot prints, with a keen intellect.
In these matters, He excelled all His Comrades and became Their Master and object of adoration.
Among Them, Gadha and Nanu, the Two Sons of Dhira’s Teacher
became His Closest Friends and followed Him like a shadow.
In this manner, 5 years lapsed in no time.

Once, The Residents of the Southern Quarter of Venugiri, approached Naga, Their Chief.
They complained about attacks from Man-eaters and sought immediate intervention.
Naga replied solemnly,

“Age has taken its toll and my senses fail me of late. You better take care of the problem Yourself or You can take the help of Our Bowmen.

Upon this They said,

“Bear with Us Sire, but We daresay that Your Son,
Our Prince, alone can be worthy to replace You.
Permit Us to have Him as The Leader of Our Campaigns hereafter.”

Overjoyed at These Words, Naga readily gave His Consent.

Dhira, with the Ceremonious Hunting Dress, shone like Turquoise, and
dashed off like an Arrow released from Its Bow.
Followed by Hosts of Men and tamed Hounds,
He pushed deep into the dense interiors of The Wilderness,
Loud Shouts of Hunting Jargon echoed in the Valley,
arousing The Beasts from Their Hideouts. The riotous commotion set up by the shouts and the sounds of drums made the game flee helter-skelter.
Dhira’s Hosts started hitting small animals with long sticks, spears and venom-tipped shafts, while Dhira Himself targeted The Wild Animals like Lions, Tigers and Leopards.
Once a Big Game was subdued,
a Wild Boar caught Dhira’s fancy and He went chasing it.
Now appearing and now vanishing, It disappeared from His Sight, taking Him far away from His kinsmen.
Dhira, forgetting the very purpose for which He had set out, ran avidly after It like Shri Rama after The Illusory Golden Deer of Yore.
Crossing familiar Terrain He entered a hitherto Untrodden Land.
Soon His Two Bosom Friends, Gadha and Nanu caught up with Him. After much pursuing, The Wild Boar could not run further.
Dhira now took out His Sword and killed The Boar tearing it to pieces.
His Friends praised Him for the extraordinary valor shown by Him.
Now Dhira was completely exhausted.

Gadha said with a pant,
“Not far away There is a Great Hill frequented by Celestials and hence, Forbidden by Humans.
The Sacred River Swanamuhki flows encircling it.
It is full of Fragrant Flowers and Tasty Fish.
One plunge into The Waters will put an end to Our Exhaustion and quench Our thirst.
It is familiar to Me”
Dhira bade Him to watch out for the Black Buck and proceeded with Nanu in the direction of The River.
A number of Auspicious Signs appeared as He travelled forth.
Soon, They came face to face with a Magnificent Mount and saw The Sacred Swarnamukhi rushing forward as Rapids, and at some places falling off Steep Cliffs into The Valley below.
The very sight of it refreshed Dhira, and His mind soared to Lofty Heights.
Rivers were said to be The Divine-In-Motion. The Swarnamukhi was sanctified all the more by the proximity of Shri Kalahastishwara Lingam on the Mountain nearby and by the immersion of dried flowers, etc used for His Worship.
Countless Munis engaged in Penance in The Area, and underwent Ceremonial Baths twice a day in Its purifying Waters.
Its Banks were covered thick by cloud-kissing Trees which were veritable habitats for a diverse variety OF Birds like Sparrows, Pigeons, Parrots, Pelicans, Eagles and Vultures that embellished the Ubiquitous silence with Their Songs.
Aquatic forms, like Fish, Tortoise, and Beavers became drunk with The Cool Waters, ever gamboling with the Lilies and Lotuses, chasing away the Honey Bees thereon.
While the Male Swans nibbled the soft Lotus stalks, Females watched Them with avidity.
The Shallow Waters were darkened by the dissolved kasturi unguent from the bodies Of Celestial Damsels and by the Secretions of the Rutting Elephants.
Pearls released from the Crowns of Elephants, torn apart by Lions, were scattered over the Shore, where the Deer grazed on the tender Foliage.
For the Poet’s Eye,
The River Swarnamukhi in All its grandeur
appeared as a Female Celebrity,
with the Full Bloom of the Lotuses as Her Fair-glowing Face,
the Long Mossy Tendrils as Her Silky Front Locks,
the Blues Water-Lilies like Her Eyes,
the Eddies as Her deep Belly-Button,
the Sand Dunes Her Girdle, the Surf Her Sari,
the undulating Waves Her Slender Limbs,
the sounds of Birds and the Aquarian Life as the Tinkling Anklets.

The Romping Dame, Swarnamukhi, gushed rushing forth to mingle with The Ocean, Her Husband.

Now Her Tribal Child - Dhira,
splashed in Her sanctifying waters with overflowing gaiety.
His Body was soothed, mind purified and heart sanctified by
the Hallowed Waters of The Swarnamukhi River.”


Narrative 28: DHIRA WORSHIPS SHRI KALAHASTISHWARA

some youtube videos with kalahasti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEwnPAdYZx4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ759KQGAnc&feature=channel

Shri Agastya said and narrated,

“After the Soul-refreshing bath, Dhira sauntered along The River Bank under the gigantic Trees. He assuaged His hunger with ripened, juicy fruit, which He shared with His Friends.
As They walked forth, soft and elevating sounds of vina and other instruments played by Celestial Musicians touched Their Hearts. Peacocks danced in joy. Plants shone with a new glow and tossed Their Crowns in glee.
All of Nature was transported to lofty spiritual Heights, as it were.
As Dhira wondered and looked in askance at His Friend,
Gadha replied,
“I heard These Sounds in My earlier visit. Some Deity is said to be there receiving services from Devotees.”
At these words,
Dhira was gripped by a deep longing to visit The Place.

Soon They were on Their way to climb The Hill.
A rugged pathway went up the Steep Slope of the Hill,
filled with shiny pearls scattered from the Bamboo shoots growing on the sides.
As They reached the pinnacle,
Dark Clouds kissed Them a welcome.
There was a large flat space surrounded by Tall Trees,
drooping with the heaviness of fruits.
Beings of mutual enmity coexisted There in amity.
A sublime Peace and Sanctity,
surpassing All understanding, permeated The Atmosphere.
Suddenly,
a hissing sound was heard and as Dhira looked in that Direction,
He saw an eminent Shiva Lingam facing West, situated under a Bilva Tree loaded with Fruit.
By Its very Hallowed Sight, Dhira’s sins, accumulated over countless lives vanished and He turned over a New Leaf. A serene feeling that allowed no description possessed Him.

The Lingam was resplendent with the Brilliance of A Million Suns
and the Coolness of A Million Moons.
Signs of a recent worship were evident.
Fragrant Flowers from The Wilderness, Unbroken Rice Grains, Black Sesame Seeds, and Sacred Darbha Grass were seen on
and around the Lingam.
An Odor, characteristic of Elephant Secretions, was in the Air.
Magical Germs laid by Serpents added to The Aura, and The Skins shed by Them appeared like Silk Robes that Inspire Awe.
The Musk Deer, too left a Fragrant Trail of Its secret Rendezvous.

The Lingam was famed as Shri Kalahastishwara,
owing The Name to a Spider, an Elephant and a Snake, which were Blessed by The Lord, of Yore.
Dhira, as if pulled by a great force,
ran up to The Lingam,
went around it and fell in front of it in Prostration.
With Hands clasped tight,
He stood on His Knees,
His Eyes raining tears,
as His attention was firmly fixed on The Lord’s Glorious Form.
Overcome with Waves of Horripilation,
He murmured,

“Save Me, Save Me!”

Then He clasped The Image in the tight lock of His Broad Shoulders.
At that instant, His Filial Bond with The Lord,
spreading over innumerable Lives, reflected in His Purified Mind.
Seeing the Time He had spent so far as futile,
He resolved to dedicate His Life henceforth to The Lord’s Service.
Then,
It occurred to Him that He should worship The Deity with
Fresh Flowers and Offerings, and He started picking Floral bunches from the nearby Trees.
Gadha, who was already shocked at His Strange Behavior,
enquired rather suspiciously,

“What are You doing?
Don’t You feel the urge to return Home and make Your Parents and Pothers Happy?
You are entrusted with Lofty Responsibilities
and Everyone looks up to You for Their Fulfillment.”

But None of These Words could stir Dhira.
He made it clear that His moorings being here, as revealed by The Lord, The question of leaving the place on any account would not arise,
no matter what!
Nonplussed at His Firm Determination,
Gadha was forced to leave Him and return to The Hamlet Alone.

The Aged Parent were shocked in disbelief at the unprecedented turn of events in Their Son’s debut hunting venture and
dispatched a batch of Confidants to persuade Him to return.
The Group soon reached Dhira’s new Habitat and
What They Saw was truly Appalling.

Dhira, Their Master, The Ruthless and Celebrated Marksman, appeared in a State of Complete ‘Derangement”,
characteristic of a Saintly Person.
His Long Wavy Locks were packed and tied into a Mound On His Crown -- The Jatamukutam.
Forsaking All His Jewelry and Flashy Robes,
He covered His Body with The Bare Minimum.
With All His Attention resolved into One Ideal, i,e., Serving The Lord,
He was unaware of anything else.

Collecting Wild Flowers and Bilva Leaves He carefully adorned the Shivalingam.
Then,
He offered Ripe Fruit and Later, partook of It as Prasadam -- sanctified Food.
After The Comrades made repeated requests for His returning to Their Village,
He responded with Profound Detachment and Even Scorn.
Their Warnings of a possible Heartbreak leading to
even Death of His Parents if He delayed,
brought no change in His Posture.
He even remarked,
“I’ve incurred enough loss already by staying away from The Lord.”
The Delegates were forced to depart in despair.

The interruptions gone,
Dhira embraced the Lingam and pleaded forgiveness for His Shortcomings.
He petitioned,
“Lord of The Universe, How d id You chance to abide Here in All loneliness.
Caring not for Attention of any sort, You appeared here For My Sake.
Pray make it impossible for Me to leave You under any circumstances.
Let Me be Your Bonded Slave Forever.
Do bear with My Faults and Imperfections and lead Me Unto You.
Pray accept My Services.
In Truth, What is There that I can do for You, except joining My Palms?”

With Great Effort,
He separated Himself from the Lord and after coming out of the Trance,
He proceeded to clean up the premises, removing entwined Creepers,
Thorny Bushes and Harmful creatures.
Later,
He went into the nearby Woods and hunted Tender-fleshed Animals
like Baby Deer, Rabbits, and Calves.
He roasted pieces of Their Selected Parts in a Bonfire and
carefully collected Them into a Leaf Receptacle.
For want of A Pouring Urn,
He filled His Mouth with Ambrosial Water
from a Perennial Spring of Water for Bathing The Lord.
Then,
He picked Floral Bunches of Rainbow Hues and Wild Scents, and bound Them to His Jatamukutam with a Headband.
With These Things gathered,
He returned to His Lord.
He removed the Dried Flowers and
Other Materials from The Lingam with His Foot still wearing
a Leather Sandal.
Spraying out The Water in a Fine Jet from His Mouth,
He bathed The Lingam and
adorned It with The Flowers carried on His Head.”

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