Indian Myth and LegendMackenzie, Donald A. (Donald Alexander)
History
Indian Myth and Legend
Mackenzie, Donald A. (Donald Alexander)
Hindu mythology; Legends -- India
The gods went in pursuit of Garuda. Indra flung his thunderbolt, but
the bird suffered no pain and dropped but a single feather. When he
delivered the amrita to the demons his mother was released, but ere
the demons could drink Indra snatched up the golden moon-goblet and
wended back to the heavens. The demon snakes licked the grass where the
goblet had been placed by Garuda, and their tongues were divided. From
that day all the snakes have had divided tongues.... Garuda became
afterwards the vehicle of Vishnu; he has ever “mocked the wind with his
fleetness”.
Shiva, as we have indicated, developed from Rudra, the storm god. He
is first mentioned as Mahadeva, “the great god”, in the _Yajurveda_,
and in the _Mahábhárata_ he is sometimes exalted above Vishnu. In one
part he is worshipped by Krishna. He is the “blue-necked, three-eyed
trident-bearing lord of all creatures”. The trident is a lightning
symbol which appears to have developed from the three wriggling flashes
held in the left hand of hammer-gods like Tarku and Rammon. Shiva's
third eye was on his forehead, and from it issued on occasion a flame
of fire which could consume an enemy; once he slew Kamadeva, the love
god, who wounded him with flowery arrows, by causing the flame to
spring forth.
Balor, the night god of Irish mythology, had similarly a destroying
eye; “its gaze withered all who stood before it”;[181] he was the god
of lightning and death, the “eye-flame” being the thunderbolt.
[181] _Celtic Myth and Legend_, p. 49.
Shiva's dwelling is on the Himalayan mount Kaila´sa[182]. He is
Girisha, “the lord of the hills”, and Chandra-Shekara, “the moon
crested”, Bhuteswara, “lord of goblins”, and Sri Kanta, “beautiful
throated”. When he is depicted with five heads, he is regarded as the
source of the five sacred rivers flowing from the mountains. As the
god with snow-white face, he is the spirit of asceticism (Maha-Yogi)
adored by Brahmans performing penances. In the _Mahábhárata_ Arjuna,
the warrior, invoked him by engaging in austerities until smoke issued
from the earth. Then Shiva, “the illustrious Hara”, appeared in huge
and stalwart form and wrestled with him. Arjuna's limbs were bruised
and he was deprived of his senses. When he recovered he hailed the god,
saying: “Thou art Shiva in the form of Vishnu and Vishnu in the form
of Shiva....[183] O Hari, O Rudra, I bow to thee. Thou hast a (red)
eye on thy forehead.... Thou art the source of universal blessing, the
cause of the cause of the Universe.... Thou art worshipped of all the
worlds. I worship thee to obtain thy grace.... This combat in which I
was engaged with thee (arose) from ignorance.... I seek thy protection.
Pardon me all I have done.”
[182] Or Kailāsa.
[183] Combined with Vishnu he is Hari-hara.
Shiva, whose sign is the bull, embraced Arjuna and said, “I have
pardoned thee.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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