Sri Narayanan's message on Yali

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Dear Shri Narayanan,

This is in continuation of my previous message on Yali. I have been able to get

the book "Myths to live By" and am reproducing below a copy of the relevant page

from that book. An image of Kirti Mukha may be seen at

http://www.kdsi.net/~capnmark/s12.htm

Dasan,

M.K. Krishnaswamy

 

MYTHS TO LIVE BY by JOSEPH CAMPBELL

Pages 105-6

And so, to conclude, let me recount now a really marvelous Hindu legend to this

point, from the infinitely rich mythology of the god Shiva and his glorious

world-goddess Parvati. The occasion was of a time when there came before this

great divinity an audacious demon who had just overthrown the ruling gods of the

world and now came to confront the highest of all with a non-negotiable demand,

namely, that the god should hand over his goddess to the demon. Well, what Shiva

did in reply was simply to open that mystic third eye in the middle of his

forehead, and puff! a lightning bolt hit the earth, and there was suddenly there

a second demon, even larger than the first. He was a great lean thing with a

lion-like head, hair waving to the quarters of the world, and his nature was

sheer hunger. He had been brought into being to eat up the first, and was

clearly fit to do so. The first thought: "So what do I do now?" and with a very

fortunate decision threw himself upon Shiva's mercy.

 

Now it is a well-known theological rule that when you throw yourself on a god's

mercy the god cannot refuse to protect you; and so Shiva had now to guard and

protect the first demon from the second. Which left the second, however, without

meat to quell his hunger and in anguish he asked Shiva, "Whom, then, do I eat?"

to which the god replied, "Well, let's see: why not eat yourself?"

 

And with that, no sooner said than begun. Commencing with his feet, teeth

chopping away, that grim phenomenon came right on up the line, through his own

belly, on up through his chest and neck, until all that remained was a face. And

the god, thereupon, was enchanted. For here at last was a perfect image of the

monstrous thing that is life, which lives on itself. And to that sun-like mask,

which was now all that was left of that lion-like vision of hunger, Shiva said,

exulting, "I shall call you 'Face of Glory,' Kirttimukha, and you shall shine

above the doors to all my temples. No one who refuses to honor and worship you

will come ever to knowledge of me." (See Foot Note below for reference)

 

The obvious lesson of all of which is that the first step to the knowledge of

the highest divine symbol of the wonder and mystery of life is in the

recognition of the monstrous nature of life and its glory in that character: the

realization that this is just how it is and that it cannot and will not be

changed. Those who think-and their name is legion-that they know how the

universe could have been better than it is, how it would have been had they

created it, without pain, without sorrow, without time, without life, are unfit

for illumination. Or those who think-as do many- "Let me first correct society,

then get around to my­self" are barred from even the outer gate of the man­sion

of God's peace. All societies are evil, sorrowful, inequitable; and so they will

always be. So if you really want to help this world, what you will have to teach

is how to live in it. And that no one can do who has not himself learned how to

live in it in the joyful sorrow and sorrowful joy of the knowledge of life as it

is. That is the meaning of the monstrous Kirttimukha, "Face of Glory," over the

entrances to the sanctuaries of the god of yoga, whose bride is the goddess of

life. No one can know this god and goddess who will not bow to that mask in

reverence and pass humbly through.

 

Foot Note: Skanda Purana, Vol. II, Vishnukanda, Karttikamasa Mahatmya, Ch. 17.