SIVA RAHASYA 3

October 23, 2006

Om Namah Sivaya

The Curse of Nandi

Akhirasena, the king of the Asuras, had a daughter Surasai by name. To avenge the defeat of the Asuras at the hands of the Devas, Sukracharya, the Asura Guru, taught Surasai all the Arts of Maya. Surasai became an adept in those Arts, and was herself aptly called Maya. To bring back the lost glory of the Asuras, Maya determined to beget children through a great sage, so that the descendants could be more powerful than the Devas. With this in view, she approached the place where Kasyapa Rishi was doing rigorous Tapas.

By her magic spells she created a beautiful garden in the forest; and there she was, dancing and enjoying herself as part of the beauty of Nature. Disturbed by this interference, Kasyapa woke up from his meditation and saw a beautiful lady before him. By the secret powers of Maya, the Rishi fell victim to her charms and easily yielded to her proposals. Both the Rishi and Maya spent happy days together, roaming about gaily in the forest. Maya bore three sons and a daughter to the Rishi. The first son was Surapadma, the second Simhamukha and the third Tarakasura. The daughter’s name was Ajamukhi. Of the sons, Simhamukha had a lion’s face and Tarakasura an elephant’s; and Ajamukhi had the face of a goat. Along with them there arose a huge army of Asuras to help these leaders in their oncoming fight with the Devas.

Surapadma and his brothers, while they were yet young, requested their father and mother to prepare them for a life of glory and victory. Kasyapa Rishi told them to lead a virtuous life and do rigorous Tapas with intense devotion to the Lord. He cited the story of Markandeya to show how the power of his devotion to Lord Siva had protected him even from the grip of Lord Yama.

But Maya, mindful of her mission, was not satisfied with this advice to her sons. She entreated her sons to do rigorous Tapas on Lord Siva and to obtain boons by which they could have suzerainty over the Devas and live happily and gloriously.

After some time, Kasyapa realised his folly in having allowed himself to become a victim to the wiles of Maya and left them all and went his own way. As advised by their mother, Surapadma and his brothers proceeded north to perform intense Tapas. After making every arrangement carefully for the performance of their penance, they commenced their Tapas. Years passed. They obtained no results. Hence Surapadma and his brothers doubled their austerities, cut off every limb of their body and threw them one after another as an offering into the sacrificial fire before them. Even then Lord Siva did not appear. Finally Surapadma offered himself in the fire and died. The other brothers were also preparing themselves for a similar sacrifice when Lord Siva appeared before them, brought Surapadma back to life and granted a number of boons prayed for by them.

Having thus achieved their aims, they came back triumphantly to their mother who gladly welcomed them home. Maya sent them to Sukracharya, the Asura Guru, for further advice and guidance. Sukracharya gave them detailed instruction for leading an extremely sensuous life of pomp and glory. He addressed them thus: “When people say ‘everything is done by the one Supreme Being and He dwells everywhere,’ they are telling a stupendous lie. The Lord has created all other creatures and plants simply for man’s enjoyment. Might is Right. No one will derive any pleasure by acting upto the high-sounding precepts like ‘Do always good, avoid evil things.’

“The so-called Lord’s Lilas are just like the places and persons we experience during a dream. Everyone is the same in the creation of the Lord. To favour some as saints and sages and condemn others as ignoramuses and sinners is nothing but injustice and partiality. As the Lord has granted you all the boons you desired, it is up to you to utilise them in the proper way. You have got immense power now. You can do and undo things. Hence start at once on the mission of your life for which your mother Maya has been yearning so much. Fight against the Devas. Overthrow them from their power. Strip them of their riches and glory. Lord it over them. Make them your slaves.

“Live a life of ease and pleasure, using every object you could conceive of for your sensual enjoyment. Eat, drink and be merry. Live gloriously. Extend your sway over all the worlds created by Lord Siva. You should reign not only over them, but also establish your dynasty to rule over everyone for generations to come. Thus you will restore the glory now lost to the Asura dynasty.” In these thrilling and perverse words Sukracharya instructed Surapadma, Simhamukha and Tarakasura.

After having received the benedictions and final exhortations of their Guru Maharaj, Surapadma and his brothers began their career of conquest over the Devas. Surapadma established his capital at Mahendrapuri, in the South. Simhamukha had his capital in Asuram, in the North. Tarakasura built his capital near Emakoodam. These cities were duly planned and perfected by the divine architect, Visvakarma. The three brothers had their own independent kingdoms established around their capitals and were reigning over them, to the terror and dismay of the Devas.

Not satisfied with the vast kingdoms allotted to them, the brothers then proceeded to the habitation of the Devas to deprive them of their sovereignty and freedom. Surapadma invaded Indraloka, took Indra prisoner and made him work as a fisherman in the capital! Brahma was asked to officiate as the Purohit. Vayu, the god of wind, was appointed as the sweeper of the streets of his capital; to Varuna, the god of rain, was assigned the task of sprinkling gentle drops of water over the streets to lay the dust; the Sun was given to his son, Banukopan, as a toy to play with; Lord Vishnu alone was left undisturbed. In this way Surapadma, along with his brothers, subjected the Devas to every kind of ignoble persecution and insult. These privations and dishonour they had to undergo as a punishment for cowardly indifference they showed when Daksha blasphemed Lord Siva. The curse of Nandi had come home.

----Sri Swami Sivananda

Sivaya Namah

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