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There is an excellent
mountain in the southern region, named Deva. It shines with great splendor
and is very wonderful to view. A Brahmin Sudharma, who was the most
excellent among the knower of Brahman and who was born of Bharadvaja family
lived near it. His beloved Sudeha was interested in Saiva’s cult and sacred
rites.
She was skilful in all household activities and devotedly served her
husband. The excellent Brahmin Sudharma worshipped gods and guests. He was
devotedly attached to the Vedic path and scrupulously maintained the
sacrificial fires. He had the brilliance of the Sun and performed Sandhya
prayers thrice a day. He taught disciples and was an expert in the Vedas and
Sastras both.
He had the qualities of gentlemanliness. He was also a liberal donor, a
devotee of Siva, a favorite of his followers and engaged himself in the
sacred rites of Siva-cult. A long period thus passed when he continued his
religious rites but no son was born to him. He did not grieve over this
because he realized the reality of different things. He knew that the soul
was the up lifter and sanctifier of the soul. Thinking thus he did not feel
aggrieved even mentally but Sudeha was distressed for not having a son.
Everyday she used to implore her husband to strive for the acquisition of a
son. On this he used to tell his wife that there was no son, no daughter, no
father, no mother, no lover, everyone was selfishly inclined in the world.
After enlightening her, he continued with his worship of the lord. He was
perfectly contented.
Once Sudeha went to the neighbor’s house for a friendly chat but a quarrel
arose there. The neighbour’s wife as natural to women reproached her. She
was called a sonless women and that she had no son to inherit her wealth and
property. They also told her that the king would confiscate her property.
She narrated the story to her husband, but the intelligent Brahmin was not
grieved by hearing it since he believed in destiny.
She was pacified and consoled by her husband. She then told her husband if
he did not beget a son, she would caste off her body. On this, Sudharma,
harassed by her importunities, mentally remembered Siva. The alert Brahmin
offered two flowers to the sacrificial fire. He thought that the right side
flower would yield a son. Making this condition, he told his wife that she
would have to take one of the flowers to decide about the acquisition of a
son.
She was definite to have a son and waited for the insignia flower to come to
her. She then bowed to Siva and the sacrificial fire. After praying again,
she picked up one of the flowers.
She missed the insignia flower due to delusion caused by Siva’s desire. On
seeing this, the husband sighed deeply and spoke to his beloved again. He
told her to cast off her vain hopes and render service to lord. After saying
so and giving up hope himself, the Brahmin became engaged in sacred rites
and meditation on Siva.
Yearning for a son, Sudeha did not leave off her pleadings. She then pleaded
her husband to remarry. Sudharma then told her that their miseries had gone
off and requested her not to put obstacles in his holy rites. She then
bought her sister and offered her to Sudharma. Sudharma told Sudeha that if
her sister gave birth to a son, Sudeha would feel jealous of her. Sudeha
folded her hands to her husband and told her that she would not feel jealous
of her own sister and requested him to marry her sister.
Sudeha served her sister like a hired wench eschewing all oppositions and
lovingly nurtures her. The junior wife with the consent of her sister would
make hundred and one earthen idols everyday. According to the sacred rules
Ghusma the younger sister rendered devotional services to these images and
threw them in the neighboring lake. She then performed the wish yielding
worship of Siva everyday leaving them off and invoking them again in
accordance with the rules of devotional service.
Performing the worship of Siva thus regularly, she completed a hundred
thousand images and their worship, which would yield the benefits of all
desires. By the mercy of Siva, a son was born to her. He was beautiful,
fortunate and endowed with all auspicious qualities. Sudeha then grew
fiercely jealous of her. Her heart was cool and quiet before and began to
blaze like fire later. On seeing the son of younger sister, the elder sister
was much distressed. Her people celebrated birth of a son continually, but
she could not bear the sight of the beautiful child. On seeing the son, a
great favorite of his parents and endowed with all good qualities, her heart
began to blaze like fire. In the meantime, many Brahmins came there offering
their daughters in marriage.
Sudharma celebrated the marriage of his son duly. Sudharma was extremely
delighted in the company of Ghusma. On seeing this, Sudeha blazed furiously
in her mind. When the daughter in law came to the house, the son was duly
married; Sudharma evinced his enthusiasm to both the wives with an intention
of delighting them equally.
Unable to bear their happiness, Sudeha fell on the ground. Ghusma told
Sudeha that they were her own son and daughter in law. The daughter in law
considered Sudeha to be her mother in law and the son too considered her to
be his mother. The husband too loved the elder more than he loved the
younger, still the elder wife retained dirt in her mind.
To overcome her misery, Sudeha thought of killing Ghusma’s son, who spoke
pleasing words to her. This inimical nature among co-wives is extremely
ruthless and suicidal. The wicked and the mean do not ponder what shall be
done or not. One day during the night, when the son was sleeping with his
wife, she took a big knife and cut off Ghusma’s son’s limbs at night. She
took the limbs to the lake where Ghusma usually hurled the earthen images of
Siva. After casting off the limbs into the lake, she returned and slept.
In the morning Ghusma and Sudharma performed their daily morning duties.
Getting up in the morning, the daughter-in-law saw to her horror, the bed
was wet with blood. Pieces of the body were also seen. On seeing this the
daughter in-law thought that she was doomed and wondered as to who had
perpetrated the wicked deed. Ghusma heard her daughter-in-law but did not
leave off her sacred rite, the daily worship of Siva’s earthen image. The
husband too remained calm till the completion of the sacred rite.
At noon when the worship was concluded, she looked at the terrible bed and
did not show the signs of grief. They believed that Siva would protect him.
Siva was like their gardener. He separates those whom he has united. Nothing
could be gained worrying over it. Taking the day’s earthly phallic images,
she went towards the bank of the lake repeating the names of Siva,
maintaining the normalcy of her mind as afore.
When Sudeha had cast off the earthen phallic images and returned, she saw
her son standing on the bank of the lake. The son was thankful to the power
of his mother’s virtue and the mercy of Siva. On seeing her son restored to
life, the mother was not delighted as she was not distressed before. At that
time, lord Siva appeared before her as a mass of splendor and told her that
he was delighted with her.
Siva told her that the wicked Sudeha killed the boy and she would be further
killed by Siva’s trident.Bowing down to Siva, Ghusma requested for a boon
for Sudeha’s protection. On this Siva said that Sudeha, the perpetrator of
wicked deeds must be killed. Ghusma said that a person’s sins are reduced to
ashes if they happen to see Siva and her sins too would be removed. Sin is
far removed by the mere sight of the person who renders help to those who
harm him. Thus, requested by her, lord Siva, the ocean of mercy, favorably
disposed towards his devotees, was delighted and asked Ghusma to request for
another boon.
Siva was delighted with her at her devotion and her nature of being free
from aberrations. On this Ghusma requested to Siva to stay there in her name
to protect the worlds. Siva agreed to this and told her that he would be
named Ghusmesa and shall confer happiness.
This phallic image named Ghusmesa became auspicious and famous and the lake
became the storehouse of phallic images. It became famous in the three
worlds as “Sivalaya”. The lake yields desires by its mere sight. He even
told Ghusma that up to a hundred and one generations in her family, sons of
great excellence would be born. They would have good wives, plenty of
wealth, longevity and skill in everything. They would be learned and
liberal. They would attain worldly pleasure and salvation. After saying
this, Siva assumed the form of phallic image named Ghusmesa and became
famous and the lake was called “Sivalaya”.
Sudharma, Ghusma and Sudeha came there and circumambulated Siva hundred and
one times and performed the worship of lord Siva. On seeing the son regained
to life, Sudeha was ashamed. She performed the expiatory rite for her sins
and requested for forgiveness.
The very sight and worship of the phallic image renders happiness, always. |
