sasi lalāṭa sundara sira gaṅgā. nayana tīni upabīta bhujaṅgā. 3.
garala kaṇṭha ura nara sira mālā. asiva bēṣa sivadhāma kṛpālā. 4.
His head looked beautiful with a cresent moon on his forehead, and river Ganges
swirling in the matted hairs adorning the crown of his head. He sported three eyes
(two conventional eyes and one in the center of his forehead). A huge serpent dangled
across his chest to represent the sacred thread worn by other gods. (3)
His neck was darkened by the poison he had swallowed (at the time of the
churning of the ocean by the gods and demons), and he wore a garland of human
skulls around his neck.
Though Shiva was attired in an inauspicious manner and looked very ghastly,
he nevertheless was a merciful Lord who was an abode of all virtues associated with
auspiciousness and compassion^1. (4)
[Note—^1 Lord Shiva wore human skulls as a garland; he wore a serpent like a sacred
thread; he kept poison in his throat; he looked very odd with three eyes. In brief,
Shiva’s external appearance was very unconventional and fearful. No holy person, let
alone a ‘god’, would like to sport this ghastly appearance. But this was very
misleading; it was perhaps a guise adopted by Shiva so that the world leaves him
alone, thinking that he is a mad god or a patron deity of phantoms and ghosts, so that
he can concentrate upon his meditation and contemplation.
But the fact is that Shiva is not what he appears to be, but is true to his name—
because the word “Shiva” means one who is truthful, immaculate, pure and holy.
Shiva is a ‘merciful’ god, and therefore he does not enjoy killing humans as indicated
by his wearing a garland of skulls. On the contrary it means that he wishes to remind
himself constantly that this world is going to perish one day, and the beautiful
physical body of which the humans are so proud of is actually nothing but a cover for
bones and skulls. Shiva has witnessed death and grief at close quarters because he is
the god responsible for concluding this creation, the god who observes death and its
accompanying pain and horrors from up close.
The garland of skulls around his neck constantly reminds him of the mortal
nature of this physical world and the futility of pursuing its material pleasures and
comforts—because death is certain to come one day. This realisation helps Shiva to
remain detached from the world and overcome all temptations for gratification of the
senses.]
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kara trisūla aru ḍamaru birājā. calē basaham̐ caḍhi bājahiṁ bājā. 5.
dēkhi sivahi suratriya musukāhīṁ. bara lāyaka dulahini jaga nāhīṁ. 6.
He (Shiva) held a trident and a tabor (drum shaped like an hour-glass) in his hands.
Thus attired, he rode a bull and moved ahead to go the bride’s place even as
various musical instruments were being played. (5)
Seeing the most unconventional form of Shiva donned in the attire of a groom,
the consorts of different gods could not restrain themselves from smiling. They said
amongst themselves in jest—‘There is not a single bride fit for such a groom in this
world!’ (6)