◊Ÿ„UË¥ ◊Ÿ ◊„U‚È ◊È‚È∑§Ê„UË¥ – „UÁ⁄U ∑§ ®’Çÿ ’øŸ Ÿ®„U ¡Ê„UË¥H 3H
•Áà Á¬ ̋ÿ ’øŸ ‚ÈŸÃ Á¬ ̋ÿ ∑§⁄U – ÷΢ÁªÁ„U ¬ ̋Á⁄U ‚∑§‹ ªŸ ≈U⁄UH 4H
manahīṁ mana mahēsu musukāhīṁ. hari kē bingya bacana nahiṁ jāhīṁ. 3.
ati priya bacana sunata priya kērē. bhṛṅgihi prēri sakala gana ṭērē. 4.
Lord Mahesh (Shiva) smiled subtly in his Mana (mind and heart; without any
outwardly expression to indicate how he felt at Vishnu’s comments). He thought to
himself that Hari (Vishnu) does not desist from his innate habit of cracking jokes and
being humourous.^1
[Instead of taking Vishnu’s word in the wrong light as being taunting, Shiva
liked them and felt that his friend Vishnu is cracking a joke on the occasion of his
marriage as friends often do. Shiva and Vishnu are of the same stature, and people of
the same standing in society do not insult each other in public as a matter of principle.
So, Shiva understood that the words of Vishnu are to be taken in the correct spirit and
no wrong intention is to be construed in them.] (3)
Hearing these affectionate words from his dearest Lord^2 (Vishnu), Shiva
summoned Bhringi (his constant companion and mount called Nandi or the Bull)^3 and
asked him to call all his (Shiva’s) attendants. (4)
[Note—^1 We draw an interesting conclusion if we examine the sequence of events
here. Shiva’s attendants, the ghosts and phantoms, were feeling shy to join the
marriage procession of their Lord, Shiva, because of the huge gathering of gods in
their splendid attires and paraphernalia. Shiva too did not wish to make his friends,
the gods, feel ill-at-ease and odd by having to walk alongside such horrifying
creatures, so Shiva kept quiet. Vishnu was watching everything closely. Since he was
confident that Shiva will not take him wrong in any way, he decided to take the
initiative and asked the other gods to move away and make space for Shiva’s
attendants.
Shiva realised what Vishnu meant, and that is why the former did not take
umbrage at the latter’s comments about the marriage party not being worthy of the
groom and therefore the gods should move away.
Shiva was rather thankful to Vishnu that he enabled him to call his attendants
without causing any discomfiture to other members of the marriage party, the gods.
That is why Shiva ‘smiled’ thanfully at Vishnu’s words, and immediately asked his
mount, the Nandi or Bhringi, to call other followers to join the procession.^
Shiva understood what Vishnu meant. He understood that Vishnu is hinting at his
(Shiva’s) followers who were ghosts and phantoms. But he did not feel offended at
Vishnu’s implied remarks—because though these words seemed to be taunting on
their face value and would have angered any other god in Shiva’s place, but they did
not affect Shiva because they were a statement of facts, and were correct. It goes to
the credit of Lord Shiva that he does not take offense when the truth is spoken, and he
is unaffected by any comments made for him by anyone. This is the true way an
ascetic and hermit should act in this world—he is expected to be above all emotions;
he is expected to have full control over his sentiments; he is expected to be calm and
poised in the face of the gravest provocation; he is expected to be unmindful of what
the world says of him, good or bad, for the simple reason that he is detached from and
dispassionate towards everything related to the gross world. ‘Marriage’ and
‘phantoms as followers’ as well as the physical description of Shiva with serpents
wrapped around his body, garland of skulls dangling from his neck, ash smeared on
the body etc., pertain to Shiva’s that form which relates to the physical world of birth