they had not actually meant to decry Narad or deride Narad’s character. It was just a
part of the test that they were asked to conduct by Lord Shiva himself.]øı0. Ã’ ŸÊ⁄UŒ ‚’„UË ‚◊ȤÊÊflÊ – ¬ÍL§’ ∑§Õʬ ̋‚¢ªÈ ‚ÈŸÊflÊH 1H
caupā’ī.
taba nārada sabahī samujhāvā. pūruba kathāprasaṅgu sunāvā. 1.
Then Narad reassured everyone (that there was no wrong-doing on his part by
advising Parvati to do Tapa to have Lord Shiva as her husband, and that everything
will be okay) by telling them the story of the previous life of Parvati^1. (1)
[Note—^1 This story has been narrated earlier in Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, from
Chaupai line no. 6 that precedes Doha no. 48—to Chaupai line no. 6 that precedes
Doha no. 75.
Narad told the entire story to defend himself before everyone and to tell them the
reson why he had given Parvati the advice which he did, because it was he who had
motivated her to do Tapa to obtain Lord Shiva as her husband in the first place, and in
the second place because the Sapta-rishis as well as Parvati’s mother Maina have
openly accused him of malfeasance and misusing his stature as a great sage on whom
every one relies by giving a wrong advice to Parvati and her parents which has
resulted in so much consternation and turmoil in their lives.]
◊ÿŸÊ ‚àÿ ‚ÈŸ„ÈU ◊◊ ’ÊŸË – ¡ªŒ¢’Ê Ãfl ‚ÈÃÊ ÷flÊŸËH 2H
•¡Ê •ŸÊÁŒ ‚ÁQ§ •Á’ŸÊÁ‚ÁŸ – ‚ŒÊ ‚¢÷È •⁄Uœ¢ª ÁŸflÊÁ‚ÁŸH 3H
¡ª ‚¢÷fl ¬Ê‹Ÿ ‹ÿ ∑§ÊÁ⁄UÁŸ – ÁŸ¡ ßë¿UÊ ‹Ë‹Ê ’¬È œÊÁ⁄UÁŸH 4H
mayanā satya sunahu mama bānī. jagadambā tava sutā bhavānī. 2.
ajā anādi sakti abināsini. sadā sambhu aradhaṅga nivāsini. 3.
jaga sambhava pālana laya kārini. nija icchā līlā bapu dhārini. 4.
Extolling the divine nature of Parvati, Narad said to Maina, her mother—‘Listen to
my truthful words^1 Maina. Your daughter is no ordinary girl; she is the Mother of the
Universe or the living world (“Jagdamba”) and is universally known as “Bhavaani”,
the eternal consort of Lord Bhava (which is one of the many names of Lord Shiva)^2.
(2)
She is the ‘Shakti’ (cosmic Energy, Power and Authority) that is ‘Aja’ (an
entity that is is without a birth; an entity that simply ‘reveals or manifests’ without
undergoing the usual process of coming into being or getting born like ordinary living
beings), that is is ‘Anaadi’ (an entity without a beginning and an end; an entity that is
eternal), and is ‘Avinaashi’ (that which is imperishable and not subject to decay)^3.
She occupies an eternal place by the side of Lord Shiva as his divine consort,
and is an inseparable half of the Lord^4. (3)
It is she, as the cosmic Mother of creation, who has made it possible for the
world to come into being. She is originator, the sustainer and care-taker, and the final
concluder of this creation. She takes a form as she wishes (and no one is responsible
for it)^5. (4)
[Note—^1 Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line no. 1 that precedes Doha no. 68
that also reiterates the fact that Narad never speaks a lie.