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gaurīṁ nihārē'u sakhī mukha rukha pā'i tēhiṁ kārana kahā.
tapu karahiṁ hara hitu suni biham̐si baṭu kahata murukhā'ī mahā.
jēhiṁ dīnha asa upadēsa barēhu kalēsa kari baru bāvarō.
hita lāgi kahauṁ subhāyam̐ sō baṛa biṣama bairī rāvarō. 6.
Chanda 6. Gauri (Parvati) looked at the face of her companion very intently. Having
got a signal from her (Parvati), the companion told him (Shiva in the form of the
celibate Brahmin, the ‘Batu’) that she was doing Tapa for Har (Shiva). [Parvati did
not want to reply to Shiva directly because she wished to keep her desires secret lest
the Batu make fun of her and cause further agony in her heart. Surely he must be a
joker who does not warrant much attention. So Parvati kept quiet and signaled her
companion to reply the Batu.]
Hearing it, the Batu laughed and ridiculed her, saying, ‘This is your great
foolishness. Whosoever has advised you to do such severe Tapa for a mad and crazy
fellow like Shiva whom you have decided to accept as your groom—he is indeed your
greatest enemy.’^1
[Remember, Shiva is merely testing Parvati’s devotion towards him, as well as
her resolve and sincerity. Lord Shiva wished to tell Parvati the facts about himself so
that she does not regret later on at having married someone whose lifestyle is at odds
with the world, who is a renunciate, who prefers to live like a hermit in the mountains,
who does not like worldly comforts and pleasures, who remains engrossed in
meditation and contemplation, leaving little or no time to attend to his wife. Parvati
will have to contend with all these. If however she wants her husband to be a worldly
man, she must change her decision to marry Shiva right now while still there is time.
Later on, she would be left with no choice.
So, to make sure that she loves Shiva for the sake of loving him inspite of all
his shortcomings and oddities, and not because he is some very powerful god and
marrying him will automatically ensure a comfortable life for her, Shiva outlined all
the odd but unique qualities that he possessed which are incompatible with a married
life and which the ordinary world regards as oddities and faults in a person to make
sure Parvati knows them and will have no regrets later on.] (Chanda no. 6)
[Note—^1 In Ram Charit Manas, the same thing is said by the seven celestial sages, the
Sapta-rishis, when they had gone to test Parvati’s devotion, sincerity and integrity.
Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, from Chaupai line no. 1 that precedes Doha
no. 78—to Doha no. 79.]
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kahahu kāha suni rījhihu bara akulīnahiṁ.
aguna amāna ajāti mātu pitu hīnahiṁ. 49.
bhīkha māgi bhava khāhiṁ citā nita sōvahiṁ.