Chapter 6: Brahmâ Satisfies Lord S'iva

(1-2) Maitreya said: 'After all the demigods by the soldiers of Rudra were defeated with tridents, spears, swords, bludgeons and hammers, they with all their limbs injured together with all the priests and other members of the assembly in great fear offered Lord Brahmâ their obeisances and reported the events to him in detail. (3) Knowing beforehand of the certainty of these events, the Lord born from the lotus flower [Brahmâ] and Nârâyana, the Supersoul of the entire universe [Vishnu] had not attended the sacrifice of Daksha. (4) Hearing what had happened Lord Brahmâ said: 'A great personality has been offended and that is, given the wish to live in agreement, generally not conducive to your happiness. (5) Despite of having committed these offenses in denying Lord S'iva his share in the offerings, you will all quickly find his mercy if you without any mental reservations satisfy him by taking to the shelter of his lotus feet. (6) You cannot expect to be able to continue with the sacrifice if you do not forthwith beg for the pardon of the god of all worlds and their controllers whom you have angered; being deprived of his wife, his heart was most upset by the unkind words [spoken to him]. (7)  Neither I, nor Indra, nor all of you and others who have a material body, nor even the sages who know the real extent of his strength and power, have an inkling of what it means to dare a thing like that with him, he who relies on the soul only.'

(8) After thus having instructed the godly ones Lord Brahmâ went away with in his wake the forefathers and the leaders of the people whom he took from his own place to the abode of Lord S'iva, Kailâsa, the best of all mountains that is so dear to the master. (9) [The place] enjoyed by Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and Apsaras [the residents and singers of heaven and their wives] is populated by the perfected ones [or Siddhas] who differ from other people [or are gifted] by birth, by austerity, by their use of herbs or by practicing mantras in yoga. (10) The mountain range home to a diversity of deer is replete with all kinds of precious stones and is grown by trees, creepers and a diversity of other plants. (11) The mountain peaks with their crystal clear waterfalls have various caves that accommodate the mystics who sport there with their loving wives. (12) Resounding with the cries of peacocks and the humming of bees blind of intoxication, there is the continuous song of cuckoos and chirping of other birds. (13) With the elephants moving the mountain itself seems to be moving, with the sounds of the waterfalls the mountain itself seems to resound and with the trees that yield to all desires the mountain itself seems to be stretching its arms calling for the birds. (14-15) The mountain is further beautified by mandâra, pârijâta, sarala (pine) and tamâla trees, s'âla and tâla, kovidâra, âsana and arjuna trees, cûtas (mango), kadambas, dhûli-kadambas and nâgas, punnâgas and campakas and one also sees there trees like pâthalas, as'okas, bakulas, kundas and kurabakas. (16) And it is also adorned with golden colored lotuses, the cinnamon tree and the mâlatî, kubja, mallikâ and mâdhavî. (17) With kata, jackfruit, julara and banyan trees, plakshas, nyagrodhas and trees producing asafoetida, there are also betelnut trees, pûgas, râjapûgas and jambus [black berries and greenery alike]. (18) Offering a variety of trees like kharjûras, âmrâtakas, âmras and such and others like priyâlas, madhukas and ingudas, it is as well rich with venu-kîcakaih and kîcaka [different sorts of bamboo]. (19-20) Kumuda, utpala, kahlâra and s'atapatra lotuses cover the lakes of the forests which, filled with the sweet whispers of flocks of birds, harbor deer, monkeys, boars, cats, bears, s'alyakas, forest cows and asses, tigers, smaller deer and buffaloes and such. (21) It is enjoyed by different types of deer like the karnântras, ekapadas, as'vâsyas, vrikas and kastûrîs and has groups of banana trees near the sandy banks of the beautiful hillside lakes filled with lotuses. (22) The devoted ones saw the waters of lake Alakanandâ carrying the flavor of Satî who bathed there and they were struck with wonder about that mountain of the Lord of Ghosts. (23) There at Alakâ ['uncommonly beautiful'] they saw the region with the forest named Saugandhika ['full of fragrance'], which carried that name because of the species of lotus flowers one finds there. (24) And the two rivers the Nandâ and Alakanandâ flowing close to the abode of the feet of the master were even holier because of the dust of the lotus feet. (25) Dear ruler, in both the rivers the celestial damsels descended coming from their dwellings after their lovemaking in order to play there with their husbands and splatter each other with the water. (26) The two streams having turned yellow because of the kunkum powder [that washed from their breasts] make the elephants and their females who take a bath there drink from the water, even though they aren't thirsty. (27) The heavenly homes enjoyed by the wives of the virtuous  ones were bedecked with countless valuable jewels, pearls and gold which made them look like clouds in the sky brightened by the flashes of lightening.

(28) Passing through the Saugandhika forest that was so attractive with its variety of trees yielding to all desires with its flowers, fruits and leaves, they reached the abode of the Lord of the Yakshas. (29) There they saw the beauty of many birds with red necks whose sounds mixed with the humming of bees as also lakes with groups of swans and most precious lotus flowers. (30) The breeze of the sandalwood trees made the wild elephants flock together and stimulated the minds of the wives of the virtuous ones over and over. (31) The staircases leading to the bathing places full of lotuses, used by the ones faithful to the divine personality [the Kimpurushas], were made of vaidûrya stone and as soon as they saw them they spotted a banyan tree nearby. (32) At a height of thousands of feet it spread out its branches over a quarter of the foot of the mountain, casting a fine cooling shadow. It had no birds nesting in it. (33) Underneath the tree the godly ones saw Lord S'iva, the shelter of many a great sage desiring liberation, sitting there as grave as eternal time in having given up his wrath. (34) Saintly liberated souls like the Kumâras headed by Sanandana and Kuvera, the master of the Guhyakas and Râkshasas, sat there in praise around the solemn and serene Lord. (35) They saw him there as the master of the senses, the knowledge of austerity and the path of yoga, as the friend of the whole world who with his complete love is the blessing for all. (36) He could be recognized as the one desired by the ascetics: with ashes, a staff, matted hair, seated on an antelope skin, the reddish hue of his body and the crescent moon on his head. (37) With a mattress of darbha straw below him he before an audience of all sages conversed with Nârada about eternality and the Absolute Truth. (38)  He had placed his left foot over his right thigh and with his right hand resting on his knee holding his prayer beads, he gesticulated in argument. (39) With his knee thus fixed leaning and absorbed in the trance of spiritual bliss he as the first thinker among the wise received there the respects of the other sages and rulers of the different worlds who had folded their hands. (40) But when Lord S'iva saw that the self born one, Lord Brahmâ,  had arrived accompanied by the best of the enlightened and unenlightened, he whose feet were worshiped stood up and bowed his head just like Vishnu did when He as Vâmanadeva welcomed Kas'yapa. (41) And so the other perfected ones and great rishis did who from all sides followed the example of their Lord in offering obeisances. After that demonstration of respect for Lord S'iva, Lord Brahmâ addressed him with a smile.

(42)  Brahmâ said: 'I know you as the controller of the entire manifestation of the cosmic creation, as the potency of both the seed [of the father] and the  womb [of the mother] and as the one auspicious and supreme who is immaterial and free from change. (43) The way a spider manages its web oh Fortunate One, you with the embodiment of your auspicious energy create, maintain and destroy this universe. (44) In order to protect the benefits of dharma and artha [religion and economy] you empowered Daksha to realize [the system of] sacrifices and settle the respect for that what binds the people [the varnâs'rama system] and to which the brahmins are vowed with the highest regard. (45) Oh auspicious one, the deeds of him who strives to do good lead to the higher worlds, the heavens and the transcendental realm while someone who is of inaupicious deeds awaits a ghastly hell. How can it be that for some these results are the exact opposite? (46) With devotees who in full surrender at your feet perfectly recognize you as present in all kinds of living beings and who from the Supreme position make no difference between living beings, practically never the anger is found that one finds with animalistic types of people. (47) Those who have given up on the heart, look for results and think that everything is different, can't stand it when others are faring well  and are always angry with others and hurt with harsh words. They do not need to be killed by you because they are killed by providence already. (48) When materialists at some places [allotted to Kalî see 1.17: 36] bewildered by the insurmountable, illusory energy of the Great Blue One [the Lord as Pushkaranâbha] see matters [of right and wrong] differently, saintly persons out of their compassion will never use their prowess [against them] but be merciful instead, for everything is arranged by fate. (49) Oh your Lordship, since the intelligence of you, the seer and knower of all, is never affected by that great potency of the Supreme Person His material energy [or mâyâ], you should in this case strive to be of mercy with those who are bewildered at heart because of that same illusory energy that attracts them to karmic activities. (50) Lord S'iva, you who would partake in the result of Daksha's now unfinished sacrifice, did what you had to do in putting an end to the sacrificial ceremony of his bad priests and destroyed everything. Because they didn't grant you, who bestow the results, your share of the sacrifice, you have the right to take what's yours. (51) Let the performer Daksha get his life back, let Bhagadeva get his eyes back, let Bhrigu grow his mustache back and let Pûsâ have his row of teeth as before. (52) Let the God-conscious whose limbs were broken and the priests who suffered from the weapons and stones, this very moment by your grace oh angered one, recover from their injuries. (53) Oh Rudra, let the portion of whatever is left of this sacrifice be yours my dear Lord, so that the sacrificial ceremony today may find its completeness oh destroyer of the yajña.'