Lord Siva Column of Light: Siva Purana

Most devotees are familiar with the legend of the manifestation of Lord Siva as an effulgent column of light without beginning or end, as represented in the Skanda Purana. Below is the legend as represented slightly differently in the Siva Purana.

Chapter Seven

(Siva manifesting as a column of fire in the battlefield)

Isvara said:—

1. Dear children, hail to ye. I hope the universe and the race of the deities, under my suzerainty, flourish in their respective duties.

2. O Gods, the fight between Brahma and Visnu is already known to me. This agitation on your part is like a redundant speech.

3. Thus the consort of Amba consoled the concourse of devas with honey-like speech sweetened with a smile in the manner of appeasing children.

4. In that very assembly the lord announced his desire to go to the battlefield of Hari and Brahma and accordingly issued His directive to a hundred of the commanders of his attendants.

5-6. Different kinds of musical instruments were played to announce the start of the journey of the Lord. The commanders of the attendants were in readiness fully bedecked in their ornaments, seated in their respective vehicles. The lord, consort of Ambika, mounted the holy chariot shaped like Omkara from front to the back and embellished in five circular rings. He was accompanied by his sons and Ganas. All the devas, Indra and others, followed.

7. Honoured suitably by the display of banners of various colours, fans, chowries, scattered flowers, music, dance and the instrument players, and accompanied by the great goddess (Parvati), Pasupati (Siva) went to the battle-field with the whole army.

8. On espying the battle, the lord vanished in the firmament. The play of the music stopped and the tumult of the Ganas subsided.

9. There in the battlefield Brahma and Acyuta desirous of killing each other were awaiting the result of the Mahesvara and the Pasupata weapons hurled by them.

10-11. The flames emitted by the two weapons of Brahma and Visnu burned the three worlds. On seeing this imminent untimely dissolution the bodiless form of Siva assumed the terrific form of a huge column of fire in their midst.

12. The two weapons of fiery flame potential enough to destroy the entire world fell into the huge column of fire that manifested itself there instantaneously.

13. Seeing that auspicious wonderful phenomenon assuaging the weapons they asked each other "What is this wonderful form?"

14. "What is this column of fire that has risen up? It is beyond the range of senses. We have to find out its top and bottom."

15. Jointly deciding like this, the two heroes proud of their prowess immediately set about assiduously in their quest.

16-18. "Nothing will turn up if we are together". Saying this, Visnu assumed the form of a Boar and went in search of the bottom. Piercing through the netherworlds and going very far below, Visnu could not see the root of the fiery column. Utterly exhausted, Visnu in the form of a Boar returned to the former battle-ground.

19. Dear one, your father, Brahma who went high up in the sky saw a certain bunch of Ketaki flower of mysterious nature falling from above.

20-21. On seeing the mutual fight of Brahma and Visnu, lord Siva laughed. When his head shook, the Ketaki flower dropped down. Although it had been on its downward course for many years, neither its fragrance nor its lustre had been diminished even a bit. The flower had been intended to bless them.

22-23. (Brahma said) "O lord of flowers, by whom had you been worn? Why do you fall? I have come here to seek out the top, in the form of a swan." (The flower replied) "I am falling down from the middle of this primordial column that is inscrutable. It has taken me a long time. Hence I do not see how you can see the top."

24-25. "Dear friend, hereafter you must do as I desire. In the presence of Visnu you must say like this. O Acyuta, the top of the column has been seen by Brahma. I am the witness for the same." Saying this he bowed to the Ketaki flower again and again. Even falsehood is recommended in times of danger. So say the authoritative texts.

26. (Returning to the original place) on seeing Visnu there, utterly exhausted and lacking pleasure, Brahma danced with joy. Visnu, in the manner of a eunuch admitting his inability (to a woman), told him the truth (that he could not see the bottom). But Brahma told Visnu like this.

27-28. "O Hari, the top of this column has been seen by me. This Ketaki flower is my witness." The Ketaki flower repeated the falsehood endorsing the words of Brahma in his presence. Hari, taking it to be true, made obeisance to Brahma. He worshipped Brahma with all the sixteen means of service and homage.

29. The Lord taking up a visible form in order to chastise Brahma who practised trickery, came out of the column of fire. On seeing the lord, Visnu stood up and with his hands shaking with fear caught hold of the lord's feet.

30. It is out of ignorance and delusion about you whose body is without a beginning or an end that we indulged in this quest prompted by our own desire. Hence O, Sympathetic Being, forgive us for our fault. In fact, it is but another form of your divine sport.

Isvara said

31. "O dear Hari, I am pleased with you, because you strictly adhered to truth in spite of your desire to be a lord. Hence among the general public you will have a footing equal to mine. You will be honoured too likewise.

32. Hereafter, you will be separate from me having separate temple, installation of idols, festivals and worship."

33. Thus, formerly, the lord was delighted by the truthfulness of Hari and offered him a footing equal to his own even as the assembly of the devas was witnessing the same.

Chapter Eight

(Siva's forgiveness of Brahma)

Nandikesvara said:--

1. Mahadeva then created a wonderful person, Bhairava, from the middle of his brows to quell the pride of Brahma.

2. This Bhairava knelt before the lord in the battle-field and said—"O lord, what shall I do? Please give me your directives quickly."

3. "Dear, here is Brahma, the first deity of the universe. Worship him with our sharp-pointed quick-moving sword."

4. With one of his hands he caught hold of the tuft of Brahma's fifth head that was guilty of haughtily uttering a falsehood, and with the hands he furiously shook his sword in order to cut it off.

5. Your father trembled like a plantain tree in a whirlwind, with his ornaments scattered here and there, his cloth ruffled and loosened, the garland displaced, the upper cloth hanging loose and the glossy tuft dishevelled, and fell at the feet of Bhairava.

6. Meanwhile the sympathetic Acyuta desirous of saving Brahma, shed tears over the lotus-like feet of our lord and said with palms joined in reverence just like a child lisping words of entreaty to its father.

Acyuta said:—

7. O Lord, it was you who gave him five heads as a special symbol, long ago. Hence please forgive him his first guilt. Please favour him.

8. The lord thus requested by Acyuta relented and in the presence of all devas asked Bhairava to desist from punishing Brahma.

9. Then the lord turned to the deceitful Brahma who bent down his neck and said "O Brahma, in order to extort honour from the people you assumed the role of the lord in a roguish manner.

10-11. Hence you shall not be honoured, nor shall you have your own temple or festival.

Brahma said:—

O Lord, be pleased. O flourishing one, I consider this sparing of my head itself a great blessing and a boon. Obeisance to Thee, the lord, the kinsman, the originator of the universe, the forbearing, the forgiver of defects, the benevolent one, wielding the mountain as his bow.