Daakshaayini!
The young girl of tender age!
She was engaged in playing with her maids.
She did not bother much about the Deva-Loka affairs.
She just observed them as dramas unconnected to her life.
Even the curses that flowed free on the day of the Sacrifice, she just observed it as a witness.
Her mind was too full of her beloved Lord to bother about these things!
Her Lord knew the best! Whatever he did was right!
Her father was always short-tempered! It was a common scene in her mother’s place!
He always treated all the guests and Gods who came to his place as his subordinates!
The event at the YAJNA of his was another such event!
She was happy to be just with her husband and please him!
After the event on the Earth where she had met Rama, she was careful never to disobey her Lord!
But today? Her mind was little disturbed!
Gandha-maadana Mountain! Dhaara- griha!
The Mount of intoxicating scents! The Garden of waterfalls!
A sports-ground created for her pleasures by her Lord!
Some strange noise disturbed her play. She peeped down from her palace.
Oh! It was Rohini; her sister!
And her husband CHANDRA was also there!
They were followed by a great retinue!
Drums and flutes were making all the noise!
And Rohini and her husband were dressed for the occasion!
Where were they going? Daakshaa wanted to find out.
She sent her friend Vijaya to find out the news.
And the news was-
Her father was conducting a ‘Great Sacrifice’!
And she never knew about it!
His own daughter! Had he forgotten her?
Why did he not invite her and her husband?
Maybe he thought his daughter did not need any separate invitation!
After all, she belonged to the house!
She must have gone there herself to help him!
Now also it was not too late!
She would tell her husband about this and go with him to her father’s house!
She ran towards her husband!
Her hair flying like clouds!
Her smile lighting the quarters!
Flowers in her garland kissing her lovely breasts!
She ran like a young deer!
The thought of visiting her parents was so exciting!
How she wanted to meet her mother and sisters and tell them all, the greatness of her husband!
And, won’t her sisters be jealous if they knew he loved her like his own soul!
She laughed at her own thoughts!
Her anklets echoed her joyous vibrations!
Shankara was seated in his court.
All HIS GANAS were around him!
Nandi and other important chieftains were also seated there.
Some serious thing was under discussion.
Their discussion stopped abruptly.
The sound of anklets echoed all over.
All looked at the direction of the anklet sound.
Shiva was not highly pleased about this sound!
Didn’t he know the distinct sound of each anklet bell on her feet!
How she had kicked him in love-sports sending him to unknown realms of bliss!
Shiva felt embarrassed!
He did not like his wife to be present in such a crowded court!
Her beauty was only for him!
Nobody should be blessed with her sight!
Not like this! Running into a court of men without hesitation!
What could be so urgent? He impatiently asked his wife as to her presence there.
She told him.
Gasping for breath!
Choking in excitement!
Cheeks reddening with joy!
She told him about the Sacrifice conducted by her father.
She wanted him to go with her to the Sacrifice!
She had almost turned her back, to rush to get dressed up!
“Daakshaayini!” Her husband’s stern voice stopped her.
She looked back. Her husband’s eyes were like fire.
A shiver ran through her.
Controlling his anger Shiva told her that Daksha was now his enemy; that he had not invited them purposely.
The youthful bride looked at her husband stunned!
Could this be true? She couldn’t believe his words!
Her father would never do such a thing. He was a Prajaapati renowned for his greatness!
Maybe her husband was mistaken!
Shiva was saying something more.
“If your own people become enemies, you should not worry about them. Instead of weapons, we will be hurt by their harsh words! Going to a place uninvited would only cause us to look low in front of others! Being bereft of good qualities, the wicked always insult good people who have virtues!”
Daakshaa did not believe him.
She wanted to settle the matter herself.
She would go herself and find out the reason for not inviting them both.
Maybe it is just a careless act of her father.
She would somehow see to it that her father corrected his mistake and become friendly with her husband.
These men always made mountains out of molehills!
She would herself go to her father’s place and find out the Truth!
She echoed her thoughts to her husband.
Shiva did not object.
He arranged for a grand procession, and seated on the BULL, Daakshaa left for her father’s place!
A Procession unparalleled in Deva-Loka! Grandeur unseen by anyone so far!
The Divine Bull was decorated with all sorts of ornaments!
A bejeweled palanquin gently rested on its back!
And seated inside was the Young Queen of the Heavens!
Shiva’s heart beat wildly!
She was dressed to the utmost!
The jewels on her person blinded the seers so as to hide her real beauty!
A colorful garland adorned her neck spreading an intoxicating perfume all around.
Shiva himself had made it.
Shiva himself had attended to her dressing!
He himself had arranged her hair.
He himself had placed an elegant crown on her head!
A crescent moon smiled on the side of the crown!
A curl of lock gently kissed her forehead, reminding her of her husband’s kiss!
Shiva himself had applied the collyrium on her long elongated eyes!
A challenge to Shiva! Could the hands that undressed her dress her to perfection?
Yes! He had won the challenge! Daakshaayini looked like the Supreme Queen of Creations!
Shiva looked at his own handiwork!
So beautiful! So beautiful!
Will he ever see her again?
Something in his mind pricked!
Was he dressing her up for her death?
He was indeed stone-hearted!
He lifted her gently and placed her in the ‘palanquin’.
He placed a tender kiss on her mirror-like cheeks.
She embraced him tightly.
Something pricked in her mind also! Will she lose him?
Tears formed in the corner of her lotus like eyes.
Shiva kissed them off. He removed her hand gently from his neck.
Vijaya climbed next to her mistress!
Shiva closed the silky curtains of the palanquin.
The procession moved off. She also moved away from his mind!
The Love-less God returned to his duties!
Daakshaayini left him for the love of her relatives.
What awaited her next?
A procession unparalleled in the history of Deva-Loka!
Countless maids walked with plates of jewels in their hands!
Countless Ganas walked with unique weapons guarding the caravan!
White royal umbrellas, royal fans were all over!
Sixty thousand Rudras followed the procession.
Hymns of Shiva echoed the quarters!
Ashes flew like dust.
Flowers were scattered everywhere!
Jewels were thrown over the watching crowd who gathered them greedily!
Even million Vishvakarmas would arise, if Shiva willed!
And the Queen of the Beggar Supreme traveled to her rich father’s abode!
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