Shiva was burning! Yes! He was burning in the Fire!
Were they not one soul and two forms!
He felt the Sacrificial flames licking his person!
He stood up in agony! His breath stopped!
His existence itself seemed to disappear!
He was no more there! The husband had disappeared!
What was left?
Fire!
A raging fire!
A dissolution fire!
Fire of anger!
Fire of revenge!
Fire called Lover!
The Sacrificial hall now resembled a cremation ground!
Ashes of Daaksha
a’s body was mixing with the winds and falling over everybody making them
look like Pretas, the dead ones! All the faces bore the look of death!
Only the Supreme Dancer of the cremation ground was missing!
When He arrives now uninvited, what will happen?
They need not have worried!
Some thundering voice from the sky spoke!
It condemned them!
It chided them!
It cursed them!
And THE JUDGEMENT was passed!
FIRE! Fire of Destruction! To burn all of them!
They had burnt Dharma at the Sacrificial Altar of Daksha! Now Dharma will burn them!
The fire that arose in the heart of Shiva will burn them!
The fire that arose in the heart of Shiva by the loss of his beloved will burn them!
The fire of hatred in the heart of Daksha will burn them!
The fire of Adharma they bred by supporting Daksha will burn them!
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!
Already the crowd assembled there was feeling the heat of Shiva’s fire!
They felt they were burning.
Some tried to run!
No! Nobody could move!
All were held by some superior power unknown to them; as if held by invisible chains!
Some managed to break the invisible chain by the power of the Mantra given by Sage Brghu!
The GANAS ran to the shelter of their Master! They dutifully reported the events to the All-Knower!
Sage Naarada gave a clearer view!
Shiva never heard what they were saying!
FIRE does not have ears!
FIRE has no sight!
FIRE never speaks!
FIRE only burns!
And, SHIVA was burning like FIRE!
The blazing fire called RUDRA roared!
He pulled a lock from his head forcefully.
He threw it on the ground with all the force.
The lock split into two.
A great noise arose deafening the quarters.
A giant form rose out of the fallen lock!
VEERABHADRA arose!
A Terrifying form filling the whole of the Earth!
His head reached the sky and exceeded its limits!
Thousand arms emanated from that form!
He was shining like a blazing fire!
His breath was hot!
His eyes glared in anger!
MAHAKAALI arose, surrounded by ghostly attendants!
Tongue hanging out!
Teeth sharp like saw!
Garland of skulls kissing her huge naked breasts!
Eyes greedily looking for blood!
A terrifying form hurting even by the very sight of it!
Veerabhadra saluted the MASTER! He waited for ‘the Command of his Creator!
Shiva ordered him to go and burn everything and everybody at the Sacrifice of Daksha!
Never sparing anyone!
Not even Vishnu or Brahma!
Not even women!
To burn giving them the utmost pain!
For watching ‘SHAKTI BURN HERSELF’!
Veerabhadra immediately left to complete his mission.
He looked like another Shiva! Crores of GANAS followed him. He himself was seated on a huge chariot!
Million lions pulled the chariot. Million lions walked along with the chariot.
Mahaakali also left to complete her mission. Nine forms of Shakti accompanied her.
All terrifying clans ruled by Shiva followed them both!
Heart-splitting shouts and screams filled the quarters.
Weird musical instruments added to the atmosphere a fearful nature!
Weird dances were getting performed by the ghosts and meat-eating ogres!
Even the sight of the procession was enough to bring death to any passerby.
It was like a cremation ground with its residents on move!
DEATH AND ITS ATTENDENTS!
MOVING SLOWLY TOWARDS THE SACRIFICIAL SITE OF DAKSHA!!
The crowds assembled in the Sacrificial grounds awaited their destruction in silence!
Ill omens were everywhere! Earthquakes! Stars seen in the daytime! Misty atmosphere!
Brown-colored Sun! Lightning! Falling stars! Storms!
Vultures flying low! Owls hooting! White scorpions!
The roof of the Sacrificial altar was blown off!
Vomiting of blood and flesh pieces occurred everywhere!
Lamp-lights flickered violently!
Pains unknown were felt in the bodies!
Tears flooded the eyes!
Blood rained!
Darkness filled the quarters!
Famine attacked the Creation!
Vishnu and other Gods fainted!
Some rolled on the ground in agony!
Some wept uncontrollably!
Nobody had any strength left!
A voice in the sky thundered predicting utter destruction for one and all!
Daksha fell at the feet of Vishnu! He pleaded with him to protect the Sacrifice.
Vishnu consoled him and advised him.
“Look child! You have committed a grave sin which cannot be forgiven!
Shankara is the Supreme Lord!
Without his will nothing can happen!
Where you worship a person not worthy of worship; where you do not worship a person who deserves worship; there arises poverty, death and fear!
You have dishonored Shiva!
We ourselves are getting affected by the sinful act committed by you!”
Daksha was silent!
Sound of an approaching army was heard!
His hair stood on end! His body trembled in fearful anxiety!
Veerabhadra stood before him like a Giant Shiva!
Daksha raised his eyes towards Vishnu!
Vishnu was chanting the names of Shiva and contemplating on the Supreme Form of Shiva!
He knew he was powerless!
Even his Sudarshana Chakra was given to him by Shiva himself!
It would never hurt a person belonging to Shiva’s army!
He just held on to the Feet of the Lord in his mind!
He advised Daksha also to do the same!
Indra, the ‘Ruler of Gods’ decided to give a fight.
All Gods followed him.
A ‘battle’ between Gods and GANAS took place.
The Gods sought the help of their ‘Preceptor’ Brhaspati.
He said that he had no advice to offer!
GANAS were unconquerable!
They will indeed destroy the ‘Sacrifice’!
Veerabhadra laughed!
He mocked the Gods!
He ridiculed them!
He crushed them!
Everyone ran helter skelter!
Veerabhadra’s arms were everywhere!
Grabbing them!
Squeezing them!
Strangling them!
Pinching them!
The Sages ran to Vishnu.
Veerabhadra turned his attention towards HARI!
He chided him.
He condemned him for acting against HARA!
He invited him to get torn by his ‘Trishula’!
Vishnu did not move!
Vishnu did not panic!
He smiled!
His calm voice arose like a cool drizzle in a hot summer’s day!
“Listen! Veerabhadra!
Who told you that I am acting against Shankara?
You are the personified anger of Shiva himself, I know!
You are equal to Shiva!
Accept my salutations!
I have been ordained by Shiva himself to protect my devotees.
Daksha is my devotee.
It is my duty to protect him.
Let us both fight!
I will kill you!
You kill me!
We both will die performing our duties!”
Veerabhadra smiled.
He spoke reverently.
“I had to act like that so that the crowd understands your true nature!
You are like Shiva himself! Shiva is like You!
We both seem to be bound equally by the order of Shiva!
What do you advise?”
Vishnu laughed aloud! “Come on! Let us fight to the utmost of our abilities! I know I cannot defeat you. I will return to my abode with wounds rendered by your weapons!”
A fierce battle started between the two devotees of Shiva. Gods and GANAS fought. Nandi and Indra faced each other. Mahaa Kaali devoured the enemies like some tasty dish. She sucked blood like water.
Vishnu fought using all his powers. But, he was wounded many times. He fainted many times. His Sudarshana Chakra became powerless. His bow was cut into pieces. He was held immovably by the power of Veerabhadra! Some inner voice told him to get out of the battle-field. He decided to vanish! He contemplated on Shiva’s lotus-feet. He disappeared along with his retinue. He was back at Vaikunta!
Gods had no chance against Shiva Ganas. They were defeated in no time.
The Sacrificial hall was in shambles. Daksha’s Sacrifice was destroyed.
The Deity of YAJNA ran from there in the disguise of a deer. Veerabhadra’s long arm caught him and his head was cut off! He kicked the heads of all Sages till they bled! He disfigured the nose of Sarasvati, who was acting as the wife of the priest! He tore open the bellies of Gods! His anger would not subside! He was breathing like an angry serpent. He searched for the hidden enemies. He found Daksha hiding inside the Sacrificial Stage! He pulled him out. He tried to cut off the enemy’s head with weapons. Finding them useless, he pulled off the head with his hands! He threw Daksha’s head in the Sacrificial fire!
Wounded, blinded, fractured, the Sages returned home!
The entire abode of Daksha was set on fire! The whole thing looked like a huge mountain of fire!
Screams!
Shouts!
Cries!
Black mass of bodies falling like coals!
Smell of burning flesh!
Smell of burning hair!
Skulls crackling!
Bones breaking!
Agony! Agony! Agony!
The Lord, who lived in the cremation ground, was not invited!
The whole land was now a cremation ground!
Countless dead spirits were howling in pain!
They now belonged to the realm of Shiva!
Dead or alive, Shiva owns you!
He is the NATARAJA!
THE KING OF DANCERS!
His STAGE is the crematorium!
His DANCE is the Dance of Death!
Salutations! O God of Destruction!
Salutations! O Daakshaayini! The Supreme Sati!
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