||Om Nama: Shivaya||

 

Chapter – 67 – Rudra Samhitha/Sati Kanda – 6

 

Lord Bhrama speaks “Oh! Suthavarya Oh! Mahaprajja, I shall describe the penance performed by Devi Sandhya in detail, the listening or reciting it would destroy the accumulated sins of the Jeeva. Oh! Narada, Vashishta advised the procedure of the performance of Tapasya and given Manthra Deeksha to Devi Sandhya and left the mount Chandhrabha. Devi Sandhya felt extremely delightful after receiving proper directions from Sage Vashishta and started following them meticulously.  In a short period of time, she turned herself into a flawless ascetic, she settled on the riverbank of Bhrihallokahitha, and engaged in the meditation and contemplation upon the supreme Lord; she followed sincere veneration of Lord Shiva. In this way, Devi Sandhya continued Tapasya for four Yugas.  Lord Shiva was highly pleased with the devotion of Devi Sandhya, appeared before him.  Devi Sandhya transported into a state of ecstasy watching the most mesmerizing form of the Lord, closed her eyes without the knowledge of how to eulogize the spectacular form of the Lord, and shed tears.  The compassionate Lord Shiva entered in her intellect and imparted the supreme knowledge, soon after the initiation of knowledge Devi Sandhya began to eulogize the supreme Lord Mahadeva along with Goddess Parvathi in marvelous verses.”

 

Devi Sandhya eulogizes supreme Lord Mahadeva “Oh! Bhagavan, you are formless, you are perceivable through supreme wisdom, you are beyond Sthoola and Sookshma, therefore the Yogis relentlessly contemplates upon you. Oh! Lokakarththre, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you symbolize serenity, wisdom, and auspiciousness, you are pure and free from passions, you have pleasing nature and supreme radiance, you are the remover of darkness of ignorance, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you are pure, lustrous, you symbolize supreme wisdom, prosperity and bliss, you are absolute truth, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you are perceivable through wisdom, you are changeless and eternal, you are the essence of the Universe and its living beings, and you reside as the soul in living beings. You are the purifier of souls, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you have mesmerizing Sagunaswaroopam adorned in gem-studded ornaments on the lustrous limbs that have the resemblance of camphor, holds Shoolam, and skull and one hand in Abhayahastha posture, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you symbolize sky, Earth, directions, water, fire, and time, I shall prostrate before you. Oh! Pradhanapurusha/Lord of Lords, Oh! Shankara, you are primordial, you have Saguna and Nirgunaswaroopa as well, I shall prostrate before you. I shall prostrate before the supreme Bhramam who performs the tasks of creation, preservation, and destruction as Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra. Oh! Bhagavan, you are the cause for all the causes, you are the source of nectar-like supreme wisdom and auspiciousness, you are all-pervasive,  you are Parathpara, you have supreme radiance and illuminates the whole Universe with your radiance, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, you are the essence of the Earth, directions, sun, moon, Kamadeva, your navel represents the sky, and the deities and Vipras emerged out of your face, Oh! Shambho I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Paramathma, Oh! Parambhrama, Oh! Hare, you are supreme Bhramam, you are the essence of supreme knowledge, you are sought after by illustrious Yogis. Oh! Bhagavan, how could I describe your splendor? Oh! Bhagavan, you have neither beginning nor end, you are beyond words, mind, and deeds, and you are the source of the Universe and its living beings. Oh! Bhagavan, you are beyond description, how could I describe your glories which are impossible even for Lord Bhrama, illustrious Rishis and Sages? Oh! Mahesha, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Thapomaya, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Shambho, kindly shower your merciful grace upon us. Oh! Devesha, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you.”

 

Lord Bhrama speaks “Oh! Mune, Lord Mahadeva was highly pleased with the devotion of Devi Sandhya who was emaciated with the extreme Tapsya, her body was covered with the bark of the trees, her hair was intertwined, and her lotus-like face was withered in the snow due to the long period of austerities.   The compassionate Lord Shiva looked at her and spoke “ Oh! Bhadhre, I am pleased with your Tapasya and austerities, ask for a boon as you wish to obtain from me.” Devi Sandhya was highly pleased she repeatedly prostrated before Lord Mahadeva and spoke “Oh! Bhagavan, Oh! Maheshwara, if I was freed from the sin committed in this life, if I am qualified to achieve a boon, if I have performed austerities and Tapasya sincerely, and if you wish to give a boon, I would ask for a unique boon, Oh! Bhagavan, I would ask for a boon that no woman should commit a sin which I have experienced in this life, no woman should get besieged with the lust for her own father and brother, no woman should be disgraceful towards her own father or brothers, and the woman on the Earth should innate the qualities of chastity, the woman should be sincerely devoted to her husband and follow strict celibacy.” Lord Maheshwara was highly pleased with the devotion and purity of Devi Sandhya and spoke “Oh! Devi, Oh! Sandhya, all your sins have already reduced to ashes with your strict austerities and Tapasya. Oh! Bhadhre, all your wishes would come true with the power of your Tapasya. Oh! Devi, you will attain a lovely childhood, youthful days, and later years of life as you have desired. You will be well-known for your chastity, whoever approaches with lustful eyes other than your husband would get destroyed, you will receive illustrious Sage with charming appearance as your future husband, you will live happily with him for three Kalpa. Oh! Bhadhre, I would suggest you on how to get rid of this body and achieve a new birth. Oh! Devi, The Sage Medhathi is undertaking severe penance performing Yajjna for twelve years on the riverbank of Chandhrabhaga, the sacrificial fire is unstoppable, proceed to the worship place of Sage Medhathi, and abandon your body in the sacrificial fire. Oh! Devi, proceed to the place of Yajja and sacrifice your body in that fire with the remembrance of the boon. You will be born as the daughter of Sage Medhathi, you would undertake extreme penance for four Yugas, after the completion of Sathyayuga, and in the first part of the Threthayuga, you will take birth as the daughter of Dhakshaprajapathi and would get married to a handsome Sage with all the reverence. The twenty-seven daughters of Dhakshaprajapathi were married to Lord Chandra; due to the unexpected turn of events, Dhaksha cursed Lord Chandra for his favoritism towards Rohini, ignoring twenty-six wives. Lord Bhrama created the sacred pond Chandrabhaga to relieve Lord Chandra from the curse of Daksha.  During those days, the illustrious Sage Medhathi also arrived on the river banks of Chandhrabhaga and initiated Jyothisthoma Yagna, the sacrificial fire is still alive, you are already purified with your Tapasya, you have to abandon the body in that sacrificial fire to achieve rebirth as the daughter of the great Sage Medhathi. Oh! Thapasvini, I have chosen that marvelous place for you, Oh! Mahabhage, proceed to Mount Chandhrabhaga, and get rid of this body in the sacrificial fire conducted by Sage Medhathi.” Thus Lord Shiva disappeared from the sight of Devi Sandhya.”