The Story Of 'Pradosham' - An Auspicious Day Dedicated To The Worship Of Lord Shiva

 This poem is based on a particular incident which took place during the churning of the milky ocean by the Demi-gods and the Demons.



You all know that the 'Devas'  and the' Asuras' did gather,

And churned the milky ocean for nectar together;

You know how it was brought about,

And the wonderful things that all came out;

The nectar, the elephant, the cow, the tree,

Goddesses Lakshmi and Varuni from under the sea.

Before the above came to light,

An event took place, it instilled fright...

'Vasuki' the serpent was the churning rope,

Devas and Asuras pulled with excitement, with hope.

Till blue smoke began to swirl,

Began to rise and spiral in a curl;

Lethal poison, misty haze,

Glazed eyes, senses dazed.

The Devas ran without much ado,

The Asuras followed in a jiffy too!

Towards mount Kailash, they headed,

Devastated, bereft, their egos shredded;

The 'halahala', the poison, trailed their retreating backs,

Giant, enveloping, sooty, black...

Nandi, glowering, took a threatening stance,

Refused entry and watched them helplessly prance;

Round mount Kailash, they circumambulated,

Nandi, the bull ,snorted wildly and expostulated!

They fled from Nandi at one end,

Only to encounter the 'halahala' at the bend!

Lord Shiva took pity on the unfortunate ones,

Summoned Nandi to get the 'halahala' at once.

Shiva swallowed the poison fully,

It wound its way down slowly;

All of creation began to shiver,

As in Shiva, it coursed down, the poisonous river.

Goddess Parvati clutched tight,

Stemming its speedy downward flight;

The neck bruised and turned blue,

'Neelkanth' became his name new.

Shiva lay on Parvati's lap,

Closed his eyes as if taking a nap.

A trail of light from the sky descended,

The Gods, the Goddess and the sages ascended;

Shiva himself lay in a prone position,

Poisoned, for the world, of his own volition.

They viewed Lord Shiva with great concern,

Hoping that for the better, things would take a turn;

Swaying bodies in a trance, like'tantra',

Voices joined in a chorus, in a 'mantra'...

"Om Trayambakam Yajamahe

Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam

Urvaarukamiva Bandhanaan

Mrityor Muksheeya Ma Amritaat..."

"We worship you, Oh three eyed Lord,

Fragrant, nourishing, nurturing Lord.

We bow to you, who rejuvenates, who restores health,

You who liberates us from the fear of death..."

Nandi meanwhile inhaled the fumes,

Began to feel dizzy soon;

"I am able to hold the poison!" he thought...

"Much better than the battle that Lord Shiva, my Lord has fought."

His master, Lord Shiva was reeling under the effects,

But he himself was stronger, no weakness, no defects;

He moved his head to and fro,

Triumphantly through the nostrils, he did blow!

He swayed in delight and did a jig,

His ego bloated and grew monstrously big!

Lord Shiva opened his eyes slightly,

The third eye glowed, glittered brightly;

The pallor soon receded,

To throw a beatific smile, he proceeded.

A gloating Nandi he spied,

Puffed up and swelling with great pride!

To teach him a lesson, to subtly chide,

He decided between his horns to ride!

Lord Shiva jumped between the horns,

A dancing 'avatar', he did don;

Sage Narada began to sing and pray,

On the 'veena', Goddess Saraswati delicately played;

The beat of the 'damaru' and heavenly sounds descended,

Celestial, harmonious, smoothly blended.

The movements traced by the fading day,

Silhouette outlined by the twilight rays;

Nimble, fluid, graceful, flowing,

Waves of ecstasy, rippling, growing;

Gazes fixed on the illuminated pathway,

Feasting on the 'Ananda Tandava' in glorious display.

Overflowing with kindness and compassion was He,

Fulfilled were all who could this dance see;

Nandi, suitably chastised did not miss,

Partook in the dance in utter bliss!

On this day...

The thirteenth day from the New moon...

The thirteenth day from the Full moon...

The 'Tryodashi'...

When twilight nudges the day away,

'Pradosham' is observed, a special day.

On this day...

'Karma' is dissipated, it is believed,

Of all sins, one is relieved;

Good and Evil are both absorbed,

In oneness, opposites together dissolve.

On this day...

Some observe the 'vrat' the 'fast',

Until the sun sets, it lasts;

One little thought, one 'bilva' leaf, for the Lord if you spare,

Easily pleased, his form as 'Ashutosh', he bares;

Lord Shiva blesses, his mood propitious,

On this 'Pradosham' day auspicious.


Footnotes
---------------

Devas - Demi-Gods
Asuras - Demons
Goddess Lakshmi -  Goddess of wealth
Goddess Varuni - Goddess of alcohol
Halahala - Poison
Nandi - Bull on which Lord Shiva rides
avatar - form, manifestation
Narada - A Vedic sage
Veena - An Indian stringed instrument
Goddess Saraswati - Goddess of knowledge, music, arts
Damaru - A small two headed drum
Ananda Tandava - Dance of joy and bliss
Tryodashi - The thirteenth day after Full Moon or New Moon
Karma - deed or act
Bilva - Species of a tree native to India
Ashutosh - Easily pleased.

Savitri And Satyavan

Through several stages of initiation,
After years of intense meditation,
Pious king Ashvapathi saw a glimmer of light,
Though faint at first, it grew golden bright;
The wife of Brahma, Goddess Savitri she was,
The daughter of God Savitr, shining and dazzling she was.

"I am pleased with thee dear one,
You pray to be given a hundred sons?
A daughter beyond compare will be born,
Full of virtue and pure like the dawn.
Fiesty, fiery, full of zest,
With wisdom, strength and courage, she will be blessed!"

So Savitri was born, a gift, a boon,
Her beauty, her divinity spread all around soon.
It was time to give her hand in marriage,
To find a suitor, she was sent in a carriage.
She scoured the earth, the forests wide,
Till she reached a hut nestled inside.

The blind king Dyumetsena and his wife did reside,
With their virtuous son Satyavan beside;
Having lost his kingdom and blinded for life,
He had been banished to the forest with his son and wife.
Dedicated, devoted Satyavan was,
She chose to be his bride, she did not pause.

Satyavan the groom, the heir to the crown?
Sage Narada listened to this with a frown.
Ominous, foreboding, he declared at last,
Satyavan had been cursed in the past.
Full of virtue, no doubt he was,
But destined to die in a year he was...

Savitri stood firm in her resolve,
Ashvapathi tried hard this problem to solve.
"Satyavan I have chosen, he dwells in my heart,
With him I will be, with him I cannot part."

Savitri soon became Satyavan's wife,
In the forest she dwelt by his side.
She tended to his parents with great care,
Love and affection with each other they shared.

Filled with happiness, the days flew by,
When alone, Savitri suppressed a sigh...
Her heart in anguish did silently cry,
'Satyavan's days are numbered, he is destined to die...'

For three days and nights, she kept a 'vrat', a 'Trivarta vow', a 'fast',
Not a drop of water, nor a morsel alas!
"My father, my mother, my everything, my all!
'You' I seek, I plead, I call.
In your hands is my husband Satyavan's life,
Irrevocably entwined I am as his wife.

Three dark nights, my restless soul has lived,
Longevity, his 'life' in compassion ,you must give.
Hear my cries, to them pay heed,
Your shelter, your protection I truly need!"

On the dreaded day, she accompanied him to the woods,
As he chopped the trees, she silently stood.
Till beads of sweat on his brow did appear,
His strength seemed to drain and steadily disappear.

She tenderly lay his head on her lap,
Pale, weak, his energy sapped.
She cradled, she caressed his face, his head,
Her heart weighed heavy with a deep sense of dread.

A dark figure she noticed close,
Legs astride, a regal pose.
A noose in hand, red eyes like wine,
An involuntary shiver traced down her spine.
It was the 'Lord of Duty ', the 'Lord of Dharma',
In blackness, in beauty, the 'Death God Yama'!

A flick of his noose, from the core of his existence,
The Lord drew forth Satyavan's deep, inner essence.
The body lay lifeless, like the aftermath of a drought,
Lord Yama with majesty headed towards the south.

Savitri followed without hesitation,
With no shadow of doubt, with no trepidation.
The tinkling of anklets echoed steadily,
Her footsteps followed Lord Yama doggedly.

Lord Yama halted, an about turn he made,
"Walk no further, this path is forbidden!" he bade.

"With seven steps thy friendship,' Oh Righteous One', I have contracted,
This cannot be fruitless, cannot be detracted.
My mate, my husband, I will follow till the end,
Away from this path, 'me', thou cannot send.
In life, in death, we are one,
Oh Lord of Death! Oh son of the Sun!

"Ask for three boons, fair one, for I am pleased,
Save Satyavan's life, I will grant what you need!"

"May my father-in-law's eyesight and kingdom be restored,
May my father be blessed with a hundred sons more!"

"Your wish, 'I' with pleasure grant,
Fulfilled will be your every want!"

Lord Yama was enveloped in darkness soon,
Silhouette outlined by the silvery moon.
Dark, eerie, thick silence,
Steady footsteps followed at a distance.

"Stop at once, please desist,
To follow your heart, you must resist.
Do not fear, Satyavan's soul is sublime,
For you this 'secret' path, I must decline."

"Oh Lord! It is believed devotion counteracts 'karma',
Take pity on him who was 'devoted', Oh Lord of Dharma!
The righteous protect those who seek refuge,
Even enemies, foes and those who use subterfuge.

Thou art learned, fair and gracious,
Austere, just, pious and righteous.
On thee the past, the present and the future depend,
Show mercy Oh Lord! Satyavan's death knell suspend!"

"Your words with honey, with sweetness is filled,
May another wish of yours be fulfilled!"

"Then many sons I wish to beget,
A hundred with Satyavan is my target!
With folded hands, I bow to thee,
For my wish soon will fulfilled be."

"Thou hast wit, devotion and wisdom,
I return Satyavan's soul to the earthly kingdom!"
A globe of light from the noose rose,
Entered Satyavan's body which lay in a reclining pose.

Satyavan got up as if from sleep,
Tiredness coursing his veins deep.

"Savitri, I had the strangest dream,
My soul went on a journey it seemed.
From birth , through death, to rebirth,
Full of happiness, tears and mirth.
At each stage, in bliss, I was one with God,
The unchangeable, the absolute, the eternal Lord!"

He fell silent and a faint echo was heard,
Wafted across as if resting lightly on the wings of a bird...

'Asato ma sat gamaya,
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya,
Mrityor ma amritam gamaya...'

Savitri whispered softly...

"Oh Supreme God! Oh limitless source of love! Lead us...
From the untruth to the truth of oneness,
To the 'light within' from the midst of darkness,
From mortality to the state of immortality,
For that is the ultimate reality..."