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
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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.