“Bhole Nath…” Shiva heard Her sweet voice.
He looked at Sati’s limp body in His own arms.
“Bhole Nath…” He heard Her again, and hugged Her tightly, tears falling freely from His eyes.
He looked desperately at Her eyes, waiting for them to open, from their slumber.
They did not.
Sati was dead, and gone.
The voices Shiva heard, were just in His head, arising straight from His hurting heart.
Slowly, He alighted from the ground, and lifting Sati gently, almost as
if She were an extension of His own being, He began walking away from Daksha’s
plains towards His own mountains. There was a strange look on His face. The Ganas didn’t know quite what to make
of this look,
but quietly began to follow their Master.
Shiva turned around, and in an emotionally choked, albeit authoritative tone, commanded, “No one shall follow me from here on. I wish to be alone with Sati!”
“But Lord…” the Ganas cried.
“I said, I wish to be alone with Sati. You may all return to your own homes… and families,” repeated Shiva poignantly. The Ganas all recognised the finality in their Master’s voice, and stopped where they were.
All, that is, except Nandi. He walked towards Shiva and folding his hands, appealed, “Lord, you are the only family I have.” And as Shiva looked at him, added, “And I am the only family you have now.”
Tears rolled resonantly down Nandi’s robust cheeks, as Shiva nodded with a rather blank expression, in consent that Nandi could walk alongside Him on His path.
but quietly began to follow their Master.
Shiva turned around, and in an emotionally choked, albeit authoritative tone, commanded, “No one shall follow me from here on. I wish to be alone with Sati!”
“But Lord…” the Ganas cried.
“I said, I wish to be alone with Sati. You may all return to your own homes… and families,” repeated Shiva poignantly. The Ganas all recognised the finality in their Master’s voice, and stopped where they were.
All, that is, except Nandi. He walked towards Shiva and folding his hands, appealed, “Lord, you are the only family I have.” And as Shiva looked at him, added, “And I am the only family you have now.”
Tears rolled resonantly down Nandi’s robust cheeks, as Shiva nodded with a rather blank expression, in consent that Nandi could walk alongside Him on His path.
It was the first time that Nandi played the role of a co-wayfarer, rather
than a vehicle or a guard. As he trudged silently behind Shiva, Nandi let out a sigh filled with sad resignation.
With equal sadness, the Ganas watched this scene of exit as if it were a metaphor:
The walk from the mundane plains of the city to the lofty mountain ranges of Shiva.
They watched without blinking, till their eyes watered. They watched till their ‘larger than life’ Master became a little dot merging into the distant mountains, and then finally, fade away completely from their sight. And they wondered if this metaphor would last forever.
Through years of hearing lessons from their seniors, through endless tapasya and dhyana, they had learnt of Baindavi kala - Shiva’s art of becoming unknown to Himself.
They had forever marvelled at this huge magic of Shiva reducing His infinite nature into a dot.
But today, the feeling was different. Today, they wondered if their lives would be lost in the knot of Baindavi. They wondered, if Godliness would disappear forever from their lives.
With equal sadness, the Ganas watched this scene of exit as if it were a metaphor:
The walk from the mundane plains of the city to the lofty mountain ranges of Shiva.
They watched without blinking, till their eyes watered. They watched till their ‘larger than life’ Master became a little dot merging into the distant mountains, and then finally, fade away completely from their sight. And they wondered if this metaphor would last forever.
Through years of hearing lessons from their seniors, through endless tapasya and dhyana, they had learnt of Baindavi kala - Shiva’s art of becoming unknown to Himself.
They had forever marvelled at this huge magic of Shiva reducing His infinite nature into a dot.
But today, the feeling was different. Today, they wondered if their lives would be lost in the knot of Baindavi. They wondered, if Godliness would disappear forever from their lives.
~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.Part 2.
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Shiva art by Rames Harikrishnasamy
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🙏💝
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