THE ARRIVAL OF TIME- समय का आगमन

 

THE ARRIVAL OF TIME

One day, She asked Shiva,“When are we going to wed?”

“Whenever you wish,” He replied. “Today?”

“Haha! Not today my Lord!” Sati laughed.“You must ask my father to give me away as a bride to you, and then he would be arranging the most fabulous celebrations, which is his style and his prerogative.”

“Yes. A fabulous celebration of your marriage is his prerogative, also,” Shiva smiled. “I will ask him for your hand very soon.”

He went the very next day. Unlike all the others, Shiva did not ever wait for a different phase of the moon to signal Him His beginnings. He went by His own instinct and emotion, and this time it was overwhelming.

It was a sunny morning, and Shiva was feeling good. He readied Nandi for a ride to Daksha’s palace. Nandi himself was in a hurry and charged in true bull fashion to their collective destiny. Together, they made a momentous sight: the Rider and the Ride. Raising merry dust with their hooves, every moment relegated to the past. It was like the perfect symbolism of the ride of time itself, as they rushed forward to embrace the future.

And soon, they reached the outskirts of Daksha’s kingdom. Nandi’s furious run was still heavy with the vigour of purpose, still robust with the virility of expectation. Women plowing their rice fields looked up to see this unstoppable creature heralding his master just past their midst. They were here one moment, and off the fields in the next. But the impression would be a life-lasting one; the farmer women knew it was not just a rider that was being heralded, but a whole new time itself had arrived.

Once they reached the walled city, Nandi slowed down into the most majestic trot that outdid any stallion of a trained royal cavalry. He was, after all the one-man cavalry of the most royal being. Both the men and the women, who had come to the marketplace for their usual chores, momentarily forgot what they had come for, and found their gaze transfixed on this unusual sight. Shiva waved back happily at each man, bowing politely to each woman.

Nandi thought it appropriate to bellow loudly and shake the bell around his neck, almost in a dance. The effect was magic; all the market goers found their whole being rushing, with an inexplicable joy that radiated visibly in their smiles.

Shiva and Nandi reached the main gates of the palace.

“Who are you? What brings you here?”asked the chief guard politely, but firmly.

“We are here to see King Daksha,” replied Nandi, as Shiva just smiled.

The guard was taken aback that the bull could speak; nevertheless he managed to shoot out his next interrogative. “What would you like to see the King for? You have to take a prior appointment. He has to meet many people on a daily basis, even heads of provinces have to await their turn, sometimes for days together.”

“I bring to you no head of province, guard!” said Nandi a little louder.“I bring to you the Supreme Master of the mountains, the Head of all heads, The Great Lord Shiva Himself!”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. A modern re-telling of Great God Shiva and Parvati's story by Shail Gulhati

on Amazon https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU

समय का आगमन

एक दिन, उन्होंने शिवजी से कहा "हम कब शादी करने जा रहे हैं?" "जब भी आप चाहें" शिवजी जवाब दिया, "आज?" "हाहा आज नहीं मेरे भगवान" माता सती ने हंसते हुए कहा, "आपको मेरे पिताजी से मुझे अपनी दुल्हन के रूप में देने के लिए पूछना चाहिए, और फिर वह सबसे शानदार समारोहों की व्यवस्था कर रहे होंगे, जो उनकी शैली है, और उनका विशेषाधिकार है" "हाँ। आपकी शादी का शानदार उत्सव, उनका विशेषाधिकार भी है” शिवजी मुस्कुराए। "मैं उनसे बहुत जल्द तुम्हारा हाथ मांगूंगा" वह दूसरे ही दिन चले गए। अन्य सभी के विपरीत, शिवजी ने अपनी शुरुआत का संकेत देने के लिए चंद्रमा के एक अलग चरण की प्रतीक्षा नहीं की। वह अपनी प्रवृत्ति और भावना से चले गए, और इस बार यह ज़बरदस्त था। यह एक कुरकुरी सुबह थी, और शिवजी अच्छा महसूस कर रहे थे। उन्होंने नंदी को दक्ष के महल की सवारी के लिए तैयार किया। नंदी खुद, जल्दी में थे और सच्चे बैल फैशन में उनके सामूहिक भाग्य के लिए आवेशित किए गए थे। साथ में उन्होंने एक महत्वपूर्ण दृश्य बनाया, सवार और सवारी। अपने खुरों से हर्षित धूल उड़ाते हुए, हर पल अतीत में चले गए। यह समय की सवारी के पूर्ण प्रतीकवाद की तरह था, क्योंकि वे भविष्य को गले लगाने के लिए आगे बढ़े। और जल्द ही वे महाराज दक्ष के राज्य की सीमा पर पहुंच गए। नंदी की प्रचंड दौड़ अभी भी उद्देश्य की प्रबलता के साथ भारी थी, अपेक्षा के पौरूष के साथ अभी भी मजबूत थी। अपने चावल के खेतों को जोत रही महिलाओं ने इस अजेय प्राणी को अपने स्वामी के बीच से गुज़रते हुए देखने के लिए ऊपर देखा। वे एक क्षण यहाँ थे, और अगले में खेतों से दूर। लेकिन यह छाप जीवन भर चलने वाली होगी: किसान महिलाओं को पता था कि यह केवल एक सवार नहीं था जिसे घोषित किया जा रहा था, बल्कि एक नया समय आ गया था।

Hindi translation by Yash NR