Nageshvara
There was a city named Pratishthana. A king named Shruasena ruled in that city. Shurasena did not have any sons. After a lot of effort, a son was born to him. But the son happened to be a snake. The king and the queen were mortified at this turn of events. But they brought up their son in great secrecy. Not even the king’s ministers and priests knew that the prince was a snake.
When the prince grew slightly, he began to talk like a human, even though he was a snake. King Shurasena arranged for the prince’s education. After the snake had become learned in the knowledge of the Vedas, he told his father, Father it is time for me to get married. If I do not have a son, I am certain to go to naraka.
King Shurasena was very surprised to hear this. How is that possible? he asked. Which princess will consent to marry a snake?
I don’t know, replied the prince. But I do know that I have to get married. Otherwise, I will commit suicide. There are many forms of marriage that are permissible. Perhaps a princess can be kidnapped and married to me.
Shurasena called his ministers and told them, My son Nageshvara has now come of age. He has also been made the heir-apparent to the kingdom. There is no one equal to him in bravery on earth, in heaven or in the underworld. I am getting old. Please arrange for Nageshvara to get married. I shall then reliquish my kindom and retire to the forest.
The king did not of course tell his ministers that Nageshvara was a snake.
Shurasena had an aged minister. This minister reported that there was a king named Vijaya who ruled in the eastern part of the country. King Vijaya had eight sons and one daughter. The daughter’s name was Bhogavati and she was very beautiful. She would be the right match for Nageshvara.
The aged minister was sent as a messenger to Vijaya and the king agreed to the match. There was a custom amongst kshatriyas that the bride did not always have to be married to the bridegroom in person. She could also be married to the bridegroom’s sword or some other weapon. The minister explained to King Vijaya that there were some private reasons which mad eit impossible for Nageshvara to come in person for the marriage. Bhogavati should be married off to Nageshvara’s sword. Vijaya consented to this and the marriage ceremony was performed. The entire retinue then returned to the city of Pratishthana.
But waht was to be done now that the marriage was over? Nageshvara’s mother sent a maid to Bhogavati. The maid was to tell Bhogavati that her husband was actually a snake and the observe her reaction.
The maid told Bhogavati, Your husband is a god, but he has the form of snake.
That is my good fortune, replied Bhogavati. Normally, women are married to men. I must have performed many good deeds in my earlier life to have been married to a god.
Bhogavati was then brought to Nageshvara and at the sight of Bhogavati, Nageshvara remembered his earlier life. He used to be a snake (naga) in his earlier life and was a companion of Shiva’s. His wife in the earlier life was Bhogavati.
There had been an occasion when Shiva had laughed at a joke of Parvati’s and Nageshvara had also laughed. This had annoyed Shiva and he had cursed Nageshvara that he would be born on earth as the son of a human, but in the form of a snake. When he went and bathed in Goutami Ganga, the period of the curse would be over. When Nageshvara recounted these incidents to Bhogavati, she also remembered her earlier life. The two went and bathed in the sacred river and Nageshvara ruled after Shurasena’s death. And when Nageshvara and Bhogavati died, they went back to Kailasa to live with Shiva.
On the banks of the Goutami Ganga, Nageshvara and Bhogavati built a temple to Shiva. This a famous tirtha known as nagatirtha.
Brahma’s Head
Years ago, there was a war between the gods and the demons and the gods came to Brahma for advice and Brahma asked them to pray to Shiva.
When Shiva appeared before them, the gods said, The demons have defeated us. Please kill them and save us.
Shiva went to fight with the demons. He drove the demons off from Mount Sumeru and out of heaven. He pursued them to the ends of the earth. All this exertion made Shiva sweat. And wherever the drops of sweat fell down on the ground, terrible ogresses named matris were created. The matris also started to kill the demons and pursued them down to the underworld.
While the matris were killing the demons in the underworld, Brahma and the other gods waited on the banks of the river Goutami Ganga. This place came to be known as Pratishthana.
When the matris had killed all the demons, they returned to earth and began to live on the banks of the Goutami Ganga. This tirtha has come to be known as matritirtha.
Brahma used to have five heads. The fifth head was in the shape of a donkey’s head. When the demons were running away to the underworld, this donkey’s head addressed the demons and said, Why are you running away? Come back and fight with the gods. I shall aid you in your fight.
The gods were alarmed at this paradoxical situation. Brahma was helping them in their fight with the demons and Brahma’s fifth head was trying to help the demons. They went to Vishnu and said, Please cut off Brahma’s fifth head. It is causing too much of confusion.
I can do what you want, replied Vishnu, but there is a problem. When the cut-off head falls on earth, it will destroy the earth. I think you should pray to Shiva to find a way out.
The gods prayed to Shiva and Shiva agreed to cut off the head. But what was to be done with the severed head? The earth refused to bear it and so did the ocean. Finally it was decided that Shiva himself would bear the head.
The place where Shiva cut off Brahma’s fifth head is known as rudratirtha. Ever since that day, Brahma has had four heads and is known as Chaturmukha (chatur connotes four and mukha connotes face). There is temple to Brahma on the banks of the Goutami Ganges. This is a holy known as brahmatirtha. A killer of brahmanas is pardoned his sin if he visits this temple.
The Owl and the Dove
A dove used to live on the banks of the Goutami Ganga. The dove’s name was Anuhrada and its wife’s name was Heti. Anuhrada was Yama’s grandson.
Not very far away, there lived an owl named Uluka. The owl’s wife was called Uluki. The owls were descended from the god Agni.
The doves and the owls were enemies. They fought amongst themselves continually. The doves had received all sorts of weapons from Yama and the owls had received all sorts of weapons from Agni. These divine weapons threatened to burn up everything. But Yama and Agni intervened . They persuaded the owls and the doves to forget their enmity and live together as friends.
The place where the doves lived came to be known as a tirtha named yamyatirtha. And the place where the owls lived came to be known as agnitirtha.
