Seated in their softly cushioned golden chariots, the devas felt their hearts gripped by fear. Terror filled their eyes as they witnessed the cataclysmic conflict. The two Lords of the Universe’s holy Trinity, locked in a relentless struggle, remained oblivious to the widespread destruction unfolding in the worlds around them – which one meticulously created, and the other ardently preserves.
Worrying for the safety of their dominion as well as the rest of the Universe, a congregation of the devas approached Lord Shiva. They meant to tell Him about the matter at hand, beseeching Him to intervene and bring an end to the ongoing tumultuous battle. Mahadeva, ever omniscient and omnipresent, was aware of the unfolding events. Indeed, He too could feel the tremors in His icy abode, Kailasha.
His body adorned with ash, a serpent around His neck, a crescent moon on His matted hair, the sacred Ganga flowing down from His wild matted locks to the depths of the world, Mahadeva held His trident, the trishul, in one hand, the other resting in His lap, palm open upwards. He slowly opened His all-seeing eyes, as if awakening from a peaceful sleep, choosing to keep His third eye on His forehead shut as the ongoing pandemonium did not call for destruction of any sort. Yet.
Feigning ignorance, with a slight smile on His lips, Mahadeva looked at the devas questioningly as they hurried towards Him with distress etched on their faces. “What is the matter, my dear devas? Is something bothering your merry, luxurious existence in swarga?” He asked, mischief twinkling in His eyes.
“Pranam, Mahadeva!” they cried as they fell at His feet. One deva intimated Him of the fierce battle between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu – a conflict born from a minor disagreement, now threatening the entirety of the Universe.
Another added, shuddering if not because of the cold, then due to the thought of the possible outcome of the confrontation without the intervention of a higher power, “They are so consumed by their escalating fury towards each other that they have become utterly oblivious to the cataclysmic repercussions of their discord on the Universe.”
“If they continue even for a little while longer, all the three worlds will be completely annihilated in the way of collateral damage.”
“Please, O Lord! We humbly beg you to intervene and protect not just us, but the entire three worlds and the very Universe itself.”
“Your Esteemed Holiness is the only being in existence who can save us from total annihilation!’”
“Please intervene now, O Mahadeva! Please be so kind as to save us all.”
Mahadeva patiently listened on as each deva took turns pleading and imploring that He save the three worlds, with a serene, sagacious smile playing on His face, aglow with a warm ethereal light. He chuckled under His breath as He let slip a white ketaki bloom from His thick knotted locks of matted hair…
Once the devas had each said their piece, Mahadeva sat silently in serene contemplation amid the icy splendour of Kailasha. As though He did not already know what He had planned to do to abate His peers’ furies, He nodded to indicate that their desperate pleas had reached His ears.
Mahadeva said, “Do not worry, O devas. The Universe and all the beings in it are just as precious to me as they are to you. I will not let everything be destroyed just because of a squabble between my dear Vishnu and Brahma. Please return to your dwellings, and rest assured that I shall address your concerns and settle the dispute between the two.”
Pacified by the reassuring words of Mahadeva, the devas bowed deeply in veneration to the Destroyer and returned to their abodes.
Aware of the gravity of the situation, Lord Shiva decided to visit the scene of the transversal conflict.
Nandi, His vahana, stood majestically by the gates of Kailasha, patiently waiting for his Lord to avail his services. His pure and lustrous white coat glistened in the sunlight, in concord with the snow-laden mountains around him.
With His consort, Parvati, by His side, Mahadeva rode Nandi to the battleground, where the clash between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu was about to reach its zenith. The winds of the Universe carried whispers of unease. The heavens themselves seemed to hold their breath as the Lord of Destruction prepared to restore intergalactic peace and harmony.
Upon arriving, He saw that both Lord Brahma and Vishnu were ready to unleash their most potent weapons against each other, the Maheshwarastra and Pashupatastra respectively. The two deities faced each other with visages contorted in anger, their seraphic expressions marred by the intensity of their wrath. Having inflicted and sustained multiple aggressive blows, the two were on the verge of releasing their final weapons.
Mindful of the extreme obliteration that such an action could cause, Lord Shiva finally decided to intervene. Just as the two warring gods released their astras, He manifested Himself as an antalstambha (pillar of fire) between them. The deadly weapons were engulfed by the antalstambha on release and were consequently destroyed. Neither of the warring celestials had noticed His arrival or intervention.
The antalstambha stood tall and one could neither see where the column of fire began nor ended. As the inferno raged, sparks danced in every direction, a mesmerizing display of searing heat that had engulfed the deadliest weapons. The devas stood witness, spellbound by the apotheosized phenomenon unfolding before their eyes.
The Creator and the Preserver were taken aback by the sudden appearance of a towering mast of fire before them. Momentarily forgetting their animosity, they exchanged questioning glances as they began to realize that neither of them had caused this sudden occurrence.
“What is that?” Brahma asked, stupefied.
“I have no idea – this is not something I have witnessed before!” Vishnu responded, equally perplexed.
“I have never seen any object or being that had the power to withstand any of my weapons,” Brahma exclaimed, shock and awe evident in his voice. “And this blazing pillar has simultaneously enveloped both of our devastating weapons as if it were nothing!”
“We have to find out the origin of this pillar of fire!”
Vishnu declared with a sense of urgency. “I am going to seek its head in the skies, you search for its base in the ground.”
The mysterious pillar of fire demanded an immediate investigation. An unspoken, temporary truce was established, just as swiftly as the battle had commenced.
Excerpted with permission from The Jyotirlingas: Tales of the Twelve Shrines, Samhitha Reddy, Hachette India.
