Parvati becomes a fisherman's daughter³

I am inspired to tell a story that has to do with Mount Kailash, because Kailash is now massaging me. As you know, Mount Kailash is our most sacred mountain.

Lord Shiva can be pleased sooner than the soonest. You can worship him with only one simple leaf, tulasi, which in India is everywhere available. If you sprinkle just a little water on top of the leaf and then place it at the feet of Lord Shiva, he will give you everything. Sometimes, by giving human beings boons, he creates such problems for himself!

Lord Shiva’s consort is Parvati, and their dwelling-place is on top of Mount Kailash. Every day Lord Shiva used to explain difficult, difficult points from the Vedas to Parvati. Many things in our sacred books are very difficult to understand, so he used to carefully explain them to her. This went on for years.

It happened that one day Parvati found Lord Shiva’s explanation boring and she lost her concentration. When Lord Shiva saw that she had lost her concentration, with his third eye — which is his destruction-aspect — he cursed her. He said, “You are not paying any attention to me, so I am cursing you. You have to take human incarnation as a fisherwoman!”

A curse is a curse, so Parvati had to come down to earth. She took the form of a four-year-old girl and she appeared at the foot of a tree. The little child was very beautiful.

The chief fisherman of that area found the helpless child and brought her to his cottage. He adopted her and began to lavish all his affection, love, sweetness and fondness on her. He himself did not have any children. The funniest thing is that the fisherman also gave her the name Parvati. Her original name on Mount Kailash was Parvati, and when she played the role of the daughter, it was the same.

In the meantime, Lord Shiva was so miserable. He was crying pitifully, “What have I done? What have I done? Why did I express my anger? Now look at me! Without her I cannot exist even for a moment.”

Lord Shiva’s main attendant is a white bull called Nandi. Although he is a bull, Nandi can talk. He felt miserable that Lord Shiva was suffering, so he said, “Why do you not bring Parvati back here? You have so much occult power. You have only to use your third eye and bring her back.”

Lord Shiva replied, “No, I cannot do that. I am seeing very clearly that she is going to marry a fisherman. Now she is still growing up. Alas, I do not know when she will be able to come back to me.”

Nandi said, “I cannot see you suffering. It is unbearable! I shall solve your problem.”

Lord Shiva was so surprised. “You will solve my problem?” It was like a slave saying that he will solve the master’s problem. Then Lord Shiva continued, “All right, please solve my problem.”

What Nandi did was to take the form of a whale. He entered into the water where the fishermen of that village used to fish. Every day, in their tiny boats, they would go out and catch fish. Then they would sell their fish at the market. This huge whale started torturing the fishermen, and also it was consuming the small fish that they used to catch. The fishermen were so helpless. They were not catching any fish, and their boats were quite often capsized by the whale. They all became so sad and miserable.

The fishermen came to the chief of their community, Parvati’s adoptive father, and told him of their present misfortune. He said, “I am also helpless. Now what can we do with this whale?”

Then a brilliant idea flashed through his brain. He said, “Whoever can kill the whale, I will give my daughter to him in marriage. This is my promise. And my daughter is extremely beautiful.”

So many fishermen tried in vain to kill the whale. Alas, instead of killing it, many were devoured by the whale. They all lost! By now, people were afraid of the whale. Those fishermen who still remained did not dare to go near it, and they did not want to make any more attempts to kill it. Now they were even more miserable than before. They could not catch any fish to earn their livelihood, and they knew that they were not going to get this beautiful girl in marriage.

One day Nandi returned to Lord Shiva with a message. He said, “The chief fisherman is saying that whoever can kill the whale — by which he means me — will be able to have his beautiful daughter in marriage. This is his promise. Can you not take the form of a fisherman and appear there as the strongest and most powerful man? You can kill the whale, and then you will be able to bring back your most beautiful wife.”

“Oh, that is a splendid idea!” said Lord Shiva. “I am going.”

Lord Shiva took the form of a young man, most powerful and handsome in every way. Then he appeared before the fishermen of that village. They had never seen such a strong and handsome man. They were so happy to welcome him in their midst. The chief of the fishermen said, “I am so happy! Who are you?” Lord Shiva replied, “I do not want to say who I am. Just tell me, will you keep your promise if I kill the whale?”

The chief fisherman said, “Definitely! If you kill the whale, then I shall definitely keep my promise. You will have my daughter.”

Lord Shiva entered into the water and killed this whale, and in this way Nandi was killed by his own master. Then Shiva and Parvati were married on earth and came back again to Mount Kailash. Nandi also came back and again became Lord Shiva’s closest attendant.

After that, Lord Shiva said that he would never teach his wife the Vedas any more. He did not want to lose Parvati a second time!