Uma....the name that is nectar

उमानामामृतं पीतं येनेह जगतीतले।

न जातु जननीस्तन्यं स पिबेत्कुम्भसम्भव।

उमेति ह्यक्षरं मन्त्रं योऽहर्निशमनुस्मरेत्।

न स्मरेत् चित्रगुप्तस्तं कृतपापमिति द्विज॥

𝐮𝐦𝐚̄𝐧𝐚̄𝐦𝐚̄𝐦𝐫̣𝐭𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐩𝐢̄𝐭𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐲𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐚 𝐣𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢̄𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞|

𝐧𝐚 𝐣𝐚̄𝐭𝐮 𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐢̄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐬𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐤𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚|

𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢 𝐡𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐬̣𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐲𝐨'𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐬́𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭|

𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦̇ 𝐤𝐫̣𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐚̄𝐩𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢 𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐣𝐚||

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦.. 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐯𝐢..

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐦..

𝐈𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐦𝐚, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐎𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 ( 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡.. 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟)

𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐈𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦 "𝐔𝐦𝐚" 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 ( 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐔𝐦𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐒𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭.. 𝐒𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧..

𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞.. 𝐔𝐦𝐚.. 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧..

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢.. 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟..

𝐒𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐔 𝐌𝐚𝐚.. 𝐔.. 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫.. 𝐌𝐚𝐚.. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 (𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞)

𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐔𝐦𝐚 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭?

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐔𝐦𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐚, 𝐠𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐚

उमा शैलेन्द्र तनया गौरी गन्धर्वसेविता

𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐲𝐚𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐚..

रञ्जनी रमणी रस्या रणत् किङ्गिणि मेखला

𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐧

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭.. 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫,

𝐚𝐬 𝐭he daughter

क्व तिष्ठतस्ते पितरौ ममेवेत्यपर्णयोक्ते परिहासपूर्वम्

क्व तिष्ठतस्ते पितरौ ममेवेत्यपर्णयोक्ते परिहासपूर्वम्।

क्व वा ममेव श्वशुरौ तवेति समीरयन् सस्मितमीश्वरोऽव्यात्॥

kva tiṣṭhataste pitarau mamevetyaparṇayokte parihāsapūrvam|

kva vā mameva śvaśuraū taveti samīrayan sasmitamīśvaro'vyāt||

Aparna the Parvathi tauntingly asks Shiva during their marriage..

”I have my parents, where are yours?”

Shiva retorts..”My in-laws are present here, Where are yours ?

May that smiling Shankara protect us..

legends and stories clash.. , may be that the Poison drinking episode happened on the marriage day..

dhruvan's daddy had two wives

and uma choked shiva

legends and stories clash.. One explanation, without much reasoning may be that the Poison drinking episode happened on the marriage day..

But if the news is spread, the maamis will make it a habit to choke the husbands by the throat on the wedding day.. So it is better not to raise the issue if we do want keep our throats safe..

In households with multiple wives , each woman tried to have her offspring close to the father and would not hesitate to drive away the children of the other wives.. That is a survival tatctic

choking and throttling

Lord Shiva is so great and is endowed with so much of equanimity that for him a happy occasion of getting married and a situation where he had to consume poison were both celebration ..

On the other hand, as every married man would have felt at some stage in life there is hardly any difference between getting married and drinking poison..

And see how the brother and sister Parvahy and Vishnu managed the affair.. While the lady tried to strangle by holding neck, her brother closed the mouth of the victim so that no cries are heard..

United inseparably..

United inseparably..

Even Uma and Shankara did solitary penance to wed each other.. that is.. even..the supreme powers Shiva and Shakthi could unite only through penance..and the integral part of penance is a cut off from all others for some time.. a sort of quarantine.

That is the power of intense mutual attachment..

In the opening stanza of Shivananda Lahari, the attachment of Shiva and Uma is indicated.. निज तप फलाभ्यां... nija tapa phalaabhyaam.. those who got united through doing penance for each other.. (uma and shankara)

The penance of Shiva after the self- immolation of Sati, and the later penance of Parvathi, the re-incarnation of Sati to wed Shiva.. are described in Skandam, Shivapuranam and other holy texts too.. and this act evdencing the mutual affection avidly practice by the divine couple is beautifully portrayed by Kalidasa in Kumara Sambhavam..

The attachment of Uma and Shankara is described by Kalidasa in the opening stanza of Raghuvamsam too.. They are described as, vaagarthau iva samprukthau.. वागर्थाविव संपृक्तौ meaning, attached to one another and insepearable like word and its meaning..

Again in Saundarya Lahari of Shankaracharya... the union of Shiva and Sakthi is the opening theme.. ShivaH shakthyaa yuktho...शिवः शक्त्या युक्तो

And Lalithaa Sahasranaamam concludes calling Mahatripura Sundari as Shiva Shakthyaikya roopinee.. शिव शक्त्यैक्य रूपिणी

So the instinctive attachment happens even among godheads..

Even Shankara Narayana Swaroopam, the creation of Sasta or Ayyappa, etc indicative of this..

The vedic concept of the union of Purusha and Krishna pingala.. oordhvaretha and viroopaaksha.. in the form of Vishvaropa is considered to be the union of Hari and Hara.. Ritam Satyam Param Brahma Purusham Krishna pingalam Oordhvaretham viroopaaksham vishvaroopaaya vai namaH..

ऋतं सत्यं परंब्रह्म पुरुषं कृष्ण पिङ्गलं ऊर्ध्वरेतं विरूपाक्षं विश्वरूपाय वै नमः ( हरि हर प्रार्थना from Vedam)

पाणिग्रहे पर्वतराजपुत्र्याः

पाणिग्रहे पर्वतराजपुत्र्याः पादाम्बुजं पाणिसरोरुहाभ्याम्।

अश्मानमारोपयतः स्मरारेः मन्दस्मितं मङ्गळमातनोतु॥

pāṇigrahe parvatarājaputryāḥ pādāmbujaṁ pāṇisaroruhābhyām|

aśmānamāropayataḥ smarāreḥ mandasmitaṁ maṅgaḻamātanotu||

subhaashitaratnabhaaNDaagaare

May the benign and enigmatic smile of that arch enemy of Kamadeva, Lord Shiva bring all grace and prosperity to all of us

The smile, that erupted from His lips as he held the feet of Uma the daughter of the sturdy mountain Himavan,with his hands as soft as a lotus flower and her feet too so soft like another lotus.. The Lord was lifting her feet to be place it on a stone signifying marital fidelity..

What a study in contrast… The mother is tough, she is the daughter of the mountain. The Lord is tough. He simply burned off Kamadeva once. But He uses all the softness of His hand not to cause any sort of discomfort to the soft foot of Uma..

The bride’s foot is placed on stone by the groom to signify that the bride would be so sincere and steadfast and solid in her fidelity for the husband. As solid as the rock. But here Mother Uma is the daughter of the Mountain Himavana herself.. Who can be more solid?

The toughest, the eternal pair are just playing the role of a newly married couple… That brings a secret smile on the face of the Lord.. That is natural.

May that eternal couple, Uma Maheshvara bless us.

Paarvathi the Uma walking slowly towards Lord Shambhu

A picture of the Mother of the Universe,

Uma the daughter of Himavan,

a sublime one Indeed..

Just think of Devi Paarvathi the Uma walking slowly towards Lord Shambhu, with a garland of Mahuva or Mahooka flower being handed over to her by her friend.. sporting a smile with eyes looking the ground in shyness..and eager to offer that garland to Her Lover and Lord Shambu as a token of having received Him as her husband..

शंभुं जगन्मोहनरूपपूर्णम्

विलोक्य लज्जाकलितां स्मिताढ्याम्।

मधूकमालां स्वसखीकराभ्याम्

सम्बिभ्रतीमद्रिसुतां भजेयम्॥

śaṁbhuṁ jaganmohanarūpapūrṇam

vilokya lajjākalitāṁ smitāḍhyām|

madhūkamālāṁ svasakhīkarābhyām

sambibhrateemadrisutāṁ bhajeyam||

जगन्मोहनरूपपूर्णं the one with a form which entices the whole universe

शंभुं Lord Shiva the Shambu

विलोक्य having seen

स्मिताढ्याम् sporting a beautiful yet very subtle smile

लज्जाकलितां looking like a bud of flower just about to open,, overcome by shyness

स्वसखीकराभ्याम् (handed over by) her own friend

बन्धूकमालं garland of bandhooka flowers

संबिभ्रतीं carrying in happiness

अद्रिसुतां that daughter of the mountain

( तां)(उमां ) भजेयं. may we worship that Uma..

May we worship that damsel, the daughter of the mountain, who, on seeing her Lord Shambu who is the enchanter of the three worlds, sported a smile which makes her face bloom with shyness, and and walks towards Him carrying a garland of Madhooka, which has been handed over to her by her Sakhi..

This is the Dhyana Slokam for Swayamvara parvathi manthram which is chanted and through which the divine mother is worshiped for the boon of marriage to all Kanyas..

merged in Durga...

वक्त्रं शीतकरोधरो घनरसः कामप्रदो विग्रहः 

श्वासो गन्धवहः सरोरुहसुहृत् पाणिः स्मिताभा शुचिः। 

वक्षः पीनपयोधराधिकरणं पृथ्वी नितंबस्थली 

तुष्टौ धूर्जटिमूर्त्तयः स्मरभयाद् दुर्गाश्रिताः पातु वः॥ 

vaktraṁ śītakarodharo ghanarasaḥ kāmaprado vigrahaḥ 

śvāso gandhavahaḥ saroruhasuhṛt pāṇiḥ smitābhā śuciḥ| 

vakṣaḥ pīnapayodharādhikaraṇaṁ pṛthvī nitaṁbasthalī 

tuṣṭau dhūrjaṭimūrttayaḥ smarabhayād durgāśritāḥ pātu vaḥ|| 

വക്ത്രം ശീതകരോധരോ ഘനരസഃ കാമപ്രദോ വിഗ്രഹഃ 

ശ്വാസോ ഗന്ധവഹഃ സരോരുഹസുഹൃത് പാണിഃ സ്മിതാഭാ ശുചിഃ। 

വക്ഷഃ പീനപയോധരാധികരണം പൃഥ്വീ നിതംബസ്ഥലീ 

തുഷ്ടൌ ധൂര്‍ജടിമൂര്‍ത്തയഃ സ്മരഭയാദ് ദുര്‍ഗാശ്രിതാഃ പാതു വഃ॥ 

It is a very famous concept that Lord Shiva Manifests in eight forms, and is called Astamoorthy for that reason

The eight forms are The Sun, The Moon, The Air, The fire, The sky, the Earth, the water and the living being who worships..

There is a famous story that Lord Shiva burnt down the God of love Kamadeva and went for a penance in the caves of Himalaya..

The Kamadeva, who is really tricky is pursuing Shiva relentlessly and trying to tempt Him to keep company of Uma.. Here in the sloka, it is described that Lord Shiva Split himself into eight forms and hid in the body of Durga the Parvathi..( we know about the Arthanari Form too) to escape any assault from Kamadeva 

Durga also means a distant fortress or cave, and so there is an allegory that Shiva hid in a fortress in eight forms to escape the attack of Kamadeva.

In this process, the form of Shiva.. Moon.. merged with Durgas face (वक्त्रं शीतकरः.. the face was occupied by the moon of soothingly cool raya 

The form of Shiva ... Water.. occupied Durga’s lips ( अधरः घनरसः the lips merged with water.. the essence of the clouds)

The form of Shiva as hota or the performer of sacrifice merged with Durga’s sweet body ( कामप्रदो विग्रहः the body which is the provider of all desires, merged with Durgas body) 

The form of Shiva as the Air merged with the breath of Durga ( श्वासो गन्धवहः the air which carries fragrance merged with the breath of Durga) 

The form of Shiva as the Sun merged with the hand of Durga ( सरोर्हसुहृत् पाणि the friend of the Lotus, the Sun merged with the hand of Durga) 

The form of Shiva as the Fire merged with the glowing smile of Durgaa (स्मिताभा शुचिः the glow of the smile merged with Shuchi.. the pure one..or the one who makes everything pure.. who is none other than fire)

The form of Shiva as the Sky merged with the ample bosom of Durga that carried very heavy breasts (अधिकरणम् पीनपयोधरः वक्षः .... the bosom with heavy breasts merged with the Adhikaranam or the sky)

The form of Shiva as the Earth merged with the slender waist area of Durga ( पृथ्वी नितम्ब स्थली the attractive waist area of Durga merged with the earth) 

एवं स्मरभयात् दुर्गाश्रिताः धूर्जटिमूर्तयः तुष्टौ (ते ) वः पातु thus the eight forms of that lord of terrific matted hair, Shiva, went and took refuge in the body of Durga, and were eternally happy.. May these forms protect you ever.

(1 Vaktram sheetakaraH 2 adharam ghanarasaH 3 Kamaprada vigrahaH 

4 ShvaasaH gandhavahaH 5paaniH saroruhasuhrit 6 Smitaabhaa suchi 7 peenapayodharaH vakshaH adhikaranam 8 nithambashtalee prithvee )

cheating at its hilarious best...

मौलौ किन्नु महेश मानिनि सरः किं वक्त्रं अम्भोरुहं 

किं नीलाळकवेणिका मधुकरी किं भ्रूलता वीचिका॥ 

किं नेत्रे शफरौ किमु स्तनयुगं प्रोङ्खद् रथाङ्गद्वयं 

साशङ्कामिति वञ्चयन् गिरिसुतां गङ्गाधरः पातु वः॥ 

maulau kinnu maheśa mānini saraḥ kiṁ vaktraṁ ambhoruhaṁ 

kiṁ nīlāḻakaveṇikā madhukarī kiṁ bhrūlatā vīcikā|| 

kiṁ netre śapharau kimu stanayugaṁ proṅkhad rathāṅgadvayaṁ 

sāśaṅkāmiti vañcayan girisutāṁ gaṅgādharaḥ pātu vaḥ||

മൌലൌ കിന്നു മഹേശ മാനിനി സരഃ കിം വക്ത്രം അംഭോരുഹം 

കിം നീലാളകവേണികാ മധുകരീ കിം ഭ്രൂലതാ വീചികാ॥ 

കിം നേത്രേ ശഫരൌ കിമു സ്തനയുഗം പ്രോങ്ഖദ് രഥാങ്ഗദ്വയം 

സാശങ്കാമിതി വഞ്ചയന് ഗിരിസുതാം ഗങ്ഗാധരഃ പാതു വഃ॥

Parvathi sees Ganga in the matted locks of Shiva and asks

महेश मौलौ किं नु Mahesh, what is there on your matted hair?

Shiva replies 

मानिनि सरः Respected Lady, it is a river, or rivulet or reservoir

Paravathi Asks 

किं वक्त्रं I see a mouth, what is that 

Shiva replies… अम्भोरुहं It is just a lotus flower (floating on the waters)

Parvathi Asks 

किं नीलालकवेनिका I see long tresses or long bluish hair (like that of a woman) there, what is that?

Shiva Replies मधुकरी that is a long row of honeybees (that are gathering around the flower )

Parvathi Asks

किं भ्रूलता I see a pair of shapely eyebrows on your head What are they?

Shiva Replies 

वीचिका they are tiny wavelets on the surface of water

Parvathy Asks 

किं नेत्रे I see a pair of eyes there on your head what are they?

Shiva Replies 

शफ़रौ they are a pair of tiny shining fish swimming on the water

Parvathy Asks 

किमु स्तनयुगं I see a pair of round breasts there on your matted locks, what are they?

Shiva Replies प्रोङ्खद् रथाङ्गद्वयं They are just two round wheels of a chariot floating on the surface of the water.

इति साशङ्काम् गिरिसुतां वञ्चयन् गङ्गाधरः वः पातु ॥ May that Shiva who carries the woman Ganga on his matted locks, but cheats the ever doubtful daughter of the Mountain through the above words protect you all.

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah

Umaya saha devesah shankarah chandrasekharah 

Takka vadhya ninaadena rakshthu twaam maheswarah

उमया सह देवेशः शङ्करः चन्द्रशेखरः।

टक्का वाद्यनिनादेन रक्षतु त्वाम् महेश्वरः।

umayā saha deveśaḥ śaṅkaraḥ candraśekharaḥ|

ṭakkā vādyaninādena rakṣatu tvām maheśvaraḥ |

This is indeed a  special sloka. 

It is attributed to Kalidasa when he was  in his formative years when he remained  uneducated verging on being an Idiot.

There was a princess in the country where Kalidasa spent his earlier life as an illiterate goatherd. 

The princess was learned and equally arrogant. 

She challenged all the kings, scholars etc., that she would marry only the man who defeated her in literary debate. 

All the kings and scholars had to face defeat. 

They were humiliated. 

They hatched a plan by which they could get the princess married by an illiterate and idiotic person. 

After much search they stumbled upon a doubly distilled idiot who was sitting on a sprouted branch of the tree and cutting with his axe the connecting portion of the tree with the trunk without knowing that he would fall down and perish once the branch is cut. 

They immediately caught hold of the fellow and gave him a bath and adorned him with costly clothes and ornaments and took him to the palace on the promise that he would get good food to his hearts content.

They had also instructed him that he should never utter even a single word. 

But in the courtyard of the king he saw Camels and he started screaming Ushtra, Ushtra (sanskrit name of Camel) . 

The king who happened to hear him asked why a great scholar was screaming like this.

The scholars accompanying him had a ready-made reply. 

The great poet had penned a great sloka and was just uttering the first letters of the four lines U, sha, ta, ra. 

The meaning of the sloka is “ May Lord Sankara
 who is the protector of all Devas and who is wearing the crescent moon in his head, accompanied by his consort Uma, bless you all with the playing of his takka vadhya (udukku} . 

The explanation hit the right target.
And 

The idiot married the princess and later on became Kalidasa, it is history

the Daksha episode

the Daksha episode

the Daksha episode appears as a prelude and sequel to the Dakshayagnam and the history is described with variations in almost all the puranams.

The essential common features are that Sati was the daughter of Dakshprajapathi one of the sons of brahmadeva,

she was devoted to Shiva,

Daksha was not pleased with the supreme power of Shiva and maybe out of ego he would not give Sathi to Shiva.

. But it was inevitable that Shiva and Shakthi should join and no one can stop it. So Shiva married Sati the Daakshaayani

Daksha in his capacity as a rulemaker, arranged a sacrifice, and in every sacrifice all the Gods deserved their yajnabhagam..

they were ceremonially invited..

but Shiva was ignored and the renegade son in law.

Many gods hesitated to attend but no one was free not to accept the invitation.

The insult reached the ears of Shiva but he was ignoring it,

but Sathi, either out of affection for the father or because she felt slighted, wanted to attend the sacrifice in her capacity as Daughter of Daksha .

. Shiva dissuaded her, but she insisted.

In some puranas the altercation between shiva and shakthi are discussed, and attempts to underline the inter-se superiority of the two complimentary forces shiva and Shakthi is attempted

Ultimately Sathi attends the sacrifice and is insulted by the father and she immolates herself and enters fire.

The enraged Shiva, sends his bhootaganam(army of fierce demi gods) with Veerabhadra in the lead and completely destroys the sacrifice, and beheads Daksha.

They say the head of Daksha was replace by the head of a goat and Daksha was given lease of life later.

And Dasksha praised Shiva with Chamakam.

It is said that it was when Shiva in his anger on the occasion hit his matted hair on earth that Durvasa was born.

The Siva bereft Shakthi could not be complete

and therefore, roaring and crying in desolation (Rudra) carried the charred body of Sati from Himalyas to the south.

Mahavishnu, the diplomat he is, knew that unless Shiva is relieved of the body of Sati his anger will never abate

and in the fire of that anger the entire universe would be renedered as ash.

So with his discus he cut the body of Sati unobtrusively in parts, following Shiva from behind.

The pieces of the body fell on 108 places in India and they are the Shakthi peeatams..

Even now, the presence of Vishnu and Shiva also can be found in these Shakti peetama.

Finally Shiva fell into a penance of depression to get back the Sakthi.

Simultaneously Dakshayani (Sathi) took birth herself as the adopted daughter of Mena and Himavan, called Uma the Parvathi, and when she set out for penance to woo Shiva,

Her mother first dissuade her saying

"u" my daughter, "maa" do not go for penance..

so she became Uma.

Shiva's penance was disrupted byKamadeva (Cupid) who lost his life in the bargain

Shiva started yearning for Shakthi in the form of Uma and they married.

Meanwhile Skanda and Ganesh were born,

and the foursome protects the world for ever.

Lessons for posterity from this episode are ,

arrogance will kill you however big you are...

the balanced elements in nature should never be disturbed,

and when energies which balance each other are separated out greed or cruelty the entire environment suffers.

More lessons are there and the floor is open..

More variations of the stroy are there and Vaishnavas, Shaivas and Shakthas will tell different versions.

The floor is open for that also.

This is the elementary discussion material.