Mallikārjuna: The Parents Who Followed Their Son

The second of the twelve

Having told the story of Somanātha, Sūta goes on to the next jyotirliṅga. Now, he says, I will tell how Mallikārjuna came to be. A devotee who hears it is freed of every sin.

He adds that this is a story he has told before. Earlier in the Purāṇa he had described the deeds of Kārttikeya, Pārvatī's son; now he tells that sin-destroying, divine account once more, because it is where this liṅga begins.

Kārttikeya comes home

The Purāṇa's earlier telling explains what lay behind it. Both of Śiva's sons wished to be married first, and their parents had promised the first wedding to whichever of them came back first from going around the whole earth. Kārttikeya set off at once on the long journey; Gaṇeśa stayed behind, worshipped his parents and walked around them, and was married while his brother was still away. Here Sūta only touches on all this in passing.

So when mighty Kārttikeya — the wise son of Pārvatī, the one who had slain the demon Tāraka — finished his circuit of the earth and came back to Kailāsa, the wedding was already over. Just then the divine sage Nārada arrived. Using his own cleverness to unsettle the young prince, he told him the whole story: Gaṇeśa's marriage and everything that had gone with it.

The departure to Krauñca

Kumāra heard it all. His mother and father begged him not to go, but he bowed to them and left, and went away to the Krauñca mountain.

Pārvatī was overcome with grief at being parted from her son. Śiva tried to comfort her. My dear, he said, why are you so sad? Do not grieve, Pārvatī, lovely one — your son will surely come back. Let this great sorrow go.

But however many times Śaṅkara said it, Pārvatī could not be consoled.

The gods go to bring him back

So Śiva sent the gods and the sages to Kumāra. Taking the gaṇas with them, all the wise gods and great seers set out gladly to fetch him home.

When they reached him they bowed to him properly, reasoned with him in many different ways, and respectfully asked him to return. But Kārttikeya, the Purāṇa says, was blazing with wounded pride. Even though the gods came with Śiva's own command, he would not accept their request.

They all went back to Śiva, bowed to him, took his leave and returned to their own homes. And when their son did not come back, Śiva and Pārvatī felt the deep pain of a parent separated from a child.

The parents follow

Then the two of them, showing the ways of ordinary people in the world, grew very sad and forlorn. Moved by great love, they went themselves to the place where their son Kārttikeya was living.

But Kārttikeya came to know that his mother and father were coming. Turning away from their affection, he left that mountain and went three yojanas further off.

Light on the mountain

With their son gone even further away, the two of them took on the form of light and settled right there on the Krauñca mountain.

And still, the Purāṇa says, aching with love for their son, Śiva and Pārvatī go there on every holy day to see Kārttikeya. On the new-moon day Śiva himself goes there, and on the full-moon day Pārvatī goes without fail.

Mallikā and Arjuna

From that day on, the unique liṅga in which Mallikā and Arjuna are joined became famous in all three worlds. Mallikā, the Purāṇa explains, is Pārvatī, and Arjuna is Śiva; the liṅga is the two of them together in one form.

Phala

Whoever sees that liṅga, Sūta says, is freed from every sin and gains every wish — there is no doubt about it. Their sorrow is wholly taken away and they reach the highest happiness. They do not have to suffer again in a mother's womb. They gain plenty of wealth and grain, honour, good health and whatever fruit they desire; of this too there is no doubt.

This, Sūta concludes, is the second jyotirliṅga, called Mallikārjuna, which gives every happiness by its mere sight; he has told it for the good of the world.