As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 30

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After Sandhya undergoes rigorous penance for a long time and realises divine illumination – feels unique fulfillment and eulogises the source of life and existence of created beings.

She experienced no movement for some time. After a long wait, Sandhya emerged out of the trance and said, “You, who is without form, and are a treasure of supreme knowledge, I salute. You are neither subtle nor gross. Yogis (men of tapa) contemplate on you. You, O Shiva …are the Creator and so I salute you. You are Shiva. You are an image of peace, transparency and harmony. You are changeless and infinite and gyangamya (worth knowing). You are self-illumined and I find no change or angularity whatever. You are nirguna (without shape or figure), hence invisible like the sky path. Unchanging and ever beyond ignorance and darkness you are, and are always bright and happy. O lord Shiva I salute.” She continued to praise Supreme lord Shiva, counted lord’s virtues and still felt she had not fully admired the obvious and inherent qualities of Shiva.

She extolled, worshipped, prayed and recalled lord’s various names. He was inimitable, pure, self-illumined, ever cheering, true and eternal, an embodiment of delight, and the great treasure of wealth. Mere thoughts of Shiva filled her with deep bliss. Grand figure and divine looks of Shiva simply enamoured.

In ecstatic moments, she said, “You are the sky, the prithvi (earth), and all the directions of all the regions, the water, the brilliance and the Time-spirit…all are your images, O lord Shiva, and therefore, I salute.”

Nature and Purusa were manas (mental) creation of lord she murmured. She thought that they were the body-forms of the great Lord. He was beyond the real. He was inexpressible. He was the great creator as Brahma, the holy preserver as Vishnu, and as dreadful Rudra also, the destroyer of all the worlds and created beings. He was the cause of all the causes. He was beyond nature and purusa. She tried to eulogise. Sandhya found it difficult to count the blessings and infinite boons lord Shiva bestowed on devotees and therefore, continued to sing hymns of splendor.

She continued, “You are always contemplative and prefer to sit in meditation. You are without the beginning, the middle and the end. The whole universe is born of you, and you are beyond intellect, voice, word or portrayal. How I can sing praise, O lord.” She was quiet for some time.

She knew that she was incapable of fully describing the virtues, powers and infinite dimensions of Shiva from whom everything originated. Even the gods of heavens including Indra and asuras did not know the infinitely subtle images and virtues of Shiva. If they were unable to know him fully, how a foolish woman like her, could understand the most incomprehensible lord of lords, Shiva. Thus, Sandhya, a pure incarnation of tapa and penance sang songs of praise of Shiva, bowed head and then, saluted Sankara with reverence.

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