Seven secrets of Shiva

by Devdutt Pattanaik

One day, Parvati covers Shiva’s eyes with her palms. The world is plunged in darkness. To get the sun to shine again, Shiva opens his third eye. So fiery is the glance of this eye that it causes Parvati’s palms, placed over the left and right eye, to sweat. From this sweat is born a child called Andhaka, the one born in darkness. This child is given to a childless Asura. When Andhaka grows up he invokes Brahma and secures a boon, that he should not be defeated in battle unless he looks upon his own mother with eyes of lust. Andhaka, who does not know how he was created, goes about conquering the world. No one can defeat him in battle. He finally reaches Mount Kailasa and challenges Shiva to a duel. Shiva is however lost in meditation and does not pay heed to the challenge. Andhaka climbs the mountain and sees Parvati sitting beside Shiva. He is filled with lust, little realising that he desires his own mother. Parvati begs Shiva to open his eyes and stop their son from doing the unthinkable. Shiva opens his eyes; with his trident he impales Andhaka and keeps him alive and impaled for a thousand years, draining him of blood until he is reduced to a bag of bones. Thus tortured Andhaka realises that the woman he lusted for is actually his mother and that Shiva is his father. He apologises to the divine couple and is allowed to live as a Gana in Kailasa. It is significant that Andhaka is born when the third eye is opened. The story draws attention to the limitations of the tra...