Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists

A Legend of Shiva s Dancehermits began to suspect that things were not quite whatthey seemed; they gathered together, and pronouncedquite ineffectual curses on the visitors. Then they preand evoked from it a terrible tigerpared a sacrificial fire,which rushed upon Shiva to devour him. He onlysmiled, and gently picking it up, he peeled off its skinwith his little finger,and wrappedit about himself like asilk shawl. Then the rishis produced a horrible serpent ;but Shiva hung it round his neck for a garland. Thenthere appeared a malignant black dwarf with a great club ;but Shiva pressed his foot upon its back and began todance, with his foot still pressing down the goblin. Theweary hermits, overcome by their own efforts, and now bythe splendour and swiftness of the dance and the visionof the opening heavens, the gods having assembled tobehold the dancer, threw themselves down before theglorious god and became his devotees.Now ParvatI descended on the white bull, and Shivadeparted with her to Kailas. Vishnu was thus left alonewith his attendant, the serpent Ati-Sheshan, Ananta, theInfinite, upon whom he rests on the ocean of milk duringthe night of Brahma. Each was dazed with the beauty ofShiva s dance, and Ati-Sheshan especially longed to seethe vision again. Vishnu therefore released the serpentfrom his service, appointing his son to take his place ; headvised his late servant to repair to Kailas and toobtainthe favour of Shiva by a life of asceticism. So theserpent devotee, with his thousand jewelled heads, departed to the northern regions to lay aside his secularglory and become the least of Shiva s devotees. After atime, Shiva, assuming the form of Brahma riding uponhis swan, appeared to test the devotee s sincerity ;hepointed out that already enough had been endured to