Literature

Vararuci's narration continues...

Manmatha continues to boast of his own skills in the pretext of praising his master:

तव प्रसादात्कुसुमायुधोऽपि सहायमेकं मधुमेव लब्ध्वा।

कुर्यां हरस्यापि पिनाकपाणेर्धैर्यच्युतिं के मम धन्विनोऽन्ये ॥ 3.10

There is a sacred tīrtha called Kanakhala near Gaṅgādvāra. In the past, a divine elephant called Kāñcanapāta broke open a mountain and let the Gaṅgā flow into the plains from there. In the region to the south of this town, a brāhmaṇa lived with his wife and performed tapas. He had three sons. After his death, his sons went to a place called Rājagṛha and acquired a lot of knowledge there. Though they became well educated, they were in immense pain, considering themselves as orphans. They headed towards Dakṣiṇāpatha seeking the darśana of Kumāra-svāmī.

Indra, who cannot think beyond the obvious and who knows only material luxuries and pleasures of the flesh, jumps to the conclusion that it is only the embodied deity of love, Manmatha who can do the job of uniting Śiva and Pārvatī. He immediately decides to instruct commands to Manmatha and communicates to him through his mind, his thought accelerated by his eagerness to achieve his purpose. (मनसा कार्यसंसिद्धौ त्वराद्विगुणरंहसा 2.63).

The Story of Vararuci

As the devatas had even lost their voice to give words to their trouble, Indra, their leader gets into action; and his action is merely to reverentially pass on the responsibility to his Guru Bṛhaspati. He does so only with a gentle and slow movement of all his hundred eyes towards the Guru. He does not have words to speak to Brahmā or to the Guru. Bṛhaspati, who is known to have mastered language can at least attempt to express their unified wish to Brahmā – the master of speech, speaking to the Creator of Speech!.

ततो मन्दानिलोद्धूतकमलाकरशोभिना ।

इदं गुरु-गिरीन्द्रजा प्रणय-मन्दरान्दोलनात्
पुरा किल कथामृतं हर-मुखाम्बुधेरुद्गतं |
प्रसह्य रसयन्ति ये विगतविघ्नलब्धर्धयो
धुरं दधति वैबुधीं भुवि भवप्रसादेन ते ||

Long ago this kathāmṛta (literally 'story-nectar') rose up from the mouth of Śiva churned by Pārvatī’s love acting as the Mount Mandara. Those of this world who partake of it are, through the grace of Śiva, instantly rid of obstacles and blessed with prosperity and vested with knowledge.