Jalandara and Shiva

 

Jalandara and Shiva

Once King of Gods Indra and devaguru Brihaspati were going towards Mount Kailash for a Shiva darshan. Lord Shiva wanted to test their knowledge and appeared in front of them as a yogi. Indra arrogantly tried to shoo the yogi away. Shiva gets angry with Indra and opened his third eye. Thankfully, Brihaspati realised that it is Maheswara in disguise. He fell at Shiva’s feet and asked him not to punish Indra.

Having opened his third eye, Shiva directs his gaze towards the ocean where the heat from the eye leads the water to churn violently. From the giant waves emerged a small boy. Since he emerged from the water Shiva calls him Jalandara.

Lord Brahma looked at the boy and predicted that he will become a great king of the Asuras. The boy grew up to be a powerful and became the king of the Asuras. He married a very beautiful and pious maiden by name Vrinda, the daughter of another asura Kalanemi. Vrinda was a pious devotee of Vishnu and had a boon that her husband will remain alive as long as she maintained her fidelity to him.

Sage Bhrighu once tells Jalandar that the devas had taken all the jewels and treasure of Jalandar’s father. Enraged at this, Jalandar wages war on the Devas. As the battle from the Devas and the Asuras rages on, the devas realise that they needed more powerful help. They go to Vishnu and request him to help them.

Vishnu, while sympathetic, is not too keen to help due to two reasons. Jalandara’s wife Vrinda was a devotee of Vishnu. He did not want to upset his devotee. The other reason was more close to home. Mahalakshmi, Vishnu’s wife was born of the ocean when the devas and asuras churned the ocean. Jalandara was also born of the ocean when Shiva’s energy fell in the ocean. So Mahalakshmi considered Jalandara like a brother.

Things continued in this fashion for some time. Then the celestial messenger Narada was used by the Devas to churn things a bit. Narada went to Jalandar and asked him innocently, “Who do you think is the most beautiful woman in all of Brahmand?” Jalandar said “My wife Vrinda.” Narada said innocently “You are mistaken Asura. Parvati, the wife of Shiva is considered the most beautiful woman in all of universe. You considered the best in the Brahmand in terms of your power and valour. But you still don’t have her.”  After playing his mischief, Narada left.

Jalandar got angry and went to Kailash to abduct Parvati. Shiva had gone out and Parvati was resting. Jalandar using his magical powers made himself like Shiva and approached Parvati. But when he saw the blinding beauty of the divine mother, he tripped. Parvati thought it was Shiva who was falling down and came running. Vishnu appeared and told her that it was not the Lord but the asura Jalandar.

Hearing this, Parvati becomes very angry and takes the form of Kali. Jalandar gets scared of the Goddess and retreats. But the Goddess’ anger does not subside. She requests her brother Vishnu to look for Shiva. The Devas and Vishnu find Shiva swimming in the Lake Manasarovar as a swan. They tell him what happened in his absence.

Angered at the insult to his wife, Shiva goes to battle with Jalandar. But he is unable to kill Jalandar as his wife Vrinda’s piety and fidelity are protecting him.

Seeing this, Parvati, tells her brother to cheat Vrinda the way Jalandar cheated her. Though initially reluctant to deceive his devotee Vrinda, Vishnu finally agrees. He goes as Jalandar and spends a day with Vrinda as her husband. The moment that happens, Shiva is able to kil Jalandar in the battlefield.

When Vrinda hears that her husband is dead, she realises that the man in her palace is not her husband. Vishnu assumes his true form and admits that he cheated her. Angry that her favourite God cheated her, Vrinda curses Vishnu to become a stone. Vishnu gladly turns into a Saligramam stone for the sake of his devotee. He also blesses her saying that she will be reborn as a plant which will be considered very sacred in Vishnu puja.

Vrinda chooses to die with her husband by climbing onto his funereal pyre. From the ashes blossoms a fragrant and beautiful thulasi plant. The devas go back to their abode having rid the Brahmand of the demon Jalandar, Vishnu enjoys the cool waters of the Kali Gandaki river as a Saligram. Vrinda is happy as a thulasi plant as she adorns Vishnu every day.