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| Om Namah Shivaya |
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At the sight of that pillar, they tried to make out what it was. They were non-pulsed. They said, "Whatever it may be, it is wonderful but stranger. May be this pillar is heavenly. It will be better to investigate what it is." Having so decided, Vishnu took the form of a white boar. He looked at the pillar with a view to finding out what below it was or what its base was. Brahma thought of going to the upper end of the pillar so that he cold know where its top was or what was above it. Thus, he took the form of a white swam and began to fly above in the sky. Both Brahma and Vishnu were engaged in their work. But neither the tip nor the bottom of the pillar could be traced.
While flying in the sky, Brahma saw a ketaki flower. As he had failed in his mission, he picked that flower and came down. Vishnu also gave up digging the pillar as there was no end to it. Brahama, forced by his nature of deceit said, "Look at this flower which I have picked from the top of this pillar. There is nothing else there. "Shiva was pained and annoyed at what Brahama had said. Then, he appeared from out of the pillar and created Bhairav and said, "Brahma! You are a liar. You shall be punished." Saying so, he ordered Bhairav to punish Brahma. Bhairav immediately cut off Brahma's head. Bhairav was going to cut off his second head. Brahma said to Shiva, "O Lord! Forgive me. I confess my mistake."
Brahma was so scared that he began to pray and propitiate Shiva who was fretting and fuming. Shiva signalled Bhairav to stop. Then Vishnu said, "O Lord I shall not reach the base of the pillar. In fact, I could not. Neither I am supreme nor Brahma is. Only you are supreme, the greatest, "Vishnu had spoken the truth. Shiva was pleased. He said, "Vishnu! You are right that neither of you is great. I am supreme. You and Brahma were under illusion that you were God. This was your mistake. Now onwards, all shall worship me in the form of this pillar (Linga). This will lead all to salvation."
Brahma and Vishnu accepted Shiva's supremacy and besought his favour. Then Shiva said to Brahma, "Your punishment is yet to complete. It is my command that you shall not be worshipped at any occasion. So far as the Ketaki flower is concerned, it will never be used in worship to me." Brahma dared not speak anything. But Vishnu requested, "In this whole affair, Ketaki does not seem to be a party to it. You are benevolent and have a very large heart. Please take pity on it," Shiva, then, agreed to let the Ketaki flower to be used in the decoration of the pavilion raised to worship him.
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