मणिकर्णिका घाट ~ Manikarnika-Ghat

~~~~~~  Once Upon A Time  ~~~~~~
_______________________________

~~~~~~  MaNikarNikA-GhATa  ~~~~~

~~~~~~~~मणिकर्णिका घाट ~~~~~~~~ 


"Shiva was lost deep in meditation.
Parvati, The Divine mother was absorbed with attending
Her child, the jagat-shshu,  -The Whole Existence.  She 
saw a leaf falling down upon the earth, coming from the
sky, perhaps a bilva-patra (बिल्व-पत्र) from the twisted,
entangled locks of hair of Shiva. It fell into the waters of 
The Holy Ganges that were almost avalanche, sparkling 
white, transparent. The leaf was beyond Her reach, and 
She tried to get it somehow but could not. It was a trick
of The Ganges, because she was envious of Parvati. She 
felt Shiva pays more attention to Parvati, and so ignores 
her-self. In trying to fetch the leaf, a pearl that was studd-
ed in her ear-ring slipped into the waters, and was soon 
lost of Her sight. She was sad because of this.When Shiva
woke-up from samadhi, Parvati narrated Him the incidence.
Shiva too was disturbed and joined Her in the search for 
the pearl.They came down along the path of The Ganges 
up-to Varanasi, where a Rishi told them He had spotted 
the pearl in the ornament worn in the ear by some-one, 
human being. When Shiva asked Ganga, if she could find-
out the pearl, she denied to know anything about it.
Shiva then cursed The Ganges that She will have to help 
sinners in getting free of their sins, if they take a dip in Her
Waters.Then Shiva kept roaming about along the banks 
of Ganga, looking for the pearl, and keenly examining all
passer-by's ear.
We know Shiva keeps chanting incessantly the Most Holy 
and Sacred Mantra (The Holy Name of Lord Supreme)
all the time, and the sound of this Mantra thus falls upon, 
touches, and enters the ear of all, who-so-ever comes 
across Him. -Who-so-ever He finds on His way in His 
search for the Pearl. And who-so-ever gets this Mantra
from Shiva is instantly released from the bonds of births 
and rebirths and finds eternal peace and joy at the Lord's
Lotus Feet.
This is the Glory of  'MaNikarNikA-GhATa' in Varanasi."
Thus saying, Narad, DevarShi told to Dhruva, (ध्रुव) How
He lured The Ganges into getting the Mantra for the mortals 
through the mouth of Mahadeva, -Lord Shiva,
Dhruva asked,
"O DevarShi ! But what about those poor, unfortunate 
mortals who can't reach The Ganges, and can't get a chance 
to imbibe the Holy Mantra from the Lord's mouth?"
"O vats!, -O Child! Listen to this.
Though true that the Holy River Ganga, and The Lord 
MahAdeva, with His Consort BhavAni always reside in 
man's heart, verily in the heart of all beings. Who-so-ever 
listens this story will find them all in his own Self, has access 
to the Ganges and the 'MaNikarNikA-Ghata' which also 
means the GhATa / river-bank or the physical-body that 
one has. The mind and the ear of the mind together form the
 'Mana-karNikA' (मन-कर्णिका) . The sound coming from the 
Heart is the very Mantra one receives from The Lord."
Dhruva was extremely happy and when wanted to offer his 
praNAms to DevarShi Narad, He was nowhere to be seen.
--
Shiva gave Dhruva a place in the heavens, in the extreme north
where He keeps shining as the polar-star, reminding ever the 
mortals on the Earth, of their great fortune.
--
©Vinay Vaidya. L/161, Mahashakti-Nagar, Ujjain (M.P.) 456010.
Contact +919826061023.