Chapter Five:
Suta Ji spoke— O Shaunaka! In the depths of an ancient night, where stars twinkled with hidden secrets, Chanchula, immersed in waves of bliss, approached the divine Uma Devi. Her eyes held an unspoken curiosity, as if a veiled mystery stirred her soul. With folded hands, she began her praise in a soft, echoing voice, like an age-old chant dissolving into the air.
Chanchula said— O Daughter of the Mountain King! Mother of Skanda, Uma, you are worshipped by all humans and gods, the bestower of every joy. You are beloved of Shiva, embodying both form and formlessness in your enigmatic essence. O Embodiment of Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss! You are the profound nurturer of nature, hiding creation's deepest secrets. O Mother! You alone create, sustain, and destroy the world, the supreme mysterious power granting ultimate glory to Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha. Your grace unveils the universe's enigmas, and your gaze pierces the darkness with rays of light.
Suta Ji continued— Shaunaka! Having attained a blessed state, Chanchula finished her hymn and grew still, as if secret tears welled within her heart. Love's tears brimmed in her eyes, casting a shadow of ancient sorrow on her face. Then, Shiva's beloved, the compassionate Uma Devi, spoke with tender affection in her sweet voice, soothing Chanchula— Dear friend Chanchula! Your praise has filled my heart with joy, as if a hidden mystery is now ready to unfold. Speak, what boon do you seek? Your pain is clear to me, and I hold the mysterious power to free you from it.
Chanchula replied— O Princess of the Mountains! Where is my husband Binduga now? What fate has befallen him? Tell me, and reveal some enigmatic way so we may reunite, like an ancient bond breaking and reforming. O Great Goddess! My husband was ensnared by a low-caste courtesan, drowning in the shadowy alleys of sin, where every step played games with darkness.
Girija responded— Daughter! Your husband Binduga was a great sinner, his deeds shrouded in such deep shadows that his end was terrifying and mysterious. For indulging with the courtesan, that fool endured countless years of torments in hell, and now, to suffer the remnants of his sins, he dwells as a ghost on Vindhya Mountain. That wicked one survives on air alone, enduring every agony, as if an ancient curse envelops him. Each breath carries regret's groan, and his nights are filled with endless enigmas.
Suta Ji said— Shaunaka! Hearing Goddess Gauri's words, Chanchula was overwhelmed with sorrow, a profound wave of pain surging in her heart, as if an invisible torment surrounded her. Steadying her mind somehow, with a grieving heart, she asked Mother Gauri once more, her voice laced with love and remorse. O Great Goddess! Have mercy on me and redeem my sinful husband now. Graciously reveal that mysterious method by which he may attain a noble fate, erasing this shadow of pain forever.
Goddess Gauri said— If your husband Binduga hears the sacred, virtuous tale of the Shiva Purana, he can transcend this misery and achieve a blessed state. This story is so enigmatic that its words shatter the chains of sin, awakening a new light in the heart.
Hearing Goddess Gauri's words, sweet as nectar, Chanchula folded her hands, bowed her head, and repeatedly prostrated, her voice filled with deep love and hope— O Devi! Arrange the mysterious means for my husband to hear the Shiva Purana, so our reunion may come to pass.
Upon the repeated pleas of the Brahmin wife Chanchula, Shiva's beloved Gauri Devi summoned Gandharva King Tumburu, singer of Lord Shiva's glories. Her eyes held a profound mystery as she commanded— Tumburu! Your devotion to Lord Shiva is true; you know my every thought and fulfill my tasks. Go with my friend to Vindhya. There dwells a terrifying, fearsome ghost, its form so dreadful that nights tremble in its presence. In a past life, that ghost was Binduga, a Brahmin and husband to my friend Chanchula. He became a frequenter of courtesans, abandoning daily rites like bathing and prayers. Anger corrupted his mind, fostering friendships with the wicked and enmity toward the good. He committed violence with weapons, tormented people, set homes ablaze. He befriended outcastes, visited courtesans daily, abandoned his wife for evil company, and remained entangled in vice until death. His deeds' shadow was so deep that after death, he was taken to Yama's realm of sinners. Enduring horrific hells, he now lingers as a ghost on Vindhya Mountain, reaping the fruits of his sins, where each night amplifies his torment with new mysteries. Recite before him the supremely virtuous, sin-destroying divine tale of the Shiva Purana. Hearing it will purify his heart of all sins, freeing him from the ghost realm. Once liberated from misery, bring that ghost named Binduga on a celestial chariot to Lord Shiva.
Suta Ji said— Shaunaka! Obeying Mother Uma's command, Gandharva King Tumburu, praising his fortune with joy, took Chanchula aboard a chariot and flew to the ghost's abode on Vindhya Mountain. There, he beheld the grotesque ghost, its body massive, chin enormous, laughing one moment, weeping the next, leaping wildly, as if an ancient curse's fire burned within. The mighty Tumburu bound Binduga the ghost with ropes, as if a secret force controlled it. Then, he sought a spot to narrate the Shiva Purana and crafted a mysterious pavilion, where the air filled with the scent of ambrosia.
Word spread swiftly that Tumburu had come to Vindhya Mountain by Goddess Parvati's order to narrate the nectar-like Shiva Purana for a ghost's salvation. Drawn by the allure of the tale, many divine sages arrived, their eyes sparkling with mystery. All were seated with respect. The ghost Binduga, bound in ropes, was placed on a seat, and Tumburu began singing the supreme Shiva Purana's ambrosial story. He clearly described it from the first Vidyesvara Samhita to the seventh Vayu Samhita, each word infused with profound emotions of regret, love, and justice, as if the tale itself came alive to touch the listeners' hearts.
Having heard the Shiva Purana with all seven Samhitas, every listener felt fulfilled, a mysterious peace settling on their faces. The supremely virtuous Shiva Purana freed the ghost from all sins, and it shed its ghostly form, as if an ancient magic released it. Swiftly, its appearance became divine: the body fair-complexioned, adorned in white garments and men's ornaments.
Thus transformed into a divine being, Binduga joined his wife Chanchula in praising Lord Shiva, his heart now filled with remorse and love where pride once dwelled. Seeing him in this celestial form, all were astonished, as if a hidden mystery had finally revealed itself. His mind overflowed with supreme bliss, and all shadows of pain vanished.
All, fulfilled by hearing Lord Maheshwara's wondrous deeds, sang his praises and returned to their abodes. Binduga, with his wife Chanchula, boarded the chariot and headed toward Shiva's city, where every step echoed the triumph of justice.
Singing Lord Maheshwara's virtues, Binduga arrived swiftly at Shiva's realm with Chanchula and Tumburu. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati made him their attendant. The husband and wife, dwelling unswervingly at the sacred feet of Lord Maheshwara and Goddess Gauri, attained eternal bliss. And so, this mysterious journey from the deep shadows of sin to liberation concluded, yet its impact promised to echo through endless time—a profound ending where love's victory and the lesson of remorse live on forever, leaving a deep imprint in the hearts of all who hear it.
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