Saturday Story (updated on pg 38 ) - Page 30

Siva and Parvati were enjoying a very pleasant day at Mandara  parvat.  Parvati  closed the eyes of Siva playfully and darkness descended on the universe. Parvati was perplexed and her palms were  wet with perspiration. As she removed  her hands from the eyes of Siva, the universe emerged out of darkness. Yet, from the droplets of sweat of Parvati that fell on ground, a child was born and he was blind. He was noticed by the divine couple when he roared . 

After Hiranyaksha dead, Andak took his father responsibility.

As Andhak was blind, he had done a very hard penance of Brahma by standing on one leg, with arm constantly raised heavenwards. During his entire tapasya, neither he drank a drop of water nor any food. In the desperation he started chopping his body limbs one by one. Offering the chopped parts to the scared fire. When all his flesh has been consumed by the holy fire. He had became barely a skeleton, when Brahma choose to appear before him.

Among many things, the boons he asked for included extraordinary vision and immortality. Everything was granted except the immortality.

Prahlada who too was in the Battle-Party conveyed to Andhaka that Devi Gauri was none else than Maha Deva's Dharmapatni and that he should not even to think on such sinful lines!

 Prahlada stated: Varam Praanaastyaajya na cha pishunavaadeshyabhirati, Veeram mounam kaaryam na cha vachana muktam yadanrutam/ Varam kleebairbhaaryaam na cha parakalatra abhigamanam, Varam bhikshaarthitwam na cha paradhanaaswaadamasakrut! 

(It would be better to commit suicide but one should be interested on the illegal possesions of others; it would be better to keep dumb than speak lies; it would be better to become impotent rather than desire a woman of others; it would be better to beg rather than steal other's money again and again!) 

But Andhakasura was fired up the passion and fixation and replied angrily that after all, she might be the mother of his (Shatrus) enemies and ran away towards her even as his soldiers pelted stones from their yantraas or machines but an alert Nandi Deva hurled them back and retalliated with his parighaas as Daityas like Mayasura ran away, but Andhakasura attacked Nandi and made him unconscious.

 On finding this occurrence, Devi Gauri assumed thousand Rupas and shattered the strong-hold of the Daitya infantry.

 Andhakasura wondered as to who this beautiful yet dreadful woman was and pat came the reply: Na parijnaatavaamstatra kaa tu saa Girikanyakaa, Naatraascharya na pashyanti chatvaaromi Sadaiva hi/ Na pasyatih Jaatyandho Raagaandhopi na pashyati, Na pashyanti Madonmattho lobhaakraanto na pashyanti, Sopashyamaano Girijaam Pashyannapi tadaandhakah!

(As thousand faces of Gauri Devi were displayed suddenly, Andhaka got confused as to who precisely was Gauri Devi among these; the reply was that in the World, there could be four kinds of blind fools: some were born-blind, some owing to infatuation, some others were out of arrogance and conceit and yet others were highly narrow-minded! And that was whyAndhakasura was disabled to identify Maha Devi!) 

Gauri Devi gave a mighty punch to Andhaka and he fell down unconscious. While his entire army got prepared to attack, Ganeshwara appeared at once along with Gauri Devi with her several Rupaas as he touched the feet of his mother joined the thousand strong Devis in the fray; as the Asuras were mercilessly slaughtered, a frightened Andhasura ran for his life to Paatala but continued still to be tormented with the crush and passion for the Devi!

 Siva stands in the centre of this wall-relief,surrounded by Yogeswari and SaptaMatrikas.He holds  his trident on his right shoulder.A Matrika  bends  herself to drink blood from a 'Kapala' in his left hand. Siva is ithyphallic.Gajasura is seen on  the upper right-side of this relief.Many figures crowd the relief too.