Shiva and Sati
Sati entered his life only because of a grudge that Brahma bore him. Shiva had humiliated him, and he was smarting under the insult. Besides, old wounds rankled. Aeons ago, as Patriarch and Progenitor, he had chased and coupled with his daughter Usha, and Shiva had shot at and wounded him grievously. It was a somewhat similar situation now. But, he mused defensively, procreation was a tricky business and yet creation could not progress without it. It as his procreative forces that kept welling up to make trouble for him; but then, Shiva as Destroyer, could hardly be expected to understand that. Annihilation was the name of his game, just as creation was Brahma's and Preservation Vishnu's.

Brahma had ten sons, born of his mind, all learned men; and a daughter, Sandhya (Twilight). Legend began to repeat itself-this time with an added twist. Another mind-born son had just materialised-kama, god love, armed with five flower-arrows, preening himself, strutting arrogantly and asking for his role in life to be defined. Brahma, with sly humour, did so- as it turned out, to his cost. 'Use your arrows against all living creatures. Enslave them so that mating and coupling, they will take creation forward. Spar none', he added quite unnecessarily, 'not even Rudra, Vishnu or me.'

That was Kama's cue. He decided to try out his arrows on his father and brothers. Sandhya, too was affected and began to display her charms quite brazenly. At this point, Brahma's son Dharma, in charge of social norms and barriers, thought of Shiva and he appeared, laughing in their faces. There they were, grown men all sweating with helpless passion and exposed to the additional insult of Shiva's merciless laughter, attahasa. He proceeded to rebuke them severely, reserving his sternest reprimand for Brahma who, his an elder and one learned in the Vedas, should have known better than to lust after his own child. Sisters, brother's wives and daughters were out of bounds for right-thinking men.

The harangue worked. Shiva's outburst brought them to their senses. Their sweat turned into the spirits of dead ancestors, Piturs, thousands of them. Sandhya, ridden with guilt, went away to expiate her sins and was reborn as Arundhati, wife of the sage Vasistha, a model of chastity and good behaviour. To this day she is evoked at marriage ceremonies when the bride is asked to look up at the sky and, symbolically, spot Arundhati.

Brahma lashed out at Kama with a curse - he would try his weapons on Shiva and be burned to ashes for his folly. Kama defended himself and had the curse softened - he would receive another body later. He was also given a beautiful wife, Rati (Lust), born of the sweat of Daksha, Brahma's son.