The Wedding - At Last
And they started for Daksha's house. His snakes and skulls and animal hides were transformed into beautiful attire. He looked handsome and acceptable, a rare concession on the part of the wandering lord. He took Sati's hand in a simple pre-nuptial ceremony and at Daksha's request, Brahma agreed to perform the nuptial rites. Vishnu blessed them, addressing them as Father and Mother of the universe. In a friendly and jocular tone, he pointed out that just as he was dark blue and his wife Lakshmi fair, Shiva was fair and his bride drk with a lustrous blue glow. And again, there was a hint of disturbance to come. Vishnu announced: 'You shall kill the man, whoever he may be, who looks on her with lust'.

The ceremony began. Shiva and Sati went round the sacred fire, with Brahma presiding. It was then that the unforeseen happened, or perhaps given Brahma's history, it should have been foreseen. Sati's delicate toes protruded from beneath her clothes. Brahma stared, fascinated, and lust rose in him unbidden. He wanted to see her face which she kept well hidden in bridal modesty. Brahma, with the cunning of lust, thought of a way to divert Shiva's attention. He put wet twigs into the fire and raised, literally, a smokescreen. Shiva covered his eyes, Brahma lifted Sati's veil, gazed at her beauty and shed, as usual, his procreative fluid. Shiva had read Brahma's thoughts and was only waiting to catch him out. He was furious. He raged at Brahma and raised his trident, wanting to kill him. Vishnu's words had been prophetic.

Vishnu intervened and calmed him down- Brahma must not be killed if creation was to continue. 'I'll finish him. I'll make another creator to take his place', said Shiva, beside himself with anger. Vishnu tried another approach. 'We are all part of you. You, as Sadashiva, divided yourself into us, the triad'. Shiva flared up again, 'How can Brahma be part of me? Vishnu gently persisted, 'You cannot kill yourself '.

Order was restored. Brahma's semen absorbing the wrath of Shiva, became the great clouds of dissolution. As atonement Brahma was asked to touch his own head. The touch turned him into a bull. Head bobbing up and down, he would roam the earth, arousing people's curiosity. When they what was on his head, he would say 'Shiva', and tell them the story of his shame. People would laugh and poke fun at him. His burden would gradually lighten and disappear. After this strange interruption the wedding ceremony proceeded. Shiva even asked what Brahma wanted as his fee. Brahma begged that Shiva would stay there, at that altar, forever. Leaving a partial image of himself at the altar, Shiva left with Sati for the snowbound heights of the Himalayan range and his beloved Kailasa.