अमरकथा

Amarkatha

According to an age-old story, it is said that in the caves of Amarnath, Lord Shiva narrated the story of Amarkatha to his consort, Parvathi regarding the knowledge of Creation of Universe. The story goes on like this:
Once Narada questioned Parvathi, “Oh Mother, when all the deities in the heaven wear necklaces of pearls, why Shiva alone is wearing the garland of skulls?” Parvathi admitted that she doesn’t know the reason for the same. As per the advice of Narada, Parvathi herself asked Shiva about this matter to reveal her the reason. But Shiva advised her that it would be better not to ask this question. But Parvathi insisted to reveal her the secret for wearing the garland of skulls. Then God Shiva said, Devi, the number of skulls in my neck indicates the number of births you have taken. Hearing this, Parvathi was puzzled, When I am the wife of Lord Shiva, who is eternal, how shall I come into the cycle of birth and death. When Shiva is immortal why should I not attain immortality? Thinking thus, she asked Shiva to tell her the story about immortality.
Shiva agreed to tell her the story of Immortality but said to her, “Well, I will tell you the story of immortality. But you should listen to this with great attention. You must acknowledge all the while when I am telling the story. In case, if you do not acknowledge or if you fall asleep, then also I will not stop telling the story nor I will repeat the story. If you agree to these conditions, then I will tell the story”. Parvathi agreed to Shiva’s conditions.
Shiva took Parvathi to a lonely place into the caves of a snow hill in Himalaya mountains with the intention that nobody else should hear the story. Before starting to narrate the story, Shiva created Kapali Rudra and commanded him to destroy all the living creatures around that cave. Accordingly, Kapali Rudra destroyed all the life including birds, animals, trees etc. around that cave. Then, Shiva sat in yogic posture and started narrating the story of immortality. While listening to the story, Parvathi fell asleep. But one pigeon which was listening to the story kept saying Hmm… Hmm… Shiva was in an impression that Parvathi was listening and acknowledging and continued to tell the story. Though, Kapali Rudra had destroyed all the living creatures around the cave, this pigeon was left under the seat of Shiva. Meanwhile Parvathi woke up and begged pardon for her mistake of falling asleep. Shiva was wonder struck and thinking who was acknowledging all the while. Shiva raised with anger holding his weapon Trishula in his hand. Then the pigeon which was under his seat all the while flew away and searched all the three worlds for shelter and protection from the anger of Shiva but could not find a place of protection. With fear for life, it entered into the hermit of the saint Vedavyasa. At that time, wife of Vedavyasa was yawning in her sleep. The pigeon turned into miniature size and entered into her stomach through her mouth. Looking at this, Shiva thought that it was sinful to kill a female and went back from that place.
The pigeon remained in the stomach of vedavyasa’s wife for twelve years. Once she got unbearable stomach-ache. Then they went to Brahma, and he took them to Vishnu. Then Vishnu told them that he didn’t have the solution for that and Shiva alone could solve this problem. He took them to Shiva. Listening to all this, Shiva asked them to pray the pigeon king to come out. All of them prayed the pigeon king to come out. But it did not agree to come out of her stomach. The pigeon which heard the Story of Immortality understood the knowledge of all scriptures, became enlightened. It said that it would come out only when the entire creation attained detachment. Then Lord Vishnu turned the entire creation detached for one second. The pigeon came out from her stomach in the form of a human being.
That boy became renowned in the world by the name of Sukhdev. Taking leave from everyone, he went into the forests to perform intense meditation. He intended to narrate the story of Immortality to all the saints in the forest of Nymisaranya. But Lord Shiva thought if everyone heard this story, they would attain immortality and the entire creation would come to a halt. Thinking so, Shiva blessed that, all those who listened to the story would not become immortal but they certainly attain the benefit of message of Shiva.

Spiritual Significance: – The true meaning of Immortality is not avoiding death, but it means avoiding the fear and grief of death. The knowledge of attaining such a state of mind is narrated by Shiva Baba, the Amarnath in the mountains of Abu, to Parvathi i.e to the Human Souls. With the knowledge of the immortality, Shiva baba is making his children Immortal. Thus, Parvathi is not one. Every human soul which listens to the message of immortality from Shiva Baba is Parvathi.