Bāṇāsura attains the position of Śiva’s Gaṇa
The Śiva Purāṇa recounts how Bāṇāsura attains the position of Śiva’s Gaṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left for Dvārakā with Aniruddha and his wife, Bāṇa was repentful thinking of his previous ignorance.
Nandi, a gaṇa of Śiva, spoke to the grief-stricken Bāṇa, whose limbs were smeared with blood as follows. “O Bāṇa, devotee of Śiva, do not repent. Śiva is bhaktavatsala, compassionate towards his devotees.
O foremost among devotees, whatever has happened, has happened at his will. Consider this and remember Śiva again and again. Fixing your mind in the primordial being, Śiva who is compassionate towards devotees, celebrate his festival again and again.”
At the suggestion of Nandi, Bāṇa who had been like Rāhu unto his enemies immediately went to Śiva’s temple with lofty mind and great courage. Bāṇa bowed before the lord and became overwhelmed with love and devotion. He eulogised Śiva with various hymns, and performed the tāṇḍava dance and propitiated the trident-bearing moon-crested lord. Śiva, who is fond of dance and music and is favourably disposed to his devotees, spoke to Bāṇa.
“O Bāṇa, son of Bali, I am delighted by your dance. O lord of Daityas, pick a boon whatever be in your mind”.
On hearing the words of Śiva, Bāṇa the lord of Daityas asked for the healing of wounds, the skill in duels, everlasting position of Gaṇa, absence of enmity with the gods and Viṣṇu in particular, absence of rebirth as a Daitya defiled by the attributes rajas and tamas, special devotion to Śiva without any aberration forever, friendship with the devotees of Śiva and kindness to all living beings. After requesting these boons, the son of Bali, the great asura joined his palms in reverence and eulogised Śiva with tears of love in his eyes.
Bāṇa said, “O great lord, lord of the gods, favourably disposed to those who seek refuge in you, I bow to you, O kinsman of the distressed, O ocean of mercy, you have taken pity on me. O lord, being delighted with me you have removed my arrogance. You are brahmaṇ the great soul, the all-pervading lord. _ Your body is the whole cosmos. You are ugra, Īśa, virāṭ, accompanied by everything. O lord, your navel is the sky, mouth is the fire, semen is the water, ear the quarters, head the heaven, foot the earth and mind the moon. Your eye is the sun, the stomach the ocean, the arm Indra, and the intellect Brahmā. Your excretion is Prajāpati and your heart is Dharma. O lord, your hairs are the herbs and plants, your tresses the clouds, your eyes the three attributes. You are the Puruṣa, the soul of all. They call Brāhmaṇa your mouth, Kṣatriya your arms, Vaiśya your thighs and Śūdra your feet. O lord Śiva, you alone deserve to be adored by all living beings. A person worshipping you certainly attains liberation. O lord, the man who forsakes you, the favourite ātman, for the adverse objects of sense, swallows poison forsaking nectar. Viṣṇu, Brahmā, the gods and the sages of pure mind, in every respect resort to you, the favourite lord.
After saying this, the asura Bāṇa, son of Bali stopped with all the limbs blooming with love and bowed to lord Śiva. Śiva granted his boon and vanished. Through the grace of Śiva, Bāṇa attained immortality and rejoiced on being made one of the gaṇas/attendants of Śiva.
Adapted from: The Śiva Purāṇa, translated by JL Sastri
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