Invocation You whose feet are luxuriant flowers!

You, Supreme Lord, who, mounted on the rat,(1) Lead the celestial retinue! Guide me as I, a mere dog at your feet, Sing in delicate Tamil venba A song garland to holy, everlasting Annamalai. 1 Mountain, dancer of the primal dance.(2) Mountain sought on that day by the two.(3) Mountain adorned with the bright moon and the dancing serpent.(4) Mountain where justice flourishes. Mountain who summons those rich in jnana tapas,(5) Saying, 'Come!' Annamalai. 2 Mountain who destroys the births of devotees. Mountain who fosters the births of the cruel and the faithless. Mountain who causes love to stream forth. Mountain who, taking the form of the bird Simbul,(6) Came and vanquished the lion: Annamalai. 3 Mountain who vanquished death with a blow of the foot.(7) Mountain who stemmed the river of Madurai's Pandiyan king.(8) Mountain sublime, praised by Sundaramurti.(9) Mountain who disregards all my faults, doer of evil deeds as I am: Annamalai. 4 Mountain who shows compassion to the wretched. Mountain who gives without fail whatever is asked. Mountain who flayed the elephant.(10) Mountain of medicine who bestowed half his form upon Parvati:(11) Annamalai. 5

Blue-throated Mountain, three-eyed Mountain,(12) Mountain impossible for the inhabitants of all the worlds to praise. Mountain who manifests to devotees. Mountain who dispels the arising births Of those who daily worship him: Annamalai. 6 Mountain, provider of food and wealth. Mountain who bestows all the boons desired by his devotees. Mountain on whom praises thickly fall. Mountain who, as a column of fire, penetrated through all the worlds: Annamalai. 7 Mountain to whom Guhai Namasivaya, performer of great austerities, Makes obeisance, daily adorning him with a garland of one venba verse. Mountain who abides in the blissful hearts Of those who have transcended the waves of desire and all the rest: Annamalai. 8 Mountain standing serene as the five sacred letters.(13) Mountain who dispels the effects Of his devotees' deceitful and dark karma. Mountain, reformer of hearts. Mountain of divine medicine, Conferring the supreme attainment of true knowledge: Annamalai. 9 Mountain whom the faithful walk around, keeping him to their right. Mountain who steals away the entire burden Of the past actions of those who circle him. Mountain penetrating all the worlds.(14) Mountain where my father and Guru, Om Namasivaya, dwells: Annamalai. 10 Mountain where gypsy maidens, slender as reeds, Sport with the heaven-dwelling moon. Mountain like red coral.

Mountain who, as Sadguru, Placed his splendrous foot upon my head: Annamalai. 11 Mountain who, taking the form of my spiritual Guru and Master, Namasivayan, the compassionate heavenly Lord, Held me in his power. Mountain whom the Gods themselves praise, Mountain who dispels all my mental anxieties, Evil-doer that I am: Annamalai. 14 Mountain where ripens a harvest of venba verse In the affectionate thoughts of his devotee Guhai Namasivaya. Mountain fathomed by those strong in devotion. Mountain who grew as a column of red flame As the two sought him: Annamalai. 15 Mountain sought after by tall Mal and he of the cool lotus. Mountain whose flowery foot yields up the fruit of liberation to devotees. Mountain upon which devotees of great austerities swarm. Mountain who established Uma, her of the unsuckled breast, As half of himself: Annamalai 17 Mountain who manifested in triangular form.(15) Mountain adorned with the snake, Along with the skull beads of Brahma and Vishnu. Mountain who affords ample protection. Mountain who endures in the hearts Of devotees who praise him: Annamalai. 18 Mountain praised by my Guru, Om Namasivaya, in beautiful Tamil. Mountain who affords a sweet sight

To those who, seeing, worship him. Mountain who, growing long, stretched from the root of the universe. Mountain who prospers in the hearts of devotees Who, praising, think of Him: Annamalai. 19 Mountain who stands as the five letters, the Vedas and Agamas. Mountain who shines out alone As the single syllable 'Om'. Mountain firmly fixed in the heart. Mountain who placed me, a mere dog, in the company of his devotees: Annamalai. 20 Mountain to which my Guru, Om Namasivaya, Who exercises enduring rule over me, makes obeisance, Praising him for many days in verses of pure Tamil. Mountain who is ever true. Mountain who placed me, evil-doer that I am, Beneath his own foot: Annamalai. 22 Mountain who drives out the darkness of spiritual ignorance. Mountain who, for devotees, illumines what is false. Mountain in the form of perfect jnana. Mountain who came to me, a mere dog, As father, mother and Sadguru: Annamalai. 23 Ash-besmeared mountain. Mountain who stood as a column of fire. Mountain who rides the bull as his mount. Mountain who struck death with his foot.(16) Mountain who, on that day, becoming the bird Simbul,(17) Vanquished Hari:(18) Annamalai. 24 Mountain who contained the poison halahala in his throat

So that the loudly lamenting hosts of the gods might be saved. Mountain who is the essence of the four Vedas. Mountain who, taking the form of my Guru, Came to rule over me, a mere cur: Annamalai 25 Mountain who on that day As Mal (the First, the Tall) and Ayan looked on,(19) Manifested as the supreme light In a column of brilliant flame. Mountain who thundered forth the Vedas. Mountain who stands before those who meditate on it And bestows liberation upon them: Annamalai. 26 Celestial Mountain who, coming into the world As my Guru Om Namasivaya, Dwells within the heart of this devotee. Mountain who wipes out the fruits of former deeds. Mountain who abolishes all the suffering Of a long succession of births, too numerous to tell: Annamalai. 27 Mountain who stands with his Sakti, To whom he gave half of himself.(20) Mountain who sprouted forth as the cause of liberation. Mountain praised in every quarter. Mountain who removes the arising births Of those who praise and extol him: Annamalai. 28 Mountain who wears the young moon in his matted locks. Mountain to whom righteous sages flock. Mountain who is beyond time. Mountain who subdued Yama with a blow of his foot (21) As he advanced, roaring: Annamalai. 30

Mountain whose throat darkened as he drank the deadly poison, Thus assisting the dwellers in heaven And becoming their Supreme Lord. Mountain agreeable to those who serve it. Mountain praised and worshipped By the inhabitants of both heaven and earth: Annamalai. 31 Mountain who is the delightful sweet honey Of the pure Siva-jnana, Which assuages the pangs of hunger. Mountain who eternally affords his gracious sight to devotees, Warding off the obscuring waves of illusion: Annamalai. 32 Pure Mountain who unites with the hearts Of those servants, clothed in eminence, Who, eschewing the five senses that connect one to the world, Embrace the happiness of true knowledge. Mountain who deludes the wicked, Concealing himself from them: Annamalai. 33 Majestic Mountain who, as my Guru, Held me in His sway, Keeping me from wandering through ever-increasing births, Placing in my hand sweet, true knowledge, And uniting his twin feet together upon my head: Annamalai. 36 Mountain where the black male monkey Plucks the fragrant sweet mango fruit, And bestows it on his female partner. Mountain who is blissful to those who are free From the mind's wandering thoughts. Five-hued mountain: Annamalai.

37 Mountain where dwells, As an enduring cloud of compassion My Guru, Om Namasivaya, performer of great austerities. Mountain of surpassing greatness. Mountain difficult for Mal and Brahma to seek: Annamalai. 38 Mountain who stood as a tall pillar of fire Unreachable to the sight and minds of Mal and Ayan, Who entreated him. Mountain of compassion who bestowed his grace on me. Ruddy mountain, difficult to see and beyond compare: Annamalai. 39 Mountain who yields up to the devotees who sing his praises All the things that they desire, The foremost of which is liberation. Mountain clad in lasting glory. Mountain who, as Sadguru, ruled over me, Wicked wretch that I am: Annamalai. 40 Mountain who grants the boons Desired by the ascetics who honour and worship him, Reciting the five holy letters Which are praised in all the worlds. Mountain always abounding with wise ones and their virtuous ways: Annamalai. 42 Mountain who came softly as a devotee of Bhairava, To the delight of the illustrious saint Who slew his own child to serve him.(22) Mountain who, as the bird Simbul Did battle with the form of Narasimha: Annamalai.

44 Mountain who shares half his form with Unnamulai. Mountain whose sight is precious to the eye and sweet like nectar. Mountain whom the heavenly ones extol. Mountain whom devotees daily mediate upon with worship and praise: Annamalai. 45 Mountain who delights in the Tamil song-garland Sweetly recited by my Lord, full of grace, Namasivayan. Mountain crowned with a fraction of the moon. Mountain who sports in the company of his servants Who devote their love to him: Annamalai. 46 Mountain by whom all are engendered, The gods, the three who are said to be gods to the gods themselves, The inhabitants of earth, and the rishis. Mountain who, in extolling his greatness, We speak of as being without father and mother: Annamalai. 47 Mountain to whom it is seemly for love-filled devotees, Contemplating him in their thoughts, to perform puja. Mountain who dwells in the heart of true devotees In whom attachment to the wavering mind, Which leads to desire, has been destroyed: Annamalai. 48 Mountain to whom his most virtuous devotee, Namasivaya, Offers praise, daily strewing abundant flowers before him. Mountain sought on that day by the two. Mountain who performs his dance eternally in Tillai's mystic hall: Annamalai. 50 Mountain who forever wards off the affliction of birth and death. Sadguru who rules over me, dog that I am,

I who sought his golden foot, The foot that bestows goodness, And which Mal, though he dug down through the earth Wearing the vile head of a boar, was unable to see: Annamalai. 51 Mountain to whom his devotees make obeisance, Singing of and celebrating his divine nature, Who consumed the cruel poison, saving the world from destruction. Mountain who wears the white ash over his whole body: Annamalai. 52 Mountain who stood as a brilliant effulgence in Tillai's wood, In Kasi, in holy Arur, in southern Madurai and in Nellai.(23) Mountain whom the ancient Vedas sing. Mountain who eternally inspires those who love him, Performing the sacred dance in their hearts: Annamalai. 55 Mountain, the vision of whose golden head and foot Mal and Ayan seeking, could not know. Mountain who became my Guru, Namasivaya, To cut through the attachments Of his devotee's evil wandering mind: Annamalai. 56 Mountain surrounded by many carpeted groves. Mountain upon which heavy showers of sweet perfumed rain Are ever pouring down. Mountain where the waters of flowery verdant meadows Incessantly gushing forth, flow down: Annamalai. 59 Mountain who, seeing the great austerities, without limit Which she performed in solitude to save the whole world, United with the Mountain's daughter as half of himself (24)

And gracefully stands affording his protection: Annamalai. 60 Mountain whose meaning blossoms forth abundantly For those who, taming the treacherous unruly senses, And bringing them under control, Have purified their minds and attained serenity. Mountain of celestial ambrosia, Who, whatever may befall, deigns to appear: Annamalai. 61 Mountain whose foot, entering, moves in the hearts Of those of fit understanding, Who have subjugated the five senses and three gunas (25) So that their fires cannot be kindled. Mountain who came not upon the earth in a mother's womb, And was not born:(26) Annamalai. 62 Mountain who, in the ancient city of Madurai, praised in song, Ate the sweet cakes and then fetched and carried earth So that the Vaigai River would not break its banks.(27) Mountain who in the Golden Hall eternally performs his dance: Annamalai. 63 Mountain, heavenly pathway of Siva-jnana, Invisible both to him of the lotus Who flew through the whole heavenly sphere In the form of a swan, seeking him, And to beautiful Lakshmi's royal Lord,(28) Who, taking the form of a boar, searched all the lower worlds: Annamalai. 65 Mountain who, dwelling in Madurai's city of wide renown, Examined exquisite Tamil verse in the company Of the poets of the noble first academy.(29) Mountain of surpassing excellence, who came upon the earth Taking the form of the Guru, Namasivaya:

Annamalai. 66 Supreme mountain! Mountain who is the first cause, without beginning. Mountain, one half of whom is the Mother. Mountain who chants and sings the Vedas. Mountain who is justice. Mountain who is yantra and tantra. Mountain who is the five-syllable mantra proclaimed aloud: Annamalai. 67 Mountain who imprints himself upon the hearts of those Who, mastering the five senses, have attained knowledge, So that the births caused by their evil deeds vanish away. Mountain whom devotees perpetually praise and worship: Annamalai. 68 Valiant mountain who struck the God of death with his foot As he advanced on the exalted child-sage Markandeya, Roaring and panting with eagerness. Mountain who, as the Sadguru, governs me with his kind partiality: Annamalai. 69 Mountain whom devotees and those of fit attainment praise and extol, Garlanding him with the five syllables and with flowers, Chief among which are the atti and the cassia. Mountain who, rejoicing, appears to his devotees everywhere With his consort, who is like a golden creeper at his side: Annamalai. 71 Mountain who compassionately planted his foot And ruled over Sundarar, Appearing as an aged brahmin, learned in the four Vedas, Who came leaning on a stick and opposed his marriage And, preventing it, kept him from delusion:(30) Annamalai.

73 Mountain of true knowledge, unreachable to Brahma and Vishnu, Who travelled his length, diligently seeking, But were bewildered. Mountain who, upon the earth, Wears four different forms in the four yugas:(31) Annamalai. 79 Mountain who on that day spoke to the sixteen-year-old Markandeya Saying that twice eight years would always be his age. Mountain who stands illustrious. Mountain who disregards the mistakes committed by his devotees: Annamalai. 81 Mountain whose throat is adorned with poison. Mountain who came to cut off daily the evil deeds of his devotees. Mountain who softens the heart. Mountain who engenders the sweetness of supreme bliss In those who love him: Annamalai. 84 Mountain who, granting their wish, Installed the three asuras in their cities And then, hurling his great fiery arrow, saw them fall.(32) Mountain who rules only over those followers Who, with intense longing, daily seek him out And place their faith in him: Annamalai. 86 Mountain who drives away suffering. Mountain who removes the ancient burden of deeds. Mountain who beckons his devotees to come unto him. Mountain who reveals his holy foot. Mountain who withers up the afflictions of devotees, Who feel his presence in their hearts: Annamalai.

87 Mountain who, spreading from the roots, along the trunk, And up to the very tips of the branches, Permeates the understanding of the true followers Who have received his teaching. Mountain resonant with the sound of pranava.(33) Mountain who calls out to devotees, great in austerities, Bidding them come: Annamalai. 88 Mountain who gracefully appears Before those who, performing thrice-daily worship, Joyfully praise him. Mountain endowed with more than a mother's sweetness. Mountain who, as Sadguru, prospers in my heart, dog that I am: Annamalai. 90 Mountain who, when Daksha opposed him, took away his life.(34) Ash-besmeared mountain who stood before Mal and Ayan As a pillar of fire. Lofty mountain who, to those who wish to speak of it, Lies beyond all comparison. Mountain whose tall crown is adorned by the waters of the Ganges:(35) Annamalai. 95 Mountain unreachable to tall Mal, who wields the discus, And to Ayan too. Mountain who destroys the age-old karma of his devotees. Mountain who protected those who trembled with fear, Seeing the baneful poison in the ocean. Mountain with five faces:(36) Annamalai 96 Mountain who appears in every quarter. Mountain who, rejoicing, rides the bull. Mountain who graciously grants the boon of supreme attainment. Mountain adorned by the minds of the liberated. Mountain whom the celestials praise. Lofty Mountain of surpassing excellence:

Annamalai. 97 Mountain who wards off their suffering and bears up Those whose devotion is strong, Those who have practised great austerities, And those who have taken refuge in him. Mountain endowed with truth. Mountain who swallowed the poison hala, That the gods might not perish: Annamalai. 99 Mountain who confers undying liberation. Mountain who, destroying for his devotees The indestructible residue of deeds,(37) comforts them, Decreeing that the impassable ocean of multifarious births Shall henceforth be still: Annamalai. 100 Mountain who appeared mounted on the bull, Along with the bangle-adorned Uma, And graciously pardoned my sins. Mountain who wears the crescent moon, And whose matted locks are entwined with the holy Ganges: Annamalai.

(1) The invocatory verse is addressed to Ganesh whose vahana or vehicle is the rat. (2) A reference to Siva dancing as Nataraja in Chidambaram. (3) The principal puranic story about Arunachala features a dispute between Brahma and Vishnu over which of them is the greater. Siva witnessed their dispute and decided to teach them a lesson in humility. He appeared before them in the form of an infinitely long column of light (some versions say fire) and announced that whichever of the two could find the end of this column could call himself the greater. Vishnu took the form of a boar and burrowed downwards to find the bottom end, while Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upward in search of the top. Neither extremity was found even though the two gods spent thousands of years trying. Both returned unsuccessful, finally conceding that Siva was greater than either of them. Vishnu then requested Siva to manifest in a form that was less dazzling to the eyes so that devotees through the ages could have darshan of his form. Siva obliged by condensing himself into the mountain of Arunachala. Thus, for devotees of Arunachala, the mountain is not merely a symbol of Siva or the place where he resides, it is Siva himself, manifesting in a physical form. (4) Siva wears as a diadem on his head the crescent of the fifth-day moon. According to Sri Siva Tattva, aSaiva Siddhanta text, 'The moon is soma, the sacrificial offering. Placed near the fiery third eye, the crescent moon shows the power of creation coexistent with that of destruction'. There is a puranic story in which Siva appeared before some rishis in the guise of a beggar. Through his power he caused the rishi's wives to fall in love with him. The rishis, angered by his behaviour, decided to kill him. They dug a pit, out of which emerged a tiger. Siva killed it and wore its skin. Later snakes came out of the pit, but they had no effect on Siva. He wound them around his body and used them as ornaments. Because of this incident Siva is almost always depicted as having at least one poisonous snake wrapped around his body. (5) Meaning, those who have strenuously pursued liberation either for a long time, or with some degree of success. Ramana Maharshi often cited this line when he spoke of the magnetic power of the mountain. (6) One of Vishnu's avataras was as Narasimha, a half-man and half-lion form. Narasimha disembowelled the demon Hiranyakasipu, who had harassed the gods. After the demon had been killed, Narasimha was still full of anger and threatened to annihilate the whole universe. Siva appeared in the form of Simbul (in Sanskrit he is known as Sarabha), an eight-legged flying creature. This 'bird' dug its claws into Narasimha, lifted him off the ground and killed him. Siva subsequently wore the skin of Narasimha as an item of clothing. (7) A reference to the story Markandeya, a sixteen-year-old who, with Siva's help, managed to avoid his predestined death. Mrikanda, Markandeya's father had prayed to Siva to get a son. Siva appeared before him and said, 'Do you desire to have a virtuous, wise and pious son who will only live to be sixteen, or a dull-witted, evil-natured son who will live for a long time?' Mrikanda opted for the short-lived son, who turned out to be a child-sage. On the day of his appointed death, Yama came to collect him. Markandeya cried out to Siva for help and embraced the idol of Siva that he usually meditated on. Yama threw his rope and lassooed the idol as well as Markandeya. This angered Siva, who came roaring down from the heavens, after which he killed Yama with a single blow of his foot. Siva then gave Markandeya a boon that he could be sixteen forever, and thus avoid death, and he also restored Yama's life. (8) About a thousand years ago, when the king of Madurai conscripted everyone in his city to help to shore up the dams on the Vaigai River when it was about to overflow its banks, Siva took the form of a coolie and did the work that had been allocated to an old woman devotee. She paid him in sweet rice cakes. (9) One of the four principal Tamil Saiva poet-saints whose devotional outpourings now constitute the earliest portions of the Saiva scriptural canon.

(10) The elephant was Gajasura, a demon who could not control his sensory indulgences. Siva pierced him with his trident. As he was dying, Gajasura asked Siva for a boon, and Siva agreed. The boon was that Siva should wear Gajasura's flayed hide as an ornament. (11) In Arunachala Mahatmyam and Arunachala Puranam, Parvati, known locally as Unnamulai, unites with Siva to such an extent that each shares the other's form. Unnamulai means, 'She whose breasts have never been suckled'. Traditionally, Siva and Unnamulai appear as a half-male and half-female figure, the left side being Unnamulai and the right side Siva. In this merged or unified state Unnamulai becomes Siva'ssakti, the divine energy which brings into existence all manifestation. Iconographical representations of their combined form, which is known as Ardhanariswara, show a half-male and half-female body, with the dividing line being the vertical axis running down the middle of the body. Parvati (Unnamulai) earned the right to this union by performing intense tapas over two lifetimes, the first as Sati, and the second as Parvati. (12) After a long period of animosity the devas and the asuras agreed to cooperate to churn the ocean of milk to obtain amrita, the elixir of immortality. At some point during the churning a burning mass of poison appeared whose fumes began to asphyxiate the whole world. At Brahma's request Siva swallowed the poison and held it in his throat. This poison left a blue mark on Siva's throat, earning him one of his many titles - Nilakantha, which means 'blue-throated'. The two normal eyes of Siva represent the sun and the moon. The third, in the centre of the forehead, symbolises fire. The eyes together represent the three sources of light that illumine the earth, space and the sky. Through his three eyes Siva can see past, present and future, an accomplishment which, as Guhai Namasivaya points out in verse 28, enables him to transcend time. The central eye is the eye of higher perception. Normally it is directed inwards, but when it is turned outwards, it burns all that appears before it. (13) Na, Ma Si Va Ya, making Nama Sivaya, which means 'obeisance to Siva'. (14) A reference to Siva as the infinitely long column of light who penetrated all the heavenly and subterranean worlds. (15) Seen from a distance, the profile of the mountain is triangular. (16) See footnote seven. (17) See footnote six (18) Hari is one of the names of Vishnu. (19) Tamil names for Vishnu and Brahma. (20) See footnote eleven. (21) See footnote seven (22) A story from the Periyapuranam in which Sirutondar, to fulfil a vow made to Siva, kills his own son and offers him to a passing sadhu to eat. The sadhu belonged to the Bhairava sect, which is noted for its wild ways. The sadhu, who turned out to be Siva himself, had come to test Sirutondar. After the offering had been made, proving Sirutondar's faith and devotion, Siva restored the boy to life. (23) Chidambaram, Benares, Tiruvarur, Madurai and Tirunelveli: all places where Siva has manifested and performed miraculous deeds. (24) Parvati was the daughter of Himavat, meaning 'the mountain'. This is the story referred to in footnote eleven. (25) Rajas, tamas and sattva, the interplay of which determines the quantity and quality of one's thoughts.

(26) Saivas make a point of stressing that Siva, unlike Vishnu, has never been born on earth. He manifests, rather than incarnates, whenever the need arises. The earlier reference to him not having a father and mother makes the same point. (27) See footnote eight. on Page 1 (28) Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu. (29) In ancient times there were three sangams or assemblies which examined the works of Tamil scholars and poets and passed judgement on them. In the first sangam Siva himself appeared incognito and acted as one of the judges.

(30) Siva prevented the Tamil poet-saint Sundaramurti from getting married by appearing on his wedding day in the form of a brahmin and producing a document, signed by Sundaramurti's grandfather, which stated that all subsequent generations of his family would be slaves of this man. The elders of the village, who knew the grandfather, attested the signature, and the marriage was cancelled. (31) According to the Arunachala Mahatmyam, Arunachala in four successive yugas is composed respectively of diamond, gold, silver and earth. Yugas are major epochs of Hindu cosmology. (32) At a time when the devas and the asuras were having one of their many wars, the three cities of theasuras were protected by a boon which specified that they could only be destroyed by one shot of a single arrow. When the devas were on the point of finally losing, they appealed to Siva and he obliged them by destroying all the asura cities with a single shot. The myth is pregnant with symbolic meaning. The devas and the asuras represent the good and bad mental qualities which are constantly at war with each other over countless lifetimes. The deva-asura war had in fact been going on interminably, consuming both sides for innumerable generations. Sometimes thedevas were on top and sometimes the asuras, but neither side had ever been able to achieve a definitive victory. It was only when the devas were about to be finally defeated that they appealed to Siva and put their faith in his power and grace, rather than their own efforts. When their efforts stopped, Siva destroyed the three cities with a single arrow. The three cities in this parable can represent any or all of the following trinities: the three states of waking, sleeping and dreaming; the three gunas - rajas, tamas and sattva; the three karmas - sanchita, prarabdha and agamya; the three times - past, present and future. Two conclusions can be drawn from this interpretation: (1) effort aimed at destroying habits of the mind can never bring about peace, it can only prolong the warfare between competing and conflicting mental tendencies. (2) In a moment of absolute non-effort, a moment of true surrender to the Lord in which one is no longer trying to accomplish or attain anything, grace takes over and annihilates all the impediments which were previously obstructing an awareness of Siva, the abiding reality. Manikkavachagar referred to this enlightening moment when he sang, 'Siva smiled at me, and through his smile he destroyed the three cities of the asuras'. (33) Pranava is the sound of Om, the primordial sound out of which all creation manifests. (34) Daksha was the father of Sati, who was the wife and consort of Siva in the birth before she became Parvati. In that birth she was also known as Uma. Brahma thought that the business of creation could not proceed properly unless Siva married, so he persuaded Daksha to have a daughter who would attract Siva by the power of her yogic tapas. The mother-goddess of the universe took the form of Sati and promised that she would go through with this arrangement, but added that if Daksha ever showed her a lack of respect, she would abandon her side of the bargain. Sati won Siva by the power of her love and asceticism and they were eventually married. Many years later Daksha organised a sacrifice to which he invited all the gods except Siva. Some versions of the story say that Siva did not show Daksha proper respect at an earlier sacrifice, so was not invited again. Another explanation was that Daksha disliked Siva for his wild lifestyle and for the fact that he had once severed one of Brahma's heads, and still carried the skull around with him. Brahma was Daksha's father.

Sati went alone to the sacrifice and discovered that no portion of the offerings had been allocated to Siva. Daksha treated her very disrespectfully, saying that she should not have come to the sacrifice at all. Sati reminded him of the condition of her incarnation - that she would end it if Daksha ever treated her badly. Sati then sat down and self-immolated, burning her body to ashes in a yogic fire that she manifested inside herself. When Siva heard the news, he vowed revenge. He tore out a clump of his hair and threw it against a mountain, where it turned into Virabhadra and Mahakali. Virabhadra was ordered by Siva to go to the sacrifice and take revenge. He went there with a great army, killed Daksha and many others present, and evicted all the gods who had come to attend. Daksha's head was thrown in to the sacrificial fire. Sati reincarnated as Parvati and eventually, after a period of extreme tapas, married Siva again and became united with his physical form. (35) Siva is always depicted with the Ganges emerging from his head. The Ganges is the embodiment of the goddess Ganga who agreed to flow on earth to wash away the sins of people who bathed in her. Starting in heaven, she flows down to earth, where the force of her waters is initially absorbed by Siva's head. It is said that the earth could not otherwise bear the full impact of the descent. (36) On the north and north-east side of Arunachala the profile of the mountain appears to have four subsidiary peaks as well as the main one. This particular aspect of the mountain is known as the 'five faces'. (37) Sanchita karma, the residue of karmas left over from all previous lifetimes.