Mandalam Musings Day 24- Mohini Appears before Lord Siva and the Leela begins!

Mandalam Musings Day 24-

Mohini Appears before Lord Siva and the Leela begins!

Coming back to the story, Mohini, i.e., Vishnu in the guise of a beautiful damsel now has got the pot full of the elixir of immortality. S(H)e served the nectar to all Devas and they were really thrilled at the possibilities of the victory awaited them should they need to fight the Asuras any time in the future.

Lord Siva came to know about the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu and the story of how she duped the Asura folk by giving the Amrut to the Devas only. Siva wanted to see exactly how Vishnu did it and wished to see the Mohini form of the Lord. After a bit of persuasion, Vishnu agreed reluctantly and appeared there in the most enchanting Mohini bhava once again. Siva was mesmerized at the beauty of Mohini and He could not contain the excitement. Suddenly He embraced Her, and their union took place as a man and a woman. All names and forms are transitory, but with a purpose behind them and Mohini’s advent was one such avatar of Lord Vishnu with an identity. What could be that divine purpose where both the might Lords are involved in the Leela?

A magnificent avatar took place then and there. A baby boy with divine features was born instantly. That baby is the Dharma Sastha, born as the son of Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Siva). Thus, the divine energies of Vishnu and Siva got merged in Dharma Sastha, an embodiment of Dharma (righteousness) and Sasthra (the Science of Spirituality). He was assigned the duty of a Sastha – the one who is ordained to maintain the Dharmic law and order in the created world.

It is this Dharma Sastha, who is worshipped in different forms and bhavas in various temples in Kerala and other parts of India. The appearance of Dharma Sastha is significant in the spiritual harmony of the land that the quarreling factions of Sanathana Dharma – the Vaishnavas (followers of Vishnu) and the Saivas (followers of Siva) started realizing the truth behind the ultimate reality as the one which is devoid of any differences or hierarchies. Throughout the Bharatha land, spiritual seekers started worshipping Dharma Sastha, as the essence of Hari (Vishnu) and Haran (Siva).