STORY OF CHANDRASEKHARA - SHIVA AND THE CRESCENT MOON
Legend of Daksha’s curse on the Moon
The moon god Chandra was married to 27 daughters of Daksha. Chandra loved one of his 27 wives, named Rohini more than other wives. Feeling neglected, all other wives complained to their father. Daksha then warned his son-in-law to devote himself equally to all his wives.
But Chandra did not oblige to his father-in-law. As a result, Daksha was angry and cursed Chandra that he would gradually fade away. Chandra was upset and wanted some help to get out of this curse. He then went to Brahma looking for some advice. Brahma then guided him to pray to Shiva.
Chandra went to Prabhasa tirtha, made a Shiva Linga on the bank of river Saraswati and started his penance for six months. Pleased Shiva appeared before Chandra, blessed him and asked him for a boon. Chandra then started explaining about his problem and wanted a solution for it.
Shiva told that the curse given by Daksha cannot be ignored completely but there can be a compromise. During Shukla paksha (the bright lunar fortnight) he will wax, and during Krishna paksha (the dark lunar fortnight) he will wane.
Thus Shiva, the innocent and graceful Almighty, wore the moon crescent (fading Chandra) on his head, making him grow for 15 days, and then fade away for 15 days. That’s how Shiva is also known as Chandrashekhara (Chandra - moon, shekara- crown, crest).
Significance of Shiva and the Crescent Moon
It is believed that the waxing and waning phenomenon of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which the creation evolves from the beginning till the end.
The moon on Shiva’s forehead symbolises that Shiva is the master of time and He himself is beyond time. Spiritually, the crescent moon indicates a tinge of mind needed by the infinite consciousness(Shiva = no-mind state, pure consciousness) to express itself in the manifest world.
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