"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."

J. Robert Oppenheimer

- Dev Viswanathan -
िशव
Śiva

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Shiva adopted the form of an old brahmana (the first of the four classes) and appeared at Parvati’s hermitage. Parvati welcomed the old man and worshipped him with flowers and fruits.

"Why are you meditating?" asked the brahmana. "What is it that you want?"

"I wish to have Shiva as a husband," replied Parvati.

"You are indeed stupid," said the brahmana. "That is like giving up gold for a piece of glass or giving sandalwood for mud. Does anyone give up the water of the Ganga and drink water from a well instead? Marry one of the gods instead, go and marry Indra. Shiva is a stupid fellow. He has three eyes and five faces. His hair is matted and his body is smeared with ashes. He wears snakes as garlands. He is always accompanied by ghosts. He has no clothes and no wealth. No one knows who his parents are. He lives in the forest and his throat is blue with poison. I think you are making a big mistake. Forget about Shiva and don’t waste your life."

The brahmana’s words angered Parvati. "It is you who are stupid," she said. "You don’t know a thing about Shiva. He is the lord of everything. You have insulted Shiva and cursed am I that I made the mistake of worshipping you. You are again going to say something nasty about Shiva. But before you can do that, let me go away. I shall not stay to hear Shiva insulted."

As Parvati was about to depart, Shiva adopted his own form and said, "Where are you going? I thought that you were praying for me. You can’t forsake me now. I am not going to let you go. Ask for a boon."

"Please marry me according to the prescribed rites," replied Parvati.