How did Nandi become Shiva’s vehicle? || Most powerful and fearsome

How did Nandi become Shiva’s vehicle? || Most powerful and fearsome

Have you ever thought that whenever a person visits Shivling, the first thing he does is Nandi. But why? Be it children or old people, everyone whispers their wishes into the ears of Nandi. Nandi is considered as the vehicle of Lord Shiva. But who is Nandi? A mysterious humped bull is also seen in the seals of the Harappan civilization thousands of years ago. The Harappan civilization is 3500 to 4500 years old. So is the history of Lord Nandi even older than this? You will be shocked when you find out the secret behind it. Today we will know about such a devotee of Lord Shiva who remained unharmed even after drinking Halahal poison and who was more powerful than Ravana. This narrative is about the story of Lord Nandi, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and a great sage who had deep knowledge of Vedas, Puranas, Yoga, Astrology, Ayurveda and Shastras. When Nandi cursed Ravana, his destruction began. Yaganti Uma Maheshwara Temple where the idol of Nandi is said to keep growing. The account of Lord Nandi takes us back many thousands of years into the ancient annals of time, establishing a profound connection between devotion, divine energy, and the cosmic order that governs existence.

Many thousands of years ago when the war between gods and demons was going on on earth, there was an era of destruction and imbalance everywhere. At that time, a great sage named Shilad Muni lived in the lap of the Himalayas. His life was full of knowledge, penance and meditation. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, always remaining immersed in his meditation. He was a scholar of all three Vedas. His knowledge was such that it would surprise anyone. There was always an echo of mantras in his hut. He had everything. But there was always a question in his mind that who will acquire this infinite knowledge of mine after me? Shalad Muni knew that he had devoted his entire life only to penance and acquiring knowledge of the Vedas and he had no one to whom he could share his knowledge. They resolved that they needed a child. He chose the path of penance. He proceeded for penance. They did not stop at any ordinary place. He travelled to the high and snow-capped peaks of Gangotri, where it is impossible for any ordinary person or any ordinary sage to reach. The penance began. That was no ordinary place. The icy winds were so strong that it felt like tearing the body apart. Days passed, months passed and years passed. But his penance did not stop. Only one mantra came out of his mouth, Om Namah Shivay. Om Namah Shivay. Gradually the effect of his penance started increasing and the influence of his power spread in all the three worlds. Even the gods felt this change. They were wondering who this person was whose penance was so powerful that it was affecting the entire universe. Lord Shiva appeared and said to Shilad Muni, O Shilad, I am pleased with your penance. Ask for a boon. Shalad Muni bowed to Lord Shiva and said, Lord, I want a son like you, immortal and endowed with unique knowledge and power. Lord Shiva smiled and said, ‘So be it’. Lord Shiva said, this son will be born from a part of me. He will not only be your son, he will be the symbol of my devotion, who will protect the religion. Next day, when the sages were purifying the earth to perform the yagya, then a wonderful incident happened. There was a crack in the ground and divine light emerged from which a child appeared. He was crying. The sage understood that this was a blessing from Lord Shiva. The face of that child was full of radiance. His body was glowing with a golden aura. Seeing this, Shilad Muni became very happy and he picked him up in his hands and named him Nandi which meant joy, happiness and ultimate happiness.

Nandi’s childhood was not like that of normal children. He was a part of Lord Shiva. While other children were busy playing, Nandi was engrossed in the worship of Lord Shiva and there was such a glow on his face that anyone could understand that this child was not ordinary. Shilad Muni did not give general knowledge to Nandi. He made Nandi a great scholar. He gave him deep knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas. Along with this he also taught Vedic sciences like Yoga, Meditation, Astrology, Ayurveda and Shastrartha. Time passed and at the age of just 8 years, he had become a great scholar of all three Vedas. His wisdom was so great that even the wisest sages were amazed to see him. Gradually his fame reached the heaven. Even the gods were astonished to see how someone could be so knowledgeable at such a young age. Once upon a time during the spring season, two very beautiful Apsaras came from heaven to a forest. Their names were Mitra and Varuna. His appearance was so beautiful that anyone would be mesmerized after seeing him. Both of them were guests in the ashram of Shilad Muni. As she stayed there for some time, she saw a boy in front of her who was 8 years old and was reciting the Vedas. The pride of their beauty awakened in the minds of the Apsaras. They looked at each other and said, smiling, look, this is just an ordinary human child. The second Apsara said, “He seems so wise at such a young age. He will die in no time.” Even after hearing this Nandi did not get angry. Nandi said, Goddess, making fun of someone’s appearance is arrogance and arrogance always leads to destruction. But even after hearing this, they both did not remain silent. She started saying, what is a small child preaching to us? As soon as Nandi heard this, he became angry and cursed those Apsaras that the beauty of which you are so proud will now be destroyed. As soon as this happened, the bodies of both the Apsaras became like that of a normal human being. Her beauty is gone. A force took away the beauty of both of them in the blink of an eye. He saw the aura of Lord Shiva on Nandi’s face. Then he realized that it was a part of Lord Shiva. Both the Apsaras fell at the feet of Nandi and started apologizing. He had realized his ego. Nandi ji said that if both of you worship Lord Shiva with all your heart then you can get your beauty back. After this incident, Nandi ji became a great devotee of Mahadev. Time passed and Nandi grew up. He had only one objective, to serve Mahadev every moment and never be away from him. To achieve this objective, he vowed to perform a severe penance. They set out for those snowy places in the Himalayas where it was impossible to even live. Time passed but Nandi remained steadfast in his penance. The entire atmosphere was being affected by the power of his penance. Even Lord Shiva sitting on Mount Kailash could not ignore the call of his devoted devotee. And then the day came when Lord Shiva appeared. Ganga was flowing from his hair. A snake around the neck and compassion in the eyes. As soon as Lord Shiva asked for a boon, Nandi said, Lord, I do not want any other boon. All I want is to always remain at your feet and serve you. Hearing this, Lord Shiva became very happy and gave many blessings to Nandi. First, you will become the chief ruler of all my groups. From now on no Gana will do any work without your permission. Secondly, you will become the gatekeeper of Mount Kailash. Every sage, every god will enter Kailash only with your permission. And thirdly, you will not only be my vehicle but also my closest friend. Then Lord Shiva raised his trident and with its light Nandi’s human body was transformed. He had transformed into a huge, powerful and invincible bull. His body was as white and pure as snow and a golden aura shone on his horns. But there is still one secret about Nandi that no one knows. Let us know how Nandi is related to Samudra Manthan.

Many years ago the gods and demons together churned the ocean to obtain nectar. For this he started churning the Ksheer Sagar. On one side were the gods, on the other side were the demons and in the middle, Mount Mandara was made the churning rod and Vasuki snake was made the rope. Many precious gems came out from the churning and then a poison came out which is called Halahal poison. It is also called Kalakuta. As soon as it came out, the atmosphere started burning with its heat. All the gods were running away in fear. The universe was being destroyed. Even the demons were scared and running away. Without wasting a moment, Mahadev decided to protect the universe. He took that terrible Halahal poison in his hands and drank it. But this poison was so dangerous that even Lord Shiva himself was unable to bear its heat. So he held this poison in his throat. From where he was named Neelkanth. But as soon as Lord Shiva was drinking Halahal poison, some drops were spilling from his mouth and falling down. Everyone was watching this. But no god or demon had the courage to go and stop him. Then Nandi, Shiva’s vehicle and ardent devotee, appeared there without thinking and as those drops of poison started falling towards the earth, Nandi licked them with his tongue. But here a miracle happened. Nothing happened to Nandi. No poison had any effect on his body. Nor was there any decrease in his power. The gods were stunned to see how Nandi did not suffer any harm after drinking the poison that affected even Mahadev. Only then all the gods and demons saw the real power of Nandi. He bowed to Lord Shiva and Nandi. We know Nandi as the vehicle and power of Shiva. But very few people know about his marriage and love. You will be shocked when you know this secret. According to mythology, Nandi was married to a girl named Suyash. But Suyash was no ordinary woman. She was the daughter of a powerful monkey king. A princess who had no shortage of splendor, power and comforts. But despite this, his mind remained focused only on the devotion of Lord Shiva. He was neither hungry for power nor for wealth. The only aim of his life was to worship Shiva. But Suyash’s father wanted something else. He wanted his daughter to marry a powerful prince so that the strength of his kingdom would increase. When he proposed marriage to Suyash, she refused saying that her life was dedicated only to Lord Shiva. But his father did not like this and he started interfering in Suyash’s devotion. Suyash gave up all royal comforts and went to the forest. He started doing penance on the banks of a beautiful river far away. Days passed and then years and finally Lord Shiva appeared. Mahadev said, O Suyash, your devotion and loyalty have pleased me. I give you a boon. You will be married to Nandi, my most beloved devotee and the chief of the Ganas. Hearing this, Suyash’s heart was filled with joy. Meanwhile, when Nandi received this news, he was filled with immense joy. After this, a divine marriage was organised at the foothills of Mount Kailash. Gods and sages were present all around. It was a grand wedding that the entire universe witnessed. So this is how Nandi got married to Suyash. Both of them respected each other and loved each other unimaginably. But the most beautiful thing was that both of them were the biggest devotees of Lord Shiva. He dedicated his entire life to Shiva.

What happened when Ravana lifted Mount Kailash? It is said that his destruction started from here. Let us know. Ravana was a great king who had immense power, intelligence and knowledge, who ruled all three worlds and made the gods his slaves. He pleased the great powers like Brahma and Shiva with his years of penance and sacrifice. Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But his biggest weakness was his ego. Ravana had so much ego that he considered himself the god of all three worlds and did whatever he wanted. He feels that there is no one in this world who is equal to me. This belief now became pride for him and pride makes a person commit mistakes. He thought that I will demonstrate my power in front of Lord Shiva which will make him happy. With this thought in mind he proceeded towards the Himalayas and reached Mount Kailash. The place where Mahadev himself resides. He lifted Kailash with his mighty arms. The whole earth trembled. At that very moment, Nandi was standing at the gate of Kailash. Nandi who was the gatekeeper of Mahadev and the chief of his Ganas looked at Ravana and warned that this was not a display of power. Lord Shiva is currently in penance and doing this would be like disturbing his penance. But Ravana was overcome with pride. He laughed and said, a bull will now tell me what is right and what is wrong. Ravana laughed and mocked Nandi, insulting him. Nandi became angry and cursed Ravana. He said in a serious and powerful voice, Ravana, today you have ridiculed me and my form due to your ego. Remember, the monkeys in form and simple creatures that you are making fun of will one day be the cause of destruction of your golden Lanka. At that very moment Lord Shiva appeared. He simply placed his thumb in the ground and Ravana was buried under the same mountain. He realized his mistake. He immediately became humble and started praising Mahadev and asking for forgiveness. Seeing his devotion, Lord Shiva forgave him. Time passed and then came the era of Ramayana. When there was a war between Lord Rama and Ravana, the same curse proved true. Hanuman ji, the great warrior of the monkey army, reached Lanka and burnt the entire Lanka with his fire and Nandi’s curse was fulfilled. This is where the end of Ravana began.

So now comes the turn of some such incidents from the life of Nandi ji which are shocking. Let us know. Once Lord Shiva received an invitation from the gods for a grand gathering. At that time, only Mother Parvati was present in Kailash who was engrossed in penance. The entire defense was on Nandi. At the same time, a fierce and cunning demon Vidyun Mali considered this opportunity to be right for himself. He was not an ordinary demon but a very powerful demon with the strength equal to hundreds of warriors. He had a secret plan in mind. He wanted to attack Kailash and steal the divine weapons and ornaments of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati so that he can make himself invincible and gain control over the entire universe. Slowly his huge army moved towards Kailash. The atmosphere started changing. Nandi already sensed the danger. He immediately went to Mother Parvati and told her about this impending crisis. Mother Parvati ordered Nandi in a serious tone that until Mahadev returns, not even a single straw of Kailash should fall into the hands of the enemy because it was not just about Kailash Dham, it was for the protection of the entire universe. After this Nandi took the form of a huge bull. When his hooves touched the ground, they would flash like lightning and flames of fire would be visible in his eyes. But Vidyun Mali was not going to give up so easily. First he trapped Nandi in a big black wall where nothing was visible. Then rained fire. But as soon as Nandi roared in the name of Lord Shiva, the black wall was destroyed and the fire was extinguished. Then the most terrible war happened. Nandi alone on one side and an army of demons on the other. Nandi was throwing all the demons one by one into the deep ditch. Due to the blow of his horns, the demons would fall away and would not even be able to get up. Some demons became invisible and started attacking. Finally Vidyun Mali himself came forward. But as he attacked, Nandi charged his huge horns with energy and struck him. It was so deadly that Vidyun Mali fell several yards away and died as soon as he hit the ground. The war was over. Kailash became quiet again. After some time Lord Shiva also returned. He saw the army of demons lying destroyed all around and Nandi standing victorious. There was satisfaction and happiness on Mahadev’s face that Nandi saved Kailash in his absence.

A stone statue of Nandi is installed in the Yaganti Uma Maheshwara Temple located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. This is not considered an ordinary statue. It is said that this statue is continuously growing. At first, no one believed in this. But when this statue was examined carefully, it was found to be true. The Archaeological Survey of India ASI also investigated the incident and believed that the stone expands over time due to its natural properties causing the idol to grow by about 1 inch in 20 years. History also noted that many pillars had to be removed due to the growing size of the statue. Along with this there is another belief. It is said that when Kaliyuga comes to an end and this Nandi fully grows to its full size, then this idol will rise and fight with Kali. But have you ever wondered why whenever we go to the temple, we whisper our wishes into the ears of Nandi? The reason behind this will surprise you. It is believed that Lord Shiva is often absorbed in deep Samadhi or cosmic meditation. In such a situation, if someone calls him, his concentration may be disturbed which would be an insult to Lord Shiva. Nandi is not just Shiva’s vehicle or gatekeeper but is directly connected to his mind and consciousness. He is considered to be closest to Shiv ji. Therefore, when a devotee whispers his wish into Nandi’s ear, it is believed that Nandi conveys that prayer directly to Shiva’s consciousness without disturbing his meditation. Thus whispering into Nandi’s ear is not just a tradition but a spiritual discipline. This teaches us that not everything is said directly. Some things reach their goal only through patience, faith and the right medium. So this was the story of Nandi, the vehicle and beloved of Lord Shiva.