Tadastu

Many  years ago, there was young boy aged 10 years. He was living with his grandmother in a remote village. His parents expired when he was a kid.

Grandma used to teach the kid lots of stories about Rama, Krishna, and all the great sages. Every night when he was about to go to bed, granny would start, “In ancient days once there was a great sage, he penanced in the forest for years, and finally, on day Lord Shiva, came and asked what was his wish, then he would ask all he wanted and the lord just said Tadastu”. Listening to these stories daily the young boy innocence took over him and he started believing, that by going to jungles and praying to god he Shiva would come and give all he wanted, now this thought really excited him, as he had barely enough food daily, his clothes, everything about his life was in poverty and he loved his granny, her health was also deteriorating daily, so he started fancying of him going to jungle and praying to Lord Shiva.

One fine day he said yes this is it and when granny was napping, he left the house and started walking towards the nearby forests and even though his senses was making him afraid, but his strong conviction to see the lord was greater so kept going deeper, finally he found a beautiful tree, he sat there and started “OM Namha Shivaya” just has granny taught him to do. By late night he was amazingly able to concentrate and keep going on. He could not feel the hunger, nor the cold winds and sometimes bugs, insects, wild animals, all of them around him but boy continued with the chants of Shiva loud.

He kept going on for days miraculously, finally Parvathi saw him and could not bear it and said “Swamy see the little kid so deeply he is praying for you, y don’t you go and see him”. Shiva smiled and “Mom are always mom’s, I will go Devi “.

“Hey Mani” Said lord Shiva. The kid is surprised to see Lord Shiva in front of him, he got up went near him bowed touched his feet and hugged him. Shiva smiled and said “ tell me what u wish”. Mani was very happy and innocently says “can you come with me I want to show you to my granny and the whole village and you should not leave me until I say so”. Shiva said “tadastu”.

Soon the kid and Shiva went to granny house she was so angry seeing him and almost fainted and said where have you been, he said you asked me to bring Shiva so I bought him, granny smiled and thought he was fooling her and realised because of her stories he got carried away and went to the jungle in search of God, but she could not see Shiva, the boy got confused and said why is she not able to see you, Shiva replies “She cannot see and no one else will be able to do so because their spiritual levels  are not still mature”. Boy feels sad

Boy says now iam feeling hungry, get me the best foods, Shiva waves his Trishul and plates with food appear in front of him, boy enjoys, granny sees it and is shocked and now believes his grandson and says is Shiva really here, he says yes but u can’t see him, she gets nervous, finally after long chat through the night with granny Mani explains her how he went to jungle and how Shiva came etc…

Next day Mani gets up and sees Shiva next to him, he goes to him touches his feet, Shiva blesses him , Mani says now take me on tour of the earth and its beauties, Shiva obliges and gives him a tour with the most exotic  places no human has ever seen on this planet, Mani is unbelievable. Later that night after the usual feast from the lord, he asks him a lot of questions, like where do u stay how is ur sons, where is yama, heaven, Vishnu, the lord explains him patiently everything.

I want a mahal and should be like a prince, immediately Shiva waves his Trishul and he is transformed into a young prince with his granny besides like rajamatha, kid is really happy and now he has lord Shiva with him and can do anything he wants.., so every day the kid would ask the lord for various gifts and excursions and things move on days become months and years.

Meanwhile in heaven Parvathi is missing her husband and ganesh and shanmukh their dad and lot of duties which Shiva has to do is pending. Everyone get impatient. Ganesh says I will go and speak with Mani . Soon ganesh appears in front of Mani and and says “ Mani please let my dad go, he will not leave you until u ask him to go”. Mani says “No” strongly I can’t let him leave me, ganesh pleads and explains how he misses his dad how a wife misses a husband, because Mani is so young he is not able to understand husband wife and father sons relationship as he never had one and was a alone child, ganesh finally leaves with tears in his eyes, seeing ganesh return crying Shanmukh gets angry and immediately goes down on this peacock, facing Mani he warns him if he doesn’t  let Shiva go he will have to kill him, Mani doesn’t budge, shanmukh gets angry and throws his ayudam on him Mani shouts Shiva save me, Shiva throws his Trishul to stop it, murgans  ayudam breaks into pieces . murgan retreats and goes back home, many gandhravas, angels come down daily to convince Mani but he doesn’t listen and gets more stubborn

Mani starts feeling very powerful now and turns to be destructor now and using Shiva he gains lot of power and creates havoc, fire, floods, death and keeps laughing he becomes wild and powerful  uncontrollable.

In the heavens Vishnu , brahma discuss how to handle this situation but no answer is found, who can face Shiva no answer was there, how to get Shiva from the boy, Finally they come up with a Plan and send Narada. He approaches Mani he says though powerful Mani the almighty who has Shiva at will and keeps praising him, Mani feels happy and asks him why did he come he to ask for Shiva, Narada says “ No, No I came to see the most powerful person on this earth” Mani smiles then Narada says” But in the heavens and other planets they are saying you are not powerful using Shiva u became powerful without him you are nothing”. This angers Mani and thinks yes that is true and asks Narada now how to make name of his own, Narada says see Shiva’s Power is in his Trishul without it he is nothing u ask him for the Trishul and ask him to leave then you can run this world with it as you like and people will call you Powerful almighty they will respect you like Shiva. Mani realises he saying the truth and calls Shiva arrogantly all his previous respect for  lord Shiva are all gone now he feels he is a master and Shiva slave, and says today I will give you freedom give me your Trishul and you’re a freeman and can leave immediately, Shiva hands over the sword and leaves with Narada to kailasha.

Mani now uses the Trishul to create destruction, hell in the planet, he feels more excited just like kid gets a toy gun and goes around shooting  anyone he likes. With arrival of Shiva Parvathi, kids are happy and hug him, but soon everyone in kailasha start lamenting how to stop this Mani, not even Vishnu or anyone can go against the Trishul, finally Parvathi says I will go and stop him, immediately ganesh and murgan says no mom, in spite of many stopping her she doesn’t relent  and feels its her responsibility to correct her husband folly, the night before Shiva hugs her and looks into her eves and weeps, she says “ hey lord please take care of kids”, morning with all angels and gods watching she goes to face Mani.

Seeing Parvathi Mani is surprised , she admonishes him and tells him to stop immediately and use the Trishul  to pray and use it for construction of wellbeing, but Mani is not to listen to her and immediately challenges her for a war and take it from him if she can, soon fight starts and he starts sending fire on to her with the wave of Trishul, she retorts by sending rain on to it, like this Mani keeps sending one after another astras that he can using the Trishul but everything is replied by her, unable to take the defeat he finally realises only one thing can stop her, and throws the Trishul on to Parvathi . She just stands and looks at it and has no answer for it and does not reply with any astra for it. Trishul comes with full speed on to her, just about to strike her, the Trishul realises It is Parvathi and whenever Shiva hugged her it could also feel her hug, her love, laughter, care everything she used to take care of it as good as Shiva. It goes and falls to her feet. Mani is angered and comes down to kill her with a sword, realising it Trishul gets up turns towards him and chases him finally beheading him.

Thus the story of the Mani ends finally peacefully, and peace again is restored through Love.