Wishesh magazine january 2018 Wishesh magazine january 2018 | Page 48

STORY FOR KIDS Vayu, the ever-present Wind-God, saw this event. “Go, Vayu!” he heard a silent command in his mind from Lord Shiva. Vayu immediately caught that portion of pudding and placed onto the outstretched hands of Anjana. 48 form if I want. I am Kesari, the king of Monkeys, blessed by Lord Shiva with magical powers. If you become my wife, I will be honoured. Would you honour me by becoming my wife, dear Anjana?”. Anjana became very happy. She accepted his proposal. “Then the sage’s word was indeed true,” thought Anjana, “Kesari didn’t mind my appearance because he himself is a monkey!” Anjana and Kesari were married in the forests. Being a pious devotee, Anjana performed intense tapasya, worshipping Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased with her. WWW.WISHESH.COM | JANUARY 2018 He appeared before her and asked her what she wanted. “Lord Shiva, I wish you to be born as my son, so that I can be freed from the sage’s curse,” requested Anjana. “So be it!”. Lord Shiva gave his consent and disappeared. Soon after this, one day, as Anjana was worshipping Lord Shiva, in another part of the country, Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, was performing a yagna (religious rite) to have children. It was the Putrakama Yagna. As a result, Agni, the Fire-God gave him some sacred payasa (pudding) and asked him to share the payasa among his wives so that they may have divine children. Here, Lord Shiva’s boon to Anjana started to work. While Dasaratha gave payasa to his elder wife Kausalya, by divine ordinance a kite snatched a portion of that pudding. Holding the pudding in its tails, the kite-bird flew away from Ayodhya towards the forests Anjana lived. It flew over the dense trees and dropped the payasa where Anjana was engaged in tapasya. Vayu, the ever-present Wind-God, saw this event. “Go, Vayu!” he heard a silent command in his mind from Lord Shiva. Vayu immediately caught that portion of pudding and placed onto the outstretched hands of Anjana. Anjana felt something drop in her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at the payasa in her hand. “Is this offering from Lord Shiva?” she wondered and swallowed it.