In Vishvamitra's wise discourse, they sat,
Rama and Lakshmana, in wonder and chat,
They praised the legend, the daughters divine,
And to the sage, their voices did incline.
"Your words on Ganga, oh, Brahman so wise,
Tell us, with emphasis, make it arise,
Why does she flow in three courses, we seek,
Her fame in three worlds, let us speak."
Vishvamitra then began the tale to tell,
Of Shiva and Uma, a story to unveil,
"In ancient days, in a cosmic dance,
Shiva consumed poison, took a chance.
He wedded Uma, with eyes for his bride,
A hundred divine years, by their side,
Yet no offspring came from their embrace,
Gods worried, disaster they did chase.
'Who will emerge from Uma's embrace,
And sustain their divine grace?
Oh, God of Gods, with mercy so vast,
Let your divine seed in virility last.
Practice yogic asceticism, we pray,
Retain your seed and light our way,
Preserve the worlds from chaos and strife,
Don't render the universe devoid of life.'
Shiva agreed, with a solemn decree,
His seed within him, his love set free,
But a part stirred, uncontainable, they said,
'Who can hold it?' the gods inquired ahead.
'The earth will bear it,' the gods declared,
So Shiva's seed to the earth was shared,
Fire-god and Wind-god, they intervened,
To ensure the world remained serene.
Fire-god compacted Shiva's divine might,
Emerging as a mountain, pure and white,
From this mountain, Kaartikeya arose,
All gods and sages, in reverence, froze.
Uma and Shiva, with joy in their heart,
Were adored by gods, a divine art,
But Uma's anger, a curse did release,
On gods and the earth, her wrath didn't cease.
'You are unworthy of fathering a son,
Your wives will bear none, one by one,
The earth, too, shall lose her unique grace,
Becoming a wife to many, in this space.
Her children's delight, I shall deny,
Tarnished by my anger, they shall cry,
Earth, you are undeserving of my kin,
For your reluctance to let my son begin.'
Seeing gods distressed by Uma's wrath,
Shiva moved westward, choosing a path,
He settled in the Himalayan domain,
In ascetic bliss, his peace to attain.
This, Rama, is the legend I narrate,
Of Goddess Uma, her love and her fate,
Now, Ganga's emergence I shall proclaim,
Listen, with Lakshmana, to the tale's acclaim.