Story of Nandikeswara

Nandikeswara. The bull. Vehicle of Lord Shiva.

Do you know his story?

And like all stories, it is quite long. Happy reading!

There was once a sage called Shilada who had no children. So he worshipped Lord Shiva for many years.
Lord Shiva finally appeared before Shilada and said, “You shall have a child soon”.
The next day while Shilada was ploughing his fields, he found a beautiful baby. The baby’s skin glowed with a soft white light.
He heard a voice from the heaven, ‘SHILADA, TAKE THE CHILD. BRING HIM UP WELL!’
Shilada named the boy Nandi. Right from his childhood, Nandi was devoted to Lord Shiva. Shilada brought up the child with utmost love and care. Shilada taught the child the Vedas and gave him a good education. Nandi was a brilliant boy and a fast learner.
Some years later, two sages – Mitra and Varuna came to Shilada’s home.
Nandi and Shilada looked after the two sages well. Before they left both the father and son prostrated before the two sages and sort their blessings.
Mitra and Varuna first blessed Shilada, ‘Have a long and happy life, Shilada. You have made us very happy!’
When Nandi fell at their feet, the two sages looked slightly sad and said, “Be well, Nandi! Be good to your parents and your teachers.”
Shilada noticed the change in the expression of the sages. He ran behind them and beseeched them. “Great rishis!”, he said breathlessly, “You looked sad while blessing my son. Is something wrong?”
The sages took pity on Shilada and said softly, “We cannot wish your son, Nandi, a long life as he does not have very long to live, Shilada.”
Shilada’s heart broke and Nandi on seeing his father, immediately guessed something was askew.
When Nandi prodded, Shilada narrated his conversation with the two sages expecting his young son to get scared. However Shilada was surprised when he heard Nandi’s laugh. ‘You were scared of what the sages said! You, who has been blessed Lord Shiva? Father, if it is my fate to die, then Lord Shiva can easily reverse that fate too! HE is the most powerful God and HE can do anything. Do you think he would let anything happen to me, his devotee?’
Nandi bowed to his father and said, “Bless me, father, I will do penance and seek the Lord’s blessings.”
Shilada blessed his son, ‘Be victorious, my son!’
Nandi entered River Bhuvana and began his penance. His devotion was so great and his concentration was so high, that Lord Shiva appeared almost instantaneously.
‘Nandi, open your eyes!’ said the three eyed God to the boy.
Nandi opened his eyes and before him was the Lord - Shiva! Nandi wanted to keep looking at the Lord. He had never felt such happiness before. He felt that if he could keep seeing the Lord, he would want nothing else.
Shiva was ready to grand any boon to Nandi and asked him what he wished.
Nandi replied, “Lord, I wish to be with you always. I wish to see you always.”
Shiva smiled. “Nandi, you shall stay with Parvathy & I at Kailash. You shall be the head of all my Ganas. You will be my vehicle and take me everywhere. And because you are so bull-headed, you shall now have the head of a bull.”
Thus Nandi became Shiva’s vehicle and in every Shiva temple, you will find Nandikeswara sitting at the eye-line of Lord Shiva; staring unflinchingly.

But all were not happy.
A few days later, the Devas and the Asuras churned the milky ocean for nectar (Amritam). The first thing that emerged due to the churning was the poison Halahala. The poison was so strong that it threatened to destroy the whole world. To protect the world, Lord Shiva collected the poison in his hand and ingested it. Goddess Parvati clutched Shiva’s throat to make sure that the poison did not enter his system; while the Devas closed his mouth to prevent it from coming out. The strong poison, turned the Lord’s neck blue.
Some Halahal had slipped out of Shiva’s hands and fallen on the ground. Nandi gathered this Halahal and seeing his master drink it, he drank it too.
The Devas were shocked at what Nandi had done. Lord Shiva was the very Lord and HE had Goddess Parvati beside him, protecting HIM always. Nothing could happen to Lord Shiva. But Nandi was just a bull; a mere vehicle. Nandi would die for sure as Halahala was no ordinary poison.
But nothing happened to Nandi.
Lord Shiva then explained, “Nandi is my greatest devotee. All my powers are his too and Parvati’s protection is always with him!”
Thus it was proved that Nandi was neither an ordinary bull nor just a vehicle.

*Devotion to Sri Nandhikeshwar is devotion to Lord Shiva. Prayer to Nandhi is prayer to Lord Shiva. Whoever prays to Lord Shiva and Nandi on Mondays and Pradosham days will receive great boons and bountiful Blessings.*

Basic storyline:
http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.in/…/nandi-vehicle…

Editing: Anuradha Harish