“Of the Laying of Shiva” - The Script

[broknwindupdoll]

Wasted Battlefield, the end of conflict between Vishnu and Taraka

Taraka has been on the rampage for a short time. Indra sends out a call to arms and Vishnu leads a small battle force to put down the troublesome demon. The battle has raged, but all of Vishnu’s forces are decimated. Those not dead have fled. Vishnu alone is left.

The battlefield is littered with remains and broken weapons. Taraka looks down, a chuckle brewing. Vishnu stands, his posture raged, looking spent. He’s breathing heavy. His face is a mixture of annoyance and disgust. Opposite him, Taraka stands, also looking tired. However, Taraka is looking more amused and confident. Looking over his foe, he lets out a great bout of laughter. Vishnu knits his brow, his annoyance even greater. Taraka is laughing almost too hard, his control seemingly lost. Vishnu, thinking he has an opportunity, fires a bolt from his mighty bow. The arrow lands true, sticking from just above his heart. However, Taraka simply pulls and tosses it aside, his laughter subdued but now eliminated.
“Is this all the gods have to offer?” Taraka asks, his tone mocking and menacing. Vishnu is greatly angered.
“What kind of demon are you?” he asks Taraka.
“One that has been granted power over your usurping kind,” Taraka replies with disdain. “You most of all.”
Vishnu simply looks upon him with scorn. Taraka, finding his words just as effective a weapon, smiles menacingly. He slowly advances toward Vishnu, leaving his cracked and ragged sword to swing limply in his arm. His gait is confident. Vishnu looks threatened. His frame is stiff and ready, but his eyes betray his loss.
Vishnu, knowing the battle is lost, stows his bow. “You cannot avoid destruction, demon,” he says to Taraka. Taraka shows no sign of ceasing his slow advance, merely grunting an amused laugh.
“Even if I cannot, another warrior will destroy you,” Vishnu sneers to the demon as he readies his discus.
“They will all fail,” Taraka responds. “Just like you.” Taraka readies his sword for a fast attack. But Vishnu is faster, slinging his discus full force at the demon. The discus quickly causes a tornado of wind to rip at Taraka. Barely deflecting the discus itself, Taraka is tossed back.
Sitting on the ground, checking himself, Taraka looks down at his shattered sword. Looking back up, he finds that Vishnu has vanished. “Ran away like coward, the bastard.” He stands, dusts himself off, tosses the sword aside, and looks about. “Well, let him run. I’ve got all the time in the world. I’ll give him the punishment he deserves before long.”
Overall, this scene is meant to show that Taraka is invulnerable. Even Vishnu fails to take him down, and eventually runs. Referenced here is the Soma brewing incident, the one in which Vishnu is responsible for taking back from the Asura the stolen Soma. Among the Asura is a great hatred of Vishnu above other Sura, partly for his actions in the war with them, but mostly for tricking and slaying Rahu during his recovery of the Soma. The myth states that their battle lasts for 30,000 years, but I find that to be more of symbolic significance than anything else. Instead, their battle is indeterminately long here.

Abode of Brahma

Indra is dismayed over his force’s failure. He, along with a host of other gods, approach Brahma for advice.
[Describe the place of Brahma] Filing into his room are many gods, great and small.
“What are you frightened of, gods, to make you come here to me in such a state? Tell me your woe, and I will find a means of helping you,” Brahma announced to the gathered masses.
Many voices cry out, “Help us great Lord Brahma!” and “Taraka has chased from our homes!” and “And taken our wives and daughters!” and “Even mighty Vishnu could not defeat him!” and such.
Brahma’s face is calm, almost meditative. “Be at ease, immortals.” With his words, the din silences. “Listen to my words, for you will find comfort in them.”
The scene changes as Brahma speaks. “The demon you fear, Taraka, had come before me. Having practiced such asceticism, I chose to grant him a wish.” The demon Taraka, garbed in rags, kneels before Brahma. “‘My child,’ I said, ‘choose a boon for yourself.’ And the great demon folded his palms and bowed to me and said, ‘Lotus-born one, grant me the boon that I may not be slain by any of the gods, Vishnu and the others.’ I granted him that wish.”
There are murmurs among the gods, but no one speaks above a whisper. Statements of “It is Brahma’s fault,” and “Our doom is upon us,” circle. Indra, at the head of the crowd, looks back on them with mild disdain.
Brahma continues, ignoring the derision. “However, for the sake of your welfare, I asked him one thing: ‘How is it that you will eventually perish?’ Taraka answered, ‘My death will come from one born from the seed of the great Shiva.’” Taraka looks smug beyond measure. Brahma smiles. Taraka bows once more and takes his leave.
The crowd of gods is again astir with talk. Hope is in the air. “If such is the case,” Indra begins, “then we must also tell Vishnu.” “Yes, it would be constructive to inform Vishnu, hiding away on his mountain,” Brahma replies to Indra.

[The last bit is … iffy.]
This scene is rather rough as is. Mainly its purpose is to explain how Taraka got his power and how he will eventually fall. To that end, this is really just Brahma talking and a bunch of gods looking on. Overall, this is pretty close to being word for word from the Purana.

Mt Meru, where Vishnu hides

Brahma and Indra arrive at the peak on Meru where Vishnu hides. Up the winding path they go, following the pointing hand of a religious pilgrim, until they finally find a small cave. Inside, looking quite troubled, sits Vishnu. He looks up with a start at the pair entering his cave, but his fright turns to joy. “What means of slaying that damn demon has been devised?” he asks the wised Brahma.
Smiling, Indra tells him “He is not immortal, like feared.”
“Then tell me what you know, so that we may all be at ease again,” Vishnu replied, eager.
“Taraka may be slain by the offspring of Shiva,” Indra replies, rather happy to tell Vishnu this news.
However, Vishnu’s face suddenly turns sour. “Him? Have a child? Surely you have seen a hole in your plan.” He looks at Indra, who seems at a loss to what Vishnu alludes. He then turns to Brahma. “Wise Lord Brahma, you must know of what I speak.”
“Truly, I know of what you fear,” Brahma replies.
Indra is now confused, and looking a bit angry. Looking between the two, he asks, “Well, then, what is the problem?”
Brahma only looks stoic. Shaking his head, Vishnu explains. “Did you not hear what happened to his wife, Sati?”
At this, Indra’s eyes widen. “I had heard that she had passed on, yes.”
“She threw herself into a fire because her father disapproved of Shiva,” Vishnu continues.
Indra’s eyebrows rise.
“After that, he’s been up on Kaiasa, meditating.” Indra, while taking it all in, still seems to not get the problem.
“All things will pass in time,” Indra remarks.
Vishnu laughs. “That may be so, but in his meditation he’s cast aside all earthly things. He vowed to never marry, or even consort with women, ever again.”
Indra finally sees the trouble. “I … see … The demon must have known this when he bargained for his boon.”
“It isn’t uncommon knowledge. The rumors that went around weren’t very shy of details. Or very flattering,” Vishnu adds.
The trio stays in silence for a while.
“If this is the case, wise Lord Brahma, what road might we take to remedy our situation?” Indra asks.
All eyes on Brahma, the wise one breathes. “There is a daughter of the mountain god Himavan, Parvati. The sage Narada has prophecied that she will one day be Shiva’s bride. With that forever in the center of her thoughts, the lady Parvati has served lord Shiva.”
The pair listening, look on with interest. “That is a promising thing,” Indra comments. “But Shiva is no doubt focused on his ascetisim. If that man does anything, he does it fully with a vigor I’ve not seen among most,” Vishnu adds.
“As it is,” Brahma replies. “Shiva has practiced his asceticism so furvorously that he has paid the maiden no heed.”
“As I feared,” Vishnu states, sighing in defeat.
The trio sit in silence again. The sun dips low on the horizon.
“There is something to try,” Indra interupts the silence.
Vishnu looks to him. “What, my friend?”
“There is Kama.”
“The god of love and desire? That braggart?”
“Yes,” Indra replies, now certain of his idea. “If he were to strike Shiva with his arrow …”
Vishnu, now understanding the idea, smiles and joins in, “… we could stir Shiva out of his bachelor life and gain us a savior!”
Both look to Brahma. He nods solemnly. “Such a plan has its merits.”
Confident now, Indra stands. “I will call Kama and inform him of this plan.” Brahma and Vishnu also rise.
“[Need to find a good work alike for “God speed.”]” Vishnu wishes to Indra. Nodding, Indra and Brahma depart.
“Our only hope now rests on a braggart tricking a stoic man into love,” Vishnu laments to himself. “Such poor odds for Sura as powerful as us.”
This is a scene of mostly talking. Peppering in more detail of their mannerisms might be useful, but it flows well enough as it is. Overall, this is one of the times that Indra devises a deceptively simple plan that is likely to backfire. Even though he’s a king, he finds ways of force over diplomacy; although, in this case, if what Vishnu says is true, diplomacy wouldn’t work anyway. The original myth is here as a base upon which I extrapolate and add my version of the personalities.
Throne of Indra

[No clue what it looks like.] Indra sits as Kama enters. He struts, his motions over the top, wheeling his arms in a wide arc for a bow. “How might I be of service to the mighty Indra? [make that more showy]” he says.
“There is a matter that needs the skills of such a god as yourself,” Indra answers.
“[and add part about him being able to do anything with his arrows]”
“This is a far graver concern,” Indra states. “It is a matter of ridding ourselves of the nuicance called Taraka.”
“And how might my skills be used for such a lofty purpose?” Kama inquires.
“He may only be slain by the son of Shiva,” Indra answers. “Therefor, I bid that you go to Mount Kailasa where Shiva meditates. And with your bow, strike love into his heart for his attendant Parvati.”
“[Kama brags about being able to do this before nightfall]” Kama spouts as he once again bows.
“Then go quickly, for we are all dependent upon your success,” Indra adds.
This scene is short, but as it is here isn’t good enough. Mainly I need to expand it out to include all the dialogue. Maybe add a bit of fun exposition of Kama, as the poor guy gets very little screen time as it is.

Mt. Kailasa, where Shiva meditates

Mount Kaiasa is beautiful, scenic, and above all else, massively imposing. It rises like an obelisk. Near the summit is Shiva, meditating. He sits on a tiger skin, covered in ash, his hair in matted locks, a scraggly stubble of beard on his face, with nothing but the air to cover him. The area he meditates in is mostly bare stone, a flattened clearing amid the rocks and crags, dusted in snow. The clearing is purposeful and made with reverence. The view from it is vast, showing the other mountains in the Himalayas, Lake Manasarovar close by, and the gigantic Gurla Mandata in the distance.. A path winding down from it is cleared, with steps carved into the stone here and there to make the climb less of a pain.
Kama arrives, floating effortlessly between the rocks. He reaches the top, looking out at the grand view. “No wonder he meditates here,” he says to himself. His sight then rests of Shiva, deep in meditation. Kama smiles. Like the wind, he floats down and settles himself among the rocks just beyond the clearing. He slowly rifles through his quiver, selecting the correct arrow. He checks his bow’s stringing, nodding that all is in order. He then survey’s his quarry and settles into wait. Time passes, Shiva does not move. Kama is getting a bit cross. “He must be insane to sit like that for so damn long,” he complains. “Probably cramped up in ways I don’t even want to think about.”
Up the steps comes Parvati. Kama hears the light footfalls, and glides over to peak. Yes, it is the woman he was charged with making Shiva fall for. Confidence pervades his face as he gets back into position. Just as Parvati is to arrive, Kama fires his arrow. Turning into a wisp of energy, it sinks into Shiva.
Shiva stirs for the first time. His eyes open a hair to see the beautiful Parvati before him. She bows with reverence. His eyes widen as he surveys her beauty. How have I been so blind all this time? his own inner voice says.
After bowing, Parvati then sits herself down to his left, to meditate. Radiant, Parvati settles down. How could I have not seen how beautiful she is? Shiva twitches. Has she truly been like this the whole time I’ve been on this mountain? This radiant, this … He stirs, as if to stand. Parvati, not as deep in thought yet, sneaks a look. But Shiva has stopped dead in his leaning attempt to stand. No, something is amiss. Something … He narrows his eyes, he’s found the source of his distress. He wheels around to face Kama’s hiding spot. Kama is here! he yells to himself.
The sudden movement startles Parvati enough for her to open her eyes fully. Following Shiva’s gaze, she also sees Kama. Kama, being the arrogant one he is, wanted to stick around to watch the fireworks. But the look of pleasure is now gone from his face, replaced by abject shock. Shiva’s look is one of utter contempt. And, in an instant, his third eye flings open, spewing forth a fire. Kama, caught flat footed and slack jawed, cannot escape. Parvati is now looking on with utter amazement. The fire dies off, the eye closes, and nothing is left of Kama, or the boulder he had been hiding behind.
Shiva, satisfied with his self, sits himself back into meditation, returning to his original pose. Parvati blinks, the whole ordeal seemingly completely out of place. She then shivers, from a cold that seems to pervade her very soul. She looks at Shiva, and then tries to meditate herself.
However, Shiva cannot concentrate. He is stealing peaks at Parvati, returning to his meditation, stealing another peak, becoming more frustrated with each look. His concentration is failing. With a grimace of frustration, he finally breaks. He rises. Parvati notices this through a stolen peak, but maintains her posture. Until he stands before her.
“[Blather about how beautiful she is]”
Parvati is a bit shocked, her eyes widened. Is this some ploy of his? He once wished me to be gone from his presence … she mulls in her mind. Shiva continues. “If there is any desire that such a fair maiden wishes, I will grant it.” Parvati blinks. No, he must be serious, she tells herself. Then, forming up her face into a sly seductress, she tells him, “Now that the god of love and desire is gone, what use is there in a boon that you can give me? For without Kama there can be no great passion between a man and a woman. When emotion is destroyed, how can happiness be attained?”
Shiva’s eyes show his mild puzzlement. “Lady with beautiful eyes, I did not intend to reduce him to ash. The fire of my eye is too great when taken by such surprise.”
His head is dense as stone, it seems. Parvati looks at him with a slightly pouting face.
He presses her again. “In all the three worlds, there must be something that you desire above all else.”
Of course there is, you silly fool, she scolds. But she continues to be coy, trying to reel him in. She turns her head slightly, as if reflecting into the infinite. “If Kama were to return, he could once again fill our world with warmth and joy, letting love blossom wherever it may.” She is confident that such a request might benefit her. After all, why else would Kama be here, pointing an unloaded bow at Lord Shiva? she confides to herself.
Shiva, though, looks troubled. That seems an odd request, he tells himself. And a tough one as well, his body being a pile of ash now. He closes his eyes in thought. Parvati looks on. Finally, he opens them.
“And so Kama shall rise again. But, since his body is now ash, he will be as a spirit, floating freely.” Parvati looks quite pleased. Shiva stands fully erect. “So I command it!”
And with that, the ashes of Kama rise into a wisp of air, and float away, forming his outline at a distance. Shiva, looking mightily satisfied with himself, nods. He then seats himself and promptly returns to his meditation.
Parvati, though, finds this outcome a bit less than what she had hoped for. She is puzzled, one hand hesitantly reaching for Shiva before she drops it. Shiva is now fully entranced.
He … just shrugged it off? Completely? She asks herself. She looks about the sky, seeing no sign of Kama. And Kama just left, without finishing? Was it only a lark? She cannot make full sense of it all. Her opportunity is now past her, only leaving a frustrated look on her face. She gives Shiva a last look before she stands and bows. And with her bow, she leaves down the path.
Shiva sits, contented. Ah … Peace again.
Not even the wisps of Kama linger with him alone on the summit of the mountain.
And now we meet the fated lovers. At this point, it’d be hard to see what Parvati desires in him, as he’s just an unwashed, unshaven, unkempt, covered in ash, and naked man who spends his time on a mountain meditating. If I ever continue to work on this story setting, this will not be the first time the reader meets Shiva. And not the first time the reader will have met Shiva like this, although the last time he was a dancing fiend. There might even be an actual scene about how Parvati herself falls for him, but that’s up in the air. Suffice to say, here her own pride and desire to have him come to her foils her first chance at him.
It might be worth having a scene with Indra where he learns of Kama’s utter failure. I don’t know if it’s really needed, though.

Mt. Kailasa, where Parvati’s frustration comes to a head
Parvati, in a montage, is seen looking at Shiva. Time after time, she hangs her head in the end. Walking down the mountain path, she laments to herself. “Why does he not notice me? Was that one time all? Is he never going to notice me again?” Pausing, she looks up the path, to the summit. She turns back, shaking her head.
She continues down the steps, each step angrier. “Am I not beautiful enough? Devout enough? Even interesting in the very least to that man?!”
“That man notices you,” a voice to her side announces.
Parvati stops cold, tosses her head to the source of the voice, and finds Narada. “Sage Narada …” she greats him.
“He notices you, and is pleased by your meditations,” Narada continues.
“If that is so,” Parvati demands, “then why does he ignore me? Why does he not even acknowledge my presence?!”
Narada waves his hand, as if to tell her to lower her voice. “He is a great yogi, unattached from the world. And you have been far too prideful.”
Parvati looks cross at him, but cannot get a word in. Narada turns from her and walks a few steps. “There is a way to gain his attention,” he says slyly, “Although it will require a great sacrifice on your part.” He turns his head to look back at her.
“And what might that sacrifice be?” Parvati asks him, her face showing her own doubt of him.
“Meditate. Cast aside your worldly self. Show Lord Shiva that you also value what he does.” Narada’s instructions are again given without looking at her.
Parvati pauses for a moment, considering. She then nods. “Yes, that seems a good course to follow,” she tells herself. Looking up to thank the sage, she only finds his back as he walks away. “Thank you all the same, you crazy old man.” Looking back up the mountain, she shakes her head. “No, anwhere near him, and I’ll never be able to match his detatchment.” Looking down the mountain, at the forest and the lakes, “Yes, somewhere there should do.”
Parvati walks down the mountain, and into the trees, eventually stopping at a small open grove. Looking around, cleaning herself a spot, she sits. And meditates.
There she meditates, unmoving, though storm and the changing seasons, her clothes ragged, but her spirit stronger.
To be honest, I’m almost certain Narada is just a meddling old man. He wants to get Shiva to wed some girl, and Parvati is beautiful and feisty enough for the job. Either way, he’s always in the right place to push things along. After doling out this advice, I almost picture him laughing himself silly.

Mt. Kailasa, where Shiva meditaties

After Kama’s failure, Indra has rallied his armies. Taraka, while not destroyed, is pushed back. He is now raiding nusance, but the captives he took are still missing.

Vishnu visit Shiva. They would talk about Taraka, Vishnu explaining the plight of the gods, while Shiva emphasizes that he is meditating to cleanse himself of all worldly things. Taraka is of no concern to him. Vishnu may or may not tell him of how Taraka is to be killed. He would, however, make note of Parvati. And mention he saw her meditating like a madwoman in a grove.

Mt. Kailasa, in a grove where Parvati meditates
Eventually, as spring comes again, Parvati is still meditating. Her robes are tattered but she herself still glows. As she meditates, a scraggly old man approaches her. She is in such deep meditation that she pays him no heed. Looking her over like he’s inspecting a car, nodding in hmming to himself. She tries her utmost best to not let this interrupt her. Finally, he speaks to her, asking why such a beautiful woman like her would be wasting herself away meditating on a mountain. To this, she fully opens her eyes and tells him that she is meditating to please Shiva, whom she wishes to serve completely. To this the man laughs scornfully. He begins to insult Shiva, calling him a dirty, crazed buffoon. Parvati counters, extolling his virtues. But the old man continues to worsen his insults. Finally, Parvati can take no more. She tells the man that he is interrupting her meditation and that if he refuses to leave her in peace, she will just have to leave. This silences him.
Not bothering to wait for a reply, she strides past him to leave. But the man catches her arm with his hand. A different hand than the dirty, narled one he had before. This shocks her, causing her to turn and face the man. It is Shiva. He tells the now dumbfounded Parvati that he has seen her devotion and made sure that it is true. He then asks for her to marry him, her father willing. She is silent, buts slowly melts into a smile before she accepts.
What follows is the rough second half.  It’s not really polished and is highly basic.

Elsewhere
[A wedding, celebration, etc. might be in order. Attended by the gods, with lots of chattering that the savior to kill the demon should be born soon. Would be an interesting scene, and would flow into the next part well enough.]
Random place of the Gods
No name gods are milling about, doing townsy thing, when suddenly the earth shakes violently. Fearing the demon is on the attack, they seek shelter. When the demon does not come, and the shaking dies down, the people are confused.

Abode of Brahma
Various gods are arriving, asking for guidance from Brahma. First the demon, now these violent tremors of unknown origin. Vishnu arrives, and the discussion somehow ends with him and some others going to visit Shiva. Probably they wish to ask about the coming hero, who could also fix whatever new problem they have.

Mt. Kailasa
Vishnu arrives where Shiva meditates, only to find nothing but his devotee followers. He asks them were Shiva might be. To this they cackle. Shiva, they explain, has gone to Parvati’s home to be with her. He’s been there a long while. And then one offers, off-handily and rather crudely, that Shiva is supposed to be a dynamo in bed. To this, Vishnu can only shake his head and take his troop to Parvati’s home.

Abode of Parvati
The group of gods arrive at Parvati’s home. They knock. Shiva and Parvati were going at it, but the knocking interrupts them. Shiva, eventually, answers the door. The group of gods ask, basically, "What's up? Got us a savior kid yet? Is that you making the world shake with your screwing?" It all starts out nice and polite, but ends with Shiva slamming the door in their face, telling them that they're being annoying. The gods take this about as well as can be accepted, but do disperse.
Time passes, still no heir, and the gods are really getting impatient. Everyone is rebuffed, even Vishnu. Finally, Indra sends Agni to find out WHY the pair seem to be screwing so much yet still haven’t gotten Parvati pregnant.
Abode of Parvati
Agni arrives and one of the maidservents lets him in. They giggle and cackle about the viril new master, but tell him to wait. Agni, though, does not. Once they leave him be, he slips through the house to the bedroom. Hearing the goings on inside, he tries to steal a peak through a crack in the door.
Either he bumbles or Shiva is super-perceptive, and Agni is outted. Parvati is shocked and covers herself. However, Shiva is angry as hell. Standing tall and stark naked, he questions what Agni is here for. Agni tells him that the gods are anxious for an heir to save them. The whole time, Agni is trying not to look at Shiva and his naked member, no matter what he does with it. Shiva will have none of it. If the gods want his progeny so damn much, “here, take this!” as Shiva tosses his seed onto the ground.
Agni, after finally looking, tells himself that it is only needing to be Shiva’s child. He collects the seed into a jar. Shiva, finding this also annoying, yells and drives Agni away. He then turns, noting about picking up where he left off.
In Transit
Agni, having taken flight, finds that the jar has become uncomfortably warm. With a testing touch, he finds it burns him badly. Which causes quite a fumble, sending the jar plumeting. Agni races after it, but the river Ganges has swallowed it. He swallows hard, bracing himself for how he will explain this.
Along the River
River spits out the seed from the broken jar, becomes luminous child. Child found by six women. [figure out how the rest of that goes …]
Eventually, the child reaches home. And then, riding a peacock, he challenges Taraka to a duel in his adolescence. And wins.