Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c27.9

v4.c27.9

Then Silāda and his son Nandi repaired to the former's *āśrama*. There the boy lost his superhuman form and became quite like any ordinary mortal. Though feeling sorry for the change, Silāda performed on his son the usual ceremony such as *upanayana*, when the boy attained the seventh year of age; he soon became well versed in the Vēdas. Some time after, two *rishis* named Mitra and Varuṇa came to the āśrama of the ṛishi Silāda as his guests; these gazed intently at Nandi and perceived through their mental vision that the life of the boy was to come to an end in one year more. They informed this sad news to the father of the boy. The ṛishi and his father Sālaṅkāyana sank in despair on hearing the prognostication of their guests, and swooned. But, Nandikēśvara, though internally perturbed, began to meditate upon Śiva so intently that the latter appeared to him and took hold of him in his arms and threw round his neck the flower garland which was hanging round his own neck. Forthwith the boy was changed into a being endowed with three eyes, ten arms and appearance which exactly resembled Śiva. The latter blessed this metamorphosed Nandi to be free from old age and death and also anointed him as the head of his gaṇas and married him to Suyaśa, the daughter of the Maruts.