Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.54

c5.54

In days of old when the whole world was under the single ocean (of the great flood) the sun, the moon, fire, air everything was destroyed and darkness prevailed. All the vegetations were destroyed. All the emotions and non-emotions disappeared. The supreme Lord was sleeping for so many thousands of nights together. At the end of the night he assumed the attribute of ‘Rajoguṇa’ (activity) and got ready to create the universe. From the face of the Supreme Lord and creator of the universes came out Brahmā with five faces. In the same way, Śiva with three eyes and matted hair, and trident and rosary of beads (Elaeo carpus) and with attribute of ‘Tamas’ (darkness—destruction) also came out. Both Brahmā and Śiva were filled with egoism and both began to quarrel with each other. It was a contest as to who was greater. The contest ended in attack. Śiva plucked off the fifth head of Brahmā, when the same face, flushed with anger, scolded Śiva. The head fell into the hands of Śiva, who could not throw it down as it didn’t come off from his hand. Brahmā cursed Śiva and made him polluted. Since Śiva became polluted, his wife Satī also was considered as polluted by Dakṣa. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 2).