Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2043

c9.2043

(xi) There is a story in Śānti Parva of Mahābhārata about Śiva's bringing back to life the dead child of a brahmin. The story was told by Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira. The brahmin took his dead child to the burning ghat when a fox asked him to wait at least till dusk to see if the child would regain life. At the same time a vulture, which came there pointed out to the brahmin that the dead never came back to life and asked him to leave the dead body and return home. As advised by the fox and the vulture the brahmin took to the burning ghat and took back from there the dead body of his child. Pārvatī took pity on the brahmin and as requested by her Śiva brought the child to life. The logic and reasoning advanced by the fox and the vulture for their selfish ends is famous under the name Gṛdhragomāyusamvāda.