Story number 29

Yama and Shiva

There was once a great sage who was a devout worshiper of Shiva, and his praises so pleased the god that he offered him a choice of boons; he would give him either a son who was incredibly brilliant and gifted but who would not live long, or a son who would be dull-witted but who would have a long life. The sage chose for his son to be brilliant, and soon he welcomed a son named Markandeya. Markandeya, though destined to die on his sixteenth birthday, still praised Shiva constantly throughout his entire life, and was praying to the god on the very day of his death; Yama's servants were afraid to disturb him while he prayed to the god of destruction, and so they returned to their master and explained that they could not kill him. Yama rose up to the world himself to collect the boy's soul, but as he reached to throw his noose around Markandeya's neck, he stumbled and accidentally threw it about the neck of the statue of Shiva the boy was praying to instead. Incensed by what he perceived as an attack against him, Shiva erupted out of the statue and battled Yama until he slew him. Seeing this, the other gods were distraught, for no more men or beasts on the earth could die and soon chaos reigned. They begged Shiva to forget his rage and bring Yama back to life, which he eventually agreed to; his anger appeased, he resurrected the death god but made him promise not to take the devout boy to the realm of the dead, granting Markandeya eternal life for his devoted service.

(The Video is Taken from Worlds Apart - Red Thread. Performed by 3rd year BA World Performance, East 15 Acting School. Choreographed by Amber Tuke and Hannah Baird. Dancers: Hannah Baird, George Boundy, Josephine Papworth, Dannie Pye, Alice Osmanski, Katie O'Connor. Storyteller: Tanya Dunford)