Once upon a time, there was a great Shiva Temple that stood at the edge of a dense forest.

Once upon a time, there was a great Shiva Temple that stood at the edge of a dense forest. This forest was inhabited by a large number of animals but deer were particularly in plenty. A hunter visited this forest daily to hunt deer with his bow and arrow and would sell the meat from his prey and also the skin in the local market. This is how he provided for his family. He had in this manner killed a large number of animals throughout his life.

In the Hindu month of Maagh, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, Mahashivratri is celebrated. This is a very special day or appeasing Lord Shiva. The hunter planned to hunt in the forest on this day too. As he made his way towards the forest, he saw throngs of people near the Shiva Temple. They were chanting "Om Namah Shivai" and performing the ritual bathing of the Lord. Learned scholars were reciting various hymns to glorify Lord Shiva while musicians played various ins instruments. It was a various joyous atmosphere in the temple.

The hunter was not a devotee of Lord Shiva and he found all the excitement to be unwarranted. Afterall, it was just a piece of stone that was being worshipped. Why starve oneself and fast when delicious food could be partaken. This was madness in his opinion. He mockingly started chanting "Om Namah Shivai" and made his way into the forest. Just as he made his way through the large gathering, he unknowingly circumambulated the temple. He then entered the forest.

After roaming in the forest for a long time, he finally came to a pond. A magnificent Bilva tree stood at the edge of the pond. It's branches were spread far and wide and was so dense that not even the sunlight nor the moonlight could reach the forest undergrowth. He reasoned that this was a good a spot as any as some animal or the other would come to have a drink of water. Also, the dense tree branch would help him hide from sight. He climbed up the tree and pearched on a branch with is bow and arrow ready to strike any unsuspecting prey. He was still chanting "Om Namah Shivai". As night fell, it became harder for him to see and he started to pluck the Bilva leaves and dropped them on the ground below. The hunter had not noticed but at the bottom of the tree there was a Shiva Linga that had been installed by Mother Lakshmi. The Bilva leaves were falling on it and it was considered as an offering to Lord Shiva.


Just then a doe (female deer) came to the pond to have a drink of water. She was pregnant and was to give birth at any time. She begged the hunter not to kill a pregnant female and her unborn child. This act would bring great misfortune on the hunter and would be a most sinful and horrific act. The hunter argued that he had many mouths to feed at home but was impressed by the doe's talk of sins and authority over the scriptures. He asked her to explain how she knew all of this. The doe narrated her story:

The doe was the celestial nymph Rambha who was very beautiful and enchanting. She was so beautiful that all the demigods, demons and even ascetics were lusty after her. She eventually grew proud of her beauty and she took to drinking alcohol instead of drinking milk offered to Lord Shiva. She stooped performing Somawar Vrat, Pradosh Vrat and Mahashivratri. She began residing with a demon by the name of Hiranya. He too never worshipped Lord Shiva. One day, Hiranya was out hunting when Rambha felt a desire to have darshan of Lord Shiva. She made her way to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was very angered on seeing her and he cursed her saying that as she had degraded in her conciousness, she must be born as a deer on earth. Her two best friends would be born as deer and also her lover Hiranya. Rambha pleaded with the Lord, she cried and begged for forgiveness. She truly repented her actions. Lord Shiva is very merciful and is easily pleased. He told her that she and her associates would be free of the curse in twelve years.

The hunter was amazed on hearing the story. The doe promised him that she would come back to be his prey after she had delivered her child. If she did not return, she would suffer the fruits of horrible sins. Having promised thus, she left to give birth to her child. The hunter still chanting "Om Namah Shivai" mounted his pearch on the Bilva tree and waited. After some time, a second doe came to have a drink of water. She too asked mercy from the hunter saying that she was desirous of satisfying her husbands desires and would promptly return after doing so. After making the same promise as the earlier doe, she too left and the hunter sat on top of his pearch waiting.

It was now late into the night and the hunter was very hungry. He had not had a drop of water to drink nor had he eaten anything the whole day. He was constalntly chanting "Om Namah Shivai" and offering Biva leaves on the Shiva Linga below the tree. The male deer came to have a drink of water. He too begged for mercy and said that he would reurn after saying farewell to his children and wives. The hunter let him go after he made promises similar to the two deer. It was now early morning. It seemed to the hunter that he would not get any prey. Just then another doe came to the pond. This one begged mercy saying that she was to feed her children and would return once they were fed. The hunter let her go as before.

The night of Shivratri had ended and the hunter had fasted, chanted and offered Bilva leaves to Shiva. He had also shown compassion to God's creatures. The sins that he had committed in previous seven births had been burnt. As promised, at sunrise all the four deer came to see the hunter along with their children to surrender to him. All of them pleaded to be killed before the others. This melted the hunters heart and he started to weep with compassion. He fell at the feet of the deer and begged for forgiveness. Clearly these were no ordinary creatures and were spiritually more advanced than him. He asked them to tell him of the glories of Lord Shiva.

Just then a divine plane from Shiva Loka (abode of Lord Shiva) came to receive all of them. They mounted the plane chanting "Jai Jai Shiva Har Har". All of them took forms similar to Lord Shiva, with ten hands and five heads. All of them then went to Shiva Loka where they were eternally engaged in serving Lord Shiva. Even today the Orion constillation is the hunter who is talked about in this story.