Once Daksha performed a sacrifice. He invited everyone except Lord Shiva. Seeing Parvati upset about this, Lord Shiva decided to visit Daksha and destroy the sacrifice! The sacrifice became scared and assumed the form of a deer and tried to fly away. As soon as Shiva saw the sacrifice escaping, he chased after it with a bow and arrow. Shiva became angry when he could not catch it and a drop of sweat appeared on his forehead. When the sweat fell on earth, it appeared like the fire that occurs during dissolution of earth! Out of that fire emerged a very short being with red eyes and a green beard. It's body was covered all over with hair and it stood erect. That being then started consuming the sacrificial fire. After consuming the fire, it started chasing the gods. Agitated, Brahma asked Lord Shiva to calm down and that he too would be given a portion of the sacrifice. He also said that the being would walk among the creatures of the earth in the form of fever. But since its energy was very intense, it would have to be divided. Shiva agreed and divided its energy into many parts. It was divided as the heat in the head of elephants, bitumen of mountains, the moss that floats on water, the slough of snakes, the sores that appear on the hoofs of bulls, the barren tracts of earth full of saline matter, the dullness of vision of all animals, the diseases in the throats of horses, the crests that appear on the head of peacocks, the eye disease of cuckoo, the liver disease of sheep and hiccup of parrots. Among men it appears at all times from birth till death.
PS: It is mentioned that the person who reads this story with rapt attention and a cheerful heart shall become free from disease and be happy. (From MokshaDharma Parva of Mahabharata)
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