Nandi is described as the son of the sage Shilada. Shilada underwent severe penance to have a boon– a child with immortality and blessings of Shiva, and received Nandi as his son.
Shiva Purana says that Nandi was born from a
yajna performed by Shilada. Nandi grew up as an ardent devotee of Shiva and he performed severe penance to become his gate-keeper, as well as his mount, on the banks of river
Narmada. According to
regional legend, this site is identified with the Tripur Tirth Kshetra in present-day Nandikeshwar Temple, in
Jabalpur,
Madhya Pradesh. According to
Shaiva Siddhanta, Nandi is considered to be chief among the
Siddhars, initiated by
Parvati and
Shiva. He is regarded to have passed on what he had learned to his eight disciples, namely, the
Four Kumaras,
Tirumular,
Vyagrapada (also known as Pullipani),
Patanjali, and Sivayoga Muni. They were sent out in eight different directions to spread his wisdom. His teachings are held by the
Nandinatha Sampradaya, a line of
gurus who claim descent from Nandi. Many
Puranic legends are available about Nandi. One describes his conflict with
Ravana, the antagonist of the
Ramayana. Nandi cursed Ravana, the
rakshasa king of
Lanka, that his kingdom would be burnt by a forest-dweller monkey (
vanara), since he behaved in a restless manner, just like a monkey, while waiting to meet
Shiva. Later,
Hanuman burned Lanka when he went in search of
Sita, who was imprisoned by Ravana in the grove called the
Ashoka Vatika. The ancient Tamil text
Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam mentions another story in which Nandi is incarnated as a whale. According to this legend, Parvati lost her concentration while Shiva was explaining the meaning of the
Vedas to her. Parvati, then incarnated as a fisher-woman to atone for her lack of concentration. To unite his master and his beloved-wife, Nandi took the form of a whale and started to trouble the people.
Parvati's father declared that the man who would kill the whale would marry his daughter. Later, Shiva took the form of a fisherman and killed the whale, and received Parvati in her previous form. The
Cham Hindus of Vietnam believe that when they die,
Nandi takes their soul to the holy land of India from Vietnam. == Iconography ==