If One Flower Is Missing

What a beautiful myth about Vaikunth Chaturdashi! It can be treated as a symbol of the improbable fidelity but it is remarkable here that about a loving fidelity of one Hindu god to another, that is about unity between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, that is about One. And there is a divine eye here...

So, according to puranic story, Lord Vishnu has decided to offer one thousand Lotus flowers to Lord Shiva in Kashi. During this ritual, Vishnu repeated Shankar's thousand names: Shivaya namaha, Mahadevaya namaha, Pashupataya namaha... and at every name He bowed and dropped one flower on Shivalinga. When Vishnu uttered the thousandth name, Vishveshwaray namaha, he was dismayed to realize that the thousandth lotus was missing. He was deeply disturbed. He thought for a while, and finally he found the right solution. "They call me kamalnayan (the lotus-eyed), which means that my eyes are like lotus. If I offer one of my eyes to Shankar it won't be too big a loss". He plucked one of his eyes and repeating the name of Vishvanath he dropped it on Linga. "Dhanya, dhanya" (blessed, blessed), said Shankar, "Vishnu, the lotus-eyed, there is no other devotee like you." Shankar embraced Vishnu with great love, and placing his hand on his face, Vishnu's eye was immediately restored to its place.
Since then, on Vaikuntha Chaturdashi, Lord Vishnu is given a special place of honor in the sanctum of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. Shiva and Vishnu are ritually worshipped as though they are worshipping each other. This is true religion, this is Love.

 Om Vishnave Namaha
Om Namah Shivaya