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Siva and Parvati

O Devi! all auspicious one, giver of success and prosperity, we bow to Thee! Shower peace
and amity on this earth and protect us ever more by Your kind compassion at a glance!
The daughter of the king of Parvatas, Himavan is Parvati. She is the wife or Sakti of Lord
Siva. She is the matrix of the universe. She is the revealer of Brahman. She is not only Loka-Mata or
World-Mother but also Brahma-Vidya. One of Her names is Sivajnana-Pradayini. She is also called
Sivaduti, Sivaradhya, Sivamurti and Sivankari.
The grace of Devi is an indispensable factor for the attainment of God-realisation. Parvati or
Sakti is all-in-all. You must rouse the Sakti by Yoga. Then the grace of Sakti will lead you to

God-realisation and the attainment of the final emancipation and the achievement of infinite,
eternal supreme bliss.
The glorious story of Parvati is related in detail in the Mahesvara Kanda of the Skanda
Purana. Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, the son of Brahma, was wedded to Lord Siva.
Daksha did not like his son-in-law on account of His queer form, strange manners and peculiar
habits. Daksha performed a sacrifice. He did not invite his daughter and son-in-law. Sati felt the
insult and went to Her father and questioned him. He gave Her a displeasing reply. Sati got enraged
at this. She did not want any more to be called his daughter. She preferred to offer Her body to fire
and to be born again as Parvati to marry Siva. She created fire through Her Yoga’s power and
destroyed Herself in that Yogagni.
Lord Siva sent Virabhadra. He destroyed the sacrifice and drove away all the Devas who
assembled there. The head of Daksha was cut off and thrown into the fire. Lord Siva had a goat’s
head stuck to the body of Daksha at the request of Brahma.
Lord Siva repaired to the Himalayas to do austerities. Asura Taraka had a boon from
Brahma that he should die only at the hands of the son of Siva and Parvati. Therefore the Devas
requested Himavan to have Sati as his daughter. Himavan agreed. Sati was born as Parvati, the
daughter of Himavan. She served Lord Siva during His penance and worshipped Him. Lord Siva
married Parvati.
Narada proceeded to Kailasa and saw Siva and Parvati with one body, half male, half female
in the form of Ardhanarisvara. He wanted to see their play at dice. Lord Siva said He won the game.
Parvati said that She was victorious. There was a quarrel. Siva left Parvati and went to practise
austerities. Parvati assumed the form of a huntress and met Siva. Siva fell in love with the huntress.
He went with her to her father to get his consent for the marriage. Narada informed Lord Siva that
the huntress was Parvati. Narada told Parvati to apologise to Her Lord. They were reunited.
Siva assumed the form of Arunachala hill as a Linga. He subdued the pride of Brahma and
Vishnu who were quarrelling as to their relative greatness. Arunachala is a Tejolinga. Parvati saw
Siva as Arunachala-Isvara. Siva took Parvati back to His side and made Her again Ardhanari.
Asura Taraka greatly oppressed the Devas. Mahi-Sagara-Sangama-Kshetra was his capital.
Lord Subrahmanya, the second son of Parvati, killed the Asura on the seventh day after his birth.
Parvati created a child with the face of an elephant for Her pleasure. He was Lord Ganesa.
He was made the Lord of all creatures to remove their obstacles. One day Lord Siva offered a fruit
saying that it would be given to that child who would go round the world first. Lord Subrahmanya
proceeded on a tour round the world. Lord Ganesa went round His father Siva, the Maha Linga who
enveloped the whole universe, and got the fruit.
Parvati had a dark skin. One day Lord Siva playfully referred to Her dark colour. She was
much touched by Siva’s remark. She went to the Himalayas to perform austerities. She attained a
beautiful complexion and came to be called Gauri. Gauri joined Siva as Ardhanarisvara by the
grace of Brahma.

One day Parvati came behind Lord Siva and closed His eyes. The whole universe lost life
and light. Siva asked Parvati to practise austerities in order to make amends for Her folly. She
proceeded to Kanchi (Kanjivaram) and did rigorous penance. Lord Siva created a flood. The Siva
Linga which Parvati was worshipping was about to be washed away. She embraced the Linga. The
Linga remained there as Ekambaresvara. She remained there as Kamakshi for the welfare of the
world.
Parvati ever dwells with Siva as His Sakti. She is the Divine Mother of this universe. She
sheds wisdom and grace on Her devotees and makes them attain union with Her Lord. Salutations to
Parvati and Siva, the real Parents of all beings.