Shiv Puran Rudra Samhita, Parvati Khanda: Parvati's Penance and the Divine Wedding

The Parvati Khanda is the sweetest part of the Shiv Puran. The prayer with which Sati gave up her body is fulfilled: she is born as Parvati, daughter of the Himalaya, wins Shiva again through penance, and their marriage saves the gods.

Himavan, Mena and Parvati's birth

Himavan, king of the mountains, married Mena, daughter of the Pitris. Mena and her sisters had once been cursed for disrespecting the sages led by Sanaka, but the curse turned into a blessing: Mena would become the mother of the Mother of the universe. Himavan and Mena worshipped the goddess, and she was born as their daughter, named Parvati, daughter of the mountain, also called Uma, Gauri and Shailaja.

Narada's prophecy

One day Narada visited Himavan's home. Reading Parvati's palm he said her husband would be a yogi, naked, without attributes, of inauspicious appearance. Mena was distressed, but Narada explained that these are the marks of Lord Shiva, and marriage to Shiva would be the highest fortune. From then on Shiva lived in Parvati's heart. With her father's permission she served Shiva, who sat in meditation, but he did not wake from samadhi.

Tarakasura's boon

Meanwhile the asura Tarakasura performed severe austerities and asked Brahma that he could be killed only by a son of Shiva, knowing that Shiva, grieving for Sati, was absorbed in meditation and would not marry. With this boon he conquered the three worlds and drove the gods from heaven. Brahma told the gods that the remedy lay only in Shiva's marriage to Parvati.

The burning of Kamadeva

At Indra's request Kamadeva went, with his wife Rati and his friend Spring, to awaken love for Parvati in Shiva's heart. When Parvati came to worship Shiva, Kama shot his flower arrow. Shiva's mind stirred for a moment and he looked to see who had done this. Seeing Kama, he opened his third eye in anger, and its fire burned Kama to ashes.

Rati wept. At the gods' prayer Shiva said Kama would live without a body, as Ananga, in every mind, and in the Dvapara age would take a body again as Pradyumna, son of Krishna. Then Shiva vanished from that place.

Parvati's penance

Parvati understood that Shiva would be won not by outward beauty but by penance and love. Though her mother tried to stop her ("U ma", "oh, don't", which gave her the name Uma), she went to the forest. She lived first on fruit, then only on leaves, and finally gave up even leaves, which is why she is called Aparna. She stood among fires in summer and in water in winter for thousands of years, until her austerity heated the three worlds.

Shiva's test

Shiva first sent the seven sages, who spoke ill of him to shake her, but she did not waver. Then Shiva himself came disguised as an old brahmachari and said: "Why should a princess as lovely as you do penance for Shiva, who lives in cremation grounds, smears himself with ash, wears snakes, rides a bull, and whose parents and lineage no one knows?"

Parvati answered angrily: "You do not know Shiva. He is the origin of all; who can ask his lineage? Both the one who speaks ill of him and the one who listens share the sin. I will leave this place." As she turned to go, Shiva appeared in his true form and said, "I am won by your penance and love; I am yours."

Preparations and the wondrous procession

Shiva sent the seven sages to Himavan with the proposal of marriage. Himavan and Mena rejoiced, and the date was fixed. Shiva's wedding procession was astonishing: on one side Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and all the gods, on the other ghosts, spirits, goblins and Shiva's attendants of strange forms. Shiva himself was smeared with ash, clad in tiger skin, adorned with snakes, with the Ganga and the moon in his matted hair, riding the bull.

Seeing this, Mena fainted and refused the marriage. Narada and the gods reasoned with her. At Parvati's prayer Shiva took a form of surpassing beauty, more charming than a million Kamadevas, and Mena gladly agreed.

The wedding of Shiva and Parvati

With Vedic mantras, Brahma presiding as priest, Himavan placed Parvati's hand in Shiva's. The gods showered flowers. At the farewell Mena and Himavan wept as they sent their daughter away, and Shiva brought Parvati to Kailash. At Rati's prayer Shiva also blessed Kamadeva.

What this section teaches

• True love rests on qualities, not appearance; Parvati chose Shiva's essence, not his outward form.
• Firm resolve and penance make even the impossible possible.
• One should not even listen to slander of someone one loves.
• Respect for both families and parents' consent matter in marriage; Shiva even changed his form to win Mena's heart.