Untitled Document

HINDU GODDESS --- PARVATI.

Parvati is one of the most famous goddess’ in Hinduism, especially in Southern India and Sri Lanka. The Goddess Parvati is the divine consort of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of Destruction. Parvati is the source of all the power in this universe and Lord Shiva gets all of his powers from her. She is the power (Sakthi) of Lord Siva, and it is said that without her Shiva is powerless.

Parvati is also considered the gentle form of Durga, the Divine Mother, and Kali, the Goddess of Destruction. However, she is not different from Dakshayani or Satī, being the reincarnation of the former consort of Lord Shiva. She is also the mother of Ganesha and Subramaniya (Kartikeya). Some communities also believe her to be the sister of Lord Vishnu and many of the believers of Shakta philosophy also consider her as the ultimate Divine.

In many interpretations of the scriptures, Parvati is also regarded as a representation of Shakti the gentle aspect of that goddess because she is a mother goddess otherwise known as Devi .
As the mother of the universe, Parvati is known as Amba and Ambika, which means 'mother'. As Lalita, she represents the aspect of beauty.
Parvati is one of the many forms of Shakti, the feminine energy of the universe. The goddess Parvati is the animating force that brings skill, power, prowess, and genius while she infuses the world with her magic.

Parvati - Form of Shakti

Parvati is believed to be one of the many forms of "Shakti". People take her to be the divine sister of Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga and all other forms of Shakti. Durga (Warrior Goddess) and Kali (Goddess of Destruction) are the two fierce but very powerful forms of Parvati.

Appearance of Goddess Parvati

When shown along with Shiva, Goddess Parvati has only two hands, the right one holding a blue lotus and the left hanging loosely by her side. When represented independently, Parvati is shown with four hands, two hands holding red and blue lotuses and the other two exhibiting the varada and Abhaya mudras.

The Goddess Parvati has a charming personality. Married women adore Parvati for her happy married life. The picture of Lord Shiva, Parvati and their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya depicts an ideal example of family unity and love.

Parvati as Sati or Dakshayani

According to the Puranas, in her first incarnation, Parvati Devi was Sati or Dakshayani, the daughter of Daksa and was married to Lord Shiva. Once, Daksha performed a great yagna or sacrifice and insulted Lord Shiva by not inviting him or Sati. Even then, Sati went to attend the yagna. To her great disappointment, Daksha did not acknowledge her presence and did not offer Prasad for Lord Shiva. Utterly depressed by the treatment meted out to her, Sati ended her life by igniting herself through the fire of yagna.

After the death of Sati, Lord Shiva became very sad and depressed. He renounced the world and went into deep meditation in the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas. Meanwhile, the demons lead by Taraka, rose from the netherworld and drove the devas out of the heavens. The gods sought a warrior who would help them regain the celestial realm. Lord Brahma said, only Shiva can father such a warrior, but he is oblivious of the world.

At the persistence of the Gods, Sati agreed to take a re-birth as Parvati, the daughter of Himavan and Mena. It was only after performing intense austerities that Goddess Parvati succeeded in pleasing Shiva and making him accept her again as his consort.

The Divine Homemaker

With Parvati by his side, Shiva became a family man. Inspired by her beauty, Shiva became the fountainhead of the arts, dance and drama. But he did not abandon his ways as a hermit and continued to meditate. His carefree attitude and his refusal to shoulder household responsibilities sometimes angered Parvati. But then she would come to terms with his unconventional ways and make peace. The consequent marital bliss between Shakti and Shiva ensured harmony between Matter and Spirit and brought stability and peace to the cosmos. Parvati thus became Ambika, Goddess of the household, marriage, motherhood and family.

The Goddess Parvati is regarded as the power and divine consort of Lord Shiva - the Destroyer. Like her consort Shiva, Goddess Parvati is said to have both mild and terrible aspects