Introduction
Parvati is one of the most important goddesses of Hinduism. She is the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, and she is worshipped as the ideal wife and mother, as the goddess of love and devotion, and as a form of the Great Goddess (Devi or Shakti). Her name means "she of the mountain", since she is the daughter of the mountain god Himavan, the personification of the Himalayas.
Parvati has a gentle side and a powerful side. As Parvati and Gauri, she is loving and gracious. In her other forms, such as Durga and Kali, she is a fierce protector who defeats demons. In the Shakta traditions, she is the supreme power that makes the world.
Family
Names and epithets
- Uma, an old name, appears in the Kena Upanishad
- Gauri, "the fair one", and Girija and Shailaja, "born of the mountain"
- Haimavati, "daughter of Himavan", and Aparna, "she who took no leaf" (during her penance)
- Ambika, "mother", and Bhavani, Shivani and Shankari, as Shiva's consort
- Regionally, Meenakshi at Madurai, Kamakshi at Kanchipuram and Annapurna at Varanasi are regarded as forms of Parvati
Origins
In the Rigveda, there is no goddess Parvati by name, but the great goddess appears in several forms. The Kena Upanishad tells of Uma Haimavati, a woman who appears to Indra and reveals the true nature of Brahman. In the epics and Puranas, Parvati becomes the wife of Shiva and a central goddess. In the Shakta Puranas, particularly the Devi Mahatmya and the Devi Bhagavata Purana, she is identified with the supreme goddess.
Birth and marriage
In the Puranic story, Sati, the first wife of Shiva, died at her father Daksha's sacrifice. She was reborn as the daughter of Himavan and Mena. Shiva had withdrawn into meditation and had no interest in marriage. The gods wanted Shiva to have a son who could defeat the demon Taraka, and asked Kama, the god of love, to disturb his meditation. Shiva burned Kama to ashes.
Parvati then took up severe austerity in the mountains, fasting and standing in the cold and heat, and gave up even eating leaves, which is why she is called Aparna. Shiva, pleased and impressed, came to her disguised as a Brahmin and criticised Shiva to test her. She defended him, and Shiva revealed himself and agreed to marry her. Kalidasa's Sanskrit poem Kumarasambhava, "the birth of Kumara", tells this story.
Children and family
Parvati is the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, the two sons of Shiva. In the Puranic story of Ganesha's birth, she made him from the paste of her own body. In Puranic tradition she is also the sister of the river goddess Ganga, as daughters of Himavan. In some regional traditions, such as those of Madurai, Vishnu is her brother, who gives her away in marriage.
Forms
Parvati is the origin of the Navadurga, the nine forms of Durga worshipped during Navaratri. The first of these, Shailaputri, is Parvati as the daughter of Himavan. She is also seen in the half-female form of Shiva, Ardhanarishvara, which unites the male and female principles.
Worship and festivals
- Gauri festivals: in many regions, women worship Gauri for a happy marriage. Gauri Habba in Karnataka and Gauri Puja in Maharashtra are examples, in the same season as Ganesh Chaturthi.
- Teej: women in northern India observe the Teej festivals, especially Hartalika Teej, to commemorate Parvati's penance to win Shiva, fasting for the well-being of their husbands.
- Navaratri: the nine nights celebrate the goddess in her different forms.
Major temples associated with Parvati include the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai and the Kamakshi Temple at Kanchipuram.
Meaning
Parvati is understood as the Shakti, the energy, of Shiva. In this view, Shiva without Shakti is inert, and Shakti is the power through which the world takes form. In devotion, she is the compassionate mother who intercedes with the powerful and remote Shiva on behalf of her devotees.