As Parvati grew into a young woman, she left her home for the forests and began to perform tapasya (austerities) to please Shiva and inflame his ascetic’s heart. Her austerities are described as surpassing those of all other ascetics in penance. Parvati underwent severe mortifications, chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ throughout. In summer, she built a fire around herself and sat at its centre. In the monsoon, she sat motionless through lashing torrents of rain and hail. In winter, she dug a ditch and filled it with freezing water, which often turned to ice. She stopped eating and stood on one leg for three thousand years. Her tapasya was such that it heated up the world and scorched everyone, scathing the entire Universe. Finally, the dismayed Gods travelled to Mount Kailash and implored Shiva to marry Parvati before the world melted through her intense tapasya. Shiva, who recognized his beloved Sati a long time ago, tested her devotion one last time by sending an attendant to criticize Shiva. Unimpressed by the attendant's scornful words, Parvati retained her single-minded desire for Shiva, which in turn compelled Shiva to reveal himself and marry her. Two thousand years of ecstatic lovemaking followed their union and preceding austerities.
(with apologies to Ramesh Menon)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment