The Strange Courtship :: The divine love :

: The Strange Courtship :: The divine love ::

The marriage of Shiva and Parvati was preceded by a long interval of courtship. It was no ordinary engagement however. The initiative was solely Parvati’s who was spurred on by a dream where she stood by Shiva as his wife. Soon after, by a happy coincidence it so transpired that Shiva stopped nearby on a mountain range to meditate and she went with her father to pay homage. The latter, knowing his daughter’s desire, requested Shiva to permit her to take care of his daily needs while he meditated. Even though Shiva realized this would be an impediment to his pursuits, he agreed on Parvati’s fervent appeal.

Thus did Parvati first gain access to Shiva, and served him as he lost himself in inward contemplation, oblivious to the outside world. A young and charming maiden, alone with the male she adored, the circumstances were just ideal for Kamadeva, the god of love, to make his presence felt, and stoke passion between the two. One day, as she neared Shiva, Kamadeva fired his dart. Shiva immediately opened his eyes, which fell on Parvati, whose beauty affected him for the first time, prompting him to say:

"Is this face or the moon? Are these eyes or petals of a lotus? Is this your nose or the beak of a parrot? Whatever is graceful and sweet in this creation has been incorporated here. There is no woman equal to your beauty in the world."

Shiva was tempted enough to touch her, and Parvati, tantalizing him, withdrew, and a little distance away cast meaningful glances at him. (Shiva Purana: Rudrasamhita III.18)

The lord wondered: "I feel great pleasure on merely seeing her. What pleasure shall I derive in her embrace?" However, he soon composed himself and realized that he had been hit by Kamadeva’s arrow. He looked around for the culprit, and found him perched on a tree nearby. No sooner had he thus perceived the cause of his turbulation than did he open his third eye, the flames from which reduced the god of love to ashes.

Shiva then vanished from the scene leaving a terrified Parvati behind who hurried back to her home. She cursed her excessive beauty, which made her vain enough to think that she could tempt the greatest of all yogis.

‘Just as water and its flavor (rasa) can never exist apart, likewise Purusha and Prakriti never remain disassociated from each other.’ (Bhagavata Purana: 3.27.18)

Parvati’s committed devotion is but a paradigm of the inevitable union between male and female played on the immense plane of supreme divinity. She is the soul of us all searching for god, which is but destined to meet and unite with him.