inspired yoga
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • Yoga & Reiki
    • Yoga Schedule
    • Reiki
    • Tuning Fork Therapy
    • Waiver- Reiki
    • Waiver- Yoga
  • My Book, Meditation CD & Reiki Online
  • End-of-Life Doula
  • Class Themes/Newsletter
  • Picture Gallery
  • Death Cafe Meetings

Sign up to receive my newsletter

Add to newsletter

Parvati: Goddess of Love and Devotion

3/3/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Parvati is a very important Hindu goddess. To comprehend her story, it helps to understand the Shiva/Shakti energy that is frequently brought up in yogic philosophies.  Shiva is the masculine energy, while Shakti is the feminine. All male deities have a female consort or counterpart, in a way providing balance.  Parvati is Shiva's consort.   But before we delve into Parvati's story, we must back up a few eons (!) and first address Sati.

Sati was Shiva's first wife.  She was madly in love with him even as a child and sought to gain his attention and love. When they finally did marry, Sati's father, Daksha, was very upset by this.  Sati's father considered Shiva to be a long haired unorthodox vagabond who did as he pleased without rules and organization.  So after Sati left with Shiva, Daksha threw a big party inviting all Gods and Goddesses and family and friends but purposely did not include Shiva and Sati. (This probably is starting to sound like some modern day families, right?!)  Sati decided to go anyway to try to make amends but when she arrived, Daksha made fun of her and Shiva and defiled her beloved's name.  Sati declared she no longer wanted anything to do with the body Daksha had given her and sat down in defiant meditation.  She raised such an internal fire that her body combusted and burst into flames.  When Shiva heard what had happened, he was inconsolable. He and Sati had been inseparable for eons; their love was so strong.  Shiva went into a very dark place within and, tearing all his hair out, turned his dreadlocks into a fierce warrior named Virabhadra. (This may sound familiar to you yogis...Virabhadrasana is warrior pose.)  Virabhadra went to Daksha and killed him and all at the party.  When Shiva followed soon after, he was upset by the destruction he saw. The Gods asked him to restore Daksha's life so Shiva took the head of a goat and put in onto Daksha's beheaded body thereby bringing him back to life. Daksha was eternally grateful.  But Shiva remained in such a dark way that the Gods began following him around trying to bring him out of his despair.  They tried chants and mantras and finally appealed to Lord Vishnu for help. Vishnu managed to take Sati's body and cut it into 52 pieces, which he then dropped in various places around the world. Today, these are 52 places of pilgrimage for seekers to visit; Earth is recognized as Goddess Sati.  Shiva went into a deep meditation where he finally remembered he and Sati would always be together beyond the physical plain. She came to him and let him know she would return to him as a reincarnation.  Her name would be Parvati.

From the moment Parvati was born, even though a baby, she remembered she was there for Shiva.  When she was of age to marry, her father kept bringing suitors but Parvati rejected them all. She explained that it was her destiny to marry Shiva.  Due to advice of a sage, Parvati's father took her to where Shiva was in deep meditation where they waited for Shiva to open his eyes.  Shiva did not recognize Parvati but agreed she could stay and wait on him.  For days, Parvati did so with devotion but, finally, the other Gods felt she needed help in attracting his attention.  They sent Kamadeva, the God of Love, to strike Shiva with an arrow.  He agreed though knowing the disruption from meditation would greatly anger Shiva.  When Shiva felt the bow, he opened his eyes and, for the first time, saw how beautiful Parvati was. But he felt guilty, as though he was being disloyal to Sati so he sent Parvati away. And in his rage for being tricked by Kamadeva, opened his third eye and Kamadeva burst into flames.

Parvati went to the hills and began to meditate upon her devotion for Shiva.  And years passed.  The sage went to Shiva and told him about Parvati's devotion.  Shiva disguised himself and appeared where she was meditating. When she opened her eyes, Shiva asked about her dedication to Lord Shiva, even making fun of himself. Parvati defiantly defended her love and Shiva suddenly knew she was Sati reincarnated.

Parvati is known as the Goddess of love and devotion, which is easy to understand after knowing her story.  Every other Goddess is a manifestation of Parvati.  For example, Parvati's destructive side is known as Durga.  When she is prayed to for abundance, it is Kali one is praying to.  She has 108 names she goes by. She is the ultimate feminine energy and, without her, Shiva would remain as Shava, meaning corpse (svasana).

Her mode of transportation is the powerful and strong lioness.  She carries with her a fully bloomed blue lotus.  When depicted with Shiva, Parvati has two arms but when shown alone, she may have four or more.  Two of her hands are in abhaya mudra representing fearlessness.

In my opinion, the moral to be taken from this tale is that of how powerful our minds can be.  Sati yogically destroyed herself in a powerful mediation, which was her intended goal;  Shiva caused earthly destruction when in his deep dark meditition (think about how our bad moods effect those around us). And, Parvati, used her deep meditation as a means of devotion to get what she wanted.  The power of your unaccessed mind is beyond imagination.  Isn't it time you tried exploring the amazing power you hold within?


1 Comment
Melinda Deurrutia
7/10/2020 10:46:05 am

Oracle Cards
Thank you, Spirit.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    September 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • Yoga & Reiki
    • Yoga Schedule
    • Reiki
    • Tuning Fork Therapy
    • Waiver- Reiki
    • Waiver- Yoga
  • My Book, Meditation CD & Reiki Online
  • End-of-Life Doula
  • Class Themes/Newsletter
  • Picture Gallery
  • Death Cafe Meetings