PARVATI

'Pārvatī' (Sanskrit: पार्वती), sometimes spelled 'Parvathi' or 'Parvathy', is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is nominally the second consort of Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction and rejuvenation. However, she is not different from Dakshayani or Satī, being the reincarnation of that former consort of Lord Shiva. She is also the mother of Ganesha and Skanda (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 or Durga, albeit the gentle aspect of that goddess because she is a mother goddess otherwise known as Devi . Parvati's other names include 'Umā'^[1], 'Lalita', 'Gaurī'^[2], 'Shivakamini', 'Aparna', the maternal epithet ''Mataji'', and many hundreds of others; the Lalita sahasranama contains an authoritative listing.
''Parvata'' is one of the Sanskrit words for "mountain"; "Parvati" translates to "She of the mountains" and refers to Parvati being born the daughter of Himavan, lord of the mountains. Parvati's parents are ''Himavat'', the personification of the Himalaya mountains, and the apsaras Menā.

Contents

Symbolism

Famous temples

See also

Notes

References

External links

Symbolism

Parvati symbolises many noble virtues esteemed by Hindu tradition. Just as Shiva is at once the presiding deity of destruction and regeneration, the couple jointly symbolise at once both the power of renunciation and asceticism and the blessings of marital felicity. Kalidasa's epic ''Kumarasambhavam'' details with matchlessly lyrical beauty the story of the maiden Parvati; her devotions aimed at gaining the favour of Shiva; the subsequent annihilation of Kamadeva; the consequent fall of the universe into barren lifelessness; the subsequent nuptials, in these circumstances, of the partners of many previous births; the immaculate birth of Subrahmanya and the eventual resurrection of Kamadeva after intercession by Parvati to Shiva in his favour.
Parvati thus symbolises many different virtues esteemed by Hindu tradition: fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism and power. It is said in the Saundarya Lahari, a famous literary work on the goddess, that she is the source of all power in this universe and that because of her, Lord Shiva gets all his powers. She is occasionally depicted as half of Lord Shiva.

Famous temples

Some of the famous temples where Parvati forms are predominantly worshipped include,

★ Meenakshi temple at Madurai in Tamilnadu, India

★ Kamakshi Amman temple at Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu, India

★ Akilandeswari temple at Thiruvanaikaval in Tamilnadu, India

★ Visalakshi temple at Banaras,Uttar Pradesh,India

See also

★ Hindu goddess

Notes

1. "Uma." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.

2. "Gauri." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.

References

★ ''Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions'' (ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley

External links

★ Devotional hymns and eulogies on Parvati

★ Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology with stories from the Puranas