Who Is Parvati - The Hindu Goddess With Many Names? Article - Personality Development Spirituality Articles

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Who Is Parvati - The Hindu Goddess With Many Names?

A brief information about the Indian most important Goddess - Parvati, a consort of Shiva.

Author: Juraj Sipos

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Parvati is the second wife of Lord Shiva - a reincarnation of Sati, who was the daughter of Daksha. Sati had chosen to marry Shiva, but her father disapproved this because for him Shiva was rather a strange character associated with ash, snakes and ghosts.

One day Daksha held a religious sacrifice and invited all the gods, but not Sati and Shiva. Sati nonetheless came uninvited to look at the sacrifice rituals and after hearing her father's sharp and ridiculing words in direction of Shiva, she threw herself into the ritual pyre. She died.

Parvati was interested in Lord Shiva since her young age. Her marriage to him is described in the Shiva Purana. She actually remembered her previous life as Sati. Some branches of Hinduism (Shaktism) consider Parvati to be the Mother of Universe and the Supreme God.

Parvati - the Shiva's second consort - has many names, which makes the Westerners believe that Hindus have many gods. This is partially a misunderstanding. Adi Shankara collected the most important gods of Hinduism as follows: Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Durga (a different name of Parvati), Surya (Sun god still worshipped in present India), and Shiva's and Parvati's sons - Skanda (war god) and Ganesh (elephant-headed god of wisdom).

Hindus use many names for one god, as they often like to accentuate the God's energy. Most Westerners also misunderstand Kali, but a similar misinterpretation can also be seen in India in the so-called Thugee cult (a practice of ritual murders for Kali, which British colonists obliterated). Kali does not kill anybody except for demons. Kali is the destructive energy of Parvati and her wish is to kill ego, not us. She is therefore depicted with beheaded heads. This symbolizes that her followers, if egoless, are unconditionally accepted. Another meaning of the beheaded heads is that Kali destroys all evil.

Parvati is the Divine Mother and her position in Hindu religion makes shaivism (worship of Lord Shiva) and shaktism (worship of Mother Divine) more complicated than vaishnavism (worship of Lord Vishnu), where Vishnu is the supreme God. Shiva and Parvati also make love, which results in tantra - a special form of worship in which energies meet and form Light (Skanda) and Sound (Ganesh).

The Shakta worshippers ignore caste distinctions. Some scholars and historians think that such an attitude had originated in aboriginal cultures (with matriarchal societies) and Hindus adopted it later. Followers of Shakti are allowed to eat meat and drink wine.

The Mother Divine has several aspects - the Great Wisdoms of Shakti also referred to as Mahavidyas:

Dhumavati, an eternal widow
Bhadrakali, a gentle Kali
Amba or Jagadamba, Mother of the Universe
Annapurna, The One who bestows grains
Sarvamangala, The One who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva)
Bhairavi, a fierce and terrifying form of Shakti
Chandika, Supreme Goddess
Lalita, The One who plays
Bhavani, a fierce aspect of Shakti.

Hinduism is a conglomerate of a variety of opinions of which some may even be in opposition. Therefore, some other names of the Great Wisdoms of Shakti may be found.
In India, the above nine aspects are celebrated in the Navratri Festival where a presiding deity can be Lakshmi (in northern India) or Kali (in Bengal).

Hindus believe in moksha, which is liberation from continuous reincarnation. Contrary to Buddhism, for the adherents of which liberation (nirvana) does not necessarily require absolute submission to gods, in Hinduism moksha is only possible if we approach and surrender to God.

Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) is the oldest religion of the world and Parvati is probably the oldest female deity. Her concept also penetrated to Buddhism. She is the Mother of all peoples.

About Author

Juraj published some books of poetry and lives in Europe. He also writes computer articles (professionally) and studying religions is his hobby.
His website about Hinduism and Hindu Gods and Goddesses:
http://www.freebsd.nfo.sk/hinduism/

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