Parvati
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- This article is about the Hindu goddess. For the Harry Potter character, see Parvati Patil.
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Pārvatī (Sanskrit: पार्वती), sometimes spelled Parvathi or Parvathy, is a Hindu goddess. She is the wife of Lord Shiva and the divine mother of Lord Ganesh and Lord Murugan. Some communities also believe her to be the divine sister of Lord Vishnuwho is married to Lakshmi and many of the believers of Shakta philosophy also consider her as the divine God above all the other gods. 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 other wise known as Mata Devi . Parvati's other names include Uma, Lalitha, Gowri, 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. Parvati is nominally the second consort of Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction and rejuvenation. However, she is not different from Dakshayani, being the reincarnation of that former consort of Lord Shiva.
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[edit] 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 Lahiri, 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.
[edit] Famous temples
Some of the famous temples where Parvathi forms are predominantly worshipped include,
- Meenakshi temple at Madurai
- Kamakshi Amman temple at Kanchipuram
- Akilandeswari temple at Thiruvanaikaval
 Shiva and Parvati with Ganesh |
 The divine couple as a symbol of fertility and marital felicity |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions (ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley
[edit] External links
- Devotional hymns and eulogies on Parvati
- Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology with stories from the Puranas
- Pachaivazhiamman Koil, Ariyankuppam, Pondicherry
- Temples in and around the Pondicherry
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda | |
