Maa Parvati is the Shakti aspect of the Mother Goddess, she forms the trinity of Hindu Goddesses along with Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth and prosperity) and Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of learning and knowledge). This gentle and nurturing aspect of Maa Shakti is Goddess Parvati. Maa Parvati who is the wife of God Shiva and also called by 108 different names in scriptures of Sanatana dharma.
Maa Parvati – the Shakti aspect of the Mother Goddess
Devi Parvati is known by many names, as daughter of King Himavat Parvat she is known as Parvati, as Nagaja, Shailaja, Adrija or Shailaputri (Daughter of the Mountains), Haimavathi (Daughter of Himavan), Girija or Girijaputri (Daughter of the King of Mountains). The Lalitha Sahasranama contains a list of 1000 names of Parvati as Goddess Lalitha Parmeshwari. Parvati was earlier born as Sati and in the Harivamsa she is referred to as Aparna (One Who Took No Sustenance) and Uma (Tranquillity, Bright, Mother, Lady of the Mountains), Ambika (Dear Mother), Mata (Revered Mother), Maheshwari (Great Goddess), Bhairavi (Ferocious), Shivaradni (Queen of Shiva), Bhavani (Fertility and Birthing or Wife of Bhava or Shiva), Durga (Invincible), Kamakshi (Goddess of fertility), Annapurna (Goddess of Food and Nourishment), Gauri (Fair One), Kali or Shyama (Dark One), Eshwari (Wife of Ishwara), Sarvamangala (Source of all Auspiciousness) and many other names.
Shiva Parvati
She is the regarded as the goddess of fertility, love, beauty, marriage, children and devotion as well as divine strength and power. She represents the power and re-creative energy of God Shiva and symbolizes the Prakriti aspect or the primal cause of all action and bondage that connects all beings.
Sati Shiva
Goddess Parvati in her past life was Sati, the daughter of Daksha, who self-immolated herself as her father had insulted her husband Lord Shiva and she could no longer bear the ignominy and disrespect her father heaped on her and her husband. She was later reborn as Goddess Parvati.
Devi Parvati’s Penance
The King of the Himalayas was King Himavat and his wife was Menadevi. They wished to have a daughter with beauty, character and wisdom hence both of them propitiated Goddess Shakti. Their wish was granted and Menadevi gave birth to a beautiful child. She was named Parvati and the first name she is said to have uttered was the name of Shiva. As she grew up she would be absorbed in thoughts of God Shiva and would worship him on the sandy banks of the river Ganga. She soon grew up to be a graceful, pure and beautiful young woman.
Maa Parvati’s story is about the hard work, worship, belief and devotion that how she practiced hard penance to get God Shiva as her husband, and how Mahadev Shiva himself tested Goddess Parvati multiple times. So once upon a time when Devi Parvati was doing penance to get God Shiva as her husband, then all the other Gods asked God Shiva to make her wish come true and give Devi Parvati a boon for her austere penance. God Shiva then sent seven sadhus to tell all bad things about Shiva to Devi Parvati, but the goddess accepted all and still was devoted to marry God Shiva. God Shiva felt that he himself should test her. Disguised as a Brahmin youth he approached her and tried to dissuade her by criticising Shiva’s appearance and demeanour. But Devi Parvati was furious and could speak only sweet and gentle words about Shiva. Finally moved by her love and devotion, Shiva agreed to marry her. Much like every man who wants his future wife to have some qualities based on which they choose a life partner, similarly God Shiva tested Devi Parvati and gave a boon to Devi Parvati.
God Shiva sent the Saptarishis with his proposal to King Himavat who joyfully accepted. He sent for Vishwakarma, the Divine architect who built a beautiful marriage assembly hall where the wedding of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati was performed with great magnificence and glory. The Gods rejoiced at this noble event and later Kartikeya and Ganesha were born.