Parvati – More Than A Consort

Parvati – More Than A Consort

Shaivite approaches to Hinduism tend to look upon Parvati primarily as the god’s submissive and obedient wife and helpmate. However, Shaktas focus on Parvati’s equality or even superiority to her consort. Take, for example, the story of the birth of the ‘Ten Mahavidyas’ or ‘Wisdom Goddesses’ of Shakta Tantra. This event occurs while Shiva is living with Parvati in her father’s house. Following an argument, he attempts to walk out on her. Her rage manifests in the form of ten terrifying goddesses who block Shiva’s every exit.

As the scholar David Kinsley explains, “The fact that Parvati is able to physically restrain Shiva, dramatically demonstrates the fact that she is superior in power. The theme of the superiority of the goddess over male deities is common in Shakta texts, and so the story stresses a central Shakta theological principle. The fact that Shiva and Parvati are living in her father’s house in itself makes this point, as it is a tradition in most parts of India for the wife to leave her father’s home upon marriage and become a part of her husband’s lineage and live in his home among his relatives. That Shiva dwells in Parvati’s house implies her superiority in their relationship, which is also demonstrated in her ability – through the Mahavidyas – to thwart Shiva’s will and assert her own.”

The Great Disciple

It is not necessary to insist upon Parvati’s ’superiority’ in order to realize the power and value of her teachings. As the scholar Ellen Goldberg notes: The story of Parvati’s efforts to win unity with Shiva, is in itself a most powerful allegory of the sadhak’s quest to merge with the Divine. As a yogini (female yoga adept) and tapasvini (female accomplisher of great austerities), Parvati offers all of her devotees an inspiring model by which to master the intricacies of their sadhana. Goldberg writes: “Parvati (Shakti) is the yogini/ tapasvini par excellence. As a rule, the only necessary requirements for the [yoga] path are: access to teachings; a guru; one-pointed dedication to the practices. Parvati fulfills all three requisites. The hatha yoga tradition clearly affirms that the transmission of oral teachings proceeds directly from Shiva to Parvati. This primeval discourse in turn reflects the prototypical relationship between guru and disciple. As a yogini, Parvati performs her austerities (tapas) dutifully – subjecting herself to strict penance like eating tree bark, standing on one foot and so onto win or unite with her beloved Shiva.” “Her ascetic disciplines prepare her for a progressive ascent through body, speech and mind and lead her via preparatory and purificatory practices, to the higher attainments of yoga realization. Once her karma is dissolved, Parvati, as a model disciple, is drawn into deeper and more subtle forms of meditation, leading to the merging of herself and Shiva in the form and figure of Ardhanariswara.”

Parvati and shiva’s marriage is a happy and full of blissful companionship. Inspired by Parvati’s intelligence and beauty, Shiva became a fountainhead of the arts, dance and drama.

“In this model, active engagement through asceticism or tapas is advocated as the prerequisite for union with Shiva: Parvati takes form as a human disciple (nari), dresses in the clothes of an ascetic, and with matted hair (jata) and modest diet (mitahara), remains in one-pointed tapas. She knows that to effect a union with Shiva and to actively save the world she must perform these tapas.” “Shiva is informed by the devas of Parvati’s effort, and he appears before her as a brahmachari (celibatemonk) who speaks of Shiva’s wrathful nature to test her resolve and commitment. Parvati is steadfast, and Shiva is duly convinced of her one-pointed determination and devotion. He then appears to her as himself and agrees to marry her. Her tapas won-over her self-chosen husband, Shiva. Parvati thereby actively subverts the normative mode of behavior for women (stridharma). In this narrative, Parvati is not an object of sexual desire, rather she is a spiritual heroine who earns her rightful status by the side of Shiva.”