Reading Notes: Shiva Parvati, A Story of Divine Love

• Starts with Death of Shiva's first wife Sati, who was embarrassed of her fathers hatred for Shiva 
• Parvati daughter of Mountain King, Himavat and Heavenly Nymph Menaka
• Parvati was Sati reborn but to a father who she could be proud of and who would be proud of her
• Prophesied to marry Shiva but father was nervous Shiva would accept because he only had love for Sati
• Himavat sends Parvati and friends to serve Shiva with is meditation rituals sure that the prophesy will come true and Shiva will fall in love with Parvati
• She loves servind Shiva even when her friends grow tired of it.  She goes above and beyond to serve him.
• The Brahma tells the worried gods, led by Indra, that the first son of Parvati and Shiva will be the War- Lord that will kill Taraka who is terrorizing them.
• Indra goes to Kama the God of Love to help Shiva fall in love with Parvati
• Kama shot Shiva with an arrow to fall in love with Parvati, but Shiva regained his emotions and grew in anger when he saw Kama- burnt Kama too ashes with his glance
• Kama's love, Rati is grief stricken and desires to die but a heavenly voice tells her that surely Shiva and Parvati will marry and Kama will come back on their wedding day
• Parvati decides that her beauty may not win Shiva's love but her penance and devotion will
• Parvati rid herself of everything, no jewels or fancy clothing, and lived in solitude and penance in the valley, in complete devotion to Shiva (Hermits watcher her devotion)
• She fasted for weeks "I will subsist on your name resting on my lips"
• Did this for years
• her beauty remained even though she was putting her body through so much 
• Hermit insults Shiva when he finds out Parvati is doing all of this for him "It takes a great soul to know a great soul"
• The hermit gets angry and blocks Parvati from leaving
• Hermit turns into Shiva
• Parvati won Shiva over! he vows to be her slave
• Parvati still makes Shiva ask her father for her hand in marriage
• Child is born and multiple claims are placed on it until Shiva and Parvati come to claim their child

(The Divine Family, Shiva, Parvati, Kartikeya and Ganesh.  Found on Wikipedia Commons.)

Bibliogrpahy:

Shiva Parvati: A Story of Divine Love, Amar Chitra Katha, Reading Guide.