Celestial Marriage Shiva and Shakti
There is an interesting legend connected with Mahashivratri, the day Shiva got married a second time to Shakti, his divine consort. Once Shiva and Sati or Shakti were returning from the ashram of sage Agastya, after listening to Ram Katha or the story of Ram. On the way when Shiva saw Rama roaming the forest -in search of Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana he bowed his head in reverence. A surprised Sati inquired of Shiva why he was paying obeisance to a mere mortal. Shiva told her he did so because Ram was the incarnation of Vishnu. But Sati was not satisfied. Then Shiva asked her to go and verify the truth for herself. Sati assumed the form of Sita and appeared befor Ram who recognised her true identity. He asked: Devi! Why are you alone, where's Shiva? Sati realised the truth about Ram. Sita was like a mother to Shiva. Since Sati had adopted Sita's form. her status had changed. Shi va mentally detached himself from her as a wife and Sati was saddened by the change. But she did not leave Mount Kailash; she just stayed on. One day Sati's father Daksha organised a yagna but did not invite his daughter and son-in-law as au Shiva and Daksha had had an altercation in the court of Brahma. But Sati wanted o attend the yagna and she went despite Shiva's advice to the contrary. Once there, Sati felt humiliated - for neither did she receive a warm welcome, nor did Daksha bother to offer sacred prasad to Shiva, who was, of course, not even invited. A grief-stricken Sati jumped into the yagna fire and immolated herself. A furious Shiva began His dance of destruction, the Rudra Tandava, carrying the body of his now dead wife. А perturbed Vishnu, in order to mollify the enraged Shiva, severed Sati's body into 12 pieces and threw them on earth. Wherever the pieces fell, there emerged a Shakti Peetha, including the Kamaroopa Kamakhya in Assam and the Vindhyavasini in UP. Meanwhile, Taraka the demon was ruining the peace of the rishis. The sages predicted that only Shiva's son could kill him. But Shiva could have a son only if he remarried. So Kamadeva, the god of love, was sent to arouse passions in Him but got burnt by Shiva instead. At this time Sati or Shakti was reborn as Parvati. She performed penance to marry Shiva. Persuaded by the sages, Shiva relented. And the marriage was solemnised a day before Amavasya in the month of Phalgun this day is celebrated as Mahashivratri. On this day devotees offer milk, fruits and bel leaves to the lingam. There is a myth behind the bel offerings: Suswar, the hunter, lived near Varanasi. Returning one day from a hunting expedi tion, he lost his way. He climbed a bel tree where he spent the night. Nervous, he kept plucking the bel leaves, dropping them down one by one. Beneath the tree was a Shiva lingam. That night happened to be Shivratri. The hunter had unknowing ly worshipped Shiva on this auspicious day. So, in his next birth, the hunter was reborn as king Chandra bhanu, who is believed to have evolved all rituals con nected with Shiva worship.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are CD Verma views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: CD Verma and Speaking Tree,Times of Indi
Celestial Marriage Shiva and Shakti
There is an interesting legend connected with Mahashivratri, the day Shiva got married a second time to Shakti, his divine consort. Once Shiva and Sati or Shakti were returning from the ashram of sage Agastya, after listening to Ram Katha or the story of Ram. On the way when Shiva saw Rama roaming the forest -in search of Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana he bowed his head in reverence. A surprised Sati inquired of Shiva why he was paying obeisance to a mere mortal. Shiva told her he did so because Ram was the incarnation of Vishnu. But Sati was not satisfied. Then Shiva asked her to go and verify the truth for herself. Sati assumed the form of Sita and appeared befor Ram who recognised her true identity. He asked: Devi! Why are you alone, where's Shiva? Sati realised the truth about Ram. Sita was like a mother to Shiva. Since Sati had adopted Sita's form. her status had changed. Shi va mentally detached himself from her as a wife and Sati was saddened by the change. But she did not leave Mount Kailash; she just stayed on. One day Sati's father Daksha organised a yagna but did not invite his daughter and son-in-law as au Shiva and Daksha had had an altercation in the court of Brahma. But Sati wanted o attend the yagna and she went despite Shiva's advice to the contrary. Once there, Sati felt humiliated - for neither did she receive a warm welcome, nor did Daksha bother to offer sacred prasad to Shiva, who was, of course, not even invited. A grief-stricken Sati jumped into the yagna fire and immolated herself. A furious Shiva began His dance of destruction, the Rudra Tandava, carrying the body of his now dead wife. А perturbed Vishnu, in order to mollify the enraged Shiva, severed Sati's body into 12 pieces and threw them on earth. Wherever the pieces fell, there emerged a Shakti Peetha, including the Kamaroopa Kamakhya in Assam and the Vindhyavasini in UP. Meanwhile, Taraka the demon was ruining the peace of the rishis. The sages predicted that only Shiva's son could kill him. But Shiva could have a son only if he remarried. So Kamadeva, the god of love, was sent to arouse passions in Him but got burnt by Shiva instead. At this time Sati or Shakti was reborn as Parvati. She performed penance to marry Shiva. Persuaded by the sages, Shiva relented. And the marriage was solemnised a day before Amavasya in the month of Phalgun this day is celebrated as Mahashivratri. On this day devotees offer milk, fruits and bel leaves to the lingam. There is a myth behind the bel offerings: Suswar, the hunter, lived near Varanasi. Returning one day from a hunting expedi tion, he lost his way. He climbed a bel tree where he spent the night. Nervous, he kept plucking the bel leaves, dropping them down one by one. Beneath the tree was a Shiva lingam. That night happened to be Shivratri. The hunter had unknowing ly worshipped Shiva on this auspicious day. So, in his next birth, the hunter was reborn as king Chandra bhanu, who is believed to have evolved all rituals con nected with Shiva worship.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are CD Verma views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: CD Verma and Speaking Tree,Times of Indi