Parvati's name in Sanskrit means: ' She of the Mountains'. She is the daughter of the mortal Himavat, King of the Himalayas and Mena, a celestial dancing spirit of the clouds. Parvati is the physical and spiritual Hindu feminine ideal. She is eternally the beautiful, self-sacrificing young woman, who through the force of will, brought Shiva out of his mystic world into the worldly human realm; but in true Hindu duality, she also the multi armed, black skinned slayer of demon kings. In this aspect she is known by names such as Durga and Kali.Though immensely powerful in her own right, Parvati's central role is as the embodiment of Shiva's creative power or shakti. In this role she calms his destructive extremes thereby maintaining cosmic order or dharma in the universe. In the Chola tradition, Parvati after marriage is known as Shivagami - wife of Shiva; as a mother - Boga Shakti. |
