Parvathi: Epic Characters of Puranas

By Smt. T. N. Saraswati

Matha Parvathi, the mother of the entire world, is delineated in this book in her three forms- as Sati, Parvathi and Kathyayani. Sati was Dakshabrahma and Prasuti's daughter. Her consort, Shiva, didn't get up to pay respects to her father due to which he was cursed. Getting to know that her father was performing a yagna for which all her sisters were invited, Sati sought Shiva's permission to attend the yajna. As Shiva refused to accompany her, she went alone and as expected, her father insulted her husband. Unable to bear it, Sati entered the sacrificial fire. Shiva lost no time in sending Veerabhadra who not only spoilt the yagna but killed Daksha as well. Later, upon Brahma's request, he brought back Daksha to life who completed the yagna and offered havis to Shiva. Shiva retreated to the Himalayas as he had lost Sati and engaged himself in severe penance.  Parvathi was born to Meena devi and Himavantha. She served Shiva with all devotion so that he would marry her. When he declined, Manmatha was sent to make him fall in love. Shiva was so enraged that his penance had been disturbed that he burnt Manmatha to ashes. In spite of the devas begging him to marry Parvathi, Shiva didn't relent. So she gave up all her royal finery and continued to serve him through severe tapas. She recognized Shiva when he came to her disguised as a Brahmin after which they got married. A divine child, Kumaraswamy, was born to them in course of time. Devendra vested Kumaraswamy with the responsibility of getting the world rid of Tarakasura.  Kathyayini was born of a divine light due to the yogic power of Sage Kathyayana. The purpose of her birth was to destroy the rakshasas as Mahishasura had wrested power over heaven from the devas. She laid a condition to Mahishasura when he desired to marry her – that he must defeat her in battle. A terrible battle ensued in which Kathyayini crushed the marauding Mahishasura with her tender feet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana
• Release date: May 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9789389020540

Book preview

EPIC CHARACTERS OF PURĀNAS

Parvathi

Written by

T. N. Saraswati

Samskritha teacher, Government PU College, Turuvekere

Translated by

Prof. G. S. Mudambadithaya

© Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana, Bengaluru. All rights reserved.

Published by:

Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana

C/o. Bharatha Darshana,

163, Manjunatha Road, 2nd Block,

Thyagarajanagar, Bangalure 560 028,

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ll Sri Ranga Sadguruve namah ll

We joyfully invoke the blessings of the Lord, Purana Purusha to the sacred fourth blossom of Sri Bharatha Darsana and Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana.

The two pioneer publishing organizations have so far brought out the Epic Characters of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha and the ten Great Maharshis the makers our immortal culture, in the form of ten small books each with the sole object of introducing our young boys and girls to veritable storehouse of Indian cultural heritage and by doing so the publishers have endeared themselves to the reading public. Now they have taken up the laudable task of introducing great characters from another branch of literature relating to our culture, called the Puranas.

A purana is a form of literature which delineates vedic principles in the form of history, stories, examples, plays and images, in a simple but interesting style so that even common men can understand and enjoy them. The principles are not presented in a mandatory form, but in a simple form just like the advice given by a friend and that is why it is called Mithrasammitha. Great men are of the opinion that a thorough knowledge of the Puranas is essential to explain the meaning of the Vedas. Ithihasa puranabhyam. Vedam samupa Brhmayeth ll

The puranic literature besides telling us about the original creation, the later subsidiary creation, family history, it also describes the evolution of our great culture.

We get references to puranas in the vedas. We also see parts of some of these puranas in the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. Though they were written at different times, they were collected and edited by sage Vedavyasa and this collected work come to be called Purana Samhita. There are eighteen puranas and the same number of upapuranas. The Purana literature is as wide as an ocean and this great flow has come down to us in three great forms namely Satvik, Rajas and Tamas. Here only a few models have been presented to the reading public. The word Purana has the generally accepted meaning ‘old’ ’Purana prathna, prathna, purathana chiranthana". Though it is very old, it ever fresh presents to