Pārvatī’s Birth

Pārvatī is the daughter of Himavān and Menā, and she is the same Śakti who was once Satī Devī. This account from the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa tells how she came to be born. Brahmā sent Rātri, the night, into the womb of Menā. At Pārvatī’s birth, all the worlds were filled with joy.

Brahmā’s plan

The devas had been beaten by Tāraka. They came to the court of Brahmā in the form of monkeys, and Brahmā received them with kindness. The devas told him all that Tāraka had done. He had taken the Śārvīka Tīrtha on the shore of the great ocean and turned it into a waste. He had taken all the wealth of the devas. He had put daityas in the posts of all the lokapālas (guardians of the worlds). He had made the devas his door-keepers and a thing to laugh at.

Brahmā thought deeply and said:

“This Tāraka cannot be killed by any sura or asura, or by any other living being. The one who can kill him has not yet been born. I myself gave him the vara (boon) that binds us. The only way is the child of Śiva, the great being who will be born from the union of Bhagavān Śaṃkara with Pārvatī. Satī Devī left her body at the yajña of Daksha. She will be born again as the daughter of Himavān. If that Pārvatī can be married to Śiva, the child born of their union will meet the condition of the vara and will kill Tāraka.

“I must now take the next step. I will call Rātri, whom I will need for this.”

The devas bowed and went back to Meru. Brahmā then called Rātri.

Where Rātri came from

The Kaumārika Khaṇḍa says that Rātri is one of Brahmā’s own first-born creations, born from his body. The Kaumārika Khaṇḍa also tells of Satī’s origin. When Brahmā first looked at the primal Ardhanārīśvara form (the form of Śiva as half man and half woman), he was moved. A woman of rare beauty came forth. From her Brahmā then made all the women of the three worlds, and the eleven Rudras as parts of Śiva. This woman was given to Daksha as his daughter and named Satī. Daksha then gave her to Rudra as his wife.

Brahmā now remembered: “I once told Daksha: take this woman as your daughter, and let her guard her father from naraka (hell). That woman, Satī, was the one whom the wicked Daksha, with his mind set on pāpa (sin), insulted when he would not honour Śiva. Because of the insult to Śiva, she left her body, and the yajña of Daksha was destroyed. You know all this. Now she is about to be born as the daughter of Himavān. I must help this birth.”

Rātri came before Brahmā, and he spoke to her in private:

“Rātri! A great task for the devas has come, and only you can do it. Hear my command.

“Tāraka rules without check. He can be beaten only by the child that Śiva will father. First, the woman who was born of Śiva as Satī must be born again as the daughter of Himavān. For this, you must go and enter the womb of Menā, who is the wife of Himavān. After she is born, Pārvatī will have a dark complexion, the dark nature that is yours, because you enter her. Because of this, Rudra will turn her away with neglect when she goes to serve him. This neglect will drive Pārvatī to do fierce tapas (austerity). As her tapas grows, her dark form will leave her body, and that dark form will become Kālī. When Kālī leaves, Pārvatī will lose the dark colour and will appear red and golden. The devas and Pārvatī together will kill Caṇḍa, Muṇḍa and the other daityas. Because of killing them, the dark form will be known in the three worlds as Cāmuṇḍā.

“After Pārvatī does great tapas and Śiva is moved, the two will unite, and their son will kill Tāraka.”

Brahmā praises Rātri

Before sending Rātri, Brahmā praised her cosmic nature at length. The text records her as having these qualities. Rātri is the one who holds all these principles:

  • Prāṇa (life-breath) of all creatures
  • Yoga (spiritual union) of all living beings
  • The final goal of all that is
  • Rati (the urge of love) in those who feel romantic love
  • Prīti (delight) in those who see beauty
  • Kānti (radiance) in those of fair form
  • Śānti (peace) in those who do good deeds
  • The boundary of the ocean, so that the ocean does not pass its limit
  • Līlā (divine play) in those who are graceful
  • Sambhava and sthiti (origin and keeping) of all things
  • Kālarātri, who destroys the eight directions
  • The Rātri of embrace, the joy of loved ones holding each other

“You are Gāyatrī, with Oṃkāra as your face, to those who worship you. Kings worship you as the giver of tejas (radiance) and bala (strength). Merchants worship you for wealth. Śūdras worship you as Śivā. You are the forbearance of ascetics who keep the niyamas (rules). You are the way of those who are righteous. You are the one who works as both sovereignty and its lack.

“O Rātri! Those who worship you with śraddhā (faith) get whatever they wish. This is certain.”

Rātri enters Menā’s womb

Rātri agreed and bowed. She went quickly to the house of Himavān, his own dwelling on the mountain. She saw Menā. Menā had the soft white glow of a blooming lotus. Her form shone a little, and her breast was a little bent with its beauty. Around her were many great healing herbs and the sound of sacred mantras.

Menā’s eyes were beginning to close in the deep night, just before the bhrāmī-muhūrta. This is the early dawn hour sacred to Brahmā. At that moment Rātri entered through the face of Menā. Then she slowly went down into the womb of that Jagadambā (mother of all worlds), the one who was to be the mother of Kumāra. The fair colour of the holy Menā was changed from within.

The birth and the signs

Menā, the dear wife of Himavān, brings good fortune to the world. At the bhrāmī-muhūrta she gave birth to a child of rare beauty. At the moment of Pārvatī’s birth:

  • All creatures, moving and unmoving, were filled with joy everywhere.
  • The minds of cruel beings became peaceful and gentle.
  • The stars and nakshatras shone more brightly.
  • Healing herbs came to the forest, and the forests were enriched.
  • Fruits became tasty and sweet.
  • Flower garlands became fragrant.
  • The sky became crystal clear.
  • The wind had a soft, pleasant touch.
  • All the directions became fair and clear.
  • Śāstras that had been forgotten came back to memory.
  • Sacred tīrthas, pure and auspicious, appeared anew.
  • It was as if Guha (Kumārasvāmi) was being born from the araṇī, the fire-kindling wood. At the birth of Kumāra’s mother, all people gained śraddhā (faith) in satya (truth), dharma, adhyayana (sacred study), yajña, dāna (giving) and tapas, all at once.

The devas in the sky, Vishṇu, Brahmā, Indra, Sūrya, Vāyu and all the others, showered flowers on the house of Himavān. The Maruttas, the forty-nine storm-beings, appeared in heroic forms (vīrakāṃsya) to take part in the great festival. Rivers and oceans from all directions came flowing to the house of Himavān. All who lived near him became worthy to be served and approached by all living beings. After they had enjoyed the festival together, all went back to their own homes.

Sources

  • Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, Chapter 22