Parvati's Austerities

Brahma said

Divine sage, after you left, Parvati, happy in mind, thought that Hara could be won through austerities, and resolved to perform them. She called her two friends, Jaya and Vijaya, and sent them to ask permission of her father and mother. They went first to her father, Himalaya, lord of mountains, bowed, and humbly asked him.

The two friends said

Himalaya, hear what your daughter has said. She wishes to do what will make her body, her beauty and her lineage successful. That can be done through austerity, and we see no other way. Best of mountains, give her leave now. Affectionately allow Girija to go to the forest to perform austerities.

Brahma said

Supreme among sages, so the two friends asked. The king of mountains thought long over what Parvati had said, and answered.

Himalaya said

This appeals to me. If it appeals to Mena too, nothing could be better. It will certainly bring success to our family. If the mother also agrees, what could be more auspicious?

Brahma said

Hearing the father's words, and with his leave, the two friends went next to the mother. They bowed, joined their hands and affectionately reported Parvati's words.

The two friends said

Queen, mother, we bow to you. Listen to your daughter's words, and if you are pleased, act on them. Your daughter wishes to perform supreme austerities for Shiva. She has her father's permission and now asks yours. Devoted wife, she wants to make her beauty successful. If she has your leave she will torment herself in austerities.

Brahma said

Lord among sages, so saying, the two friends fell silent. Mena, distressed, did not agree. So Parvati herself spoke to her mother, with joined hands and humility in her mind, remembering Shiva's lotus feet.

Parvati said

Mother, in the morning I will leave to perform austerities and win Maheshvara. Give me leave to go to the forest where austerities are done, for the sake of austerity.

Brahma said

Hearing her daughter, Mena was miserable. The virtuous lady was downcast and called her daughter close.

Mena said

Daughter, Shivaa, Parvati, if you are unhappy and wish to torment yourself with austerities, do them at home. Do not go out. Where will you go for austerities? All the gods are in my house. All the tirthas and many kinds of kshetras are here. Daughter, do not commit this rash act. You should never go outside. What did you accomplish earlier, and what will you accomplish now? Child, your body is delicate and austerities are great and hard. So do not go out to do them. We have never heard of women going to hermitages to fulfil their wishes. Daughter, do not wish to leave and do austerities.

Brahma said

The mother held her daughter back in many such ways, but without worshipping Maheshvara she felt no joy. Because Mena kept her from going to the forest for austerities, Shivaa then got the name Uma. Mena, beloved of the mountain, learned that Shivaa was miserable, and so, sage, told Parvati she might go and do austerities. Supreme among sages, the one excellent in her vows won her mother's leave. Remembering Shankara, Parvati felt great happiness. Delighted, Shivaa bowed to her mother and father, remembered Shiva, and with her two friends prepared for austerity. She resolved to put aside her many varied garments. She quickly put on bark and tied a beautiful girdle of munja grass, gave up her necklace and wore excellent deerskin. To perform austerities she went to Gangavatarana.

On the Himalayan slope Gangavatarana was the place where Shambhu had meditated and burned the mind-born one. That slope of the Himalaya was seen to be empty of Hara. Son, Kali Parvati, mother of the universe, stayed there. It was the place where Shambhu had earlier tormented himself with extremely hard austerities. She stayed there a while, suffering the pangs of separation. Shivaa, the mountain's daughter, wept, "Alas, Hara!" and lamented in great misery, her thoughts full of that grief. After a long time Parvati took hold of her fortitude and put away her confusion. Himalaya's daughter consecrated herself for the niyamas. She performed austerities in the great, excellent tirtha called Shringi, which because of her austerities came to be known as Gouri-Shikhara. Sage, Shivaa planted many beautiful trees there so that she could test the fruits of her austerities. The beautiful one purified the ground and made an altar. She began austerities hard even for sages. She controlled her senses with her mind and performed supreme austerities there. In summer, day and night, she kept a fire burning around her and in the midst of it constantly did japa of the mantra. In the rains she sat properly on bare ground, on the mountain slope, constantly drenched by downpours. In winter she stayed in the water with devotion, even when there was ice, even by night, and she fasted. So she kept her austerities, doing japa of the panchakshara mantra. Shivaa meditated on Shiva, who grants everything desired. Every day, whenever she had a chance, she and her friends tended the trees she had planted as if they were guests. Cold winds, rain, unbearable heat and much else she bore with an excellent mind. There were many hardships but she disregarded them. Sage, her mind was fixed only on Shiva. In the first year she ate only fruit, in the second only leaves. So, step by step, Devi spent an immeasurable number of years in austerity. Shivaa, Himalaya's daughter, gave up even leaves, and engaged in austerity without eating anything. Because the mountain's daughter gave up even leaves as food, the gods named Devi Aparna. Parvati stood on one leg and remembered Shiva, performing those great austerities with japa of the panchakshara mantra. She wore tattered bark and had masses of matted hair. With her mind fixed on Shiva she surpassed even the sages in austerity. Doing austerities and thinking of Maheshvara, Kali spent three thousand years in that hermitage.

At that spot Hara had tormented himself in austerity for sixty thousand years, and Shivaa thought of this: "Does Mahadeva not know the niyamas I follow now? Have I not followed his path for a long time? In custom, in the Vedas and in the chants of the sages, Girisha Shankara is always said to know everything. He is in all atmans and sees everything. He is the divinity who gives every kind of prosperity and knows every sentiment. He always grants whatever a devotee desires and destroys every hardship. I have cast aside all desire and devoted myself to Vrishadhvaja. Let Shankara therefore be pleased with me. In devotion and by the rules I have always done japa of the panchakshara mantra Narada told me of. Let Shankara therefore be pleased with me. I have been without transgression and devoted to Shiva Sarveshvara, as I was told. Let Shankara therefore be pleased with me." As she tormented herself with those austerities for a very long time, she thought like this constantly. Her face was turned down and she was without transgression, in bark and matted hair, in austerities hard even for sages. Remembering what she had done, men were filled with great wonder. They gathered reverently and thought themselves blessed to have witnessed it, and held it up as a model for instruction: "It is said that benefit comes from following the path of dharma shown by seniors and the great. There are no fixed measures for austerities. The learned always revere every act of dharma. Having seen and heard of these austerities, who else will take up austerity? In this world there have been none to surpass them, nor will there ever be." Talking so, all of them, even those with hardened bodies, greatly praised Shivaa's austerities, and happily went to their own homes.

Maharshi, now hear the great power of her austerities. Parvati Jagadamba performed great, wonderful, supreme austerities. Creatures naturally hostile to one another, when they came to her hermitage, always lost their natural enmity by her power. Lions and cows were always full of love for each other and by her greatness did not harm each other. Best of sages, the same was true of cats and rats: though natural enemies, they never showed any aggression there. The trees were full of fruit and there was grass of many kinds. Supreme among sages, many kinds of flowers always bloomed in that forest, which came to resemble Kailasa. They took these forms through the success of her austerities.