Chapter 28 of 55 · Rudra Samhita - Parvati Khanda · Overall chapter 123 of 464
Parvati Sees Shiva's Form
Parvati delivers a full theological defence of Shiva's nature against every criticism the disguised brahmana has raised, then instructs her friend to drive him away as a sinner who must never be heard criticising Shiva again. At that exact moment, Shiva reveals his true identity, embraces her directly, and formally proposes.
Parvati said
I took you at first for someone else; now I see who you are, and that you cannot be killed. Divinity, I have heard what you said, and none of it is true. Nothing you said is a contradiction: Maheshvara is indeed sometimes seen in such a garb, because the supreme brahman takes these forms in play. You came to me as a brahmachari and tried to deceive me with crooked words and poor arguments. But I know Shiva's own nature, and after thought I will state his tattva. In truth he is the brahman without qualities, though he has reasons to appear with them. How could he have a jati? He is without qualities even though the gunas lie within his atman. Sadashiva is the ground of all learning, so what has the complete paramatman to do with schooling? At the kalpa's beginning Shambhu gave Vishnu the Vedas in the form of his breath. Where is a lord as great? He is the primal being, earlier than anyone, and his age cannot be measured. Prakriti was born from him; he is the cause behind Shakti. Whoever lovingly and constantly worships Shakti and Shankara receives the three Shaktis from the undecaying Shambhu. A creature who worships him becomes fearless and conquers death, and so he is famous in the three worlds as Mrityunjaya. Vishnu is Vishnu by his favour, Brahma is Brahma and the gods are gods by it. When the king of the gods goes to see Shiva he must honour the bhutas who guard the gate, or his crown is knocked with staffs and broken. Being the great lord himself, he needs few supporters. His form is kind, and by serving him one can gain anything. Does Sadashiva want me? Someone poor for seven lives who serves Shankara is served by Lakshmi herself, and the eight siddhis dance before him with lowered faces. How could welfare be hard for him to find? Shankara serves nothing auspicious, yet the moment he is remembered everything auspicious follows, and every wish is met by worshipping him. How could one who never changes ever stumble? If Shiva's auspicious name is always on a person's lips, others are cleansed on merely seeing him. You called the ashes of the funeral pyre impure; why then do the gods rub them on their limbs and wear them? The divinity takes on qualities to create, preserve and destroy the world, but Shiva's true nature has none. How can that be known? Shiva the paramatman is brahman in form, free of gunas, and people who look outward cannot know him. Evildoers, sinners and those who have turned from the gods cannot know Shiva's formless nature. Whoever, not knowing Shiva's tattva, reviles him burns to ash all the merit he has stored since birth. You have reviled Hara of boundless energy, and since I worshipped you I have become a sinner too. On seeing someone who hates Shiva one must bathe in one's clothes and do penance. Wicked one, you said you know Shankara, but no one knows eternal Shiva for certain. Whatever Rudra's form, he is very handsome, and I long for the eternal one, who never changes and is loved by the virtuous. Neither Vishnu nor Brahma nor anyone is equal to the great-souled one, and the other immortals even less; all gods are slaves of time. I have thought this through and learned the true tattva. I came into this forest and perform these long austerities for Shiva, Paramesha Sarvesha, kind to his devotees and gracious to the distressed, and him I want to win.
Brahma said
With that Girija, the mountain king's daughter, stopped, her mind quiet, and meditated on Shiva. The brahmachari began to speak once more, but Girija turned at once to her friend Vijaya, her mind and feelings set on Shiva and wanting no word against him.
Girija said
Friend, hold back this lowest of brahmanas. He means to speak again and will slander Shiva. One who slanders Shiva is a sinner, and one who listens to such slander is a sinner too. Shiva's devotees ought to kill those who slander him; but if the slanderer is a brahmana, they should avoid him and leave the place quickly. This wicked man will abuse Shiva again. As a brahmana he cannot be killed, but we must shun him and never look at him. Let us go from here at once, so that we do not have to talk with this wicked person again.
Brahma said
Sage, Uma had hardly spoken and taken a step when Shiva revealed himself and embraced his beloved. He took the shape that Shivaa had been meditating on. Standing there, he spoke to Shivaa, whose face was lowered.
Shiva said
Where are you off to, leaving me? I will not let you go again. I am pleased with you; ask a boon, for nothing is beyond you. You have bought me with your austerities, and from today I am your servant. I was drawn to you by your beauty and wanted union with you from that moment. Put away your shyness; you are my eternal wife. Girija, Maheshvari, think about it with your good judgement. I tested you in many ways and your mind stayed firm; forgive those offences, for I was following the world's pastimes. In the three worlds I see no beloved like you. Shivaa, in every way I am yours. May your wish succeed. Come, beloved. You are my wife and I your husband, and with you I shall go at once to my home on that excellent mountain.
Brahma said
When the lord of gods said this, Parvati was delighted. She threw aside the hardship of her austerities as one throws away something old. Supreme among sages, all her exhaustion vanished. Whenever the fruits are gained, a being's former exhaustions are destroyed.
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.