Goddess of Power and Devotion
Parvati is the goddess of power, love, and devotion, and the consort of Shiva. She is the gentle, nurturing form of the supreme goddess, or Shakti, and her fierce aspects include the warriors Durga and Kali. With Shiva she completes the divine pair whose union sustains cosmic balance.
Her name means "daughter of the mountain" in Sanskrit, from parvata ("mountain"), as she is the child of Himavan, the personified Himalayas. She is also known as Uma and as Gauri, "the fair one."
Parvati won Shiva through unwavering devotion. After the death of his first wife Sati, Shiva withdrew into deep meditation, and Parvati performed severe austerities to draw him back into the world. Their reunion restored fertility to the cosmos. She is the mother of Ganesha, whom she is said to have formed from turmeric paste on her own body to guard her door.
Common Questions
How did Parvati create Ganesha?
She is said to have shaped him from turmeric paste from her own body and gave him life to stand guard at her door.
Are Durga and Kali the same as Parvati?
They are fierce manifestations of the same goddess, the Shakti that Parvati embodies in her gentler, devoted form.
