Goddess Parvati is one of the main Hindu Goddesses in Hindu Mythology. She’s the wife of Lord Shiva and she is mainly referred to as the Hindu Goddess of Love.
As I always explain, a Goddess (Devi) or a God (Deva) can be manifestations of other deities in Hinduism. It also happens with her. She is considered a manifestation of Shakti, the primordial female Deity, and also a reincarnation of Sati, the first wife of Shiva.
It’s also common to read that Parvati manifests her anger as Goddess Durga and/or Goddess Kali. In some cases, it’s also common to consider Ugra Tara (violent Tara) as one of her manifestations.
You can watch me explaining about Parvati and also subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you wish. Continue reading this article for more information about her!
In Neo-Paganism, Parvati is considered to be part of the Mother Face of the Triple Goddess.
Parvati, as well as other Hindu Goddesses (Devi) are in my free Goddess Oracle! Use the button below to access it, flip a card and receive a message from a Goddess!
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Who is Goddess Parvati?
Goddess Parvati is the Hindu Goddess of Love and Marriage. She is the second wife of Shiva, the God of Destruction and Transformation. The first wife was Sati who burned herself and rebirthed as Parvati.
They have two sons:
She is a very popular Goddess and it’s totally common to find images and figurines depicting her. She is a calm and serene Hindu Goddess, full of love. She is also considered a Fertility Goddess and her devotees usually ask her for good marriages, for solving love affairs (like escaping a bad marriage), and for attracting love in a general way.
She is usually together with Shiva and a young Ganesha. The reason why Ganesha is always young next to her is that she “lent” him to Goddess Lakshmi as an adoptive son when she was required.
Lakshmi didn’t have any children and she wanted to experience motherhood. As Parvati had two boys, she asked to be an adoptive mother to one of them. When she was given Ganesha, she became complete and understood the things she wanted. Ganesha symbolizes wisdom and Lakshmi symbolizes riches. They must always be together.
The Tridevi: Saraswati, Parvati, and Lakshmi
Something we frequently find among the Hindu Deities is Trinities. These Trinities represent three different Devi or Deva that, together, share an important role or power.
The Tridevi are three powerful Goddesses who are usually worshipped together. They are:
- Saraswati, the Goddess of Arts and Knowledge;
- Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Beauty;
- Parvati, the Goddess of Love and Marriage.
What are Parvati symbols?
Parvati’s main symbols are:
- Elephants;
- Tigers;
- The Trident (Shiva);
- Lotus Flower;
- Anything related to dancing.
And she is considered to be:
- Goddess of Love;
- Goddess of Marriage;
- Goddess of Devotion;
- Goddess of Fertility;
- Goddess of Divine Strength;
- Goddess who protects Women.
- Protector of women
Parvati and Shiva – and their son Ganesha
There are many different depictions of Parvati, but she is usually beside her husband, Shiva, wearing a reddish dress. The number of arms in her depictions tend to change:
- When she is with Shiva, she has only two arms and she usually holds a lotus flower in her right hand;
- When she is alone she is usually represented with four arms and holding different items in her hands such as flowers, a shell, a mirror, a crown, a rosary, a bell, a rice dish, an agriculture tool, or a sugar cane.
One of her hands may be in the position of the Abhaya mudra (do not fear) and the other may be holding one of her children (most commonly Ganesha).
She can also be represented with golden or yellowish skin. The most used metal for making her sculptures is bronze.
Parvati and Shiva represent the perfect couple that was capable of overcoming all the difficulties in order to stay together with love.
One of the most tragic and famous episodes in their life has many different versions, but the end is always the same.
Once, she was alone and Shiva was away, meditating. Then, she modeled a child from clay and gave life to him. Ganesha was born.
One day, while bathing, she asked her son to guard the door of their palace, so she could have privacy and no one would enter.
At this moment Shiva arrived and was prevented from entering his palace. Ganesha didn’t know him and vice-versa.
In a furious attack, Shiva decapitated his son’s head using his trident and entered the palace to find her angered wife. She explained who Ganesha was and ordered him to bring the child back to life.
Shiva hunted and used the head of the first living being he found, an elephant, to resurrect his son.
Then, Ganesha was reborn as an elephant-headed child.
Goddess of Marriage: the Divine Couple
Goddess Parvati is usually considered to be the Hindu Goddess of Mariage. She is found next to Shiva in most of the Hindu temples located in South and Southeast Asia. Together, they are the Divine Couple.
It is said that during the excavations of the ancient city of Mohenjodaro, the evidence of a much older religion points to an androgynous being who was half man and half woman. This being would represent Shiva and Shakti (later Parvati) together as one.
Some of the temples in Asia celebrate major events in her life. The temples in Khajuraho are one of the four main sites associated with her, along with:
- Kedarnath;
- Kashi;
- Gaya.
According to Hindu Mythology, Khajuraho is the place where they got married.
Many people seek her blessings to solve marital problems.
Parvati Mantra
The mantra Swayamvara Parvathi has the power to bring marriage, to solve problems between a couple, or to prevent a bad union, according to her devotees.
This is a mantra that must be pronounced 1008 times a day for 108 days in a row so that the energy needed for it to work can be properly generated.
You can use a Japa Mala to help you.
Parvati’s mantra lyrics are:
Om Hreen Yogini Yogini
Yogeswari Yoga
Bhayankari Sakala
Sthavara
Jangamasya
Mukha Hrudayam
Mama Vasam
Akarsha Akarshaya
Namaha
Which means you are attracting the love of the right person to your life.
Parvati Images
Below you’re going to find all Parvati images that were used in this post again, but they are formatted for you to save on your Pinterest boards!
Feel free to save them all!
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