04/10/2024
According to different versions of her story, maiden Parvati resolves to marry Shiva. Her parents try to discourage her, but she remains steadfast and performs a penance for about 5,000 years.
In the meantime, the gods approach K**adeva, the Hindu god of love and lust, and ask him to generate desire in Shiva for Parvati. They are driven by an asura named Tarkasur who can only be killed by Shiva's child. K**adeva shoots Shiva with an arrow of desire. Shiva opens his third eye in his forehead and burns K**a to ashes.
Parvati does not lose her hope or her resolve to win over Shiva. She begins to live in mountains like Shiva and engage in the same activities he does, such as asceticism, yogin and tapas; it is this aspect of Parvati that is deemed to be that of goddess Brahmacharini. Her ascetic pursuit draws the attention of Shiva and awakens his interest. He meets her in disguised form and tries to dissuade her by counting Shiva's weaknesses and personality problems. Parvati refuses to listen and insists in her resolve.
During this time, the demon named Prakandasura attacks Parvati with his million asuras. Parvati is at the last stage of completion for her tapas, and is unable to defend herself. Seeing Parvati helpless, goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati intervene but are outnumbered by the demons. After many days of fighting, the kamandalu beside Parvati falls and all the demons are washed away in the resulting flood. At last, Parvati opens her eyes, emitting fire and burning the demon to ashes.
Everyone in the universe is impressed by the tapas performed by Devi Parvati, except Shiva. Shiva at last visits Paravati in disguise of Bhramachari. He then examines Parvati by giving her riddles, which she all answers correctly. After praising Parvati for her brain and beauty, Brahmachari proposes to her. Parvati realizes he is Shiva and accepts. Shiva appears in his true form and finally accepts her and breaks her tapas. During the entire tapas Pravati was feeding herself with belpatra and river water.
Her abode is in the Svadhishthana Chakra.Brahmacharini signifies being unmarried and the colour white signifies purity.
