The Legend of Lord Shiva
BOOK 1
The Story Of Lord Shiva’s Marriage With Parvati:
(Based entirely on Goswami Tulsidas’ classics:
“Ram Charit Manas” & “Parvati Mangal”.)
Chapter 1
ŚrīRāmaCaritaMānasa
The divine story of Lord Shiva’s marriage with Parvati (also known
as Uma and Bhavaani) according to Goswami Tulsidas’ “Ram Charit
Manas”: 1/45/3—1/46/1; 1/47/1; And 1/48/1—to 1/104/1.
The story of the marriage of Lord Shiva, also known as ‘Mahadeva’, or the great Lord
of all the gods, with Parvati (also known as Uma) has been narrated in detail by
Goswami Tulsidas in his epic book “Ram Charit Manas”. The story is contained in its
Baal Kand (which is Canto 1 of the aforesaid book), from Chaupai line no. 1 that
precedes Doha no. 48—to Chaupai line no. 1 that precedes Doha no. 104.
However, some of the verses that precede Doha no. 47 lay the background of
the story: the place and the time when it was narrated, by whom, and for whom, it was
done.
THE BACKGROUND:--
Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 3-8 that precede Doha no.
45:—
∞∑§ ’Ê⁄U ÷Á⁄U ◊∑§⁄U Ÿ„UÊ∞ – ‚’ ◊ÈŸË‚ •ÊüÊ◊ã„U Á‚œÊ∞H 3H
¡Êª’Á‹∑§ ◊ÈÁŸ ¬⁄U◊ Á’’∑§Ë – ÷⁄UmÊ¡ ⁄UÊπ ¬Œ ≈U∑§ËH 4H
ēka bāra bhari makara nahā'ē. saba munīsa āśramanha sidhā'ē. 3.
jāgabalika muni parama bibēkī. bharadvāja rākhē pada ṭēkī. 4.
[Once upon a time as was usual, all the sages and seers had assembled at Prayag, a
place where three holy rivers, viz. the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati, have their
confluence. They used to come here every year on the auspicious occasion of “Makar
Sakranti”^1. They stayed at the place for the whole month, and on the final day took a
bath at the confluence of the rivers before heading back to their respective hermitages.
However, on one such occasion, sage Bharadwaj, who lived permanently at