The Story Of Lord Shiva’s Marriage With Parvati

The remaining gods, sages and others were obviously so terrified that they made

good their escape before Beerbhadra could turn his attention at them—Bhagwat

Maha-Puran, Skandha 4, Canto 6, verse no. 1.

In Bhagwat Maha-Puran, Skandha 4, Canto 7, verse no. 60, sage Maitreye told

Bidur that the former had heard of this story of how Daksha’s fire sacrifice was

ruined because he had insulted Lord Shiva from Uddhav.

The story of how Daksha had insulted Shiva in the court of Brahma is narrated in

Bhagwat Maha-Puran, Skandha 4, Canto 2, verse nos. 4-33.

At that time Birbhadra had cut-off the head of Daksha and threw it in the fire pit

of the sacrifice. This fire was called “Dakshinaagni”, the same one in which sage

Bhrigu was offering oblations. After this incident, Brahma etc. prayed to Lord Shiva

to forgive Daskha as the latter was Brahma’s son who was created by him to oversee

this creation as its guardian. The all-forgiving and merciful Lord Shiva agreed, and to

revive Daksha he stictched the head of a goat on his torso. Daksha came alive, and he

thanked Shiva by praying to him in the voice of a goat, but bleating meekly. This

pleased Shiva. Henceforth, Shiva blessed Daksha that whenever anyone offers

worship to him (Shiva) then the worshipper should conclude his prayers by making

the sound similar to that made by a goat.

This entire episode is narrated in Srimad Bhagwat Maha-puran, Skandha 4—(i)

Canto 6, verse nos. 1-8, 33, 41-53 (where Brahma has prayed to Shiva to forgive the

punished gods and revive them); (ii) Canto 7, verse nos. 5, 7-8 (Shiva stitching the

head of a goat on Daksha), verse nos. 9-15 (where Daksha has prayed to Shiva), and

verse no. 16 (where it is said that Daksha, who now had the head of a goat, resumed

his fire sacrifice after being forgiven by Shiva).]

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bhai jagabidita daccha gati sō'ī. jasi kachu sambhu bimukha kai hō'ī. 3.
yaha itihāsa sakala jaga jānī. tātē maiṁ san̄chēpa bakhānī. 4.

The ignoble and contemptible fate of Daksha and all others who had the temerity and
audacity to insult Lord Shiva (the greatest amongst the gods) was in line with the fate
of anyone who dares to insult the Lord. (3)
This history is known by the whole world (and narrated in detail in the
Purans), and therefore I (sage Yagyawalkya^1 ) have narrated it in brief. (4)
[Note—^1 Remember: This story of Lord Shiva’s marriage is being narrated by sage
Yagyawalkya to sage Bhradwaj when the latter asked him to narrate the divine story
of Lord Ram. Yagyawalkya started his narration with the visit of Lord Shiva to sage
Agastya’s hermitage and subsequent events that led to the narration of Shiva’s
marriage with Parvati. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Doha no. 47 along with
its preceding Chaupai line nos. 2-8.]

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satīṁ marata hari sana baru māgā. janama janama siva pada anurāgā. 5.
tēhi kārana himagiri gṛha jā'ī. janamīṁ pārabatī tanu pā'ī. 6.

At the time of her death, Sati asked Lord Hari (Vishnu, the Supreme Being), to bless
her with a boon that she may have affection and devotion for (i.e. serve) the holy feet
of Lord Shiva in all her successive births. (5)