~~OM~~

When Sati Devi left her body, Shiva became an ascetic. He just spent all His time in meditation. And at that time a great asura named Tarakasura, the illuminator of duality, did tremendous austerities and Brahma came to him and said, “What do you want?” He said, “I want to be immortal.”

Brahma said, “That’s impossible, no one is immortal, whatever comes in to manifestation must go out of manifestation, Srishti Sthiti Laya, there is a cyclical transformation of energy. Nothing is permanent, choose another boon.”

So Tarakasura, this illuminator of duality, he said, “If my death has to occur, I want to be slain only by the son of Shiva.” Brahma said, “Why would you want a boon like that?” And Tarakasura said, “Well Shiva doesn’t have a wife, and he spends all his time in meditation, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to have an opportunity to get a wife. And if he doesn’t have a wife, what question is there of his having a son, so therefore I will become immortal.”

And Brahma said, “Tatastu, I give you the boon, immediately, without hesitation.”

And Tarakasura became the ruler of the three worlds, he conquered the entire earth, made everyone on the earth a servant of the illuminator of duality. He marched up to heaven, and he threw all the Gods out of heaven. And the Gods were extremely depressed, “We lost our divinity and now we have to wander around the earth like human beings, yeck, that’s awful.”

So then the Gods devised a plan, we’ve got to find a way to make Sati Devi come back in to her body. And they all went to the Himalayas, actually they really went to the Devi Mandir. They went to the Devi Mandir and they began to chant, and they began to practice meditation, and perform austerities, and they enkindled the Divine Fire, and they started a Yagya. And they all sat around the Yagya Fire and they chanted the mantras and made offerings.

And finally the Divine Mother was pleased. And she said, “What do you want?” And the Gods said, we all said, “Hey Mom, Shiva is sitting there like there is no tomorrow, all He does is meditate. He has no responsibility whatsoever. And He will not get motivated until you come back into your body. So we’re going to request you, please Maa, manifest in a form and marry Shiva. And give us the son that’s going to lead the armies of the Devas to victory. Only the son of Shiva can conquer Tarakasura.”

Maa said, “Tatastu, I give you the boon. And I will come into a body in the home of Himalaya, because Himalaya has been worshipping me with one pointed attention, in fact He doesn’t move. There is no one as steady and as solid as the Himalayas. He just sits there making japa, yuga after yuga after yuga. I’m going to become Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountain, the Goddess of inspiration. And I will perform tapasya, and if Shiva will have me, I’ll marry Shiva.”

And the Gods were filled with extreme joy. And then they waited for the birth of Parvati, the daughter of the Parvat.