365bet娱乐

The Brahma-purana does not propagate Saktism as a cult but it eulogises Parvati; and refers to Laksm, 283 Bhagavata IX.2.32-33; IV.1.37; 11.33; X.50-56,1.9.3, IV.12.1-9, Vayu 40.8, 47.1, 70.38, 97.2, 69.196, 70.41; Brahmanda II.18.1-2, 85.94, 36.218, III.7.254 & 331, 8.44, 72.2, IV.15.22; Matsya 121.2-3, 137.32, 148.84, 150.50-108, 158.179, 180.62, 47.30, 55.32, 189.4.11, 191.85, 261.20.2, 133.63; 138.25, 140.41, Mbh. Vana 275, 276; Udyoga 136; Saiya 48,47; Sabha 10, Ramayana Aranya 15.22; Uttarakanda 13; 15; Devi Bhagavata 12.16; Padma Svarga 16; 3; Bhavisya Brahma 124.

617 Saraswati, Ausadhis, Matrs, Yogamaya, Suvarna, Aditi, Subhadra, Viraja, Mata and other goddesses. It deals at great length with the river-goddess Godavari. In the vedic literature down to the Grhyasutras no female goddess of predominant power is mentioned. Such names as Rudrani and Bhavani are available but they do not show a belief in the existence of an independent powerful goddess. But we see that one whole hymn is addressed to Durga in the Mbh. 289 which shows that at the time when it was inserted in the Mbh., Durga had acquired an importance of a powerful goddess. In the Brahma Purana, it is said that Sakti is the mother of Brahma, Visnu & Mahesa (131.47). PARVATI Siva's consort Rudrani or Mrdani is known by many names as Devi, Uma, Gauri, Parvati, Durga, Bhavani, Kali, Kapalini, Camunda and others. She is a very prominant figure in the classical mythology. According to the Brahma Purana, Parvati, in her former birth, was the eldest among the eight daughters of Daksa, 289 Bhismaparvan, ch. 23,

618 and was known as Sati. She was married to Tryambaka and when her father did not invite her husband to his sacrifice, she felt insult and threw herself in the fire and died. 290 Himalaya practised severe penance and obtained Sati as his daughter. As she observed several fasts, Menaka tried to avert her by the word 'U ma' and thenceforth she was known as Uma, 291 She practised severe penance in order to attain Siva as a husband. Once lord Siva took an ugly form and appeared before her but she knew his identity through yogic powers and welcomed him (35.1-7). Lord Siva created an illusion before Parvati of a child struggling to be released from an alligator. The alligator agreed to release the child on the condition that she should give the merit of her penance to him. When Parvati expressed her willingness to do so, the alligator released the child and showed her his real form (35.35-61). The Swayamvara of Uma with Siva was celebrated with great pomp and all the gods had participated in it (A.36, A.72). Siva's wooling and wedding of Parvati and their conjugal life and conversation are often introduced and often narrated at great length, yet always in wholly human fashion. 200 34.9-26; 109.1-11; Padma srsti khanda 29, 5; Siva P. Sataradriya Samhita 3, 25; Bhagavata Sk. 4, A.5; Devi Bhagavata 7-30, Skanda 6.77; Vayu 1.30; Kalika 18; Naisadha IV. 45. 291 34.78-98, Erahmanda III.19.8-13; Vayu 72.7,11-2.

619 She In the Brahma-purana, lord Siva himself eulogises Parvati. It is said that when the evil factors like sin, greediness, poverty, moha and other worldly pains superceded in the world lord Mahadeva was astonished and asked Parvati to find out a solution. At that time, she was called Lokamata, the protector of all, the highest succour of all, the essence of prosperity and the pratistha of the world. She was also called Bhuk, Samadhi. Vani and Buddhi. is beginningless and endless; and in the form of Vidya she protects the three worlds. On being thus addressed, Parvati smiled and morged half of her body into that of Siva. Her equality of rank with her husbap is naively expressed in the dual form of Siva, viz.the ardhanarIsvaga, of which one half is made and another half is female. She then sprinkled the ground with the perspiration of her fingers and from it were manifested Dharma, Laksmi, dana, the highest type of rain, the quality sattva, corn, flowers, fruits, sastras, weapons, tirthas, forests and the moving and the non-moving worlds. The whole world becames sinless through his power and all the demotees worship the non-dual form of lord Sive and Sakti (129.70-30). lord Siva. Elsewhere it is said that she is the beloved of All the beings give dana of food and practice penance in her honour. Her fame is very great and even zheng

620 Indra wants her favour. She pervades the whole earth and purifies it. She is the beautiful power of lord Siva. She is said to be pretty like a Moon. She is the goddess of speech and bestowes the pleasure of senses. By taking her name one gets bliss. It is said that in order to purify th the minds of men, she took the form of the river Ganges and on account of this Vibhuti of lord Siva, one gets the rewards of righteous life (75.16-21). In order to mind the welfare of the world, Parvati takes as many forms as those of the lord Siva (75.24). She is She is of She is the cause of the creation of the three worlds, and is the mother of gods and Asuras. called Para Prakrti in the purana (36.24-26). the form of prakrti and helps the lord Siva, the cause of the world, in the creation in the form of a wife (36.41-42). This has been supplied with a philosophical justification, being a popularised version of the sankhya principle of the union of the soul of the universe purusa with the primordial essence prakrti. On this theory, the belief is more closely connected with Saivism than with any other religious system, originates in philosophical Brahmanism, and traces back its history through Brahmanism to the earliest vedic conceptions. 292 292 She is called Buddhi, Monier Williams, Brahmanism & Hinduism, 80.ff.; H.H. Wilson, 1. 241. f; Wadell, Buddhism of Tibet, P.129, f.

621 Prajna, Dhrti, Medha, Lajja, Pusti, and Saraswati (71.21-23). She is also called Bhavani (109.52). As Siva is the lord of the mountains, Girisa, so Parvati. According is his spouse lady of the mountains to puranic mythology she is the daughter of Himalaya, but in the Kena Upanisad, where she is first mentioned, Uma Haimavati, appears as a heavenly woman, conversant with Brahman. Apparently, she was originally an independent goddess, or at least a kind of divine being, perhaps a female mountain-ghost haunting the Himalayas; and was later on identified with Rudra's wife. A similar mountain-goddess had her home in the Vindhyas, she was of a cruel character, as might be expected from a goddess of the savage tribes living in those hills. Her name is VindhyavasinI and she too is identified with Siva's wife. It can safely be concluded that several goddesses from different parts of India and worshipped by different classes of people have in course of time, been combined into one great goddess, the spouse of Siva, who was adored as his Sakti or energy. 293 Even at present Gaurivrata is observed with great festivity in the month of Asadha in Gujarat and it is 293 ERE., Vol. II, P. 813.

622 believed that Gauri or Parvati observed the same vrata in order to attain Siva.