Shiva meditated on Mount Kailash, which was barren, and he was covered in snow. Shiva became the supreme tapasvi as he had destroyed hunger. Prakriti took the form of Shakti and said to Shiva, “Hunger distinguishes creatures from being alive and dead. You are a corpse as you have no hunger. Vegetation happens when there is water and soil. An animal seeks food to satisfy his hunger.”

Shiva retorted that a plant grew towards the source of food. An animal runs towards the food. Only a human can outgrow the need for food, through tapasya. This is the difference between man and animals and vegetation.

Shakti responded to his statement by saying that a human can be aware of hunger of others by performing yagna and satisfying their craving. This also was the difference between man and animals and vegetation. If tapasya is done without yagna, one becomes submerged in solitude, there are no interactions and then society will collapse and be destroyed. Therefore, Shiva becomes the destroyer.

Shiva responded to this remark by saying that if yagna is done without Tapasya, one exploits the hunger of other persons to satisfy one’s own. Then a corrupt society is created. He continued that Tapasya was like the shaft of the bow, and Yagna was like the string of the bow. They cannot create a bow individually. To create a bow the shaft has to bend and the string has to become taut. If the bow was too tight, it would break, if it is too loose it is useless.

Join tapasya and yagna

Shakti next said that they both would create a bow that joins tapasya and yagna. It would be a symbol of all relationships, of man and woman in marriage and of king and kingdom. She took the form of Parvati, the daughter of the mountains and led Shiva by the hand to Kashi. Here she became Annapurna, the goddess of food and he changed from Shiva the hermit, who had no hunger to Shankara, the householder.

Thus, the strongest bow was created and was called ‘The Bow of Shiva’. It was the result of the conversation between Parvati and Shiva.

Reference: Sita by Devdutt Pattanaik.

Dear ones, look at the equal relationship which existed between Parvati and Shiva.

Aim Hrim Klim