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As Shiva's wife, Parvati represents the life-affirming, creative force that complements Shiva's austere, world-denying nature. Her presence in his life draws him from isolation into worldly engagement, thus balancing the two poles of asceticism and householder life in Hindu philosophy.
Shiva and Parvati are often represented sitting face to face (the sammukha mudra). They can also be seen in various postures connoting love and desire such as embracing each other in the alingana pose. Shiva in some representations touches and caresses Parvati's breasts (the kuca-sparsa pose) or holds her in his lap (atikarohana form).
Shiva temples feature items such as linga, Shiva-Parvati iconography, bull Nandi within the premises, and relief artwork showing aspects of Shiva. [151] [152] The Tantric Shiva ("शिव") tradition ignored the mythologies and Puranas related to Shiva, and depending on the sub-school developed a variety of practices.
Tamil temple lore narrates that once the gods and sages had gathered at Shiva's abode, they prayed their respects to Shiva and Parvati. However, the sage Bhringi had vowed to worship only one deity, Shiva, and ignored Parvati while worshipping and circumambulating him. Agitated, Parvati cursed Bhringi to lose all his flesh and blood, reducing ...
Parvati's numerous aspects, states Gross, reflect the Hindu belief that the feminine has a universal range of activities, and her gender is not a limiting condition. [2] [32] In Hindu belief, Parvati is the recreative energy and power of Shiva, and she is the cause of a bond that connects all beings and a means of their spiritual release. [33] [34]
The avatars of Devi or Parvati include Durga and Kali, who are particularly revered in the eastern states of India, as well as Tantra traditions. [159] [160] [161] Twenty-one avatars of Shiva are also described in Shaivism texts, but unlike Vaishnava traditions, Shaiva traditions focus directly on Shiva rather than the avatar concept. [151]
Vrisharudha is depicted as the form of the deity who is accompanied by Parvati and seated on his bull mount, Nandi. Chandrashekara Chandrashekara is depicted as the form of the deity who wears the crescent moon on his matted hair. Umamaheshvara: Umamaheshvara is depicted as the divine couple of Shiva and Parvati following their wedding. Nataraja
[78] [79] In Indonesia, temples at archaeological sites and numerous inscription evidence dated to the early period (400 to 700 CE), suggest that Shiva was the highest god. This co-existence of Shaivism and Buddhism in Java continued through about 1500 CE when both Hinduism and Buddhism were replaced with Islam, [ 88 ] and persists today in the ...