Posted on: 20 Dec 2022
Ms. Thrylokya asked: Swami, Why did God Shiva go in disguise of a bachelor and test Goddess Parvati by scolding God Shiva (Himself)?
Swami replied: Goddess Parvati was Goddess Sati in the previous birth. When Daksha scolded God Shiva (his son-in-law), Sati Devi answered well to her father. God Shiva was listening to her replies from Kailasa itself. Suddenly, Sati changed her mood and committed suicide saying that she shall end her life because she heard abuses of God Shiva. This is a sudden emotional development. Next time, God Shiva went in the form of a bachelor and scolded God Shiva (Himself). This means God Shiva repeated the same situation of Sati to see her reaction. This time Goddess Parvati answered to the abuses of God Shiva like Sati, but did not commit suicide. Parvati stood up and told that she cannot hear the scoldings of God Shiva anymore and tried to go away. This time Parvati used her wisdom and did not become emotional to commit suicide. Now God Shiva is satisfied with the behaviour of Parvati and suddenly appeared as God Shiva and took her hand into His hand, which is called as Paanigrahanam or marriage. The essence is that God Shiva was shocked with the emotional behaviour of Sati previously and now once again He created the same situation and found the change in the emotional behaviour of Sati, who was born as Parvati. Only then did He marry Parvati because such emotional decision gave an unassuming shock to God Shiva and God Shiva wanted that such emotional tragedy must not repeat again.
When Manmadha shot arrows on God Shiva in the presence of Parvati, God Shiva burnt Manmadha and immediately disappeared from the spot along with all His associated servants. The cause of the sudden disappearance was that God Shiva feared that Parvati may rub her feet on the ground and generate fire due to Shiva's non-acceptance of her marriage with Him. God Shiva wanted to test her emotional behaviour in such situations. Parvati also did a lot of penance and changed her emotional behaviour into peaceful non-violent responses to such emotional situations.
Scholars say that God Shiva tested the love of Parvati towards Him, but this is not correct because Parvati had already proved her climax love to Shiva in the previous birth. Hence, it was only to test the emotional behaviour of Parvati in highly emotional situations since there was previous experience. Finally, remember that God Datta acted in the roles of Shiva, Sati and Parvati to teach humanity that peaceful mental balance with wisdom must be maintained in any emotional situation.