124 Sarvani – She who is the consort of Lord Shiva in the form of Sarvar.
We have come across this concept throughout in the earlier verses,but here i would like to quote from literature.
Parvati the consort of shiva is regarded as the mother Goddess Shakti, a personification of cosmic energy.
Legend has it that Shakti took birth as Daakshaayani or Sati - the daughter of the mythological Daksha who was entrusted with the task of propagating the human race. Sati married Shiva against the wishes of her father and the vain king performed a great yagna with the sole purpose of insulting Shiva. To this yagna, Daksha invited all of the gods and goddesses with the exception of Shiva. Against Shiva's wishes Sati attended this sacrifice, was insulted by father; unable to bear the insult Sati immolated herself in the sacrificial altar.Enraged at the insult and injury Shiva through Veerabhadra destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, severed Daksha's head and replaced it with that of a goat and restored him to life. Crazed with grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body and engaged himself in the dance of destruction throughout the Universe. The disk of Vishnu cut through Sati's corpse and scattered her remains throughout the Indian subcontinent at sites that are now known as the Shakti Peethams.Sati was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king Himavat and after rigorous penance married Shiva. To this couple was born Kumara orskanda the would-be destroyer of Tarakasura and other demons. All of these legends are woven around Shakti, Shiva and Skanda, the trinity that constitute Somaskanda, the symbol of prosperity and propagation of life.Parvati in the form of Gowri is the gentle consort of Shiva and is representative of the caring benevolent, matronly aspects of nature. South Indian Saivite shrines inevitably have a shrine dedicated to Parvati. Iconographic portrayals of Shiva in the form of Somaskanda, Chandrasekhara etc., portray Parvati adjacent to Shiva. Thus, Sivakaami is the consort of ShivaNataraja;Meenakshi is the consort of Sundareswara and so on. In certain Saivite temples, an image of Bhoga Sakthi is enshrined within the sancta enshrining presiding deity Shiva in the form of a ShivalingamSomaskanda thus depicts Shiva as a householder while Dakshinamurthy - yet another manifestation of Shiva depicts him as a yogi.Further more, the Ardhanaareswara manifestation of Shiva is symbolic of the interconnectedness of matter and energy, wherein Parvati is portrayed as being a part of Shiva,; Ardhanaareeswara is portrayed as being half male and half female.
She is able to be devoted to her Consort Siva, but to maintain the independence she needs to lead her army to war. She is fierce in her battles, but her most powerful weapons and warriors are created from her laugh and jubilance. Kamatchi shows people the way to deal with problems in their everyday lives. Her being is not an example for those who intend to lead an isolated life. Kamatchi shows how to live in balance, for people with numerous responsibilities. She demonstrates that it is possible to honor the family and other responsibilities, without disappointing anyone.
The Supreme Lord is represented as Siva, and His power is represented as His wife—Sakti, Durga, or Kali. Mother Durga is the energy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga, Siva has no expression; and, without Siva, Durga has no existence. Siva is the soul of Durga. Durga is identical with Siva. Lord Siva is only the Silent Witness. He is motionless, absolutely changeless. He is not affected by the cosmic play. Durga does everything.
Siva is omnipotent, impersonal, inactive. He is pure consciousness. Sakti is dynamic. The power, or active aspect, of the immanent God is Sakti. Sakti is the embodiment of power.
Siva and Sakti are related as Prakasa and Vimarsa. Sakti or Vimarsa is the power that is latent in the pure consciousness. Vimarsa gives rise to the world of distinctions. In other words, Sakti is the very possibility of the Absolute’s appearing as many, of God’s causing this universe. God creates this world through Srishti-Sakti, preserves through Sthiti-Sakti, and destroys through Samhara-Sakti.
There is no difference between God and His Sakti, just as there is no difference between fire and its burning power. Sakti is inherent in God. Just as you cannot separate heat from fire, so also you cannot separate Sakti from God, the possessor of Sakti. Sakti is Brahman Itself. Siva and Sakti are one. Siva is always with Sakti. They are inseparable. Worship of Durga or Parvati or Kali is worship of Lord Siva.
Siva is omnipotent, impersonal, inactive. He is pure consciousness. Sakti is dynamic. The power, or active aspect, of the immanent God is Sakti. Sakti is the embodiment of power.
Siva and Sakti are related as Prakasa and Vimarsa. Sakti or Vimarsa is the power that is latent in the pure consciousness. Vimarsa gives rise to the world of distinctions. In other words, Sakti is the very possibility of the Absolute’s appearing as many, of God’s causing this universe. God creates this world through Srishti-Sakti, preserves through Sthiti-Sakti, and destroys through Samhara-Sakti.
There is no difference between God and His Sakti, just as there is no difference between fire and its burning power. Sakti is inherent in God. Just as you cannot separate heat from fire, so also you cannot separate Sakti from God, the possessor of Sakti. Sakti is Brahman Itself. Siva and Sakti are one. Siva is always with Sakti. They are inseparable. Worship of Durga or Parvati or Kali is worship of Lord Siva.
Sakti [shakti] means “power”; in Hindu philosophy and theology sakti is understood to be the active dimension of the godhead, the divine power that underlies the godhead’s ability to create the world and to display itself. Within the totality of the godhead, sakti is the complementary pole of the divine tendency toward quiescence and stillness. It is quite common, furthermore, to identify sakti with a female being, a goddess, and to identify the other pole with her male consort. The two poles are usually understood to be interdependent and to have relatively equal status in terms of the divine economy.The term shakti refers to multiple ideas. Its general definition is dynamic energy that is responsible for creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. It is identified as female energy because shakti is responsible for creation, as mothers are responsible for birth. Without shakti, nothing in this universe would happen; she stimulates siva, which is passive energy in the form of consciousness, to create. Ardhanarishvara, a Hindu deity who is half male and half female, is an iconic representation of this idea. The deity is equally male and female, illustrating that the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe is dependent on both forces.Shakti also refers to the manifestations of this energy, namely goddesses. Some goddesses embody the destructive aspects of shakti, such as death, degeneration, and illness, while other goddesses embody the creative and auspicious powers of shakti, such as nature, the elements, music, art, dance, and prosperity. Shakti may be personified as the gentle and benevolent Uma, consort of Shiva, or Kali, the terrifying force destroying evil, or Durga, the warrior who conquers forces that threaten the stability of the universe. Goddess worshippers often view their deity as the all-powerful Supreme Being, second not even to a male god. There are enduring goddess traditions all over India, especially in West Bengal and south India. Goddesses symbolizing various aspects of power very often predominate in village culture. Village men, women, and children, when they pray for immediate needs, address a female, not a male.
