Shiva was sitting under a banyan tree, determined not to let anything dissuade him of the tapas (self-imposed exile) he was undertaking for penance. After what had sadly transpired in the last few months, including his beloved Sati plunging herself into the flames because of his insult to her father, Shiva held austerities so severe that even the Devas dared not step in.

But what the Devas (Gods) needed was a commander, and only the battle-hardened Mahadev(great lord) Shiva was valiant enough defeat the Asura army of demons that had arrived at swargaloka (heaven) to challenge the rule of Indra, the King of the Gods. The Devas had beseeched Mahadeva earlier, only to no avail. Thus, they had no choice but to rush to the all-knowing Prajapati Brahma, for who else would have the answers. And he happened to know just the right person for Shiva, and she was the dauntless Parvati, who had been a close childhood friend of Shiva.

Parvati, who was world renowned for her warfare strategies and intellect, had led her Father Himdeva to innumerable victories. She was rightly honored by the great king to command his army (then very uncommon for a woman), for he held her skills in high esteem and had the utmost amount of trust in her. The Devas sought Parvati for they knew none as tactful, kind and intelligent at the same time as her. And the Devas needed Parvati to convince Shiva and bring him out of his depression. When Parvati approached Shiva, he couldn’t even bring himself to greet a friend he hadn’t met for years. But Parvati was aware of the task at hand.

Months passed by. Shiva spent days in quiet agony and repentance. Parvati unfailingly had been by his side, taking care of every possible thing. She gradually became his shadow. Parvati put together an almost impossible amount of perseverance and refused to give up on Shiva, even though he had not still been able to bring himself to talk with her. She was the flame that refused to be extinguished even in the cold. She was the catalyst who helped Shiva stay together, not fall apart and not lose himself. She never stopped believing in him, partook every desire of hers and didn’t hesitate to even live as an ascetic, her hope strengthening them together.

The gods bestowed the name Aparna (literally one who partakes eating even leaves) upon her during this period. She was unrelenting in her efforts and ever so patiently tried to lift Shiva out of his cruel self-loathing. She lived beside him mutely, not only by nourishing him, but also by fortifying him with the selfless, pure love that she bore for him.

Shiva knew how much it meant. She had become the compass in his directionless life. It was her that kept him from losing everything. It was her unmatched love for him that pulled him out of the sea of eternal darkness. She was the strength he desperately needed, and he held it for his dear life. For no one could understand that even the great Mahadeva was vulnerable at the end of the day, and he felt no shame in admitting that Parvati was the stronger one. Respect, love and admiration blossomed in his heart, occupied for so long by grief and self-hatred.

He never thought he could hold someone’s hand again, for fear of loss always loomed in his heart. But amidst all that anxiety and cold anguish, it was the warmth of Parvati’s love that lifted him up from the clutches of negativity. He probably may not ever say it out loud, but she was the reason he could be whole again. And that’s the tale of how Shiva fell in love with Parvati, the lady stronger than Mahadeva himself.