Lord Shiva had 4 Wives! Read For More Details

Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, is often depicted in the Puranas in contradictory and incomprehensible ways. However, despite these discrepancies, there is no difference in the public's perception of his name, life, and other attributes.

According to the Puranas, there are different manifestations of Lord Shiva, including the formless form of Shiva, who is referred to as Parabrahma Sadashiv and is not considered the husband of Parvati. The deity known as Mahesh is considered to be Shankar. Lord Shiva is said to have had four wives, and their stories are recounted in the Puranas.

Mata Sati was Lord Shiva’s first wife. According to legend, Prajapati Daksha, one of the Manas sons of Brahma, lived in the Himalayan region and had two wives named Prasuti and Veerani. Daksha had 84 daughters and thousands of sons, including Sati, who was the daughter of Prasuti and the third daughter of Swayambhuva Manu.

Sati married Lord Shankar against the wishes of her father, but Daksha eventually gave his consent on the advice of Brahma. Despite this, Daksha was not happy with the marriage and did not invite his son-in-law and daughter to a great yagya he organized.

Sati decided to attend the yagya anyway, but when she arrived, Daksha insulted Lord Shiva in front of her. Sati was devastated and could not bear to hear derogatory words about her husband. Hence she jumped into the yagya kund and gave up her life.

Upon hearing the news of Sati's death, Lord Shiva was overcome with grief and sent Veerabhadra, who beheaded Daksha and destroyed the sacrificial ground. Lord Shiva then took the burnt body of Sati on his head and danced the Tandava, causing disturbance throughout the three worlds. Lord Vishnu used the Sudarshan Chakra to cut Sati's body into pieces. This marked the beginning of Sati's transformation into Shakti.

The story of Shaktipeeth begins with the self-immolation of Sati, the daughter of King Daksha and wife of Lord Shiva. According to legend, Sati's burnt body and ornaments fell to various places, creating the Shaktipeeths. While different Puranas mention different numbers of Shaktipeeths, currently only 51 are known to exist, with some located in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

After Sati's death, she was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of King Himavan and Queen Mainavati of the Himalayas. Parvati, also known as Gauri, Mahagauri, Uma, Girija, and Shailputri, is considered the consort of Lord Shiva. As per the Puranas, the gods went to seek the help of Adishakti Devi when a demon named Taraka had gained control of Trilokya. Adishakti Devi blessed them by saying that her power would be born as Gauri in the house of Himman. Shiva would marry her and give birth to a son who would kill Tarak and save the world.

Parvati is also known for her heroic deeds in killing demons like Shumbh, Nishumbh, and Mahishasura, and is revered as Navdurga. However, Adi Durga Mata is depicted as the consort of Parabrahma Sadashiva, who is believed to be the parent of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh.

According to Hindu mythology, Parvati, the daughter of a great king, went to the forest to do penance and earn Lord Shiva as her husband. However, before Lord Shiva accepted her proposal, he sent the Saptarishis to test her love. They tried to dissuade Parvati from marrying Lord Shiva, saying that he was inauspicious, poorly dressed, and bald, and that she would never find happiness with him. Despite their efforts, Parvati remained firm in her love for Lord Shiva.

Impressed by her steadfastness, the Saptarishis blessed her and told Lord Shiva about her love for him. Lord Shiva realized that Parvati still remembered her previous life as Sati, and agreed to marry her. They set a date for the wedding, and on the auspicious day, Lord Shiva arrived at Parvati's house riding a bull and accompanied by demons, gods, ghosts, and vampires. The wedding procession was a beautiful and unusual sight, with everyone dancing and singing.

Another legend tells of King Himavan, who sent a priest and a barber to Mount Kailash to propose marriage to Lord Shiva on behalf of his daughter. Initially hesitant, Lord Shiva eventually agreed to the marriage after the priest and barber persisted in their request. To test Lord Shiva's power, the Snow King invited him to a procession with all the gods and goddesses. Lord Shiva showed his illusionary powers and broke the king's conceit.

Parvati and Lord Shiva had two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya, and a daughter named Vanalata. The eleven Rudras mentioned in Hindu mythology were believed to be sons of the sage Kashyapa and incarnations of Lord Shiva.

Parvati, also known as Uma, was his first wife. Mata Uma is believed to be the goddess of the land, kind and easy-going, who becomes happy when worshipped. The word Maheshwar is used along with Uma, meaning Mahesh and Uma. It is thought that when Shankar ji took the form of Mahesh, Parvati also became Uma. Uma Nagari, a city situated in the Himalayas in the north of Anantnag region, is named after Goddess Uma, who is worshipped there. According to devotees, the goddess herself resides there in the form of a river that forms the shape of Omkar, along with five springs. In addition, there is a mythological temple of Uma Devi in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Mata Kali is believed to be the fourth wife of Lord Shiva. According to legend, Kali had killed a terrible demon named Raktabeej, whose blood could create thousands of demons. Lord Shiva lay down at her feet to calm her down after her victory. However, by mistake, her feet fell on his chest, which angered her even more. Mother Kali repented and meditated on Lord Shiva on the banks of river Vyas. Finally, Lord Shankar appeared to her and freed her from her great sin. The Kalinath Kaleshwar Mahadev temple in Kangra Paragpur of Devbhoomi Himachal is now associated with this legend.

Mahakali is the main place of worship in Gujarat. This temple is located near Champaran, the ancient capital of Gujarat, which is about 50 km from the city of Vadodara. Pavagadh Temple, situated on top of a high hill, is considered the second temple of Kali. The third temple of Kali is in Kolkata.