 This
is the magical story of how the princess Parvati opens
the heart of her eternal husband Shiva. It is the courtship
story of one of the central couples in Indian lore,
Parvati and Shiva, made accessible for Western children
ages 6 to 9. The book is illustrated throughout with
paintings from the classic Indian tradition.In the Hindu pantheon the great mother
goddess Adishakti is the heavenly wife of Shiva, Lord
of All Gods. Whenever Shiva or Adishakti come to Earth
in human form, they are fated to marry each other again—but
that’s no guarantee that all will go smoothly
with their courtship. In this story Adishakti comes
to Earth as the mountain princess Parvati, who has her
work cut out for her when she tries to win the affections
of Shiva. Shiva spends all his time meditating on a
remote mountainside in the Himalayas and has no interest
in marriage. Parvati washes his feet, wipes his brow,
and lays sixteen offerings before him, but he won’t
even look at her. Sage Narada advises her to invoke
Shiva’s name—Om Namah Shivaya—over
and over again as a mantra. So in the heat of the sun,
in the driving rain, in snow up to her neck Parvati
sits and repeats her beloved’s name until the
focused power of her intent opens his heart and persuades
him to ask for her hand in marriage.
Parvati’s timeless story teaches
children that with enough love and perseverance even
the seemingly impossible can be achieved. Accompanied
by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the
traditional Hindu canon, How Parvati Won the Heart of
Shiva will transport children to a magical world filled
with ancient wisdom.
Harish
Johari (1934–1999) authored many books that
bring Eastern spiritual traditions to Western audiences.
Vatsala
Sperling, a native of India, is a clinical microbiologist
and she learned these stories at her mother’s
feet. She is the coauthor of A
Marriage Made in Heaven and How
Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and lives in Vermont
with her husband and son. Pieter
Weltevrede began his artistic studies with Harish
Johari in 1977 and also studied with Shri
Chandra Bal. He lives in Holland with his wife and
two children and travels to India annually. |
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