How Parvati Won the Heart of Shiva

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Adishakti, the greatest mother goddess of Indian folklore, and Shiva, Lord of All Gods, are an eternally married couple. Husband and wife in Heaven, whenever Shiva and Adishakti decide to come to Earth in human form, they find each other and marry again. But when Adishakti chooses to be born on Earth as the mountain princess Paravati, she has a very hard time getting Shiva to notice her, let alone marry her.

Shiva has come to Earth as a wandering yogi. He spends all his time meditating on a remote mountainside in the Himalayas and has no interest in marriage. Paravati washes his feet, wipes his brow, and lays sixteen offerings before him every day for days on end, but he won’t even look at her. Sage Narada tells Paravati that she should repeat Shiva’s name- Om Namah Shivaya- over and over again as a mantra. So in the heat of the sun, in the driving rain, and in snow up to her neck Parvati sits and repeats her beloved’s name until the focused power of her heart and mind get Shiva’s attention and persuade him to ask for her hand in marriage.

Pravati’s timeless story teaches us that with enough love and perseverance even the seemingly impossible can be achieved. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations executed in the traditional Indian wash technique, How Paravati Won the Heart of Shiva will transport readers to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

Harish Johari has authored many books that bring Eastern spiritual traditions to Western audiences, including How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head, Little Krishna, and The Monkeys and the Mango Tree.

Vatsala Sperling fluent in five Indian languages and Sanskrit, learned these traditional stories at her mother’s feet. Before marrying and moving to the United States, she was the chief of Clinical Microbiological Services at the largest children’s hospital in India. She is the coauthor of A Marriage Made in Heaven and How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and lives in Vermount with her husband and son.

Pieter Weltevrede who began his artistic studies with Harish Johari in 1977 and also studied with Shri Chandra Bal, is a social scientist by training. He lives in Holland with his wife and three children and travels to India annually. He is also the illustrator of How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head, Little Krishna, and The Monkeys and the Mango Tree.