The gods turned to desperate measures to rouse Shiva from his grief-stricken meditation. Indra, still smarting from Taraka's humiliations, summoned Kamadeva, the god of love, to their ragtag gathering.
"Your floral arrows must pierce the Lord's heart," Indra instructed with urgency. "Awaken desire in Shiva, so he may unite with Parvati and birth our savior."
Kamadeva, accompanied by his wife Rati, agreed reluctantly. "You want me to influence the destroyer himself? His third eye will end my existence in a split second," he confessed. "But for the sake of heaven's survival, I will try."
Rati clutched his arm with concern. "Are you sure about it, my love? Shiva is not one to be meddled with. Regardless, be careful. Prophecies do demand your intervention, but fate can be cruel."
***
Kamadeva journeyed to the Gandhamadana hermitage on Kailasa's slopes, accompanied by Vasanta, the god of the spring season. Together, they planned to craft a seductive ambiance.
Vasanta weaved his magic, creating an eternal spring. Fragrant blooms of jasmine and lotuses carpeted the grounds, birds sang enchanting melodies, and breezes carried pollen like love's enchantments, infusing the air with irresistible allure.
Young Parvati had been struck with Shiva worship since she was old enough to speak. At this point, she was gathering flowers for the rituals. Her eyes sparkled with unspoken longing as she arranged beautiful garlands.
"These blossoms are for my lord," she murmured to herself.
Nandi guarded the Gandhamardhana hermitage, where Lord Shiva was lost in meditation. Kamadeva slipped past him, hiding in foliage to spy on the destroyer of worlds.
Hidden among the blooms, he unleashed his infectious-love arrow-storm, targeting the meditating Shiva. The first arrow, tipped with blue lotus, struck its target. It inflicted unrest in him, igniting his resting mind.
The second, jasmine-scented, again found its mark. It kindled longing in Shiva, a subtle ache in his chest that wouldn't go away.
Shiva stirred, his eyelids fluttering open to behold Parvati before him, offering garlands bashfully. "Who disturbs my tapasya?" he questioned in a voice like rumbling thunder.
Parvati's aura glowed with divine light, embodying Shakti's essence. Her soft flower-carrying hands trembled as she spoke. "O lord, kindly accept these humble offerings."
The gods watched from afar, their hearts pounding in suspense. Indra whispered to his fellow conspirators, "Did it work? Did it awaken desire in him as planned?"
Unfortunately, Shiva could immediately glean that mischief had been played. Spotting Kamadeva in the bushes, his rage ignited like a cosmic blaze.
"Foolish meddler!" he roared. His third eye opened in fury, unleashing flames that reduced Kama to ashes instantly.
Rati, his wife, watching from a safe distance, fell to her knees, wailing in agony, "My husband is gone! I knew this plan was doomed from the beginning!"
Gods lamented from their hidden vantages. Vishnu sighed. "Our plan has failed, it would seem."
Brahma consoled the gods in cryptic language. "Prophecies endure the worst of fate."
Shiva, being all-powerful, could exercise control over desires, even when faced with union with his soul mate. His vairagya, or detachment from worldly needs, triumphed. However, the incident sparked Parvati's resolve. Undeterred by Shiva's fury and the scorching ground around her, she stood firm. Her faith and devotion remained unshaken.
"My devotion will not waver," she declared. Shiva departed the site in a huff. Parvati lingered at the hermitage, vowing never to give up. Her parents pleaded with her. "Come home, child. The path you have chosen is harsh. It will only bring you destruction."
In the godly abodes, Vishnu consoled the lamenting Rati. "Have faith in the wheel of time and reincarnation. Kamadeva will be revived once Shiva and Parvati are unified."
On Parvati's end, regardless of Shiva's rejection, her vow deepened further. She declared to her parents, "My devotion will endure. I will win him through austerity."
The young woman stayed back in the Gandhamardana hermitage, beginning tapasya in its icy caves. Her initial austerity saw her survive on wet leaves, then dry ones.
Winds and cold tested her resolve, but visions of Shiva sustained her, whispering encouragement. Maya, the grand illusion, brought her temptations. It lured her with illusions of worldly pleasures, sumptuous feasts, glittering jewels, and glorious lovers. She rejected them, chanting Vedic hymns for strength.
When Shiva still escaped her reach, Parvati escalated her rigors. She gave up leaves entirely, then water. Her body became emaciated. However, her spirit strengthened, melting the surrounding ice into sacred streams.
Demonic illusions assaulted her next. Asuras sent phantom demons, shape-shifting rakshasas offering power and wealth: "You can rule realms without Shiva. You can become the queen of the heavens."
Parvati saw through their guises, invoking her Shakti essence. "Illusions are nothing before the light of bhakti."
Intrigued by Parvati's perseverance, Shiva disguised himself as an old brahmin critic and approached her. "Foolish girl," he chastised her. "Shiva is a barbarian. He roams cremation grounds, garlanded with skulls. That man is an unworthy husband for someone as beautiful and innocent as you."
Parvati defended her lord fiercely. "He is Mahadeva, who exists beyond forms! My love for him is pure, and my devotion to him is eternal!"
Her unfiltered words unmasked Shiva, revealing his true form, his third eye gleaming like a star.
Pleased with her love for him, Shiva granted the boon she sought. "You were my wife as Sati eons ago. Now, be so again in this life."
Parvati shyly agreed. The gods celebrated from above, raining down flowers from the heavens on the divine couple.
Himalaya announced the wedding with pomp, inviting gods and sages alike. In Kailasa, a golden mandapa (cultural canopy) was erected on the slopes, adorned with jewels and lit by eternal flames from Agni.
Shiva arrived, clad in tiger-skin, with his trident in hand. Parvati joined him in red silks, symbolizing Shakti's energy.
Vedic priests chanted mantras from the Vedas, invoking blessings for harmony. The grand procession unfolded physically as well as celestially. Shiva rode Nandi, while Parvati was on a lion.
The gods arrived in chariots. Indra came with trumpeting elephants. Brahma rode his swan, while Vishnu was on Garuda.
Flowers showered from the heavens, gandharvas sang devotional hymns, while apsaras danced in swirling colors. Rivers of amrita flowed, as stars aligned as auspicious omens.
Romantic tension built between them as Shiva and Parvati exchanged glances. "You are my Shakti," Shiva whispered, her eyes reflecting a similar boundless devotion.
In the mandap, the wedding ceremony commenced with sacred rituals. Himalaya performed kanyadaan (giving away the bride). "I give my daughter to the destroyer-preserver, the guardian of dharma."
Shiva tied the mangalsutra (auspicious thread symbolizing marital status) around her neck and applied sindoor (vermillion) to the parting of her hair.
With the sacred rituals complete, Shiva and Parvati's magical energies merged. Their auras fused in a brilliant light, birthing waves of harmony that rippled through realms, calming storms and blooming barren lands.
Gods bestowed blessings and divine gifts. Vishnu spoke up. "Dharma triumphs through this bond."
Indra offered weapons for future wars. "I hereby offer a spear and armor for the warrior-child."
Brahma chimed in. "Your son shall slay evil and restore cosmic order."
The couple retreated to the privacy of Gandhamadana. Their honeymoon began in both physical and astral realms. A conception was imminent. The universe held its breath for Kartikeya's birth.