Parvati
When the gods had need of a military commander Shiva had Sati restored to him.
She was reborn as Parvati ('from the mountains') the daughter of Himavan, god of the Himalayas, and Mena - whence she is also called Haimavati. In this incarnation she is the sister of Ganga, goddess of the Ganges, also coming from the Himalayas. Shiva's grief at the death of Sati was such that Parvati saw no difficulty in fulfilling the purpose of her new incarnation; she had only to wait for Shiva to come and woo her again. So she passed her days happily, singing and dancing and making herself beautiful. But she waited in vain, for Shiva had embarked on his career of asceticism and showed no interest in her. So Parvati sought to please him by herself practising austerities and was so assiduous in her devotions that she changed the colour of her skin from its original black to golden; in this form she is also known as Uma, Light or Beauty. But still Shiva was unmoved, so the gods sent Kama to Mount Kailasa to enflame Shiva's heart with one of his arrows.
Kama succeeded in rousing Shiva's passion, with what results to himself we have seen, but the great god retained his willpower and would not give way to his emotions. As a last resort, Parvati took up the practice of severe penances - eating nothing, lying in icy water and torturing her body. As she was thus engaged a Brahmin came to her and asked why she was destroying her lovely body. He laughed when Parvati said that she wanted to marry Shiva, describing him as a dirty, foul-tempered old beggar who had no home and haunted cemeteries. Parvati agreed with this description but said that she loved and venerated Shiva all the same. The Brahmin then painted Shiva in even blacker colours, until finally Parvati refused to listen any more, put her hands over her ears and shouted at the Brabmin. At this the Brahmin revealed himself as Shiva, told Parvati to cease her penances, and sent her back to her father. In due course Shiva came to her home in the Himalayas and married her.
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