Gouri was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya mountains. Parvati began to perform tapasya so that she might obtain Shiva (Rudra) as her husband once again.

One day, a thin and needy-looking brahmana came to Parvati’s hermitage in search of alms. Parvati brought some food for the brahmana. But prior to eating the food, the brahmana went to bathe in a river that flowed near the hermitage. As soon as the brahmana started to bathe, a crocodile came and caught hold of the brahmana’s leg. The brahmana screamed for help.

Parvati was in a fix. What should she do? The brahmana needed help, but he was not here husband, nor was he her relative. She was not permitted to touch a man who was not related to her. Touching him would be a sin. On the other hand, not helping someone who needed help would also be a sin. In fact if the brahmana died, Parvati would be guilty of the act of killing a brahmana. After debating the pros and the cons, Parvati decided that she would have to help the brahmana. Touching a man who was not related to her was the lesser of the two evils.

But as soon as Parvati touched the brahmana to pull him out of the water, the brahmana revealed himself to be none other than Shiva in disguise.

With Brahma’s blessings, Shiva and Parvati were married and all the gods, sages, apasaras and gandharvas (singers of heaven) came to attend the wedding ceremony. Since the wedding took place on tritiya tithi, tritiya is sacred and Rudra should be worshipped on this day.