Uma Does Penance In The Woods.

After Narad Muni proceeded to Bramhlok, Maina came and sat near her husband. She asked him what they both should do with Parvati. She told him that Uma is very dear to her heart and that, if she does not find a good suitor then she can stay unmarried, she does not care. Himvant told Maina to relax and leave everything in the hands of God who had created Parvati. If she loved Parvati so much, then she should tell her to do penance. Narad Muni's words are written in stone so, the only way any good will come out of this is if she marries Shiva who is flawless. So shed all your doubts, her husband told her, and have faith in Shiva.

With much enthusiasm Maina ran to her daughter's side and sat her in her lap. Seeing tears welling up in her mother's eyes the mother of this world Bhavani (Parvati) knew what was in her mother's mind. So she said very sweetly to her that, she had had a dream in which she met this strange Brahman. He told her that Narad's prediction will come to pass unless she listened to her parents and did tup (penance) in the woods. Because of tup Bramha can do his creation, Vishnu his preservation , Shiva his destroying and Shesh Nag with his tup can hold up this earth.

O Bhawani, the man in my dream said, the whole world runs because of penance so go ahead do not fear and do penance. So after satisfying her family Sati with great joy in her heart set off into the woods to do penance. Even though Parvati's body was very frail and not built for tup. Even then keeping her husband's image in her heart Parvati left all the pleasures of life. She started finding new love for her Swami and soon she forgot all about her frail body.

For one thousand years she only ate roots and fruits and then for a hundred years she ate just greens. For some time she lived on water and air. Then she did hard penance and for three thousand years when she ate dry leaves that had fallen from the Bel Tree. Later she left eating those dry leaves too, and that's when she started being called Aparna. By now her body was emaciated. One day she heard a voice from the heavens.The voice said that your wish has been granted, do not do penance anymore you will meet Shivji. Nobody had done tup like you, so listen to this pure voice of Bramha and keep it in your heart. Now when your father comes to get you, just go home and when you meet Saptrishi ( seven Rishis) then you will know that all this will come true.

Parvati became ecstatic when she heard this voice of Bramha from the heavens.

Remember Yagyavalk Muni was narrating this story to Bharadwaj. Well, now he told him that up till now he had told him this sweet story about Parvati and now he would narrate Shiva's story.

Everyday we get new insights about this tale and get inspired for Ram Rajya. Jai Ho!