Sons and Daughters of Shiva and Shakti

Shiva is Shava (corpse) without Shakti. Shakti is so valiant and vigor and has intense Tap, the power of penance, that only Shiva can confront her. Because, only Shiva possesses the power to pacify Shakti. Shakti impelled Shiva to involve in household. Otherwise, he is hermit lives in solitude place. No one can take risk to disturb His meditation. Shakti made him to come out from his intense meditation and made Him householder. Shiva became Shankar and Shakti became Parvati. They got two sons and two daughters. The matter of attention is here that Karthikeyan took birth from Shiva`s semen not from the womb of Parvati. Karthikeyan left Kailas for his penance and meditation. Parvati became very sad, started feeling forlorn in absence of Karthikeyan. To dispel her loneliness and sorrow, she created a daughter from the Ashoka tree. By getting the daughter her “Shok”, the sorrow got dispelled. She kept her name Ashok Sundari. Sundari, because she was very beautiful. Ashok Sundari came into existence with Parvati effort without Shiva`s intervention. Parvati was very attached to Karthikeyan. Shiva was also very attached to Ashok Sundari. Up to here both are liking and respecting each other`s creation.

Shiva has one more daughter named Mansa, the goddess who cures snakebites, sister of Vasuki, king of snakes, was born when Shiva’s semen touched a statue carved by Kadru, mother of snakes. Thus she was Shiva’s daughter, but not Parvati’s child, much like Karthikeya, who was born of Shiva’s semen but not in Parvati’s womb. Parvati does not like Mansa, and is jealous of her, suspecting she may be Shiva’s secret wife. It is Mansa who saves Shiva when He drinks poison during the churning of the ocean and identifies herself as Shiva’s daughter. Parvati was so jealous that she blinds Mansa by one eye. Shiva did not like the behavior of Parvati had for Mansa. Later she got married with Jaratkaru. On suggestion of Parvati, she entered into bridal chamber wearing snakes as ornaments. Feared the snakes, her husband ran away, left her abandoned. Due to Parvati, Shiva`s daughter Mansa is bereft of father and Husband.

In absence of Shiva, Parvati created Vinayak with the dirt of her body, without the intervention of Shiva. Shiva came to meet Parvati, Vinayak tried to stopped Him. In distraught, Shiva decapitated Vinayak. Later, He affixed the head of elephant to make Ganesha alive. In this way, He made Parvati understand the pain of the destruction of her creation by decapitated Vinayak. And by affixing the head of elephant, He made Ganesha alive, In this way, He contributed in Ganesha`s creation. Most of time, Ganesha is seen along with Shiva and Parvati.

Shiva and Shakti in every aspect are equal, and the existence of one is not recognized and respected without the existence of other.