The story of Shiva and Parvati is much more than a tale of love and marriage. According to the spiritual interpretation of the Shiva Purana tradition, it represents devotion, determination, sacrifice and the journey towards a higher consciousness. Parvati was the daughter of Himavan, the king of the mountains. She was a princess surrounded by comfort, beauty and luxury. Yet, her heart desired someone completely different from the life she knew—Lord Shiva, the great ascetic an