Vivah Panchami celebrates the divine marriage of Prabhu Sri Ram and Devi Sita. It falls on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami which is on November 28 this year.  

The marital story of Raja Aja and Rani Indumati highlighted the ideal husband-wife relationship. Vivah Panchami gives us a chance to look at two divine couples who are perfect and whose relationship is a guiding light for society.

Bhagwan Shiva and Maa Parvati

Devi Parvati is an incarnation of Maa Adishakti and Devi Sati reborn. She was born to Himavan and Mena. It is to Her credit that Bhagwan Shiva became Shankara, the householder. They are known as Jagatpita and Jaganmata (father and mother of the universe) because creation originated from them.

According to Pauranic beliefs, when Brahmadev was faced with a hurdle in His creation work, He prayed to Devadidev Mahadev. Mahadev then separated Devi Shakti from Him who took Nirgun form as Prakriti and helped Brahmadev complete the task of creation.

Subsequently, Maa Adishakti was born as Devi Sati to reunite with Mahadev. When Devi Sati gave up Her life after Prajapati Daksh insulted Mahadev, Shiva was grief-stricken. He also retired to Mount Kailash to meditate. Shiva is also believed to have lost His powers as Sati was His Shakti.

Devi Parvati undertook intense penance to obtain Mahadev as Her husband. Her penance was so vigorous that it generated immense heat and energy and even shook Devadidev Mahadev out of His meditation. He finally agreed to marry Devi Parvati and their union brought relief not just to the Devas but also to the universe.

Maa Parvati is said to be the balancing factor in Mahadev’s life. They complement each other as is depicted in the Ardhanarishwar form. When Shiva is angered and does the Tandav that can potentially destroy the entire cosmos, it is Devi Parvati who calms Him down by matching his fierce and destructive dance with Her own slow, graceful steps.

Bhagwan Shiva’s personality is replete with dichotomies. Bhagwan Shiva, on the one hand, is a Yogi who disconnects from the mortal world by retiring to Mount Kailash to meditate. At the same time, He is a fierce and angry deity whose temper knows no bounds and has the potential to destroy everything in his path. In all this, Devi restores balance by pulling Him towards the role of a householder.

Their relationship is characterized by immense love, respect for each other, understanding, and support for each other. They teach us that men and women complement and complete each other and aren’t meant to compete with each other as the imported western concept feminazism would like us to believe.

Prabhu Sri Ram and Devi Sita

The second divine couple who exemplifies the husband-wife relationship is Prabhu Ram and Maa Sita. As mentioned earlier, it is their divine union that is celebrated as Vivah Panchami.

The role of Prabhu Sri Ram as a husband is not just overlooked but even subject to criticism. The critics conveniently overlook the hardships Prabhu Ram put up with after his separation from Mata Sita. He remained a devoted husband all through his life, right from the day he married Devi Sita and took the vow of ekapatni (committed to Sita all His life and take no other wife).

While there is no need ‘prove’ that Prabhu Sri Ram loved Sita Maa, if even one was needed then there can be no better proof than Ram Setu. He led a life as a mendicant after Mata Sita’s exile to the forest.

Devi Sita was equally committed to standing by Prabhu and hence, despite His repeated attempts to dissuade Her from accompanying Him to Vanvas, Mata Sita went on exile with Sri Ram and Sri Laxman. She stood by her husband through thick and thin.

These are marital stories that Hindu youth need to be familiarized with rather than the garbage that is fed to them in the name of ‘love’ through movies, web series, and television serials.