How did Shiva become a widower?
In ages past, the seer Daksha insulted Shiva by not inviting him to a party. All the other gods and goddesses were invited. But Daksha didn't care for Shiva because he was a bum. He didn't have a job and didn't dress up; he just lived naked in the mountains meditating.Shiva's wife, Sati, was so upset at the slight that she committed suicide, jumping into a fire.
Shiva lost it completely. He carried his wife's body around his arms, weeping and wailing. Vishnu couldn't allow this to continue, so he kept throwing his whirling discuss at Sati's body, chopping off different parts which fell to earth. Every place a bit of goddess's body landed is now a major pilgrimage spot for Shaktas. Eventually Shiva calmed down and disappeared into the mountains to spend the rest of the cosmic cycle in meditation.
My guru explained that many eons ago, the cosmic soul was united with the universal spirit, just as Sati was married to Shiva. But then the world soul immolated itself, leaping into the ever -burning fire of energy from which the material worlds are made. The cosmic soul was then sliced into many different pieces, like you, for example, and me. How can the soul return to her divine lord, the Supreme Spirit?
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