Parvati was born a maiden of the mountains. The mighty god Shiva was practicing meditation in the dense forest. Desiring to win over Shiva, Parvati went to serve him. But Shiva paid no attention to her.

At this time, the gods were being tortured by an invincible demon, so they prayed to the supreme god for a saviour. He assured them that the son of Shiva and Parvati would be the one. So the gods sent Kama, the god of love, to lead Shiva into marrying Parvati. But when the god of love worked his charm, Shiva was disturbed and turned him to ashes. Parvati redoubled her efforts at penance.