Shakti

The word Shakti means Power in english. What is the meaning of power, as per the the explanation mentioned in the Oxford dictionary, it means ' the ability to do something, Vigour, strength, control, influence authority. It also states "product of a number multiplied by itself a given number of times". This is as per the meaning of the word. But we should see the beginning of Shakti. The balance in nature is formed with opposites, if there are no opposites, there would be imbalance. When there is a good there is bad, there is woman, there is man, there is day and there is night, there is sweet and bitter. A man is complete with a woman and so is a woman complete with a man, if there is no night, no one would understand the importance of day. So opposite would always dwell together and would attract each other. If we go to the mythologies and folklores of hinduism, with the event of time, the Rishis and Muni's of India comes up with the different stories to tell to the mankind.

Let us consider the story of Shiva, who is very easily pleased and is regarded as the most innocent of all the gods. Shiva being the Asetic the hermit, ignorant of the material world, was detached from the earthly and human activities. He was the saint who has renunciated the material world and was never aware of the human sufferings of the mankind in the earthly world. It was Sati, his consort being reincarnated again as parvati who had introduced Shiva with the world where he is needed, where he needs to look into because of the endless saga of suffering and liberate the mankind, show the path to humans to liberate oneself from the earthly bonds and attain nirvana. The endless devotion, sacrifice and prayer of Parvati which finally won the heart of Shiva and he decided to settle down for marriage, and play the role of 'Shankar' leading a homely life. It is Parvati who was the otherhalf of shiva and made him complete.

Parvati is the Shakti of Shiva. So is Saraswati for Brahma, Laxmi for Vishnu, Sita for Ram, Radha for Krishna. Without the female shakti, a male power is incomplete. The Shakti, the mother who brings life is the power. The power to produce and reproduce. the power to multiply itself, and behold the power for the betterment and growth. This is the Power of the womankind. But still in this Yug, where is the empowerment I wonder...