'The whole world is but one family' - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

The Birth of Shiva
Bhavan’s Children Section
Brahma listened carefully, as Lord Krishna concluded “I
want to become the father of creation. But I live eternally
in the spiritual realm and do not directly touch the
material world. I will therefore soon appear in a new and
different form. Please, remember all I have taught you.”
Following Krishna’s advice, Brahma began his work.
From his mind, he produced four identical boys. Happy
to have these children, he said, “My dear sons, I shall
soon create some beautiful maidens. Please marry them
and have children, so that we can populate the universe.”
However, the eldest boy replied, “No, father, we will
not marry, for we wish to become monks,” Brahma was
furious. “How dare they disobey me!”, he thought. He
tried to control his rage, but it burst out from his forehead
as a blazing fire. Brahma looked on in amazement as his
anger took the form of a newborn baby. Brahma named
the infant ‘Shiva’. Did you know? Lord Shiva is often
shown sitting in meditation in the Himalayas. He holds a
trident and a small two-headed drum. In his coiled hair,
he wears the crescent moon and the sacred river Ganges, as it falls from heaven. Shiva’s carrier is Nandi the
bull. His most famous sons are Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, and Skanda, the god of war.
Shiva Marries Shakti
As Lord Shiva grew up, he began to consider, “How can I help the
souls who have left the spiritual world? They will need various
bodies to satisfy their unlimited desires. But how can such bodies
be produced?” Just at that moment, Goddess Lakshmi came from
Vaikuntha, and took the form of Shakti. She smiled at Shiva, and
said, “I am Mother Nature, and you are the Father. Shiva gladly
accepted Shakti as his wife, saying, “As Mother Nature, you will have
many faces. In the form of Goddess Parvati, you will be caring and
gentle. As Kali and Durga you will appear fearful and dangerous.”
Lord Brahma himself performed the magnificent wedding of Shiva
and Parvati. Did you know? The wedding of Shiva and Parvati is
still celebrated to this day as a spring festival. ‘Durga’ name means
‘prison’, indicating that it is difficult to escape this world. Goddess
Durga rides upon a ferocious lion and holds upraised weapons in her
many hands. Goddess Kali wears a garland of skulls, showing that
death is inevitable for all who enter the material world.