The entire family of Himavan was happily engaged in decorating Parvati. When the Sun was favourable for the muhurta and the moon was in conjunction with Uttara Phalguni, the elderly women decorated her. Parvati was prepared for an oil bath wearing a dazzling silken cloth. She was then given the bath, with water poured from golden pots while music played in the background. After the bath, radiant and clothed in shining silk, she appeared like the earth after fresh rain, gleaming with blossomed white flowers.
She was then conducted by the elderly women to a four-pillared altar and seated facing the east. The ladies were so fascinated by her natural beauty that they delayed decorating her for a while. One lady dried her beautiful mass of hair with incense smoke. Her face in the background of black tresses seemed beyond comparison even to the lotus with bees or the moon surrounded by clouds.
The sprout of barley adorning her ears reflected upon her cheeks with cosmetic paste and attracted the attention of the onlookers. While applying the red lac-dye on Parvati’s feet, her friend blessed her jokingly that after marriage she should touch the crescent moon on Siva’s head with that foot. Parvati blushed and silenced her with a gentle stroke of a garland.
The collyrium was applied to her eyes, which resembled a blossomed lotus, not to add beauty but because it was auspicious to do so. After all the decorations were over, Parvati stood with steady eyes before a great mirror and hastened toward Siva, for women are pleased only when their attire is admired by the husband.
Mena, the mother of Parvati, applied the ceremonial mark on the forehead of her daughter, indicating the commencement of marriage rituals. A woollen band was tied around her wrist. Parvati then saluted the family deities and the elderly women. They blessed her, saying that she would receive uninterrupted love from her husband. But in truth Parvati received even more, for she was given a share of half the body of Siva.
In the meantime, in Kailasa, decorations were done for Siva as well, befitting the occasion of marriage, by the seven divine mothers. Out of respect for them, Siva brought about a total change in his appearance. The ashes became white unguent for the body, the skull turned into a beautiful head ornament, and the elephant skin became a dazzling silken garment. The third eye on his forehead served the purpose of a tilaka. The snakes on his limbs became ornaments, while the gems on their hoods remained as before.
Siva mounted Nandi the bull and was led by the ganas playing music. The Sun held an umbrella, while the rivers Ganga and Yamuna assumed visible forms and fanned him with chowries. Brahma and Vishnu hailed victory for him. Then the gods like Indra obtained permission from Nandi, came forward, and saluted Siva. Lord Siva honoured the gods according to their importance: Brahma with a nod of the head, Vishnu with a few words, Indra with a smile, and the other assembled gods with his glance.
When the seven sages wished him victory, Siva told them that they had already been selected by him as the officiating priests of the marriage. The procession entered the gates of the city of Himavan. When Siva saluted Himavan, the latter felt ashamed to be saluted by one who is saluted by the three worlds, though he himself had bent deeply to receive the bridegroom.
The ladies in the city were so eager to catch a glimpse of Siva as bridegroom that they abandoned all other activities. One lady ran to the window with her loosened hair still untied. Another, whose feet were being painted red, rushed away and left footprints behind on the floor. Another applied collyrium only to the right eye and forgot the left because of eagerness to see the bridegroom. Since all the ladies in the row of houses were looking at Siva, it appeared as if all the windows were decorated with lotuses filled with bees.
While looking at Siva, the women did not realise the function of any other sense organ except the eye. They began exchanging their impressions and opinions. They said that it was only proper that the delicate Parvati had performed such rigorous penance for this purpose, for even the position of servant to Siva would be a great success, what then of becoming his better half. Others remarked that if such a beautiful Parvati on one side and Siva on the other had not been united in wedlock, the very purpose of creation would have become futile. Another lady remarked that the god of love had not been burnt by Siva in anger, but had himself given up his body upon seeing the beauty of Siva.
Hearing with happiness these remarks made by the women, Siva reached the house of Himavan. He got down from the bull, for which Vishnu rendered a helping hand, and entered the palace where Brahma was already seated. The gods headed by Indra, the sages led by the seven sages, and the bhutaganas entered the palace thereafter.
Siva was offered a seat, honey, curds, clarified butter, and new garments. He accepted all this because the offerings were made with the chanting of mantras. After this, clad in silken garments, the bridegroom was taken near Parvati. When the two of them met, their eyes were eager to look at one another, but were restrained due to bashfulness.
After this came the most important ritual of marriage, the panigrahana. When Himavan offered the hand of his daughter Parvati, shining red in colour, it appeared like the sprout of the god of love who had been hiding in her person due to fear of Siva. Their joined hands heightened the splendour of both.
This was followed by the circumambulation of the sacred fire and then the offering of puffed rice into the fire by the bride. The priest then told Parvati: “O child, he is yours. The sacred fire is the witness for the marriage between you both. You must conduct the righteous duty with Siva without any fear.”
This was followed by the couple looking at the Dhruva star. Siva asked her to look at the star, and she said with bashfulness that she saw it by gently lifting her head.
After the rituals of marriage were over, the couple bowed down to Brahma, the creator seated on a lotus. Brahma blessed Parvati that she would give birth to a valiant child. Lakshmi held an umbrella made of lotuses above them. Sarasvati blessed Siva and Parvati with fitting words. The couple also witnessed a performance presented by the celestial nymphs. The gods saluted the divine couple and requested Lord Siva to accept once more the service of Cupid, who had regained his physical body at the end of the curse. Lord Siva gave up his anger and allowed the arrows of the god of love upon himself.