Mata Parvati was the daughter of a great king. When she chose to marry Lord Shiv, her parents objected and ridiculed her decision. They asked her why she would want to stay at Mount Kailash where there is nothing but snow instead of getting married to a man who has a palace and a big kingdom. She replied saying that all of these are temporary. When her parents didn’t believe her, she gave them a glimpse of their future. They were shocked to see that their lavish palace was nowhere to be seen, it didn’t exist. That is when they understood what their daughter was saying. That is when they got the gyan.

Everything that is a part of the physical world – the body, property, relatives, friends, and riches – is unreal and will leave us one day. It is only when you are able to access Shiv that this gyan flows and you get the darshan of what is real.

Shiv – tapasya, vairagya (detachment), and internal strength. That is why, if you see, all Shiv temples are situated in places that are very difficult to reach and have an inhospitable environment (vidarbha), places where very few people will choose to go, places which are ideal for dhyan.