Uma
Lady of the Mountains; Lady of Light
ORIGIN:
Himalayas
The goddess Uma, daughter of Himavat, Lord of the Himalayas, and the Apsara Mena, is the sister of river goddess Ganga. Different versions of Uma’s myth exist, but in all she determines to marry Lord Shiva, who has retreated from the world in grief following the death of his beloved Sati. Uma may be the Reincarnation of Sati.
Shiva, living an extreme ascetic existence, took no notice of Uma. Finally, a sage (rishi) sent by Indra advised Uma to simultaneously perform the following:
• Visualize Shiva.
• Practice austerities.
• Chant the mantra OM NA MAH SHI VA YAH.
The sage assured Uma that if she did this long enough and intensely enough, Shiva would come to love her. How long is long enough? Uma practiced austerities, chanting, and meditation for eighteen-thousand years in order to gain Shiva as a spouse.
She abandoned her luxurious life as a princess, traveling to a forested mountain to meditate on Shiva. Uma wore bark clothing and ate only fruit and leaves that fell from trees. Shesurrounded herself with five fires: four bonfires around her and the sun above. Finally, she abandoned eating all together. She stood endlessly on one leg, as in the yoga position (asana) called Ardha Chandrasana, chanting her mantra, focused on Shiva and her goal. The sage had not lied to her: Shiva appeared, impressed and moved by her austerities and determination, and took Uma as his bride.
Uma is usually venerated alongside Shiva as an aspect of Parvati. However, she is also worshipped independently, especially in the Himalayan nation of Nepal. Female ascetics, in particular, venerate Uma as a role model.
The myth of Uma and Shiva is retold graphically in Virgin Comics’ Uma.
SEE ALSO:
Apsara; Ganga; Indra; Parvati; Sati; Shiva and the Glossary entry for Mantra
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.