वामदेवाय नमो ज्येष्ठाय नमः श्रेष्ठाय नमो रुद्राय नमः नमो कालाय नमः कलविकरणाय नमः बलविकरणाय नमो

Lord Shiva is both an abstinent yogi and a dutiful householder, as a yogi, you can see him sitting and meditating on a tiger’s skin. As a householder, he is known as Shankar, Umapati, or Umadhava and shown with His family.

Shiva-The Loner, The Hermit

Lord Shiva is the Supreme Soul, the Divine formless energy. He is in the form of a Linga symbolizing His ethereal and mystic nature. An Adiyogi who is neither male nor female; neither young nor old; is unborn (anadi) and undead (anant). He is the powerhouse of eternal knowledge. In this formless manifestation, Shiva is a Yogi, a Hermit, and a loner.

Shankar-The Householder

Shankar has taken one of the most mesmerizing physical forms in the whole universe. He resides on Mount Kailash along with His consort, Goddess Parvati, and their children. In this form he is a householder having long hair, a serpent twisted around his neck, with a trident next to him. This trident represents His control of all three worlds.

The story of Lord Shiva’s wedding is a fascinating tale.

How Shiva, the loner, became Shankar, the householder Lord Brahma wanted the hermit Shiva to get married. He tells this to Lord Vishnu who advises Brahma Ji to request Goddess Uma to take birth on earth and become Lord Shiva’s wife. Thus, Sati was born to Daksha, now when Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, requested Shiva to marry Sati, Lord Shiva said, why do you want me to get married. I am a yogi, always in a meditative state and I do not want to get involved in worldly affairs.

They pleaded, Shakti has reincarnated on earth as Sati, and only Shiva is eligible to marry. This Divine power and O Mahadev, you also must save the world from the cruelties of the demon Tārakāsura. Tārakāsura had cleverly taken a boon from Lord Shiva that he could be defeated by none other than Shiva’s offspring as he knew that Shiva was a yogi who would never get married and have a child. And thus, Lord Shiva married Sati.

The Shiva-Parvati Wedding

Lord Shiva went into deep grief after Goddess Sati left her body. He was unaware of the fact that she had returned as Parvati, the daughter of Himavan, the King of the Himalayas. He was in profound sadness, he was convinced by other Gods to marry Parvati. Lord Shiva tested her devotion, was pleased and convinced she was His Sati, and married her.

Shiva-Parvati Wedding on Maha Shivratri

Triyugi Narayan is the village at Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand where the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took place. Their marriage was sanctified in a day before Amavasya (Phalgun). And we celebrate this day as Maha Shivratri every year. Lord Brahma was the priest at the wedding ceremony, while Lord Vishnu was responsible for the wedding preparations.
The marriage happens in the Divine presence of Lord Vishnu and that location is known as the Triyugi Narayan temple, dedicated to Vishnu. The Brahma Shila in the temple marks the exact place of the wedding. There are 3 sacred water wells (Kunds) there: Rudra Kund, Vishnu Kund, and Brahma Kund supposedly with sacred and medicinal properties.