Wedded Bliss
Shiva was an ardent husband, loving and attentive. Sati was deliriously happy and so was he. Kama had got nowhere near him earlier, but now Shiva himself invited Kama to work his magic. Spring and lust and sweet confusion prevailed. In a way, because of the belated arrival of Kama, they experienced the esctasy of love without the agony.

Twenty-five divine years passed in this carefree manner. Then Sati began to worry. She had never given it a thought before, but now noticed a gathering storm and suddenly realized that they lived out in the open, exposed to rain and sun. She wanted a home. 'What will we do when it rains?, she asked anxiously. He laughed indulgently. 'No cloud comes higher than the foot of Kailasa; haven't you noticed? You have nothing to fear'. He was himself lighting and cloud, thunder and storm, and she did not know it.

The spell was broken. She had doubted his ability to shelter her, but only for a moment - she was easily reassured. They wandered the Himalayas drinking in the beauties of Nature along with the sweet wine of their growing love. For ten thousand years they sported; day and night they stared into each other's faces. They seemed indefatigable.

Sati's Thirst for Knowledge
She tired first. Love sports had ceased to hold her attention. She was fired by the spirit of enquiry and asked Shiva to instruct and educate her, to dispel her ignorance. He was the Cosmic Purusha and he could teach and guide her like no one else. Significantly, she started off by asking for the secret of release from bondage. 'The individual's perception of the truth of the statement, I am Brahman, the Absolute' replied Shiva, without a moment's hesitation. And the way to that lay through devotion to him.

She learned much more, lores sacred and profane, rules of living, social norms. Love had turned to companionship and sharing of interests. They journeyed together to the ends of the earth, but they were no longer lovers wrapped up in each other to the exclusion of all else. The outside world had begun to intrude.

On one of their journeys they happened to go through the Dandaka forest. Shiva saw Rama with his brother Lakshmana, looking for his wife Sita, who had been abducted by the demon Ravana.

Shiva bowed to him and wished him victory. Sati was curious. She had never seen Shiva bow his proud head before anybody. She wanted to know who they were. Shiva explained that the elder, Rama, was an incarnation of Vishnu and the younger, Lakshmana, was an incarnation of Sesha, his beloved serpent. They had been born as mortals for the welfare of the universe. Sati was not satisfied with Shiva's explanation. Shiva asked her to test Rama's divinity and Sati went to Rama, assuming Sita's form. Rama smiled and said: 'Where is Shiva? Why have you given up your own form?' Sati told him, and Rama, in turn, told her how Shiva had once, after a formal ceremony, placed a crown on Vishnu's head and conferred special powers on him.