Whose 108 heads are woven into Shiva’s garland?
The amazing love of Lord Shiva and Sati is described in the scriptures. The proof of this is Sati’s self-immolation by jumping into the Yagya Kund and the orgy of angry Shiva carrying Sati’s dead body. However, this was also a play of Lord Shiva because on this pretext Shiva wanted to establish 51 Shakti Peethas.
Shiva had already told Sati that she had to leave this body. At the same time, he also told Sati the secret of the garland of tonsils present around his neck. Secret of Mund Mala
Once, on the instigation of Narad ji, Sati started insisting to Lord Shiva that what is the secret of the garland of glans around his neck. When Sati did not agree even after much persuasion, Lord Shiva revealed the secret. Shiva told Parvati that all the heads in this garland are yours. Sati was surprised to hear this.
Sati asked Lord Shiva, how is it possible that all the glans are mine. On this Shiva said, this is your 108th birth. Before this you have taken birth 107 times and left your body and all these glans are the signs of those previous births. There is still one head missing in this rosary, after this this rosary will be complete. Hearing this from Shiva, Sati said to Shiva, I take birth again and again and give up my body, but why don’t you give up your body.
Shiva laughingly said, ‘I know “Amar Katha” so I don’t have to sacrifice my body.’ On this Sati also expressed her desire to know the immortal story. When Shiva started narrating the story to Sati, she fell asleep and could not listen to the story. Therefore he had to sacrifice his body by jumping into Daksh’s Yagya Kund.
Shiva also entwined Sati’s head in the garland. In this way a rosary of 108 maunds was ready. Sati was next born as Parvati. In this birth, Parvati received immortality from Lord Shiva through the story “Amar Katha” and then she did not have to leave her body.