I will take this excerpt from it and apply it here.
Kamadeva picked up his flowery bow with the sugarcane arrows and went to the place where Shiva was meditating.
There Parvati was helping Shiva, collect the flowers. She was arranging the flowers, when Kamadeva picked up his bow and fired five arrows at Lord Shiva.
Shiva momentarily felt a sudden jerk as if being awakened. He suddenly gazed at Parvati as if realizing for the first time how beautiful she actually was. He felt captivated by Parvati's beauty and was about to talk to her, when Lord Shiva shook his head. Something is not right. I should not be thinking of this. My Sati is dead. I am performing penance. I cannot be attracted to another woman now. Lord Shiva resolutely pulled himself together. Through his power of meditation he realized that Kamadeva had been upto some mischief because of which he had lost concentration.
Lord Shiva has three eyes. His third eye is in his forehead and is always closed, for good reason. The third eye if opened would burn up anyone in its path!
Now Lord Shiva angrily blazed at Kamadeva and opened his third eye. Poor Kamadeva! He was burnt to ashes!
After burning up Kamadeva, Lord Shiva cooled down a little. He closed his third eye. But he was still angry with himself for losing his concentration. He angrily turned to Parvati, 'I do not wish you to help me. Leave me alone. Your charms will not work on me. Leave and go back to your family.' So saying Lord Shiva turned on his heel and stomped off to his retreat to continue with his penance, which had been disturbed by Kamadeva.
Parvati was distressed that Shiva had spoken harshly to her and had left her. Parvati was sure that no matter how much she cajoled Shiva, he would never agree to let her help him again.
Parvati realised that she could not give up now. The days she had been with Shiva, she realised that she was more in love with him than she realised.
here is the link to it fully.
How Parvati married Shiva!
it if u see here Parvati maiya was not awakened to the passionate side of love, and was only aware of the spiritual devotional side of it. And she never intended to charm Shiv bhagawan with her charms. She only wanted to support him, give her devotion.
And this activity done by Kamadeva ended up with him turning on her and telling that HER CHARMS WILL NOT WORK ON HIM.
This is this 'characterless' accusation used here.
I am not defending Rudra. But actually defending why our own Paro would not take offence to it. She was indeed hurt - BUT her need to get through to him, make him realize and make him love her back was more important.
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Anyway what I want to tell is - Paro is naive, superstitious enough (or such a huge believer of destiny and the mythology) which has shaped her whole life.
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The story told to her by the Pandith ji - I will quote/translate it WORD TO WORD
Pan: Do u know daughter, why people call Shivji as Bholenath?
Paro: Because he is very childish (bhole)? and very straightforward?
Pan: Also , equally potent when he showers his fury and hate. When sins, injustice happens on this earth, then look at the avatar he takes, And at that time no matter who comes in front of him when he is in that avatar only destruction of that person happens. And the name of that avatar is,
Paro: Rudra
Pan: And when this Bholenath, is in his Rudra avatar, no one in the 3 worlds he care for can control him. And one time Bholenath became angry at Parvatiji too.
Paro: Parvatiji?
Pan: yes at maiya Parvati too. Some mistake happened by her. That too without her knowledge.
(look at Paro at this point = where u can see the dawning of the parallel lines b/w the 2 stories in her head) And then Shivji came in his Rudra avatar. And then where would he listen to anyone!
Paro: (with a pout says) just like he doesn't listen to me.
Pan: Bholenath stood his ground. And Parvatiji wasn't any less than him. Wherever Bholenath went, Parvatiji went with him. Went with him to the last step of the Shristi
Parvatiji BEGGED for mercy of his compassion (Dayaki bheek maang thi rahi). She kept crying (rothi rahi). She begged (ghirgirathi rahi) and she didn't leave Bholenath's side (aur unhune Bolenathke saath nahi chora)
Paro: And did he forgive Parvatiji then?
Pan: As much as Parvatiji kept doing penance, the more Bholenath became more miffed. And in the end..
Paro: And in the end?
Pan: And in the end, as much as he is Rudra (the avenger) he is just as much Bhole (childish/unaware). As stonehearted as he is just as soft too. From Parvati maiya's true devotion and her serving of him he melted.
Paro: (with so much hope asks) so he forgave Parvatiji?
Pan: he HAD TO! He was the protector of Parvatiji, her prayer and her god, he could hardly be angry at her, for - forever.
Paro: (with happy tears in her eyes tells herself) he cannot stay like that.. and he indeed will not.
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For u and me alikening our own life to the gods is something that may seem ridiculous. But here her own name is 'Parvati' and his name is 'Rudra'!!
And as she has drawn the parallels she has realized just how alike the 2 situations are! here too it was not really her fault, that he has gotten angry with her just like it was with Shiv bhagawan and parvati maiya..
And her whole life, she has been growing up with these stories..
For gods sake she allowed a freaking snake to pick her as the next bride to go across the border forever! She thought it was normal! cz IT WAS NORMAL FOR HER!
And she met Varun, learned his name, saw him for the 1st time when he came to marry her! Yet she thought it was normal!
Now for a girl who is like this - how can we say that LITERALLY matching the events of her own life to that of those gods she believes in, looks up to, devoted to is unrealistic?
Hell many of my friends r having parents searching for grooms! and first of all we get the FB profile link to go and check out the guy and refuse if we don't like his appearance! that is how empowered we are!
So pls pls understand that this mythology is actually very real for her!
Its not that she is characterless or doesn't have any self respect. cz actually if it was good enough for the gods we believe in, I think its good enough for us humans to - if we r devoted enough. And Paro certainly is more than enough!
Mind u - Paro at this moment is NOT IN LOVE WITH RUDRA.
She loves him the same way she loves Bindi, Suneri, Aman, Maitili, her jija, mamisa, her thakurainmasa.. or even Rukmani the butterfly!
Only that she feels an even more stronger pull towards him. Her breath quickens when he comes near. She feels different. But she still loves him the same way she loves these other people.
She cares for him enough to realize that being around him makes herself happy and that she likes being around him. She loves him enough to knw that she wants to make him like her back too just like those other people love her back!
She she actually did the same for Suneri! So its not that she is without any self respect that she is doing this.
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