Who was Ashoka Sundari?

Everyone is familiar with the two sons of Shiva and Parvati. One is the God of wisdom (Ganesha) and the other is the commander of Gods (Kartikeya). According to Shiva Purana, they were the couple's only two sons, which is why no one mentions their daughter, Ashoksundari. As her name suggests, she was the epitome of beauty. But belonging to the Shiv family, why is she not worshipped like her parents and siblings? Let's find out.

The daughter of Shiva, Ashoksundari; Image souce- Wikipedia

Lord Shiva lived as a hermit before marrying, so he had no access to worldly pleasures. However, his marriage to Maata Parvati compelled him to change into a householder to begin his new life with his wife. The Shiva Purana goes into great detail about these events, but it makes no mention of his daughter, Ashoksundari. However, she was introduced in the Padma Purana and mentioned in other folklore throughout India.

Following their marriage, Lord Shiva and Parvati settled on Kailash Mountain. Shiva was so in love with Parvati and always fulfilled all her wishes. She intended to visit Nandanvana, the world's most beautiful forest, one day. Shiva fulfilled her wish, and the two of them proceeded to the Vana, where flowers bloomed, filling the air with their scent, greenery stretched out like sheets, and bushes and trees eased the environment. Parvati was captivated by the tranquillity, but amid the magical beauty, she observed an old tree. It was the Kalpavriksha, the tree that grants wishes.

Parvati was interested in giving it a try because she often felt lonely when her husband was away fighting demons. So she requested a daughter to accompany her when she is alone. Following the fulfilment of her wish, Ashoksundari was born. As she came to support her mother in pain and console her, she was named Ashoksundari. She was given the name Sundari because of her breathtaking beauty, and her character lived up to her name.

Parvati and her daughter grew close over time, and she blessed herto marry a powerful man from the lunar dynasty named Nahusa. As she grew up into a young woman, she became more and more beautiful. Hunda, a malicious demon, once saw her and was filled with enticing desires to possess her. By lying to him about his marriage to Nahusa, Ashoksundari flatly refused her proposal.

Hunda, unable to accept his defeat, attempted to kidnap Sundari by disguising himself as a widow. When she found out about her shady tactics, she cursed him to die at the hands of Nahusa. However, he repeated the act for the second time after a long time, but Ashoksundari’s curse came true this time. Nahusa killed the demon and saved her from the clutches of Hunda. Soon after, they married and had a son named Yayati, who founded the Yadava and Paurava kingdoms, the forefathers of the Pandavas and Kauravas, respectively.

This is a feature of Hindu mythology: it perfectly moulds events one after the other, as it does here with the Padma Purana and Mahabharat.

Ashoksundari is said to be one of Shiva's numerous forms of energy who spreads his teachings throughout the world. Because many texts do not mention her, and she only stayed for a short period, she remains hidden behind the veil. She is considered to bestow beauty and luxury and is known and worshipped as Bala Tripurasundari in southern India.

Ashoksundari, one of the many forms of Shiva; Image source- tantranectar.com