हिमालय की पुत्री होने के कारण इनको शैलपुत्री कहा जाता है, पूर्व जन्म में इनका नाम सती था और ये भगवान शिव की पत्नी थी। सती के पिता दक्ष प्रजापति ने भगवान शिव का अपमान कर दिया, इसी कारण सती ने अपने आपको यज्ञ अग्नि में भस्म कर लिया।
वन्दे वांच्छितलाभाय चंद्रार्धकृतशेखराम् । वृषारूढ़ां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम् ॥
Maa Durga is worshiped in her first form as 'Shailputri'. Being the daughter of the mountain king Himalaya, she was named Shailputri. In her previous birth, she was born as the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, then her name was Sati. She was married to Lord Shankar. Once Prajapati Daksha performed a huge yajna in which he invited all the deities to receive their respective yagya portions, but he did not invite Shankar ji to this yagya.
When Goddess Sati heard that our father was performing the rituals of a huge yajna, she was blown away to go there. He told this wish to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva said - "Prajapati Daksha is angry with us due to some reason, he has invited all the deities in his yagya but has not called us intentionally.In such a situation, you will not be able to go there in any way." This teaching of Shankar did not calm the mind of Goddess Sati. Her eagerness to see the father's yagya and go there to meet the mother and sisters could not be reduced in any way.
Sati reached her father's house and saw that no one was talking to her with respect and love. Only his mother embraced him with affection. Due to this behavior of the family, Goddess Sati suffered a lot. He also saw that there was a feeling of contempt for Lord Shiva, Daksha said some derogatory words towards him. Seeing all this, Sati's heart was filled with guilt and anger. She thought that I had made a big mistake by not listening to Lord Shankar ji by coming here. She could not bear this humiliation of her husband Lord Shiva, she immediately burnt that form to ashes by burning it there.
Hearing this horrific and tragic incident like a thunderbolt, Shankar ji got angry and sent his ganas and completely destroyed that yajna of Daksha. Sati consumed her body by Yogagni and was born as the daughter of Shailraj Himalaya in the next life.
This time she became famous as Shailputri. Parvati, Hemvati are also his names. In this birth also Shailputri Devi was also married to Shankar ji.
Maa Shailputri's abode is believed to be in Varanasi. There is a very ancient temple of Shailputri, about which it is believed that the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled only by the sight of Maa Shailputri here. It is also said that on the first day of Navratri i.e. Pratipada, the devotee who has darshan of Maa Shailputri gets rid of all the troubles of his married life. Since the vehicle of Maa Shailputri is Vrishabha, she is also called Vrisharudha. He holds a lotus in his left hand and a trident in his right hand.
