Kamadeva and his consort Rati flew in their chariot to where Shiva sat in meditation. Kamadeva carried the Arrow of Love with him. The moment the divine couple alighted on the Himalayan peak, the flowers around blossomed and the whole place was enveloped by all kinds of sweet fragrance. The birds  chirped melodious songs. Bumble bees encircled the place whirring softly. Peacocks spread their gorgeous feathers and began to dance. All these disturbed Lord Shiva who was meditating and he opened his eyes. The penance grove of Lord Shiva looked a hypnotic realm. All this was Manmatha’s influence. He then stood before Shiva. A little away stood Rati. She prayed to God that no evil should befall her husband.
Just at that time Parvati had also come as usual with fruits and flowers to worship Shiva. Her friends were also there. Parvati stood with folded hands singing in praise of Shiva. Pleased with her devotion and delighted with her sweet voice, Shiva just for a moment stopped his meditation and looked at her once. Kama decided that was the most opportune moment and got ready to make Shiva fall in love with Parvati. Unafraid of the eye of fire on Shiva’s forehead, he shot five of his arrows of flowers at his heart. Shiva’s tapa was broken. This made Shiva terribly angry. He opened the fiery eye on his forehead. With a frightening noise a fierce blazing flame burst forth. It seemed the fire of final destruction had struck the body of Kama. As he stood, he was reduced to ashes. Shiva, smearing his body with the same ash, disappeared.
Seeing Kama burnt to ash Rati was unconsolable.  She implored Parvati to give back to her husband as alms.   Meanwhile Parvati was greatly pained at the way in which Shiva had treated her. She told her companions, “The merciful lord Shiva has not shown any kindness to me. Alas! He has gone away rejecting me. While I was coming here to the spot of his meditation every day and rendering service to him, He has disappeared without speaking a word to me. I know that he cannot be won over by mere beauty or charm but will yield only to devotion. I won’t give up my devotion. I will please him with the hardest penance and draw him to myself.   Parvati went to the sacred spot of Gangavatara. The same spot later came to be called the Gowri peak. Jaya and Vijaya also went with her to facilitate her tapas. Parvati’s penance was rigorous.
In the summer of sweltering heat she lighted fire on all four sides and did her penance amidst five fires. In the rainy season she sat on the rock in pouring rain and meditated. In winter she stood neck deep in the cold water of the pond and meditated on Shiva. She never cared for any kind of difficulty, sorrow or pain, and focused her mind fully on Shiva. She wore flaxen cloth with twisted hair top and chanted the mantras or prayers with the rosary in hand. She excelled the rishis or sages in going on with the penance conquering hunger and thirst. In early stages she was eating fruits; gradually she gave up that also. She ate leaves or ‘parna.’ Then she left off that also and got the name ‘Aparna,’ continuing her hard penance. Many came to her penance grove now and then, and returned with wonder at her determination and with sympathy too.