In her earlier birth Goddess Parvati was born as Sati was born to King Daksha and his wife Praasuni.
King Daksha was son of Lord Brahma and an ardent devotee if Lord Vishnu. He opposed worship of Shiva. However, his eldest daughter Sati fell in live with Shiva and married him against the wish of her father.
After marriage, King Dakha held a grand ceremony (Yagna, the holy sacrifice) where Shiva was not invited. However, Sati went to the ceremony. She was insulted publically by King Daksha. The king even insulted Shiva. This enraged Sati who destroyed herself by surrendering herself to the sacred fire.
Shiva was devasted by Sati's death. He beheaded Daksha in fury. His anger manifested as he performed the violent dance - the Rudra Tandava with Sati in his hands and destroyed the kindgom of Daksha. To pacify Shiva, Lord Vishnu send his visionary wheel to put Sati's body into pieces. The body parts fell on the Earth and emerged as 'Shakti Peeth'. He renounced world and undertook rigorous penance in mystic place.
Many years passed and Shiva made no manifestation.
The Gods went to Lord Vishnu and expressed their concern and fear regarding Shiva's penance which could end the mortal world. It was then that Goddess Sati was revived as Parvati and born to King of Himalayas. It is belived that Shiva performed penance in some deep mystic pockets of the Himalayan mountains.
After years of meditation, Parvati met Shiva. The king of Himalayas happily married Parvati to Lord Shiva. This reunion of Shiva and Shakti (other names for Sati, Parvati) is celebrated as Shivaratri.
After their marriage, Parvati (also known as Uma) performed penance on the night of Shivaratri to protect her husband from any evil that could befell on him.
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