Lord Shiv(a), the deity
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What is Lord Shiv?
‘That which is not’
Pratiksha Apurv, The Being Of Infinite Love And Kindness, February 21, 2020: The Times of India
Each moment contains two phenomena, creation and dissolution, because opposites in life create the required cosmic balance. Just like our in-breath and outgoing breath, there is continuous rhythm in the cosmos. Day cannot exist without night and so too with all other things in life. Birth-death, male-female, peak-valley, good-bad, positive-negative, hot-cold, and so on may all seem as opposites but there is a definite interdependence between the two polarities that creates cosmic harmony. And this cannot be better explained than Shiva himself.
Shiva essentially means ‘that which is not’. He also embodies the concept of union in his state of Ardhnarishwara, a blend of male and female energies and also of anger and compassion. Trinity of gods in Hinduism is Brahma, the deity of creation, Vishnu, the deity of maintenance, and Shiva, of destruction or dissolution of the universe. Shiva is also infinite love and kindness, always ready to fulfil the wishes of devotees.
Shiva is a reminder to devotees that without this dynamic balance of opposites, life would be chaos. Without the existence of night, day would become dull, without woman, man would be incomplete. They seem as polar opposites, but are essentially, one. Our mind often agitates as to why birth cannot be without death. But, it is equally true that birth and death are one and not separate from each other. And, that is what Shiva symbolises. Every birth brings death and every death brings new life. Shiva represents the very peak of human evolution and the ultimate in life. In order to attain to this, Shiva has given 112 methods of meditation. Life is a phenomenon of coming into form, and death is moving into the formless. Since Shiva essentially means the formless, we do not keep pictures of Shiva in temples. Instead, we have him represented as Shivalinga. This aptly represents merging of both form and formless, indicating the concept of Shiva.
He makes us aware that all beings ultimately end up as non-beings and this world is a transit camp.
Shiva brings this awareness for transformation, and turns the search within, so that seekers eventually move towards ultimate existence. If we realise this formless-form, then Shiva appears as a deity of compassion and liberation.
The idea of oneness, has always been emphasised by Indic sages. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that the one who perceives life in different forms, is distanced from the inner reality of Self. This world, gods, Vedas, beings and everything present in existence are all part of our inner Self. Everything is united in one deep state of unity. The conch and drums are different instruments containing different kind of notes. Together, they produce beautiful music.
In the concept of Ardhanarishwara, Shakti is feminine and Shiva is masculine but both are inseparable and united in total unity and harmony. Every individual has the traits of Ardhanarishwara. Opposites give us a chance to do things right. If we move against nature, we become unhappy and miserable, and that is a warning to put our house in order, by bringing back balance. Misery is not separate from happiness, but rather the absence of the latter. We see them as two because our minds cannot see through opposites, but when mind is dropped, we are simply looking at life with totality and in unity. In Shiva we see both, diversity and unity.
Shiv Tattv
Anandmurti Gurumaa, What The Shiva Tattva Seeks To Impart, Feb 23, 2017: The Times of India
Shiva is boundless yet all-pervading, formless yet in every form, the source, yet also the one who annihilates it all! In the trinity of creation, sustenance and destruction, Shiva is hailed as the force of destruction, although in essence it is the same force which creates, sustains and destroys all manifestation.
From Shiva descended the Ganga of knowledge of ultimate reality , the liberating wisdom of `Shiva Tattva', the real Self ever-truthful, ever-conscious, ever-blissful, omniscient Existence.Often portrayed as a yogi deep in blissful meditation, with matted locks, sculpted body and radiant countenance, Shiva symbolises Pure Consciousness.
Shiva is Maha-Kaal, the Lord of Time, Vanquisher of Death, the ever-blissful Eternal One. Therefore he is revered as Adi Yogi, the first Yogi, Adi Guru, the first Guru, who is the primordial source, the divine origin of all yogic sciences, all spiritual practices, all paths to Selfrealisation be it dhyana, jnana, bhakti, yoga. The embodiment of non-duality , Shiva is adored as the epitome of compassion and quintessence of love. He is the Cosmic Dancer, the Supreme Fountainhead from where flows all knowledge of dance, music, and all art.
According to legend, Parvati (Shakti) did intense penance to please Shiva and the great occasion of Maha Shivaratri celebrates their `wedding'. The symbolic union carries a deeper connotation; it depicts the meeting of Shiva and Shakti. In yogic context, the dwelling place of Shiva is Sahasrar Chakra whereas that of Shakti is Mooladhara Chakra, and all yogic practices are preparation Now Shakti is lying dormant at Mooladhara; it is as if Shakti has been estranged from her consort Shiva. It is only when the aspirant with unswerving resolve, goes through the meticulous adherence of disciplined practice of the eightfold path of yoga that the dormant Kundalini Shakti gets awakened and starts ascending via the Sushumna Nadi to meet Shiva. And their communion at Sahasrar is what is meant by Samadhi.
Once Shakti unites with Shiva, she never descends alone but always with Shiva, for their meeting is eternal. In Sankhya philosophy , Prakriti and Purusha are always together, complementing and completing each other. It also means that now should the aspirant engage in interaction with the world, it is from an enlightened perspective. One then knows that all this is a play of Purusha and Prakriti; that life a play. This is what is essentially meant by realising the Shiva Tattva.
If your mind is focussed on the Truth, then you are on the path of realising Shiva Tattva within, and if you are ignorant of Shiva Tattva then know that it won't be long before your ephemeral body , mind, intellect, the I, becomes a Shav corpse. The seeker will choose whether to evolve, realise and be established in his inherent Shiva Tattva or to simply lead a corporeal existence and ultimately end up as Shav.
Vedanta proclaims that `I am Shiva', which in essence means you are the Truth, pure consciousness, ever-blissful one. To know the true nature of Self, Shiva Tattva, who `I' am, in essence, is the aspiration of the seeker who under the guidance of the master, then undertakes austerities and practices for this realisation.
During the night of Maha Shivaratri, when the aspirant performs his disciplines with tenacity , devotion and dedication, it is bound to have a tremendous, long-lasting impact on his journey to becoming Shiva.
Adiyogi, the source of yoga
One of the many names associated with Shiva is Triambaka, the three-eyed one. Because of the Third Eye, he perceives “that which is not“. “That which is“ is physical manifestation “that which is not“ is non-physical. Right now, what you cannot perceive through your five senses is not in your experience. If willing to strive, a human being can see that which is not physical, that is, Shiva.
Today, the human aspiration to be something more than what they are right now has put the planet itself in danger. Gathering money, property, relationships or whatever else, may make you feel like you are something more but only in comparison with someone. But by yourself, nothing of you will be enhanced. Only when your perception is enhanced, will you find yourself an enhanced life.
Source of yoga
Adiyogi the source of yoga ought to become an iconic presence in the world so that people understand that only enhancement of perception ultimately enhances life. The 112-foot tall face of Adiyogi was unveiled on Mahashivaratri this year, on February 24. The number is both symbolic and scientifically significant for our existence because he opened up 112 possibilities for human beings to reach their ultimate nature, and there are 112 chakras in the human system with which you can work. This image of Adiyogi will be the largest face on the planet. The idea is not to build one more monument but to use it as a galvanising force to transform the world from a mass of believers to individuals who seek the truth of life and beyond a shift from religion to responsibility.
All conflicts on the planet though some would like to project it as good versus evil is essentially one man's belief versus another man's belief. The moment you believe something, you become blind to everything else. For belief systems to work, you need a flock.If you apply your own intelligence and think for yourself, your belief will collapse. Seekers, not believers
Believing means assuming certainty about dimensions of which you have no clue. This will give you confidence with out clarity , which is disastrous.
It is very important today that the next generation is of seekers, not believers; that they do not believe in some imaginary heaven for which they only after death. This is what qualify after death. This is what believing does it makes you dead sure about things you know nothing about.
The most important thing is to build a culture of individual seeking, not religion, for mass persuasion. The good thing about seekers is that they are joyfully confused. When you are seeking, you have something to strive for, but nothing to fight for. The world needs this badly . The way human beings are empowered today , we have phenomenal ability to create and destroy . When we are striving, we try to create. When we are fighting, we destroy .
A new awakening
Adiyogi is significant to start a new awakening in the world, where instruments of self-transformation will be common. As most people know how to brush their teeth, they should know how to keep themselves peaceful and joyful, and manage their body and mind.If this happens, human beings will become a tremendous potential and possibility .
Shiva: The eternal mystic
By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The occasion of Magha Triyodashi is celebrated all over the world as Mahashivratri. The 14th night of the month of Phalgun is the ideal time to experience Shiva Tattva. Up North in Kashi, the city of learning, Shiva is the bestower of salvation while in the South he is the respite of Rama by the tranquil waters of Indian Ocean.
Almost all villages in India have at least a dozen kids who are named after Shiva. You can read about Shiva in the internet or in books, but only in the presence of a Master can these words translate into experience.
We are so fortunate today that our beloved Master is there to guide us on this mystical journey into the space of Shiva. we would like to begin this journey with an auspicious invocation in the ethereal voice of Bhanu Didi, sister of Poojya Gurudev.
Shiva, the only reality
Anup Taneja, There Is No Reality Other Than Shiva, March 4, 2019: The Times of India
Kashmir Shaivism describes Shiva as Nirapeksha, the Absolute Being, the one without a second. The term ‘absolute’ is understood in two different ways: basically, it means that which exists by itself and needs no other support for its existence. The term relative, in contrast, refers to that which depends on some support.
Shiva, the absolute, is unborn and without beginning. As against this the world is relative, for it is dependent upon Shiva not only for its existence but also for its sustenance. The absolute thus is independent, while the relative is dependent.
Shiva is the absolute not only by virtue of being existent but also by being known. Awareness, is the very nature of Shiva, for Shiva is Consciousness. Insentient matter does not have the power to know, whereas ‘to know’ is the natural quality of consciousness. And part from knowing other things, consciousness also knows itself; it is svaprakasha, self-illumined. Thus, Shiva is both self-existent and self-illumined.
Absolute is also that which is all-pervasive. In Kashmir Shaivism, everything that exists is called Shiva. There is no ‘other’ in Shiva; it encompasses everything; the entire universe is a selfmanifestation, an extension of Shiva. There is no duality in consciousness.
The non-dual characteristic of Shiva is thus a natural corollary of its basic nature – absolute independence. Had there been a reality apart from Shiva, this reality would naturally impact the absolute nature of Shiva – the independence of Shiva would be restricted by this other reality. Thus, in order to remain truly independent, Shiva ought to be devoid of any duality. Shiva is therefore absolute, both in the sense of being perfectly independent and also in being a non-dual reality that encompasses everything in the universe, including the so-called insentient objects. There is thus no reality other than Shiva.
Non-duality does not mean the total absence of apparent duality; what it means is that the one and the same reality manifests itself in different forms. This can be substantiated by the example of the myriad diversities projected in the dream-world – though appearing to be different, they are in reality a part of the dreamer himself. This is because the dream objects are nothing but thoughts projected as things. In the same way, the universe, which is a projection of Shiva, is substantially one with Shiva. It would thus not be wrong to say that the world of duality is nothing but Shiva manifesting in different forms.
Though the absolute being, Shiva, is devoid of all diversities, yet all diversity emanates from him. The example of the liquid present in peacock’s egg, which is colourless, illustrates this. It is rather ironical that though the liquid is colourless yet all the colours of the peacock’s plumes come out of it.
Thus, Shiva, in the process of enacting his drama of manifestation as the wondrous universe with myriad names and forms, sheds his undifferentiated state and accepts differences of his own volition; hence his unlimited powers appear to have shrunk. Shiva thus is free to manifest the way he likes; he is also free not to manifest at all. Manifestation of the world is an act of absolute freedom on the part of Shiva. Creation is merely Shiva’s ‘lila’ (sportive activity), spanda – a free and spontaneous act without any determining factor from within or without.
Shiva, The Ultimate Outlaw
By: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Shiva has such an impossible character; all contradictions included. In acceptance of this character one will have no issue with anyone in the world including oneself. The idea is to show divinity as all inclusive no one against the other, as in identifying good and bad we also divide the world and make the ultimate union unattainable.
When we say “Shiva,” there are two fundamental aspects that we are referring to. The word“Shiva” literally means “that which is not.” Today, science is proving to us that everything comes from nothing and goes back to nothing. The basis of existence and the fundamental quality of the cosmos is vast nothingness. The galaxies are just a small happening, a sprinkling. The rest is all vast, empty space, which is referred to as Shiva. So Shiva is described as a non-being, not as a being.
At another level, when we say “Shiva,” we are referring to the Adiyogi or first yogi, who is the basis of yogic science. Yoga does not mean standing on your head or holding your breath. Yoga is the science and technology to know the essential nature of how this life is created and how it can be taken to its ultimate possibility.
This being who is a yogi, and that non-being which is the basis of existence, are the same, because a yogi is someone who has experienced the ultimate union – who has experienced existence as himself. To contain the existence within you even for a moment as an experience, you have to be that nothingness. Something can never hold everything. Only nothingness can hold everything. When we talk about Shiva as “that which is not,” and Shiva as a yogi, in a way they are synonymous, yet they are two different aspects. India is a dialectical culture, so we shift from one aspect to another effortlessly.
Transmission of yogic sciences happened on the banks of Kantisarovar, a glacial lake a few miles beyond Kedarnath in the Himalayas. This predates all religion. Shiva started a systematic exposition of yoga in a scientific manner to seven disciples, the saptarishis. He explored every nut and bolt of creation and brought forth yoga as a technology with which every human being can evolve consciously. This is a way of stepping beyond the limitations that physical laws impose upon us.
Physical nature has set laws within which all life needs to happen. But the fundamental nature of a human being is always longing to go beyond those limitations. Spiritual process is about breaking the laws of the physical. In that sense, we are all outlaws. And Shiva is the ultimate outlaw. You can’t worship him, but you are welcome to join the Gang.
If you wish to join the Gang, there is no better time than tonight, the night of Mahashivaratri. Planetary positions on this unique night are such that there is a natural upsurge of energy in the human system. This process of raising your energies to their ultimate pitch, to dissolve yourself and become a part of cosmic oneness, has happened in abundance on this night.
A nightlong festival has been established in tradition to make use of this possibility by remaining awake and keeping one’s spine erect. May this Mahashivaratri be not just a night of wakefulness, but a night of awakening.
Tryambakam, Shiva with the three eyes
Nobody wants to die. Everyone wants to be immortal. Yudhishtira, questioned by a yaksha on the greatest wonder in the world, answered, “Day after day, countless people die. Yet people live as though they are never going to die.” The famous Mahamrityunjaya Mantra – Om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pustivardhanam urvarukam iva bandanan mrtyor mukshiya maamrutat – teaches us the secret of immortality.
All mantras have power in their mere chanting; each has a specific vibration; each has a devata who reveals its true essence. Here, the devata is Tryambakeshvar; the mantra drashta is Sage Vasishta; and the shakti is Devi Amrutesvari.
Through this mantra, we worship Tryambakam, Shiva, the one with the three eyes of justice, compassion and wisdom. With the eye of justice, He is the karma phala data; He gives the results of our actions. In addition, He is an ocean of compassion who has the discrimination and wisdom to know when, what and how to give us. A true sign of wisdom is fearlessness. By acknowledging His presence in our lives, we need not worry about anything!
Tryambakam also refers to the Lord of the three worlds – bhur, bhuvaha and suvaha, besides earth, heaven and patalam. He is the Lord of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep; the Lord of the gross, subtle and causal bodies; the Lord who wields the three shaktis – jnana, iccha and kriya.
In yajamahe, the word ‘yaj’ means to worship and invoke. We worship someone whom we love, respect and adore. By constant remembrance, devotion and admiration of the Lord, and gratitude in our hearts, we can invoke His divine qualities in ourselves and easily achieve His divine state.
Sugandhim is one who is fragrant and well-remembered. The Lord is well-remembered because one can see His beauty, power and presence all around us. His glory, spread everywhere, indicates that He is all-pervading.
Pushti vardhanam means one who nourishes growth and sustains our life; ensures our welfare and wellbeing. He facilitates the realisation of our Infinite nature.
Urvarukam iva bandanan mrityor mukshiya maamrutat – we pray to Him to free us from this bondage of death and limitation, just as a ripe cucumber or a pumpkin effortlessly detaches itself from its creeper. This is symbolic of dispassion. We need to give up the temporary for the permanent.
Through the proper performance of our duties, in a spirit of worship, our mind gives up its sense of doership and does everything without attachment. This is dispassion. Knowledge is possible only through dispassion; and only through knowledge can we gain liberation. Thus, like a matured melon detaching itself naturally from its creeper, we too should gain the maturity of mind to effortlessly detach from the world and be uplifted to the supreme state of Realisation.
Change is also death. When change is not conducive, we experience sorrow. Sorrow is as good as death. Living in suffering, living in constant physical illness, living with loss of fame and so on, are as good as near death. This mantra gives us the strength of mind to overcome fear of all changes and unfavourable situations in life. It removes mental depression; it bestows a life of inspirational, dynamic productivity; it inspires our spiritual growth. (The writer is global head, Chinmaya Mission)
Swamiji will discourse on the ‘Yoga of Meditation’ from February 14-19 at Chinmaya Mission, 89 Lodhi Road
The Universal Benefactor
The Times of India Feb 16 2015
B K Brijmohan
Shivaratri is celebrated at midnight to celebrate Shiva. Why at night? That is because Shiva comes to this world when it is enveloped in the darkness of igno rance when everyone has forgotten their true identity as souls and instead believe that they are bodies. This body-consciousness gives rise to vices such as lust, anger and greed, which are the root causes of all human suffering. Shivaratri thus stands for not just one night but the entire Kaliyug period of ignorance and unrighteousness that is brought to an end by Shiva. The incorporeal Shiva enlightens ignorant minds by giving spiritual knowledge and instilling virtues in humans. He performs this task through a human medium remembered as Brahma. This is alluded to in the Shivapurana, which says that Shiva, the Jyotirlinga, the column of divine light, had mercy on all beings of the world and appeared in the forehead of Brahma and recreated the Satyug world through him. Shiva reminds humans that they are spiritual and not physical beings, and that purity, peace, truth and love are their original qualities. In this way, Shiva creates a new consciousness that is the seed from which emerges a virtuous and righteous world order. Following this process of creation, the old, unrigh teous order gets destroyed, subtly as well as physically. As evil reaches extreme proportions, misguided human intellects devise deadly weapons of mass destruction and man's rapacious plunder of nature triggers devastating `natural' calamities that clean out the world to enable man and nature to make a fresh start.
Shiva, whose name literally Shiva, whose name literally means benefactor, then nurtures the new world order through those who imbibe His teachings and spread His light in the world. The `tripundi' the three lines on the Shivalingam which is one of the forms in which Shiva is represented signifies this threefold task of creation, sustenance and destruction performed. Since His divine intervention delivers all humans from suffering and ushers in a new era of peace and happiness, Shiva is remembered in various forms by people of different cultures and faiths.
Shiva's incorporeal form is universally represented by light. The 12 famous Shi va temples in India are known as Jyotirlinga Math signifying His divine light form. The eternal light that hangs above the ark in every synagogue, altar lamps in churches, and light symbols associated with Egyptian, Babylonian, Druid, Norse gods and the Donyi-Polo faith of Arunachal Pradesh corroborates to the widespread belief in the divine light as the image of one, incorporeal, supreme being. In Japan, members of a messianic Shinto group called Ananai kyo meditate on a round, black stone similar to a Shivalingam that they call `Chinkon Se ki', which means one who bestows peace.
In addition, various names of God, such as `Shiun' in Babylon, `Seva' or `Sevajya' in Syria, Egypt and Fiji, and `Jehova' bear a similarity to the Sanskrit word Shiva, which is derived from two phonetic parts, `shi' and `va', meaning redeemer and liberator.
Shivaratri thus commemorates a momentous occasion, marking the beginning of a new cycle of time, when the world passes from the Iron Age or Kaliyug into the Golden Age or Satyug, when the negative give way to the positive.
In a world where levels of corruption, crime and violence are ringing alarm bells, it is becoming clear to more and more people that we are lost in the darkness of ignorance. We can help dispel the gloom by carrying out in our personal life what Shivaratri commemorates that is, destroying negative ways of thinking and nurturing a positive attitude to illuminate our lives with Truth.
What Lord Shiv represents
The term ‘Shiv’ means ‘auspicious’ and the ‘source of all bliss’. The eight attributes of Shiv are: self-existence, purity, self-knowledge, omniscience, boundless benevolence, omnipotence, bliss, and absence of malaise, that is, defilement and impurities. Anugraha, compassion is his nature and love is his being.
He has infinite names and forms. So much so that in the Srimad Bhagavatam, even Radha is said to be an incarnation of Shiv himself. Shivastotravali, 2:19-20, describes Shiv as the essence of Dakshinachara, the right-handed path, as well as Vamachara, the left-handed path. He belongs to every tradition, and to no tradition. It asserts that Shiv can be worshipped in any manner, in any place, in whatever form.
The reason for the infinite names and forms of Shiv is traced in Vijnana Bhairav, v:116, to the fact that “wherever the mindgoes, whether outside or within, there is Shiv. There is no place without him. He is self-proved, beginningless, primal, the ultimate in all respects and present in everything. ”
According to the 10th century mystic, philosopher and aesthetician, Abhinavagupta, Shiv reveals himself “in lakhs, crores, ten crores of endless future bhava manifestations and absorptions to be brought about by maya, and thus he appears in those very forms – tatharupam eva bahvati”.
Shiv is almighty, allpervading, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is shuddha samvit, pure consciousness, and exists in the very electric charges pulsating in the nucleus of even the smallest atom of matter.
Fritjof Capra in his The Tao of Physics comparing the dance of Shiv with thedance of subatomic particles inter alia says, “The bubble chamber photographs of interacting particles, which bear testimony to the continual rhythm of creation and destruction in the universe, are visual images of the dance of Shiv equalling those of Indian artists in beauty and significance. ”
The creative and destructive powers of Shiv are described by the historian of Indian art, Ananda Coomaraswamy, as “poetry but nonetheless science”.
Shiv uniformly pervades all that exists, irrespective of whether it is material or immaterial, perceptible or imperceptible. He is both immanent and transcendent in the universe. The universe is his manifestation. It is within himself because “all the 36 tattvas, principles, categories, ranging from Shiv to Prithvi are within him. Thereis nothing outside of him. ” Lalleshwari describes the omnipresence of Shiv in Lall Vaakh 1 thus: “Shiv is present everywhere. ”
Just as omnipresence is a characteristic of Shiv, kriya, activity, is also part of his integral nature. It is he who, as Abhinavagupta says in the Tantraloka, 8. 82, “creates the bondage, and he who releases a jiva from it”. So much so that jnana, knowledge, and kriya, action, become synonyms. They are the two modes of the same reality – consciousness.
Shiv, the pure consciousness, enjoys positive as well as negative freedom. He is ‘free from’ all constraints on his actions, and ‘free to’ act or not to act. Shiv is perfect and is not required to indulge in kriya because of some external or internal compulsion, or to fill some lacuna. He acts out of his inherent nature and iccha, free will. As a result, the world is seen as a free and active creation of Shiv
Mahakala
The Times of India, May 02 2016
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
For many, `Shiva' evokes a highly coloured calendar art image. While the image is not without its own charm, reducing this sophisticated conception of the divine to a single rudimentary form is tragic. Shiva should not be named because to name him is to curtail him. And yet, his innumerable names point to the many indescribable mysteries of creation. Of his varied manifestations, Kala is particularly significant, not just for metaphysical reasons, but scientific ones.Both science and mysticism are fuelled by the same spirit of wonder. At one time, it seemed like they ran on parallel tracks.But today , the growing convergences could mean a tremendous step ahead for humanity .
Scientists have recently recorded gravitational waves on the fabric of spacetime a confirmation of the Einsteinian idea that our experience of the physical world is relative. This also confirms a time-honoured yogic insight that sees time as the fundamental basis of creation.Time is always ticking away , but cannot be pinned down. It is this powerful, ineffable dimension that holds the entire universe together. We called this dimension Kala.
One aspect of time is the result of the cyclical movement of physical reality: a single rotation of Earth being a day ,a revolution being a year, etc. From the atomic to the cosmic, everything physical is in cyclical motion. But time is, fundamentally, Kala, which also implies darkness or space. Only in time, space is possible; so, space is seen as a consequence of time. Be cause of space, form is possible.Because of form, all physical reality becomes possible. And so the yogic tradition has the same word for time and space: Kala. Even gravity is one small by-product of time. It is a force that manages the time-space relationship, and allows Kala to find expression. When the dark no-thingness of Kala reverberates and takes form, physical existence begins.
Indian culture realised that when we speak of a dimension beyond logical perception, it is best to speak dialectically. So, we personified a complex existential reality and called it “Shiva“.This is not religion; this is mysticism, a subjective science. Shi-va literall means `that which is not' or no-thing. The hyphen is impor tant. It is in the lap of vast no-thingness that creation has happened. Over 99% of the atom and the cosmos is, in fact, emptiness simply no-thing. This dark aspect of Shiva was personified as Kala Bhairava a dimension potent with life, uncannily similar to the dark energy of modern-day physics. Kala Bhairava is a vibrant state of darkness, but when he becomes absolutely still, he turns into Mahakala, the ultimate time machine. The Mahakala temple in Ujjain celebrates its Simhastha Kumbha Mela this year. An incredibly consecrated space, this powerful manifestation is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Raw and forceful, it is available for all those seeking ultimate dissolution the annihilation of time as we know it.
The spiritual process anywhere in the world is always about transcending the physical, because form is subject to cycles. Kala Bhairava is seen, therefore, as the Destroyer of Ignorance: he who shatters the compulsive cycles of birth and death, being and non-being.
When the boundaries of time and space are transcended, and the limitations of form shattered, the seeker wakes up to the truth that the mystics of the world have always known: that access to the beyond is to be found in the here and now. When the last vestige of ignorance is annihilated, all that remains is Mahakala, the ultimate nature of existence, infinite darkness, an eternity.
Ardh-nârîshvar
No Gender Stereotypes
Apsara Reddy, No Gender Stereotypes In Ardhanarishvara, March 8, 2019: The Times of India
Namaste. With this simple gesture, folded hands and head bowed towards each other’s true nature, you recognise and celebrate the soul in another. And honour the place in the other that exists within us, thereby recognising value in diversity and synergy in difference.
In Hindu philosophy, the soul is interpreted as being without gender. The reason being that the soul is eternal and exists beyond the realm of human form. The soul, therefore, keeps evolving by taking either the masculine or feminine human form. And at times, it manifests as a combination of the two energies. This philosophy envelops my life, especially as a transgender woman.
In the present world, with the political climate being charged and the narrative being extremely male-oriented with little or no focus on women, sustenance of the woman’s movement becomes very challenging. Far too often, we hear sexist, crude and insensitive barbs being hurled at women. Shiva, the icon of masculinity, blended his identity so seamlessly with the sensibilities of the feminine, when he reveals himself to be half-man, halfwoman, as Ardhanarishvara. Here, the masculine and feminine principles are inseparable. In fact, the female form is Shakti, the active force and the male form is Purusha, passive energy.
In ancient Chinese philosophy, the concept of entwined dual energy, called Yin and Yang, reflects how seemingly contrarian forces are actually complementary, interdependent, even symbiotic, in the natural world, wherein these forces rise up to each other while sustaining each other’s energies. Yin and Yang find their parallel in the coexistence of Shiva and Shakti or Parvati, Prakriti and Purusha.
With increasing number of incidents of violence against women and the girl child, it is rather disconcerting that we have scant respect for the ideology of man and woman rising above carnal instincts and serving as a symbol of hospitality and parenthood. Transgender women should be accorded the dignity of Ardhanarishvara and valued for their skills and talents. Ridicule should be replaced with respect as we endeavour to progress towards a more harmonious society.
In a pantheon of over 33 million Hindu gods, the union of Shiva and Shakti signify the tallest and mightiest of energies because of the perfect fusion of male and female energy in equal strength.
Shiva and Shakti, as Ardhanarishvara, represent the attributes of both male and female energies in such an exquisite union that it is a force to reckon with, embodying the very act of creation itself; each one wielding limitless powers while working for the benefit of the Universe.
The western world recognises this dual energy today, as ‘transgender’. Since ancient times, in Indic temple art and sculpture, the Ardhanarishvara (transgender) motif makes its unique presence felt in myriad ways, its majestic image infusing the stone or wall art with its quiet strength as the confluence of male energy complemented and channelised to the maximum by the softer female energy.
Achieving the right to legal gender recognition is crucial to the ability of trans-people to leave behind a life of marginalisation and enjoy a life of dignity. For this, all religiously charged leaders need to hark back to our scriptures and read up on Shiva and Shakti, and the significance of their manifestation as Ardhanarishvara.
Devotees, famous
Maranar
P Raja, February 13, 2021: The Times of India
Shiva Bhakta Defines True Love
What is love? Definitions galore would vie with one another to answer this poser. But no definition would excel the following: If one can deny oneself and make a gift to satisfy the need of another, even as one is reduced to penury oneself, then this is love indeed.
Here is a story of a Shiva bhakta, a rich man pushed to penury by Shiva in order to give the world the true definition of love. His name was Maranar. Born in an affluent family of landlords in Elayankudi, he grew up to multiply his wealth manifold. He magnanimously fed Shiva’s bhaktas regularly. As more and more bhaktas blessed him, his wealth began to grow faster than ever. And this enabled him to feed many more mouths every day. Soon people began to call him Kuberan, the very god of wealth.
Shiva decided to test his devotion. Maranar’s af fluence be g an to dwindle day by day, yet he continued to feed Shiva bhaktas as before, either by mortgaging his property or by selling portions of it.
As Sridevi, goddess of wealth, moved out of his house, her place was occupied by Moodevi, the goddess of misfortune. Now all that Maranar and his wife could claim as their own were a hut, a small piece of land in the backyard for their kitchen garden, and above all pinching poverty. Then came Shiva’s final test. One day, Shiva descended on Elayankudi.
The town was drowned in darkness and it was raining heavily. Maranar, who had been so far sitting with an empty stomach on the ‘pyal’ of his hut, lay down to sleep inside. Just then, Shiva in the form of an ascetic, knocked on his door.
“Praised be Shiva, give me something to eat. I’m dying of hunger,” said the ascetic.
Maranar gladly welcomed the ascetic, but he realised that he had nothing to offer. His wife remembered the paddy seeds they had sown in their land early in the day. “Go, collect them and I can prepare some food. I can’t think of any other way,” she said.
Maranar went out in the rain, and in the dark he felt the paddy seeds with his feet and collected them for his wife to cook. Back home, he realised there was no wood to cook food. So, he tore up a portion of the roof and gave his wife some wood.
The woman kindled the fire, fried the paddy seeds, hulled the husk, separated the rice and cooked it. “But there is no curry. If you get me some greens from our backyard …”
Maranar rushed to the backyard once again in the heavy downpour and cut some of the greens and brought them to his wife. The latter, an expert in culinary arts, washed the greens and prepared several dishes with them. Then they woke the sleeping ascetic to offer him food.
The ascetic did get up, but in his place stood Shiva and his consort seated on a bull. Shiva said: “This is love indeed. I am pleased with your philosophy of life: ‘Your need is greater than mine.’ Now is the time for both of you to follow us to our abode and enjoy eternal bliss.”
Nagendra- Haraya /Nagendra-Haraya
Swami Swaroopananda, February 20, 2023: The Times of India
One of the most beautiful names of Bhagwan Shiv is Nagendraharaya – the one who wears a garland of snakes, the one whose ornament is a snake.
This intriguing name should be clearly understood to appreciate the greatness, love and compassion of the Divine. All those things that are feared, rejected and condemned by people are not only accepted by him but adorn his body and enhance his beauty. Snakes are something we fear and shun. Ashes of a dead body are also inauspicious.
But the ever-benevolent Bhagwan not only accepts them all but even adorns his body with them. In the Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas points out that Shiv, as the Adi-Guru, is the very embodiment of knowledge. Even though the crescentmoon is crooked in shape, it becomes an object of worship when associated with him.
Moreover, Bhagwan does not dwell on our sins. This has been stated by Krishn in the Bhagwad Gita. Irrespective of how good or bad we may be, he is of the nature of forgiveness and love. Anyone who takes shelter at his feet is neither condemned nor judged. Bhagwan is ever ready to lift and make even the most sinful and ‘poisonous’, malevolent person – adored and worshipped. Therefore, along with Shiv, we worship the snake.
The snake also represents the ego. Swami Chinmayananda explained this comparison beautifully: the ego, with its selfishness, is full of toxins and poison and from it emerges – hatred,jealousy, fear and anxiety. It is always frightened and ever-ready to attack, either in offence or defence. Just like the snake which strikes out and bites, the ego spits out its poison on the world in the form of angry or foul words. Shiv is one who has tamed this ego, this poisonous snake, and, therefore, supports a coiled serpent around his neck. By becoming a docile creature, the much-reviled reptile becomes an ornament of the Divine – and hence worthy of worship.
Further, the realised Master or Guru is Shiv alone. He is one who has tamed his ego, who is no longer identified with the body, mind and intellect equipment.
True, when we transact in the world, we have to work with a sense of identity. It is when the sense of identity turns into arrogance, vanity, or ego, it poisons usand the world around us. On the other hand, a realised Master is a blessing to the world. In him, the sense of identity is under his mastery.
For such an individual, his ego is his ornament. The world is protected from all evil by such a Master, avatar, or Ishwar; even saved from going to narak, hell. Narak implies all kinds of dark and sinister things. Snakes also live in dark places, holes and burrows. Therefore, even in hell, we will see crawling snakes and scorpions.
Shiv takes away the fear of narak. He is the one who removes us from hell created by our ego. The one who has tamed the ego is adulated as Nagendra-haraya. Our salutations and surrender to Bhagwan Shiv.
Natraja
Dance of consciousness
Sunil Raina Rajanak , Dance of consciousness "Daily Excelsior" 21/5/2017
Shiva as a supreme consciousness is in everyone. He throbs in each and every atom thus accentuating His Mastery over Universe. Shiva dissipates darkness from inner being of individuals similar to the morning Sun rays which eliminates darkness from physical world. This phenomenon is akin to Nataraja dance which is synchronous with universal activity and is aesthetically symbolized into an exquisite sculpture of Nataraja by the master sculptors of yore in India.
Nataraja stands as Nata – Nautch, dancer and Raja – The King. Hence Nataraja stands for King of The Dance, the master dancer. Under whose guidance this cosmic inertia comes into rhythmic motion. Shiva is believed to dance at heights of Kailash where all other deities are in full attendance surrounding him. The other famous dance of Shiva is in cremation grounds accompanied by Bhairavi and capricious imps. This dance is also referred as Tandava.
But the significant dance of Shiva is Nataraja which infuses momentum into the Universe. The legend goes that Shiva was meditating in the forest and in the same forest some rishis having quarrel amongst themselves directed their anger towards Lord. In first of this they created a tiger by the power of their mantras which was let loose on Shiva. The Lord ripped the tiger and wore his skin as his hide. The Rishis then sent cobra to disturb the Lord which was worn as adornment by Lord. Not buoyed by failures Rishis then created a dwarf monster Muyalaka upon which Lord stood up to dance and then pressed his tip of the toe on the spine of dwarf and broke his back. This dance is exquisitely captured in the image of Nataraja displaying Shiva dancing having four hands, with braided jeweled hair. Cobra, skull, and mermaid figure as Ganga, crescent, cassia leaves on his matted locks. Lord wears man’s ornaments on right side and woman’s ornaments on left side representing Uma the consort of Shiva. The ornaments include earrings, anklets, bracelets, finger and toe rings. The dress includes breeches, scarf and sacred thread.
The right upper hand holds drum which signifies that Lord’s power of creation the first Spanda or the motion.
The right lower hand is in varad mudra signifying to the myriad souls not to fear as He is the eternal protector.
The left upper hand has fire pot which signifies the Lord’s power of destruction.
The left lower hands points towards dwarf laying at Lord’s foot which signifies that Lord is capable of punishing those who create turbulence, disturbance or contemptable acts.
The left foot is raised signifying that Shiva grants eternal bliss who beseech him.
The right foot on ground implies that He is the only worthy of refugee for the tired souls struggling in the world of causality.
This symbology denotes fivefold acts of Shiva. These acts as per Kashmiri Shaivism are creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealing and revealing. The later two are referred as Triyodhana and Anugreh respectively.
Shiva loves to do Tandava dance in burning grounds of crematorium. But the significance of this act is that he dances to burn the negative impressions or the malas on consciousness so as to remove the fetters of illusion and vanquish evil and to thrust the soul into eternal Bliss. The burning ground is the body and this dance takes place within self and Shiva as a supreme consciousness constantly awakens the individual self to get realized hence the analogy.
The celebrated mystic scholar of Kashmiri Shaivism Utpaldev says in Shivstotravali that Lord Shiva is also capable of giving two kinds of rewards. One is known as Iham the materialistic wish and the other as Param the Bliss of the attachment to the lotus feet of Lord also referred as Mukti. Utpaldev prays to the Lord to decide what best suits for him.
The iconography of Nataraja has an Arch emitting fire and touched by hands and feet of Shiva which represent that cosmic existence comes into play only when Shiva Wills and creates his first movement as a creator which in turn becomes the source of expansion.
No sooner does the Shiva dance that inert matter dances with Him setting things into motion. This rhythmic dance pulsates from micro to macro. From atom to cosmos thus underlining the existence of dance of consciousness.
Dance of Shiva: Universe as divine sport
The Times of India, Mar 04 2016
Anup Taneja
The four terms used to describe Shiva in the tantras are: purnatva perfection, svatantrya freedom, bhuma infinitude, and ananda bliss. These four terms, mean more or less the same thing Pure Consciousness. Perfection is a state of complete enrichment where nirasana prevails, a state of no desires. A question that is often raised is: If Shiva is free from desires, why does he feel the urge to create the world? Human beings perform actions with the purpose of satisfying some desires. But why should a perfect Being, who lacks nothing, do anything, that too, the gigantic task of creation? In Kashmir Shaivism, Creation is not understood as an act where voluntary or wilful effort is made to fulfil a want; rather, it is a natural activity spanda of Shiva. The activity of Creation is not a necessity for Shiva; nor is it a mechanical activity of a routine nature; it is in fact a completely free activity that has the merit of being absolutely spontaneous. It is the natural effulgence of Shiva. The universe is the result of the sportive activity , lila, of Shiva; indeed it is the blissful dance of Nataraja that spontaneously gives rise to the wondrous universe with myriad names and forms.
Nataraja the dancing Shiva symbolises the real nature of Shiva as Creator in a most appropriate manner which suggests that Creation is not `for' joy but `from' joy. This is not to suggest that Shiva is looking for joy and that in order to get it he indulges in the lila of Creation. Shiva is already full of supreme joy that begins to overflow in the blissful activity of Creation.
Spanda thus is the throb of the ecstasy of Shiva, Divine creative pulsation, the ceaseless force, from which emanates the universe.According to John Woodroffe, spanda is the dynamic power that pours out the potentialities held in the infinitude of Shiva and throws up forms out of the formless depths of the Eternal Being.
Swami Muktananda says: “Though Shiva is nothing, He becomes everything necessary at the proper time. He holds without hands, walks without feet, sees without eyes, and hears without ears. He is neither man nor woman, yet conducts the workings of the world taking the form of man and woman.“
The question that now arises is: Why is Shiva not affected by his Creation and by the things and events of this world? This can be illustrated by the example of an actor in a movie. While enacting his character in the movie, the actor simultaneously continues to retain his original identity . The actor undergoes no change; he is not impacted by the occurrences in the movie. In the same way , Shiva is not in the least affected by Creation.
This is in contrast to milk that is transformed into ice-cream. On becoming ice-cream, milk loses its identity . But in the case of Shiva taking the form of the world, He does not lose his identity of being a supremely pure Being.
Thus, Creation is not a change of Shiva; rather it is an extension, prasara, of Shiva. Just as a clear mirror, while reflecting huge and diverse objects in itself, retains its clarity without undergoing even a minute change in its nature; Shiva, the Eternal Being, despite the projection of the variegated cosmos, does not suffer the least diminution of His perfection and continues to retain His transcendental aspect.
The Meaning of the Mudras
Neena Nair, February 26, 2022: The Times of India
Art, like love, defies definition. It can best be understood in terms of its impact alone. Take the image of Dancing Shiv, for instance. Nataraj, the Lord of Dance, has been the beloved of Indian dancers and musicians for millennia, and Chidambaram town is considered the ‘centre of the Universe’. To those of faith, Chidambaram is the heart and the Lord’s dance of anand, bliss, is his grace. Shiv is Nrityamurti As the cosmic dancer, Shiv is Nrityamurti embodying in himself and simultaneously manifesting the eternal energy. Indologist Heinrich Zimmer elucidates the complex pictorial allegory of this image in his seminal work ‘Myth and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilisation’ by drawing attention to the mudras of the hand and the positioning of the feet.
The upper right hand bearing the damru, the hour-glass shaped drum, connotes sound, which, by virtue of its association with ether in the Indic tradition, makes it the first of the five elements. Out of it unfolds the evolution of the Universe, through the other elements air, fire, water and earth. Zimmer further adds, “together, sound and ether signify the first truth – pregnant moment of creation, the productive energy of the Absolute, in its pristine cosmogenetic strength. ”
Meaning of Mudras The opposite upper-left hand with its half-moon posture of the fingers, ardhachandra mudra, bears on its palm a tongue of flame – symbolically signifying fire, as the element of destruction of the world. The abhay mudra, ‘fear-not gesture’ as indicated by the second right hand bestows protection and peace, and the remaining left hand lifted across the chest points downwards to the uplifted left foot. This hand is imitative of the outstretched trunk of the elephant in the gaja-hasta mudra. Shiv himself dances on the prostrate body of the dwarfish demon Apasmara Purush – the man or demon called forgetfulness or heedlessness, symbolic of our ignorance.
Ring of Flames Prabha-mandala, a ring of flames signifying the transcendental light of the knowledge of truth, issues from and encompasses the god. The face remains in ‘sovereign calm’ exuding serene tranquility.
None of this is uncommon knowledge, neither is the fact that the enduring appeal of this image transcends to embrace the world of quantum physics, as demonstrated by Fritjof Capra in The Tao of Physics.
These expressions of metaphysical and scholarly approaches, while undoubtedly enhancing our appreciation and understanding of the image, are in the end, after all, human attempts at expressing the ineffable and the essentially inexpressive.
The whole composition does not fail to move you, whether you are aware of the symbolism or not. And in the words of John Armstrong, “To find something beautiful is to register the kinship between the object and the most important part of oneself – one’s soul. ”
Schools of thought/ religious traditions and the Lord
The Thirumurai tradition
Pranav Khullar, March 3, 2022: The Times of India
The poetic-lyrical hymns of the Thevaram, part of the Thirumurai compendium of hymns in Tamil, place Shiv at the heart of all spiritual seeking, as well as the bestower of all boons in his Ashutosh swarupa, the God who melts at the call of a sincere prayer. Composed by the three seminal Tamil Shaiva saint-poets, the boy-prodigy Jnana Sambandhar, the mature poet Appar, and Sundarar, known as the playfully argumentative ‘companion’ of Shiv, the Thevaram call out to the seeker to seek the Self through music and song and dance, celebrating the name of Shiv. The Thevaram resurrects the spirit of the Satarudriya hymns of the Yajurved, in conceiving of the Self as Shiv – Rudra himself. Just as the famous mantra ‘Namah Shivaya’ is revealed first in these Satarudriya hymns, the Tamil Shaivite poets awaken spiritual consciousness through their devotional poems by celebrating Shiv in all his aspects, not just as the austere and renunciate yogi but as the fountainhead of the creative Impulse itself. The Dikshitar priest at Chidambaram shows one the thousandpillared hall where the Periyapuranam, the 12th and last volume of the Thirumurai on the lives of 63 Tamil Shaivite saints called the Nayanars, is supposed to have been written. Sekkizhar, the author, gives a pre-eminent place to the first three poets, from Sambandhar to Sundarar, for establishing Shiv bhakti as the path to liberation.
As the Dikshitars explain, the individual was inspired by the Nayanars to see all dimensions of life as Shiv’s lila, the manifest world as his play, and to celebrate it through music and dance. Shiv’s bhakti was a call, not only to awaken the nobler instincts of the mind, but a call to come together and participate in this celebration, without distinction of class or creed.
Which is the real Shiv – is it the ascetic yogic aspect of Shiv characterised by dispassionate withdrawal and penance, or is it the creatively pulsating energy of Shiv that calls for an active engagement with the world, in the realisation that the outer embodied universe emanates from and reflects the disembodied One? As tradition says, Shiv’s all-encompassing compassion and love for the devas and asuras alike, reveals a Being in love with creation, not a destroyer. Perhaps what he seeks to destroy is the negativity and the baser elements of our nature.
The Thirumurai tradition maps out the philosophy of Shaiva Siddhanta with its formulation of three eternal entities: Pati, Pasu and Pasam – God, Soul and Bondage. The Shaiva Siddhanta states that God is one, souls are many, and bondage happens because of the three impurities: of anava, which causes the negativity of soul; karma, the law of action-reaction; and maya, the cause of all materiality. Shiv’s grace alone can help evolve the soul to an understanding of the relationship between the nirakar aspect of the Self and the dynamic aspect of the Self ’s energy as it manifests.
The Thevaram celebrates the outer form of Shiv and the manifest world as well. It then seeks to transform consciousness through this realisation that all creation is Shiv’s impulse itself. And as one celebrates this understanding, Shiv’s grace will take the devotee on an inner journey from desiring to a dispassionate understanding of life.
Shaiv Siddhant
Pranav Khullar, Inscrutable Shiva And Shaiva Siddhanta, March 11, 2017: The Times of India
As the curtain is pulled back to reveal the inner sanctum, one is drawn into the world of Nirakara Shiva, beyond even the physical symbolism of a Linga, where the vast expanse of the sky above and the ether zone are mirrored in the `Akasha Linga' of Chidambaram.Shiva takes his devotees into an interiorised world of consciousness, mapping out the Akasha or sky-ether of the mind, beyond the noumenal world of names and forms.
But is it as abstract as it seems, i wonder, for the Thillai (mangrove) forest ground of the Chidambaram temple is witness to the ananda tandava dance of Shiva, in one of his most beautiful forms as Nataraja, the fountainhead of the creative impulse.Traditional lore views Chidambaram as the site of the original Cosmic Linga, an ellipsoid around which the rest of the universe rotates. This dance of creative bliss is said to have been performed by Shiva for the two sages, Vyghrapada and Patanjali, who had asked for the boon to witness the dance.
Which one is the more seminal attribute of Shiva, i wonder is it the ascetic yogic aspect of Shiva characterised by dispassionate withdrawal and penance, or is it the creatively pulsating energy of Shiva, which calls for an active engagement with the world, in the realisation that the outer embodied universe reflects the disembodied One, that the materiality is also actually spiritual only? As i move into the main dance hall of the Chidambaram complex, i marvel at the persona of Shiva, where different attributes complement each other, not contradict. His all-encompassing compassion and love for devas and asuras alike, without discriminating between the two, reveals a Being in love with creation, not a destroyer.Perhaps what he seeks to destroy is the negativity and the baser elements of our nature.
John Marshall saw a Proto-Shiva in the famous Pashupati seal of Mohenjodaro where four wild animals tiger, buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros surround the yogi-God sitting in the meditation pose, the three faces representing Time in its past, present and future dimensions.
The Mahakal, Controller of Time, the Rudra, God of wild beasts and Yogeswara, the Supreme Yogi aspects of Shiva appear to coalesce in this Indus seal. Other traditions like the Tevaram hymns and the Tirumurai compendium of songs in Tamil eulogise the Ashutosh svarupa of Shiva the God who melts at the call of a sincere prayer.
The Tirumurai tradition maps out the philosophy of Shaiva Siddhanta , with its formulation of three eternal entities of God, soul and bondage Pati, pasu and pasam. The Shaiva Siddhanta states that God is One, souls are many and bondage happens because of the three impurities of anava which causes the negativity of soul karma, the law of action-reaction and Maya the cause of all materiality . Maya is real in Shaiva Siddhanta and not an illusion as in Vedanta. Shiva's Grace alone can help in breaking this bondage and evolution of the Soul to an understanding of the relationship between the Nirakara aspect of the Self and the dynamic aspect of the Self 's energy as it manifests .
They say that Shiva is finally within only . But the inscrutable and beautiful outer form of Shiva gives as much solace.
Shravan Purniman Lord Shiv
The Svetasvatara Upanishad is the earliest text to allude to Shiva as the Parama Purusha: “Eko he Rudra na dwiteeya tasthu” – Since Rudra is One, the knowers of Brahmn know of no other deity. Unique for this theistic framework, the Svetasvatara is an evocative exposition of Shaivite philosophy, a forerunner to the Shaivite devotional traditions, which grew around this wonderfully enigmatic figure of Shiva. From the intense monistic Trika philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism to the devotional melodies of the Tamilian Nayanar saints, Shiva was positioned at the heart of the Self. He is the Supreme Guru, Dakshinamurthy, who inspires yogis and devotees alike to take the path less travelled.
Shiva is the great yogi, lost in penance. He is also a wonderful householder, and tradition sees this as a wonderful symbol of the Prime Cause, waking itself up from a long meditative stupor to initiate creation by becoming a householder. He still remains the Adi Yogi, untouched by the Maya he has created, duty bound in this empirical world by the laws he has himself set down, yet his soul-mind remains above Maya. He is this enigmatic Purusha, who gets pleased with a small prayer of his devotee, yet is difficult to experience – Parvati herself realised, for it required even her to rise above the physical Creation around and merge the mind into the soul through intense tapasya, penance.
He is the great dancer, Nataraja at Chidambaram, whose tandava poses inspire Indian classical dance. He is also seen as the dance of the subatomic particle matter by scientists, who installed this massive Nataraja at the entrance of the CERN Large Hadron Collider machine near Geneva. Alternative history even sees him now as an extraordinary Being who came from a different dimension of the Cosmos to set up and organise living on Earth. He is Ashutosh, easily pleased, yet distant in his meditation. The Indus seal of Pashupati shows a Shiva-like yogi, surrounded by animals. The yogi is shown to be compassionate to all beings, reminding man to maintain Nature’s equilibrium. Ramana Maharishi called Shiva his father, and set out in search of him towards Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai, seeing in him the symbol of the Supreme Reality in which the mind is finally anchored.
All Shiva philosophical traditions see him at the centre of this matrix of Being and Becoming – Trika tradition states that the external world too is seen as a reflection of this Shiva consciousness. Tradition sees the relationship of Shiva and jiva as one of an inherently existing Oneness and identity. This interplay of the soul and world is defined as Shiva’s ‘dynamic’ first impulse, arousing himself from his ‘static’ samadhi, in which there is no outer world to manifest.
Through this divine play of Shiva through his Shakti, Shiva himself is able to recognise his own universal consciousness, otherwise, there is nothing to recognise, for that consciousness is already there. And even though every being has this intrinsic knowledge of his Shiva nature, it is overshadowed completely by the mind and its act of incessant thinking. The Svetasvatara urges the jiva to turn inwards and see himself reflected in the image of Shiva himself and wake up to the knowledge that Shiva and his creation (Shakti) are actually identical.
Shrines of Lord Shiv
In Jammu province
Sandeep Singh , The mystical abode of Lord Shiva "Daily Excelsior" 6/3/2016
Lord Shiva has cast his spell on people in this country from times immemorial. Representations of the Lord Shiva have been traced on the carved seals unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro, thus making him one of our oldest gods in the Indian civilization.
Jammu can boast of a number of Lord Shiva cave shrines and one such natural cave is situated in idyllic surroundings at Jakhole panchayat of Kathua District. To reach it we have to break off from the National Highway (Jammu–Pathankot) at Rajbagh (Ujh). A further twelve Km drive ahead to the north eastern side crossing Jasrota, Dhanni and Bakhta villages, one reaches village Jakhole and after that 5 km on foot on a path having panoramic view of its surroundings one can reach the 150 years old famous natural Shiva cave which is famously known as Mahanal. It is about fifty minute’s journey from Lakhanpur and thirty five minutes journey from Rajbagh to village Jakhole.
Shiva is associated with truth (satyam), goodness (shivam) and beauty (sundaram) and has his mystical abode in a cave at Mahanal. The most distinctive feature about this abode is that it does not contain a man-made image. On the contrary, the sacred image in this cave is svayambhu Shiva lingam. So great is the attachment of the devotees to this natural cave that this sacred place is called as Chotta Amarnath (Mini Amarnath) by sages and people alike.
The natural cave of Shiva at Mahanal is rich in legendary lore. According to one such legend approximately 150 years back, milk used to ooze from rocks and fall on the natural Shiva lingam which was noticed by the villagers. They started worshipping the place since then. But one day a woman of nomadic community collected milk from this pious place and used it for its own benefit. Since then milk stopped oozing from the roof of the cave and water started dripping over the lord Shiva‘s sanctum sanctorum.
According to another legend, a sage meditated there for many years. He had prohibited locals from visiting the place as he wished to meditate in glory of Lord Shiva at a secluded place. However, after many years, a curious lady of the area went there only to find a human skelton in meditation posture chanting loudly “Om Namah Shivaye”. The lady got scared and fainted on noticing a skeleton meditating. After sometime, she regained consciousness only to find that, the skeleton had turned into a human being chanting Om Namah Shivaye, which after sometime disappeared and then changed into a Natural Shiva Lingam inside the cave- nearer to the meditation site. Not to be beaten in their love for the Immortal God (Amarnath) the locals have named it Chotta Amarnath (Mini Amarnath), due to its resemblance to the famous shrine of the same name in Kashmir.
At Mahanal there is a big cave and inside the cave a natural lingam exists which as per legends dates back to centuries. The cave opening is narrow and only one person can enter the cave at a time to reach the sanctum sanctorum and have darshans of Lord Shiva. The idols of Ganesh, Nandigan and Kaal -Bhairav at the entrance of Mahanal cave adds to the piousness of the area. Another small cave lies on other side of the main cave where the devotees have now constructed small temples dedicated to nine goddesses. A seasonal waterfall lies in between both the caves where devotees can be seen bathing before offering prayers. However in summers, the waterfall dries up and devotees use water from the resultant water-body (Bowli) that exists near the shrine.
In 1980, an ascetic by the name of Baba Hari Giri Ji made this place his abode and started meditating here and large number of locals started visiting him. The place started catching attention during his time. He stayed there for ten years and in 1991 he attained Samaadhi.
The devotees from within and other states of the country throng this place throughout the year. However, heavy rush is seen on Ist day of the year, Mondays, Mahashivratri, Naagpanchmi and in the holy month of Shravan which coincides with the annual pilgrimage of Shree AmarNathji. Local residents and other devotees organize langars (community kitchens) there every year. Devotees consider it as a very sacred Place of Lord Shiva and where wishes of Pilgrims are fulfilled whoever offers prayers at the shrine.
Road Connectivity, Drinking Water facility and Electricity supply are required to be improved. Efforts need to be made to bring this holy cave on the religious tourist map of the state similar to Jasrota Mata Temple at Jasrota, Sukrala Mata Temple at Billawar, Mata Bala Sundri at Nagri and Jorian Mata Temple at Bani, so that the inherent pilgrim potential of the place is explored and utilized to the maximum possible extent.
The third eye
Explained
Swami Tejomayananda, March 9, 2021: The Times of India
We are accustomed to seeing people with two eyes. So, anyone with an extra eye would attract attention and be termed a freak. However, Shiva, with his three eyes, is beautiful and unique. The ‘Vedasara Shiva Stotram’, states that the three eyes of Shiva are the sun, moon, and fire – ‘indu arka vahni trinetram’. This is not easy to digest. What does it imply? When we refer to the sun, moon and fire as the three eyes of Bhagvan, our focus is on the fact that they are all sources of light; He, the three-eyed One, is the illuminator of the whole world.
Even though light is the common factor, each has its own special feature and quality. Fire, with its ability to burn and reduce things to ashes, has the twin qualities of light and heat. The sun is bright and brilliant, but its light does not burn objects, it illumines them. Conversely, the moon’s light has a cooling, peaceful quality.
Shiva views the world with his three eyes. When the distressed and sorrowful approach him, he looks at them through his moonlike pleasing and consoling eyes; when he grants knowledge, his eyes become bright. Comprehension is associated with light; when we understand something, we say, ‘I was in the dark; but now it is as clear as daylight.’ Similarly, a student with a sharp intellect is a bright student and the teacher who passes on the knowledge instantly and clearly, is a brilliant teacher!
In the darkness, a flashlight illumines a limited area, but sunlight illuminates the whole world in a flash. Shiva can convey knowledge to us – in an instant.
Fire has the capacity to burn. We are familiar with the story of Kamadeva who tried his utmost to disturb Bhagvan’s tapas, and was reduced to ashes by his fiery eyes. Likewise, we look at people in three different ways. When we are angry, we look as though we are ready to burn down the object of our anger – agni-drishti. When we look at someone with love, we have chandra-drishti – moon-eyes – we are loving, pleasing, consoling and reassuring. Surya-drishti is eye of the teacher that bestows knowledge and enlightens us.
There is yet another interpretation. Bhagvan is the karmaphala data – giver of the fruits of actions. He dispenses justice. Similarly, a judge must also have three eyes. First is nyaya-drishti, the eye of objectivity; the verdict or punishment meted out must be in keeping with the law alone. However, if the judge goes strictly according to the letter of the law, without any karuna, compassion, the sentence could be unduly harsh. But if compassion is the only consideration, it may result in anarchy. To ensure a wise and correct verdict, he must use jnana-drishti, the third eye of discrimination. Thus, the rule of law will be safeguarded, and the level of crime will also fall.
Shiva, the dispenser of fruits of action, softens justice with compassion and assesses with discretion and knowledge. Accordingly, when we act in the capacity of a judge, on a smaller or larger scale, while dealing with others, we must use the three eyes of justice, compassion and discrimination.
See also
Lord Shiv(a), the deity
