Revision as of 17:37, 9 November 2016

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.

Shiva: The eternal mystic

Times Of India

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 Ultimate Outlaw

By: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Times Of India

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.

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.

Bhairotsava

The Times of India, Mar 07 2016

Advaitavadini Kaul

Shakti worship is a strong tradition in Kashmir that evolved along with the worship of Shiva. Over time, invocation of Shakti seems to have become more intense. There is ample evidence of this in miniature paintings.Devi in the Svacchanda Tantra is shown seated on the lap of Svacchanda Bhairava Shiva. Bhairava and Bhairavi are also depicted in some paintings separately but in the same form and with the same attributes. We also observe Bhairavi emerging as a full-fledged goddess known as Sarika in Kashmir. Sarika Pitha, situated on a hill at the centre of Srinagar city , is also known as Chakresvara or Chakresvari. There is evidence of a long line of sadhakas who have achieved spiritual heights through their regular meditational practice around this spiritual abode. A beautiful image of Sarika Bhagavati was recently developed in Kashmiri calendar art.With great reverence to the goddess, this image adorns each Kashmiri home even after their exile from Kashmir. A replica of the Sarika shrine has been created near Delhi in Faridabad, which is evidence of this deep-rooted tradition. One is also reminded of the practice of the strong Bhairava tradition in Kashmir where eight Bhairavas or Lokapalas guard the city . There may be changes in the nomenclature but one can definitely observe by this that the practice was complemented by physical models. In whatever condition these sites are at present, they stand as reminders of this hallowed tradition.

Shivaratri is observed as Bhairavotsava by Kashmiris, in which bhairava yajna is performed with elaborate ritual worship of BhairavaBhairavi along with devi putras, Vatuka and Ramana ­ symbolically represented by the vessels of different shapes and sizes, during the Shivaratri Puja.

Once, while in ananda mudra, Shiva was in a playful mood. All his ganas appeared in his service. While thinking of Parvati, the Supreme Shakti, Shiva saw her in a garden in the Himalayas along with many other goddesses (her own creations) who were preparing various food items. Some goddesses were making containers of different shapes.

Seeing all this in his samadhi, Mahadeva Shiva took the form of Svacchanda Bhairava and appeared before them and frightened them.

Mahamaya became disturbed by seeing all this and looked into a water container. When she did so Vatuka Bhairava appeared there, along with his attributes. Finding the young boy, Vatuka, incapable of facing Svacchanda Bhairava, she looked inside another water container and there appeared the handsome Ramana along with shields. In this way Mahamaya created many ganas in order to combat the fearful form of Shiva. At this point the form of Shiva that had frightened all, disappeared. Thereafter all came to Parashakti for refuge. Offering delicious food, she blessed them. This day was the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Phagun.

Shiva also appeared on this day at sunset in the form of Jvala Linga ­ dispersing heat that cooled down by the midnight. The symbolic representation of this Jvala Linga is the Sunya Putula, the prime deity worshipped during Shivaratri puja as niskala Svacchanda Bhairava.

Shivaratri concludes with the ritual oblations made to each entity through the conceptualisation of the entire universe as Vishwadeva, one single divine entity . This is a great reminder to our obligation towards preserving and nourishing every creation of the blissful and compassionate Svacchanda Bhairava and Bhairavi who are popularly called Shiva and Shakti.