Another Enlightenment Story: Shiva and Parvati by the Ganges

Note: I don’t remember when or where I first heard this story, but it made an impression on me and has stayed in my mind for many years. Here it is as I remember it.

One day, long ago, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were traveling on earth. Goddess Parvati saw thousands of people heading towards the River Ganga to take their holy baths, in hopes of washing away their sins and attaining Moksha, or, liberation.

Parvati asked Shiva a question:

“Do you think it is possible for all these people to attain Moksha through the act of bathing in the holy river?”

Lord Shiva laughed and said that only a few would succeed in attaining Moksha:

“Only those that have come with devotion, pure thoughts and who don’t commit any wrongdoings after their bath, will achieve Moksha. Most of these people just see it as a ritual, something they have to do, the way they have to go to the market to get carrots or rice. They try to convince both themselves and others that they are pious, but they are only satisfying their egos.”

Shiva went on to explain that a soul who truly longs to know God, will attain Moksha here on this earth, and that for such a being, an activity like holy bathing becomes inconsequential.

But Goddess Parvati protested that many of those people made a great effort in their religious pilgrimage and had come from faraway. Surely they must be earnest in their spiritual quest? she asked Shiva.

So, to see who was right, they agreed to play a little game. Shiva disguised himself as a leper and Parvati disguised  herself as his beautiful wife and together they went to the banks of the Ganga. Parvati began asking people to help her husband lower himself into the river so that he may perform his holy rites and be cured of leprosy.

Most everyone pretended not to hear her. Some even showed outright disgust and a few even tried to convince her to leave her husband and marry them instead. A few feigned sympathy, but no one offered any assistance.

Half the day had gone by, and still no one had come to their aid, when finally, a man came and helped the leper perform his holy bath. When the act was done, he simply went on his way without saying anything but namaste to them both. He didn’t ask for anything in return.

Lord Shiva then said to Goddess Parvati that this man has already attained Moksha. He has already realized that all is divine, all is God and that there is no difference between us. He was a silent and serene soul for whom a sick man and a handsome man were one and the same.

Lord Shiva Stories

Lord shiva      

            

    

Lord Shiva 

   

                                                          

Shiva is the god of the yogis,self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouse(shakti).Lord shiva is the destroyer of the world,following "Brahma" the creater and "Vishnu" the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on.Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of deth and destruction and the positive sense of destroying the ego, the false identification with the form.This also includes the shedding of ald habits and attachments.

All that has a beginning by necessity must have an end.In destruction,truly nothing is destroyed but the illusion of individuality.Thus the power of destruction associated with Lord Shiva has greate purifying power,both on a more personal level when problems make us see reality more clearly,as on a more universal level.Destruction opens the path for a new creation of the universe, a new oppertunity for the beauty and drama of universal illusion to unfold.As Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauti, Shiva represents the most essential goodness.

While of course many hindu deities are associated with different paths of yoga and meditation, in Shiva the art of meditation takes its most absolute form. In meditation, not only mind is stopped, everything is dropped. In deep meditation or samadhi, even the object of the meditation (like a mantra) is transformed into its formless essence, which is the essence of everything and everyone. Thus Shiva stands for letting go of everything in the world of forms. The path of Lord Shiva is the path of the ascetic yogi.

            

                                     

                                        

Forms of shiva--

*Shiva has many forms, which are visible in his Panchavaktra form with 5 heads, a combination of all Shiva energies : Aghora (resides in the creamation grounds), Ishana (most often appears as the shivalingam), Tat Purusha (meditating), Varna Deva (the eternal Shiva) and Saddyojat or Braddha Rudra (the old wrathful form). The last also forms the connection to the Rudrakshamala a rosary made of the dried fruits of the Rudraksha tree.

*Another form is the Nataraj. Shiva Nataraj's dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of Bliss is for the welfare of the world. In the pose of Nataraj, the King of Dance is giving darshan to his beloved devotees within the "Hall of Consciousness", which is the heart of man. Under his feet, Shiva crushes the demon of ignorance called Apasmara Purusha, caused by forgetfulness. One hand is stretched across his chest and points towards the uplifted foot, indicating the release from earthly bondage of the devotee. The fire represents the final destruction of creation, but the dance of the Nataraj is also an act of creation, which arouses dormant energies and scatters the ashes of the universe in a pattern that will be the design of the ensuing creation.    

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                     

                   

*Yet another manifestation of Lord Shiva is said to be Hanuman, the ultimate karma yogi, in never-ending selfless service to Ram.The fact that this is not really clear can be perfectly explained by the understanding that a true karma yogi will never take the credit for his acts, as they would otherwise not be entirely selfless. The ego would still get the credit. So, in order to respect Shiva as a true karma yogi, let us not pay too much attention to this manifestation.

*The Mahamrityunyaya form of Shiva is the great conqueror of death. The Mahamrityunjaya mantra is one of the two main mantras of the Vedas, next to the Gayatri mantra. It is chanted to remove death and disease. This form of Shiva also is the being of pure joy, referring to the unconditioned enjoyment of the perfectly peaceful mind. That is the true nature of the divine elixir that this Shiva offers his devotees in no less than four hands.

*Another main form of Shiva is Ardhnarishwara, half Shiva, half Shakti. Also related to Shiva is "Indra".

*Lord Siva wears a deer in the left upper hand. He has Trident in the right lower arm. He has fire and Damaru and Malu or a kind of weapon. He wears five serpents as ornaments. He wears a garland of skulls. He is pressing with His feet the demon Muyalaka, a dwarf holding a cobra. He faces south. Panchakshara itself is His body.

*Third eye: Shiva is often depicted with a third eye, with which he burned Desire (Kama) to ashes.There has been no controversy regarding the original meaning of Shiva's name, it is a combination of two name shiv, where(I from shiv) means shakti(spouse) if it is removed from the name shiv,remain left is shav(Deadbody).That means shav and shakti together makes it shiv(Ardhanareshwar). Tryambakam  which occurs in many scriptural sources.In classical Sanskrit, the word ambaka denotes "an eye", and in the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as three-eyed, so this name is sometimes translated as "having three eyes".

*Crescent moon: Shiva bears on his head the crescent moon.The epithet Chandrasekhara ( "Having the moon as his crest" - chandra = "moon", sekhara = "crest, crown") refers to this feature. The placement of the moon on his head as a standard iconographic feature dates to the period when Rudra rose to prominence and became the major deity Rudra-Shiva.The crescent moon is shown on the side of the Lord's head as an ornament. The waxing and waning phenomenon of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. Since the Lord is the Eternal Reality, He is beyond time. Thus, the crescent moon is only one of His ornaments.The wearing of the crescent moon in His head indicates that He has controlled the mind perfectly.

*Ashes:Shiva smears his body with ashes (bhasma).

*Matted hair: Shiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the epithets Jatin, "the one with matted hair".

*Blue throat: The epithet Nilakantha (sanskit:nila="blue",kantha="throat") refers to a story in which Shiva drank the poison churned up from the world ocean.

*Sacred Ganga: The Ganga river flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The epithet Gangadhara ("bearer of the river Ganga") refers to this feature.

*Tiger skin: He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin,an honour reserved for the most accomplished of Hindu ascetics, the Brahmarishis.Tiger represents lust. His sitting on the tiger’s skin indicates that He has conquered lust.

*Serpents: Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.His wearing of serpents on the neck denotes wisdom and eternity.

*Deer:His holding deer on one hand indicates that He has removed the Chanchalata (tossing) of the mind. Deer jumps from one place to another swiftly. The mind also jumps from one object to another

*Trident: (Sanskrit: Trishula): Shiva's particular weapon is the trident.His Trisul that is held in His right hand represents the three Gunas—Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. That is the emblem of sovereignty. He rules the world through these three Gunas. The Damaru in His left hand represents the Sabda Brahman. It represents OM from which all languages are formed. It is He who formed the Sanskrit language out of the Damaru sound.

*Drum: A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru (Sanskrit: Dmaru).This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation known as Nataraja. A specific hand gesture (mudra) called Damaru-hasta (Sanskrit for "Damaru-hand") is used to hold the drum.

*Nandi: Nandi, also known as Nandin, is the name of the bull that serves as Shiva's mount (Sanskrit: vahana). Shiva's association with cattle is reflected in his name Pasupati, or Pashupati, translated by Sharma as "lord of cattle" and by   Kramrisch as "lord of animals", who notes that it is particularly used as an epithet of Rudra.Rishabha or the bull represents Dharma Devata. Lord Siva rides on the bull. Bull is His vehicle. This denotes that Lord Siva is the protector of Dharma, is an embodiment of Dharma or righteousness.

Relationship--

The power or energy of Shiva is Shakti, his spouse, of which Parvati is probably the most popular form. Shiva's first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati. They are also known by many other names, such as Uma, Gauri , Durga , Kali,Annapurna and Shakti.His sons are Ganesh and Kartikeya.
                                                                                     

GANESH

Do you know about Ganesh? Ganesh, also spelled as Ganesha, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in Hinduism.

Ganesh is born of divine parents and is himself a divine being. According to the Hindu mythology, in the snow-capped mountains of Kailash, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, the divine couple, live with their two divine children, Ganesh and his brother Karthik, also known as Karthik.

This is the tale of those days when both Ganesh and Karthik were very young.

Ganesh being the elder son, was full of patience and wisdom. Karthik, on the other hand, was impish and playful. But both of them were intelligent and powerful.

The two brothers had much difference in their physique. While Ganesh had a massive body with a big belly and an elephant's head, young Karthik was a beautiful boy with strong limbs. They were kind to everybody and were loved by all.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi loved their two children and they in turn were devoted to their parents. The Devas (deities) were pleased with the lovely divine children and they worshipped them.

But one day, as the Devas talked about the qualities of the brothers, a doubt arose in the mind of one of them.
"Who is the wiser of the two brothers?" he asked the others "Ganesh or Karthik?"

Soon this doubt spread to all the Devas. All of them were talking and expressing their opinion about the matter. But no one could surely decide upon the matter. As they racked their brains to solve the issue, suddenly, a Deva got an idea.

“I know whom to ask!”, said he. As others looked at him curiously, he continued, "Lord Brahma. He is the Creator of the world. He should know the answer, so let's ask him! He can surely solve this doubt."
Without any more delay, the Devas rushed to Brahma and asked their Creator about their doubt. Brahma was surprised to see all the deities, together.

"Such a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

The Devas told Brahma about their doubt. "O lord Brahma, who is the wiser brother?", asked they, "Ganesh or Karthik?"

"Alas, I do not know!" replied Brahma. "I am the creator of mankind, not divine beings. Ganesh and Karthik were born to the celestial gods Shiva and Parvathi."

The Devas were disappointed. Even the Brahma did not know! Then they would not be able to have an answer, after all.

Looking at their glum faces, Lord Brahma decided to help them. "It is true that I do not know who is the wiser of the two young Gods", he thought. "But I can probably find it out with the help of my son Narada".

Narada, the son of Lord Brahma, was a mischievous sage who was famous for creating disputes. Wherever he went, he created trouble.

But if he got away with all his pranks and without getting cursed it was only because the trouble he caused usually ended on a happy note.

"Narada, help the Devas. Find the answer to their question," said Brahma after explaining the problem.
"Certainly, Father," replied Narada, and his eyes twinkled naughtily, smelling an opportunity to play a prank.

Using his magical powers Narada swiftly flew over the white mountains of Kailash and, in no time, arrived at the divine abode of Shiva and Parvathi. He was warmly welcomed by the heavenly couple.

"0 Shive, Saviour of the Universe!, O Devi Parvathi !" Narada praised the lord. "I thank you for your warm welcome. It is indeed a pleasant joy and an honour to see you both together as the Divine couple".

Everyone knew about Narada's mischievous nature. Shiva understood that Narada was up to some mischief. "Now tell us the truth. I can sense some mischief brewing in your mind. What is the prank you are planning to play on us?" he said jokingly.

Narada pretended to be hurt. "You greatly insult me, Lord Shiva! I have just come here to give you a gift," he said in a sorrowful voice.

"A gift for me? What is it Narada?", asked Lord Shiva. Narada, hearing the eagerness in Shiva's voice smiled to himself in amusement. He produced a golden mango and gave it to the Lord.

"A mango!" exclaimed Shiva. "Now don't say you travelled all the way here to give me this fruit."

"It is no ordinary fruit, my Lord," Narada replied. "The taste of this fruit is said to be sweeter than nectar. This is the divine fruit of knowledge that bestows eternal wisdom to those who eat it.

"Is it so?" asked Shiva, looking at the mango. He then asked his wife Parvathi to have a bite.

"No, stop!" cried Narada. "What are you doing?"

Lord Shiva looked at Narada curiously. "Why? Do you want me to eat it without letting Parvathi taste it? I am going to share it with her". Saying so, he turned to share the fruit with his wife, Goddess Parvathi.

Narada shook his head in disagreement. "That cannot be done, Lord Shiva. It is a magical fruit, blessed by the sages and Devas. It is not possible to cut the mango into pieces. It should be eaten by a single person as a whole fruit".

The divine couple looked at each other. They were confused. Then Lord Shiva shrugged. "If that is the case, let my better half have this fruit. Here Parvathi, you can have this whole mango," he said, offering the mango to his wife.

Parvathi was surprised. "Oh no, I don't want it! You are my husband. How can I eat it without you having a taste of it?" she refused.

Both Lord Shiva and Narada requested her to eat the fruit but Parvathi steadily declined. "Instead, let one of our children have the fruit," she suggested.

"But, how is that possible?" asked Narada slyly. "There is one fruit and two children. Who should be given the fruit - Ganesh or Karthik?"

While the elders were talking, Ganesh and Karthik appeared in Kailash. They saw that their parents and Sage Narada were having some serious talk on something. Then Karthik noticed something yellow and round in Narada's hand.

“What is Uncle Narada having in his hand ?” Karthik asked to Ganesh. Ganesh was equally curious.

“ This is a magical mango, Karthik, "Narada replied, as he heard Karthik's question. "I gave it to your Father but he wanted your Mother to eat it. But she won't have it. She wants to give it to one of you".

"A magical mango? I love mangoes!", shouted Karthik, "I want it! I want it!".

"No, no, it should come to me. I love mangoes too! I'm the eldest son and the right one to eat the fruit of knowledge," argued Ganesh. Soon the brothers started fighting.

The divine parents were perplexed. This is nothing but a mountain out of a molehill. Lord Shiva looked at Narada. "So this is why you came to Kailash! I knew it! I knew there was something in your mind. Well done Narada, you have finally played the trick. This is why you came here. But now that you have created trouble, please solve it. You decide to whom the mango should go to," he said firmly.

Narada was delighted that his plan was working so well. "Why don't we could have a competition to settle the matter?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"The children agreed to Narada’s suggestion. Lord Shiva thought over the matter.

"All right, then." said he, "We'll have a contest. Whoever of you goes around the world three times and returns first will get the fruit ," he said to his children.

Hearing this, Karthik immediately mounted his vehicle, the peacock. His brother Ganesh was slow and fat. Karthik laughed to himself in glee. He was very certain that he would win.

Ganesh too, understood that his vehicle, the mouse, could not compete with the peacock's speed. So he thought for a moment. Suddenly, he got an idea. Ganesh smiled to himself.

Karthik flew around the world stopping at all temples and sacred spots on the way and offering his prayers. To his astonishment, he found Ganesh at every major stop. Karthik was puzzled. How did Ganesh manage to be so fast?

The reason was the razor-sharp intelligence and the great wisdom of Ganesh. Back in Kailash, Ganesh remembered that his parents Shiva and Parvathi represented the entire universe. Without delay, the young elephant-headed god walked around his parents with great devotion, folding his hands.

"Why are you circling us Ganesh?" asked Lord Shiva.

"I'm your son and to me, you two make up my whole world. Why should I go further to win the contest?" replied Ganesh.

Shiva was pleased with his elder son's smart answer and gave the magical fruit to him.

When Karthik returned after his voyage, he understood what had happened and accepted the superiority of his clever brother Ganesh. The Devas found the answer to their doubt. They praised and blessed Ganesh.

Narada chuckled to himself. His father had praised him too. So did the Devas.

Aarti of Lord Shiva 

Jaye Shiv Omkara, Bhaj Shiv Omkara
Brahma, Vishnu, Sadashiv Ardhangii Dhara|| Om Har Har Har Mahadev||
Ekannan, Chaturanna, Panchanna Raje
Hansannan, Garudasan, Vrishwahan Saje||Om Har Har...
Do Bujh Char Chaturbujh, Dasbujh te Sohe
Teeno Rup Nirakhta, Tribhuvan Jan Mohe|| Om Har …
Ashmala, Vanmala, Rundmala Dhari|
Tripurari, Kansari, Karmala Dhari|| Om Har...
Shewtambar, Pitambare, Baghamber angaye
Sankadik, Garudadik, Bhukadik Sangaye||Om Har Har..
Kar ke Madhya Kamandalu, Chakr Trishuldhari
Sukhkari, Dukhari, Jaag Palankari|| Om Har Har...
Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv Janat Aviveka
Parvakshar Mai Shobit Ye Teeno Eka||Om Har Har...
Trigun Sawami Ji Ki Aarti Jo Koi Nar Gave
Kahat Shivanand Sawami, Manwanchit Fal Pave|| Om Har Har..

Aarti of Lord Shiva in Hindi 

जय शिव ओंकारा, भज शिव ओंकारा।
ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, सदाशिव अद्र्धागी धारा॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव॥
एकानन, चतुरानन, पंचानन राजै।
हंसासन, गरुडासन, वृषवाहन साजै॥ ॐ हर हर ..
दो भुज चारु चतुर्भुज, दशभुज ते सोहे।
तीनों रूप निरखता, त्रिभुवन-जन मोहे॥ ॐ हर हर ..
अक्षमाला, वनमाला, रुण्डमाला धारी।
त्रिपुरारी, कंसारी, करमाला धारी॥ ॐ हर हर ..
श्वेताम्बर, पीताम्बर, बाघाम्बर अंगे।
सनकादिक, गरुडादिक, भूतादिक संगे॥ ॐ हर हर ..
कर मध्ये सुकमण्डलु, चक्र शूलधारी।
सुखकारी, दुखहारी, जग पालनकारी॥ ॐ हर हर ..
ब्रह्माविष्णु सदाशिव जानत अविवेका।
प्रणवाक्षर में शोभित ये तीनों एका। ॐ हर हर ..
त्रिगुणस्वामिकी आरती जो कोई नर गावै।
कहत शिवानन्द स्वामी मनवान्छित फल पावै॥ ॐ हर हर ..

Lord Shiva

 

The story goes... Indra, the God of Rain, once God of Heaven, received a garland as a gift from the sage, Durvaras, but slighted the old man by giving the garland his elephant who threw it to the ground. Durvaras cursed the god in his anger and todl him that his kingdom would be overwhelmed by ruin, Almost immediately, Indra's powers began to wane, strange and frightening sights were seend and the god fearing that they would lose their immortality and the asuras would invade Kailash, the Hindu Olympia, appealed to Vishnu for help.

The Lord Preserver advised them to unite with their foes, the evil demons, collect herbs and plants and cast them into the sea of milk and churn the ocean to produce amrit (source of all strength and immortality). They were to use the sacred mountain, Mandara for a churning stick, the serpent Vasuki, wound around the mountain as a rope and in the oceans midst, Vishnu himself, present in tortoise form, became a pivot for the churning staff. And the Vishnu said, "I will take care your foes shall share your toil, but not partake in its reward, or drink the immortal draught." And so the gods pulled the serpent's head and the demons his tail and Mandara swivelled rapidly back and forth. And, as the sea of milk frothed and bubbled, it brought forth the sacred cow, fountains of milk and butter and Parijata, (the tree of paradise) with its fragrant blossoms. The moon rose out of the ocean and settled on Shiva's head. A terrible poison then burst from the waters and threatened to destroy the earth. Shiva, it is said, opened his mouth and received it in his throat. So virulent was the poison that it turned Shiva's neck blue, giving him one of his many names, Neelkanth, the blue-throated.

As the waters began to calm, Dhanavati,  the physician of the gods appeared, bearing the kumbh (pot of the life-giving powerful nectar). The gods reached for the nectar and the demos too lunged forward. War was inevitable. Vishnu called forth Divine Sri, Goddess of Beauty. Enthralled, the demons watched mesmerized as the peerless beauty rose out of the waters, seated on a lotus. Vishnu passed the pot of nectar to the gods, thus restoring their immortality.

The story onviously symbolizes the victory of good over evil, with of course a little guile and cunning to weigh the balance in the favour of the good. The legend is also a part of the complex Hindu repertoire of the creation of the world and, at another level, reveals the Hindu preoccupation with the powers of medicine and the concepts of mortality and immortality.

Millions of people from all over India come to bathe in the waters of the sacred Sipra during the Kumbh Mela. The air is thick with incense, the clang and tinkle of temple bells, and the cries of the food vendors a decibel or two higher than the general din. The noise, the jostling, and the dirt during the festivals are not for the squeamish of the claustrophobic. But, as the wish of every devout Hindu is to visit each of the seven sacred cities at least once during his lifetime, Ujjain is always full of pilgrims and there is a festival every month. Picturesque, colourful, the devout come and go, sometimes a handful, sometimes in their hundreds. The throng the ghats early in the morning, bathe, pray, make offerings of coconut and flowers to the Sipra and feed lentils and nuts to the sacred tortoises (that mill round the steps leading to the river). And in the evenings, millions of lighted divas (tiny clay lamps with twisted cotton wool wicks in oil), are floated on the river while from the temple one hears the priests chant the thousand names of Shiva.

 

Shiva Lord of the Dance

The first time that I traveled around Europe, in the summer of 1986, I started my journey in Amsterdam, and made a trip to the Rijksmuseum there. While wandering through the halls of the museum, I was struck by a particular image; I stood staring at this bronze statue, unable to look away. Although I did not know it at the time, this was a depiction of the god Shiva as “Lord of the Dance,” the Nataraja in Sanskrit (nata, “dance”; raja, “lord”). My chance encounter with that fascinating image was the first step in my learning about Indian mythology, a topic that is often not well known or widely studied in America. In this article, I’d like to consider some of the stories that are embodied in this image of Shiva. Before you learn about the stories, however, take a moment to look at the image and see what effect it might have on you: view larger image of this statue.

Shiva, 12th century bronze. More information »

At the most fundamental level, the image tells the story of Shiva, the god who presides over the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. The dancing Shiva is enclosed within a circular mandala of flames (prabhamandala) shown on a flat, two-dimensional plane, while the gestures of Shiva’s arms and legs describe a circle in space, in three dimensions. With your imagination, you need to supply the fourth dimension — time — which cannot be expressed in the static image: if you stare at the image and let the dancer begin to move, he will start to whirl in a circle, in the direction shone by his left leg which is lifted up and moving towards the right, as is his lower left arm. In addition to the whirling body of the god, you can also see his locks of matted hair whirling around, unbound; Shiva’s hair plays an important role in the god’s iconography and also in the stories told about him.

So what we see here is a cycle, a circle, a whirling dance in which opposed forces are in perfect balance. To read the story of the forces that are both unleashed here and held in check, we need to look at Shiva’s arms (four of them) and his legs. They tell the story of creation and destruction which has happened not just once but over and over again, and not just in the world outside, but in the world within, especially within the hearts of Shiva’s worshipers. Statues like this were of course not originally intended for museums, but instead were venerated in temples and carried in processions during holy days in honor of the god, inspiring dances performed by his followers.

In Shiva’s upper right hand, there is a small hourglass-shaped drum, called a damaru, which provides the music for the dance, and which also symbolizes the act of the creation of the world through sound. The role of sound is an essential force in Hindu cosmology: the Sanskrit language came into being, syllable by syllable, from the sound of Shiva’s drum beating.

Shiva’s drum (detail). More »

In Shiva’s upper left hand, there is a vessel of fire, which symbolizes destruction and dissolution.

Shiva’s fire (detail). More »

Yet while the upper hands hold the drum of creation and the fire of destruction, Shiva shows the gesture of fearlessness (the abhaya mudra) with his lower right hand. This gesture assures us of the stability of the world. There is a balance at work here, a profound one, and the dancing Shiva stands upright, even as the forces of creation and destruction are whirling around him.

Shiva’s hands (detail). More »

The lower left hand, meanwhile, turns our attention towards Shiva’s feet, where again we see the balance of two opposing forces. With his right foot, Shiva presses downward, expressing his veiled incarnation in the bodily world (tirobhava). Yet at the same time, with his left foot, Shiva is moving upwards as he bestows a blessing upon his followers, freeing them from the illusion of the world (maya) in an uplifting enlightenment.

Beneath the foot is a demon called Apasmara, who is simultaneously both an enemy of the god being crushed underfoot but also a worshipful devotee who gazes up reverently at the lord. On either side of the demon are two makaras, mythical river beasts like crocodiles. The circle of flames, which seems paradoxically to flow both into and out of their mouths, is another sign of the unbroken circularity of creation and destruction.

Shiva’s foot (detail). More »

Shiva’s face, meanwhile, is peaceful and impassive, expressing the balance of the interplay of forces, up and down, left and right, in and out, which are set in motion during the dance.

This general sense of balance and motion is immediately clear to anyone who gazes at the image; I think it is the sheer beauty of that basic visual impression which captured my rapt attention when I first saw the statue. Then, in addition to the visual language of the statue’s form, there are also symbols (far more symbols than I could cover in this brief article) incorporated into the image which allude to other stories about the god Shiva. Just to take one example, if you look closely, you can find the river goddess Ganga in Shiva’s hair.

Shiva’s hair (detail). More »

This figure alludes to the descent of the goddess Ganga — the river Ganges — through the hair of Shiva. Here is a brief account of that story: The 60,000 sons of King Sagara were chasing a sacred horse which they discovered at the hermitage of the great sage Kapila. Angry at being disturbed in his meditation, Kapila burned them all to ashes. The only way to purify their ashes would be to wash them in the river Ganga, but at that time Ganga was nowhere to be found on the earth; she lived in heaven with the other gods. King Sagara’s pious grandson Bhagiratha prayed to the gods for a thousand years until finally the god Brahma agreed to send Ganga down to earth. Yet Brahma warned Bhagiratha that the force of Ganga’s descent would destroy the world, so Bhagiratha then begged the god Shiva to break the river’s fall. Moved by Bhagiratha’s extreme penances, Shiva agreed to do this, and the floodtide of the Ganga crashed into the locks of his hair, and then splashed safely onto the earth, purifying everything in her path.

The goddess Ganga is just one of the objects shown in the whirling locks of Shiva’s statue. There are other objects there in his hair, and many other stories that the statue tells in this way, calling those myths to mind  for audiences who are already familiar with the god and his stories. Yet even without knowing the symbols or the allusions, you can still be swept away by the visual story itself — at least I was, as I gazed for the first time upon the Nataraja in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

 

Legend of Shiva Linga

II  Somvar (Somwar) Vrat Katha (Story) II
II सोमवार व्रत कथा II

This story is connected with Monday fast. Monday fast is practiced to propitiate Lord Shiva and Parvati. The panchakshara Mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" should be repeated on this day. The Monday fast is up to the third phase.

There are three types of Monday fast.

1. Simple every Monday fast.
2. Som pradosh fast
3. 16 weeks Monday fast.

The rituals are same for all the three fasting. After doing the Shiva puja the story must be read or heard. The stories of Pradosh fast and 16 Mondays are separate and are given here.

II Somya Pradosh Vrat Katha II Solah Somvar Katha II

Somvar Vrat Katha   

                                                                                        

II  Somvar (Somwar) Vrat Katha (Story) II
II सोमवार व्रत कथा II

 

Shivaratri

Shivaratri By Sri Swami Sivananda

Introduction

The Story of King Chitrabhanu

Spiritual Significance of the Ritual

Lord Shiva's Assuarance

Introduction

This falls on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of Phalgun

(February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take

place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva.

Shiva was married to Parvati on this day.

People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a

drop of water. They keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped

throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey,

rose water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra Om Namah Shivaya

continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made to the Lingam. Bael leaves are

very sacred as, it is said, Lakshmi resides in them.

Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Mahimna Stotra of

Pushpadanta or Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung with great fervour and

devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. He who

utters the Names of Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and

concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and

lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths.

Many pilgrims flock to the places where there are Shiva temples.

The Story of King Chitrabhanu

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst resting on the bed

of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, refers to the observance of Maha

Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows.

Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over

the whole of Jambudvipa, was observing a fast with his wife, it being the

day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of

the king.

The sage asked, "O king! why are you observing a fast today?"

King Chitrabhanu explained why. He had the gift of remembering the incidents

of his previous birth.

The king said to the sage: "In my past birth I was a hunter in Varanasi. My

name was Suswara. My livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. One

day I was roaming the forests in search of animals. I was overtaken by the

darkness of night. Unable to return home, I climbed a tree for shelter. It

happened to be a bael tree. I had shot a deer that day but I had no time to

take it home. I bundled it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As I was

tormented by hunger and thirst, I kept awake throughout the night. I shed

profuse tears when I thought of my poor wife and children who were starving

and anxiously awaiting my return. To pass away the time that night I engaged

myself in plucking the bael leaves and dropping them down onto the ground.

"The day dawned. I returned home and sold the deer. I bought some food for

myself and for my family. I was about to break my fast when a stranger came

to me, begging for food. I served him first and then took my food.

"At the time of death, I saw two messengers of Lord Shiva. They were sent

down to conduct my soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. I learnt then for the

first time of the great merit I had earned by the unconscious worship of

Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. They told me that there was a

Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves I dropped fell on the Lingam.

My tears which I had shed out of pure sorrow for my family fell onto the

Lingam and washed it. And I had fasted all day and all night. Thus did I

unconsciously worship the Lord.

"I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages. I

am now reborn as Chitrabhanu."

Spiritual Significance of the Ritual

The Scriptures record the following dialogue between Sastri and Atmanathan,

giving the inner meaning of the above story.

Sastri: It is an allegory. The wild animals that the hunter fought with are

lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle is the

fourfold mind, consisting of the subconscious mind, the intellect, the ego

and the conscious mind. It is in the mind that these "wild animals" roam

about freely. They must be killed. Our hunter was pursuing them because he

was a Yogi. If you want to be a real Yogi you have to conquer these evil

tendencies. Do you remember the name of the hunter in the story?

Atmanathan: Yes, he was called Suswara.

Sastri: That's right. It means "melodious". The hunter had a pleasant

melodious voice. If a person practices Yama and Niyama and is ever

conquering his evil tendencies, he will develop certain external marks of a

Yogi. The first marks are lightness of the body, health, steadiness,

clearness of countenance and a pleasant voice. This stage has been spoken of

in detail in the Swetaswatara Upanishad. The hunter or the Yogi had for many

years practised Yoga and had reached the first stage. So he is given the

name Suswara. Do you remember where he was born?

Atmanathan: Yes, his birthplace is Varanasi.

Sastri: Now, the Yogis call the Ajna Chakra by the name Varanasi. This is

the point midway between the eyebrows. It is regarded as the meeting place

of the three nerve currents (Nadis), namely, the Ida, Pingala and the

Sushumna. An aspirant is instructed to concentrate on that point. That helps

him to conquer his desires and evil qualities like anger and so on. It is

there that he gets a vision of the Divine Light within.

Atmanathan: Very interesting! But how do you explain his climbing up the

bael tree and all the other details of the worship?

Sastri: Have you ever seen a bael leaf?

Atmanathan: It has three leaves on one stalk.

Sastri: True. The tree represents the spinal column. The leaves are

threefold. They represent the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadis, which are the

regions for the activity of the moon, the sun and fire respectively, or

which may be thought of as the three eyes of Shiva. The climbing of the tree

is meant to represent the ascension of the Kundalini Shakti, the serpentine

power, from the lowest nerve centre called the Muladhara to the Ajna Chakra.

That is the work of the Yogi.

Atmanathan: Yes, I have heard of the Kundalini and the various psychic

centres in the body. Please go on further; I am very interested to know

more.

Sastri: Good. The Yogi was in the waking state when he began his meditation.

He bundled up the birds and the animals he had slain and, tying them on a

branch of the tree, he rested there. That means he had fully conquered his

thoughts and rendered them inactive. He had gone through the steps of Yama,

Niyama, Pratyahara, etc. On the tree he was practising concentration and

meditation. When he felt sleepy, it means that he was about to lose

consciousness and go into deep sleep. So he determined to keep awake.

Atmanathan: That is now clear to me; you certainly do explain it very well.

But why did he weep for his wife and children?

Sastri: His wife and children are none other than the world. One who seeks

the Grace of God must become an embodiment of love. He must have an

all-embracing sympathy. His shedding of tears is symbolical of his universal

love. In Yoga also, one cannot have illumination without Divine Grace.

Without practising universal love, one cannot win that Grace. One must

perceive one's own Self everywhere. The preliminary stage is to identify

one's own mind with the minds of all created beings. That is fellow-feeling

or sympathy. Then one must rise above the limitations of the mind and merge

it in the Self. That happens only in the stage of Samadhi, not earlier.

Atmanathan: Why did he pluck and drop the bael leaves?

Sastri: That is mentioned in the story only to show that he had no

extraneous thoughts. He was not even conscious of what he was doing. All his

activity was confined to the three Nadis. The leaves, I have said before,

represent the three Nadis. He was in fact in the second state, namely, the

dream state, before he passed into the deep sleep state.

Atmanathan: He kept vigil the whole night, it is said.

Sastri: Yes, that means that he passed through the deep sleep state

successfully. The dawning of day symbolises the entrance into the Fourth

state called Turiya or superconsciousness.

Atmanathan: It is said that he came down and saw the Lingam. What does that

mean?

Sastri: That means that in the Turiya state he saw the Shiva Lingam or the

mark of Shiva in the form of the inner lights. In other words, he had the

vision of the Lord. That was an indication to him that he would realise the

supreme, eternal abode of Lord Shiva in course of time.

Atmanathan: So it appears from what you say that the sight of the lights is

not the final stage?

Sastri: Oh no! That is only one step, albeit a difficult one. Now think of

how the story continues. He goes home and feeds a stranger. A stranger is

one whom you have not seen before. The stranger is no other than the hunter

himself, transformed into a new person. The food was the likes and dislikes

which he had killed the previous