Friday, June 20, 2008

LORD SHIVA'S RETINUE OF DEITIES !


Lord Shiva is the one who has a team of his devouted players , performing the task of contolling the universe , and the most important ones amongst these are Nandi, Bhringi, Virabhadra and Chandesvara. Each one of them has an important role to play in the performing of assigned duties as per the wishes of the Lord , and in most temples where the Lord is worshipped you will find them to be also present . Let's see what each one of them is doing in the retinue of deities of Lord Shiva !

Nandi

Worshippers of Lord Shiva hold Nandi the bull in reverence , and you will usually find him seated in front of the image of Lord Shiva in most of the temples , gazing at the Lord all of the time . Nandi is the vehicle of the Lord , and he is also worshipped by the devoutees first before they actually worship the Lord . In most cases his image is found at the entrance to the temple of Lord Shiva .

Here, the saying goes that no one is supposed to pay homage to the Lord without first paying homage to Nandi . In doing so they are to look at the image of Lord Shiva in the temple from afar , from the space between the ears and the top of Nandi's head . In fact , in India there are several temples purely dedicated to the worship of Nandi . A classic example is the Nandiswara temple in Karnataka .

Nandi symbolises the animal qualities in man which Lord Shiva rides so as to transform with his own energies . Nandi is supposed to have all the sciptural and spiritual knowledge as well as the knowledge of devoution to Hanumnaji. Interestingly enough , in several parts of India , it is a tradition to let a bull roam freely in each of the villages , so as to inseminate the various cows , as a special mark of respect to Nandi.

Bhringi

To begin with , Bhringi was actually a demon named Andhaka , and by the powers and grace of Lord Shiva he was transformed into an ardent and most loyal devoutee , and admitted into the armies of the Lord , as it's leader . And to say the very least about Bhringi's devoution to Lord Shiva , he would not offer his worship to anyone except for and exclusively for Lord Shiva . So much so that he would not even offer his worship to Godess Parvati !

The saying goes that once when Bhringi found the Lord in his half masculine and half feminine form in fusion with Godess Parvati , he tried to offer his worship to the Lord , and the Lord alone , by trying to enter the masculine side of Lord Shiva's form ( Ardhanariswara form ) by assuming the form of a bee. This one sided devoution of Bhringi was bound to annoy the Godess Parvati ! Soon enough , Lord Shiva made his devoutee realise the folly of his ways , and thereafter there was a change in his behaviour.

Virabhadra

Here we have Lord Shiva in his most violent and ferocious mood , and he manifested himself in this form when he found that his wife Sati was being disgraced and insulted by her own father in front of a large public gathering . And unable to bear up to the humiliation by her own father , Sati went on to immolate herself ! Lord Shiva's anger had no boundaries , and he went to Daksha's place along with his huge armies , and beheaded him there and then itself . This is the angry and destructive form of Lord Shiva wherein he is shown wearing a garland of skulls , and with his four arms holding different weapons . Virbhadra is essentially a warrior God , having been worshipped in ancient and medieval times .

Chandesvara

A ferocious God willing to do battle for a noble and divine cause, being worshipped by the devoutees prior to their offering obeisance to Lord Shiva in the various Shiva temples. This is a form of Chandi in it's human aspect and signifies the relationship between Chandi or Durga Mata and Lord Shiva !

Thursday, June 19, 2008

VARIOUS FORMS OF LORD SHIVA !


Lord Shiva , the master of the universe is known and is worshipped in many forms by His ardent devoutees all over the world !
To name a few of the most popular aspects of Lord Shiva :

Panchanana Shiva

This is the statue of Lord Shiva with five faces , and is found to be worshipped in this form in some of the temples . Each of the faces represents a different aspect of Lord Shiva , and these are specifically Isana, Tatpurusa, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata.

Here Isana literally means the eternal Lord Shiva , and faces towards the south east . Next you have Tatpurusha , which refers to the deluded ego or purusha , and this face faces in east direction . The third face , namely Aghora , is a face depicting the great ability of the Lord to destroy and recreate , and this face is positioned towards the south direction. Lord Shiva's fourth face , ie Vamadeva is representative of the healing and preserving powers of Lord Shiva , and faces towards the North . Lastly you have Sadyojata, which represents the healing power of the Lord Shiva , and faces in the West direction .

Anugrahamurthy

This aspect or form of Lord Shiva refers to him in his most peaceful aspect when he is surrounded by his ardent devoutees and family members. He is very composed and in a state of tranquility in this form .

Ugramurthy

On the other extreme you have this form of Lord Shiva, in his most ferocious or heightened state of anger, when He ventures out to destroy all the evil forces that come to exist all over .

Tandavamurthy

Lord Shiva is also known as Natraj, the God of dance , and he performs the tandava which is a dance form characterised by dynamic rhythmic movement. All the 108 classical indian dance forms are said to have been sourced from Him, and Lord Shiva performs his various dance forms to reduce the sufferings of his devotees, as well as to defuse the negative forces in the universe !

He also performs the dance forms to entertain the Gods, as well as his family and devotees . However , you seldom , if ever , find this particular form of Lord Shiva being worshipped in the temples .

Dakshinamurthy

This form of Lord Shiva represents him as a teacher of all the, mystic secrets of thevarious art forms such as alchemy , yantras , tantrsince he as , yogas , predictions about the future to the saints and sadhus , various magic mantras , arts and sciences . And in this form he is called Dakshinamurthy since he performs all these teachings sitting on the high and snowy peaks of Mount Kailash , facing towards Indian peninsula .

He is said to be in a very pleasant mood in this form , with two of his arms holding a snake or rosary , or even both of them , with the sacred fire in the other hand . Here the snake is a symbol of knowledge pertaining to the tantras, and the fire a source of illumination and enlightenment .

Lingodbhavamurthy

This form of Lord Shiva signifies the infinite nature of Lord Shiva , with no beginning and no end , and the Lord in the form of Linga depicts the supreme self .

Bhikshathana murthy

Lord Shiva in the form of an ascetic, wandering from place to place , with a human skull begging bowl in hand , lost in meditation and in His own thoughts !

Hridaya murthy

Lord Shiva in a state of friendliness with Lord Vishnu, with the images depicting the right half side of Lord Shiva on the right side of the image and the left half side of image of Lord Vishnu on the left side .

Ardhanariswra

This particular form shows the fusion of the masculine right half of Lord Shiva with the feminine left half of Godess Parvati, in one continous form, signifying their unity, and sometimes showing the bull Nandi sitting in the background .


Wednesday, June 18, 2008

LORD SHIVA STANDS FOR THIS !


Lord Shiva is the most powerful force in this universe, He has the extreme powers to create and destroy , he is the destroyer of ignorance and negativism, he is the creator of all that is good and pure. When you look at Lord Shiva you suddenly realise he is the purest of the pure, and his body complexion being milky white depicts the highest purity . Thus his association with the snow capped mountains of the Kailash range where He has his abode along with his family .


Look at Lord Shiva's three eyes , and you get the realisation that these are representative of our three worlds , the sun , the moon and the earth ! These three eyes can also be compared to the three aspects of creation . Then you have the third eye which is also symbolic of wisdom, and each time Lord Shiva opens his third eye , he does so to eliminate all the negative forces that reside within each of us .

And if you look at the crescent moon that is seen adorning His hair, it is symbolising the movement of time and also the Lord's cosmic associations . And if you do have the moon there in his hair, His head becomes the sky that you see in the night .

Coming to the posture that Lord Shiva adopts , it is usually in a sitting posture with his legs folded , and seated on a tiger skin , deep in meditation, on the heights of the mount Kailash .But then you also often find Lord Shiva, also known as Natraj, the dance of God, actively performing the tandava art form, with his hair and body in a state of dynamic motion . The resultant picture that emerges is one of perfect rhythm and harmony !

Next, if you were to observe the objects that you find in the possession of the Lord, these are the Trident , Damaru , Battleaxe , Rosary, Noose , Magic Wand and Sword .

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

LORD SHIVA LOOKS LIKE THIS !


Lord Shiva's image is one of extreme grace and he is having a white complexion, except for his neck which is dark blue , and in all the images we find him to be tall and well built, with his body usually smeared with ashes , which depicts his frequent visits to the funeral grounds. His forehead is the place where he has his third eye which rests between his eyebrows and this is also called the eye of wisdom through which He is able to decimate to nothingness our various illusions which we have about . Lord Shiva is usually seen as a very young God , and this is the way He is shown is his various images .

While most of the old Hindu records have referred to Him as the angry God , we usually see him to be in a very cheerful mood , so much so, that in many instances, his images are found to reflect a innocence as is aptly referred to as Bhola Shankar ! Lord Shiva is mostly seen sitting in a yogic posture, cross legged , and in a stance of meditation, with his eyes closed . In some instances he is shown with his eyes open , exuding lots of love and affection, and one who sees his, is naturally attracted towards Him, since He stirs up the deepest of emotions within each of us !

He is known to be a God of simplicity and He is said to lead a life of severe austerity along with his family in the simplest of surroundings . He is also a picture of humility, usually found wearing a tiger skin and elephant skin as his dress , and is mostly found in the sitting posture, holding a trident and damaru in each of his first set of hands, and his other two hands are in a state of posture !

Interestingly enough each one of the objects that the Lord holds has certain connotations. For instance, the Damaru is representing the relativity with the sacred sound AUM , and the animal skin that he adorns on his body signifies his ability to control animal nature. On the other hand the trident that he hold in his hand is also representing the three qualities of satvas ( cool and composed ) , rajas ( fond of luxurious living ) and tamas ( filled with anger ) .

He has long flowing hair and wears a garland of snakes around his neck, with some snakes sometimes being seen across his body, as well as on his hands, entwined like bracelets, with all these snakes being symbolic of His contol over sensuality and desires. And when He is depicted in a state of extreme anger, He is shown wearing a garland of skulls ! His other aspect is that the holy river Ganges is supposed to flow from his head down below onto planet Earth .

And yet another aspect of Lord Shiva is that he is shown to be living with his family, and hi is most fond of his wife Godess Parvati, whom He is said to have married only after having subjecting Her to several tests. Yet another interesting aspect is the relationship between Lord Shiva and Parvati , wherein they are shown sitting together on the snowy heights of Mount Kailash, which is symbolic of the equality of the relationship between them. Most of the time we find Godess Parvati sitting next to Lord Shiva on Mount Kailash, sharing with him all the honours that He enjoys .

Lord Shiva has two children, namely Kumara and Ganesha , and he is very fond of both of them . He also has the sacred bull Nandi besides him, which is his vehicle of transport , and is also the very epitome of humility and being very knowledgeable, having taught Hanumanji the secret of the vedas

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

SIGNIFICANCE OF SHIVALING !


Shivaling literally signifies the body part of Lord Shiva, and only after the word "OM", it is the next most important and powerful word for the Hindus. Interestingly enough, in almost all the Hindu temples across the length and breadth of India, it is the Shivaling only which is worshipped, and it is only in the rarest of rare cases that you will find the images of Lord Shiva in these temples !

A Shivaling is an object with a round or cylindrical shape , which is fixed in a horizontal position , held firmly in place by a round circular base . It has a close resemblance to a male sexual organ, which signifies the creative power of Lord Shiva , and the circular base has a close resemblance to the female sexual organ, signifying Lord Shiva's consort Godess Parvati.

In actual fact , the physical aspect of the shivaling symbolises the male and female organs in a state of conjugal bliss, and on the mental plane it symbolises the union of the mind and body. The Shivaling is also symbolic of the supreme self, the highest self , and the Lord oof the Universe. It has three parts, the lower part representing Lord Brahma , the middle part being octagonal in shape and representing Lord Vishnu, and the upper part which is cylindrical in shape is representative of Rudra. This part is in fact the prayer portion which receives all the puja offerings like milk, flowers, fruits etc .

While you will usually find the Shivalings in the temples, on some occasions ardent worshippers also install them in their homes, and in these circumstances it is very important to ensure that you offer prayers to the Shivaling on a regular basis, since it is considered to be a source of divine energy. Shivalings have been found to have been created at various places, purely by forces of nature, and these natural formations are considered to be a very good omen, with temples having been created at such locations .

There are twelve such significant locations in India where the Shivalings were found in a state of natural existence, called as jyotirlings, and Lord Shiva is considered to be swyambhu, i.e. present at these places. Temples had been built at all these several hundred years ago.

On the other hand , as compared to the Shivalings created by the natural forces, you also have the artificial Shivalings which are are crafted out of various materials including glass, wood, clay, gold, crystal, diamonds, precious stones etc. Sometimes they are made of sandalwood or clay for the purpose of temporary worship, and after the worship is over they are disposed off. You will also find that there are several people who resort to wearing of the shivalings on their body or around the neck, since they consider it to be a source of tremendous energy !

THE DESTROYER OF THE UNIVERSE !

In the Hindu trinity of Gods , Lord Brahma is known as the creator , Lord Vishnu as the preserver of the world , and Lord Shiva the destroyer , and it is his exclusive domain to perform the onerous task of destroying everything after the task of creation has been fully completed . When finally Lord Shiva does destroy the worlds we know , everything will vanish into a state of non-existence.

This fact can also be corroborated by modern science in view of the various theories on space by scientists that go on to expostulate that it is quite possible that after a few billion years all matter that is present in several galaxies would be devoured by a gigantic black hole , which is presently on the path of expansion . Perhaps Lord Shiva is the one who will be performing the task of the black hole !

But that does not mean that Lord Shiva is likely to sit idle till such time , He is even now at this very moment performing the task of destroying ! He is the most powerful destroyer of all our illusions and ignorance . Lord Shiva is also the destroyer of all our evil and negative emotions . He is the one who gives us the strength to destroy our old memories , so as we can move on with our lives .

Not only just this , Lord Shiva is the one who destroys all our emotions and passions , and all the wrong things that come between us and God , and act as obstacles to our progress , thereby giving us the energy to transform ourselves into warriors to combat all our negativity , and emerge as stronger individuals , with self empowerment to transform our lives for the better .

This therefore clearly means that the destruction of Lord Shiva is not at all negative ! All He does is positive and constructive destruction which is conducive for transforming life and energy for the overall welfare of the world . His destruction is the destruction of regeneration , for creating something fresh and new !

Compare this with the destruction of the chef , he chops and grates vegetables , fries and roasts them to create a wonderful dish for all to relish . Or if you take the case of a surgeon , he cuts the body to have access to the decayed parts, operates and performs surgery for removing , replacing or repairing the vital body organs , and emerges victorious when the surgery is successful , giving a new lease of life to the individual .

We too can regenerate our inner forces once we acknowledge Lord Shiva and pray to Him for guidance and taking us on the path of righteousness ! He will give us a new lease of life by destroying all that is negative within us , and give us the power to transform our lives , simultaneously giving us a fresh lease of life !

Friday, June 6, 2008

SHIVAJI PRAYER - CHALISA

DOHA
JAIGANESH GIRIJASUWAN.
MANGAL MOOL SUJAN.
KAHAT AYODHYADAS TUM.
DEV ABHAY VARDHAN.

CHAUPAI
JAI GIRIJAPATI DEEN DAYALA
SADAN KARAT SANTAN PRATIPALA
BHAL CHANDRA MA SOHAT NEKA
ANG GORE SERE GANG BAHAYE
MUND - MAAL TAN SHAR LAGAYE
VASTRA KHAL BADAMBHAR SOHE

CHHAVI KO DEKH NAG MANI MOHE

MAANA MATO KI HAWE DULARI
KAR TRISHUL SOHIT CHHAVI BHARI

KARAT SADA SHATRUN SHAIKARI
NANDI GANESH SOHE TEH KAISA
SAGAR MADHYA KAMAL HAI JAISA
KARTIK SHYAM AUR GANRAO.
YA CHHAVI KO KAHI JATH NA KAO.
DEVEN JABHI JAYE PUKARA.
TABHI DUKH PRABHU AAP NIVARA.
KIYA UPDRAV TARAK BHARI.
DEVEN SAB MILE TUMHI JOHARI.
TURAT SHADANAN AAP PATAO.
LUV NIMESH MEH MAAR GIRAO.
AAP JULLUNDUR ASUR SANHARA.
SUYUSH TUMHAR VIDIT SANSARA .
TRIPURASUR SAN YUDH MACHAI .
TABHI KRIPA KAR LEEN BACHAI.
KIYA TAPHI BHAGARITHA BHARI.
PURAVA PRATIGYA TAASU PURARI.
DANIN MAH TUM SUM KOI NAHI.
SEWAK STUTI KARAT SADAHI.
VED MAHI MAHIMA TUM GAIE.
AKATH ANADI BHED NAHI PAIE.
PRAGATE UDHI MANTHAN ME JAWALA
JARAT SURASUR BHAYE BHIHALA.
KEENH DAYA TEH KARI SAHAIE.
NEELKANTH TAB NAAM KAHAIE.
PUJAN RAMCHANDRA JAB KEENHA.
JEET KE LANK VIBHISHAN DHEENA.
SAHAS KAMAL ME HO RAHI DHARI.
KEENH PARIKSHA TABHI PURARI.
EK KAMAL PRABHU RAKHYO JOE.
KAMAL NAIN PUJAN SOHI .
KATHIN BHAKTI DEKHI PRABHU SHANKAR.
BHAYA PRASAN DIYE ECHAT VAR.
JAI JAI JAI ANANTA AVINASHI.
KARAT KRIPA SABKE GHAT VASI.
DUSHT SAKAL NITH MOHE SATAVE.
BRAHAMAT RAHO MOHE CHAIN NA AAVE.
TRAHI TRAHI ME NATH PUKARONE
YAH AVSAR MOHE AAN UBARON.
LE TRISHUL SHATRUN KO MARO,
SANKAT TEH MOHE AAN UBARON.
MAAT PITAH BHRATHA SAB HOIE.
SANKAT MEH PUCHAT NAHI KOIE.
SWAMI EK HAI AAS TUMHARE.
AIE HARHOE MAM SANKAT BHARI.
DHAN NIRDHAN KO DETH SADAHI.
JO KOI JANCHAE SO PHAL PAHIE.
ASTHUTHI KEHI VIDHI KARE TUMHARE.
SHAMHU NATH HO CHUKH HAMARE.
SHANKAR HO SANKAT KE NASHAN.
MANGAL KARAN VIDHAN VINASHAN.
YOGI YATI MUNI DHYAN LAGAVE.
SHARAD NARAD SHISH NAVAVE.
NAMOH NAMOH JAI NAMOH SHIVAYA.
SUR BRAHMADIK PAAR NA PAYE.
JOH YEH PAATH KARE MAN LAIE.
TA PAR HOTH HAI SHAMBU SAHAIE.
RINEOON JOH KOI HO AADHIKARI.
PAATH KARE SO PAWAN HAARI.
PUTRA HON KI ECCHA KOIE.
NISCHAY SHIV PRASAD TEHI HOIE.
PANDIT TRIYODESHI KO LAVEH .
DHYAN PURVAK HOME KARAVEH.
TRIYODESHI VRAAT KARE HAMESHA.
TAN NAHI TAAKE RAHE KALESHAA.
DHOOP DEEP NAAWEDH CHADAVEH.
SHANKAR SAMUKH PAATH SUUNAVEH.
JANAM JANAM KE PAATH NASAVEHA.
AANTH DHAM SHIVPUR ME PAAVEH.
KAHE " AYODHYADAS " AAS TUMHARE.
JAANI SAKAL DUKH HARHO HAMARE.

DOHA
NITH NEM UTHE PRAAT HI.
PAATH KAARO CHAALIS.
TUM MERE MANOKAMNA .
PURNA KARO JAGDISH.
MAGSAR CHHATI HEMANTH RITU.
SANVAT CHOSATH JAAN.
STUTHI CHALISA SHIVHE.
PURNA KEEN KALYAN.



Thursday, June 5, 2008

SHIVAJI PRAYER - AARTI


jai shiv onkaaraa, prabhu jai shiv onkaaraa.
brahm vishnu sadaashiv ardhaangii dhaaraa.
akanan chaturaanan panchaanan raaje.
hansanan garudaasan vrishavaahan saaje.
do chaar chaturbhuj dashbhuj aatii sohaa.
bhuj chaar chaturbhuj dasabhuj aatii sohe.
tiino roop niraakhataa tribhuvan jan sohe.
akshamaalaa vanamaalaa mundmaalaa dharii.
chandan mrig mad sohaa bhole.
shvetaambar piitaambar badambar.
sanakaadik garudadik bhootaadik sange.
kar ke madhye kamandal chakr trishool dharii.
sukhakaarii dukhharii jagpaalan karii.
brahm, vishnu, sadaashiv jaanat avivekaa.
pranvaakshaaraa mii shobhit yeyaa tiino yek.
trigun svaamii kii aaratii jo koee nar gaave.
kahat shivaanand svaamii sukh sampati paave.




GOD OF DANCE - " NATRAJ "

Another name for Lord Shiva is " NATRAJ " the God of Dance , and this unique and divine form of dance art is performed by Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati , and is aptly known as the Tandava.

Lord Shiva's Tandava is a vigourous dance form which signifies the violent nature of the Lord as the destroyer of the Universe . It also signifies the origination point for the cycles of creation , preservation and destruction . Lord Shiva is said to have conceptualised this dance form since He is very fond of dancing everyday in the evenings , and it is these tandavas that can be used in various dance forms , martial arts , personal combat , as well as other body movements.

Tandavas are also considered to be of different types :

  • RUDRA TANDAVA
  • ANANDA TANDAYA
  • TRIPURA TANDAVA
  • SANDHYA TANDAVA
  • SAMARA TANDAVA
  • KAALI TANDAVA
  • UMA TANDAVA
  • GAURI TANDAVA

Anandtandava , which is also known as the cosmic dance of Shiva , is symbolic of the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction , as well as the daily cycle of birth and death . This dance is also meant to signify the activities of Lord Shiva , which are namely :

'Shrishti' - creation, evolution
'Sthiti' - preservation, support
'Samhara' - destruction, evolution
'Tirobhava' - illusion
'Anugraha' - release, emancipation, grace

On the other hand the dance form performed by Godess Parvati is known to be of two kinds called as Lasya , which is considered to be the feminine form of Tandava , and this is characterised by movements which are gentle , soft , graceful , at times erotic , and very enchanting !

Lasya is known to be of two kinds :

  • JARITA LASYA
  • YAUVAKA LASYA

There is a mention in the Puranas that while Lord Shiva dances a real vigourous tandava dance in the funeral grounds during the nights , He performs the soft and graceful Lasya dance form during the twilight hours !

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD


Lord Shiva is the most divine and powerful force in this entire universe and by chanting his name we are able to seek. His blessings in our endeavour to absorb the merest and minutest fraction of his omnipotent presence .

Lord Shiva has several manifestations and he is known by several names names which give us an insight into various aspects of His describe various aspects of His nature. The most common name by which he is known is Bholanath which literally means the one who is simple and very kind-hearted. He is also known as Lord Shankar, as well as Vishnu Bhagwan and is also known to have several Avtars, having descended on Earth for guiding and protecting mankind .

Lord Shiva has on many instances been pleased with His devoutees and has granted boons to those who prayed to Him with fervour and devoution . He is indeed the most kindhearted Lord Almighty , appropriately called "Bholanath" who listens to the prayers of the people.

Interestingly enough , Lord Shiva has manifested. His Divine presence in the form of 12 main Jyotirlings where His Lingam is Swayambhu (natural formations) and these are at the following locations in India :

1. Gujarat ( Somnath )
2. Madhya Pradesh ( Mahakaleshwar)
3. Madhya Pradesh ( Omkareshwar )
4. Maharashtra ( Bhimashankar, Nasik )
5. Maharashtra ( Trymbakeshwar, Nasik )
6. Maharashtra ( Nageshwar, Near Dwarka )
7. Maharashtra ( Gruneshwar, Near Aurangabad)
8. Maharashtra ( Vaidyanath, Parali )
9. Andhra Pradesh ( Mallikarjun , Sri Sailam )
10. Uttaranchal ( Kedarnath )
11. Uttar Pradesh ( Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi )
12. Tamilnadu ( Rameshwaram )