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aadhyaatmika praSnalu

Posted by: Mrs. Anupama K At: 20, May 2006 8:13:19 AM IST I vaak ki vaikaarika ki sambandhamu lEdu

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 20, May 2006 9:53:03 AM IST

Posted by: Mrs. Anupama K At: 20, May 2006 5:52:25 AM IST // Unfortunately, I am very poor in both sanskrit language and grammer too. :( // ippuDu telisinadi konni konni SlOkaalaki enduku spandinchalEdO lEka evarO vraasina anuvaadam paTTukoni vunTunnaarO. mahAtmA gaandhii gaaru kooDaa bhagavadgItani sariggaa telusukOvaalanTE samskRutamu nErchukoni daanini telusukOmani ' My Expreiments with truth' lO cheppaaru. Ehinduu Saastramainaa sariggaatelusukOvaalanTE samskRuta parijNjaanamu avusaramu. ikkaDa itarulu velibuchchina( vErE linkula nunDi kaapI pEshTu chesinavi kooDaa sarigaa lEvu. ayinaa naaku miNuguru purugulu, kOtulu, gradda kathE gurtu vastunnaadi. kaabaTTi maunamE SaraNyam

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 20, May 2006 9:41:41 AM IST

Posted by: Mrs. Anupama K At: 17, May 2006 5:04:30 AM IST Vrutti panula valana tirika leka aalasyamayyindi.Miradigina samksruta vidham i krindi website lo chusukonavaccu.Telugu vidham ku sambandhimchina pratulu Devi suktam peruto prastutamu pustakala dukhanallo dorukutunnavi.asakti unnaco avi konukkonavaccunu. http://f2.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/YM9tRFyo1WqmnyUnMdOEiiioNdO0Wy 9PmL7JQEKsGrVN9HnEWlrKHDuEhgYExaHc3GXY7JQt5wK4GgnlVRq_v0D1Bq2Tk5Q/DeviSukta.PDF Rigvediya Devi Sukta: This sukta appears as mantras 1 to 8 of 125th sukta of 10th Adhyaya of 10th Mandala. The whole sukta is extremely important from view point of understanding the contents of Rigveda. A very deep and abstract sukta, one has to have certain background to understand it properly. Still an attempt is made here to explain it. One interpretation of this sukta is that Vak was a historical person and daughter of Rishi Ambhrini. She was a Self realized person and had established oneness with Devi. She gives a verbal expression to her experience as a universal being. Our interpretion is slightly different,based on the explanation given in the Introduction. When reciting the sukta in original Sanskrit enjoy the rhythm and be sensitive to the force of Vashat. When reading the translation be aware of the deeper meaning. You will find a new awakening. In order to aid this, the original Devanagari text for all the 8 mantras is given together,followed by the same in roman transcription followed by translation and explanation. We start with viniyogah, a proposition to start the recition. "ahamityastarcasya suktasya vagambhrni rshih saccit sukhatmakah sarvagatah paramatma devata dvitiyaya rco jagati sistanam tristup chandah devimahatmyapathe viniyogah ||" The Rishi of this sukta of eight verses is Vak,daughter of Rishi Ambhrini,Devata is Paramatma, the second verse is in Jagati meter, remaining in Trishtup. It is proposed to be recited to show significance of Devi. Om aham rudrebhirvasubhiscaramyahamadityairuta visvadevaih | aham mitravarunobha bibharmyahamindragni ahamasvinobha || 1 || aham somamahanasam bibharmyaham tvastaramuta pusanam bhagam | aham dadhami dravinam havismate supravye yajamanaya sunvate || 2 || ahaM rastri samgamani vasunam cikitusi prathama yajniyanam | tAm ma deva vyadadhuh purutra bhuristhatram bhuryavesayantim || 3 || maya so annamatti yo vipasyati yah praniti ya im srunotyuktam | amantavo mam ta upa ksiyanti srudhi sruta sraddhivam te vadami || 4 || ahameva svayamidam vadami justam devebhiruta manusebhih | yam kamaye tam tamugram krnomi tam brahmanam tamrsim tam sumedham || 5 || aham rudraya dhanura tanomi brahmadvise sarave hantava u | aham janaya samadam krnomyaham dyavaprthivi a vivesa || 6 || aham suve pitaramasya murddhanmama yonirapsvantah samudre | tato vi tisthe bhuvananu visvotamum dyam varsmanupa spssami || 7 || ahameva vata iva pravamyarabhamana bhuvanani visva | paro diva para ena prthivyaitavati mahina sambabhuva || 8 || 6.1 Translation and explantion : This sukta characterizes the Vak, the Language of the brahin, gives Its relationship to devah and echoes experience of an experienced meditatior. Vak sustains Deva and Soma : I move about in form of Rudra, Vasu, Aditya and all the gods. Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Agni and both the Ashvina depend upon me [1] I sustain the valorous Soma, Tvasthta, Pusha, and Bhaga. One who becomes aspecially adopted to gods and worships Soma by offering Havi-to such a Yajaman only I give Wealth. [2] All the gods mentioned above are regions or activities of a working human mind. We do not have sufficinet space here to explain the significance of each of them. Yajaman means the Ego of person who is doing the worship or meditation. Other words like Soma, Wealth, etc. are explained previously. yajna is performed via Vak. The collected knowledge is called vasu: I, being the major amongst the gods fit for Yajna, knowing the Brahma non-separate from me, and collector of various wealth, am the empress. I am present in all the things existing [in form of illusion]. I have entered in all the things born, Gods, staying in many abodes, whatever they do, they do for me. [3] The word Rashtri (empress) indicates that Vak controls everything. The concept of Jana is central to Vedas. A full explanation will take many pages, but we give here a very brief note. Basically Yajna means any procedure which leads to: either(i) transformation of information/existence at certain level to finer level,(i.e.abstraction); or (ii)transformation of Information/existence at certain level to grosser level(i.e. fill up the details). For example, let us say a group of people is building a road. If they are doing this physical work (a gross level activity) with an idea in mind that this will provide a facility to go from one village to another (the facility is finer level of existence, an abstraction) then they are doing a Yajna. We may say they are doing sramayajna. If they further aware that this facility will make a change in their living, their neighbours, children, etc. will be benefited in various ways, then they are doing an even finer Yajna, karmayajna. Yajna can be in opposite direction also. When an artist visualizes a painting (a higher level activity) and then paints it (gross activity), he is doing a Yajna. As far as worship is concerned, by Yanja we generally understand a ritual used during worship. All activities of a being are due to Vak. this mantra is an example of self-refence developed by an experienced meditator : Whatever beings are able to eat, see, breath,or hear - that is due to me only. those who do not know my this form, are condemned to a lowly existence due to that ignorance. O learned one, I am telling you the Ultimate Reality, which is obtainable only by Shraddha, listen - [4] The grace of Vak makes a person excell in various fields : I myself describe to you precious knowledge which is accepted by gods and men alike with pleasure, Whichever person I want to protect, I make him more powerful compared to others. I make him a knower of Brahma, a Rishi or a very intelligent person. [5] Vak makes one's mind work in "dual-mode" (see Introduction). " I prepare the bow of Rudra to destroy the Asurs who are malicious towards Brahma. I fight with enemies for protecting those who take my refuge. I am spread throught the Earth and the Heaven. [6] " Here, Rudra represent's one's Atma. The bow/arrow are the Soma, the Alpha. The meaning of the Earth and the Heaven are already given previously. Vak, in contact with Atma, comes down to Vaikhari level: Iam the creator of the Sky-the father of this World - over the Basis, Paramatma. My Cause is established in Samudra and Waters(the movements of one's mind.) That is why I am spread out throught the Creation and also touch the Heaven with my body. [7] The deepest part of my individual Self, which say "I", is prepared by Vak only, as an covering over the Basis, Paramatma. Samudra refers to the total mass of the conciousness of a person, which waters here refers to the waves on the surface of this consciousness. The Vak is in contact with Paramatma (because she is inseparable part of Paramatma) at the same time she provides the Creation. She is the link between Paramatma and the percieved world. Vak compares Itself to Vayu(wind) which moves about randomly : When I start Creation[as the Cause], then I move like Vayu, without help of others. I become active on my own. I am beyond the Earth and the Heaven. I am so due to may own might. [8] In Introduction we have said that Devi or Vak is the "movement" aspect of the Ultimate Reality (as we can understand it). This movement is random (again as we can understand It), lke Brownian motion observed in liquids. Just as a gambler throws dices and gets random fighres, on which he may win or lose money, we observe a randomness in the Universe. If the gambler knew the rule by which the next figure on the dices appear, he would have predicted it all the times and won always, but it is not so, Similarly we human beings do not know the Law, we can not know it. Posted by: Mrs. Anupama K At: 17, May 2006 5:11:09 AM IST Vak ambhrani ni,Vag ambrhani anina tappu ledu. (the k in Vak changes to g in Vag before the vowel A in ambhrni. So it is pronounced and would written as Vag ambhrani). One must be familiar with Sanskrit grammar and 'sandhi viccheda' etc. to know the correct format of words. With Regards.

Posted by: Rama Sastri A At: 19, May 2006 10:22:10 PM IST

Posted by: Mrs. Anupama K At: 18, May 2006 4:51:51 PM IST // I don't pay much intrest to English articles.// I vishayamulO mana abhipraayaalu okkalaagE vunnaayi

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 19, May 2006 10:38:12 AM IST

aTlaanaa anupamagaaru i^ro^ju selavu peTTaananDi ninna monna enDalo^ baagaa tirigaamu...i^ ro^ju inTivaddane^ unnaanu aTlaanaa kiraN`gaaru entavaraku unTaaru? naanambar` maarindi ippuDu mi^ku pho^n` che^sinade naanambaru

Posted by: Mr. Bhaskar At: 18, May 2006 5:24:43 PM IST

appuDe nidra le^chaaraa? anuji

Posted by: Mr. Bhaskar At: 18, May 2006 5:01:00 PM IST

Posted by: Mr. Hasya Brahma At: 18, May 2006 9:45:47 AM IST // Lord Narayana created Brahma from His navel. Brahma did not know what to do. Vishnu and Siva also did not know how to set going the life of a new universe in a new Kalpa after the dissolution. They were lifted in a Vimana or celestial car and they soon reached a strange region where they were transformed into women. They were in a land of women headed by Devi. It was Manidvipa in the Sudha Samudra, the ocean of nectar. The newly made women stayed there, for a hundred years. They did not know who they were, why they were there and what they were to do. // sudhaa samudram kooDA vundA? // Then they were put in the company of men and they themselves became men. // aahaa.. aahaa .. ippuDu kooDaa ilaaga vunTE evareppuDuayinaa aaDavaaLLu, lEka magavaaLLu ayipOvachchu. ! :) dEvatalanu manushyulalO peDitE dEvatalaipOtaaraa? ilaanti chetta (trash) raasi maa praaNaalu tiyyakanDi. //They were coupled, Brahma with Sarasvati, Vishnu with Lakshmi and Siva with Parvati. They found themselves at once in their original place and they knew what to do. They understood their functions. The Trimurtis attain Sakti through association with the Devi. Parvati is the Sakti of Lord Siva who bestows Jnana and Mukti on men. Lakshmi is the Sakti of Vishnu who gives prosperity to the people. Sarasvati is the Sakti of Brahma who creates the world. Radha is the Sakti of Lord Krishna who leads humanity to Mukti through Bhakti. May Sakti bless you all with Sakti! // *** It is not worth to comment anything. ***

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 18, May 2006 3:04:51 PM IST

Posted by: Mr. Hasya Brahma At: 18, May 2006 1:16:34 PM IST // As we have already noted, Nandi is well versed in all scriptural knowledge and spiritual knowledge and imparted knowledge of devotion to Hanuman. // ilaanTi apraachyapu kuutalu kuyyaDaaniki I saiTu tappa vErEdi doraka lEdaa? EmiTi mIrannadaaniki praamaaNyam . aanjanEyuDu vaayu(muKyapraaNuni) putruDu. suuryuni daggaara sakala Saastramulu abhyasinchenani ( lOka SikshaNaarthamu -SrIkRushNuDu saandIpuni vadda abhyaasam chEsinaTlugaa) jagadviditam . tana SarIraanni penchi suuryagatitO samangaa vunDi Saastraalani abhyasinchaaDu. andukanE gurudakshiNagaa, suuryaputruDaina sugrIvuni kaapaaDutuu vachchaaDu. SrIraamuni sEvinchi tarinchaaDu.

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 18, May 2006 2:28:25 PM IST

Posted by: భాస్కర్. బి At: 18, May 2006 11:36:23 AM IST Subham bhuuyaat bhaaskar . chaalaa baagundi. mI manasu kooDaa navanItam laagE vundi. naaku evari aiDilu EnTi anEdi peddapaTTimpu lEdu. pratI okkarini vErE vErEgaanE telusukunnaa lEka pOyinaa pedda tEDaa lEdu. nEnu kooDaa SraavaNa bahuLa saptami naaDu puTTinaa kRushNaashTami rOjunE naapuTTina rOju jaripE vaaru maa naayanamma. kaanaitE donga tanamgaa kaakunDaa doratanam gaanE tinE vaaDini paalumIgaDalu, junnu modalainavi.

Posted by: Mr. HAYAGREEVA MURTY Rachuri At: 18, May 2006 2:15:25 PM IST

SIVA If Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Siva is the quintessential destroyer. His duty is to destroy all the worlds at the end of creation and dissolve them into nothingness. Modern theories of space do suggest the possible ending of the physical universe after some billions of years through the expansion of a gigantic black hole devouring the matter from endless galaxies. Perhaps Siva would be the black hole performing this task. However this does not mean that Siva would remain idle till the arrival of that time. Before the worlds really come to an end, Siva has many things to do to keep the worlds going. His first and foremost task is to destroy many things in order to ensure the Rta or the order of the universe. Siva's destruction is not negative. It is a positive, nourishing and constructive destruction that builds and transforms life and energy for the welfare of the world and the beings that inhabit it. He destroys in order to renew and regenerate. His destruction is the destruction of an artist, or a surgeon or a cook. Through destruction he facilitates the smooth transitions of things and events from one stage to another. He destroys our imperfections in order to ensure our spiritual progress. He destroys our illusions, desires and ignorance. He destroys our evil and negative nature. He destroys our old memories, so that we can move on with the movement of time. He destroys our relationships, attachment, impurities, physical and mental wrong doings, the effects of bad karma, our passions and emotions and many things that stand between us and God as impediments to our progress and inner transformation. And in the end when we have made sufficient progress, when we are ready and prepared, and when we are willing without any inner conflict, he destroys death. There is no reference to Siva in the Vedas, except as a quality. There are some hymns addressed to Rudra, a fierce storm god, the father of Maruts, who heals with his thousand medicines. (For more information about Rudra please refer the Vedic pantheon). It is said that the practice of worshipping Siva was a non Aryan practice which was slowly incorporated into Vedic religion as an ongoing process of reconciliation with the non Aryan tribes. We have explained the significance of Siva in the section on Saivism. You may visit the section later and go through the same. Or click here to visit now. Sivaling: Sivaling literally means the body of Siva. Next to the symbol of AUM, it is perhaps the most potent, powerful and popular symbol in entire Hinduism. In almost all the Siva temples, worship is generally made to Sivalingas only. Very rarely we come across his images in the sanctum sanctorum of any Siva temple. A Sivaling is usually a round or cylindrical and protruding object. The cylindrical part is held firmly by a circular base. On the physical plane, the object resembles the male sexual organ, suggestive of the creative power of Siva. The circular base resembles that of the female, suggestive of his consort Parvathi. Physically a Sivaling is a phallic symbol, representing the male and female sexual organs in a state of conjugal bliss. Mentally it symbolizes the union of mind and body. Spiritually it represents the union between Purusha and Prakriti, the highest principles of the manifest universe. The Sivaling is also symbolic of the Supreme Self. It is verily Maheswara Himself, the Highest Self and the Lord of the universe. In this aspect it has three parts. The lower part represents Brahma. The middle part, which is octagonal in shape, represents Vishnu. The upper part, which is cylindrical in shape, represents Rudra and is also called Pujabhaga since it receives the actual offerings of milk and other substances. Worship. The Sivalingas are normally found installed in the temples . But many devotees of Siva keep them in their houses and offer regular worship. People are however cautioned not to keep Sivalingas in their houses without offering worship, since they are believed to be powerful sources of divine energy. Sivalingas are either naturally found or made artificially. Different materials are used in their making, such as clay, gold, crystal, glass, diamonds, precious stones and wood. The round and smooth stones found in the river beds of the Narmada or the Godavari are considered to be the most ideal for worship. Sometimes Sivlingas are made temporarily with clay or sandal paste and disposed of after worship. Some devotees wear Sivalings on their bodies or around their necks. When Sivalings are found fortuitously in the river beds and desolate places, it is considered to be a great omen. They are housed in temples or houses and offered regular worship. Description of Siva: Unlike Vishnu who is depicted as dark blue, Siva is white in color, except for his neck which is dark blue. Images of him in dark blue color is however the norm. He leads a life of severe austerities. But in the images we find him tall and well built. His body is usually besmeared with ashes, denoting his frequent rounds to the cremation grounds. He has three eyes. The third eye rests between his eye brows. It is the eye of wisdom, by opening which he destroys our false selves and our myriad illusions. In contrast to Brahma who is generally depicted as old, Siva is usually shown either as a young or middle aged god. Though he is described in the scriptures as god of anger, in the images we generally find him in his cheerful and jovial mood. Sometimes he is depicted with a lot of innocence in his demeanor as Bholenath. He is generally shown sitting cross-legged in a yogic posture, with his eyes closed and deep in meditation. When he is shown with his eyes open, his face expresses love and compassion. The images of Siva evoke in us deep emotions. Those who are inclined to worship god are naturally drawn to him as they hold him in their minds. Unlike Vishnu, who leads a luxurious life, surrounded by opulence, Siva and his family lead austere lives in simple surroundings. He is a god of utter simplicity, exemplary humility and austerity. A tiger skin and an elephant skin serve as his garments. His long matted hair is normally tied into a knot or left flowing. He has four arms. With one he holds his weapon the trident. With another, he holds Damaru, a small drum. The remaining two are held in abhaya and varada mudras (postures). The tiger and the elephant skin symbolically signify his ability to control and transform animal nature. The trident represents the three qualities, namely sattva, rajas and tamas. The damru denotes his connection with the primal sound AUM, the creation of alphabets, languages, grammar and music. His long matted hair denotes his spiritual life and his great powers. It is also compared to the night sky. He wears a garland of snakes around his neck. Sometimes we see more snakes: one across his body like a sacred thread and two acting as bracelets around his muscular hands. The snakes symbolically represents his control over desire and sensuality. Sometimes in his ferocious aspects, he is shown wearing a garland of skulls. The crescent moon adorns his hair like a silver diadem. And the Ganges flows from his head down into the world below. Though he is an ascetic, he lives with his family. He is very fond of his consort, Parvathi, whom he married after subjecting her to a lot of tests. Unlike Vishnu, who treats his wife more or less like a servant, keeping her at his feet, Siva treats his wife as his equal and shares his seat with her. She is literally his better half and occupies half of his body. This earned him the title ardhanariswara (half female half lord). Normally we find her always by his side, especially when he is seated in Kailash, sharing with him all the honors that he receives. He seems to dot on his two children, Skanda or Kumara and Lord Ganesha or Vinayaka. The Bull Nandi is his vehicle. Nandiswara is humility personified. He is very knowledgeable also. Nandi taught Hanuman the secrets of Vedas and lessons in humility! Another important member of his retinue is Bhringi, the zealous devotee who was not inclined to worship anyone other than Siva and refused to worship even Parvathi, till he was made to realize his mistake. Although a mountain dweller, he is not attached to anything and true to his ascetic nature, keeps wandering from place to place. Mount Kailash is his abode, where live his family, his devotees who attained liberation and his great army of goblins, imps and ghosts. Symbolism: We have already explained some aspects of symbolism associated with Siva in the previous paragraphs and in our other articles on Siva and Trinity. Siva symbolically represents the tamasic quality. Because of this he is called pasupathi, (the lord of the animals). His body color which is white, denotes his purity (sivam) and association with the snowy mountains. His three eyes represents the three worlds, the sun, the moon and the earth, the three paths of liberation and the triple nature of creation. The third eye is actually the eye of wisdom or occult knowledge. The moon that adorns his head represents the movement of time and also his cosmic proportions. With the the moon there, his head becomes the night sky, for which he earned the name Vyomakesa (one who has the sky or space as his hair). His association with the moon is in contrast to Vishnu who is associated with the Sun as a solar deity. The moon also symbolizes his association with the occult and the tantras. Siva is generally a seated yogi, a posture with which most Hindus are familiar. However we also come across Siva as nataraja or tandavamurthi in a dance posture. With his hair flying in all directions and hands and feet in dynamic motion, the image of nataraja is a symbol of harmony and rhythm. Among the objects which are associated with him popularly, apart from the trident and the Damaru, are battleaxe (parasu), rosary (aksamala), pasa (noose), khatvanga (magic wand) and khadga (sword). Followers of Saivism are familiar with three words: pati, pasu and paasa. Pati is Siva himself, the lord and husband. Pasu is the deluded self that is caught in the cycle of birth and death. Pasa is the bond that binds the pasu to this world and it gains liberation through devotion and surrender to pati. Aspects of Lord Siva: Siva is known by several names and worshipped in various forms. We are mentioning below some of his most famous aspects: Panchanana Siva: In some temples Siva is shown with five faces. Each of the faces has a name and represents a specific aspect. These five faces are Isana, Tatpurusa, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata. Isana faces south east and represents Iswara aspect of Siva known as Sadasiva, or the Eternal Siva. Tatpurusha faces the east. He is Siva in his aspect as a deluded purusha or ego. Aghora faces the south and represents the destructive and regenerative aspect of Siva that, like fire, first devours life and then prepares the ground for its renewal. Vamadeva faces north. He is healer and preserver. Sadyojata faces west and represents the creative power of Siva. Anugrahamurthy: This is the milder or peaceful aspect of Lord Shiva when he is in the company of his beloved devotees or his family members. Ugramurthy: Also known as Raudra , Bhairava, Kankala or Samharamurthy, this is the ferocious or angry form of Siva, generally associated with the events during which Siva assumed his terrible form to slay the demons or the wicked. The following are his well known terrible forms: Kankala-bhairava: The form which he assumed after cutting off the fifth head of Brahma Gajasura-vadha-murthy: The form he assumed while killing a demon named Nila Tripurantakmurthi: The form he assumed while destroying the three cities of gold, silver and iron built by the three sons of Andhakasura Sarabhesa-murthy: The form in which he allegedly fought and killed, Narasimha, the incarnation of Vishnu. Kalari-murthy: the form in which he fought and defeated Yama to save his devotee Markandeya. Kamantaka-murthy: The form in which he destroyed Manmadha, the god of lust, for disturbing him while doing penance. Andhakasura-vadha-murthy: The form in which he defeated Andhakasura, who subsequently joined his forces as his commander and became popular as Bhringi. Bhairava-murthy: The form generally found in connection with the secret cults of Tantricism that involve his worship in the cremation grounds and grave yards. Siva As Nataraja Tandavamurthy: Lord Siva is a master of dance forms. He is the author of all dance forms. The science of dance ( Natyasasthra) dealing with the 108 types of classical Indian dance forms said to have originated from him just as all the yogic postures. In case of Lord Siva all dance is a form of expression, which he uses either to relieve the tensions in the world or alleviate the sufferings of his devotees. Sometimes he also entertains the gods or his wife or his devotees with his dance. About nine forms of Siva in dancing mode are described, of which the most popular form is Nataraja (the king of dance). Though we have a number of icons of Siva as Nataraja, he is rarely worshipped in this form either in the temples or in the households. His other dance forms include, Ananda-tandava-murhty, dancing in a pleasant and cheerful mood, Uma-tandava-murhty, dancing in the company of Parvathi, Tripura-tandava-murthy, dancing while slaying Tripurasura and Urdhva-tandava-murhty, dancing in the air. Symbolism of Nataraja: For Siva dance is a kind of entertainment, or activity, that is spontaneous and without any purpose. Just as the entire creation is said to be an activity of God for His own entertainment and does not seem to have a definite purpose, so is the dance of Siva. It is not a specific artistic activity. It is not some kind of a sport with a particular aim. It is a spontaneous movement of rhythm and harmony, that bursts out like a flower from the bud, a smile from a baby or a rainbow from the sky, without a flaw and pleasing to the mind and the senses. Everything he does, each and every movement of his body, is a spontaneous expression of beauty and rhythm. Nataraja is Siva who is hidden in all the rhythmic movements of the manifest creation, the so called cosmic dance that ensures the orderliness (Rta) of the universe, the movement of the earth and the heavens, the arrangement of the galaxies and the inter stellar spaces, on which depends precariously the whole balance. His dance is a divine activity that suffers no conflicts. It entertains our suffering minds and dispels our ignorance. It destroys our illusions and burns the worlds of demons and darkness. Finally, at the end of creation it dissolves the entire universe into a mysterious period of suspended activity. He dances upon our ignorance. The Apsmarapurusha (the forgotten and deluded self), on whose body he rests his feet in the image of Nataraja symbolizes this fact. And for Siva this whole wide world of apasmarapurushas is a stage on which he enacts his dance drama. Dakshinamurthy: This is Siva in his aspect as the universal teacher, teaching the secrets of yoga, tantras, yantras, alchemy, magic, occult knowledge, arts and sciences, ancient history or knowledge of the future to the sages and saints, gods and goddesses and his highly qualified devotees. He is called Dakshinamurthy, because he does his teachings sitting on the snowy mountains of Himalayas and facing towards the Indian subcontinent, which is in the southerly direction. The images of Dakshinamurthy, depict Siva in his pleasant mood, seated on a high seat, with one leg folded while the other rests on the Apasmarapurusha, the deluded self. Two of his arms hold a snake or rosary or both in one hand and fire in the other. The snake is a symbol of tantric knowledge and the fire symbol of enlightenment. Of the remaining two one is in abhayamudra (posture of assurance) and the other holds a scripture in gnanamudra (posture of presenting knowledge). Lingodhbhava-murthy: This image signifies the importance of Siva in the form of Linga as the Supreme Self, without a beginning and without an end. According to Hindu mythology, Siva once revealed his infinity to Brahma and Vishnu in the form of a pillar of fire that could not be scaled by either of them from one end to the other. As Lingodhbava-murthy, Siva appears seated in the heart of a Linga, with four arms, while Brahma and Vishnu adore him from the two sides. Bhikshatana-murthi. This is Siva in his ascetic aspect, wandering from place to place, with a begging bowl made of human skull, doing penance or lost in his own thoughts. Even today we can see some followers of Siva going around the villages in India in this form. Some of them even do a little magic to attract our attention or scare away the trailing children. Hridaya-murthy: This is Siva in a mood of reconciliation and friendship with Vishnu. Also known as Harihara or Sankaranarayana. The images show the right half of Shiva on the right side of the image and the left half of Vishnu on the left side. Ardhanariswara: This Siva and Parvathi together in one form signifying the unity of Purusha and Prorate. The feminine left half of Parvathi is fused with the masculine right half of Siva in one continuous form, sometimes standing with the Bull Nandi in the background, or sitting on a pedestal and blessing the worlds, with eyes open or closed. Minor Deities of Siva: These are part of Siva's Retinue. The most important of them are Nandi, Bhringi, Virabhadra and Chandesvara. Nandi: It is interesting to note that unlike the Vedic people who regarded the cow as sacred animal, the followers of Siva venerate the bull! It is because Nandi, the Bull, is Siva's vehicle. Nandi is invariably found sitting right infront of the sanctum sanctorum in every siva temple facing the image and looking at him all the time. In fact no one is supposed to see the chief deity in a siva temple without paying homage first to the seated Nandi and looking at Siva from afar through the space between the ears and the top of his head. There are some temples in India which are exclusively built for him like the famous Nandiswara temple in Karnataka. Nandiswara in his anthromorphic form appears just like Siva, with three eyes and four hands of which two are permanently dedicated to the veneration of Siva while the other two carry his weapons. Symbolically Nandi represents the animal or the tamasic qualities in man which Siva rides and transforms with his energies. As we have already noted, Nandi is well versed in all scriptural knowledge and spiritual knowledge and imparted knowledge of devotion to Hanuman. It is a tradition in many parts of rural India to let a Bull roam free in each village as a mark of respect to Nandi and to inseminate the cows in the village. Bhringi: He was originally a demon named Andhaka, who was transformed by Siva into a humble devotee and admitted into his force as a commander of his armies. Bhringisa was so loyal to Siva that in his state of devotion he would not offer his worship to any one including Parvathi. It is said that when he saw once Siva in his Ardhanariswara form, he tried to bore through the middle of the body in the form of a bee to complete his obeisance to only the Siva side of the form, much to the annoyance of Parvathi. Bhringi who got his name thus was made to realize his mistake and change his behavior by Lord Siva. Virabhadra: He is Siva in his ferocious mood. Siva manifested himself as Virabhadra, when Daksha, his father in law, ill treated and insulted his wife Sati, Daksha's own daughter, infront of a large gathering. Unable to cope with the insult, Sati immolated herself. This angered Siva so much, that he descended upon the place of Daksha with his large army and beheaded Daksha's. The images of Virabhadra depict the anger and ferocity of Siva in that destructive mood, wearing a garland of skulls, and with four arms holding four different kinds of weapons. Virabhadra is a warrior god who was worshipped during wars in ancient and medieval periods. He is also the principal deity of Virasaiva movement and still worshipped by many in the Karnataka region of India. Chandesvara: He is an aspect of Chandi in human form later elevated to the status of divinity, to signify the connection between Siva and Chandi, or Durga. Chandesvara is a ferocious god, holding weapons of war and ready to do battle for a divine cause. His images are generally found in a corner in all the Siva temples. As in case of Nandi, devotees usually visit him and pay their respects before going to see the Sivaling in the sanctum sanctorum.

Posted by: Mr. Hasya Brahma At: 18, May 2006 1:16:34 PM IST

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