I am an illusionI am an enigma
I am that which I myself don’t know
I am not the person you see
I am just a drop
In the ocean of life
I am the soul
Another form like you
I am Shiva, I am He
I am constant, endless
I am a phenomenon unknown
I am the truth
I am what is before birth
I am what is after death
The illusion you see in between
Is not really me
I am that mystery
I am what I search for
I do not even know
Who or what am made of
I am not ego, nor the self
I am no daughter or mother
I am life, I am breath
i am that bliss, that ecstasy
I am divinity that even I don’t know
Asato maa, Sadgamayaa
Tamaso maa, Jyotirgamayaa
Mrityor maa, Amritam Gamayaa
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
The Shanti Mantra beautifully renders this truth, that what we call the self is really non existent and we live in an illusory world where we are defined by the roles we play rather than who we really are. This deep inherent search for the self, mingled with life's experiences that makes our search far more complex is all in the state of the mind.
Asato maa, Sadgamayaa
This is the definition of our journey through life, life being a medium but not the end. Through this path laden with events and experiences shaping up our personality, clouded by circumstances and emerging with a brutally beaten ego we are like travelers who stray away not knowing where they lost touch of their chosen destination. This journey is from ignorance to bliss, this journey is in the mind as we sieve through various facets of our external life. This is not a journey from birth to death, but a constant attempt to give up the illusory self- The "I" in me, the ego - to calm a jumping mind.
Tamasoma, Jyotir Gamaya
This is worship to be delivered from ignorance to eternal bliss. With every passing event, leaving us undeterred and detached is when the mind begins to settle. The mind begins to reach a state of equilibrium, where there is silence, where there is nothing, no thought, no fear but pure consciousness. This is the state of bliss, where the only sounds are that of OM, the fundamental sound that shapes this universe. Externally, this is a state when we cease to ask for external approval, we cease to seek attention, we live without ego massage. Now we are ready to be alone in a room faced with our self and the feeling is of complete bliss, and time ceases to exist. This is the moment to feel the inner light of spiritual ecstasy.
Mrityor maa, Amritam Gamayaa
This is worship for salvation. Arriving at the state of bliss is a constant, where the world ceases to exist and the mind continues to rest within that silent room of the self. The world is visibly external, its sounds can’t be heard, its presence can’t be felt, its noise cannot be experienced. It’s the death of the ego, its the death of "I", I don’t exist any more. I am bliss, I am Amrit, I am the constant, I am potency, I am present as I should be, I am beyond life and death, I am real, I am divine.
Moolatho Brahma Roopaya, Madhyato Vishnu Roopini
Agratas Shiv Roopaya, Vriksha Rajayte Namaha
Another depiction of this bliss is in the worship of the banyan tree or the Ashwatha Vriksha. The banyan tree is the emblem of life, symbolizing the constant. The banyan tree is also considered to be the symbol of the trimurthy, with Brahma at the root of creation, Vishnu representing the shaft is a symbol of sustenance and Shiva resides at the top bring out in full bloom and life, therefore describing its form as the Shiva linga itself. Such is the beauty of this tree that it describes the constant of life, the eternal bliss that we search for, within ourselves.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Photo courtesy: Pal V, Photographer, Mumbai.Interesting posts:
He presents Himself
Its my heart - the Abode of the Lord
The temple of the Self
A reflection on Lord Shiva
48 comments:
A lovely description of lord Shiva and the Shanthi mantra!!!
I love that mantra, donno why whenever i hear it, a sense of divinity and bliss fills my heart.
Hi Kavitha, Aswin. the write-up is very good and it virtually explains the Absolute Truth realized by the ‘wise ancient Hindus’...in one word, “Shivoham!”
Kavitha, Talking of Banyan or Bodhi Tree that is symbolically related with the Buddha in ‘recent times’ as the ‘truth’ of apparent life on earth, similarly the ‘Ashwatha’ tree that appeared as a result of ‘churning of the milky ocean’ is indicated related with Indra the king of devtas, that is, our Sun. For, the word ‘ashwatha’ is derived from ‘ashwa’ that is horse, and ‘ashwamedha yagya’ (associated with ‘white horse’) describes expansion and extension of the empire of a king on earth, in stages (and hence continued ‘wars’). The stories thus indirectly communicate similar increase in influence range of our Sun in stages...
Also ‘Ashwatha Tree’ is conveyed as the king of all transient forms of ‘plant life’ on earth, where man is indicated as an inverted tree that has its roots in the ‘sky’ (refer the Gita), that is, our solar system, and not directly in the earth, although earth is also a member of the system…
Now, the sound energy, ‘OM’, the balance of which is believably heard eternally in the form of the ‘cosmic hum’, in reality, is conveyed in mythological stories as ‘shesha’, that is, the balance energy after ‘Brahmnad’ or ‘Big Bang’ was used up in the creation and sustenance of the physical form that only remains ‘shesha’ - through eternity! And hence peace and bliss possible for the believably detached Creator only, for He is related with zero time and space...And, in Hindu belief, the symbol ’Shesha’, or ‘Anantnag’ - associated with the source of the Big Bang or Brahmanad, that is, ‘Nadbindu’ - is the symbolic ‘Vishdhar’ the holder of poison as the bed of Vishnu, literally ‘poisonous atom’ that remains ever detached from His creation…and is thus the believable goal of all souls…as part of an eternal drama…that serves the unknown purpose of the Creator!
The word ‘eternal bliss’ as He is generally referred by some, and also as ‘illusory earth’ by some as model of the illusory universe, for the Absolute truth is ‘zero’ or Nadbindu)’ indicates the creation to merely be a projection of the ‘past’ in His, the Bhootnath’s, Third Eye’ for His entertainment, seen in ‘apparent time’ that was made possible through apparent animation of transient forms that constitute the Solar system…
Yes, there is a lot of symbolism surrounding hte banyan tree. The twigs of the banyan tree are used inall sacrificial fires, and its considered extremely pure.
I am curious about the scientific benefits of this tree specially when it comes to homams and ritualistic spiritualism.
Regds
Kavitha
Shri Anon, Kavitha, Aswini Kini, Yesterday it was the day believably earmarked for worship of ‘skandhamata’... Perhaps inspired by Her, the one who resides within us all, the following reaction to an article that appeared in ‘my newspaer’ was sent, copy reproduced below…
This refers to TECHTONIC (11/4).
The opposite of ‘Mobile Mania’ is ‘Immobile Sanity’ - in the Himalayan caves, which the advanced Yogis apparently preferred…and that apparently had led to the discovery that human body itself is an instrument capable of doing all conceivable or inconceivable functions – with much higher efficiency without the 'external tools'!
Alas! ‘We the much higher souls’ once-upon-a-long-lost-time apparently find ourselves 'today' (that as per them reflects the 'past') helplessly enslaved by these ‘jhunjhunas’ or rattles, thanks to Time the Mahakal Shiva, whose model, say, the rattle-snake that represents the Cobra or the 'vishdhar' the holder of poison, also makes fun of us humans today, perhaps marking time for Neelkanth Shiva the holder of the deadly poison, or 'halahal' to come out of His 'samadhi'!
Thus said the 'wise ancients', "Without His will, not even a leaf can flutter!" And, "What can't be cured, must be endured." The same thought, in the 'modern west', with reference to design of foundation on hard rocks was interpreted by an engineer as, "When rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it!" (And, coincidentally perhaps for the west, 'Hindus' related hard rock on earth with planet Venus that has a solid core and holds poison in its atmosphere/ Kartikeya the General or 'skandha', or the right hand of his mother Parvati the daughter of Himalayas the 'shailraja', and therefore called 'shailputri', derived from 'shila' meaning rock!)...
Kavitha, ‘I’ am not aware whether any research has been done in the ‘present’ to study the effect of ‘havan samagri’, such as that which is available in the market, or burning of different woods and leaves etc. Maybe someone else might know more…
In so far as ‘I’ know, ‘Scientists’ believe ‘life’ on earth to have a ‘complicated chemical structure’…and in so far as structure of human form is considered, it is seen to have all the elements that are apparently found on earth proper, and man believably heads the ‘food chain’…
The ancient scientists or Yogis believed it to represent, in essence, our Solar system (as essence of the physical universe)…that evolved, in ever continued cycles of life and death, from pure energy (say infrared) after compulsorily passing through 8.4 million different animal forms as the ‘life evolved’ as a result of ‘churning of the milky ocean’, as seen in the functioning of our own Milky Way galaxy of innumerable hevenly bodies, apparently for billions of years today!
In view of the above, the whole ‘Nature’ is in animation such that ‘old order is (continuously) changing into new’…in which there is nothing or no one that is redundant or not playing any important role (like a certain character in a man-made drama who, however, may not appear to be ‘perfect’, a time dependent feature though)…
In ‘India’, apparently the ‘advanced sages’ or Yogis in the past have gone into greater depths of all subjects, including creation of the physical universe, in order to find out the usefulness of each and every component of ‘Nature’ - related with time…In essence, they found, as expressed in the ‘west’ even, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” And for example, from experience also, everyone knows that a woolen garment is required only when it is cold!
In the ‘present’ also research is on and we the laymen also are getting to learn how certain chemicals are harmful to ozone layer, or about the ill effects of burning fossil fuels, and so on…but do not have complete knowledge and, therefore, there is confusion, because no one knows the ‘Absolute Truth’ and the general statement, “Hari ananta/ Hari katha ananta,” that is literally, “As many mouths/ So many truths,” apparently applies…
Kavitha, Dr. Anilji, Talking of ‘chemicals’ and their useful function, ‘I’ am reminded of one of our college day incidents related with doctors.
A class fellow in our hostel was unwell and had been prescribed some medicine by the doctor employed in the College Dispensary, (who was generally referred as ‘ghorda doctor’ or a vet). However, it was a Sunday when he suddenly complained of severe chest pain. As the mixture was already consumed, two of us virtually ran to the doctor with the prescription for repeting it. Unfortunately his compounder had gone to see a film, and as our friend was in deep pain we asked him to dispense the mixture himself.
We were however shocked when he asked us to read one of the items as he was unable to read what himself he had written some days ago! He added that his compounder only is able to read what he writes!
Both of us made some guesses, which he negated. In the end he said, “Let us skip this item and not add it into the mixture!” He, however, to our utter surprise and disbelief added, “Who will know whether we have added it or not!”
Fortunately, our friend got well soon – despite that item missing from the mixture (perhaps because God is graceful)!
‘I’ had elsewhere earlier also narrated in detail how when a labour was bitten by a snake, ‘I’ saw him surrounded by his co-workers while a Nepali lama chanted some mantras. His face was full of drops of perspiration. Knowing their psychology, ‘I’ asked the Project Doctor to immediately give him some injection: even if it was distilled water! The doctor administered one and he recovered soon. The doc however didn’t disclose to me what injection it was. He said it was anti-venom…
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In another incident that came to my personal knowledge, a relative was used to eat rotis (bread) since childhood. After her marriage, she happened to accompany her husband to Belgium for a few years’ stay there. At a certain stage, (‘I’ don’t remember whether it was while she was there, or after her return), she developed some allergy with wheat flour! She used to get skin rashes even when she passed close to a shop where flour was being grounded! Since that time, she perforce takes only rice preparations!
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Another relative of mine used to get skin rashes at times. He then observed closely and noticed that it used to occur the day when a particular ‘dal’, a veg item of food, was consumed by him. He thereafter stopped eating it…
One could various such cases.
Reverting to ‘Vat Vriksha’, or the Banyan, and its ‘medicinal value’ or its beneficial effect on humans is also cited the Hindu mythology through the story of Satyawan and his wife Savitri, who apparently brought back to life her ‘dead’ husband even from the clutches of Yamraja, the ‘agent of death’!
She is worshipped by some married women even in the ‘present day India’ by going around the stem of the ‘Vat Vriksha’ with a yellow coloured (or yellow and red?) thread that is wound around it on a particular day dedicated to her, ie, called ‘Vat Savitri’...
It is interesting to know that legend has it that the ‘Peepal tree’ that belongs to the Banyan family is believed to have ‘bhootas’ or ghosts suspended from its branches…and their King, Bhootnath Shiva is called Baijnath also, ie, the Lord of the doctors! And, He too believably has hair locks, or ‘jata-joots’ like the many roots of the Banyan tree that are suspended from the branches and form many new roots, which make it difficult to identify the original root from the new ones at a later date!
Hi Joshi Uncle
I have not heard of Baijnath in iconography except for temples in the north around Uttarakhand that are dedicated to him.
The imagery you have described has close parallels with Shiva Dakshinamurthy.
Its a beautiful pictorial definition to compare His jatas with the roots of the banyan tree. Very well put!
Regds
Kavitha
Kavitha, Baijnath is a misnomer for Baidyanath or Vaidyanath (‘vaidya’, meaning an ayurvedic doctor, ie, one who deals with herbal medicines for treatment of illnesses)…and Shiva being understood as the Destroyer, Trimurty Shiva the three-in-one form of immortal God, who believably is responsible for birth, sustenance, and death, is worshipped by His devotees through mantras, or sound energy, for granting liberation from the cycle of birth/ death/ rebirth, and so on…
Kavitha,Joshi uncle,The narration of the doctor & his exploits while making a mixture reminded me of my student days.Now the concept of preparing a mixture is a relic of the past.All is readymade now!But we have used the grinder & the pastel during our Pharmacology (science of drugs)practicals.I remember the names of atleast two mixtures,Diaphoretic Mixture for fever &Carminative mixture for gases & indigestion that we used to prepare ourselves.The handwriting of doctors is another branch of Iconography for sure!!
kavitha,joshi uncle,The concept of churning of the milky ocean is another theme may be for the next blog from Kavitha.Just as Ashwatha came out of it so did "Dhanwantari" the official physician og the Gods!
Hi Dr Anilji, Now that you have indicated it, ‘I’ too seem to have heard of ‘Carminative mixture’ at least…
In the Sixties and Seventies also ‘I’ remember visiting often a physician, who practiced close to our residence, for some one member or the other in the joint family…’I’ often saw him asking for various other free samples, from medical representatives who approached him. Comparatively his fee was lower, for he powdered the free samples for use in preparing various mixtures…
All said and done, however, the ‘Hindu’ mythological stories in essence attempt leading an individual soul to consciousness of the Formless Creator (God) who is omnipotent and omnipresent (which perhaps everyone repeats mechanically and maybe a few only say it from the ‘bottom of their heart’!).
In essence, it’s generally realized by the ’wise ancients’ that it’s a matter of mindset, or mental attitude, as conveyed in the saying to the effect, “Believer sees God even in stone (‘shalagram’/ ‘shailputri’ the moon that evolved from earth – both ‘non-living’, ie, made from dust and rocks for the ‘modern man’!).”
Thus it is indicated that belief/ faith is not related with ‘time’ and ‘location’ of the devotee…and that there are many ways to reach God…For example, the use of mantras, such as merely ‘OM’ - to reach the Supreme soul that believably is related with ‘zero’, and thereby improve one’s ‘spiritual’ status in the apparent hierarchy - is a further indication of the phenomenon realized akin to tuning of the metal strings of ‘Tanpura’ (sa-pa/Sa-Pa, in lower and middle octaves) to match the range of the sound produced by the vocal chords of the vocalist…for it is the vocalist who is believably at a higher spiritual level than the ‘material strings’!
Kavitha, Dr Anilj, here is another reaction to an article in ‘my newspaper’ sent by me to indicate the essence of Hindu philosophy in brief…as ‘I’ see it…
This refers to The ideal man by Shri Himani Desai (12/ 4).
On the 7th day of Navratri, ‘I’ would like only to point out to the author just two ‘Hindu’ sayings, (where ‘Indu’ means moon that believably evolved from our planet earth), as ‘food for thought’: “Vasudhaiva Kurumbakam,” where Vasudha means our planet earth (made of stone and soil)…and the other in the words of ‘common man’, “Kahin ki eent kahin ka rorda/ Bhanumati ne kunba jorda”, where kunba means family and Bhanu means ‘our Sun’…
‘I’ might add here that the seventh day of the Navratri is dedicated to ‘Ma Kalratri’, where ‘ratri’ simply means ‘night’ and the prefix ‘kal’ means ‘time’, or ‘apparent time’, as we the souls reckon it based on animation, related with temporary physical forms, viz. the solar system members, and similarly its effect reflected by the apparent ‘life on earth’…as it is reflected in the believable night of Brahma the sun, as one of the aspects of the selected nine members of the solar system (Mahashiva, or 'Trimurty Shiva' the three-in-one God as its essence)…
Light (and associated heat energy therewith) has been associated by ancient ‘Hindus’ with Brahma’s Day of a long duration compared to just 24 hours of both day and night as we humans reckon it on earth based on relative motions of our Sun and our Earth-Moon. Generally speaking, the day for humans, as the head of the animal life, is associated with acquisition of knowledge in one’s brain for improved performance of physical and mental actions with passage of time by each individual, like accumulation of honey by the bees in its hive for the ‘future’…
Man being a ‘social animal’, there apparently is also a purpose before the human race to attain higher and higher goals by humans. However, as it is apparently seen in the ‘present times’, “Everyone rises to his level of incompetence,” only and the apparently the generally unexpressed goal remains far from the reach of human race.
However, in the present day progress, the available hints about relatively much higher achievements of our forefathers inspires us but on the on the other hand it also frustrates individuals…for the goal always appears remote…
‘Night’ is indicative of darkness or ignorance, as it would have perhaps been the case with the Formless Creator also at the beginning, or start of ‘Kali Yuga’ the ‘Dark Age’, whose reflection can be observed even in the most advanced countries at all times among the ‘lesser humans’ and ‘inferior life' forms…
Krishna and, therefore, Ma Kali in the ‘heart’ of Shiva, or Sati the female component in Adi Shiva the Ardhanarishwar that is androgynous God is mischievous.
‘I’ had also earlier given an example in detail of how ‘I’ had given (in the early Seventies) five rupees to a peon, not personally known to ‘me’, in the office for buying some medicine for his daughter as requested by him. However, almost immediately thereafter a known peon informed me that the gentleman was a gambler and he wasn’t even married! He also added that he never returned loans taken by him! And, at that moment ‘I’ just replied to him that ‘I’ had given the money for a ‘good’ cause. If it is apparently used for some ‘bad’ purpose, then its consequences would be bourne by the concerned. And that if he didn’t return it, even in that case it would be a good riddance for me, for he would then avoid me and never again approach me for further loans – and it proved true!
There were many such examples that ‘I’ myself can cite when ‘I’ have been obliged to ponder how to judge an act whether it is really ‘good’ or ‘bad’...
Shri Anon, Buddha’s thoughts about doing ‘good’ and avoiding ‘bad’ would perhaps confuse others too if one were to ponder over it based on personal experiences…
Perhaps ‘I’ got the answer from “Goldfinger’s” statement also about certain odd happenings, to the effect, “First time it could be providence, second time a coincidence, but if it happens the third time it has to be ‘enemy’s hand’.”
And, even the ‘Hindu’ mythology indicates Yudhister the truthful (in Dwaperyuga) also losing even the Pandavas’ common wife in gambling, besides all their gold, and still be called ‘Dharmraja’ (just as Yamaraja or the truthful Shiva the Destroyer also are similarly called)!
Also, Saint Matthew, in New Testament indicates man to be a poor judge and cautions one while making judgment, in the thought, “Judge not that ye be not judged…etc.”
Once someone is convinced that life is a 'wonderful design’ by a Supreme Being who, being a Teacher also despie being mischievous, has also left sufficient or/ rather innumerable hints in symbolic languages ('Hari ananta Hari katha ananta') while making human brain an analogous computer that is capable of reading those in lesser time directly, or indirectly over a longer time…or maybe never (symbolically, man also discards man made instruments that are not found useful in the junkyard for recycling)!
The ancient ‘Hindus’, who realized 'panchtatva' the five basic elements playing the important most roles in the human life drama, imagined human brain akin to a cool water earthen pitcher.
With the above background, they appear to have visualized our Sun that during the day appears like a perennial source always full of water that is hot. And, in the relatively cooler but darker night our Moon that apparently receives light/ water from our Sun (that contains 'Hydrogen') reflects on any particular day its cool (that is ‘sita’) water content: On each New moon day it shows that it is empty, for it is used up completely for sustenance of all ‘life’ forms. However, it is thereafter getting filled up naturally, such that one Full Moon day (in nearly a fortnight) it gets completely filled up – for use over the next fortnight for sustenance of ‘life’!
Inspired on the eighth day of Navratri by the eight-handed Ma Durga, ‘I’ have sent the following reaction to an article in ‘my newspaper’…as given below.
This refers to JUGULAR VEIN article Bombay Talkie, by Jug Suraiya (STOI) – a beautifully worded thought on human life drama…
However, the ‘all-knowing’ author says, “…I don’t know what it is about Bombay…that makes an entire city behave like a studio set?”
He perhaps knows it, but is scared (of the 'west'?) to let it be known that the ‘wise ancients’ have dedicated the ‘Elephanta Caves’, located close by on the coastal region of the store-house of ‘water’, (called the Arabian Sea), to Bhootnath Shiva. For the ‘wise ancients’ had realized the ‘panchbhootas’ - responsible for the unending cycle of annual S-W monsoon - acting in unison concentrated near this location to convert the saline water to potable water that comes down as rain for sustenance of all life forms all over ‘India’, once upon a time called the ‘Golden Bird’ on account of the golden wheat – thanks to the Himalayas and Shailputri (Moon) the daughter of rocky Himalayas!
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!!!"
Ditto to all visitors of the blog!!
Kavitha, here is one more similar reaction…
This refers to SHASHI ON SUNDAY article Change from within, sys Dalai Lama.
It could bring to a ‘believer Hindu mind’ the incidents recorded by ‘wise ancients’: #1 When ‘halahal’ the deadlist poison emerged when ‘churning of milky ocean’ was commenced - for ‘amrit’ that is immortality - by the devtas and rakshashas (using celestial serpent Vasukinag as rope for the purpose) they approached Lord Vishnu to save them. He reportedly told them that they had come to the wrong person and advised them to approach Shiva, for He alone reportedly had the capacity to withhold it in His throat!
# 2 Seated on the Lotus Flower that had evolved from Vishnu’s navel when Brahma was apparently enjoying the scene, to His horror, He saw two rakshashas, Madhu (meaning ‘sweet’) and Kaitabha (derived from Katu, that is, bitter) growing in size and advancing towards Him! He prayed to Lord Vishnu but to no avail as He was in His Yognidra… He grew panicky as the rakshashas continued to grow bigger in size! To His relief, Lord Vishnu the all-knowing Divine Person held the rakshashas when it was right time!
With the above in mind, one might come to know that to a ‘wise ancient Hindu’ God is reflected by Trimurty Shiva the three-in-one personality, i.e., Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh, also reflected by the three sides of a coin (Brahma as the right hand or head, Vishnu as the left hand or the tail, and Mahesha as His ‘cool’ head represented by the blank side!
And, Tibet happens to be the abode of Shiva & His consort or the ‘better half’, Parvati, who perhaps needs to be approached because of the authority vested upon Her as the Mother of mothers by the Formless Creator!
"Change is the law of Nature."
Change appears to be the law of nature, but that which is constant subtly is the law of nature.
One of the best examples that prove life can continue to be is the process of abhishekam.
Any fruit that constantly gets the holy abhishekam can live much longer, in years without keeping it in the fridge, in tropical environment.
Isnt this also a law of nature?
Regds
Kavitha
Yes Kavitha, life-spans of different heavenly bodies and also of ‘life’ on those bodies have different natural periods. The solar system members are in natural existence already for over 4 billion years and believably are likely to continue for billions more, whereas different animals upon earth, in the ‘present’, appear to have different ranges that relatively are negligible. For example, man is seen to exist for a maximum age that is a few years over 100 years, say not more than 150 years. Similarly, the life span of man-made machines are also generally assessed in terms of some specified years, or a maximum hours of usage. However, some properly maintained machines might exceed that specified period even.
Iron normally gets rusted early, but lasts longer if preserved with rust proof paint...similarly seasoned wood lasts longer...
In the late Fifties models of pyramids in plastic apparently came into vogue in Europe for increasing the life span of shaving blades. Also meat and fish was seen to remain fresh for a longer duration when preserved inside such models, and even Hollywood actresses are reported to have used plastic models of pyramid placed under their pillows for peaceful sleep!
A lady in Bangalore had reported in a popular Indian magazine for women that she had found a pyramid-shaped room made out of plywood constructed within the premises effective for her arthritic mother and also for her use as a reading room…
It is observed and expressed by ‘wise’ in the ‘present times’ also that man has learnt many secrets of the available material forms in ‘Nature’, but he fails to know the self!
It’s therefore not surprising that ‘wise ancient Hindus’ laid stress on ‘looking inwards’ during the age classified by them as ‘sanyas’, i.e., when an individual had apparently completed his ‘worldly duties’. For it was realized by them that, as per the grand design of the Formless Creator, generally the instrument called human being tended naturally to ‘look outward’ only. And, as there are exceptions to all rules, certain instruments reflected this characteristic at an early age itself, say like the one named Prahlad, a child devotee of Lord Vishnu (where ‘ahlad’ means a higher degree of happiness, and thus perhaps indicating the hand of mysterious and mischievous ‘bal Krishna’)…
On the eighth day of Navratri that is dedicated to, Ma Durga the ‘Shera Wali’ that is the one who rides the Tiger, ‘I’ was invited to accompany them to two temples by my younger brother and his wife: One is a Kali Temple of the olden days that has now expanded to include many more deities; the other is Lakshaminarayan Temple, popularly known as Birla Temple that ‘I’ happened to visit after many decades…
After visiting the temples, we were waiting under a tree, for it has become hot now, ‘I’ was blessed by a bird with its small dropping right in the middle of my head that already had some flower petals received as ‘ashish’ in the temple!
And, this morning, ‘I’ saw that a cat, i.e., an evolved tiger had left in front of my door for me to clean the feathers of a grey coloured pigeon like performing ‘bali’ or sacrifice …and the ‘Hindu mythology’ associates pigeon with Shiva & Parvati in Shiva Purana…and ‘white’ dove, a bird of pigeon family is considered as messenger of ‘peace’!
Kavitha, ‘I’ saw in the message box a comment from Shri Sarada. Also ‘I’ give it below together with ‘my’ comment related with the riddle that human believably life is.
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14 Apr 08, 13:01
sarada: lovely ruminations on the enigma that is shiva. i am also a total shiva-freak ! my fav. mantra is in the shivapanchakshara sloka : the stanza : Atma tvam girija matihi etc. - regards.
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In the ‘present’, the ringed-planet Saturn (Sudershan-chakra-dhari Vishnu of the Hindu mythology who needed ‘divya-chakshu’ or ‘divine eyes’ to be seen by Arjuna, the model of sun in Dwaperyuga, and who is indirectly indicated to, in fact, to Earth the ‘mrityulok’ where death is inevitable, as model of Shiva the Destroyer?) has been observed and photographed from close range by the Cassini probe and it also is reportedly an enigma for the ‘scientists’: They find it difficult to explain the relative freshness of its rings compared to those of the planet Jupiter that in both cases are made from frozen water. In case of Jupiter, they are relatively not only smaller but appear rendered dirty by age. However, in case of Saturn they appear fresh, absolutely new, that is, ageless!
A thought on the Ramnavmi day...and also New Year for many in 'India', and given different names...
In the 'present day' terms, Petroleum the Black Gold is the ruler today.
In brief from ‘wise ancient Hindu’ view-point it’s like Krishna or Kali the black energy that believably ruled the earth in the ‘advanced’ past, in Dwaperyuga and Kaliyuga (whose end is indicated as being approached) respectively…And Hindus considered that as Truth that didn’t change with time…
Satyam Shivam Sunderam indictes earth as the only Truth or Shiva, for He was also called Gangadhar and Chandrashekhara, with His heart as the abode of Ma Kali i.e., the destructive force in earth’s core that finds reflection in erupting volcanoes, which was considered the ‘sared fire’ - by the ‘wise Hindus’ - that apparently helped Moon evolve from Earth.
And, Moon the mysterious force is also reflected by the Yellow metal gold that has fooled man since time immemorial, as also indicated in Ramayana the story of Tretayuga, with Rama & Sita as models of Sun & Moon.
And it rules over human minds even today…It is expressed cryptically as Parvati the second consort of Shiva, another form of Sati, as the ruler during the dark night, while Brahma the Sun ruled the day as Brahma’s fifth head cut by Bhairavnath Shiva and used as a begging bowl by Shiva the Digamber, i.e., the naked mendicant who used blue sky as his only garment!
Shiva is also called Mahakal the controller of Time…and also Bhootnath who is believably reviewing His past in His Third-Eye…that finds reflection in humans also, as His models, in the form of dreams!
In the early Fifties during Film Festival certain neo-realistic films, produced in different parts of the globe that impressed ‘me’ too, were exhibited. ‘I’ happened to see a few of them, some during the festival and a few later also. One such film ‘I’ saw was titled, ‘Wages of fear’. ‘I’ still remember one sentence from it, i.e., “Whereever there is oil there are Americans,” perhaps thus indicating a natural link between petroleum or the ‘fossil fuel’ the ‘black gold’ with the USA. ‘I’ had also read elsewhere how ‘adventurers’ had reached North America the ‘Wild West’ in search of Yellow Gold that first attracted a few ‘foreigners’ who extracted it from the sediment brought down from the ‘Rockies’ by a river that drained into the Atlantic Ocean, (thanks to coyotes, of dog’s family, letting some gold particles roll down into the water from natural gold veins when they dug it for their burrows) …and it was later when tube-wells were drilled, in search of ground water in the region of Texas, that some ‘acccidentally’ struck the ‘black gold’ instead!
And, it is not surprising for a ‘Hindu by thought’ to relate the above characteristics with Saturn or Vishnu who rides Garuda the Divine Bird, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu/ Krishna the Black as well as Neelamber Krishna, the one who wears blue garments and who believably controls the ‘west’, but who is related with Dwaperyuga as Bal Krishna in human form when man could have only maximum 50% efficiency of the 100% potential when Bal Krishna the kid evolved into Peetamber Krishna’ the mature one who wears yellow garments and rules the Himalayas the ‘north’ (as Parvati/ Durga the consort of Shiva and the one who rides the tiger, as the true representative of Formless Shiva who has Kashi as His abode!)…And ‘kash’ in Urdu means ‘alas’ and in Hindi, ‘kash’ or ‘kas’ mean ‘cough’, which is related with throat or planet Venus or ‘Shukra’, while it is the ‘head’ or Moon that rules the human form!
With the ‘hindu’ background ‘I’ imagine evolution of universe represented through ‘animal’ forms of the one and only Lord Vishnu, like album of an individual’s photographs, reflecting time related forms as He evolved, showing as Him # 1 The king of aquatic life forms, i.e., Crocodile (powerful jaw as its weapon), followed by # 2 The king of amphibians, Tortoise (powerful back acting as a shield), # 3 Pig (pointed teeth, like tusks of elephant, as weapon), # 4 Halfman-half lion (strong leg muscles and powerful claws), # 5 First human form, as Vaman, a dwarf capable of appearing in large form also and using physical power, # 6 Parashuram (axe as his weapon), # 7 Lord Rama (bows and arrows as his weapon), and # 8 Lord Krishna (Suddershan-chakra as His weapon)…
And, Krishna also says in the Gita to the effect that He is within all forms...
Pranams all ~
Happy Tamil New Year! And Happy Thai New Year, aka Songkran: the Water Festival in which they do abhisekha to Buddha deity.
Also last weekend was Ohanami or Cherry Blossom Festival of Shinto religion of Japan, aka Spring Festival or Flower Viewing Festival. ["O" = honorific prefix; "hana" = flower]
Viewing the cherry trees, we reflect on the Floating World or-- in Hindu parlance-- the interaction of Maya tattva, mirific energy, and Kala tattva or time. We meditate a bit wistfully on how this world is constantly in a state of change or flux. The beautiful pink cherry blossoms do not last for long, so also quickly goes our youth. Yet behind all is Mahadeva, Jaya Jaya Shiv Mahadeva!
***
Joshi Uncle, in regards to the incarnations of Vishnu, came across an interesting book available on Amazon dot com: "Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human Body". Some scientists discovered, near North Pole, a fish skeleton that had neck and elbows; so to their mind this creature is a fossil link to the creatures that later came out of ocean, including humans.
This book was saying: if you study anatomy of all creatures, then is easier to understand human anatomy. Because in some ways we are related to all creatures.
So when I read about incarnations, and specifically Matsya avatar, perhaps is one way of intuitively understanding that long, long ago all life on this planet began underwater, aquatic life. But that no matter what epoch in history of this planet, Shiva was there!
***
Also I recently read that some scientists found some feathered dinosaurs, in Siberia where the feathers can be preserved due to the bitter cold. They were saying that present day birds were once dinosaurs, but now so small! So I guess you had flying pterodactyl droppings on your third eye the other day! Or mini version [smile].
By the way, how was your visit to temple, you said you have not been for a long time? How was the experience for you?
***
I liked your example [in previous thread] of how water percolates through various layers in order to become purified, so also we discover the Truth when it is percolated through different filters and what remains stands the test of time.
Or can be applied to: the higher chakras are like energy filters, but the energy is moving upwards: the water table is rising in that case ~ like spring water perhaps and the water cycle, the human growth cycle of our consciousness.
Also--like Kavitha didi--I appreciate the visual image of the banyan, the hanging roots are the tresses or dreadlocks of Shiva: that is nice.
And is interesting that the rings of Shani planet appear so new. I think some people have compared the rings of Shani to an old school 33 LP record, how perfect appears each groove.
In one Shiva Siddhanta tradition this is also a new time of year or ritau: a four month period of time in which we study philosophy and honor those in the grhastha ashram: the upcoming Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparents Day, etc
Bright blessings everyone! Hope this meets everyone in good health and happiness...
Aum Namah Shivaya
Aum Saravanabhava Aum
Shri Anon, The Lakshaminarayan Temple (‘Birla Mandir’) is located on the ridge-side, (of the Aravali Range), of the Mandir Marg that also has Kali Bari, besides a few ‘Temples of learning’, that is, Schools, which includes the one that is located absolutely adjascent to the Temple where ‘I’ studied from Class II to Clas XI. There also is a Municipal Board school, Raisana School for Bengalis, MEA School for South Indians, ST. Thomas School for girls, and some other structures…Also located on the same road in the late Fourties and Fifties was accommodation for Municipal Committee sweepers, that then was popularly known as ‘Bhangi Colony’, where Mahatma Gandhi also was accommodated and sometimes used to deliver discourses after the country had received political independence…
There was a big crowd, but it was manageable at both temples, hence ‘I’ received a feeling of peace…with cool marble floor under teh feet...
Reaching the Mandir Marg, ’we’, both brothers, got reminded of our school days and the feeling of the whole area also as our playing ground...
'I' was particularly reminded of my three scary encounters with crowd…
The first was on a Shri Krishna Janmashtami Day when ‘I’ virtually died, as ‘I’ believed with my young mind, crushed between the human walls!
The second encounter was when ‘I’ had accompanied my father, and also a few other relatives, to hear Mahatma Gandhi, who after Independence attracted huge crowd (but was not to ‘my’ knowledge, as ‘I’ was under 10 then)…There was a narrow entry to the rear side of the ridge where there was lot of open space where we got seated on the jute carpet. ‘I’ couldn’t understand a single word that the Mahatma uttered, partly because of hs dentureless mouth, and mostly because ‘I’ had my eyes on the huge crowd! As soon as his discourse was over, ‘I’ shot out like Lord Rama’s arrow, and went straight home, for ‘I’ didn’t have the courage to face the crowd even outside!
The next venue of the encounter was the Kali Bari, sometimes after 29th May, 1953 when the team that ‘conquered’ the Mt. Everest (Sagar Matha to the Nepalese) was welcomed. ‘I’ had gone there with my Bengali friends, not anticipating the volume of crowd that kept on increasing with time and consequently all getting squeezed within the limited space on the jute matting on the ground! ‘I’ virtually wept!
After the above-mentioned incidents, ‘I’ tried to keep away from places that were expected to be crowded…
Only later, thanks to reading the newspaper report (in the Eighties) about research on transformation of stars by one S. Chandrashekhar, an American Indian, ‘I’ visualized it as conveying through humans the process of natural transformation of massive stars into ‘Black Holes’ (‘Krishna’ to the ‘ancient Hindus’!)…thus initiating me into His mischievous style of working!
‘I’ had to endure getting packed like sardines again in the Project buses when ‘I’ went for 90 working-day training to the Rourkela Steel Plant in the summer of 1961, for the colony was 8 Km from the Plant Area and there was no other mode of transport available for commuting…and can now relate it with planets Saturn/ Venus, and Vishnu/ Neelamber Krishna of Hindu Mythology!
Formless Supreme Being, Shiva/ Vishnu the Nadbindu are conveyed by ‘ancient Hindus’ as unborn and unending, nirguna (inert) and nirakar (formless), characteristics reflected particularly by ‘Space’ and ‘Water’ that are colourless, while distilled water is tasteless or inert. Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesha are believed as the three aspects of erngy associated with each forms – representing creation, sustenance, and destruction or transformations for the purpose of apparent eternal cycle of transient physical forms…
However, in the drama of forms, both Vishnu and Shiva the Natraja are depicted as four-handed, in human forms as the model of tehuniverse. The basic Sound energy used for creation of the physical universe is symbolically represented by ‘OM’, and is depicted through conch shell in one hand of Vishnu, and a percussion instrument, called ‘dumroo’, in one of Shiva’s hand…
And, energy associated with Brahma, that is the ‘white’ sunrays, is symboloically depicted by Saraswati the Goddess of Knowledge who is shown in a female form clad in a white sari as ‘Veena vadini’ or player of a stringed instrument, called Veena…and in the ‘present’, ‘scientists’ have recorded the sound emanating from our Sun close to the sound of the stringed instrument, called harp…it’s perhaps déjà vu or/ rather already heard!
In terms of vision, ‘I’ relate Brahma with Sun/ White colour, Shiva with Earth-Moon/ Green-Yellow colours, and Vishnu with Jupiter/ Infrared energy that is linked with Sun. Thus ‘I’ have two sets, Jupiter-Sun, Earth-Moon as the planets related predominantly with Dwaper Yuga (second stage of churning) and Satya Yuga (the fourth and final stage) respectively…and similarly, ‘I’ believe Mars-Asteroids (Orange and Red colours) form the basic set during Kaliyuga (the first stage of chrning), and Mercury-Venus (Ultraviolet-Blue) during Tretayuga (the third stage)…
Based on the above supposition, ‘I’ have attempted relating individuals with the control planet and likely planets/ colours/ set of gemstones that could prove useful in improving the efficiency of certain test individuals (including self) through images or photographs…instead of ‘mantras’ or sound energy that ‘highly elevated souls’ apparently effectively used for ‘teletherapy’, that is, treatment from remote distances…just as one experiences ‘telepathy’ that is transfer of thoughts between two close relatives, viz. mother and child, perhaps possible due to existence of some unseen natural network provided by the Supreme Being…
In the Gita, Krishna says that He is the thread that connects all forms (for they are also made of the same thread), like beads in a garland…
Kavitha, Shri Anon, ‘We’ also know that ‘scientists in the present’ also have learnt plant life and humans, in terms of utillisation of air in earth’s atmosphere, have functions that are complementary, that is, humans inhale air and use Oxygen for purification of blood, and exhale ‘poisonous’ Carbon Dioxide gas (excess of which is one of the causes of ‘global warming’ due to excessive cutting down of trees), which the plants use for conversion into Hydro-carbons as food and transpire Oxygen back into the atmosphere…and also that plant life forms let out certain chemicals into the environment, which could prove either helpful or harmful to humans…
With the above thoughts in mind, perhaps the ancients had done in-depth research to reach the energy common to all physical forms, for reaching at the root of all apparent hurdles, and find different possible means to overcome those, and hence the term ‘Vighnaharta’ with Parvati’s son, Lord Ganesha, and ‘Sankat Mochan’ for Hanuman, both meaning ‘trouble shooter’…Therefore, perhaps worship of the Banyan (a model of Shiva the Vaidyanath) on the day of ‘Vat Savitri’ that perforce engages married females for a certain duration in the shade of the tree proves beneficial to the concerned…Bodhi Tree of Banyan family seems at least to have helped Prince Gautam to be remembered as The Buddha, or The Enlightened one, or ‘Light of Asia’, and it is yet another riddle as to why Buddhism virtually disappeared from ‘India’ while it caught roots in neighbouring countries – a phenomenon similar to the Banyan!
Shri Anon, ‘I’ had earlier elsewhere given examples in day-to-day life that conveyed in simple model form the ‘activation of Kundalini’ by Yogis…in ‘Padmasan’ the ‘lotus pose’…One of them was removal of debris collected at the nozzle of the fountain, (‘Mooladhar Chakra’), and thus choking it - to allow the water at pressure to raise it to its highest possible level, depending on the pressure, which could be some intermediate level ‘chakra’ and in ideal case the maximum (‘Sahasrara Chakra’)…Other examples in man-made instruments is pressure stove (similar removal of debris with a pin); and in an LPG cylinder, the regulator pin presses the ball at the nozzle of the cyclinder that allows the cyinder to be filled with the gas, but doesn’t allow it to escape…Connecting the cyclinder with a tubing to an oven with a separate valve allows housewives to prepare meals etc with relative ease compared to the earlier practices in vogue in 'India'…
The exercise in humans involves ‘locking’, by crossing the legs to prevent loss of energy throiugh the feet. Energy, initially stored at the Head completely at the end of Satya Yuga, believably travels down - eventually to the ‘Mooladhar bandha’ that is the ‘basic lock’, because of gravity. For the intermediate locks or ‘chakras’ act like reflux valves that permit flow of the fluid one way, that is, downwards only. The mooladhar gets filled fully at the time of ‘kalratri’ when 1080 cycles of Mahayugas are over, and it jumps up naturally to the beginning of the cycle when some more cycles remain to be completed…to repeat as before…And hence at any other time, for attaining ‘moksha’ by an individual, there is need to lift it up to the head through Yogic exercises. Through the story of ‘Gaja’ the elephant and ‘Graha’ the crocodile, the lock is communicated to be very strong…and can be opened by Lord Vishnu Himself only - and He is related with Zero Thoughts, and man attempts minimum thoughts through 'meditation'...
Shiva’s ‘better half’, Parvati, believably rules the human head as the model in human form of the apparently detached heavenly body Moon, which is indirectly attached with the earth (Shiva). She is cryptically indicated in other words as ‘Peetamber Krishna’ also – by depicting moon as a plaything of child Krishna…
And, the general term ‘Krishna’ has also been used by the’wise ancients’ to indicate the energy that is within all physical forms (as gravity in heavenly bodies and souls in animal life forms)…And that the souls can be graphically visualized to exist at different levels with the help of a pyramid (‘fire within’ that is an example of entrapped energy within different physical forms, including animal forms) along with its inverted image– the point summits represent the North/ South Pole, or Satya Yuga end/ Kaliyuga beginning end, and the four corners of its base to lie on the equatorial line in the four Cardinal directions, N-E-W-S…
Sorry! The last sentence should have read, compared to the relatively infinite size of the globe, each life form at any point on the globe could be visualized to be represented by a pyramid, oriented in suc a manner that out of its four trianglular faces each side faces one of the four Cardinal directions, N-E-W-S…In the humans, Yogis considered the front to represent East and the rear the West when Yogic exercise is being performed facing East, where the sun rises...as the mythological stories also indicated still evolving, or imperfect form of Vishnu also to perform it in Padmasan (related with brahma theSun), such that even Vishnu got His head separated to reach the sky, thus indicating evolution of forms from original Earth...the centre of universe...
Kavitha, Shri Anon, While casually surfing the channels this evening ‘I’ happened to see on some TV channel a glimpse of lava reported to have appeared on the surface of earth for some time only, reportedly at some place in Indore in Madhya Pradesh!
It is interesting, for Ujjain, also in MP and not very far from Indore, has the Mahakal Temple that ‘I’ missed visiting when ‘I’ was there a few years ago to attend some function related with house warming of a relative!
Like ‘time travel’ into the remote past, the above occurrence for an hour on Tuesday teleported me to Bhootnath Shiva, represented by the cosmic hum (‘OM’, to a ‘Hindu’), as an indication of balance energy (‘Shesha’ to a ‘Hindu’) in Nature after creation of the infinte physical universe with sound energy, ‘Big Bang’ (Brahmnad to a ‘Hindu’) in the physical form, in the words of ‘wise ancient Hindus’, manifests itself in the form of ‘panchbhootas’, i.e., SKY (or space), EARTH, FIRE, AIR, and WATER, (in the order as perhaps indicated by ‘Na-mah Shi-va-ya’ as ‘I’ had attempted to ‘read between lines’ when Elephanta Caves were being discussed), also expressed as ‘panchatatva’ the five elements that believably went into the formation of each physical form in the infinite universe that in reality is the infinite expanding void filled with physical forms that too individually are also expanding…
Perhaps ‘we’ can visualize ‘(blue) sky’, or ‘(dark) space, and ‘earth’ relatively easily in the beginning. In the ‘present’, we learn how tonnes of dust particle fall on the surface of our planet earth every year, such that it is believably expanding along the equator (‘Lamboder’ or big bellied Ganesha to a ‘Hindu’) and also constant ‘churning’ is being experienced on earth through various movements, or animataion of the said elements, including tectonic movements on ‘plates’ of rock underneath (Bharatnatyam like dance of earth to a ‘Hindu’), which at some stage apparently resulted in the appearance of the Himalayas from under the sea in the north of ‘Jambudweep’, that is, the island that is now called ‘India’ that is ‘Bharat’…Churning within the belly of earth is reflected in the appearance of lava or molten magma on the surface of earth, generally through shafts or chimneys that provide release of internal radial pressure by release of air, water and lava the hot soil (fire and earth with entrapped air) that appers on the surface and causes destruction of the existing life forms – but renders the now infertile soil due to long use back to relatively more fertile land for ‘future’ generation…the phenomenon is also, in another way, is performed by water through rivers in flood that submerge the banks and leave rich soil when the waters recede…
Before the emergence of the Himalayas and the fertile region of the Ganga-Yamnua valley, the Narmada Valley was the centre of animation of ‘Hindus’, the Narmada River originating in Amarkantaka, at around the same longitude as (Adi Shiva’s) Kashi, drains into the Arabian Sea in Gujarat…could it therefore be a mere coincidence that in a village in Gujarat 44 people, mostly children, die in Narmada Canal early morning Wednesday?
Joshi uncle
what is the significance of the shiv lingas made out of the bed rock of the narmada river?
Why are they considered so auspicious? What is the nature of the stone that makes it different from any other stone around, making it significant to convert it to lingas?
We do not hear of similar stories regarding the Ganges river bed.
Regds
Kavitha
Kavitha, May be the following would help visualise.
Like one finds soils classified into three categories, ie, silt, sand and clay, rocks are also of three kinds, ie, sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.
Sedimentary rocks (limestone, sandstone etc) are formed by deposition of sediments brought in by rivers from time to time over a long duration. These very rocks, under high pressure and temperatures naturally get converted into relatively harder rocks, eg, limestones turn into marble. However, ‘Igneous’ rocks that are hard and fine grained result from volcanic eruptions…
Although, in the ‘present’, the molten magma is found closest under the Himalayas, ‘South India’ is believed to have been formed as a result of solidifying of the molten magma some 65 million years ago…and thus one finds temples carved out of naturally existing hard rocks in ‘India’, in Maharashtra and south of it, but not in the relatively younger Himalayan ranges that rose up from under the seabed that keep on experiencing landslides, small and big…and the region close to it is more susceptible to earthquakes because of landslides and tectonic movements...
However, occurrence of high intensity earthquake in the Koyna Dam region in Maharashtra in the year 1967, although couldn’t be explained by the ‘present day scientists’, obliged them to modify the ‘earthquake atlas of India’…
Pranams all~
Joshi Uncle, I am glad you had a much better experience this time at the temple! Thanks for all the lovely descriptions and oral history recollections.
You have had a most interesting life! Interesting recollection of hearing Mahatma Gandhi speak, too.
Aum Namah Shivaya
Aum Saravanabhava Aum
Shri Anon, My father lived in the hills in his childhood when there was no electricity. People were simple and managed with kerosene oil lamps in the night, which we too experienced to a certain extent when we visited the home-town as ‘tourists’ during summer vactions sometimes. He said that during his younger days he heard many ghost stories and was naturally scared with those in mind even when he visited the region when he was sixty and above and there was electricity…after ‘Independence’…
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The scheduled 'Torch run' reminds me tht in the ‘absolute present’, the once apparently peaceful Himalayas that attracted seekers of ‘Truth’, or ‘shramanas’, or ‘tapasvis’, generally described as GURUS – who believably with their enhanced sixth-sense earlier showed ‘torch-light’, (as indicated by ‘tamso maa jyotirgamaya…etc’), or ‘educated’ the average ignorant man to whom ‘black letters in Sanskrit’ appeared like ‘buffaloes’, ie, Latin and Greek to the Europeans - appear disturbed, as it is apparent from the ‘instruments’ in the form of ‘inferior’ animals, including ‘imperfect’ humans as their leaders, who habitate in those regions, from Hindukush to Arunachal…and elsewhere also…just as certain animals because of their relatively enhanced sixth-sense even today take precautionary measures even before an earthquake strikes a region!
Perhaps man needs to shed his ego and learn once again from animals…for we generally take the animals for granted – as relatively inferior!
‘Ashva’, that is, horse has perhaps been the most utilised among the domesticated animals through ages, mainly for rapid transportation of man on its back, or for pulling carts that carried men – both in war as well as peace.
The two-wheeler chariots find reference in Ramayana as well Mahabharat stories in ‘India’, used in the battle field. Even today horse drawn two-wheeler carts are called ‘tongas’ that were more popular in the pre-‘Independence’ ‘India’ that is Bharat, while ‘Victoria’, with bigger and four wheels, instead of two, was introduced during the British regime in vogue in Calcutta (Kolkata) for the elite, and finds use perhaps even today, which ‘I’ also had the fortune to ride in the year ’59 during Dussehra when Calcutta roads virtually appeared like canals due to incessant rains and only Victorias could ply – thankfully!
In fact, horse has appeared to have replaced humans who once pulled rickshaws manually, even till recent times in ‘India’ – perhaps some still ply in Kolkata.
As per ‘Hindu’ mythological stories, a white horse was used in a believably sacred function, called ‘Ashvamedha yagya’, which is well known…and perhaps found use because it was understood to represent, as a model, our Sun, and thus connecting the ‘animal world’ and human life too with the ‘sky’ or infinite space! ‘Dashashvamedha ghat’ on the banks of the Holy River Ganga in Varanasi is one such symbol dedicated to horse…Krishna’s acting as Arjuna’s charioteer is referred in the Mahabharat, which connects Him with the centre of our Milky Way galaxy, which further connects human form with Lord Vishnu, who believably reclines on the celestial srpent, Shesha or Ananta, peacefully in the middle of the Kshirsagar the ‘ocean of milk’!…
It might be pointed out that the historians have paid tribute to the horse named ‘Chetak’ that belonged to Maharana Pratap, one of the valiant Kings of ‘Rajasthan’…
In north ‘India’, mares still find use in certain marriages for transporting the bridegroom to bride’s place, for the bride & bridegroom are believed by ‘Hindus’ to respectively symbolically represent Lakshami & Vishnu!
Of course, horses provide a means of entertainment and gambling to the rich even today - in horse races! And, gambling is also associated with Dharmaraj and Satyavadi Yudhister the one who ever spoke the truth!
Thus ‘Hindus’ apparently surrendered in the Formless – Vishnu (represented by the centre of earth)/ Shiva (represented by earth) and enjoyed the ups and downs in life with faith in the Creator – a difficult proposition in the ‘present’ though (explained to be on account of ‘Maya’ that is illusion that is believably possible to rare ‘characters’)!
Hi Kavitha, Shri Anon, 'I' am close to Naina Peak that overlooks Nainital, for a short visit. Didn't find any new posting or comments...Will be back ina few days, to comment in details...have visited the Nainadevi Temple and enjoying the cool climate...
Dear Kavitha,
I came across your blog and found it intresting. Good effors.
However, please note that you have used one of my photo in your following article without my permission.
http://indiatemple.blogspot.com/2008/04/shiva-and-meaning-of-life.html
This is a clear case of violation of my copyrights. I would suggest, either you remove my pic (the light rays coming out of banyan tree) or formally get a permission for use it from me. That would require you to mention explicitly my name as photographer and my rights as photographer on the photo.
I assume you have used it by no perticular commercial intension, so I am not entering into any legal complications but would like to make you aware about legallities that can be involved. Can you also tell me how you came across this photo of mine? That would be intresting to know.
Looking forward to a prompt and positive reply from you.
Best wishes,
- Pal
Hi
The photo courtesy has been added, as per teh information given on your profile page in blogger.
Hope this is enough, if you require more information to be given, please mail me the same andi shall update the post.
Also, just my observation, please make your copyright information on the photos a little more clear. I totally missed it.
Regds
Kavitha
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