What a thought it is to reverberate the ideas of Thirumular who immaculately describes that Lord Shiva and His consort, the graceful red hued Parvati actually reside over my forehead. What does that mean? When the book says that it is possible that the Lord makes his presence felt by taking seat atop my fore, does it reflect in a glow around me, such that a person who looks at me wants to take a second glance, such that there is purity shining through of a different kind that leaves people speechless.
Its this strange spot between my eyebrows that intrigues me the most. Strange because it is at my crown, in the highest zone of my anatomy that dictates respect, and that anything scribbled over there has symbolism, meaning and depth to its presence.
This forehead is a canvas of a different kind, for anything that is drawn on it has a meaning to be there. Lets take a few examples.
If I, being a woman, were to draw a design and color it, with small sequence hanging on to it, it would reflect my need for explicitly enhancing my beauty, fueling my ego and my vanity and inducing seduction to some degree to the opposite sex.
If I, being a man, were to paint three vertical lines to the center of my forehead, I would be designating myself to a school of thought following a single God and dictating the power of Viashnavism.
If I, being a man or woman [either unmarried or widowed] had to put 3 horizontal lines of ash across my forehead, I would be declaring my inclination to another school of thought, namely Shaivism. I would be at the same time displaying my detachment to life and my need to know the truth that is beyond my being.
If I, being a man or woman, had to put a red dot at the center of my fore, I would determine the power of the Goddess reflecting through my face to the world around me. I would define my faith in the mother goddess cult and my deep faith in her worship.
If I, being a man or a woman, didn't put anything on my forehead but the Lord inscribed strange marks on the lines of my skin, I would have crossed the line of known spiritualism and entered a zone that no one but I would know of and that would lead to my evolution into the next plane of spiritual enlightenment.
The deep lines on the skin draw a parallel with the deep crevasses that make up the character of Mount Kailasa, the three horizontal lines starkly stand out between the rock and the snow awakening the presence of a deeper truth we scarcely have a hint of. The deep cut on the forehead of the great mountain Kailasa possibly depicts in a natural way, the half opened frozen third eye of the Lord, that could widen and shine through, bathing the world with its divine rays. How magical is that world, that the mountain reflects in the silent waters of the Manasarovar lake that describes the equilibrium of my thoughts, and of my mind.
As the Lalitasahasranamam says, the Goddess Parvati is like the swan that swims in the silent waters of the Manasa lake deep within my head. Isn't the picturesque view of the Mansarovar lake with the Kailasa towering beyond a real depiction of the inner silent truth of the Lord and the Goddess residing over my forehead?
The snow laden mountain with its deep crevasses clearly shown appears like the forehead of my mind is smeared with sacred white ash that glows in the light of the sun that shines upon it. How true it is that the Lord resides at Kailasa, how true it is that the Lord has taken seat upon my forehead, how true it is that the frozen vertical eye of the great mountain represents the dormant energy that is awakening within me to shine as the source of light that enlightens me and blinds the rest of the world with its power.
The secrets of ancient Hindu spiritualism are far beyond our normal capacity to understand, but a glimpse of this truth in the imagination of one's own thoughts and ideas can be the most intoxicating state of permanent bliss. And our forehead is the silent screen that depicts the level of spiritualism we are at. What a concept!
18 comments:
Kavitha, 'I' might as well add in brief only that since time immemorial palmists also have been attempting to read the three 'nadis' on the human palms also as Head, Heart and Life lines and guess the likely behaviour of the concerned individual as a machine or instrument during the short life-span...
[where 'nadis' literally would mean 'three rivers', ie, holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (or Brahmaputra) represented in the human body by three nervous systems, central and sympathetic (Ida,Pingla and Sukshamana)]...
The human body is Shiva's Temple, within which the component of the Supreme Soul is located at the 'mooladhar'. It is thus a complete system in which, however, as you have mentioned, the head is the most important component (models of Kailash and Lake Mansarovar), while one cannot take other components for granted, like the there-pronged life giving and sustaining perennial river waters of Ganga, Yamuna and Brahmaputra that eventually drain in to the sea, the source of all the life-giving 'waters' thanks to water cycle created with the help of 'fire' or heat energy provided by our Sun; 'earth' or land; 'air' or current of monsoon winds set up due to inherent characteristic properties of land and water; and of course the 'sky' or atmosphere/ space...
It is just like one understands all unequal appearing fingers as important parts of the common palm/ hand...
Sorry for typing mistake! Please read 'Three-pronged', or Shiva's Trident-like, rivers in place of 'there-pronged'...
After reviewing the Lake or lakes through the eyes of a blogger, 'I' learn that the oblong shaped Mansarovar Lake is located between Mount Kailash (in the north) and Gurla Mandhata (in the south). And that it is not alone and has a companion, Rakshasha Tal, a relatively less compact lake, on its west!
The above description helps 'me' to visualise better the belief regarding 'man as model of the universe', for 'I' also read how our brain has two hemispheres: the eastern and the western that perform different tasks related with visual and verbal functions. While, in case of 'woman', each hemisphere is capable of doing both functions and exchange thoughts between the two hemispheres through some process similar to osmosis...
Thus maybe the saying "Lakshami chanchalam asti" or generally 'woman' is considered more fickle minded, but one must remember that there always are exceptions to all rules!
'I' would also like to add that like taking dip in the Ganges water at Kashi considered as must for a 'Hindu', a dip in the cold dark blue waters of Mansarovar (during the day when it reflects the blue sky, but jet black in the night when reflections of Moon and a few stars only can be seen) is also considered holy...
The Hindu mythology could perhaps be seen to indicate association of 'rakshasha' (responsible for 'maya' or illusion) with 'raksha' or defence placed under the two sons of Shiva-Parvati, one related with 'mooladhar' at tail-bone end (all rounder Ganesh, or essence of planet Mars), and the other with 'vishuddhi chakra' at throat level ('Skandh' or Kartikeya as the commander of the army, essence of planet Venus or 'Shukra'...
They both, together, do not generally allow any individual to reach the 'Truth', Shiva (essence of Earth) at the 'Ajna chakra', or jointly the 'Absolute Truth' ('ekantwad'), ie, Parvati (essence of moon) also at the 'sahasrara chakra' or brain...
Hi Joshi Uncle,
Just my curiosity, why are you associating Lord karthikeya with the Vishuddhi chakra at the throat level?
Does the birth of Skanda hint at the automation of self generated amrit that renders an aspirant self sufficient such that they do not require external intake of food to sustain themselves?
They say that amrit gets generated at the throat. Is the gross representation of Skanda - born to Shiva and Parvati a hint towards the result of two forces meeting - namely the static and dynamic energy of Shiva and Shakti... at this point to generate this elixir of life
Hi Kavitha, Maybe the 'Hindu concept', when reviewed, indicates the formless creator, Shiva, as unborn and unending and alone, (and related with zero, '0', and housed at the top of head in human form where all yogis are required to lift the total energy housed in the '8' chakras),,, while all physical forms in the entire universe are His Own innumerable images that to animal forms appear different from one another...
And thus it is indicated that it is Shiva itself who is seen to acquire different forms / images and, therefore, called by thousand (innumerable) names. And that, 'highly elevated souls' only are capable of reaching the 'Absolute Truth' during the temporary stay in human form, and thus reportedly exclaiming "Shivoham! Tat twam asi!" That is "I am Shiva (the immortal soul)/ and so you too are!"...
The concept of 'amrit' is related with Neelkanth Mahadev who, thanks to Parvati as its supplier (Mohini or attractive form of Vishnu!), could hold 'halahal' or 'kalkoot' the deadliest of deadly poisons in His throat (which in human form gets reflected through the body turning blue - and Kartikeya, an image of Shiva, below 'Ajna Chakra', in 'Vishuddhi chakra', is called the eldest of the two sons and has (blue) peacock as his vehicle!
'I' appear as a human being on earth and, to start with, perhaps 'my mind' helps 'me' realise only 'my mother' in this life, for 'I' know 'I' was physically attached to her womb for the last '9', or so, months...
And, if 'I' am born normal, gradually 'I' start taking stock of my environment, and get used to the duality, good / bad etc as 'my mental horizon' expands with time,,,and by the time 'I' reach physically maturity, 'I' have imprinted on 'my mind' the rights and wrongs, dos and don'ts etc, which. however, might or might not undergo changes as 'I' gain various experiences in 'my' day-to-day life as 'I' get to interact with various circumstances and different individuals...And, the apparent hierarchy might create in 'me' a sense of inferiority complex...
Today, 'I' am a mobile library, carrying essence of 'my thoughts' on various subjects, and thanks to the 'present world' have the facility of gaining information available on any subject through the internet or other gurus...
However, 'I' might or might not be aware that mainly because of my limited life span, even if 'I' am very inquisitive, at any time there would be much more still remaining to be known even about the particular subject of 'my specialisation'/ interest, leave aside knowledge about the other innumerable subjects that 'I' would need to attain 'siddhi', or realise the 'self', the believable immortal formless God, or the Mother of all mothers within 'me' who alone is believed to be important and not 'my exterior' that is mortal, or temporary, or an illusion (or even the physical universe that also is mortal, which although might appear to be permanent)...
Thus, in nutshell, it is our combined wisdom, the faith or belief about the 'Truth' that apparently is more important...
kavitaji hope u have got the message . please let everybody know what it contains . as ayappa to is the form of shiva.
'I' fail to understand why Shri Vikas himself felt shy to express his own views directly?
As far as 'I' know, Lord Ayyappa is reportedly the son of Shiva and Vishnu (the original 'nadbindu' who, with the beej mantra 'om', created the infinite physical universe) in 'Mohini' or attractive form, which in terms of planets or 'grahas' would seem to refer to Earth & Moon, or Shiva-Parvati! And, therefore, would mean either Kartikeya or Ganesha, ie, Venus (responsible for 'maya' that is illusion) or Mars (the all-rounder or husband of both 'Riddhi' and 'Siddha' who alone can help one overcome illusion and also enjoy it, like one enjoys a film)!
'Swamiye sharanam Ayyappa'!
(Call it a 'coincidence' that 'my eldest son-in-law' is a Malyalee, born and brought up in Chennai, and 'I', therefore, could get an insight into the thoughts prevalent in 'South' also as the marriage was performed in an Ayyappan Temple in New Delhi)...
"Strange because it is at my crown, in the highest zone of my anatomy that dictates respect, and that anything scribbled over there has symbolism, meaning and depth to its presence." - It's so amazing to think how our ancestors had deep meanings for even simple customs like smearing holy ash/kumkum over our foreheads. Truly, when it comes to wisdom and the art of conveying it in simple terms, none can beat our ancestors.
In the Gita, ‘Krishna’ the ‘yogiraja’ says anybody can reach Him, the three-in-one God!
Let us try approaching ‘scientifically’ through ‘Water’, one of the most important elements that is present everywhere in ‘Nature’, in three basic forms or phases (solid, liquid and gas), like believable ‘Treyambakeshwar’:
The eternal or unending ‘Water Cycle’ with reference to ‘India’ is the repetitive process that is observed in the southwest monsoon that sets up annually over its land. Due to natural forces, ie, sunlight having different characteristic properties related to heating land and water differently, and aided by currents of prevalent winds that are set up, the country experiences rainfall for 100 days annually over its land during a year, on an average…
Thanks to its topography, the Himalayas in the north act as a dam or a barrier to the clouds that naturally move towards the northeast region every year...
One could perhaps thus correlate ‘Indra devta’ with our Sun or ‘Surya devta’, (who is related with rainfall in ‘Hindu stories’, and particularly with Mount Goverdhan related with ‘Krishna’, or Mount Kailash related with Shiva, as being relatively superior energy forms, and the knowledge thus apparently resulted in stoppage of worship of Brahma / Indra at some stage!), the main source of energy on earth as known today. And also thus it could help connect in general all archers at any time with Sun as their prototype that would have also evolved with time and, hence, generally indicated associated with Brahma (linked with Vishnu the concentrated super gravity through its navel, and also with Shiva, as in ‘Treyambakeshwar’ the three-in-one God in Satya yuga); Lord Rama in Treta yuga (in whose behalf his brother Bharat proxy-ruled over Ayodhya duering his exile); and Arjuna, who had Krishna as his close friend and guide (or ‘chariot-driver’) in Dwaper yuga, which all could help visualise our evolving galaxy represented in different times by differently named human/ divine characters…
[While white sunrays, that also contain yellow colour that is considered as Guru or the superior (besides six others in the visible part of the spectrum) – also naturally reflected when mustard flowers are in full bloom with their green leaves in the background during ‘Basant’ or Spring season and whose tiny black or red spherical seeds are traditionally used in certain parts to overcome evil effects of ‘spirits or ghosts’ - are related since time immemorial with Saraswati, the Veena player and the goddess of knowledge. And so also is depicted Narada, another Veena player who does not stay at one place and continuously visits different places all over the solar system while visiting ‘Baikuntha’ the abode of Vishnu periodically. While today, we have also recently come to know the sound that emanates from our Sun is similar to the sound of stringed instrument Harp that is associated with Angels in the ‘west’, which can thus help realize the significance of ancient Hindu thoughts with the help of present day scientific findings!]…
In the Gita, ‘Krishna’ the ‘yogiraja’ says anybody can reach Him, the three-in-one God!
Let us try approaching ‘scientifically’ through ‘Water’, one of the most important elements that is present everywhere in ‘Nature’, in three basic forms or phases (solid, liquid and gas), like believable ‘Treyambakeshwar’:
The eternal or unending ‘Water Cycle’ with reference to ‘India’ is the repetitive process that is observed in the southwest monsoon that sets up annually over its land. Due to natural forces, ie, sunlight having different characteristic properties related to heating land and water differently, and aided by currents of prevalent winds that are set up, the country experiences rainfall for 100 days annually over its land during a year, on an average…
Thanks to its topography, the Himalayas in the north act as a dam or a barrier to the clouds that naturally move towards the northeast region every year...
One could perhaps thus correlate ‘Indra devta’ with our Sun or ‘Surya devta’, (who is related with rainfall in ‘Hindu stories’, and particularly with Mount Goverdhan related with ‘Krishna’, or Mount Kailash related with Shiva, as being relatively superior energy forms, and the knowledge thus apparently resulted in stoppage of worship of Brahma / Indra at some stage!), the main source of energy on earth as known today. And also thus it could help connect in general all archers at any time with Sun as their prototype that would have also evolved with time and, hence, generally indicated associated with Brahma (linked with Vishnu the concentrated super gravity through its navel, and also with Shiva, as in ‘Treyambakeshwar’ the three-in-one God in Satya yuga); Lord Rama in Treta yuga (in whose behalf his brother Bharat proxy-ruled over Ayodhya during his exile); and Arjuna, who had Krishna as his close friend and guide (or ‘chariot-driver’) in Dwaper yuga, which all could help visualise our evolving galaxy represented in different times by differently named human/ divine characters…
Sorry! for duplication to accommodate a large number of words!
Continuing: But, the rainfall being non uniform and irregular during monsoon, there are certain regions that experience floods, varying in intensity in certain rivers, while certain parts remain dry and, thus, certain regions are identified as flood / drought prone just as, based on experience, certain Himalayan regions are considered relatively more prone to earthquakes, which are caused due to tectonic movements or have their origin in volcanic activities, ie, related with lesser studied underground or ‘patal’)…But, its behaviour, although susceptible of measurement with instruments as those occur, remains non susceptible of prediction, although certain animals appear to have ESP thanks to which their odd bahaviour before an earthquake sometimes is found useful to humans also whose ESP is believed to have been rendered virtually dormant due to Kal or Time…
Talking of time, the ‘present’ believably being Kali yuga or Dark Age, a small component of a Mahayuga, during which human efficiency range is indicated to lie between maximum 25% to near 0%, the Mahayuga being repeated above 1000 times during one day in the eternal life of Brahma the Creator that is followed by a night of equal duration that also lasts over 4 billion years. It believably gets reflected in human life too, but the duration scaled down to a great extent, to just 8 hours per day of 24 hours that could be visualized to contain 12 hours each of one day and one night, light and dark, or ‘1’ and ‘0’ of the Binary System…
Thus, in the words of ancient ‘Hindus’, it is the constant interaction of ‘panchbhootas’ (five ‘ghosts’ acting since time immemorial, or long lost ‘past’), or ‘panchtatva’ (five basic elements), ‘earth’, ‘water’, ‘fire’, ‘air’ and ‘sky’ (atmosphere or space) that were realized responsible for the life-giving, or potable, water on earth for the creation as well as for sustenance of the large variety of (temporary) life-forms, including water required for making the clay pots baked in sunlight also for relatively longer life-span compared to the purely temporary ‘sand castles’ on the beach, and hence need for 'tapasya' for human beings to reach the 'Truth'…
The above comments thus need to be read with the fact that water on earth is indicated to have its origin in Moon, the lone satellite of earth that even today is believed to have evolved from original Earth-Moon, ie, Ardhanarishwar Shiva (to ‘Hindus’), whose original abode believably was at Kashi. Or, later the evolved Shiva & Parvati (another form of Sati the original consort) who have their abode at Mount Kailash since the time it evolved from the bowels of earth when ‘India’ was an island called ‘Jambudweep’, and is correlated with marriage of Shiva and Parvati, to witness which all sages from the North moved down to the Southern region including Sage Agastya, who while moving over it believably asked the Vindhya Ranges to stop growing further and that he would return when he emptied the seawater (believably consumed by him in the Northern side of the island) into the sea there,,, which perhaps indicates the change in the overall topography associated with evolution of the Himalayas…
Besides being called ‘Tripurari’ or the controller of the three worlds (Sky or space, earth and underground or ‘patal’), Tri-Netra-Dhari, Ugra or angry, God who turned Demon Bhasmasur as well as Kamdeva into ashes with fire from His Third-eye, which is normally closed (perhaps related with openings in Ozone layer in earth’s atmosphere), Shiva the Bholenath or Simple God is also called ‘Gangadhar’ (the holder of the holiest of all holy rivers, ie, River Ganga that has its origin in the Lake Mansarovar) and Parvati, in the story related with ‘churning of the milky-ocean, is indicated as the attractive, or ‘mohini’, form of Vishnu the Nadbindu, responsible for distribution of ‘amrit’ to devtas for granting long life to them, i.e., to the members of our solar system), whose abode is indicated by ancient astronomers to lie at the centre of our earth that is virtually immortal, the earth (‘mithya jagat’ or illusory earth to ‘Hindus’) itself in physical form having been in existence for over 4 billion years in the ‘present’ as estimated by ‘scientists’…
However, although they observe the mysterious effects of Moon, in sea-water in the forms of Spring or Neap tides, as well as believe it to affect human minds (lunacy), they are yet to accept human beings, or/ rather all beings as creation of Moon as an image of Vishnu the Nadbindu or Mahashiva the perfect immortal being who is physically represented by the Solar system members, mainly the Sun and Earth-Moon, while others play important roles in helping generate the grand variety, or illusion, apparent in ‘Nature’!)…
And, interestingly, perhaps as a hint, the lightning generated in the clouds above the ground, (or water vapours as representative of Moon), strikes the ground as thunder-bolt (from the blue sky) due to its higher potential compared to zero potential believed at the earth’s centre, it being related with zero and therefore ‘nirguna’ and ‘nirakar’etc., inert and formless, and so on!...
Being the abode of the ancient most advanced civilisation, or just Bhootnath Shiva in physical form, 'India', or/ rather its soil has some characteristic property thanks to which it has not only attracted foreigners (as historians tell us), it has also sent out people to various other lands also...And as reflection of the believable, so-called 'dwaitwad' or duplicity, or even multiplicity, with passage of time one gets to see or read variety of experiences recorded in history or mythological stories,,,which most of the time confuses one...
Thus, it would seem that the 'wiser of the wise' ancients, the 'Hindus', reached the source of illusion of 'maya' in our solar system (Mahashiva) as the essence of the infinite void that came into existence thanks to 'Brahmnad' - from a point source of infinite energy (Omnipotent), called 'Nadbindu' who, apparently, was understood as the origin ('mool') as well as the goal ('lakshya') of all physical forms in the universe, which a soul (a dot) within human form only could realise, although present within all physical forms (Omnipresent) - perhaps thus calling it as the only purpose of limited human life on earth,,,just as in human life, as a reflection of it, Gurus try to judge 'Shishyas' or students through examinations...
To learn about the behaviour of an individual, as 'God's instrument' for His Own purpose, Yogis also appear to have developed expertise through reading of the 'forehead' or 'mastak, and not only through Palmistry', as some of the innumerable paths to reach the 'Absolute Truth' who alone is responsible for the innumerable other 'Truths' thanks to His Maya or illusion!
Krishna says anyone can reach Him!
Talking of Shiva, (and maybe realising Him, ie, zero, represented by our planet Earth in physical form, the prototype of the best human form at the end of Satya Yuga); or Mahashiva (and maybe failing to realise/ accept Him represented by the members of the solar system, or only selected nine (9) members in so far as human form as a model of the universe is concerned, 'I' is asked to ponder over the eternal question: Who am 'I'?
Some characters in the apparently unending human life drama appear to have already answered that it is Shiva the Bholenath, or 'Simple God' who exists within each physical form!
And it is because of existence of the grand variety, and also hierarchy among any one particular form also in 'Nature', any one given soul finds it difficult to accept that one could be Shiva Himself/ Herself!
It happens thus mainly because 'we' have firmly indented in our minds that God or Shiva is immortal and is 'eternal bliss' while 'we' are temporary, and continue to suffer, ie, remain unhappy, from something or the other from birth to death (evolving from a small sized infant to a mature old person during one life span, which might last from 0 to maybe above 100 years): Physically, or mentally, or spiritually (the three axes around which a physical form is apparently developed)...
Thus the 'highly evolved souls' that apparently existed at some point in time in the 'past' perhaps attempted to reach the cause of the apparent illusion or 'maya' and thus suggested the existence of three-in-one God or 'Treyambakeshwar', or Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh in physical form, responsible for the three aspects of creation, sustenance, and transformation (recycling of matter) that gets reflected in all physical forms also, as the different 'images' of Shiva, represented by 'Krishna' the cowboy in Gokul (born in a prison, or confinement like a Black Hole is also born),,, during the period of evolution from '0' to infinity, from imperfection to perfection (Vishnu the Nadbindu to Shiva), which is conveyed through the story of 'churning of the Kshirsagar (milky-ocean, to be read with the background knowledge that our galaxy is called 'Milky Way galaxy'...
The behaviour of human mind can perhaps best be visualised from the saying, as its essence, "One can take a horse to water/ Twenty cannot make him drink!"
Thus the wise ancients advised one to reach the 'Truth' in one's own way,,,for which also one needs to have firm belief or faith in one unseen creator irrespective of the behaviour of the external physical world (for it is believed to be illusory - perhaps like films of the make-believe world of cinema, to distract and divert one's attention from the 'Absolute Truth' to various 'Truths' instead),,, and who is believed to act like a teacher in apparent external world who believes in testing each and every individual's faith at every step, before one can rise to the highest level of the available education system that also is known to be much lower, or negligible, compared to the level of the Supreme Soul...
Of course, one also knows that it is easier said than done!!! But the wise ancients thankfully perhaps explained it on account of the Time or Kal, e.g., the 'present' is believed to be the projection of events related to Kaliyuga the Dark Age, i.e., of the remotest 'past'!!!
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