Narad Ghat, Varanasi - path through the after life

I am just the thought, I am just the memory; I am just the energy that has departed from my body as the mortal world brings what’s left of me down to cremation. I am history, I do not exist, and all those moments I spent trying tirelessly to get a better standard of living looks futile, now that I have left it behind. As the mortal world wakes up to this mournful truth, what worth was my life to me?

In this world I have just come to, I descend the steps of transition beyond death, where Yama awaits, to lead the way ahead. I have left the world I knew, I no longer know where to go or what to do. I am pure energy as I watch; the final rights take place for my soul. This body I left now lies there lifeless, clothed in flowers and washed in the Ganges. What was the worth of my life to me?

They place me on the funeral pyre, the sky blends into twilight as the hymns rise to calm the aura around me. I can hear the jingling anklets of the Ganges as she sweeps by me, I can hear the hymns as they rise around me and I can feel Mata Annapurni as she picks me and lays me like a baby, in this new world, on her lap to set me free. The fire rises, the smoke climbs, I have begun my journey. I hear the sweet notes of the Mrityunjaya as Lord Shiva finally comes to me. I lay here, bathed in the last moments of worldly attention, the last gift of mankind to me, as I wonder what the worth of my life was to me.

I am the soul that watches on, I am the fire that eats into my being; I am the ash that is left of me. I feel the warm feet of Kali as they press me down calming me, one foot she places on my leg, the other she covers over my heart. In the raging fires, her sweet smile cools my soul. I offer my head, my balidaan to the mother, as my head she lovingly takes in her hand. Out there in the mortal world the crowd watches on as a bamboo is smashed over my head. The skull cracking noise, they set me free, I have left this world, but what worth was my mortal life to me?

This surging energy, this warmth of the Mother, as the guiding force of Yama, leads me on to the sweet smile of the Lord. I am one, I am none, I am and I am not. I am the smile you put up on your wall, I am that energy gone, I was and now I am not, yet what good was that life to me?

This state is not a world, not life, not anything you and I can define, this state is what the mind would reckon, this state is what they tried to reveal. This state is what you really are; this state is what you were always meant to be. This state is Shiva, this state is shakti, this state is energy, this state is beyond the limits of my mortal remains. This state is what I will be within the womb of my mortal mother when I re-enter this world called life. Yet, what was the worth of my previous life to me?

Shakti is the mortal carrier, Shiva the potent seed, dormant to be awoken when I re-enter. The union was sacred, the union was essential to lay the path for me. I am shakti, I am life, I am energy that awakens within this womb, life that we relate to, life that we witness, life for which we try to reach some form of immortality. And yet I wonder why I need another life, another tiring journey when I still don’t know the worth of the previous life to me.

I am soma, I am skanda, I am the pulse of immortality. I am the resultant energy of the universe, one that is born out of the union of Mahadeva Shiva and Parvati. I am amrita; I am the portion of immortality that wakes up again into a new life within the womb of my new mother. Karma has brought me back, karma pushes me to rebirth. I am born again, into another life, to elevate myself, to bring this down to equilibrium, to nothingness, to release myself for good, and rise and go to Kailasa, to go to Vaikunta, to the supreme energy that calls me home.

Scindhia Ghat, life with the Ganges, Varanasi

I am like a temple, my being stays stuck in this mundane world of existence, my soul remains buried in this world of Karma, so deep that I can barely feel it. The gloomy world of darkness and ignorance surrounds me as the dim lights of enlightenment wash my being in the darkness. The waters of life flow by me, promising me a moment with divinity and I wait here for my chance. The world moves on, the reflection of it fall in the waters of time as it flows past in this darkness only to dissolve in its depths. I stay here, stuck to my world, along its banks wondering what life means at all.

As daylight strikes, the Lord awakens washing me in his divine light. He sets me sailing in this river of life, with winds of experiences guiding my way. As I toss around these waters, I slowly begin to plunge into the realm of divinity, a different life, a different experience, a different world from all that is around me. My soul wakes up to his presence, as he pulls me deeper into myself, into Himself. I slowly begin to sink into another world so far away from everything. The redness of my soul flies high, as it flutters in the winds of life. This is what the world sees, what’s deeper within, dives into another realm.

Rich with experience I slowly fade into oblivion, oblivion that I know, oblivion that no one observes. The waters rise and cover my being; time takes over and covers my soul. I feel overwhelmed with this change, I know am growing yet no one sees, that I have changed though I still remain where I have always been. Pure waters of divinity take over me, submerging me and washing me off my many sins, purifying my soul, the flag of which stays silent and low. The world outside witnesses a stony self, descending into nothingness, descend into the world beneath.

As the world sinks into its misery, the sun sets behind the clouds, and twilight sets in, the blue hue of the night sky falls over me, the glow of the moon brightens my life for the world to see, this miracle. Life has a new meaning; it has new aim, aim that no one knows, an aim that I can see. It’s an aim that means nothing except that I value it, an aim that I have for myself, that is not predefined by life as we see it. It is an aim that dissolves my worldly fears in front of me, an aim that creates a dialog between the Lord and me, an aim that will finally set me free. The world appears different, with this new perspective that changes everything even while I still stay there on the side, rooted to this world but slowly drifting away.

Time overwhelms, life overflows, and the world is submerged in a whirlpool of thought and maya. I fade slowly, my life, me, away from all this misery. My reality is so different, so free, so wild and so pure. The waters of divinity envelop my being, taking my soul, taking me. I shall depart, yet my soul remains deep, worshiping and experiencing pure love, pure divinity. The Ganges comes forth, sways over me, her beautiful veil she wraps around me, submerging me slowly in her beauty. My life goes by, my glow within brightens, the redness of which is all that is left for the world to see. In this flood of life, in this flood of experience, my soul departs and sets me free.

Click on the photos above to enlarge.
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The Scindhia Ghat, slants the way it does as the foundation sank, a situation very similar to the leaning tower of Piza.

The story goes: Quoting Laurent, Designldg on flickr.com
"There is a legend saying that the man who had this temple constructed, followed the orders of his mother. After its construction he went back to her and told her then that this way he paid everything she did for him. His mother became furious and said that nothing could ever pay a mother's love and she decided to curse the temple which started to bend."

Related links:
Manikarnika Ghat: Where life meets the world beyond
Enlightenment on the streets of Varanasi
Potency of Lord Shiva
Varanasi – Along the Ganges
Dip in the sacred river.
Photo courtesy: Flickr.com - Special thanks to Laurent.
Other credits: mAshr00m, nathanlambert and others

Worship at Shiva temple: Ahilyabai Ghat, Varanasi

It is another busy day, as bustling crowds offer flowers and coconut, seeking the Lords blessings to bring less trouble and more happiness into their mundane lives… is this all that the Lord is meant to be here for?

I can’t help but think that the initial thought of the Lord being a lot more than just a wish fulfilling tree came from the background of my education back at school. I was taught; Love the Lord for what he is and not for what he is capable of giving you. I applied it into my life and it has worked wonders. I was also reminded of the dohas of Kabir that I was taught in school.

Kabir’s doha goes has follows:

Dukh Mein Simran Sab Kare, Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye
Jo Sukh Mein Simran Kare, Tau Dukh Kahe Ko Hoye

There is such simple truth in these words and that experience is so beautiful.

Back at the Ahilyabai Ghat, Varanasi, the bustling crowd stepped in one after another to catch a glimpse of the divinity within. This extreme emotion of momentary spiritual bliss had but a hurdle to cross. What stood in front was a priest who had not had the best day so far, and had all the plans to destroy any sense of spiritual high that came close to God.

How sad was his state as he observed it to be a mundane job, for being a priest entitles him to the highest communion with the Lord and such disconnection from the Lord as well as his duty only brings sorrow to the masses that come to share this high emotion of spiritualism.

The lost look, the sheer disgust towards his apathy and the crashing of one’s high emotions can only be a disheartening experience to all those who step into this little chamber. Noise, rush, corruption, apathy and complete disillusionment towards the world of the divine only draws people into a miserable experience within the sanctum of the Lord Himself. What they end up perceiving then is just a stone idol graciously decked up and presented for world viewing.

What they miss is quite something else.

Within this chamber is present another world altogether, so beautiful that one needs a pure heart that is devoid of a wish list, to see that the Lord there is not just seated on his throne, he is there in graceful dance protecting us from all evil.

A closer look brings one’s attention to His divine dialog with Kali, who emerges from the darkness into the light that covers his glowing body. As the parasol hangs over him and the bell resounds in the mind of the bhakta, one witnesses this chemistry between two of the most potent forms of divinity.

This is the world of Bhairava and Kali, this is the world of Urdhva Nataraja and Kali. This is the beauty of the terrific chemistry between two energy driven forms that dance in perfect union with each other, in bharatanatya so graceful within this chamber, as they compete with each other on the excellence of this art.

It is another world that lives within this chamber, one of music, one of grace, one of chemistry and divine transcendental love. How then can the Lord be reduced to a wish fulfilling tree?

As the sun glows on the surface of the Urdhva linga and reflects in the expressive eyes of Kali, who is ever ready to break out her niche and burst forth into dance… why then are we affected by the moods of the priests?

Sweet people; do not let the illusions of life deceive you, the Lord lives among us, he is within us and we need to realize he is right there to be awoken. Once he takes his seat within the conscious throne of our mind, the world within the sanctum appears like a lamp lit stage where the Lord dances casting shadows gracefully along the walls as we dive into this ocean of love and music as he dances in union with Kali.

This sanctum is a fusion of two worlds, one that we physically live in and try to cope with and the other is what we create within our minds, where we would want to live all the time, that is where Lord Shiva and Kali descend and perform the blissful dance of creation.

Related topics:
When the priest becomes a lady
Potency of Lord Shiva – Part 2
Varanasi – Along the Ganges
A magical dance with Chidambaram Nataraja
Expression in Abhinaya, the art of Bharata.

Photo courtesy: Special thanks to Laurent (designldg on Flickr.com) for allowing me to use her photograph in my blog.

Sri Chakra-from yantra to temple ground plans

The garbha griha of the Kamakshi Amman temple is the seat of love and life giving energy. What appears to the naked eye is a flower decked Goddess center stage, with lamps around her as the Arti lights up her glowing face in sandal wood on stone.

What is not visible to the eye is the energy that is resplendent around her. What makes up this beauty, this aura that shines around this idol? At the foot of the goddess, the idol of which is a representation of her supreme force, is the peetha that contains the Sri chakra. This chakra surrounded by the eight devis who reside within their small niches, are present there because they belong to this realm. Without their presence the Sri Chakra is quite incomplete.

The peetha itself brings alive the presence of Shiva, the Sri chakra being the foundation on which he resides. Within the Sri Chakra, four entrance gateways lead to the center of this chakra, all meeting at the central circle with 8 and 16 petals each is housing a goddess attendant from the Devi’s pantheon. 24 Goddesses reside here, each with a potent beeja mantra as they take their seats directionally around the center of this mandala. Having worshipped and pleased the 32 devis on the outside and given them offerings divine, the heart proceeds inside into a network of triangles. Devi Kosha, the seat of her presence, the potency of her being, the energy of her nature as the Goddess of love who married Lord Shiva, is intertwined within these triangles.

This is not a geometrical representation as much as it is a definition of intercourse, meeting of two energies, two pranas into a union. This union that is so pure, so beautiful, so intense and energizing, it is the seat of all creation. This union, that we give a moralistic garment to and restrict our own minds into a confused state of self control and a sense of disrespect, is actually beyond these equations altogether.

In the oil lamp light, in the mystic interior of this chamber dressed in vermillion, this peetha draws us back into its center, the core at which reside on the seat of all creation Lord Shiva and Shakti in the form of Somaskanda. The peetha inside which the Sri Chakra yantra is installed is a metaphorical representation of a Shiva linga peetha within the Garbha Griha of Kamakshi Amman, the loving consort of Lord Shiva. Such a divine couple, such potency to their presence, the Sri Chakra is representation of the Shiva Linga in a different way. It is not depicted in the traditional form of being divided into its various parts (Rudra bhaga, Vishnu Bhaga and Shiva Bhaga) but it represents the union of the divine parent.

Bindu, the core energy center brings alive this new world where Lord Shiva and Devi reside at its seat surrounded by devis blooming into lotus petals dancing around the divine couple, each invoked by the recitation of their respective beeja mantras. They reside there in Lalitasana, Padmasana or in Tribhanga, bringing to the mind a remote but definite similarity with the Chaunsat Yogini shrines far away at Ranipur Jharial, Hirapur and Bheraghat. These temples belong to remote villages in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, but what stands out most is the very same ground plan as within the peetha of Kamakshi Amman shrine. These are roofless open temples (hypaethral temple) with 64 goddesses called Yoginis, who are lesser representations of the 32 goddess residing within the various petals of the Sri Chakra yantra. They transform the yogini shrines of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh into living Sri Chakra ground plans on whose blue print these tribal temples have been built.

In parallel, the beauty of these Goddesses comes alive at Ranipur, where even Kamakshi is represented as one of the leading goddesses dancing in the presence of Ajaikapada Bhairava and Swachchanda Bhairava, both representations of the fierce aspect of Shiva in amorous pleasure. This depiction is clearly brought out by the depiction of both in Urdhvalinga – erect phallic state. Kamakshi dances with a parrot at her feet, the parrot being the vahana (vehicle) of Kama, the Lord of love. This is brought out by the Kaula system of tantric tradition, where Shakti is Kula and Shiva is Akula , the union of both being Kaula – a sacred set of traditional rituals invoking Shiva and Shakti into one’s sadhana.


Related links:
Potency of Sri Chakra Yantra
Chaunsat yogini temple, Bheraghat Jabalpur
Lajja Gauri and the Tree of Life
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, Bhubhaneshwar
64 Yoginis dance with Bhairava

Lord Shiva's divine intervention

I sit in the presence of the Lord
I see just divine beauty
A serene look to his chamber
Wetness, warmth, stillness within
Yet in this silence
Lies subtle grandeur
Lord Shiva sits in deep silence
Upon his linga pedestal

There is beauty in his form
There is beauty in his being
There is calm in his vicinity
His aura is honey sweet
His self glows alive
In the lamp light of my heart
This beauty that i see
A single path to divinity

We stare at each other
There is only silence between us
Not a sound to come in between
Not a human to intervene
Such a state is so divine
That only the mind can create
A door that opens within my head
To allow the Lord to enter.

I am left speechless
I see his many signs
I know he is here to protect
I know he is real
I am waiting for my turn
To leave this world of misery
There is more to His world
There is more that I can see

I sing this divine tune
Listen to it if you can
I can only tell you
There is some truth to His divine plan
I have no words to explain
I have only experiences to deliver
If you can realize the potency of this truth
You are blessed to be here.

I sit here silent in deep contemplation, outside is the war of faiths, a war I do not know who started. One kind kills, another converts and yet a third has forgotten the meaning of tolerance. And then I look at us, people in their daily lives, and wonder why no one makes the time to realize passionately the beauty of the Lord within. Surely the Gods are not political figures.

High stress lives, fight for survival and an endless rat race, the destination of which I still do not know. Yet to be in this society, is to be stuck in this vicious whirlpool of emotions, desires, powers and wealth, like a thoughtless herd of cattle, everything guided towards self assertion, self worth and self proclamation.

And yet there is a simpler approach, not so tangible but workable. It is a path of dedication, sincerity to none other than the self and far more virtuous. It involves just one thing, Prana pratishta of the mind which is a conscious effort to be in a state of meditation and regularly contemplate on the character of the chosen deity, till one becomes Him/Her…all this while we still grind through our lives.

On the one hand the mind dwells on the day’s activities, and on the other hand it slips into simple contemplation of Sada Shiva, of Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva, Aghora… two worlds working in the mind simultaneously yet belonging to the same visible reality. How then do we describe the real within our perception? The mind, that which controls all of us, will listen if we teach it consciously and systematically.

And when the discipline sets in, we realize the presence of the other world, full of beauty and appreciations (these are experiences to me, but just words that you read right now). This is a state where every mantra has the hidden beat of the mrydangam embedded in it, where every syllable delivers the divine picture of the Lord in graceful dance, every drop of realization leads us back to the silent garbha griha within our imagination and makes it real and every beeja mantra wakes the potency of the divine within us. How then can it be ignored or be proved until we step into it on our own? Our ancestors only tried to recreate that, tried to teach us methods and disciplines for faster spiritual growth, tried to envision the supreme being that they saw and yet it doesn’t seem to make sense anymore… because we created the limitations in our minds.

If we do not apply ourselves, we have no one else to blame. If we do not make the time now… it’s going to be too late. This puzzle takes a lifetime or more to solve and any amount of reading is not enough. Application is the key, action is key, passion and sincerity is key and for all this, realization of its value is key.

Photo courtesy: Michel Rojo, flickr.com

Kannappa Nayanar: Union with Lord Shiva

Far above all humanity, on a rocky hill, a man discovered an ancient temple of Lord Shiva. Such was the power of the temple, and the shrine within it that he decided to remain there while his hunter friends were sent home to tell his father he was not coming back. Within a small temple that housed the beautiful emblem of Lord Shiva, he sat, catching the first gaze of the shrine, pure in itself and silent.

A silent interior, created in rock, with the wind whistling through the grilled windows; this was the most perfect place for a contemplative lifestyle. The man gazed at the idol, its beauty filled the air with energy, giving him a sense of awakening and a connection he had never felt before. He suddenly knew, this was his life, this was his goal and this was the only reason for his birth.

Life took a turn, for the worse for others, but for him it was different. The meaning of life had brought in new zest, new contemplation, new curiosity and all of this was triggered by the presence of divinity within the emblem that resided in this temple. The lap of nature had everything to offer. The waterfalls provided the pure water for abhishekam, the animals provided tender meat, and the flowers were the fragrance in His home and the herbs bloomed into a different fragrance bringing purity into the air, a freshness that was so divine, so new and so alive that the earth appeared most fertile and in full bloom.

Within this paradise the man contemplated, probably not in sacred syllables, or mula mantras or bija mantras that were recited but the Lord was offered the best of everything. As life passed by, the man raised each flower to the lord in worship, offering it as part of his very own heart, surrendering to the Lord.

My heart merges into you O Lord Shiva

My heart ceases to be with me any more

You have stolen the only thing I ever possessed,

Love, deep love for you O Lord.

As the puja continued, the flowers gracefully fell over the sacred stone, decorating Him and draping Him in a dress of color and fragrance. Color that dressed the Lord in brightness, fragrance that enveloped the room into potency, into a space where the air stood still and the lamp glowed brighter than before.

The man looked up at the Lord again, tears rolled down his eyes as his heart melted into divine song. He closed his eyes and burst into tune, sweetness rained in the room, echoing among the walls as they descended as a garland of letters on to the very emblem. When he opened his eyes, the Lord stared at him. Twinkling eyes, full of life and clarity… a different kind of clarity coupled with purity as they stared on at him. The Lord and the man stared at each other. This was a divine moment, one that is scarcely granted to any devotee, one that is felt once in a million years. The man’s heart sank; he was blessed to be given this divine vision. He picked up a vilva patra and placed it on each of his eyes, and then on his forehead and placed it back on the peetha.

To the bright eyes of the Lord

These are my eyes, I offer in each leaf of this vilva

I surrender to you, I seek no other vision

My sight has gone, I see only you

Divinity, surrounding my soul, capturing my imagination

Capturing my heart, soul and vision,

I see only you Lord, I can see only you.

This Vilva I offer to you, are my eyes, my life, my being, me

As he placed the sacred vilva on the peetha and raised his head, the eyes of the Lord bled, tears of a different kind rolled down, tears in blood that emoted to his surrender. The hunter looked up, with pain in his heart, over the Lord’s plight, over his suffering and tried to stop the bleeding with all the herbs he could find, crushing them to paste… yet they continued to bleed.

He raised his arrow, and just as the vilva leaf signified the three eyed Lord Trayambakeshawara, he dug out of his socket, the sun, his eye, the glowing radiance and placed it over the bleeding eye of the Lord. It was a moment of lull, the Lord twinkled again, beautiful eyes as the Sun and Moon glowed from within the Linga. The heart stopped a beat, as the hunter overjoyed over his Lord’s eye danced around the room, little aware that he now bled in the socket. When he stopped to look at the Lord, the other eye now began to bleed.

It was simple. He had the solution. He took out the arrow and as he raised his foot and placed it at the Lord’s bleeding eye, he aimed the arrow to cull out the moon, his eye from its socket. This was surrender, where the self feels no pain, nor loss, nor sorrow nor time nor fear, nor greed; this was a state to be in.

Oh Lord, the vilva, a significance of my own eyes

I offer to thee, my very own fire, sun and moon.

Here take my eyes, for I have seen thee,

Divine vision, I need not see no more

You are all I wanted to see,

I have lived for this moment.

As he drew the arrow close, the three eyed Lord, appeared, transforming the room into a moment in heaven. The power surged, the moment weakened every nerve in the man, the room glowed in sacred light, the world halted, the wind stopped, the silence overpowered the room, the emblem shined and the hunter was gone. A moment in history, a moment of life, a moment of true meaning, a moment divine, a moment felt and a moment never to come back. This is the moment of true worthwhile living.

Related links:

Kalahasti - the land where Vayu is felt

A reflection on Lord Shiva

Mano Laya with Lord Shiva

Photo courtesy: Shaivam.org

Hrudaya Kamalam, the lotus of my heart blooms

Shiva consciousness brings alive an enhanced feeling of bliss that is awakened when the hrudaya kamalam blooms. But what is Shiva consciousness.

The path into Shiva consciousness is one that leaves behind misery and trouble, no matter how much the reality of it continues to stay.

Shiva consciousness means welcoming Lord Shiva to reside within oneself.

Shiva consciousness means, being aware of his subtle presence during the hours of consciousness.

Shiva consciousness renders an emotion so strong, that all else looks trivial and the world is just a place to float in and out of.

Shiva consciousness means a certain power, that subdues the outer world in front of one self

Shiva consciousness means a reality, quite different from what is normally perceived.

Shiva consciousness is the realization of inherent rhythm in each mantra that sings his praise.

As one sinks into this ocean of bliss, into this world of emotion where the only thought is goodness and the heart melts so much that it just brings forth the Ganges forming tears in one's eyes, Shiva consciousness is a state that is achieved only when we try hard enough.

Its then that the light of enlightenment glows from within. One descends into serious worship, invoking each jyothir linga that reduces our sins to ash.

To the twelve Jyothir lingas I worship,

Every morning and every evening

I surrender myself to this divine grace

To rise within me in divine energy

To lift me into another realm of consciousness

One of peace and tranquility

I worship Shiva Trayambakeshwara

In twelve forms so divine

To wake within me and rise

The lotus of love and bliss

My hrudaya kamalam

My lotus heart, that beats in the rhythm of the mantra

The beeja mantra in each syllable

Om Na Ma Shi Va Ya

I rise above all humanity

I rise above all misery

I grow in all the eight directions

I am sadashiva

Within me rises the nature of Shiva

The bindu, the center of his consciousness

The energy that represents him

Within three layers of my heart that blooms

He holds me, my blooming self,

He is my golden stem

While i glow in the morning light

The walls of my earthly presence

Break forth with divine grace

The lotus of enlightenment blooms at last

I am Shiva, pure consciousness, I am Shiva, the subtle self, I sit on the throne, his peeta that resides at the center of my heart, my hrudaya kamalam.

The eight directional hrudaya kamalam is the lotus with eight petals, each facing a cardinal direction. Each petal houses an akshar of Lord Shiva's beeja mantra. The center of this flower, one that I describe in sacred yellow and worship, houses the very Lord himself, the pure Linga of Sadashiva. This powerful form, this powerful nature of the Lord can be touched and realized within the consciousness of the blooming hrudaya kamalam, the path to which is through the divine hymns of the Rudram.

The significance of the pancha bhootas

I am
I am the fire
I am the water
I am the earth
I am the wind
I am ether
I am no longer "I"

I am and as a jiva I offer myself to the Lord

I am and through the path of fire I offer myself with prayer to the Lord

I am and through the path of water, I offer food to the Lord, I offer flowers and fragrance to the Lord

I am and as I sit, in the lap of the mother, mother earth cradles me on my journey to the Lord

I am and as I sing to the Lord, my breath is my path to awakening, sacred syllables fall like a garland of love for the Lord

I am not, I cease to exist, I have merged, I am one with the Lord, I am ether...I have but no form.

The elements, fire, water, earth and wind are but for me, a path to reach Lord Shiva. How then can I ignore this gift, how then can I be ignorant that I cannot see the path ahead, how then can I say I do not have the time?

The value of the pancha bhoota is as secretive as it is transparent. It’s as simple as it appears complex. Its as sacred as it is almost nonexistent. Yet, these are not my creation, these are gifts of nature, pure in themselves for me to clasp onto on my journey to the Lord, during worship, during puja.

I am torn between two worlds, one that I live in and that which saps my energy, the other I long to be in and I try hard to reach. Everything around me, my life, the people, the world and its problems, are these not all a making of my mind. It is an illusory world, one that would cease to exist, should I just not think about it? Yet, I churn in this ocean, yet I suffer karma, and yet Lord Shiva grants me the elixir to life, the path in to heaven hidden in this labyrinth of life.

I watch the fire, as it grows and climbs with each drop of ghee poured on it, my heart burns in this light of enlightenment as I imagine the Lord in ablution.

I offer fruit flower and a divine meal to the Lord, through the path of water, he accepts my offering, and takes in the essence of my offering blessing it as prasadam.

I offer my love, my adoration in the form of sacred syllables, syllables that are meant not to benefit my worldly existence but break my illusion and melt my heart into deep emotion towards divinity, each word expressing the purity of the Lord’s nature imbibing it within myself, I become He.

I offer myself, seated still in equilibrium, nothing shakes or moves as mother earth holds me still, my thought and mind reside in pure imagination of the Lord’s vision when I raise the Arti to view His divine presence.

I sink into my own, I leave this earthly self, I am just the mind, I am no body, I am just a power that merges with the supreme. I stay here in Samadhi, no time can control me, no force can destroy. I was, and now I do not exist.

I am the fire, I am the water, I am the earth, I am the wind, I am nothing. I am but a drop of imagination in the vast ocean of Lord Shiva's creation.

Related links:
A reflection on Lord Shiva
Expression in Abhinaya, the art of Bharata
Dip in the sacred river

Photo courtesy: Mellagi, flickr.com

Fire, the visible path to divinity

The fire of life

The fire of energy
Is in the form of Shakti

The fire of enlightenment
The fire in the awakened third eye
Is in the form of Shiva

The fire of worship
The fire of purity
Is in the form of yajna

The fire of completion
The fire of transformation
Is in the form of a funeral pyre

The fire of light
The fire of faith and hope
Is in the form of a lamp

Fire, the feel of it is heat and energy, the blue hue is that of Kali, the glow is unique, the bright yellow is the radiance of Parvati, and the red hue is her pure Shakti as Mahishasuramardhini. She makes the fire, she is the charge, she has the momentum, she is the fury, and she is the power of life.

Lord Shiva awaits, he waits at our third eye, to be awoken by Shakti as she rises within us. Agni, Surya and Chandra are the trinetra, His three eyes, the light that brings things alive. And when Shakti merges with Shiva, when the Kundalini rises to the brow, she glows, the fire kindles, and Agni comes alive, opening the third eye, the eye the reveals detachment, reveals enlightenment, reveals sheer magnetic power that renders us supreme. To this Lord of enlightenment, I humbly offer a vilva, the three potent leaves, the Lord's most favorite, signifying my eyes, and worship Him to awaken me.

This fire, this worship is of love, of toil, of feeling, of praise, of offering myself in divine conversation through mantra, potent syllables that flow with the ghee aiding the flames. Each mantra, its potency is capsules of divine syllables that vibrate in the space around me as I pour ghee into the flame of the yajna, the path they take to reach divinity. While pure cow dung burns, while sacred twigs crumble in the heat, and the ghee raises the crackling fire, I worship the Lord to continue burning this flame in my heart, to make my lotus bloom, to awaken my chakras.

With my life, I offer yajna and with my death I lie here awaiting, Mata Annapurni holds me in her lap, Lord Trayambakeshwara Shiva whispers the Taraka in my ears. This is the only sound am aware of as I get ready for my journey beyond, I lie here along the Ganges waiting to exit. This is a state, I am alone, I know no one, I hear no cry, I rest at last as the fire of heaven, the path to the Lord begins to eat into my earthly being, I become history. Mata Kali, steps on me, Her divine feet hold my body down, her foot on my chest gives me hope, as the blue hued flames rise and consume me turning me to ash. I end, but my real journey to divinity starts here. The life in me embarks on its next journey.

During this life, I worship, I pray, that this journey will be wholesome and fulfilling. During this life I pray to Lord Trayambakeshwara to awaken me beyond this maya of existence, remove me from all earthly attachments, fill my heart with love for Him. Oh Divine Mother, your compassion that surpasses all, bless me with your grace and power that I may, oh Mother, hold this lamp of hope, this flame that I call myself will burn near you forever, fueled by your compassion, your grace, your love to forever be in your shadow.

Divine Love in the Gita Govinda of Sri Jayadeva

When it comes to divine love, Lord Krishna describes it best. Love, that captures the mind, where he conquers every mind at the same time, where each woman feels he belongs to her, where every man admires his relationship with Radha. What an amazing leela that would be!

Such divine chemistry, such charm experienced, where he grips the emotions and leaves the heart wishing for more. Krishna, probably defined love a lot differently. The Leelas of Radha and Krishna as described by Jayadeva bring alive love of a different nature, one that is selfless, and one that is of complete surrender.

Jayadeva places a condition before one attempts to read the divine love verses in the Gita Govinda.

yadi hari-smaraëe sarasaà mano
yadi viläsa-kaläsu kutühalam
madhura-komala-känta-padävaléà
çåëu tadä jayadeva-sarasvatém

"If your heart yearns to delight in remembrance of Sri Hari; if you are hankering to contemplate upon him with intense affection; if you are over whelmed with curiosity to know about his skill in amorous pastimes; then by all means read the Gita Govinda. You will relish my lovely poetry. Although it is so emotive and mellifluous, if you are not possessed of the aforementioned qualifications then you must not read it. This literature is not for you."

Although the issues of eligibility to read the Gita Govinda are clearly stated by Sri Jayadeva, the unqualified section of society fail to understand him and try reading this poetry with enthusiasm for its charming linguistic embellishment. They do not grasp the real significance of his verses and hold his compositions to be something crude. They are not inclined to enter into sweet contemplation of Lord Krishna as they remain confined to their experience of misidentifying themselves with the physical body and consider sensual gratification to being the ultimate limit of happiness. Such slaves of love cannot understand the meaning of transcendental love described by the poet.

Sri Chaitanya-Charitamrita states:

(Ädi-lilä 4.164–66):

käma, prema—dõhäkära vibhinna lakñaëa
lauha ära hema yaiche svarüpe-vilakñaëa
ätmendriya-préti-väïchä—täre bali ‘käma’
kåñëendriya-préti-icchä dhare ‘prema’ näma
kämera tätparya—nija-sambhoga kevala
kåñëa-sukha-tätparya—prema mahä-bala

"The characteristics of worldly lust and transcendental love are completely different. If mundane lust is likened to iron then spiritual love can be likened to gold. The desire to give satisfaction to one’s own senses is called lust. However, the desire to satisfy the senses of Sri Krishna is called pure love or prema. The goal of lust is one’s own enjoyment, whereas the purpose of love is to please Sri Krishna. Such prema is immensely powerful."

Sri Jayadeva Goswamy has defined the qualifications required to read this poem:

yadi hari-smaraëe sarasaà mano
yadi viläsa-kaläsu kutühalam
madhura-komala-känta-padävaléà
çåëu tadä jayadeva-sarasvatém

"If you want your mind to be deeply attached to the constant remembrance of Sri Hari, or your heart is already absorbed in contemplation upon him; and if you are curious to taste the mellows of his pastimes – that is, you hanker exclusively for this and for nothing else – then by all means listen to these gentle, appealing and honeyed verses of the transcendental poetry of Jayadeva."

The poetry of Jayadeva is a literary work that needs to be imbibed, and realized in the pursuit of one's own spiritualism. Be it Krishna or Lord Shiva, the path in devotion is the same, bhava needs to be felt, mano laya needs to be achieved.

As the Bhagavad Geeta states:

ManushyANAm sahasrEshu kaschidyathi siddhayE
yathathAmapi siddhAnAm kaschinmAm vEtthi ttatvaha
7-3

There are a lot of people but only a few are inclined to enter into the spiritual path. Out of these, fewer still pray deeply for liberation of the soul from the constant cycle of birth and death. From this handful of people, only one turns out to be the blessed one. It is metaphorically compared to flowers. There are many flowers but only a few are entitled to be offered to God. Out of these only a few are plucked and offered to God in prayer and finally only one flower reaches His bossom. Even if one steps into the spiritual path, it is difficult to pursue it till the end. Self realization requires dedication, and will power, sacrifice, control over the senses and equanimity.

Courtesy:
Stories of Bhaktas (telugubhakti.com)
Sri Gita-Govinda of Sri Jayadeva Gosvami

Varalakshmi Puja - Amman descends into the rice

Tradition brings with it certain happiness, which is first followed mechanically and then realized along the way as the heart grows fonder.

Varalakshmi Amman, is worshiped on this day, as she is brought alive within the Kalash and coconut that hold her divine presence in a seat of mango leaves. What is visible to the eye is her presence dressed as a Bride, dressed as a Goddess, residing at her seat as all the lamps lights dance around her in joy.

What lies beneath this amazing spectacle, is her form that every lady draws on the surface of pot, covered in rice powder. Going back to the context of the Vishnudharmottara, this is what is called divine art. Every woman of the house takes part in this art, and draws the form of the Goddess onto the rice laden surface of the pot.

Divine art, the first step to pave the way for the Mother to descend into her residence.
Divine art, a drawing that is meditated upon, by every woman, that imbibes every good quality of a divine wife, that she aspires to be
Divine art, a sketch in kumkum, that signifies that her marriage is like that of Shiva and Parvati, intact, happy, and prosperous.
Divine art, that brings out the beauty of the perfect wife, the aspiration every sumangali worships Amman for, in her house, in her puja room, in her heart.
Divine art, she draws, that is the imprint of the Mother brought down to life, from the depths of her hopeful heart that she would render the most beautiful form.

What a lovely moment, to see a lady sit at her seat, holding a kalash in her hand smeared with rice paste that has dried, her canvas to draw when she never learned this art. How beautiful to see her draw with every line, the beauty she wishes to imbibe, the perfection she hopes to achieve, the life she wishes to lead as a bride, the love and devout feeling she has, the power that she hopes to receive, that will aid her to grow her family.

This moment, the lady of the house communes with the Goddess, sings to her, worships her, loves her, adores her, and looks up to the Mother with awe and asks her to bless her family with love, prosperity, happiness and peace.

There is such beauty in divine art, there is such potency in divine art! Its about the power of the mind, the sincerity of the lady, the love that she has in abundance to draw, to describe the beauty of the Goddess.

Divine Art, is that which is described by the Vishnudharmottara, to be superior art, because its not about skill but the Bhakti, the love for divinity, love for the Goddess, that makes even a non artist, one who would otherwise shy away, draw from the depths of their imagination and give it power, give it life.

Sage Agastya drew the form of Urvashi to describe the beauty of an Apsara, the Indian woman draws the form of the Divine Mother, Amman, the beauty of life, the beauty in character, the power center of the universe. Such power is not realized and yet the picture is drawn.

Divine art, we may not know its presence, but we live it every moment. This is tradition.


Related topics:
The mark of a brahmin woman
Meaning of the Bindi
The fun in a brahmin household

Realm of the supreme, a step closer.

The ancient occult sciences refer to yantra and mantra as a method used to connect with the divine in a realm of orthodoxy, and purity if one can follow it. It may not always be easy to understand the root character of a deity through a geometrical pattern.

How does one accept or understand the meaning of a deity and his/her captured character within a few lines of geometry with syllables scattered around?

How does one attempt to feel their presence in a set of complicated lines that fail to keep our intrigue though they are permanent residents of our puja room?

How does one go to explain the existence of the inanimate, who can only be felt within the mind and are not for everyone's curious idle entertainment?

Is framing this potent nature of the deity into a frame and lighting a lamp really enough?

How would you react if I said, he/she lives there within that metal, a breathing living entity whom you need to realize, is waiting to be a part of your life every day, but maybe you are not making him/her part of your life?

How would you react if I stated from the Thirumantiram, that you are meditating without knowing so...having been given a life, you are a jiva, and since you breath, you utter the sacred syllables with every breath, that which is a rhythm in ajapa (not vocally).

Would it change your outlook if you were made aware that with every breath you meditate on, is Sa while inhaling and Hom on exhaling in a constant rhythm of Sahom, or Hamsa.

Would it bring wonder to you that SaHom means "I am he" or "I am Siva" and Hamsa means swan. That unconsciously you are in constant meditation and if you made a conscious effort you would be well past that in your spiritual career?

Does it tickle your curiosity if I had to give you a very tiny example on how to identify this character or essence of the divine in a very simple way?

Look at the image below and try to identify it. As a hint read clock wise. Read the letters drawn on the outside and then read the letters drawn within the 3 petaled lotus.
When you realize that the outer set of letter inscribed are Om Na Ma Shi Va Ya you would come to realize that the letters in the inner petals are Ka Vi Tha. This is a possible yantra that describes the nature and character of a person, more human, so you can connect with as well as represented in a geometric form more commonly known as yantras.

Yet, there is familiarity, there is a connection with someone human, whose character has been drawn, depicting their nature which to your knowledge is that of a blogger intrigued by the depth of Lord Shiva's realm. You identify with this character, you know she exists, you know this is probably the most perfect inanimate description of her vibrant nature.

Similarly, when you go back to your Puja room, and stare again at the yantra of the deities within the frames of your puja room, wouldn't they be living entities who had just been reduced to metal in your ignorance? Or would they be living there, waiting for your attention, your time and your mind space to be noticed?

And now that you have identified their presence as living entities, just neglected by your mind till now, how do you make the first step to communicate with them? Mantra. You talk to them in a language they know best. The associated mantra of the deity who resides within your puja room chamber. It could be as simple as Om Na Ma shi Va Ya or Om Na Mo Na Ra Ya Na Ya or any other depending on who you prefer.

How about extending the warmth, give them food maybe... and a conversation in song? Flowers, fruit, dates, and agarbatti with a lamp lit. An offering to them to fecilitate this relationship. With a drop of water, this is an offering in their language, "Neyvediam samarpayami" to tell them you care, you love them, you want to know them better.

And then the song, in mantra, not many, just one or two which you can repeat in a certain pattern, for a few minutes with bhakti for them to be pleased, for them to know your attention and mind space is with them. End the conversation with the Arti, showing them the flame of your life, inscribing the letter Om in the air and then circulating it clockwise around the form of the deity. This divine conversation has ended.

Its simple, really. Just switch off the world from your mind and your cell phone for a little while and divinity is in every breath you roll out. And then You and Divinity are one, nothing else exists.

Kalighat, where death meets you face to face

The idea of a Shamshan ghat brings darkness and death to the mind. It brings a gloomy picture to those who visit it to cremate their dead. Yet to a few others it is a place of intrigue and for some others its a strange place of worship. Kalighat is a place that brings you so powerfully close to the truth and we just wonder about what is beyond this familiar world.

Kalighat's shamshan ghat is one such mystical place. Few come here though this cremation ground is well lit and has enough architecture to leave you dizzy in its overpowering presence. The glint of turquoise blue is felt in the presence of the Mother here who paints the night with her hue.

Kalighat is silent, a little cut away from the bustling streets just outside. Kali reigns here in all her supremacy. Feared as she is, and deadly as she appears, the world of Kali and Lord Shiva means different things to different people. It brings fear to those who know little or nothing about them; it brings love in the hearts of those who have familiarized with her terrific form. Here she resides keeping control and living with all the lesser spirits that inhabit the other world.

She stands here, over the body of Lord Shiva in shavasana. With a foot over his thigh and the other over his chest, Kali signifies the transition of the soul from one world to the other in the blazing fire of cremation as Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra into the ears of the dead as they burn to ash. Kali at the Kalighat temple, has fury in her eyes and yet within this wild nature there is a coy side. A coy side brought forth by her posture as she stands on Shiva.

Kali belongs to the realm of death, she brings alive a different world which can be felt very deep but cannot be expressed in words. While we assume that death is all about light and darkness, there is a different feeling that is invoked when one comes close to Kali and Bhairava Shiva, and looks at them through the eyes of the Aghoris and tantriks.

Aghoris might have a strange approach, and might have an even more stranger lifestyle that is completely indigestible to us. Yet they bring one truth to us that death is not about light and darkness which is an extension of an illusion but that of magnetic power.

Shiva sadhana and Kali worship and associated mantras increase the magnetic power of the self. The energy is that which attracts and not that which can be seen. This power is not entirely dependent on light, though at some stage it might bring the person to glow extraordinarily, that is they almost seems to have a halo around them.

One thing we need to realize is that when we feel the power of sacred shrine, we actually feel its magnitude, we feel its power to attract us and intrigue us, a kind of magnetism. We do not see any light either internal or external. The unknown magnetic power of these sacred shrines is what draws us close to them.

This is the supreme power, this is the power that gives rise to siddis, this is the power that makes us walk on water, or levitate, or exude light or live longer and cut out external dependencies of food and water. This is the power of the Gods we search for, this is the power that wakes our Nadis and gives us that extra strength which separates us from all others. This is when we are at Nirvana, this is when the lotus blooms at the Sahasraha, this is when we walk into samadhi, this is when Lord Shiva and Kali embrace us. This is when we attain Mrityunjaya.

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantihi

Related topics:
Awakening the Nadi Gantham at the Nabhi Kamalam
Taraka Mantra - Passage to heaven
Manikarnika Ghat: Where life meets the world beyond

Awakening at the Chit Sabha, Chidambaram

I have reached a strange feeling in my journey in Shiva realization. A series of thoughts just hit me one one after another. I feel a strange futility in writing. How can I explain my experience of the divine formless Lord in words when I realize I cant really communicate the intensity or its essence in entirety?

I have realized the different layers of learning. I am excited about my finds but I am unable to share it with anyone...not that they wont listen but they may not realize the real beauty in it. How do you tell a blind man the color of bright orange flowers that grows and blooms on the tree in front of him? I feel alone, I feel some where from here my journey is that of a lone one, and no amount of explaining is going to get my thought across to anyone. And yet for some strange reason... I write.

Oh Lord Shiva, I stand speechless again at the door of your divine hall. The Vishnudharmottara says that the Supreme Brahman is formless, yet Agastyar created Urvashi by drawing her form out of mango juice, redifining the essence of beauty to all in heaven. He brought life to her character, he brought power to her form by just drawing a few lines to describe her. Such was the beauty of the divine apsara, who danced her way into the hearts of all the devas at Indra's court. Such was the power of painting and art that it gave life to imagination. This is the real power of art in expression.

Even more mystifying is the divine hall of dance on earth, the chit sabha at Chidambaram. The Golden hall in which Lord Shiva performs. In this grand venue, the Natya Raja's presence is felt, his formless self takes life within the lines of grace at this power center and he lights up the floor that gave birth to the Akasha linga.

I stand here spell bound, staring at the hall, where no one stands, where nothing moves. I look on into the sanctum, far inside surrounded by a door of flickering lamps. No flowers adorn his being, but just pure jewellery covers his self. He is Lord Nataraja, the Lord of dance, of expression, of life.

This is divine illusion, this is divine reality as the Lord awakens the rhythm into the air and the bells resound. The lamps rise, various flames light up this interior as the priest performs Arti. This is a dream, where in this chamber he raises his leg with grace. Its a delight, its a heavy feeling in the heart as one breaks down to absorb this amazingly unique form of the lord.

Within his chamber, shrouded by the deep backness of ignorance, the flames of enlightenment are lit. Within the resounding echo of mantras that wash the floor, he steps on Apasmara purusha. As the divine light of Arti rise he blesses us in Abhaya. How expressive is he, how handsome his face, how lavish his appearance in the glow of gold, and how his presence lights up the floor of dark ignorance. Indeed what a divine illusion, brought so magneficiently to life, indeed the light of enlightenment appears to be a figment of Lord Shiva's imagination, one that he makes us want, while we suffer in the blackness of its ignorance.

Imagination is a talent, it is the power to imagine, to describe beauty and attributes, to describe form and color, to describe action and rules and give it life... isnt this world just Lord Natarja's imagination, one even greater than that of Agastya?

I am speechless, I realize why most of the adorations written are in poetry. There is no better form to explain or express HIM in any better way. Language is limited to those who dont know how to use it, sound is powerful to those who know how to. Its so beautiful when we realize that this post in English is all powerless while just a single word "Hrim" can encapsulate the very energy of the Goddess Durga. How hopeless I am, that I dont even know how to craft the beauty of the Lord that i see within my limited imagination.

I simply stare at his divine form dance, silhoutted by the rising flames that gracefully dance around him. Speechless, silent, awakened.

Courtesy: Raja Deekshitar A heartfelt thanks to him for granting me this divine vision at Chidambaram.

Stella Kramrisch - Vishnudharmpttara Part 3
Flickr.com:
mattavilasa's photostream
guygharvey's photostream

Significance of the Panchamukha Linga

When I am dormant
The energy lies within me
Atma lingaaya Nama Om

The flame of this energy
Rises into divine vision
Into Rudra, the divine self
The red glow, the hue
Shines forth with all divinity.

The raw form of Rudra, in his fiery matted hair has been depicted beautifully in the Ekamukha linga of Lord Shiva at Udayagiri in the 4th cen A.D. by the Guptas. The self, raw, alone, composed with wisdom is described here. Within a sacred rocky chamber that echoes his presence I come alive within the Eka Mukha linga.



The Prana rises within me
I grow, I am present
I reside everywhere
I engulf the universe
I cover all the directions
I am panchamukha linga
I am Sadashiva



Panchamukha, the rising Shiva grows in all directions. As I evolve He rises too within me. The self, Atma lingam is at the core - Isana*. Isana is the root of the self, the core that holds all the energy within. The power of Isana is to reveal the energy of the self, this is the power of enlightenment, this is space, this is consciousness, this is Shiva within me.

To its east rises Tatpurusha, that which I am, "Tat Tvam Asi". My being rises, awakens to the world, awakens to consciousness. This is the expression of the supreme soul, of Atman that rises and is the life within us, the very presence of Iswara, He is Surya the rays of life. He is the prana I breathe, He is light, He is air.

To the south rises Aghora, the fire, the flames of life, the raw heat and beauty of Rudra in his fiery presence. He signifies life, he signifies dissolution or re-absorption, he signifies the end. He signifies the equilibrium that lies beyond birth and death, he signifies eternal bliss in the living fire of Shiva Rudra*.

To the west rises Sadyojata, the power to create. This is the power to multiply beyond the self. This is the universal power of creation where the miracle of life is visible to us. I am alive, I am the self, I can create, I am represented by Sadayojata, I am the earth that flourishes with life, I am Brahma* the creator.

To the north rises Vamadeva. Vamadeva is the beauty of the self, the poetry and the aesthetics that makes us. Vamadeva is the epitome of all the grace that we have, the presence of our beautiful nature for the world to behold. Vamadeva is the personification of love, representing the feminine form of Shiva, warmth that makes us want to take care of what we create. Vamadeva represents the Vishnu* aspect of preservation within us. It represents sustenance with life giving waters.

Panchamukha Shiva Linga is a powerful symbolism, a reflection of a great reality that encompasses all supreme deities. This form represents the Universe and all its creation, its life and itself as a whole in all directions.

The beauty of the panchamukha linga explains apparently disconnected concepts -
1) why the other heads of the panchamukha linga at Eklingji temple near Udaipur alone are named differently,
2) the placement of other deities around the Bana linga in the Panchayatana puja
3) the connection with Trimurthy at Elephanta and Adbhutanath Shiva*
4) the meaning of panchamukha which is a supreme thought, much more than just the mere naming of 5 heads.

* Elephanta Trimurthy has the 3 heads named as Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra Shiva
* Adbhutanath Shiva has the 3 heads named as Vamadeva, Isana Shiva and Aghora Rudra

Related topics:

Eklingji town, Shiva temples near Udaipur, Rajasthan
Bana Lingas from the depths of the Narmada River
Adbhutanath Shiva and the miracle of living!
Mahasadashiva - Vishwaroopa darshanam

Photo courtesy: Unknown, flickr.com