Shiva-the fountainhead where paradoxes reconcile.

 

• What is truly amazing about Shiva is his consistency in reconciling paradoxes.He's called the destroyer, yet His symbol ,the shivlinga denotes creation. He is a yogi par excellence, yet the doting householder, He is King of dance, yet His meditations are perfect stillness, He is lord of power, bestowing boons, yet owns hardly any personal possessions,
  He is the auspicious one, yet attended on by the most terrible elementals (Bhutas ), He is Adi the timeless one, yet Sadavasantam, the evergreen.....

• is Shiva yet another name for consciousness? or is there a yogi who goes by that name?
  

  or .....
  both?

• What personally attracts me to Shiva's manner is the inclusiveness, nothing is apart from Him...music,dance,
  buddies, mysticism,
  family, ascetisism,
  frolic, intoxication,
  serenity, rejuvenation,
  and so on, Shiva seems to me to be the perfect pointer to the oneness that we all really are..! Shiva is  comparable to  Yoga, and Kundalini, which are inherent in all and not limited to the domain of this or that dogma, actually transcending even religion..

• And then,there's His beautiful wife, Parvati
  who is also
  Sati
  who is also Durga
  who is also Shakti
  and many other vidyas rolled in one,
  is she , again, actually a woman,
  or the power of Consciousness ?
  or both?

• He is also Shaktiman
  the beholder of Shakti,
  Shakti's man!
  She is also Shivpriye
  beloved of Shiva.

• do Shakti and Shaktiman
  also go by the names
  yin and yang
  tao and tei
  being, and becoming?

• These
  and many other querries
  the Devi herself puts across to Shiva
  in a reflective state of musing,'NIGAMA'
  it is prayer.
  Shiva 's reply,AGAMA, is the beginning of Sastra,
  it is revelatory,it is meditation,
  it is shiva's rocket science,
  the Vijnanbhairava.

• All becoming is from being, and will find all its answers there,
  Shiva expounds 112 different ways to the same centre,
  the centre of SELF, where nothing is apart,
  and Oneness reigns.
  Shiva knows there is nothing to renounce
  except the notion, that you are other than him.

• Why, if all is Shiva to begin with,dont we know this?
  For this we will have to rewind to the time, when,
  Shiva is all,
  When "God alone is".
  At this time, even time does not exist, because , as said before, only God is, in His absolute purity.

• Now He wants to play out with what is possible to do..He is God, so He wants to know what all can be done with His Godhood.
  The Upanishads say,"In the beginning was the ONE, he thought, may i be two, may i be many"
  In Shaivism, this is called the "Pratham spanda", first stirring..
  God knowing Himself, and then wanting to pour out...
  this outpour is not like a logician, more like an artist....

• Here comes the interesting part, When God is all, all is God,and God wants to create out of Himself, well, then everything will be known to everything..
  so, He FIRST creates forgetfullness, he ensures that he forgets who he is..
  Now, you see, he is ready to play out hide and seek with himself..
  this is akin to a king surveying his kingdom in the garb of an ordinary person..
  except here, the King actually forget's who's The King, and looks for the King with intensity..
  
  he becomes the seeker,being actually, the sought.
  that He is the worshipper, is but a thought.

  
  

WHEN PARVATI ASKED SHIVA THE FIRST QUESTION AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE

 

WHEN PARVATI ASKED SHIVA THE FIRST QUESTION AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE

“So, what work do you actually do?” Sati asked coyly like any newly married wife.

“I meditate,” Shiva answered.

“No, I meant what work do you do as in work?”

“I meditate,” He answered again with a strange smile.

“I don’t understand,” She said.

~ Mahadeva Shiva

When Shiva opens His Third Eye

 

THE DESTROYER

“Now, tell me”, said the Yogi, “how am I supposed to destroy the world?”

By opening your third eye, wherever you shift your gaze then, turns to ashes.” Answered the snake.

“Mythologically” , said the Yogi. “ Now, listen to the philosophy. At the personal level, the destruction of illusions, makes the meditator enlightened. This is the opening of Gyan Chakshu, this is the whole path of the yogis! The gaze of the discriminating mind destroys wrong previous concepts and illusions. Whatever scriptures such a man reads, he interprets rightly, whatever situation he encounters, he understands. The mind of spiritual discrimination destroys falsehood and delusion.
At the transpersonal or cosmic level, I am a paradox however. My capability is to destroy the whole cosmic play. But, if I use only half my power, to destroy the destructive processes themselves, verily, I become the course for expansion. So using half your power doubles your strength. It also takes double your strength to use half your power. Meditate upon this!”, said the Yogi.

            Destruction, paving the way for creation. I understand, said the snake. Like the defrost button in a refrigerator, enables us to defrost the frozen zones, leaving the other, major portions infact. Destruction, paving way for creation. It is obvious now, that although your symbol, the Shiv linga is a symbol of creation, they still call you the destroyer, this is paradox.

          "Yes", said the yogi, you are learning to cut through the paradox.

{ From the book The Yogi and the snake}

Sheran Waali, Lady of the lions!

 

Parvati was different from the very beginning. She was well loved by everyone, She played with the girls of Her age, She won the love of Her elders and admiration of Her palace staff, but She was different. There was always a sense of knowership in Her, as if She knew that She was someone very special, born for a very special destiny. But this was not in a conceited way at all. She did not have even an iota of arrogance, even though She was easily the prettiest among all the girls in the whole province.

She was good at Her studies and all the rishis who came to teach Her gave Her an excellent report card. “She can do even better, if She wants,” said Bhrighu one day to Himavat. “But…”
“But?”

“But I have noticed, your Majesty, that Parvati puts in only as much effort as is required to get the basics right. She could excel in anything that She wants, and to be honest She does all things very well, but then, I have noticed, She leaves it at a level of ‘fairly good’, and weans off. It is as if She has Her heart in something else.”

“Hmm… like what?”

"Like, She hardly plays with Her dolls, She keeps making Shivalingas in the sand.”
“The only thing that interests Her about the dolls, is when a doll marriage is arranged!”

“Yes! Yes, that’s true,” said Mena. “I have to make new dresses for the doll bride, and Parvati insists that I make many sweetmeats in the kitchen!”

“Hmm… does She still say She will marry Shiva?” Himavat asked Mena.
“Oh, come on, She is just a child. And those things are very far. Who knows who will marry whom?”

“Shiva. It will always be Shiva,” said Bhrighu with a solemn look.

“Always be Shiva what?” asked Mena.

“It will always be Shiva, whom Shakti marries. It was so in the past, and it will be so in future,” said Bhrighu, his eyes now half closed in meditative bliss. 

"My Lord! My Lord ,what is one to do with Princess Parvati?” asked the captain of the private guard of Himavat’s security.

“Why, captain? What has Parvati done?” smiled Himavat.

“My Lord, She goes after the mountain leopards and panthers, catches them and then pats them as if they are little kittens. It’s dangerous my Lord, this sort of play.”

“But do not all princes play with the wild cats as if they were our domesticated cats? Is it not part of their training and even courage?” asked Himavat.

“Yes, my Lord, but we must not forget that Parvati is all of eight years! And my Lord… She is a girl!”

“Hmm… you are right, captain. I think Parvati deserves a new title for this trait,” laughed Himavat loudly. “From now on we should call Her, Sheran Waali, Lady of the lions!”

“Haha, what are you gentlemen discussing about my little Goddess?” chipped in Mena. “Parvati is luminous, resplendent; She is Jyotan Waali, the embodiment of light…”
From the book ~  SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.    , a modern rendition of Great God Shiva's story by Shail Gulhati

SHIVA , LORD OF THE COSMIC DANCE.

 

 

SHIVA , LORD OF THE COSMIC DANCE.

“His mentions had been varied. Shiva the auspicious, Shiva the Warlord, Shiva the mountain God, Shiva the dweller of the cremation grounds, Shiva the creator of the universe, Shiva the destroyer, Shiva the ascetic, Shiva the loyal husband, Shiva the intoxicated, Shiva the meditator, Shiva the recluse, Shiva the Supreme spiritual master! Which One was He?”
“Yes, which one was He indeed, Gurudeva?” asked Shaunaka.
“The transformed seers spoke of Shiva in endearing terms, adding yet another epithet to His mentions. ‘Verily, He is all. He is Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the cosmic dance! ” replied Suta.
“One thing that stood out clearly in the descriptions, was that there was much paradox about Him. The moment anyone thought they understood one aspect of Him, immediately another would come and juxtapose itself in contrast. And that was the way He was known by most people: As the greatest enigma in the pantheon of the hindu Gods,” continued Suta.
“Truly Gurudeva, Shiva is a great enigma,” said Shaunaka.
“Yes,” Suta continued, “No one was ever sure of His antiquity, or His antecedents; none knew who His parents were, or if He was actually a sibling to the Vedic Gods. Some said He was Brahma’s son, others asserted He was Swayambhu, the Self-created, who, after manifesting Himself, in fact, created Brahma also.”
“So what is the truth, Gurudeva? Who created who?”
“No one could know for sure,” said Suta. “Every search for Him spiraled into a concentricity of a higher realm. Even after hearing about Him endlessly, one would come back to the same mystery.”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

शिव, लौकिक नृत्य के स्वामी।

“उनके उल्लेख विविध थे। शिव शुभ, शिव द वार्लॉर्ड, शिव पर्वत देव, शिव श्मशान के निवासी, ब्रह्मांड के निर्माता शिव, शिव संहारक, शिव तपस्वी, शिव निष्ठावान पति, शिव नशे में धुत, शिव ध्यानमग्न, शिव। वैराग्य, शिव सर्वोच्च आध्यात्मिक गुरु! वह कौन से थे? ”
"हाँ, वह कौन से वास्तव में थे, गुरुदेव?" शौनकजी ने पूछा।
"रूपांतरित द्रष्टाओं ने शिवजी के बारे में धीरज से कहा, उनके उल्लेखों में एक और प्रसंग जोड़ा गया है। वास्तव में, वह सब है। वह शिव नटराज हैं, जो लौकिक नृत्य के स्वामी हैं! ”सुतजी ने उत्तर दिया।
“एक बात जो विवरणों में स्पष्ट रूप से सामने थी, वह यह थी कि उसके बारे में बहुत विरोधाभास था। जिस क्षण किसी को लगा कि वे उनके एक पहलू को समझ गए हैं, तुरंत कोई दूसरा आएगा और इनके विपरीत खुद को अलग करेगा। और यह वह तरीका था जिसे वह ज्यादातर लोगों द्वारा जाना जाते थे: हिंडू देवताओं के  शिरोमणि   में सबसे बड़ी पहेली के रूप में, "सुतजी ने जारी रखा।
"सच में गुरुदेव, शिव एक महान रहस्य हैं," शौनकजी ने कहा।
"हाँ," सुतजी ने जारी रखा, "कोई भी कभी भी उनकी प्राचीनता, या उनके पूर्वजों के बारे में निश्चित नहीं था; कोई नहीं जानता था कि उनके माता-पिता कौन थे, या यदि वह वास्तव में वैदिक देवताओं के लिए एक भाई थे। कुछ ने कहा कि वह ब्रह्मा के पुत्र थे, दूसरों ने कहा कि वह स्वयंवर था, जिसने स्वयं को प्रकट किया, जिसने वास्तव में स्वयं को प्रकट किया, ब्रह्मा को भी बनाया।
“तो क्या सच है, गुरुदेव? किसने बनाया? ”
"कोई भी निश्चित रूप से नहीं जान सका," सुतजी ने कहा। “उनके लिए हर खोज एक उच्च दायरे की संकेंद्रितता में सर्पिल होती है। उनके बारे में अंतहीन सुनने के बाद भी, एक ही रहस्य में वापस आ जाओगे। ”

PARVATI - THE ONE HE LOVED IMMENSELY

 

PARVATI - THE ONE HE LOVED IMMENSELY

The one person that Shiva loved meeting in this cosmic mind field, the one person whose memory He would not allow to fade even when they were not together, was, unchallengeably, His Woman. In a whole universe that had been projected by Him, She was the one being He loved immensely.

Parvati, His inseparable better-half.

Parvati, without whom, Shiva felt like ‘not Shiva’.

Parvati, without whom, Shiva didn’t feel anything at all.

Parvati, without whom, the Seers summarized, “He was Shava, a corpse.”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

WHO IS GOD SHIVA?

 

IN THE BEGINNING

(An introduction to Lord Shiva)
by author Shail Gulhati

Who Is Shiva?

TRANSCENDENT GOD
Shiva is the timeless God of the Universe.
Before even the creation of our world, He alone exists; as Existence itself,
and can be understood as the Ultimate transcendence,the Supreme Being..

PERSONAL GOD

This Supreme Being,wants to become something,
The Upanishads say, in the beginning was the One. He looked around and saw that there was no one else. He felt alone and thought, may i be two, may i, be many!
Actually God wanted to be loved. And that is why he created, simply, To love and to be loved.
So, He manifests the world as we know it,with himself the projector,
but alongside all that he creates,he enters the project as an embodiment,
much like the director taking a role in his own play! this is the step from Being to becoming.
Once he Enters His own creation as an embodied being, He now involves himself in meditating and re-connecting with his transcendent Godness,
Such connecting is termed as “Yoga”,and so, Shiva who is the Yogi par excellence, is replete with Divine knowledge and power.
Shiva constantly deploys his powers and wisdom, his Godhood,to uplift all his children , In this,he is goodness personified,and many who have faith in his immanence, worship him as their personal god. Shiva, therefore, also means , simply, the Auspicious, and we understand that Godliness is Goodness.

WHY THEN, IS SHIVA KNOWN AS THE DESTROYER?

Hinduism believes that the processes of God are principally threefold:
Creation,Preservation,and Destruction. It further believes,that God optimizes his attributes in a particular manifestation to enable the execution of a specific process with the greatest efficacy,
Thus Brahma is the creator of the world, Vishnu incarnates time and again , for he is it’s preserver.
Which , in some thinking leaves Shiv (शिव as his name is pronounced in sanskrit) as the destroyer at the end of a world cycle.

However, this is one view. Those who know Shiva better (the shaivites), see His role in a different way:
In a world full of changes, something must mark the parameter of permanence, and that permanent principle is Shiva. Shaivites prefer to understand Him as the
"Re-absorber". Their view is :

THE SHAIVITE BELIEF

Shiva is one of four main Gods of Hinduism, the other three being Brahma, Vishnu and Devi, Shiva’s consort Herself.
In the beginning, only Shiva Was. He is endowed with immense power,Shakti,which is none other than Devi,the eternal consort. The two are inseparable, like any one thing and its inherent nature, like Sun and light, Fire and warmth , Moon and Shine, stars and night.
So, when we say only Shiva 'was', it automatically, means only ShivaShakti IS.
God, and Mother Nature “In-here” in each other as one.
Where there is God, (creator) there is creation(Nature), where there is Nature, you can be sure, God too, is here!

DHYANASTHA SHIVA (Click on the pic to enlarge)

Now, in the Shaivite view, They (Shiva and Shakti) create Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma creates the world,and enters it, so does Vishnu enter it ,and, yes, So do Shiva and Devi, as his loving ,inseparable wife, Parvati. Most of us know Shiva from here,in his popular depiction as Shiva, the Yogi.
He is dhyanastha-meditative,mindful, beneficent, always immersed in transmitting spiritual guidance,sharing many methods of attainment.
Ultimately, at the end of life, all is absorbed back to him,but, those are lucky, who get absorbed in Godhead in their current birth, whilst retaining their body,that is, before actually dying. This is real attainment.This is real Moksha and jivan mukti for a lover of Shiva.

LEARNING SHAIVISM

So,to one who wants to learn of Shiva’s mysticism, destruction does not mean ‘finishing of the world’, It rather connotes the ending of ignorance and falsehood,It is the ending of identifying too much with the finites. Therefore, interestingly,Shiva guides us to higher wisdom not by giving things, but by the ‘taking away’ of junk messages that have accumulated in our minds through ages,much like a computer vendor cleans up your personal computer to make it efficient and new , once again. These junk messages may have resulted not only in personal misery,but also creating chaos and disharmony when we come together in collective societies.So too, Shiva is Hara,'the taker away" in taking away, He gives! Ignorance goes, Godhood returns.

WHAT DOES SHIVA TAKE AWAY?

Foremost amongst our errant conditionings, is:
We think we are distant from God.
Shiva ends the delusion that we are only body and mind,distant from God.
Ending of delusion,ends limitation. So if there is something Shiva does destroy, its your limitation:
Shiva destroys your sense of separation from Shiva !
He tells you that you are one with God, you always were, and you always will be, because, there is nothing that can exist outside of God!
Shiva teaches "God is nearer to you than your very breath"
for simply understood, is not God the breath in you?
And thus, Shiva begins to remind us of where it all began….


He teaches that we, in fact, are made of the same ShivaShakti principle that began the world.
All creation is from one source and that there are no two different origins.This makes him the teacher divine, Shiva Dakshinamurti. He who taught without taking a fee.Thus too His Bhakts ( devotees) and lovers call Him शिवजी Shivji, Ji is an honorific. I spell His name shiva with an "A" at the end , only because i write for an International audience, who pronounce it that way. Names dont matter, The essence does.
Aum Namah Shivaye! We salute the Great Adi Guru.
For more writings from shail gulhati  visit fb page  Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.