LOVE AND LEARNING

 

LOVE AND LEARNING

“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.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

AT SATI'S DEATH

 

AT SATI'S DEATH

“Sati…”

Shiva’s voice echoed like eternity itself.

A love so deep, it transcends even time.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE DESTROYER

 

THE DESTROYER

The most popular belief had Him listed as The Destroyer.

This was the great mystery—when did the endearing mountain dweller become a cosmic hard stepper, the Avatar of destruction? And, why?

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE SHIVA SCIENTIST

 

THE SHIVA SCIENTIST

Imagine you are fifteen years old.

One evening, you step outside and look up at the night sky. Above you are billions of stars, some larger than our Sun, some with planets circling them, and some perhaps hosting life—home to beings gazing into the dark, wondering about the universe just like you.

And something strange is already happening. You think you are seeing the universe as it is right now, yet you are actually looking into the past.

When you look at the Sun—the very star that makes life on Earth possible—you are seeing it as it existed more than eight minutes ago, because sunlight takes that long to travel across the vastness of space to reach your eyes. The same is true for every star in the sky. Some are so distant that their light has been travelling for years, centuries, or even millions of years, meaning a few of the stars shining above you tonight may no longer exist. The night sky is not merely a collection of stars; it is a collection of memories, a museum of the past rushing towards you in the present.

~ From the NEW book by Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

SHIVA, MAHADEVA-HE WHO CONSUMES EVEN POISON FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL

 

One story from Shiva's life never fails to amaze me. It was at the time of the Samudra manthan- An attempt to churn the Ocean and literally milk its waters for great celestial gifts, to be topped by attaining Amrita, a nectar of the gods which guaranteed immortality.This was one time in cosmic history when the timeless rivals devatas and danavas teamed up to undertake the task jointly; the desire of every being to live on endlessly, got them together.

But just before the Amrita was to surface, there was a tremendous oozing out of Halahal Visha, a deadly poison. Quite like the modern oil spills that we get to see today caused by big commercial ships, endangering the lives of the Ocean creatures. And therefore, in accordance with the laws of the sea, this deadly spill had to be cleared first.

Now this was a huge problem, the devatas and danavas shuddered at the thought of death when they had actually come for immortality! No one wanted to consume their portion.
Shiva stepped forward and drank up the Visha.
All of it.

This is how much He cared for all beings. It is a different story that the devatas decamped with all the Amrita, cheating the danavas out of their share- leading to a cosmic conflict that persists till today. Perhaps Shakti (Mother Nature ) is nearer now to resolve this in Her own way, but regardless of what happens, the pure intent of Shiva should remain etched in the soul of both teams, don't you think ?
Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shail Gulhati is a Shaivite author based in Jammu, India.
He has written the following books:
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

RUDRA

 

Eko hi rudro na dvitīyāya tasthe ya imāṃl lokān īśata īśanībhiḥ /
pratyaṅ janās tiṣṭhati saṃcukocāntakāle saṃsṛjya viśvā bhuvanāni gopāḥ
There is only one,
RUDRA!
No second one,
Ruling all ,with powers great
He sustains too each from within,
And in the end He stands alone,
taking them all back in.

~ Svetasvattara Upanishad

His mind raced back to the time when Brahma first lovingly called Him, “Rudra, my son.”

He had a tremendous ability to remember most things from the past; an ability, which could not be termed simplistically as a gift. Sometimes it brought up wreckage from a timeless sea, which was unrelatable, if not downright unpleasant. True, He was now called Shiva the Auspicious, but He could remember things that were not Shubha, auspicious, as the name suggested. Long ago He was called Rudra the terrible. Rudra, who destroys the world.
People were so scared of Him that the elders and Medicine men of all tribes learnt only a prayer of fear.
Rudra had a unique propitiation: One of absence. While all other Gods were invoked for a visit, He was actually prayed to stay away. It was only with the passage of time that He evolved into His present persona of a well-loved and hugely admired Shiva. But then, talking about the Timeless Sea, Shiva remembered Himself even before He was Rudra. It was aeons ago, but He remembered it vividly; it remained freshly etched in His memory, as if the birth of Rudra had happened only a little while back.

~ From
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

GOD PROPOSES, MAN DISPOSES

 

GOD PROPOSES, MAN DISPOSES

( Shiva and Daksha- The first meeting )

“My Lord,” said the chief guard as he entered the chamber of the minister for protocol. “There is a rider in the waiting hall, who says He wants to meet King Daksha right away. He does not have any prior appointment.”

Shiva sat comfortably, and said , “Greetings, Raja Daksha, it is indeed a pleasure to visit Kankhal and Your Majesty’s splendid court.”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.