Why is Shiva shown in some pictures with multiple faces?

 

Dear friends and Shiva bhakts, we often see pictures and paintings which show Lord Shiva with multiple faces, like the one i have chosen here for you. What does this mean really?
While the traditional meaning is that the Lord is Omnipresent, He is everywhere, North South, East, West etc. And as the Panchamukhi ( Five faced one) He is known briefly as :

Sadyojata ( The Revealer) West

Sadyojata shows the creative aspect of lord Shiva. As a being exists in this world through his birth, this aspect of Lord Shiva is worshiped first. It represents our mind and our tastes and pleasures life.

Vamadeva ( The Concealer) North

The term Vama means left . When we stand facing the east direction, the north is to our left.  If we stand facing east, north direction is again to our left. So, in this aspect Shiva is the north faced lord  worshiped as Vamadeva. In this aspect Shiva grants wishes and protection.

Aghora (The destroyer) South

This aspect is also known as Rudra. In Aghora – ghora means the dreaded. So in this aspect Shiva has raw powers and his main function is destruction. He enforces law and gives justice.  Those who worship the aghora form of Shiva are called as Aghoris. Their main belief is that there is no such thing called “inauspicious” in this world because all that exists if Shiva himself.

Tatpurusha (The Cosmic being) East

In Tatpurusha, the word ‘Tat’ means Supreme Consciuosness.This form of Shiva is always in meditation and gives blessings to all. This form represents the power of bliss. Also since it  represents our focusing power.

Ishana (The Lord) Skyward

Ishana is derived from the word ‘Ishvara’ which is a combination of ‘Isha’ and ‘Aishwarya. Hence this form of Shiva represents him as the lord or Ishana of all the Universe. In this form the face of Shiva is towards the sky. This fifth face of Shiva represents the creation – balance – annihilation energies and control and chaos energies. It indicates the total encompassing energy of Lord Shiva. In humans it represents the power of their consciousness to realize universal consciousness.

~ Source Temple Purohit

 

BUT IT ALSO DENOTES THIS :

The lessons with Shiva were endless. They had to be. His talk was profound, but so was His silence.
“You seem to be talking to me even when you are silent. Is it true or am I just too madly in love with you?”She asked.
“Silence is a language only a few understand,” said Shiva. “Those special moments when silence speaks, when stillness gives wings,” He whispered.
Even His smile was profound. Everything about Him was the embodiment of wisdom. Sati noticed that there were traces of this wisdom even when He joked.
~ From the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. by Shail Gulhati

THE GAME

 

THE GAME

Actually it was never that complicated.

God made the Universe simply,

to love, and to be loved.

But then He invented a game. And as children we did play it with our friends : Hide and seek.

~ From the book ' And life said' by Shail Gulhati

SHIVA DIKSHA: THE HIGHEST TRAINING

 

SHIVA DIKSHA: THE HIGHEST TRAINING

Shamshan Nath was no ordinary Gana. He belonged to the Aghora sect; The most elite, but also the most terrifying guard of Shiva. It comprised of some Ganas from Himachala,Tibet and Mahachina, and others from the unknown reaches of the mountains called Shambala.

“Arise Shamshan Nath” , Shiva had said ever so gently."It is you, who shall prepare for my arrival into the current life cycle". When Shiva clasped his shoulders to shake his disbelief, Shamshan Nath felt as though a thousand bolts of lightning from a sky of knowledge and power had entered him. It indeed had. It was called pervesa, the pervasion of gnosis.

~ From the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. by Shail Gulhati

GANAS WELCOME PARVATI

 

GANAS WELCOME PARVATI

The welcome to Parvati in Kailash was stupendous.

Ganas and ganikas had lined up on both sides of the mountain path leading up to Shiva’s cave.

Their hands were full of forest flowers and some wild berries which they showered upon the divine couple as Nandi brought them through. They cheered loudly, “Welcome Parvati, welcome Mistress of the jungle, Ruler of the world, Goddess of our hearts! Welcome to Kailash, Mother Annapurna, nourisher of our bodies! Welcome Bhagwati, nourisher of our souls! Welcome, welcome, welcome home!”

~ From the Amazon bestseller SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE PLAY OF MAYA...

 

THE PLAY OF MAYA...

One evening, while playing their game of dice, Sati asked Shiva,“Tell me honestly, do you ever cheat when we are gambling, do you use your maya to win?”

“No, of course not! Why do you ask?” He said.

“No, nothing. I just had a fleeting thought and wanted to check.”

“How can I cheat the one who has cheated me into thinking I have any control over my destiny! And tell me Sati, how can there be free will, when whatever I do…whatever, it must always lead back to you,” said Shiva, trying to charm Her.

“Place your bets,” said Sati, visibly happy with the answer,as She shook the twin dice vigorously.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

BHASMASURA

 

BHASMASURA

“Bhasmasura was a devotee of Shiva. He too, like the asuras, performed great tapasya to win Shiva’s favour. As usual, Shiva became pleased and asked him to request any boon.”

“Hmm, Gurudeva, the normal pattern.”

“Bhasmasura then asked that he be granted the power that anyone whose head he touched with his hand should burn up and immediately turn into ashes- bhasma.”

“And Shiva said ‘ Tatha astu’ Gurudeva?”

“Yes.”

“Oh!”

“Bhasmasura then wreaked havoc across the world with his newly bestowed immunity.”

“Then?”

~ From the Amazon bestseller SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. Part 2 ( Humesha) Now as an audio book. Click the link to hear free sample pages :

THEORY HAS A MAP. EXPERINCE HAS KEYS.

 

THEORY HAS A MAP. EXPERINCE HAS KEYS.

“Imagine a person who owns a magnificent Ferrari but has never read a single page of its engineering manual.

And imagine another person who owns no car at all, but has a beautifully printed technical manual and a glossy poster pinned to their wall.

Who possesses the reality?”asked Shiva.

“The one with the car.” smiled the seeker

~ From the book ' The Shiva Scientist " by Shail Gulhati