AUM PURNAMADAH PURNAMIDAM

 

Dear friends and Shiva bhakts,
we all know the story of how Shiva volunteered to receive Ganga on His head when she had to descend to earth from the heavens for the upliftment of humanity, both living, and the dead. But, she was so full of Divinity that the very earth she was coming to purify would not have been able to take the impact of the torrential 'weight' of her Gyana or satvikta! Shiva stepped forward to make His own matlocks a landing pad for her, Shiva's Yogic hair already contained the ultimate Gyana,infinite Divinity within, and could receive an infinite amount more.

This reminds us of the Purna prayer from the teachings of the ancient hindu rishis, in the Isha Upanishad, which is the first Upanishad.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||

Meaning:
Fullness 'that' (Outer World)
Fullness 'this' (Inner World)
From Purna is manifested Purna (From the Fullness of Divine Consciousness within, the outside world is manifested),
Even after manifesting a whole Purna from itself, Purna still remains the same.

Shaivites believe that Shiva is the Adi Purnam, the Original Fullness, therefore no amount of giving or receiving Gyana will affect His own Fullness in any way. And this makes it easier to understand why Shiva has a nature of taking every cosmic event upon His own head, be it the Samundra manthan or then, the reception of Ganga.
Aum Namah Shivaye

~ Shail Gulhati , Author of :
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Shiva Poetry
The Yogi and the snake
And Life Said.
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine

What is Yoga ?

 

Lord Shiva is the Primal abhyasi (practitioner) The yogi par excellence.
After having experimented on the Self innumerable times, after dexterously recording His findings in His own mind, He carefully guided his snake from the Karakotaka tribe, in all the eight limbs of the yoga that He had himself developed. The snake became the great Rishi Patanjali in his next birth. Remembering sincerely what his Lord had taught him, Patanjali laid down Shiva's teachings as the Yoga sutras for seekers to practise. It is also known as Ashtanga yoga, or that which has eight steps.
Yoga begins with Yama ( Moral restraints or " do nots " )
Next is Niyama (Moral observances or the" Dos" )
The third limb is Asana. These are the various poses we learn in Hatha Yoga.
Asana is a gateway , and can be understood as 'seats' for this great flight to the Divine Self.
We get to the subtle heights by more subtle steps, to the fourth stage called Pranayama-the training of the prana or breath,
Fifth is Prathyahara-the cessation of outward distraction by isolating our mind,
The sixth step is Dharana, focusing the mind on a single stream of thought ,perhaps on an object that is Divine, like God or Guru.
Shiva teaches that next we must reach the highest peaks of yoga, the seventh realm called Dhyana ( meditation)
and finally the Kailash of yoga, the highest eighth realm called Samadhi ( absorption into Supreme consciousness)

“So do you get all these deep wisdoms in your Yoga abhyasa? I’ve been seeing you do all sorts of postures; Asanas as you call them.” asked Sati one day.

“Yoga asana is only a seat for the great flight to the self. meditation can be as synergized, as natural as my rides on Nandi, or as tumultuous, with the energy of an untamed beast of the natural order.
All of Nature’s things are like that; You need to be completely at oneness with them before you even start to mount the ride. Else you will just be overturned, which too is an important part in the process of learning, Sati,” replied Shiva.
“It’s simple,” He said. “Yoga is not about your body. Yoga is about discovering your soul.”


Read more in  SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. 

THE ARRIVAL OF TIME

 

THE ARRIVAL OF TIME

It was a sunny morning, and Shiva was feeling good. He readied Nandi for a ride to Daksha’s palace. Nandi himself was in a hurry and charged in true bull fashion to their collective destiny. Together, they made a momentous sight: the Rider and the Ride. Women plowing their rice fields looked up to see this unstoppable creature heralding his master just past their midst.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE END OF QUESTIONING

 

THE END OF QUESTIONING

“A lovely story about the time of Shiva's wedding with Parvati, goes somewhat like this,” said Suta.

“Yes! Yes, Gurudeva, please tell!”

“At the point of the solemnising of the marriage by a holy Havan, the pundit asked Shiva, "Who is your father?" Shiva looked at Brahma and said, "He."

"And who is Brahma's father?" asked the pundit. Shiva looked at Vishnu and said, "He is."

But the pundit persisted. "And who, may I ask, is Vishnu's father?"

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

HIDING AND SEEKING, GUIDING AND THEN MEETING!!

 

असतो मा सद्गमय
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय
ॐ शांति शांति शांति - बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.

Lead Us From the Unreal To Real,
Lead Us From Darkness To Light,
Lead Us From Death To Immortality,
Aum (the universal sound of God)
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.)

Thus sang the Upanishadic Rishi .For is this not the ultimate aim of all mankind? To be able to find the Real ( Permanent) world instead of living in an endless cycle of birth and death.Is it not the goal of all beings to move on from the darkness of ignorance, to the light of enlightenment ?
To move from the mortality of the body to the immortality of the soul
So too, He who leads us fro Darkness to light , is the Guru.

Lord Shiva is the source of the light of the world. He is The Primal Guru. In Leading us to The Light, He leads us to Himself, in leading us to Himself, He leads us to our SELF.
It is all one great mystic,spiritual circle!
Hiding and seeking,
Guiding , and then Meeting!
It is all the Leela of Shiva and Shakti .
This is the Gist of the world play.
Aum Namah Shivaye!
~ Shail Gulhati is the author of the books:SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

SHAMSHAN NATH AGHORA

 

SHAMSHAN NATH AGHORA

Aghoras were the earliest and foremost Shamans to whom absolutely nothing mattered, other than proximity to their Lord Shiva, at all times.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

WHEN PARVATI SERVED SHIVA FOR 40 DAYS BEFORE MARRIAGE

 

WHEN PARVATI SERVED SHIVA FOR 40 DAYS BEFORE MARRIAGE

I hope you are happy, now that you have run your first errand for me?” asked Shiva.

“Yes, I am,” smiled Parvati, gently extending Her hand to Him, to give Him His kamandalu of water.

“Master!” shouted Nandi, startling Shiva who turned quickly to look sharply to His left. His shoulder bumped into the kamandalu, which was still in Parvati’s hand. Because Parvati was watchful,

She managed to quickly deflect the collision, saving the vessel from falling down.

“Yes, what is it Nandi?” asked Shiva with concern.

“Nothing, Master, I wanted to tell you, it was Parvati Herself , who drew the water from the cold stream for you.”

“Yes, indeed I know, Nandi.”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

SHIVA THE YOGI

 

SHIVA THE YOGI

Even as an adolescent, Shiva was of strong built. And soon He started becoming aware of His physique. Every morning, as He bathed under a favourite waterfall, He would take time to see His own reflection in the still waters of the pool. Sometimes He posed in techniques, which could be described as a yoga of flexing. The animals laughed, even as their doe-eyes widened in loving admiration.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE ART OF BECOMING A DOT

 

THE ART OF BECOMING A DOT

“Verily, there is a great lesson you must know, my dear Shaunaka,” said Suta. “There is Shiva tattva and there is Shiva, the Yogi.”

“You mean there are two?” asked Shaunaka. “Now I am really confused, Gurudeva. Please clarify.”

“There is just The One, there has always been One, and there shall always be The One only. The One is Shiva tattva, the universal stuff from where all things are made. From where all beings originate, including us.”

“So who is Shiva the yogi?”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

SHIVA PARVATI VIVAH - THE GREATEST WELCOME TO GOD, ON EARTH!

 

SHIVA PARVATI VIVAH - THE GREATEST WELCOME TO GOD, ON EARTH!

“The moment that Lord Shiva put a jaimala around Parvati was more than just a marriage; It was a coming together of being and becoming, of transcendence and manifestation, of yin and yang.

It was a fulfillment of creation; the Creator and the created, of love and bonding, of togetherness, of Godhead and Lila...” said Suta with emotion.

“Yes, Gurudeva,” replied Shaunaka.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

SRISTI ISWARA MAHARAJ

 

SRISTI ISWARA MAHARAJ

Sati loved Sristi Iswara Maharaj. Whenever She approached the forest, She felt Her feet breaking into a run; She could never just walk. This became a daily ritual: She would not stop running till She reached the enigmatic Shivlinga.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

SHIVA'S FAMILY

 

SHIVA'S FAMILY

It was as if He had made the beasts and birds His family.

Over time, some more beings, who were different from humans, and from the other beasts as well, started joining in, creating an even more extended family. The word had spread that Rudra never asked anyone their antecedents, never questioned their strange appearance; it was enough for Him that someone wanted to be part of His family.

“We are one big family,” He would tell His forest friends.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

When is it possible to actually get God to accept your gifts?

 

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYE.

Dear friends and Shiva bhakts,
this is an amazing pic from the net. A bhaktin does Abhishek of a Shivalinga somewhere near the banks of a holy river town- probably Haridwar or Rishikesh, and we note that Lord Shiva virtually pops up to give blessings. Her efforts have born fruit. But we also see something startling: Shiva is drenched with the potions of the Abhishek!

Is this possible? Can an offering on a stone image thousands of miles away actually reach a chosen personage? Practically speaking, this is an impossibility, a type of wishful thinking.

But we in India, have long had the tradition of sharing even our food with our God first in a similar manner, and we call this 'Bhog lagana'- 'To make God partake in our feast, knowing that all comes from Him anyway', and because according to the ancient rishis, anything was possible for God,we would do well to understand that this painted scene means to convey a higher message:

When you do something with your body and mind and also pour your soul into it, when Namah Shivaye becomes Mano Shivaye, Tano Shivaye, Dhano Shivaye, metaphorically speaking, ' Shiva is drenched with your love' . He can no longer resist giving you His Darsana.When you offer Him everything you have, your body ( karma)  your mind ( gyana) , and your very soul ( raja yoga) , knowing that all these come from Him, then your worship with the combination of all these  blossoms into a great Bhakti bhava, and Shiva ,who is Aashotosh, ( easily  pleased ), will come to your very doorstep. His Idol in your heart and mandir both, will begin to shine with a divine luminescence for ever after.

Aum Namah Shivaye!

Shail Gulhati author of SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.series.

SHIVA & PARVATI

 

“Here you go, my Lord,” said Parvati demurely as She poured water onto Shiva’s hands.

She looked at Shiva, only to see a full gaze from Him in return, which caused Her to quickly look away shyly. The water started dripping out from Shiva’s hands onto the floor of the cave.

“Oh, my Lord! You have dropped the water!” said Parvati, with half a giggle.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. Part 2

THE QUEEN JEWEL- रानी गहना

 

 He was a Time traveller; He had been to many lands in many times and had known many different people. But, no matter where it was that He sat, at the thought of Heaven, images of snow-clad mountains and a certain indescribable joy of togetherness would inevitably come rushing to His mind. Another image almost always linked itself to the landscape:

A gypsy tribe of fierce men and gorgeous women dancing around a bonfire of pure warmth, in a happiness that was incomparable in the entire Universe.The quest for that unlimited happiness led intergalactic travellers to search for this tribe like the Holy Grail.

If discoverers of the cosmos and Time travellers could find the tribe, surely the mountain Chieftain and His Queen would be spotted in the midst of it all.
Parvati.

The very thought of Her made Shiva smile. She was the Queen Jewel seated in His heart as centerpiece, around whom, all the rest rallied in adornment.

~ From the book Shiva, the ultimate time traveller

रानी गहना
 वह एक समय यात्री थे; वह कई बार कई स्थानों  में गए थे और कई अलग-अलग लोगों को जानते थे। लेकिन, कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता कि वह कहाँ थे, स्वर्ग के विचारों में, बर्फ से ढके पहाड़ों की छवियां और एकजुटता का एक निश्चित अवर्णनीय आनंद अनिवार्य रूप से उनके दिमाग में आ जाता । एक और छवि लगभग हमेशा खुद को परिदृश्य से जोड़ती है: शक्तिशाली  पुरुषों और भव्य महिलाओं की एक बंजारी मर्यादा सी एकता ओर नृत्य , एक खुशी में जो पूरे ब्रह्मांड में अतुलनीय थी। उस असीमित खुशी की खोज ने अंतरिक्ष यात्रियों को पवित्र कंघी बनानेवाले की रेती की तरह इस जनजाति की खोज करने के लिए प्रेरित किया। यदि ब्रह्मांड के खोजकर्ता और समय यात्रियों को जनजाति मिल सकती है, तो निश्चित रूप से पर्वत सरदार और उनकी रानी को इस सब के बीच में देखा जाएगा। माता पार्वती। उनके विचार से ही शिव मुस्कुरा उठे। वह उनके हृदय में केंद्रबिंदु के रूप में विराजमान रानी गहना थीं, जिनके चारों ओर, बाकी सभी अलंकरण में जुटे हुए थे।

Hindi translation by Yash NR

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.

A greater happiness, a beautiful waking.

 

 

They started meeting everyday. Each meeting was a greater happiness, a beautiful waking, which was surrealy dreamy. But Sati had stopped wondering if the dream had indeed come true.
She liked this dreamality. And so, another year passed in love and happiness. She would often ask Him things about spirituality, and hear His answers out with rapt attention.
“Tell me Shiva, what is the whole world play about? What is God, what is consciousness and what is its play?”
“In the beginning was only The One.
And He thought may I be two, may I be many.
To love, and to be loved.
And so the universe came into being.

( From the new book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. )

वे रोज मिलने लगे। हर मुलाकात एक बड़ी खुशी थी, एक सुंदर जागरण, जो वास्तव में स्वप्निल था। लेकिन माता सती ने यह सोचना बंद कर दिया था कि क्या वाकई सपना सच हो गया था। उन्हें यह सपना पसंद आया। और इस तरह, एक और साल प्यार और खुशी में बीत गया। वह अक्सर उनसे आध्यात्मिकता के बारे में बातें पूछती थीं, और बड़े ध्यान से उनके उत्तर सुनती थीं। “बताओ शिव, सारा संसार क्या खेल रहा है? ईश्वर क्या है, चेतना क्या है और उसकी लीला क्या है?” "शुरुआत में केवल एक ही था। और उन्होंने सोचा कि क्या मैं दो हो सकता हूं, क्या मैं कई हो सकता हूं। प्यार करो और प्यार पाओ। और इसलिए ब्रह्मांड अस्तित्व में आया।
Hindi translation by Yash NR