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.”


From :  SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. 

PRAYERS TO SHIVA

 

PRAYERS TO SHIVA

“Bhujgendrahaaram,” said Suta loudly. “The one who wears snakes as garlands. Damrudhaaram—The One who rattles an hourglass drum to time all of life.” Then changing his tone to a musical note, he continued, “Nataraja Dum Dum—The one who dances in rhythm with the drum-beat created by Himself, as though to set a pace for us. Trinetra Devam—The Three-Eyed One, who is the most powerful. Yogi Dhyaanam—yet, unassuming like a recluse ascetic in the forest. Jai Shiva Trinetra Trisuldhaaram!” resounded Suta.

“Hail Shiva, the Three-Eyed One who wields in turn, the

three-pronged spear” repeated Shaunaka.

“So you see, my child, a prayer to Shiva, was the description of Shiva, repeated to Him.”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

TRIPURSUNDARI

 

TRIPURSUNDARI

High upon a throne,

a beauty rarely shown,

in glory fully grown.

And

heaven bowed to see,

her holy majesty,

whispering, you are the endless sea……

Ah

Tripura ~

we seek thy royal seat,

where light and shadows meet,

to rest beneath thy feet.

Life’s ever-turning maze

confounds our mortal ways,

yet, You Once again amaze,

and guide us through the haze,

Sundari Ma, and we, sheltered thus

a child remain, in perfect trust.

High upon the throne,

the Mother sits alone.

~ Shiva poetry

TRAYAMBAKAM

 

TRAYAMBAKAM

We live our life in dimension three.

Length, breadth and height is what we see.

Food clothing shelter

for the most time have us.

And we are always found lost,

running helter skelter.

A wise man once said " You are not to blame"

for you do not see

and how can you want that

which you cannot see.

Nor do we hear or smell

much less touch.

And it is fine:

We have learnt the market rules,

life is in routine, just like a well oiled machine.

But then somehow, a presence is felt,

and the height breadth and length

all change

topsy turvy go our securities

and suddenly we realise its running dry

this strangely stuttering life

that was once our well oiled being.

Lengths breadths widths

inches feet and miles

we live our world by measures

always wanting more.

Aum Trayambakam!

O three eyed One

finally you made us feel your immeasurable Self

help us Mahadev,

to see dimension four.

~ From Shiva poetry vol 2 by Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

MOKSHA SPOKE

 

MOKSHA SPOKE

What is this difficult word, Moksha,I thought, will a person like me ever get to find it,the ultimate liberation, even by the end of life?

Then Moksha spoke:

You do not find me at the end of life.Look within yourself, where I always reside.

~ Shail Gulhati

THE PRESENCE OF SHIVA

 

THE PRESENCE OF SHIVA

The presence of Shiva

is your life’s peak!

Take any way and reach;

From the Mountains, He does speak:

every creature,

mighty or then, meek

is loved

and welcomed with all the blessing

and cheer

you seek.

Namah Shivaye, Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shiva Poetry by Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

SHIVA’S DREAM

 

SHIVA’S DREAM

As I take the sip of life

ruminating of times

and places I have been,

Those friends , the lovers

come back to the scene.

As I take the sip of life

I can clearly hear

their song of love Divine.

But, then it flits,

like a cloud!

a passing dream

and i am left alone

to gasp

what have I done where have I been?

The heavens, this earth

and much in- between

I care no more that I am the soul supreme

I wait the waking of the timeless dream,

perchance to dance with every being....

~ From the book ‘ Shiva poetry’ by Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

Lord Shiva

 

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,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!He now involves himself in meditating and re-connecting with his transcendent Godness,Such connecting is termed as “yoga”,and so, shiva the yogi, 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.

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 Shiva 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 andDevi, Shiva’s consort Herself.In the beginning, only Shiva is. He is endowed with immense power,Shakti,which is none other thanDevi,the eternal consort. The two are inseparable, like any one thing and its inherent nature: God, and Mother Nature “In-here” in each other as one. They create Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma creates the world,and enters it, so does Vishnu,and,yes, So do shiva and devi. 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, all is absorbed back to him,but,those are lucky, who get absorbed in godheadin their current birth, whilst retaining their body,that is, before dying .This is attainment. 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,the ending of identifying too much with the finites. Shiva guides us to higher wisdom by the ‘taking away’ of junk messages that haveaccumulated in our minds through ages,and have resulted not only in personal misery,but also creating chaos and disharmony when we come together in collective soceities.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.‘Verily’,teaches Shiva, ‘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….Shiva 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.

~ Shail Gulhati is the author of

SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

SHIVA VISHNU LOVE

 

SHIVA VISHNU LOVE

He had known Vishnu, the other God, through at least two of His incarnations. He had known Him as Rama, from His forest meanderings and resonated so completely with Him in the love for one’s spouse.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

MAHADEVA- LORD OF TANTRA

 

MAHADEVA- LORD OF TANTRA

Shiva was the Lord of Tantra, a unique system of weaving together God’s science of manifestation. He often taught His ganas the tantra, saying, “ from the very beginning of the world, there was an interplay of Shiva and Shakti. I , a Poet, and She, an Artist. Whatever I sang in divine verse, She painted on the canvas of the world. And life began. Whatever you see around you, has been given by your mother.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

Nature is simple. Live simply, live lovingly.

 

We all want the same thing- love. But we hide this , and we have complicated things. Look around you, Nature is simple. Live simply, live lovingly.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

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.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN SHIVA TOLD HIS OWN STORY

 

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN SHIVA TOLD HIS OWN STORY

“There was a time when Shiva Himself told His story to the forest dwellers, and Vyasa, the bard, used his prolific skill to record the self-revelations of the Divine One. And then, true to His trademark humility, Shiva receded into the background. But perhaps, wishing secretly that we would all remember Him, we would all know His legend, always.” Rishi Suta said.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

WHEN ONE BREATH HAS GONE

 

WHEN ONE BREATH HAS GONE

When one breath has gone

and another yet to come

Who is it that sees?

O Parvati,

Who at the bridge of Thy Brow breathes?

~ From the book 'Shiva poetry 'by Shail Gulhati

HJMESHA

 

HJMESHA

“Shiva, will we be together?”

“We are together,” He smiled.

“No. I mean, will we be together always, like this?”

“Yes, we will always be together.”

“Is it possible for one to be conjoined by her Isha? Please don’t wake me up from this dream…” said Sati

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

THE LOVE OF MA

 

THE LOVE OF MA

In Shiva’s silent realm, the soul is always one, resting in the stillness older than the sun.

But Ma Shakti loves the theater of the many through the two, Dancing through her lila just to play a loving game with you.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

BY HIMSELF

 

BY HIMSELF

By Himself he was God,

an unending canvas of the brightest light,

She scribbled Her love lines all over Him

and the world was born.

~ Shiva poetry Vol2

Kashmir Shaiv Darsana- कश्मीर शैव दर्शन

 

 Dear friends,

We all want to be able to talk about our deeper thoughts on life, without the fear of being misunderstood.
We all want to take charge of our own life in terms of awareness, and raise our self esteem.

But sometimes we are ‘stuck’ at a particular station and feel as if the train is not moving on. And we need help in finding clarity about our spiritual journey.We want a shorter and happier way to the next peak of our own attainment.
We all feel the need to harmonise the material world we have to live in, with the spiritual paradise we dream of. And,most of all,we all want to simply love and be loved.

Thirty years ago, when i embarked on my spiritual journey with the same questions, i went through a whole lot of literature,views,traditions,sadhus, and intense meditation. And i finally came upon Kashmir Shaiv darsana- Shiva's way as was given to the rishis of ancient Kashmir. Shiva's sutras and wisdoms can actually help us to understand the play of Karma and the collective past, and then re- direct our life with full awareness into a progressive future, from the present moment. Right from where we are now.

It is my effort to share these wisdoms in a simpler, more understandable, and easily applicable manner in my guidance sessions. For appointment details, please drop a message to admin inbox.
Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.
Author of :

The Yogi and the snake
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Shiva Poetry
And Life Said.

प्रिय मित्रों,

हम सभी गलत समझे जाने के डर के बिना, जीवन के बारे में अपने गहन विचारों के बारे में बात करने में सक्षम होना चाहते हैं।

हम सभी जागरूकता के मामले में अपने जीवन का प्रभार लेना चाहते हैं, और अपने आत्म सम्मान को बढ़ाना चाहते हैं।

लेकिन कभी-कभी हम किसी विशेष स्टेशन पर 'फंसे' होते हैं और ऐसा महसूस करते हैं कि ट्रेन आगे नहीं बढ़ रही है। और हमें अपनी आध्यात्मिक यात्रा के बारे में स्पष्टता खोजने में मदद की ज़रूरत है। हम अपनी प्राप्ति के अगले शिखर पर एक छोटा और खुशहाल रास्ता चाहते हैं।

हम सभी उस भौतिक संसार में सामंजस्य स्थापित करने की आवश्यकता महसूस करते हैं जिसमें हम रहना चाहते हैं, जिस आध्यात्मिक स्वर्ग का हम सपना देखते हैं। और, सबसे बढ़कर, हम सब केवल प्रेम करना और प्रेम पाना चाहते हैं।

तीस साल पहले, जब मैंने उन्हीं सवालों के साथ अपनी आध्यात्मिक यात्रा शुरू की, तो मैं बहुत सारे साहित्य, विचारों, परंपराओं, साधुओं और गहन ध्यान से गुजरा। और मैं अंत में कश्मीर शैव दर्शन पर आया-  शिव का मार्ग जैसा कि प्राचीन कश्मीर के ऋषियों को दिया गया था। शिवजी के सूत्र और ज्ञान वास्तव में हमें कर्म के खेल और सामूहिक अतीत को समझने में मदद कर सकते हैं, और फिर वर्तमान क्षण से हमारे जीवन को एक प्रगतिशील भविष्य में पूर्ण जागरूकता के साथ पुनर्निर्देशित कर सकते हैं। अभी हम जहां हैं वहीं से।

मार्गदर्शन सत्रों में इन ज्ञान को सरल, अधिक समझने योग्य और आसानी से लागू होने वाले तरीके से साझा करने का मेरा प्रयास है।

ओम नमः शिवाय।