YOUR TURN NOW

 

YOUR TURN NOW

It is said of Shiva that He does not incarnate, He's never born!

but of Parvati's charm, it is said

She is one who can make even Shiva take form.

She alone, with a love unmatched can make

Mahadev exit His endless Dhyan,

wake up in the manifest world!

to witness

an astounding display of Jogin trance,

your turn now, says the Mahadevi softly, to figure the dance.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

THE YOGA OF SHIVA

 

THE YOGA OF SHIVA

This unusual perspective of Shiva on the net, where He is seated almost completely submerged in water but still doing His yoga calmly, brings to our mind what a great Yogi He is.

And this is a sort of vision of the iceberg. Now, we all know that an iceberg is a formation whose mass is never visible to us more than 30% of it's actual dimension. 70% of it is under the Ocean, or it is in an area which we cannot see with our human eyes.

Shiva is very much like this: We cannot ever know Him fully.

Pushpadanta in his prayer 'Shiva mahimna stotram' said, even if God Brahma and Saraswati themselves sat down to write the story of Shiva, using all the water available in all the seas as their ink , the sea would dry up but they would not be able to write even a small portion of His story ; So vast is the Lila of Mahadeva, So large His infinite Self. To be infinite, to be not fully knowable, is His very nature!

Still, in His kindness, Shiva Himself always reaches out to us, and lets us know as much about His vision, creation and life as He possibly can. And just like man needs some kind of underwater telescope to see the larger aspect of the iceberg, he needs to see Shiva with special eyes. And that is what Shiva does for us, He opens our spiritual eyes for us to Spiritualise.

Thus too, the ancient rishis of Kashmir, when they compiled the sacred texts of Shaivism as revealed to them by Shiva Himself, took care to say that Shiva's spirituality can never be known in it's entirety. For example the Siva sutras are in four grades:

Anupaya

Shambhavopaya

Saktoapaya

Anavopaya

But the actual teachings begin with the Shambhavopaya.

Anupaya, which is the highest grade, is not taught to anyone because it is not a teaching, it is a happening, a spontaneous entering of the state of Shiva Himself, and therefore perhaps known only to Him.

Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

KAAL BHAIRAV

 

KAAL BHAIRAV

Lord Shiva is called Bhola Nath, and normally, He is that - the innocent God;

Asutosa, the easily pleased.

But there are times, rare and indeed avoidable, when He gets into an angry vibration and slips into Raudra Roop. He can then be more ferocious than any entity in the Universe. We must never forget He is Bhooth Nath also.

Knowing both aspects well, accordingly, the ancient Rishis in their wisdom sang to Him ‘ Bhakt jana binati karat hain Bhola Nath sada’ This is an old prayer , which asks Him to remain Bhola Nath always.

As Kaal Bhairava, He is virtually the keeper of time, and not only can He create and protect, but also destroy if He so chooses. For Tandav, Shiva’s cosmic dance , the galaxy is a floor, the planets just little props;

The ultimate truth is that since everything emanates from Him, He will always have the last word or the last dance in every number that we play, with His prowess to rattle the Universe out of its track or then to dance it back on rails.

So the real prayer would be in our conduct to keep peace and also offer it to Him to partake.

Aum Namah Shivaye!

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

SHIVA- THE UNBLEMISHED SOUL

 

SHIVA- THE UNBLEMISHED SOUL

“ Who is this uncouth man? What is he doing in Shiva’s baraat, why has he been allowed here?And why don’t Shiva’s men throw him out? ” asked Mena with extreme consternation.

“ He, verily is Shiva, dear Mena” replied Brahma with a twinkle in his eye.

“ He is who ?” cried Mena

“ Your son in law to be, behold Shiva, the Great God of the Universe” replied Brahma with a chuckle,enjoying the Shiva lila.

But Mena fainted.

Parvati, who had been witnessing the whole scene along with her chamber maids, as most brides try to see their grooms before the actual jaimala, now frantically messaged Shiva from her window. She waved furiously and as if by magic telepathy, Shiva looked towards her window, even when he said to his ganas “ I am okay I am not drunk give me another pitcher of bhang! “

Parvati made a sign to Shiva, “ please be yourself, and show my poor mother your sunder roopam, the divine self..”

Shiva alighted from Nandi and stood astutely upon the ground, jettisoning His hitherto mannerism instantly.

Suddenly, he seemed to tower over the whole landscape, and His charming smile exuded a resplendence that penetrated the very depth of everyone’s soul.

“It is not about power and money, not about riches and good looks, Mena Rani” said Brahma, “It is not about the distortions of the body or drunkenness of the mind, It is about the unblemished soul”

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. Part 2 (Humesha)

SARVA, THE ARCHER

 

SARVA, THE ARCHER

"Shiva is the gentlest soul. However, He can also be the most dreadful of all. He is the mightiest warrior these mountains… nay, this world has ever known. No onslaught is powerful enough to even budge Him for more than a moment. On the other hand, none can stand His onslaught. You do know the power that propels His mighty Trisula, but He is also the best archer as Sarva" said Nandi to Bhringhi.

Not only is Shiva a keenly focused meditator,

He has also been known to Master the art of delivering His arrow on a focused target.

Shiva teaches not just aim, but focus

not just steadfastness, but concentration

not just goal, but intent

not just science, but art

not just eternity, but the moment.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.

SHIVA'S WAY

 

SHIVA'S WAY

Meditate, receive the Gyan Ganga upon your head.

Stabilize the impact. Then, trickle it down gently for the others, so that they too may quench their thirst. If you have it, give it freely.

This is simply said, but not so simple to implement.

Ganga resides in the Heavens, seated at the feet of Vishnu. Therefore when She comes 'down to earth', she is torrentially full with Divine knowledge, Gyan.

There is a very thin line between intelligence and Insanity.

Divine Consciousness means a very high intelligence, hitherto, unknown, to the new seeker. So it cannot be given so freely that it leads to insanity, thus we say trickle it.

Thus we sometimes see that even the sages fortress their knowledge, thus we sometimes hear that the wise do not speak of the way.

But still, we have to give it freely, another paradox!

This is a great energy system, akin to a tightrope. If you go too fast, you fall; go too slow, you will fall again.

The Guru is called the dispeller of darkness, like the Sun. The Sun enables us to see, but if we look to it directly, we lose our sight, we go blind, darkness again.

Therefore Shiva,The primal Guru, in His kindness, chooses a pace, known only to Him. He meditates, and receives the Ganga upon His head. He first makes Himself a landing pad, stabilises the impact, and then , He trickles it down gently for all of us.

Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ From the book " The Yogi and the snake-conversations with God Shiva" by Shail Gulhati

A GIFT

 

A GIFT

Mahadev Shiva teaching His young Sons Kartikji and Ganeshji to dance the Ananda Tandava. Life, is a gift wrapped in many layers. Enjoy your birth. Everyday.

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism.