This first time I was allowed into the outer sanctum was in Nepal. The second time was in a tiny temple in Trivandrum (south India) where my third eye was opened while I made an little offeing of flowers to the Deity in the inner sanctum, and my heart could indeed hear the "Om" the very resonence of creation and indeed the universe...Both occasions affected me very deeply. and if the soul has harmonics mine were playing me a veritable lullaby as I learned more and more about this most mystic and spiritual Faith. I found myself carried on a beautiful wave of learning and although my knowledge of Hinduism is very limited I find great peace when I meditate or even think about Lord Shiva!
Shiva is a main Hindu deity and he forms part of the trinity (with Bhrama and Vishnu) which is the very core of the Hindu faith.
His name in Sanskrit is written thus:
शिव
Which means the auspicious one! But Lord Shiva has many names...and is represented in many forms.....
Lord Shiva is often depicted as a beautiful youth while at the same time as a Yogi with the wisdom of ages. Often he is depicted as dancing the Tandava and stamping his feet on the demon of ignorance. In this form he is the Nataraja, dancing the sacred dance of creation and destruction. For as Lord Shiva is indeed the creator he is also, in turn, the destroyer and worshipped as such with very deep reverence. Shiva is also worshipped in his form as a Lingam or Linga. This form is often seen as a stone collum often thought by scholers as being phallic. But if I am honest here the Lingam does not look very phallic, but its symbolism is all important, representing creation, sustinance and passing of all things, fading out of time itself...seen as the end of the Universe.
Lord Shiva has a third eye on his forhead called Tryambakam and this has many meanings which I am only begining to contemplate. When I consider the third eye I find my thoughts drifting back to the Pineal gland, which as humans, we all have buried in the deepest and at the very epicenter of the most ancient part of our brains. (this was covered in a previous blog of mine)
Shiva wears a deer in the left upper hand. He has a Trident in the right lower arm, with a crescent moon on his head. He is said to be fair like camphor or like an ice clad mountain. He has fire and Damaru and Malu or a kind of weapon. He wears five serpents as ornaments. He wears a garland of skulls. He is pressing with his feet the demon Muyalaka, a dwarf holding a cobra.... He faces south.... Panchakshara itself is his body. His body is seen as covered in ashes!
His throte is blue as he drank poison in the waters and oceans of the world... and his hair is often seen as being curly or even matted or dreadlocked. He rides a beauitfull white Bull called Nandi, and this is why bulls and cows are considered very sacred in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka...Shiva is also seen with a great cobra which symbolises his strength over even the most wild animals!
Anyway, you can see for yourself as I have found these utterly beautifull Shiva (gifs or animations) for meditation!
Firstly we see Shiva as "Nataraja" Lord of the cosmic dance of creation and destruction! (my favorite representation!)
It has been much to my great pleasure and priveledge to have visited Varanasi (sometimes called Banares or Kashi, city of light) which is the most holy city in India and Hindu's make pilgrimages here and many hope to be cremated on the Sacred Ghats on the river of the Ganges..
This is me on my visit to Varanasi in 1995!
.....with love, blessings x