No God in the Hindu pantheon fires the imagination quite like Shiva does! He is an extraordinarily complex figure, whose essence is, in truth, unknowable. His 1008 names describe manifold, deeply polarized attributes. He is awe-inspiring Adi Nath, the Primordial Lord. As Bhuteshvara, he rules over the elements. But he is also Ajagandhi, who smells like a goat; as Bhasmeshvar, he is the ash-smeared one who roams around graveyards.
Among the holy triad of Hindu gods, Shiva is the Destroyer. His power to obliterate the universe however, is not to be interpreted as nihilism. Creation flourishes when the law of dharma prevails and there is equilibrium between the positive and negative. When dark forces prevail, Shiva steps in and destroys everything, thus allowing for a new cycle of regeneration. Shiva is spectacularly represented in this aspect as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer, framed by a circle of fire. One raised arm holds the fire that destroys the universe. The other holds a damaru – a small, hourglass shaped drum from which issues Nada, the primordial sound from which creation originates. Shiva’s third hand points down to his raised foot signifying spiritual liberation. Beneath the other foot lies a squirming demon, popular symbol of ignorance.
He is the Wrathful One whose fierce glare once reduced the hapless Kama, God of Love, to ash; his quick temper also resulted in his unknowingly beheading his own son, Ganesha. At the core of Shiva however, is a deep simplicity. One of his names is Bholenath, the Innocent One. As Ashutosh, he is easily pleased by devotees. Mythology abounds with tales of assorted demons and evildoers who worshipped him and in return received extraordinary powers which they proceeded to misuse!
Shiva’s iconography is rich in symbolism. He wears a crescent moon – the symbol of intuitive powers – upon his forehead. The sacred Ganges flowing from it is the eternal life-force. Two hands hold a weapon each – the trident and the axe. The other two hands are held in mudras or stylized gestures indicating protection to devotees against fear and the giving of boons. His third eye is usually turned inwards (a symbol of spiritual knowledge). The ashes smeared on his body represent the inevitability of death in all life forms.
Shiva’s consort is Parvati or Shakti, the female principle. His divine vehicle is Nandi the Bull. Mahashivaratri, during January-February, is the festival dedicated to Shiva, when devotees fast all day and pray to him at night to be absolved of all their sins.
03/16/2010
03/09/2010
Hindu God Brahma
He is the Creator of the Universe, yet unlike the other two members of the Hindu triad – Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer – Brahma languishes in relative obscurity. Only a handful of temples exist in his honor. While Shiva and Vishnu evoke awe and deep devotion among millions, it’s unlikely you’ll find Brahma worshipped in a typical Hindu home.
Several legends exist to explain his lack of visibility; the common thread running through them is that Brahma so angered another god or sage that He was cursed into insignificance. A sad state of affairs for one who is believed to be the father of Manu, progenitor of mankind!
Brahma is commonly depicted in a lotus flower whose stem emerges from the navel of Vishnu. In other iconography, he is represented as a white bearded, ruddy-complexioned figure with four heads and four arms. Each face constantly recites one of the four Vedas. Differing from other gods, the arms hold no weapons. One hand clasps a spoon-like scepter used to pour oil into a sacred fire – he is thus the Lord of sacrifices. Another holds a metal jar containing water, the fluid signifying ether from which creation evolved. Brahma’s third hand holds prayer beads with which he tracks the passage of time in the Universe. The fourth hand may be shown holding the Vedas or a lotus flower.
Brahma’s consort is Saraswati, who presides over knowledge and the arts. Their divine vehicle is a white swan which possesses the ability to separate a mixture of milk and water. This symbolizes the importance of justice being rendered even to those ensnared in complex circumstances. The swan also represents the power to discern between that which has value from the worthless.
Once a year, on a full moon night between October and November, hundreds of pilgrims gather at Pushkar, Rajasthan to take a dip in the lake close to the Brahma temple and pay their respects to the God.
03/01/2010
Devi – The Sacred Feminine in Hinduism
From Gaia and Ashtart to Isis, Venus and Juno, female divinities have occupied a vital role in ancient cultures. Hinduism though, is the only surviving religion where worship of the feminine principle continues in an unbroken tradition. The ancients named this principle “Shakti” which varyingly means power, divine energy and life force.
Folk vs. classic traditions
While Devi is the generic name for the sacred feminine, there are distinct traditions that determine how she is perceived and worshiped in her myriad manifestations.
In the original folk tradition (still widely followed in southern India), every village has its own Goddess, usually a virgin. These deities are not celestials; rather, many were wronged or desecrated women, their fury transforming them into powerful goddesses who must be constantly worshiped and placated. They preside over disease, fertility, childbirth and death. Villagers stricken with pox-like ailments, for instance, pray to Mariamman or Sitala Devi for deliverance. Another aspect of this feral goddess is Kali, who avenges injustice or tyranny and protects the innocent.
Festivals to honor them incorporated animal sacrifice (now banned by law). Their iconography ranges from vermilion-smeared stones, trees, spears and bronze statues to red clad, magnificently wild-eyed women, armed with a plethora of deadly weapons.
In the classical tradition, derived from ancient religious texts and mythology, Devi is a far more docile, domesticated figure. Lotus-eyed, desirable, gracious and compassionate, she appears in multiple forms both as consort to the gods or as an individual icon.
Parvati is Shiva the Destroyer’s wife, the mother goddess of creation, fertility and marriage. While Shiva is matter itself – the stuff of the Universe – Parvati as Shakti is the dynamic life force. The propitiation of this force is the basis of all Hindu religious practice. Together, Shiva and Parvati symbolize the union of the male and female principles, resulting in Creation and the endless cycle of birth, decay and death.
Lakshmi is wife to Vishnu the Preserver, the radiant goddess of wealth who visits Earth during the festival of Diwali. Saraswati is unique among goddesses across religions in representing the link between intellect and the sacred feminine. Seated on a swan in resplendent white, she presides over literature, the arts and all learning, the patroness of all students. In Vedic hymns, she appears as Vak, or speech, the force that produced the ancient mantras.
The benign countenances and sensuous forms of these goddesses are derived from fertility spirits called yakshis, whose sculpted forms decorate Buddhist and Jain gateways from the 5th century. In this tradition, even Durga, goddess of war, is a strikingly beautiful female figure.
Navratri, a nine-day celebration is dedicated to Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga, a thanksgiving festival and a time to experience the Goddess in all her glory.
The Goddess in popular culture
More forms of the Goddess are revered in mythology and celebrated in music and dance. Usha, Prithvi and Aditi are associated with the earth in Vedic literature, but are no longer worshiped. Radha, beloved of Lord Krishna is deeply venerated in northern India. Sita, Lord Rama’s wife in the Ramayana is upheld in popular culture as an ideal of womanhood.
In popular stories recounted over generations, these goddesses are virtually a part of Hindu families. By turns passionate, wise, devious, warm and jealous, they too need the love of their devotees! The Goddess continues to evolve, even in our mundane times! In 1975, a simplistic, folk-tale based Hindi film, Jai Santoshi Ma became a runaway hit. Its protagonist, Santoshi Ma (Goddess of Contentment), a little known deity until then, “crossed over” into mainstream religious practice and began to be worshiped widely by north Indian women as an abiding symbol of family values, peace and happiness.
02/21/2010
Holy Sites in India - II
Some of the most famous sites of Pilgrimage in Southern India
are:
Tirupati: Dedicated to Vishnu, this temple is the wealthiest
place of worship in the world, and the number of visitors in a day
sometimes surpasses 200,000. Although the exact age of the temple is not
known, it is believed that there are references to it in literature
from 500 BC.
Sabarimala: Located in the Western Ghats in Kerala, this temple
is the destination of the world’s second largest annual pilgrimage
(after the Haj), and attracts several pilgrims from other faiths.
Rameshwaram: Considered by Hindus to be among the holiest of
places, this is where Prince Rama is believed to have prayed to Lord
Shiva to appease him after he killed the demon king Ravana who was also a
great devotee of Lord Shiva.
02/16/2010
Holy Sites in India - I
Hindus have a sacred tradition of pilgrimage to holy sites, although it is not considered mandatory. Most Hindus do embark on one at some point in their lives – mostly by choice, and sometimes due to necessity, for the performance of specific religious rites. Hindus believe that the act of undertaking a pilgrimage and the considerable discipline and abstinence it often demands of pilgrims helps in the atonement of sins and ultimately leads to the eternal liberation of their souls from the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
Some of the most famous sites of Pilgrimage in Northern India are:
Kashi / Varanasi: The city of Varanasi, considered by Hindus to be the holiest of all places, is believed to be the oldest surviving city in the world. It has been a centre of culture and learning for over 3000 years. Hindus believe that by dying in Kashi, their souls will be liberated from the cycle of life and death.
Vaishno Devi: Dedicated to Shakti, the Mother Goddess, this is the most visited shrine in North India. The temple is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of 5200 feet and has natural rock formations of the Goddess in the forms of Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati.
Rishikesh and Haridwar: Located at the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges, Rishikesh is the gateway to the holy Himalayan shrines of
02/11/2010
Maha Shivratri: The Night of Shiva
Maha Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. This year it falls on a moonless Friday night of February 12, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord. Shivratri (Sanskrit 'ratri' = night) is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction.
02/08/2010
What is the meaning of "Tirtha"?
In Hinduism, a visit to a sacred place is referred to as a tirtha-yatra with tirtha referring to a holy place and yatra, a journey. A tirtha, which literally means water in Sanskrit, is a place where there is a lake, river, well, pond or sea, the waters of which are considered to be holy.
India has many tirthas, such as Pushkar, Naimisharanya, Kedarnath, Kurukshetra, Badirinath, Nashik and Kailash Mansarovar. In fact, the shores of the holy rivers such as Godavari, Ganga, Yamuna, Cauvery, Krishna and Narmada too are considered important tirthas. One of the holiest tirthas is said to be Rameshwaram, located at the southernmost tip of India.
Indian scriptures say that those who make offerings and give gifts at such tirthas earn good karma. Long pilgrimages are made to these tirthas and, often, pilgrims impose several austerities on themselves – some even choose to walk long distances on foot to reach the tirthas.
02/01/2010
Hinduism & Buddhism
The philosophies of Buddhism that are similar to Hinduism are:
- The belief that the soul is immortal
- The principle of karma – cause and effect of one’s actions
- The concept of rebirth to neutralize good and bad karma
- The ultimate goal of liberation from the cycle of life and death (Moksha/ Nirvana)
Those that are not:
- Buddha rejected the rituals and symbols of worship of Hinduism.
- Buddha rejected the Hindu caste system, and taught of the equality of all living creatures.
- Buddhism advocates non-violence – Hinduism encourages standing up for oneself when the need arises, and going to war if necessary.
01/26/2010
Hinduism, a Philosophy?
The ancient Vedic faith of Hinduism is perhaps the oldest organized surviving religion today – so old that it predates history. Thought to have originated around 3000 BCE, it cannot be attributed to any single founder, does not worship any single God, and does not follow any single philosophy. The term “Hindu” originated as a secular term; coined perhaps by Persians and Arabs to refer to the people who lived beyond the River Indus, and only acquiring communal overtones after the 17th century. Hinduism therefore refers generally to the (rather disparate) ways of life of those people.
The inherently diverse, complex nature of Hinduism makes it near impossible to state a defining philosophy. There is general agreement on the significance of the immortal soul (as against the triviality of the body, which is nothing more than a vehicle for the soul). The soul must stay on earth (albeit in a succession of different bodies through rebirth) until all its misdeeds have been nullified. The purpose of a Hindu’s life, then, is to attain liberation (Moksha) from this cycle of life and death.
Broadly, there may be said to be three schools of thought regarding the path to attaining Moksha – Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita.
- Advaita, defined by the Sanskrit phrase “Tat Tvam Asi” (That Thou Art) argues that all life and the “Brahman” or God, are one and the same, and the pursuit of knowledge is the way to merge with the Brahman.
- Vishishtadvaita states that all life forms are part of, and make up the supreme whole, as drops of water make the ocean. The path to liberation is knowledge and devotion.
- Dvaita is dualistic, and much like Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believe in the superiority of God over his followers, and that the path to Moksha is self-surrender, devotion and worship.
Some believe that these are but references to stages of realization, with the soul progressing from Dvaita, the basic stage, to Advaita through the acquisition of knowledge and the practice of meditation.
01/18/2010
Hinduism 101
No, it is Hinduism!
What you see are lamps, flowers, fire, incense… what you do not see are the Vedas, the Vedanta and abstract concepts such as Dharma (righteousness), Karma (duty) and many others that make Hinduism what it is.
A quest
Hinduism was never meant to be a mere religion. It does not restrict itself to just one facet of human belief or one sphere of human activity. It goes beyond being a philosophy, a religion and a set of beliefs, rituals and practices. It is a quest which seeks to give rationality to reality by questioning it and seeking to explain ‘what is’, in a manner that is easy to understand and interesting enough to uphold. It is an entity whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
A way of living
Hinduism was initially called ‘Sanātana Dharmā’ which means ‘the eternal law that supports and sustains those who practice it’. It is based on the principles of Sāmānya Dharma (ethical values common to all) and samskāras (rituals). Ethical values train people to discipline their lives to be in harmony with the society while prescribed rituals serve to fine tune daily living. Dr. Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer said “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology”. Modern science is able to explain many Vedic prescriptions only now!
The Vedas – A Knowledge Bank
At the very base of Hinduism lie the four timeless Vedas, which have been handed down by the Supreme Being, to a chosen few who proved themselves worthy enough to absorb it. These four Vedas, the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sāma Veda and the Atharva Veda form a vast and deep ocean of knowledge. They answer many questions and prescribe courses of action.
The Vedas lay down the varna (caste) system, a broad structure for the society based on the division of labor, the asramās or four stages of life that cater to the basic tendencies that surface at each stage of life and the codes of conduct and duty so that both the individual and the society flourish.
Over five thousand years, Hinduism has been interpreted, reinterpreted, modified, customized, deified, vilified, assaulted, reinvented and it still remains Hinduism, alive and thriving with all its warts and moles! Go ahead and Google the term Hinduism; there are 6,840,000 plus links for you to make the journey from the ritual to the spiritual and from the temporal to the sublime!
