15. Shiva and Parvati

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

15. Shiva and Parvati 15. Shiva and Parvati Shiva is one of the trimurti (three main deities). He is in charge of destruction. He destroys the universe by dancing and beating on his drum. Shiva is white with a blue throat although he is often shown with dark blue skin. He carries a trident (a spear with three points) and a small drum. He has snakes around his neck and arms. In his hair is the crescent moon, and the River Ganges, which he caught when it came down from heaven. Shiva rides on a bull called Nandi. He lives in Mount Kailash, a very high mountain in the Himalayas (in North India). He is often shown sitting on a tiger skin and meditating. Shiva’s wife is Shakti, who is also called Parvati. She has many other names such as Devi, Durga and “The Goddess”. She is Mother Nature; she is kind but also can seem to be cruel. Parvati is shown with two arms, (often holding a blue lotus in her right © Copyright (text) ISKCON Educational Services, 2003 hand). When she comes as Durga, she rides a lion and has ten arms, carrying lots of different weapons. Shiva and Parvati have two sons – Ganesh (see Card 14) and Skanda. Some Hindus say that they also have two daughters, Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth – see Card 12) and Sarasvati (the goddess of learning). The day when Shiva and Parvati got married is celebrated on a festival called Maha Shiva Ratri. It happens in February or March. Worshippers of Shiva are called Shaivas (it rhymes with ‘divers’). They wear three white lines going across the forehead (as you can see on Shiva in this picture). Worshippers of Shakti are called ‘Shaktas’. The other main group in Hinduism worships Vishnu. They are called Vaishnavas. So, there are three main groups in Hinduism. © Copyright (text) ISKCON Educational Services, 2003.
Recommended publications
  • Two Shakti Pithas of Kandhamal District
    Orissa Review September - 2009 Two Shakti Pithas of Kandhamal District Raghunatha Rath Shakti cult or Mother Goddess worship had been level are known as Rastra Devi. They are being traced in the Indus valley civilization. Hence we Hinduized in name and process of worship also believe that from the ancient period Mother and Bramhin priests are engaged by the state. Goddess is being worshipped in India. Suktas The deities Pattakhanda and Baral Devi were dedicated in the Vedas to as much as forty of Kandhamal district have a tribal root, in course female deities. It is widely of time they have developed to accepted by scholars that the the status of regional fame being root of Shakti worship is laying patronized by local chiefs and in Devi Sukta of Rig Veda. So worshipped by both tribals and there is no doubt about non-tribals which helped the ancientness of mother chiefs to subdue the tribal Goddess worship in India. subjects and to gain control over In Adibasi community them. In the following paras we most of deities belongs to will come to know about both the female line. They worship deities in detail. Earth Goddess, River Goddess Pattakhanda Goddess, and Mountain Goddess etc. All the sources The word Pattakhanda literally of nature are worshiped as means "chief sword or main Goddesses in tribal societies. sword". Pattakhanda worship Likewise at the end of each indicates worship of weapons. village in Odisha we can Weapons are regarded as Goddess Durga, which is witness a place dedicated to Goddess Pattakhanda Mother Goddess, known by prevalent in the Hindu society of different names.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lion : Mount of Goddess Durga
    Orissa Review * October - 2004 The Lion : Mount of Goddess Durga Pradeep Kumar Gan Shaktism, the cult of Mother Goddess and vast mass of Indian population, Goddess Durga Shakti, the female divinity in Indian religion gradually became the supreme object of 5 symbolises form, energy or manifestation of adoration among the followers of Shaktism. the human spirit in all its rich and exuberant Studies on various aspects of her character in variety. Shakti, in scientific terms energy or our mythology, religion, etc., grew in bulk and power, is the one without which no leaf can her visual representation is well depicted in stir in the world, no work can be done without our art and sculpture. It is interesting to note 1 it. The Goddess has been worshipped in India that the very origin of her such incarnation (as from prehistoric times, for strong evidence of Durga) is mainly due to her celestial mount a cult of the mother has been unearthed at the (vehicle or vahana) lion. This lion is usually pre-vedic civilization of the Indus valley. assorted with her in our literature, art sculpture, 2 According to John Marshall Shakti Cult in etc. But it is unfortunate that in our earlier works India was originated out of the Mother Goddess the lion could not get his rightful place as he and was closely associated with the cult of deserved. Siva. Saivism and Shaktism were the official In the Hindu Pantheon all the deities are religions of the Indus people who practised associated in mythology and art with an animal various facets of Tantra.
    [Show full text]
  • GCSE Hinduism Shakti Definition: Shakti : Idea of God As a Female
    GCSE Hinduism Shakti Definition: Shakti : idea of God as a female power. Some renowned forms of God as Mother, are Parvati, Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati Key Points Parvati: 1) Female Shakti 2) Consort of Lord Shiva. 3) Power to other devis come from her 4) Mother to Kartika & Ganesh Idea of God(shiva) and his manifesting power(parvati) are inseparable Durga 1) Role of the destroyer of evil 2) Sent to kill buffalo-demon, Maheshasura, 3) Carrying many different divine weapons to fight Maheshasura 4) She battled against the demon for 9 days and nights. 5) On the 10 th day the devil was killed – Dusserah 6) Durga puja is the festival celebrated mainly in eastern part of India. 7) She is seated on a tiger – suppression of ego. Lakshmi 1) Consort of Vishnu 2) Goddess of Beauty, Prosperity(wealth) and benevolence(love) 3) Wears a red/pink sari 4) Holds a lotus in 2 hands, and money flowing from other 2 hands 5) Money flowing represents offerings to devotees 6) Particularly worshipped at Diwali - Laksmi Pujan Saraswati 1) Consort of Brahma 2) Personification of Knowledge & aesthetics a. Expressed via art, music & dance 3) Holds a Veena (instrument like a sitar) 4) Wears a white Sari – symbol of purity 5) Holds scriptures in one hand for knowledge & rosary(mala) in another – for austerity Kali 1) Female role of destroyer (like female Shiva) so has scary appearance 2) Has black skin & hair 3) Necklace of skulls 4) Scary appearance shows God is both creator and destroyer, as if god creates everything, then only He can destroy it.
    [Show full text]
  • Essays and Addresses on the Śākta Tantra-Śāstra
    ŚAKTI AND ŚĀKTA ESSAYS AND ADDRESSES ON THE ŚĀKTA TANTRAŚĀSTRA BY SIR JOHN WOODROFFE THIRD EDITION REVISED AND ENLARGED Celephaïs Press Ulthar - Sarkomand - Inquanok – Leeds 2009 First published London: Luzac & co., 1918. Second edition, revised and englarged, London: Luzac and Madras: Ganesh & co., 1919. Third edition, further revised and enlarged, Ganesh / Luzac, 1929; many reprints. This electronic edition issued by Celephaïs Press, somewhere beyond the Tanarian Hills, and mani(n)fested in the waking world in Leeds, England in the year 2009 of the common error. This work is in the public domain. Release 0.95—06.02.2009 May need furthur proof reading. Please report errors to [email protected] citing release number or revision date. PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. HIS edition has been revised and corrected throughout, T and additions have been made to some of the original Chapters. Appendix I of the last edition has been made a new Chapter (VII) in the book, and the former Appendix II has now been attached to Chapter IV. The book has moreover been very considerably enlarged by the addition of eleven new Chapters. New also are the Appendices. The first contains two lectures given by me in French, in 1917, before the Societé Artistique et Literaire Francaise de Calcutta, of which Society Lady Woodroffe was one of the Founders and President. The second represents the sub- stance (published in the French Journal “Le Lotus bleu”) of two lectures I gave in Paris, in the year 1921, before the French Theosophical Society (October 5) and at the Musée Guimet (October 6) at the instance of L’Association Fran- caise des amis de L’Orient.
    [Show full text]
  • Yajur Veda to Vaisampayana, the Sama Veda to Jaimini and the Atharva Veda to Sumantu
    Introduction to Vedic Knowledge second volume: The Four Original Vedas Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads by Parama Karuna Devi Copyright © 2012 Parama Karuna Devi All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1482598299 ISBN-13: 978-1482598292 published by Jagannatha Vallabha Research Center PAVAN House, Siddha Mahavira patana, Puri 752002 Orissa Web presence: http://www.jagannathavallabha.com http://www.facebook.com/ParamaKarunaDevi http://jagannathavallabhavedicresearch.wordpress.com/ When, How and by Whom the Vedas Were Written In the previous chapters we have seen how Vedic knowledge has been perceived in the West and in India in the past centuries, and which misconceptions have developed because of the superimposition of various influences and motivations. We have also seen how Vedic knowledge transcends time and applies to reality itself, and how at each age it is again presented in the modalities and in the dimensions required to cater for the needs of the people of that age. Therefore when we speak of Vedic scriptures we refer not only to the original manuscripts that bear witness to the great antiquity of Hinduism in this age, but also to the previous versions of which we do not have copies, and also to the later texts compiled by self-realized souls that explain the original knowledge in harmony with the same eternal conclusions. For example in the case of the Puranas ("ancient stories") we see that the original version is presented and elaborated by a series of realized teachers. In the Bhagavata purana the two most prominent speakers are Sukadeva and Suta; Suta had received the knowledge of this Purana from Sukadeva when Sukadeva was speaking to King Parikshit and the Parama Karuna Devi other great sages assembled on the bank of the Ganges, and later he transmitted it to Saunaka and the other sages assembled at Naimisharanya.
    [Show full text]
  • Maha Shivaratri
    Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri (Maha Shivratri, Maha Sivaratri, Shivaratri, Sivaratri) is a festival that is dedicated to the worship Lord Shiva on the 13th or 14th day of the Hindu month of Maagha or Phalguna. The festival usually occurs in the month of February or March and is observed for one day and night only. The festival of 'Maha Shivratri' which literally translates to 'the greatest night of Shiva' is one of the most splendidly celebrated festivals across India. But, why is Shivratri celebrated? There is more than one Mahashivaratri story surrounding this occasion. Here are a few: • One is that Lord Shiva married Parvati on this day. So, it is a celebration of this sacred union. • Another is that when the Gods and demons churned the ocean together to obtain ambrosia that lay in its depths, a pot of poison emerged. Lord Shiva consumed this poison, saving both the Gods and mankind. The poison lodged in the Lord’s throat, turning him blue. To honor the savior of the world, Shivratri is celebrated. • One more legend is that as Goddess Ganga descended from heaven in full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his matted locks, and released her on to Earth as several streams. This prevented destruction on Earth. As a tribute to Him, the Shivalinga is bathed on this auspicious night. • Also, it is believed that the formless God Sadashiv appeared in the form of a Lingodhbhav Moorthi at midnight. Hence, people stay awake all night, offering prayers to the God. A student's experience of celebrating Maha Shiviratri I came from Mauritius and Maha Shivaratri is celebrated during the new moon and during this period of time most Hindus will start there pilgrimage to the sacred lake of Ganga Talao located in Grande Bassin.
    [Show full text]
  • Kartikeya : the Destroyers Son Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    KARTIKEYA : THE DESTROYERS SON PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Anuja Chandramouli | 240 pages | 20 Oct 2017 | Rupa & Co | 9788129149114 | English | New Delhi, India KARTIKEYA : The Destroyers Son PDF Book In this part of the Interview, she tells us how the journey of the book first happened, how it feels now that she is finally plugging the holes in Shiva's sons' phase, and much more, Folks Then Shiva announces a contest, saying that the first child who goes round the whole world and comes back first would be the one to get the fruit. She serves the Devas first and then proceeds to feign disappointment that the Amrita got over before she could feed the Asuras. Shiva is depicted in many moods, of which the Mahakala form is the most feared. Lord Karttikeya is a well known figure in Hindu mythology. This was done mainly to bridge the gap between the various Hindu sects in existence at the time. His vehicle is the peacock, which represents the destroyer of harmful habits and the conqueror of sensual desires. But not all Kavadi types involve extreme physical endurance. Sign up to join this community. The Vel Kavadi is the most spectacular object of worship. So guys, go and grab your Copy Now from here. PIN IT. After Rudra decapitated this boy. He may be depicted sitting, reclining, standing, dancing, playing with his family, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations. The end was beautiful. His hair is matted and he is adorned with snake and skull ornaments. It also means kind, pure, generous and gracious.
    [Show full text]
  • Devi: the Great Goddess (Smithsonian Institute)
    Devi: The Great Goddess Detail of "Bhadrakali Appears to Rishi Chyavana." Folio 59 from the Tantric Devi series. India, Punjab Hills, Basohli, ca 1660-70. Opaque watercolor, gold, silver, and beetle-wing cases on paper. Purchase, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution F1997.8 Welcome to Devi: The Great Goddess. This web site has been developed in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name. The exhibition is on view at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery from March 29, 1999 through September 6, 1999. Like the exhibition, this web site looks at the six aspects of the Indian goddess Devi. The site offers additional information on the contemporary and historical worship of Devi, activities for children and families, and a list of resources on South Asian arts and cultures. You may also want to view another Sackler web site: Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion, an on-line guide for educators explores Hindu worship and provides lesson plans and activities for children. This exhibition is made possible by generous grants from Enron/Enron Oil & Gas International, the Rockefeller Foundation, The Starr Foundation, Hughes Network Systems, and the ILA Foundation, Chicago. Related programs are made possible by Victoria P. and Roger W. Sant, the Smithsonian Educational Outreach Fund, and the Hazen Polsky Foundation. http://www.asia.si.edu/devi/index.htm (1 of 2) [7/1/2000 10:06:15 AM] Devi: The Great Goddess | Devi Homepage | Text Only | | Who is Devi | Aspects of Devi | Interpreting Devi | Tantric Devi | For Kids | Resources | | Sackler Homepage | Acknowledgements | The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560.
    [Show full text]
  • Part I the Religions of Indian Origin
    Part I The Religions of Indian Origin MRC01 13 6/4/04, 10:46 AM Religions of Indian Origin AFGHANISTAN CHINA Amritsar Kedamath Rishikesh PAKISTAN Badrinath Harappa Hardwar Delhi Indus R. NEPAL Indus Civilization BHUTAN Mohenjo-daro Ayodhya Mathura Lucknow Ganges R. Pushkar Prayag BANGLADESH Benares Gaya Ambaji I N D I A Dakshineshwar Sidphur Bhopal Ahmadabad Jabalpur Jamshedpur Calcutta Dwarka Dakor Pavagadh Raipur Gimar Kadod Nagpur Bhubaneswar Nasik-Tryambak Jagannath Puri Bombay Hyderabad Vishakhapatnam Arabian Sea Panaji Bay of Bengal Tirupati Tiruvannamalai-Kaiahasti Bangalore Madras Mangalore Kanchipuram Pondicherry Calicut Kavaratti Island Madurai Thanjavar Hindu place of pilgrimage Rameswaram Pilgrimage route Major city SRI LANKA The Hindu cultural region 14 MRC01 14 6/4/04, 10:46 AM 1 Hinduism Hinduism The Spirit of Hinduism Through prolonged austerities and devotional practices the sage Narada won the grace of the god Vishnu. The god appeared before him in his hermitage and granted him the fulfillment of a wish. “Show me the magic power of your Maya,” Narada prayed. The god replied, “I will. Come with me,” but with an ambiguous smile on his lips. From the shade of the hermit grove, Vishnu led Narada across a bare stretch of land which blazed like metal under the scorching sun. The two were soon very thirsty. At some distance, in the glaring light, they perceived the thatched roofs of a tiny village. Vishnu asked, “Will you go over there and fetch me some water?” “Certainly, O Lord,” the saint replied, and he made off to the distant group of huts. When Narada reached the hamlet, he knocked at the first door.
    [Show full text]
  • Kashmir Shaivism Pdf
    Kashmir shaivism pdf Continue Trident (trishalabija mashalam), symbol and Yantra Parama Shiva, representing the triadic energies of the supreme goddess Para, Para-apara and Apara Sakti. Part of a series onShaivism DeitiesParamashiva(Supreme being) Shiva Sadasiva Bhairava Rudra Virabhadra Shakti Durga Kali Parvati Sati Ganesha Murugan Sastha Shiva forms Others Scriptures and texts Vedas Upanishads (Svetasvatara) Agamas and Tantras Shivasutras Tirumurai Vachanas Philosophy Three Components Pati Pashu Pasam Three bondages Anava Karma Maya 36 Tattvas Yoga Satkaryavada Abhasavada Svatantrya Aham Practices Vibhuti Rudraksha Panchakshara Bilva Maha Shivaratri Yamas-Niyamas Guru-Linga-Jangam Schools Adi Margam Pashupata Kalamukha Kapalika Mantra Margam Saiddhantika Siddhantism Non - Saiddhantika Kashmir Shaivism Pratyabhijna Vama Dakshina Kaula: Trika-Yamala- Kubjika-Netra Others Nath Inchegeri Veerashaiva/Lingayatism Siddharism Sroutaism Aghori Indonesian Scholars Lakulisha Abhinavagupta Vasugupta Utpaladeva Nayanars Meykandar Nirartha Basava Sharana Srikantha Appayya Navnath Related Nandi Tantrism Bhakti Jyotirlinga Shiva Temples vte Part of a series onShaktism Deities Adi Parashakti (Supreme) Shiva-Shakti Parvati Durga Mahavidya Kali Lalita Matrikas Lakshmi Saraswati Gandheswari Scriptures and texts Tantras Vedas Shakta Upanishads Devi Sita Tripura Devi Bhagavatam Devi Mahatmyam Lalita Sahasranama Kalika Purana Saundarya Lahari Abhirami Anthadhi Schools Vidya margam Vamachara Dakshinachara Kula margam Srikulam Kalikulam Trika Kubjikamata Scientists Bhaskararaya Krishnananda Agamawagisha Ramprasad Sen Ramakrishna Abhirami Bhattar practices yoga Yoni Kundalini Panchamakara Tantra Yantra Festivals and temples Navaratri Durga Puja Lakshmi Puja Puja Saraswati Puj more precisely, Trika Shaivism refers to the non-dual tradition of the ziva-Sakta Tantra, which originated sometime after 850 AD. The defining features of The Trika tradition are its idealistic and monistic philosophical system Pratyabhija (Recognition), founded by Utpaladeva (c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Hindu Deity Durga (PDF)
    The Hindu deity Durga victorious over the buffalo demon, 1000–1100 India; Tamil Nadu state Granite The Avery Brundage Collection, B64S10 WHO IS DEPICTED HERE? This is an image of the goddess Durga. She is shown in a triumphant pose as the slayer of the buffalo demon, Mahisha. Durga is a manifestation of the Goddess, who can also appear as the consort Parvati or as a destructive figure Kali. Durga is a powerful manifestation of Parvati and as such appears on her own rather than as a consort of Shiva. Durga appeared when the gods were unable to subdue a demon who was threatening the entire world. Individually, the gods were unable to defeat the demon. They summoned Durga and gave her all their weapons. The battle went on and on, prolonged by the fact that Mahisha continually changed shapes. Finally, Durga was able to cut off his head as the demon emerged from a buffalo. In this scene, the struggle and violence of the combat between Goddess and demon is only subtly suggested. Durga stands victorious over the head of the buffalo, alluding to the famous story but focusing most of the viewers’ attention on the powerful goddess herself. In Hindu imagery, many divine figures are often portrayed with their vehicles, animals associated with them such as the eagle Garuda earlier seen portrayed with the god Vishnu. In the visual arts, gods’ vehicles will often be seen to physically support and transport them. In this sculpture, as well as in other South Indian renditions of the subject, the artist has creatively subverted the idea of vehicle to create a deft suggestion of a mythic story, using a basic iconographic device.
    [Show full text]
  • Intro-Ganesh.Pdf
    LordShiva Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation is one of the principal deities of the Hindu Triad, along with Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. Lord Shiva destroys to renew and regenerate life. It is a constructive destruction that builds and transforms life. He is believed to be a dark-skinned ascetic with a blue throat. His hair is matted and coiled on his head, adorned with a snake and a crescent moon. River Ganga is depicted endlessly flowing out of his hair. Goddess Parvati Parvati is a gentler manifestation of Goddess Durga or Kali. She is the embodiment of benevolence and maternal affection. As the mother of Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya, she is generally considered to be a benign goddess. She is believed to be the second consort of Lord Shiva. It is often supposed that Parvati is the reincarnation of the former consort of Lord Shiva, Goddess SatL Kartikeya Lord Kartikeya is the first son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is also known as Subramaniam, Skanda and Sanmukha. Lord Kartikeya is the embodiment of perfection. He is believed to be the 'God of War' in Hinduism. He was especially created by all the gods to destroy the demons. While Lord Ganesha removes all obstacles, Kartikeya bestows the power of knowledge on his devotees. In one hand he carries a spear called shakti, which symbolizes the destruction of negative tendencies in human beings. With his other hand he always blesses his devotees. Lord Kartikeya is always accompanied by a peacock. Lord Ganesha Lord Ganesha is perhaps the most popular among all the gods in Hinduism.
    [Show full text]