Writing with Shiva Class 2 Handout 1 Neelkantha: Creation
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The Fire That Does Not Burn: Writing with Shiva Class 2 Handout 1 Neelkantha: Creation Prior Readings Assigned: • HW 1: Chitgopenkar xiiv-xxxiii (Intro) • HW 2: Storl pp.49-52 (Rudra/Odin) • HW 3: Klostermaier pp. 58-59, 62 (Shiva in the Vedas and Upanishads) • HW 4: Vanamali pp.24-29 (pillar of fire), 141-144 (churning of the ocean, full excerpt included but optional), 150-154 (descent of Ganga) Handout 2: Vanamali pp. 241-243 (mantras) goes with the Mantras exercise—no need to read in advance. Brief Intro to Shiva Shiva: God of destruction. Perhaps the most complicated of the Hindu gods, Shiva is both a manifestation of raw wildness and asceticism when he renounces the world, and a manifestation of duty and worldliness when he comes down from his mountain, Kailash, to become a householder with his partner, Parvati. • Shiva’s mythology goes back thousands of years, to the very earliest Indus Valley civilizations, and even beyond that to pre-history. • Shiva evolves over time, initially being outside the Vedic system, but later being brought (somewhat uncomfortably) within it. o Shiva’s initial appearance is as Rudra, the capricious god of storms and destruction, a relatively minor deity in the Rig Veda, the earliest Hindu text. o By the time of the Upanishads, as you read, the godhead is associated with Shiva at least in some texts. o And in the Shiva Mahapurana, he fulfills all three functions of the godhead— creation, preservation, and destruction ▪ And the Shiva Mahapurana essentially argues that Shiva is the only god worshipped in symbolic form, in this case a phallic symbol, because he is truly identified with the formless Brahman, while other gods are only embodied souls • Shiva is fearsome in appearance—with matted locks (containing both the moon and the river goddess Ganga), wearing a tigerskin and garland of skulls, and coated in ashes. • He carries a skull fused to his hand like a begging bowl, and his drum or damaru heralds the tandav, or cosmic dance of destruction. • Shiva both created the world and holds the key to its destruction in his third eye, which is the eye of higher perception. This eye gazes inwards most of the time—but when it gazes outward, its intense gaze destroys the universe. • Shiva’s weapon is the trident, he rides a bull, and wears three lines of ash—representing the body, property, and the world, among many other interpretations—across his forehead, reminding us that all those things are mortal and will end. • Shiva’s relationship with his partner Parvati, or Gauri, or Sati, is key to the balance of the world. Fundamentally, the goddess represents both the unrestrained power of nature (prakriti) and means to channel that power into good or evil, while the god is a manifestation of humankind (purusha). Their relationship mirrors the human relationship to nature. • Shiva is also the father of the elephant-headed god of good fortune Ganesha and the war god Kartikeya. • Other qualities include Shiva as the lord of physicians (Vaidyanathan), master of the arts of music (Veenadhara) and dance (Nataraja), lord of animals (Pashupati), divine beggar (Bhikshatana), skull-bearer (Kapalin), peaceful householder (Shankara), and the one who conquers all-consuming time (Kala Bhairava). Any questions about this very brief background on Shiva, or on any of the readings relating to it? Note on Varna/Caste/Jati • Varna: Originally prescribed in the Vedas as a practical and efficient means of organizing society according to professional roles, based on ability rather than heredity. • Caste: The evolution of the varna system into a system of social control with rigid boundaries between castes, and heredity rather than ability as the touchstone. • Jati: Subclasses within a given caste or varna, which may designate a particular profession within that varna (eg, barbers). Exercise: Shapeshifter Shiva doctrine and Hinduism more broadly often embrace a rejection of dualities. The concept of advaita supports the notion that Brahman—ultimate truth—is the only reality, and rejects the notion that the individual soul, or atman, is separate from Brahman. This is why Shiva is both formed and formless—he appears as the fiery linga, as well as in his many embodied forms. Analogues to both a single universal truth/animating spirit and shapeshifting appear in other cultures, including many North American indigenous ones. Consider the idea of shapeshifting and write a piece that plays with the inherent tensions embodied in it. What might it mean for a character to have many forms, but only a single truth at its heart? How might other Hindu concepts we’ve encountered enhance your piece? Exercise: Creation Hinduism is a religion that embraces multiple creation myths, depending on the community and their preferred deity. Creation mythology exists that centers not only Shiva, but also Vishnu, the goddess, and others. Write a creation myth—it could be your own, that of your family, a country, a god, the universe, or anything else you choose. Consider how Hindu concepts might play on the myth you are writing. Also pay attention to sound—cosmic resonance or ritual repetition could play a role in your work. Make it electric! Exercise: Mantras In Hinduism, sounds may have cosmic resonance that reverberates through the past, present, and future. This is one reason why so many mantras—spiritually powerful sounds often used as chants—exist in Hinduism. The root of all mantras is the sound “Aum” (often transliterated as “Om”), which is said to contain within it the entire universe, and the chanting of which can bring spiritual peace. Referencing Vanamali’s list of Shiva mantras included in your readings, create a sound-driven piece that plays with the interesting sounds the mantras make. Try selecting some of the mantras and saying them aloud, and allow the echoes of those sounds to spark connections for your writing. Focus on sound first and foremost, and let meaning piece itself together as your piece flows. .