Vanamali

Shiva (eBook, ePUB)

Stories and Teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

The traditional understanding of Shiva told through stories and teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana • Explains Shiva's contradictory forms, such as destroyer or benefactor, and how his form depends on the needs of the devotee • Reveals how Shiva's teachings allow one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life • Explores Shiva's relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya Shiva, the most ancient and complex deity of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many contrasting lights: destroyer and benefactor, ascetic and householder, wild demon slayer and calm yogi atop Mount Kailash. Drawing from the Hindu sacred text the Shiva Mahapurana--said to be written by Shiva himself--Vanamali selects the essential stories of Shiva, both those from his dark wild side and those from his benevolent peaceful side. Vanamali discusses Shiva's many avatars such as Shambunatha and Bhola, as well as Dakshinamurti who taught the shastras and tantras to the rishis. She explores Shiva's relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya. Examining Shiva's acceptance of outsiders, Vanamali explains why ghosts and ghouls are his attendants and why his greatest devotees are demon kings, like Ravana. She includes famous Shiva stories such as the Descent of the River Ganga and Churning the Milky Ocean as well as those that reveal the origin of the festival of lights, Diwali; his creation of the cosmic couple, or hierogamos; and how Shiva and Parvati taught the world the secrets of Kundalini Shakti. The author also draws upon Shaivite teachings to illustrate the differences between Western science and Vedic science and their explanations for the origins of consciousness. Integrating Shiva's two sides, the fierce and the peaceful, Vanamali reveals that Shiva's form depends on the needs of the devotee. Understanding his teachings allows one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life, for Shiva is the wielder of maya who does not fall under its spell. While Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, Shiva is the remover of tears.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Simon + Schuster LLC
• Seitenzahl: 272
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. Oktober 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781620552490
• Artikelnr.: 49161544

Autorenporträt

Mataji Devi Vanamali has written seven books on the gods of the Hindu pantheon, including Hanuman, The Play of God, The Song of Rama, and Shakti, as well as translating the Bhagavad Gita. She is the founder and president of Vanamali Gita Yogashram, dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and charitable service to children. She lives at the Vanamali ashram at Rishikesh in northern India.

Inhaltsangabe

Foreword by Swami Dayananda
Introduction
Part One The Divine Aspects of Shiva
1 The Great Universal God
2 Creation
3 Sandhya, the Evening Star
4 Durga’s Promise
5 The Courtship of Sati
6 Sati and Shiva
7 Daksha’s Yajna
8 The Wrath of Shiva
9 Parvati Seeks Her Lord
10 The Defeat of Kama
11 Parvati’s Penance
12 The Cosmic Wedding
13 The Cosmic Couple
14 Kartikeya Defeats the Demon
15 Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles
16 The Three Demonic Cities
17 Downfall of the Demons
18 Churning the Milky Ocean
19 The Descent of the River Ganga
20 Destroyed by His Own Hand
21 Markandeya and Agniswara
22 The Manifestations of Shiva
23 Shiva, the Beloved
24 The Jyotirlingas
Part Two Those Who Worship Shiva
25 Devotees of Shiva
26 The Great Four
27 The Violent Votaries
28 Women Devotees
Epilogue
Appendix One. Method of Worshipping Lord Shiva
Appendix Two. Names of Shiva
Appendix Three. Names of Other Characters in the Hindu Pantheon
Appendix Four. Alphabetical List of Mantras
Appendix Five. Vedic Invocations for World Peace
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
Index