Angrakshak

The most benevolent king Bali, who had donated the whole earth to Lord Vishnu, disguised as a dwarf, had hundred sons. Banasura was his eldest son. He was intelligent, generous, and truthful and was respected for his qualities. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva.

Banasura had his capital at 'Shonitpur' near Kedarnath in the Himalayan region. He had thousand hands. He did penance for thousands of years. While Lord Shiva performed his famous 'Tandav Nritya', he used to play the 'mridanga' with his thousand hands. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva asked him to demand any boon.

Banasura smiled and said, "I am grateful to you for your kind offer. By your grace I have everything I want. I am now a great king. I am so strong that all the others kings and even the gods dare not stand against me.""Then you have nothing to wish for," said Shiva."I have something to wish for," replied Banasura. "Although I have fought and won many battles, still I fear I may have some enemies. Since you have kindly promised to grant me whatever I wish for, my wish is that you will come with your family and guard the gates of my city."Shiva was shocked. He was very angry. But he was helpless. He had promised to grant Bana's wish and now he could not withdraw from his promise.

So Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati, and their children all came down to earth and stood guard at the gates of Banasura's city. Banasura was happy that now the great Shiva himself was serving under him. He informed all the other kings of his remarkable achievement and he invited many to come and see Lord Shiva working as his servant.

He was constantly in search of a warrior with whom he could fight. The great warriors used to run away on seeing Banasura. The deities became frightened and 'Indra' accepted his defeat. There was no one in all the 3 worlds that could defeat him. All these things made Banasura very proud.

One day Banasura went to Lord Shiva and said, "I am tried of my lazy life. I want to have the excitement of war. My hands are itching for a fight. Shall I get the chance to fight somebody who is a match for me?""Yes, yes," replied Shiva. "You will certainly get the chance.""When? When?" asked Bana eagerly. "I want to know when I shall get the chance to fight. I am impatient.""Keep a watch on your flag on the flag-staff," said Shiva. "When you see the flag-staff broken and the flag fallen down then you will know that the chance for a fight is coming. You will have to fight a great person. He will defeat Bana? Let this great person come and I shall show him what I am worth."From that day onwards Banasura kept a close watch on his flag flying on the flag-staff.Banasura had a beautiful daughter named Usha. Usha was in the prime of youth and received many proposals of marriage. But her father did not agree to any of them.

Usha had a companion named Chitralekha. Chitralekha was the daughter of one of Bana's ministers, and she was the cleverest and most talented woman the world had ever seen. She was very well educated and she was a great artist. She knew everybody who was of any importance in heaven or on earth.One night Usha dream that she was in the company of a very handsome prince. He showed great interest in her and she fell in love with him. Suddenly she woke up and found that the prince was gone."Where are you? Come to me," she called loudly but there was no reply.Then she searched for him in her room and outside. When she could not find him anywhere, she burst into tears.Chitralekha heard her crying. She went in and asked what had happened. Usha told her that a young and handsome prince had come to her but he had suddenly vanished."You must bring him back to me," she said. "If you can't, I have no desire to live."Chitralekha knew that Usha had only been dreaming. It would be very difficult to find the young man Usha had seen in her dream. However, she promised to try to find him.Chitralekha thought deeply over the matter. Who could have appeared before Usha? It might be one of the gods, for some of then had played such tricks before. Or perhaps it was one of the kings. She wrote down the names of all the gods and kings and princes whom Usha might have seen in her dream. She then began to draw the picture of each one in turn.She began with the gods. She drew Indra and showed the picture to Usha."No," said Usha, "that is not the man I saw."Then Chitralekha drew the pictures of kings and princes, but Usha said that none of them resembled her dream lover.Chitralekha then drew Sri Krishna. Usha said that there was some likeness, but he was not the man.Then she drew the picture of Krishna's son. Usha said there was more likeness, but her lover was much younger.Chitralekha smiled and drew the picture of Anirudha, Krishna's grandson, who was famous for his beauty, and showed it to Usha.Usha snatched the picture away and said to it, "You, my beloved, why did you go away?""He is the man," she said to Chitralekha. And she kept the picture close to her heart.Chitralekha knew that it was Anirudha with whom Usha had fallen in love. She told Usha who the young man was and explained that it would be a difficult task to get him."Nothing is difficult for you," said Usha. "You must get him for me or I shall die."

"Keep calm, Usha," Chitralekha replied. "I promise I shall try my best to find him and bring him to you."It was midnight when Chitralekha set out on her mission. Unseen by anyone she went to Lord Krishna's palace. She searched from room to room and at last found Anirudha sleeping in his room.Chitralekha had certain magic powers. She made Anirudha continue to sleep while she lifted him up and put him on her back. She carried him out of the palace and took him away to Bana's city. She went straight to Usha's room.

It was dawn when she reached there. She laid Anirudha on Usha's bed.Usha was very happy to see Anirudha and she kissed Chitralekha in gratitude. Chitralekha left the saying that she would come back when Anirudha woke up.Anirudha slept for a long time. Usha was gazing at his handsome face. She wanted to wake him up and talk to him. But she was afraid to disturb him. Gently fanned him.At last Anirudha opened his eyes and looked around. He was surprised to find himself in a strange place. He looked at Usha in astonishment. She was very beautiful and he liked her very much. But who was this woman?He sat up and said to Usha, "Who are you? Where am I? How did I come here? Have we met before?"Usha said, "I am Usha, the daughter of king Bana. This is my room. Yes, we have met before. We met only in my dream. I fell in love with you and wanted to be with you always. My friend Chitralekha brought you here. Oh, please stay with me!"

Anirudha felt confused. What should he do? Should he stay with Usha or should he return home? Usha was so loving and so lovely that he did not want to leave her. But how could he stay with her? Usha was not married to him. And what would his father and grandfather think when they learnt that he was staying with Bana's daughter?"What are you thinking?" asked Usha, looking at him eagerly. "Neither my people nor yours will approve of our marriage. But we are made for each other. Please stay with me.""You are very beautiful," said Anirudha. "I love you very much and I would like to marry you. But it would not be wise to do so without the consent of our parents. Let us consult them first.""You don't know my father," said Usha. "He will never agree to our marriage.""But we can argue with him and make him change his mind," said Anirudha."I do not know what he will do if he sees you here," said Usha in despair.

Anirudha and Usha were still talking when a maid-servant came in. she saw the handsome stranger in Usha's room. She went and reported the matter to Bana.Bane at once rushed to his daughter's room. He was shocked to find Usha in the company of a handsome young man. Bana shouted and roared with anger and fell upon the young man to kill him. Anirudha defended himself bravely.But Bana was a giant. He overpowered the young prince and was about to kill him when Usha rushed between them and cried, "Father, don't do him any harm. He is my guest. He did not come here by himself. He is innocent. He has not done anything wrong. If any wrong has been done, it is I who has done it. He must not be punished for the wrong I did. You can punish me, you can even kill me if you so desire. But don't touch even a hair of my guest, this noble young prince."Bana was taken aback. Usha had never talked to him so boldly before.

He was furious and wanted to kill them both. But he thought for a while and then bound Anirudha's hands and feet and dragged him out and put him in prison.

In the meantime it had been discovered that Anirudha was missing from the palace of Lord Krishna. It was strange that the young prince had suddenly vanished. Nobody had any idea where he had gone. Had he been kidnapped? Or had he met with some disaster? A search was made, but the prince could not be found.

Then Narada, the wandering sage, went to Krishna and informed him that his grandson was in Bana's prison. Krishna was surprised. How had Anirudha fallen into the hands of Bana? Bana was an Asura and he would not release Anirudha easily. Krishna knew that the only way to get back his grandson was to wage a war on Bana.Then Krishna gathered a large army and marched to Banasura's capital.

In the distance, Krishna saw Bana's flag flying on a tall flag-staff. He shot an arrow. The arrow broke the flag-staff and the flag fell down.Bana saw the flag-staff broken and the flag fallen down. He knew that the time had come for a fight.

He was jubilant. He had been waiting for this for a long time. He assembled his army and marched out to meet the enemy.He was met outside by the huge army of Krishna. The battle began between the two forces. It was fierce battle and most of the men in Bana's army were killed. Bana went ahead to face Krishna.Krishna destroyed Bana's chariot. Bana jumped down and challenged Krishna. Krishna accepted the challenge and began a terrible fight. Krishna was winning. He was just going to kill Bana when suddenly Bana's mother came and stood between her son and Krishna."Do not kill my son," she cried. "Kill me first before you harm my son!"Krishna stopped the fight to talk to her.In the meantime Bana ran and took shelter in the palace.

Shiva was still guarding the gate of the city. Since an enemy had come and attacked Bana, the city was threatened and it was his duty to protect it.Shiva did not have a large army, so he had to find a new way to overcome the enemy and make them unable to fight. He produced the germs of fever and spread them among Krishna's army.Krishna's soldiers all began to develop high fever and started shivering. Soon, one after another, they fell to the ground.Krishna saw what had happened to his soldiers. He had to do something quickly to save their lives.

He produced germs which would destroy Shiva's germs, and spread them among his soldiers, soon all his soldiers were quite well again and they stood up and were ready to fight.Then Banasura collected a large army and came out and started the battle again against Krishna's army.

But Krishna and his men fought fiercely, and soon Bana's army was completely defeated.Again Krishna and Banasura met in single combat. Krishna was about to kill Bana.

But Lord Shiva came forward and asked him to spare Bana's life.

Krishna paid homage to Shiva and then said, "Bana has committed all kinds of crimes. He even cheated you and made you his servant. He does not deserve mercy. But if you want him to live, let him promise to mend his ways."

Bana fell at Krishna's feet and said that he was sorry for all he had done. He promised that in future he would be a different man.

Lord Krishna said : " On one hand he is a Shiva devotee and on the other, he is the great grandson of Prahlad. I have taken a vow, not to kill any descendant of Prahlad, so I won't kill him but simply severe his thousand hands which are like a useless weight to him, leaving only four of them. From today onwards, he would be the chief courtier of Shiva and would become immortal."

Bana then turned to Shiva and apologized for the crime he had committed in cheating him and making him serve as his gatekeeper.

Shiva forgave him and said that he was happy that he had been able to protect Bana from Krishna's wrath.

Bana's life was thus saved. Then he went and brought Usha and Anirudha and handed them over to Krishna.Krishna received them with love. He took them home with him and celebrated their marriage. All lived happily ever after.

Aadhibhouthika Aadhyaathmika and Aadhidhaivika

What are the functions of these Rudras?

The Rudras turn the intellect (Buddhi) towards sensuous objects and thrust the individual in the sea of (worldly life). The Paramatama (Supreme Spirit) is master of all the Rudras. Only the man who has conquered the eleven Rudras can expect to realize the Supreme.

Who are the eleven Rudras?

They are: the five organs of action (karmendriyas), the five organs of perception (jnanendriyas) and the mind. Man must seek to control as much as possible these eleven organs. From ancient times, the sages have stressed the supreme importance of sense-control as the means to God-realization.

The Rudras, in association with the Buddhi [the intellect], enter the. minds of people and cause them various types of difficulties and worries.

Of these difficulties, three types are predominant in the world.

They are Aadhibhouthika, Aadhyaathmika, and Aadhidhaivika.

Aadhibhouthika refers to difficulties caused by the five elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) and the five sheaths (relating to food, life, mind, awareness and bliss). These sufferings are caused by human beings, animals, insects or other creatures.

Aadhyaathmika refers to sufferings caused by Vaatha [wind], Pittha [bile], and Kapha [phlegm]. Aadhidhaivika refers to the calamities caused to man by floods, drought, storms, earthquakes, and similar natural disasters.

The eleven Rudras are the cause for all these sufferings. The whole world is permeated by the Rudras. Only Aadhidaivika has an element of security. Whatever emanates from Rudra is fraught with fear.

The name itself testifies to the dangerous power implicit in it. Rudhram means that which induces fear. The eleven Rudras are dreadful in form. These dreadful entities enter the minds of human beings and subject them to all kinds of afflictions.

While the Rudras are inflicting sufferings on mankind in various ways, by the control of the senses, if humans turn their minds towards God and devote themselves to Godly pursuits, they will find their path to Moksha [liberation]. Moksha means getting rid of Moha [the delusions relating to the physical].

The Mahashivaratri festival has been designed to subdue these Rudras. With sense control the Rudras can be controlled. Control of senses is, however, not easy. Even if evil impulses from external sources are controlled, those arising from within cannot be easily controlled. But if, at least on one night out of 365 days in a year, the senses are brought under control, then peace may be experienced and the quest for liberation may be initiated.

When the entire night is dedicated to the chanting of the Lord's name, one's mind, speech, and senses all get centered on God. This is a form of sense control. When this is done, people can realize the Supreme.

The Lord is experienced as Sath-Chith-Aananda. Sath is Being, that which is eternally present. Chith is awareness (or consciousness). Chith is like water. When Sath (as sugar) is combined with Chith (as water) you have neither sugar not water, but syrup. The combination of Sath and Chith results in Aananda [Bliss]. When the unchanging, eternal Divinity unites with the changing and inert Prakrithi [nature], you have Aananda.

The significance of Mahashivaratri is that it is an auspicious occasion when Sath-Chith-Aanandha can be experienced.

Aalingan

Vishnu appeared as Mohini twice.

The First Time "She" appeared was during Sagar Manthan.

Vishnu appeared in His female avatara Mohinimurti, a hypnotically beautiful form that captured the minds of the demi-gods and demons alike. While distributing the Amrita (nectar of immortality) Mohini gave it all to the Devas (gods) and thus cheated the Asuras (demons). However, Rahu being very intelligent snuck between two Devas--the Sun and Moon gods and was able to sip some of the Amrita. But before he could swallow it he was found out by Surya and Chandra who announced his presence. At this point Mohini Murti used Her transcendental waepon the Sudarshana Chakra to cut off Rahu's head. But because he had touched the Amrita to his lips his head stayed alive while his body died. That is why the planet Rahu is described as having no body but only a head.

After cheating the demons (asuras), Mohini moved around for sometime. During this time Shiva, who had heard a lot about "Her" beauty wanted to embrace "Her". However, Mohini smiled and said that when the time would come "She" would allow Him to do so. Saying this, the Mohinimurty of Vishnu dissapeared.

However, as Time would have it, Vishnu did have to appear as Mohini the second time.

Here goes the story:

Bhasmasura was a wicked demon. He wanted to be a powerful king. But he was neither strong nor brave. How could he defeat other kings?One day he met the great sage Narada while wandering through a forest, and said to him: "O great sage, tell me how I can become great and strong-so strong that I may be able to defeat even the greatest kings.""Worship Lord Shiva," replied Narada, "and you will get magic powers from him."Bhasmasura went to a thick jungle. There, finding a quite place under a pipal tree, he settled down and began to worship Shiva. Many years passed before his prayer was heard by Lord Shiva.At last, pleased with his devotion and prayer, Lord Shiva appeared before him, and said: "I am pleased with you, O Bhasmasura. Ask a boon, and I will grant it.""O Lord!" said Bhasmasura, "I only want your blessings. There is no other purpose behind my devotion to you.""You have my blessings," said Shiva. "Still, would you not like to have a boon from me?""Well, my Lord," replied Bhasmasura, "if you are really pleased with your humble servant, grant me the power that any person whose head I may touch with my right hand will at once die and be reduced to ashes.""Be it so," said Lord Shiva. "Anybody whom you will touch with your right hand will die and be reduced to ashes."

Armed with such magic powers, the wicked Bhasmasura jumped up towards Lord Shiva to touch his head with his right hand. By destroying Shiva himself he dreamed of becoming the King of Kailas!Shiva's life was now in danger. He knew that he would be reduced to ashes if Bhasmasura was allowed to touch his head. So he ran for his life.Bhasmasura ran after Shiva. Shiva ran over hills and mountains as fast as he could, but Bhasmasura was always close at his heels, with his right hand raised, ready to touch Shiva's head and reduce him to ashes.Shiva wanted somebody to come to his help immediately and save his life, since Bhasmasura was sure to kill him. So he prayed to Lord Vishnu to save his life.

Vishnu heard Shiva's prayer and changed himself into Mohini, a maiden of wondrous beauty. She looked far more beautiful than any goddess in heaven. When she danced in the moonlight, Bhasmasura stood rooted to the ground struck with her beauty."Who are you, beautiful maiden?" he asked. "And where did you spring from?"She replied shyly: "I am Mohini. I live in this jungle with my parents. We always help those who pass this way. You look very tired and hungry. May I bring you some fruits to eat?"

"No, don't go away from me, beautiful maiden," replied Bhasmasura. "I have never before seen any maiden so beautiful as you are. You are far more beautiful than any goddess. Tell, heavenly nymph, will you be my bride? I have lost my heart to you.""I would love to marry someone as strong and mightly as you," replied Mohini, "but I have one vow to fulfill before I become your wife.""And what's that?" asked the demon."It is a very simple vow," said Mohini, smiling. "When I was child I took a vow that I would marry only that person who would dance with me on my wedding night. Will you dance with me?""Certainly," replied Bhasmasura, "I am prepared to do anything for you. It will give me the greatest pleasure to dance with a beautiful maiden like you."Mohini laughed and said to Bhasmasura "Now watch me closely and do exactly what I do. The man who wishes to marry me must dance with me, copying all my movements."

Mohini started dancing. First she put her hands on her hips and Bhasmasura did the same. Then she raised her hands to heaven and Bhasmasura copied her. Finally, she put her hand on her head. And Bhasmasura, whose eyes were constantly fixed upon Mohini's beautiful face, completely forgot about Lord Shiva's boon, and put his hand on his head too.There was a loud roar of thunder and the huge demon crumbled to ashes at her feet!What a relief it was to Lord Shiva! He at once appeared before Mohini and thanked her a lot for saving his life. The two embraced each other.

It was this time that Shiva embraced Vishnu in the form of Mohini and the union thereby resulted in the birth legends of Hanuman and Ayyappa.

Ayyappa and Hanuman

Once Shiva and Parvati, ever the adventurous lovers, decided to transform themselves into monkeys and indulge in amorous games in the dense Himalayan forests. During a climactic moment, the seed of Shiva found its mark and impregnated Parvati. Since they were in simian form it was but natural that the offspring born of such a union too would be a monkey. Not desiring to go against the laws of nature, Shiva directed the wind god Vayu to carry his semen from Parvati's womb, and deposit it into that of Anjana - a female monkey, who at that very moment was praying for a male child.
Another slightly variant version of this story in the Shiva Purana states that when Vishnu once disguised himself as the heavenly beauty Mohini, her charms so impressed Shiva that he could not restrain his seed. Vayu then carried the seed and deposited it into Anjana's womb. There was no question of Shiva's potent discharge resulting in an offspring less than extraordinary and the child conceived under such exceptional circumstances was bound to be especial, and so it was. The resulting bundle of joy was none other than Hanuman, one of the most celebrated and worshipped figures in Indian thought. Two exceptional traits further marked his birth. The first was that unlike ordinary children, Hanuman was born wearing a loincloth. This was an early pointer to his life-long pursuit of a celibate, almost ascetic lifestyle. The other significant occurrence was the presence of elaborate earrings adorning his ears. The latter has an interesting piece of legend explaining it:
At the time of Hanuman's birth, the undisputed leader of the monkey-world was Vali, a strong and powerful ape. When Vali came to know that Anjana was pregnant with a child who was bound to develop into a powerful rival, he decided to end matters in Anjana's womb itself. He created a missile using five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. When the unsuspecting mother was asleep, he directed the missile into her womb. A normal child may have succumbed to this dastardly attack, but not one born of Shiva's fiery seed. The missile as soon as it touched Hanuman's body melted, and transformed into a pair of earrings. Thus wearing the trophies of his first battle, fought while still in his mother's womb, Hanuman gloriously entered this world.

Indeed, having both Shiva and Vayu as his illustrious fathers, he was no ordinary child. Hanuman was restless, spirited, energetic and inquisitive. He was obviously endowed with awesome strength and the scriptures abound in tales expounding on his remarkable feats. Once for example he mistook the sun for a ripe fruit (monkeys are naturally lured by red ripe fruits), and rushed towards the sky in an attempt to grab it.

On his way however he saw Rahu the dragon making his way to devour the sun and thus cause an eclipse. Mistaking him to be a worm, the restless Hanuman dashed towards Rahu and attempted to catch hold of him. Rushing for his life, Rahu sought shelter in the refuge of Indra, the lord of the skies. Indra picked up his deadly thunderbolt, mounted his white elephant named Airavata and made off in search of Hanuman, seeking to restrain his seeming impudence. The clouds rumbled and lightning thundered across the vast skies in an expression of Indra's wrath. But neither this scary scenario, nor the mightily armed Indra on his high mount, was sufficient enough to induce even a trace of fear in the heart of Hanuman. On the contrary, the spectacle only served to fuel his excitement and mistaking Airavata for a toy, he made a grab for the pachyderm, seized its trunk and leapt on its back. Taken aback by the child's spirited and playful defiance, Indra stuck at Hanuman with his thunderbolt, and the wound thus inflicted hurtled him speedily down to the earth. His father Vayu immediately sprung to his rescue and caught him in mid air.
The sight of his beloved son lying helpless in his arms infuriated the wind-god. He drew in a mighty breath and sucked away all the air from the cosmos. "Let all those who have harmed Anjana's son choke to death," he thought out aloud. Predictably there was panic in the cosmos. Without air, life on every level was threatened. The gods, realizing their folly, went in unison to Vayu and asked for his forgiveness. To make amends they showered the following blessings and powers on the monkey child:
a). Brahma: "May you live as long as Brahma himself lives."
b). Vishnu: "May you live all your life as the greatest devotee of God."
c). Indra: "No weapon of any kind will wound or hit your body."
d). Agni: "Fire will never affect you."
e). Kala: "May death never court you."
f). All the Devas (gods): "None will ever equal you in strength and speed."
Brahma concluded the session by bestowing on Hanuman a power greater than even Vayu and Garuda, and endowed him with a speed faster than even the mightiest wind. Thus pacified, Vayu restored air into the cosmos and Hanuman was returned to his parents.
There was one catch however. It was decreed that Hanuman would remain blissfully unaware of his own prowess, unless, during the course of a meritorious deed, his memory would remind him of his superhuman ability. It will be seen later how this apparently insignificant matter lays bare the symbolical significance of Hanuman.

The union of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, incarnated as Mohini the enchantress, resulted in the birth of Lord Ayyappa or Hariharputhra. Shiva and Vishnu left the baby on the banks of the river Pampa and returned to their heavenly abode. Rajashekara, the childless King of Pandalam, spotted the baby lying helpless while he was out on a hunt. He and the queen accepted the baby as a gift from the Heavens. Since the baby was wearing a golden bell around his neck they decided to call him Manikantan.

The divine boy was brought up in a manner befitting a prince. In a short period of time the boy mastered all lessons. His teacher was extremely happy at the achievements of his disciple and at the same time realized the boy’s divine power. At the time of accepting his fees the teacher refused to accept any material benefits. He requested Manikantan to bless his son who was both blind and deaf. The dutiful disciple with his miraculous touch restored the boy’s sight and speech.
Subsequent to the arrival of Manikantan, the queen was blessed with a child of her own. Both boys grew up as loving brothers. The time came to decide who would be the heir to the throne. While the King decided to pass the throne to Manikantan, the queen was slightly inclined to her own biological son. The general of army was also on her side. They decided to discreetly thwart King’s decision by tricking him. They approached the royal physician and enticed him with rewards so that he became an accomplice to the subterfuge. The queen pretended to have severe stomach ache. The physician approached the King and falsely convinced him of the seriousness of the queen’s condition and held that drinking of leopard's milk was the only remedy.
The King stood aghast at this incomprehensible remedy prescribed. "How could a leopard be approached for milk?" he asked, "And who would undertake such a dangerous mission?" Upon hearing this Manikantan agreed to undertake this mission to save his mother. The King did not, at first, relent to this request from his beloved son. However, after a series of talks Manikantan could convince his father and departed for the forest.
However before he could get the leopard's milk he had to perform the task for which his birth was ordained. Mahisasura was a terrible demon killed by the goddess Durga. Mahishasura’s cousin, the daughter of Karamba, decided to take revenge. Mahishi as she was known, first undertook severe penance and propitiated Lord Brahma and received a boon to the effect that she would not be killed by anyone born from a man-woman relation. If at all a child was born out of any other relation, he must live in a royal family for a minimum period of twelve years in an earthly kingdom before he could kill her. Then she attempted to seduce Indra, the King of the Demi-Gods. Lords Vishnu and Brahma created Datta, a male demon to divert the attention of Mahishi from Indra. The trick worked temporarily. On his way to get leopard's milk, Manikantan (born from Vishnu and Shiva) encountered Mahishi. After a long tough fight, Manikantan killed Mahishi near the river called Azhutha.
Actually Mahishi was Leela in a previous birth, who had been cursed to become a demoness. Leela came out of the dead body of Mahishi and bowed before Ayyappa with a request that he marry her. The Lord, who had embraced bachelorhood, rejected this. However Leela did not give up and remained at Malikappuram in the hope that Ayyappa would change his mind. A temple is dedicated to her there and worshippers of Ayyappa make it a point to pay their respects at Malikappuram as well.
Then Ayyappan managed to collect the milk of a leopard. Riding on a leopard, who is said to be Indra himself and surrounded by other leopards, he returned to the palace of Pandalam. The queen who watched this fantastic scene was shocked and dumbfounded. She realised her mistake and begged Ayyappa for forgiveness. Ayyappa forgave the queen mother and embraced his foster-father, the King. Blessing all, he shot an arrow that landed atop the Sabari Hills indicating the place where he would be seated. He left the Palace, and ascended the hill where he gave up his earthly body and his divine self returned to the heavens.

The picture on the left shows Shiva completely enchanted by the beauty of Mohini and there union resulting in the Birth of Hanuman (according to Shiva Purana) and Ayyappa (according to the Malayalee folk lore).

Aadishwar

Adi Shankar with the Eleven Rudras.

Shiva drinking Halahal and thus saving the Universe.

Adi Nath visiting some devotees.














Rudreshwar riding over Nandi on a lot of distressed souls and thus liberating them.

Shiva thinking of Krishna

Har Har Shambhu! Jai Shiva Shambhu!
Bom Bhole!

Devotees shouting loud on seeing their Aradhya.












Cosmic Ganga Descending into Shiva's matted locks.




















Rudra being born from Brahma's forehead

Ganga Descending in Full Strength into the locks of Shiva's Hair.

Brahma Comes to Visit Shiva and gain Divine Knowledge from Him.

Shiva comes to visit a devotee and grant him the wish of his life, the sight of Shiva's Divine Form.

Arjuneshwar

This legend relates to the encounter between Arjuna the Pandava prince and Shiva, and is an important event in the epic Mahabharata.

Arjuna the valiant Pandava prince, during the princes' exile in the jungles, went out to the Himalayas to worship Shiva, to win from him the Paasupataastram, the infallible weapon. His penance bore fruit, when Shiva, in the guise of a hunter (Kiraata) donning a bow appeared before him, picked up a quarrel with him over a wild boar, and challenged him to a combat.

This manifestation of Shiva is known as Kiraata Murthy. In the course of this (mock) fight, the hunter stripped Arjuna of all his weapons (and his ego), and the brave prince continued to fight with his bare hands. Shiva then revealed his true self, and blessed him with the Paasupataastram.

Arjuna's encounter with Shiva is celebrated at Tiruvetkalam near Chidambaram - Tamilnadu.
Kiraata Murthy is also revered at Kumbhakonam (Tamilnadu) , where it is believed that an arrow from Shiva's bow pierced the pot containing the celestial nectar amritam, and spilled it into the Mahamagam tank.

Anuchar

According to a Tamil temple lore, the sage Bhringi wanted to circumambulate Shiva. Shakti stopped him saying, “You must go around both of us because each of us is incomplete without the other.” Bhringi was adamant. To foil his plans, Shakti sat on Shiva’s lap. Bhringi took the form of a bee and tried to fly between them. So Shakti fused her body with Shiva’s and became his left half. Shiva now came to be known as Ardha-nari (the half-woman god). Bhringi then took the form of a worm and tried to bore a hole between them. Exasperated by his stubbornness, Gauri said, “If you only want him then may you be deprived of every tissue that a human gets from a woman.” Instantly, Bhringi was transformed into a skeleton. His body possessed neither flesh, nor bones, nor genitals. He could not even stand. Feeling sorry for him, Shiva game him a third leg so that he could stand up like a tripod. Bhringi apologized to Shakti having realized the complementary relationship between the God and Goddess.

Bhringi is often depicted as a skeleton in most images, this is because Parvati having noticed that Bhringi did not go around her, cursed him in fury to become thin and completely emaciated, so weak that he could not stand. Shiva, moved by Bhringi's plight, gave a 3rd leg for support.

Another Legend Goes:

After defeating Andhak's army, Lord Shiva immediately down from Nandi's back and attacked Andhak with his trident, which pierced his chest. Even after being seriously injured, Andhak did not die instead he pulled Lord Shiva for one mile holding him tightly in his clutch. Lord Shiva tried to resist by attacking for the second time. But Andhak retaliated by hitting Shiva with his mace causing serious injury on his head. A stream of blood oozed out from the wound, which poured down towards all the four directions. The blood stream which poured down towards east resulted into the manifestation of Bhairav named Kaalraj. Similarly, Kamaraj, Chakramala, Somaraj, Swachcharaj, Lalitraj and Vighnaraj manifested from the other three directions. Lord Shiva then lifted Andhak above his head with the help of his trident, which was still pierced in Andhak's chest. His body had become red due to the blood oozing out from Andhak's wound. Lord Shiva had toiled hard to kill Andhak and as a result, he was perspiring profusely. The sweat drops originating from Shiva's forehead resulted into the manifestation of a divine girl while the sweat drops that fell on the ground from Shiva's face resulted into the manifestation of a divine boy. Both the children started gulping down the blood emanating from Andhak's wound. Lord Shiva named the girl child as Charchika while the boy child was named Mangal and blessed both of them. Lord Shiva held Andhak above his head for 1000 divine years, which reduced his body to a skeleton. At last, Andhak realised his mistake and begged for forgiveness. He eulogised Lord Shiva and hailed his greatness. Lord Shiva told him that he would forgive him only when he accepts Parvati as his mother. Andhak agreed not only to accept Parvati as his mother but also Shiva as his father. Shiva became pleased and lowered down his trident. He healed Andhak's wound by his divine touch. The deities became pleased at Andhak's change of heart and blessed him. Lord Shiva then took Andhak to Mandaar Mountain. Parvati was still hiding behind the bushes. When she saw Lord Shiva approaching, she recognised him and called her companions to come out from their hiding. Lord Shiva gleefully told Parvati that Andhak had now become her slave. "Look at him. He is making salutations to you. Accept him as your son. Andhak then eulogised Parvati with complete devotion. Parvati became pleased and expressed her desire to bless him with a boon. Andhak said- "I don't want anything. I just want to become liberated from all my sins and remain in the proximity of Lord Shiva." Parvati blessed him and made him the Gana of Shiva who became famous as Bhringi.

Aapar bhakti

Nandanar is a saint extolled in the periyapurana, a saiva siddhanta scripture. In a village, engaged in the trade of selling the carcasses of the cow and tending his landlord's farm was an unusual person. He had great love for Lord Shiva. He was desperate to visit a temple, Thiruppunkoor. This place is situated a mile away from the famous vaidheeswaran temple, around a hour's journey from Chidambaram (Thillai). [Lord Shiva has kindly permitted me to visit this temple many times] However, his landlord would not allow him to go despite frequent requests. Finally, one day in frustration, the landlord said, 'If you can till all the 40 acres of land in a single day, you can go.' This impossible feat was done by Lord Shiva itself overnight enabling Nandanar to visit the temple. Since Nandanar (who belonged to a lower caste by birth) could not enter the temple and see the Lord, the Nandi moved a good 2-3 feet (which is seen as such to the present day). With the movement of the Nandi, he could see Lord Shiva despite standing outside the temple. Sekkizhar in periyapuranam says that Lord Shiva asked Nandi to move. The tank in the temple was built by Nandanar.
The story of Nandanar attaining mukti is, however, a great tale. After Nandanar returned to his village, he wanted to go to Thillai but he was caught up in his work. He expressed his desire for Thillai to everyone, and slowly people started asking him every day, 'When are you leaving for Thillai ?' He used to say 'Tomorrow I will go.' It is said that his name became 'Naalai' because he used to say Tomorrow every time. Finally, one day he decided to leave. Because of his low caste (parrayan), he used to go to the top of every street in Thillai and stand and shout 'Varuhalamo' (May I come in ?) The high caste people would close their doors and stay inside till he crossed the street.
Still, Nandanar was very afraid to enter the temple and stayed in the city. The song 'Varuhalaamo (May I come)' is very beautiful. The second stanza goes, 'You are the treasure of the compassion, are you not ? This parrayan, is he fit to pay you compliments ? To see your blissful dance, May I come in ? O Thillai Varadaa One who can extinguish my feverish longing (of seeing you) May I come in ?' Shiva taking pity on him came in the dreams of many brahmins and told them there was a superior bhakta. And that the brahmins were to construct a fire and Nandanar would enter and come out unscathed. Therefore the Brahmins built a huge fire and called nandanar to cross the fire. The story says that he crossed the fire without any burns and entered the temple, but did not come out of the temple, because he merged into the Lord Nataraja there. This story has not been told in periyapuranam in detail but Bharatiyar brings the cruel situation of casteism /racism between people and shows how the Lord does not look for the jati but only prema. Such is the Lila of Lord Shiva, who has no equal.

Aari

This legend relates to the story of Shiva's protecting Markandeya from the clutches of death.
Mrikandu Munivar worshipped Shiva and sought from him the boon of begetting a son. He was given the choice between a gifted son with a short lived tenure on earth or a dunce with a long life. Mrikandu Munivar chose the former, and was blessed with Markandeya, an exemplary son, destined to die at the age of 16.

Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva. On the day of his destined death Markandeya continued to worship a Shivalingam. The messengers of Yama, the God of death were unable to take away the lad's life, given his devotion to Shiva and his being engaged in the act of worship then. Yama himself came in person to take his life away and sprung his noose around the young sage's neck. The noose landed around the Shivalingam, and out of it, Shiva emerged in all his fury, and kicked Yama and killed Death itself.

He then revived him, under the condition that the devout youth would live for ever.

This legend of Shiva killing death itself, is frozen in metal and held in worship at Tirukkadavur. Tirukkadavur is the shrine where thousands throng to celebrate shashti abda poorthi (60th birthdays), with the belief that the blessings of the deity enshrined would prolong their lives. Tirukkadavur is one of the 8 Veeratta temples celebrating Shiva as the destroyer of evil forces.

Abhinav

Shiva is the God of Dance. The Universe is dancing with Shiva in a rythm that is known only by Him. Some postures of Nataraja indicate creation while others symbolize destruction. However, Shiva Himself is perhaps so engrossed in His divine dance that He may be oblivion of the effect that His single toe tip can have on Earthlings. Yet, He being the master of duality is also always aware of each and every action as He is ever conscious, omnipresent and eternal. Who are we to interpret Him and his vastness.

Anek Rupam Ekam Shivam-II

This piece has a very unique style to it. There are many examples of Shiva in this form however never have we seen him quite like this. He is tall and thin. His hips, unlike other examples of Shiva, are thin and manly rather than womanly. His face has a lean, long and has a youthful appearance. Shiva looks like a true Indian thin man!
His legs are long and thin. There is some oxidation on his legs which add to the character of the piece. Oxidation is natural and is not damaging the piece.
In this pose Shiva is known as Vinadhara (translated "Veena Player"), the Lord of Music. A title he borrows from Saraswati. The pose is called is called "Veena Player" because Shiva's two front hands are in the position they would be if he was playing a veena or guitar. The veena is missing as it is in all Vinadhara sculpture.
In Shiva's other two hands he holds an axe as well as a deer. The deer shows how all animals see Shiva as their lord and revere him.


On the Tiruvadiral festival day, Shiva comes forth from the main shrine in the guise of a beggar. the iconographic form of this bronze is known as Bhikshatana or Enchanting Mendicant, and it refers to a well-known narrative of Shiva's manifestation in the Pine Forest hermitage. In order to convert a group of Vedic forest-dwellers to a more efficacious form of worship, the story goes, Shiva once took on the appearance of a naked, ash-smeared beggar and showed up unexpectantly in their ashram. Despite his unprepossessing appearance, the mendicant proved irresistible to the wives of the Pine Forest sages. The women sang, danced and clung to him in erotic abandon. Failing to recognize the disguised deity, and enraged by this invasion of their austere lives, the sages tried to attack the beggar, but all their curses and sacrificial weapons were useless against the god. Finally, in a verbal confrontation, Shiva tore off and threw down his penis (linga) before the astonished hermits and disappeared. In the end, the sages became successful practitioners of the new rites of worshipping the Shiva-linga.

According to tradition, the ultimate boon sought by a Siva devotee is that he be set free from the shackles of life and allowed to remain forever in the presence of Siva. While granting this boon, Siva assumes the form of Vrishavahana, appearing to the devotee in the company of his consort with his diving vehicle, the bull Nandi. (Bull and Uma are missing from the sculpture.)
The sublime Siva has his body bent in a flowing curve. His right hand once rested on the missing Bull. His lower garment is fastened to the waist with a broad band; his matted locks swirl around his head arranged like a turban, and his eyes shine with inward joy.

Ananda Tandava-II

Thiruvalangadu, north of Madras, is associated with the dance contest between Shiva and his consort in the form of Kali. According to legend, Shiva danced vigorously, and to subdue Kali, threw up his leg in the rhythm of the dance. Being a lady, Kali could not repeat this feat and stood dismayed. This dance and the subjugation of Kali, are described in the hymns of the female saint-poet Karaikkal Ammai.
The sculpture of Kali captures her utter dismay and alarm at loosing the dance compettion.

Shiva's sculpture captures his victory over his beloved consort.


It is an amazing technical act that the metal artist could portray Shiva dancing with one leg thrown up and barely balancing on the tow of the other and still preserve the absolute beauty of the dance proportionally and with restraint. It should be considered a marvel.



Kali was the patron goddess of Thillai Forest. Lord Shiva came to the forest to dance for two of his devotees Patanjali and Vyaaghrapaada who worshipped the svayambhu-linga, now in the inner sanctum of the temple. Kali challenged Shiva to a dancing contest on the condition that the loser had to leave the forest. The contest was judged by Lord Vishnu. The dance contest went on for hours with every one of Shiva's dance postures being matched by Kali. Shiva performed a posture with his left leg lifted over his head in the Ananda Tandava exposing his genital area. Kali, being a respectable woman, was unable to go into this compromising position. Thus, Kali admitted defeat and left the forest.

Aradhya-II

Shiva is a contemporary sculptural marvel. Looking into the eyes of this piece is like staring into the eyes of Shiva himself. The detached and aloof expression on his handsome, boyish face show him to be a true King of Gods.
In five of his eight hands he holds a noose, mace, drum, cobra and trident. The trident represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction. He holds a cobra symbolizing the power he has over the most deadly of creatures. Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. The drum represents the rhythmic sound to which Shiva dances and ceaselessly recreates the universe.
The front left hand is in the abhaya-mudra, the "fear not" gesture, made by holding the palm outward with fingers pointing up. The front right arm is across the chest in the gahahasta (elephant trunk) pose, with the wrist limp and the fingers pointed downward toward the demon Apasmara.
The contrasting elements of the rough (gray) stone and the polished (dark) stone bring an added element to the beautiful piece. All the fine details are rough cut giving them a gray appearance. From Shiva's ornate headdress, his hair, earrings, rudraksha beads around his neck, bangles, lotus flower on his palm, his loin cloth down to the fine details on the demon Apasmara are all carved wonderfully in rough cut stone. This contrasts beautifully with all Shiva's skin which is polished to be a darker color.
Even the fine form of Apasmara is carved to perfection. He seems to be squirming under the weight of Shiva as he holds his cobra. His little legs writhe as his two short fangs protrude in discomfort caused by Shiva as he dances his "ignorant" form away.



The dancing form or Shiva is wonderful! This pose has all the grace of a Nataraja sculpture. Shiva seems to balance on the head of the elephant with his one leg as the other is lifted up as though he were skipping. His body is thrown back in ecstasy with his arms spread out in a fan of seeming joy. His fangs are exposed showing him to be terrifying. Shiva again displays his dualistic nature by being both joyous and terrifying at the same time.
The surrounding carcass of the elephant is a marked contrast from the Nataraja sculpture's cosmic arch. Look at the large "O" that is formed by the elephants tail on top of the piece. In his left hand he holds a cobra, and a scalp. In his right hand he holds a Dhamru or drum, which is a symbol of the beat in which creation takes place, a knife and trident. Shiva's trident is a symbol of the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. His remaining two hands are holding the fiery carcass of the elephant.
This sculpture is called Gajasamharam - Shiva Dancing on elephant, in Tamil.
The Stories Behind the Sculpture:
In Varanasi, India there was a demon in the form of an elephant who was harassing the saints and devotees of Shiva during their prayer. Shiva then destroyed the elephant-demon for the lack of respect. Thus the name, Gajasamharam, Sanskrit for "Killing the Elephant."
Another story with Shiva battling an elephant is part of the story of the Nataraja. There were rishis and priests living in the forest known as 'Tharukavanam', they became very arrogant as they had mastered all the 'Vedas', 'Agamas' and 'Shastras' and could raise powerful creatures from the sacrificial fires to do their bidding. Lord Shiva wished to show these rishis their limitations and appeared as a handsome mendicant with Vishnu as his wife 'Mohini'. This created chaos in 'Tharukavanam' as the wives of the rishis fell under the spell of this charming, handsome mendicant while the youthful rishis fell for the allure of Mohini. The older rishis became very angry and wanted to destroy the pair. They raised a sacrificial fire, 'Homam', from which appeared a tiger which was directed at the pair. Lord Shiva killed the tiger, peeled off its skin and tied it around his waist. They raised an elephant which they sent against Lord Shiva, which Shiva destroyed. Then the rishis produced a poisonous serpent, which Lord Shiva caught and wore around his neck. The rishis also sent a demon, 'Muyalakan', against Lord Shiva whom he crushed under his feet. Then the rishis sent the sacrificial fire against him which he put on his left hand. The rishis having lost the fire sent the Vedic 'mantras' which the Lord wore around his ankles. At this the rishis conceded defeat and the Lord revealed himself by dancing the 'Oorthava thandavam' with his matted hair unfurling in all eight directions and the world reverberating to his steps.




"May this obeisance be directed to the Blessed Dakshinamurti to Him who takes the guise of the auspicious Guru, to Him whose eight-fold Form is this entire motionless and mobile cosmos, manifesting as earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon and the soul; beyond whom, all-pervading and supreme, there exists nothing else for those who truly search!"

Dakshinamurti is Shiva in his aspect as the universal teacher, teaching the secrets of yoga, tantras, yantras, alchemy, magic, occult knowledge, arts and sciences, ancient history or knowledge of the future to the sages and saints, gods and goddesses and his highly qualified devotees. Shiva teaches sitting on the snowy mountains of the Himalayas. He faces south towards the Indian subcontinent. Dakshinamurti literally translated means "south Facing Lord" The southern direction is an auspicious direction to face. By Shiva teaching with his body pointed to the southern direction he is basically showing to everyone that he is a god and thus above any worldly traditions.
The images of Dakshinamurti, depict Shiva in his pleasant mood, seated on a high rock seat, with one leg folded while the other rests on the Apasmarapurusha, the deluded self. Two of his arms hold a snake or drum or both in one hand and fire in the other. The snake is a symbol of tantric knowledge and the fire symbol of enlightenment. His remaining right hand is in abhayamudra posture of assurance and the other holds a copy of scripture in gnanamudra posture of presenting knowledge.

There is an interesting legend behind the conception of Shiva as Nataraja: In a dense forest in South India, there dwelt multitudes of heretical sages. Thither proceeded Shiva to confute them, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful woman. The sages were at first led to violent dispute amongst themselves, but their anger was soon directed against Shiva, and they endeavored to destroy him by means of incantations. A fierce tiger was created in sacrificial fires, and rushed upon him; but smiling gently, he seized it and, with the nail of his little finger, stripped off its skin, and wrapped it about himself like a silken cloth. Undiscouraged by failure, the sages renewed their offerings, and produced a monstrous serpent, which however Shiva seized and wreathed about his neck like a garland. Then he began to dance; but there rushed upon him a last monster in the shape of a malignant dwarf. Upon him the god pressed the tip of his foot, and broke the creature’s back, so that it writhed upon the ground; and so, his last foe prostrate, Shiva resumed the dance.

Shiva is dancing on a dwarf-demon. The demon’s name is Apasmara-Purusha, the name when translated into English means a forgetful and lazy demon. The demon is supposed to be highly ignorant and a trouble creator. He was causing lots of problems to people and they prayed to Shiva to save them from the demon’s bad deeds. Shiva appears on the world and kills him. Apasmara-Purusha is a symbol of laziness, forgetfulness, bad feelings, and evil thoughts that all of us have within us. The important message in this story is not whether a demon by the name Apasmara-Purusha existed or whether a god called Shiva appeared on the world and killed him and then danced on him. It is a symbol to communicate to us a greater message -- get rid of your dark thoughts – jealousy, envy, hatred and laziness. If you do so, you will live happily and peacefully. This is a message that appealed to the ancient Hindus and it is a message that is useful to us even today, after thousands of years later. The Shiva’s dance is just an attractive way to convey this message.



Shiva is captured dancing in ecstasy upon his vehicle Nandi. His ten arms are spread out like the rays of the sun amplifying the energy Shiva is releasing upon those in his presence. In eight of his ten arms he holds various weapons and snakes, the most notable is the large sword raised above his head menacingly, warning anything that would challenge his supreme power.
Nandi stands unflinching, his head looking up to his master, Shiva, under his heavy foot. The large hump in his back is wrinkled with the weight of Shiva's foot. The folds of extra skin hanging loosely under his neck give the bull added realism.
The awesome base boasts 13 figures. Included among them are Shiva's sons Skanda and Ganesh as well as numerous other devotees among them Nandikeshvar, the human form of Shiva's vehicle, Nandi. On the arch next to one of Shiva's right hands is Lakshmi riding her vehicle, the owl.

A wonderful statue of Shiva with 6 arms dancing on Apasmara the dwarf of ignorance with Nandikeshvar. Nandikeshvar is Shiva's white bull, Nandi in human form. The details of the piece are very impressive especially Shiva's elaborate demon faced trident as well as the serpent adorning the rear of the sculpture.
The light green veins of stone that are on both sides of the base contrast beautifully with the rich red hue of the stone.

Aakar

Once from the primordial waters issued forth a fiery lingam, composed of an awesome column of flames. This occurrence took place between the end of one cosmic cycle and the beginning of the next. Seemingly endless, this awe-inspiring sight perplexed both Vishnu and Brahma. Deciding to investigate its origins and end, Brahma took the form of a swan and rose upwards to look for its zenith, while Vishnu transformed into a boar and dove into the waters. Brahme flew higher and higher, but couldn't reach its summit, Vishnu too was not successful in reaching the bottom of this cosmic linga. Ultimately both returned to their starting pint without solving its mystery. When they both discussed their attempts, Vishnu conceded his lack of success, while Brahma untruthfully claimed that he had successfully reached the highest point. To support his claim, he presented the Ketaki flower as a witness, who falsely testified that she had witnessed Brahma' success, as she was falling down the heavens.
While they were so conversing, the linga itself burst open and the Great Lord Shiva sprung forth before them. His indeed was the omnipotent presence which even the combined mights of both Vishnu and Shiva could not fathom. But Shiva, at this moment was incensed at the falsehoods uttered by both the Ketaki flower and Brahma. He cursed Ketaki saying that her flowers would never be used in his worship, and to Brahma he directed the curse of no worship. Indeed to this day, a temple dedicated exclusively to Brahma is hard to come by, and the Ketaki flower, even though luxuriously fragrant, is never used in the worship of Shiva.
Here Shiva is seen adored by both Vishnu and Brahma, and asserting his supremacy over them. The painting's central axis is dominated by the vertical linga, made up of tiers of red and gold flames.
The five-headed, eight-armed Shiva sits majestically in a yogic posture against the backdrop of the linga. A right arm blesses Brahma, and the corresponding left, Vishnu. The gods are seen acknowledging Shiva's supremacy with a bow. Ketaki, the fragrant flower is deified as a Devi, and can be seen below the figure of Vishnu.

Abhinay

When Kali, immersed in the dance of destruction, had become unstoppable by any force known to the universe, all Gods approached Shiva, Devadidev Mahadev.

Lord Shiva then incarnated as a small child and started crying as if he was hungry. Goddess Kali could not decipher the illusions of Shiva and thought that the child was crying because of hunger. She started feeding the child her breast-milk. In the process of sucking milk, Shiva also sucked out her anger.

Another story tells about Shiva being nurtured as a child by Kali. After taking the poison from the ocean, Shiva's throat became blue and he came to be called as Nilkantha. However, due to the tremendous intensity of the poison, Shiva became unconscious and Kali took him on her lap and fed him with the milk from her breast. Shiva thus gained consciousness. This story is idiolized in a temple in India, in Bengal, called Tarapith. It is a "pith" where Sati's eyes had fallen.

The extreme anger of Kali had resulted into the manifestation of eight divine entities who became famous as 'Kshetrapaal. After her anger had subsided Goddess Kali became unconscious. Lord Shiva then performed his famous dance–Tandav for the first time to bring Kali back to consciousness. He was accompanied by all the Ghosts and spirits in his terrific dance. When Kali regained her consciousness she found Shiva dancing. She too started dancing and this is the reason why she is also called Yogini.

Ajanma

"He is the king of the world, the Lord of tears, the great seer from whom the gods are born and into whom they merge in the end. May he, who first saw the birth of the universal Intellect, endow us with understanding."
~Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Shiva is Ajanma, the unborn God, who was, is and shall be even after eternity.

After a 100 years Brahma years, Brahmadev will die and a new Brahma will be born. After a 100 Vishnu years, Vishnu will die and a new Vishnu will be born. However, Shiva is eternal.

However, there are some stories on the birth of Rudra, a vedic-manisfestation of Shiva.

There are many stories in the Puranas about the origin of Rudra. According to the Vishnu Purana, at the beginning of this kalpa Brahma wanted a child and meditated for one. Presently, a child appeared on his lap and started crying. When asked by Brahma why he was crying, the child replied that it was because he did not have a name. Brahma then named him Rudra, meaning "howler". However the child cried seven more times and was given seven more names. Shiva therefore has eight forms: Rudra, Sharva, Bhava, Ugra, Bhima, Pashupati, Ishana, and Mahadeva, which, according to the Shiva Purana, correspond to the earth, water, fire, wind, sky, a yogi called Kshetragya, the sun, and the moon respectively.

Avaran

Vasudhaiva kutumbakam

The picture depicts Shiva with family camping under a tree. A snake comprises his loincloth. Right then, there appear Vishnu. Vishnu is on his vehicle Garuda, the great bird and the traditional enemy of snakes. Seeing Garuda arrive, the snake, comprising Shiva's loincloth, flees in fear into an anthill leaving Shiva nude. For saving her husband from disgrace, Parvati tears a part of her sari and with it Shiva protects his privacy.

Ardhanarishwara

Ardhanarishwara - often referred to as a hermaphrodite or androgynous deity, is one of the principal forms of Shiva. In this essay, I will examine the mythographic dimensions of this deity, and in doing so, discuss the related issue of magical androgyny, particularly within the context of Indian magic & myth. I will also attempt to make some suggestions for appropriate forms of sadhana for magical work with Ardhanarishwara.
Ardhanarishwara is described by Daniélou and others as an primordial androgynous deity. The sacred androgyne, both as a deity, and as the human being who crosses or otherwise blurs the gender-divide are related. Daniélou for instance, notes that homosexuals, hermaphrodites and transvestites can be considered sacred beings - "images" of Ardhanarishwara.
One: Cosmic Creation
The Mahabharata tells us that Brahma failed in his early attempts to create mortals who would both create offspring carnally, and later, die. His mind-born sons were ascetic sages. And, according to the Shiva Purana, Brahma lacked the power to create women. When Rudra sprang forth from his brow, Brahma chose him to create mortals. There are a variety of myths relating to Rudras' responses to the request of Brahma. In one version of this myth-cycle, Brahma created the goddess Gauri to be the wife of Rudra. Rudra was initially pleased by this, but when Brahma asked him to beget progeny, he submerged himself in the waters and performed austerities for thousands of years. When at last, Rudra emerged, he castrated himself, and set his linga ('sign') free. It became a fiery pillar - a sign of cosmic potential. Rudra's actions can be understood as a metaphor for the creation of the manifest Universe. He first withdraws into himself, indicating the formless nature of the Great God, in samadhi. By his action of self-castration, he reveals the sign - the nature - of the Manifest Universe, in relation to that which is Unmanifested.
Following these two stages in the cosmic creative process, it is said that Rudra became the mind-born son of Brahma, issuing forth from Brahma's head in the form of Ardhanarishwara - "the Lord whose half is woman" - the right half male, the left half, female. On seeing the Supreme Lord (Shiva), Brahma practised austerities. (It is also said that Ardhanarishwara was terrible to behold, and that Brahma could not look upon him, or was burned by the fire of his radiance.) This form, for Brahma, held the potential for becoming a couple that could unite sexually.
Pleased by Brahma's austerities, the Great God divided himself. The Great Goddess, Sati ('the Real') became manifest, (i.e. the 'image' of the Great Goddess) for the sake of the world. All shaktis sprang forth from the Great Goddess.
Thus Ardhanarishwara manifested the 'signs' of both sexes as the prime cause of creation in the world. Also, in taking the form of Ardhanarishwara, Shiva revealed himself, for the first time, in wholly anthropomorphic features.
Taking the process of creation further, both manifest god and goddess continued to divide themselves. From Shiva came the eleven Rudras - the eleven 'vital breaths' who carried the fiery essence of Rudra into all forms of life. It is said that Shiva requested that the Great Goddess divide herself into two aspects - black and white - from which sprang the infinite Shaktis, or female powers.
One should note however, that no progeny issued from the union of Shiva and Sati - neither mortals nor immortals. It is said that, having discharged Ardhanarishwara from his brow, Brahma performed a similar operation on himself, dividing himself into a progenitive couple, Manu and Satarupa, whose issue represented the various conditions, qualities and activities of the total human condition.
Ardhanarishwara exists without desire. He is a complete form - a single unity. It was by Brahma's command (i.e. Brahma's desire to create beings capable of sexual procreation) that Ardhanarishwara divided to become God and Goddess. Shiva divided himself and let his Shakti (his power) be apprehended separately by both himself and Brahma. The body of fire, of which erotic pleasure is the sparks, was divided. The Great Goddess sent her glowing ardour, in the form of a woman, into the world of the gods. Thus from Ardhanarishwara's self-division came the essential idea of woman, sex, and sensuality. Thus duality came into the world.
Following the act of differentiation, the Supreme Goddess re-entered Ardhanarishwara, once more becoming a timeless, ceaseless image, an image which contains in one body the possibility for sexual awareness of both sexes.
"The great god, Maheshvara, never delights with a wife distinct from his own self ... The joy within him is called the Goddess."
Kurma Purana, quoted in Stella Kramrisch, 1981
The Desire to Create
In the Artharva Veda, Lust or Kama is given as the supreme divinity - the impeller of creation. "Lust was born first. Neither gods nor Ancestors nor men can equal him." In the creation hymn of the Rg Veda, Kama (desire) is the first seed of mind, from which came the entire Creation. It is the arrows of Kama which, in the primordial beginning, inspire Brahma with the passion and lust for creation. Thus Kama is the primal urge of life to become embodied in form. It is the effect of Kama upon Brahma which leads to the manifestation and the division of Ardhanarishwara.
Iconography of the image
Images of Ardhanarishwara are notable as they are examples of a vertical (rather than the more common horizontal) fusion of male & female characteristics. However, this fusion is not entirely balanced. Some images of Ardhanarishwara possess half a lingam, but the primary emblem of femininity is always the breast, rather than the vagina.
Two: Gender-bending as sadhana
The Mythological Dimension
The Mahabharata
Arjuna, one of the epic heroes of the Mahabharata, is claimed by contemporary Hijras as one of their mythic forebears. Arjuna, the fiercest of the Pandava warriors, spends a year dressed as a member of the 'third sex' living in a harem, teaching women the arts of song and dance.
"Yudhishthira said: 'And what office will be performed by that mighty descendant of the Kurus?' Arjuna replied: 'O Lord of the Earth, I will declare myself as one of the neuter sex. O monarch, it is indeed, difficult to hide the marks of the bow-string on my arms. I will, however, cover both my cicatrized arms with bangles. Wearing brilliant rings on my ears and conch-bangles on my wrists and causing a braid to hang down from my head, I will, O king, appear as one of the third sex. Vrihannala by name."
A further tale from the Mahabharata is that of King Bangasvana, who was changed into a woman by the god Indra, whom he had offended. According to the Mahabharata, the king implored Indra to remain as a woman, having found the affection and pleasure that women experience, preferable to the state of manhood.
The Ramayana
It is recounted, in various versions of the Ramayana that a King named Ila, whilst out hunting in a forest, entered an area that was sacred to Shiva. In order to please Parvati, Shiva assumed the shape of a woman and correspondingly, all male creatures in the forest became female, including the king and his retinue. Ila was filled with fear when he realised that his change had been brought about by Shiva. The king then entered the grove where Shiva and Parvati were at play. Shiva allowed Ila to ask for any boon except that of manhood. The king however, addressed himself to Paravati. The Devi gave Ila the boon that he would live half his life as a woman, and half as a man. King Ila suggested to the Devi that he might live as a beautiful woman for one month, and as a man for the next month. The Goddess agreed, but decreed that, whilst male, he would not remember his female form, and whilst female, he would not remember his male form. It is further told that, whilst wandering as a woman, Ila encountered Budha (the planet Mercury), who sought her as his wife. Budha made love to Ila, and she bore him a son, after which Budha petitioned Shiva (with a horse sacrifice) to restore Ila to manhood permanently.
Shiva and Vishnu
Alain Daniélou, in "Gods of Love and Ecstasy" recounts the myth of Shiva's union with Vishnu, whilst the latter had taken the form of Mohini, the Enchantress. Vishnu, as Mohini, was resting by the ocean of milk when 'she' was approached by Shiva, who expressed the desire to unite with Vishnu. Vishnu, it is said, demurred, saying that union between two persons of the same sex was 'unfruitful'. It seems that Vishnu-Mohini finally submitted to Shiva, as, depending on the version, the 'sap' that they spilled became the river Ganges, a son named Arikaraputtiran, or that the Seven Sages took the fallen seed and poured it into Anjani, the daughter of Gautama, who subsequently gave birth to the monkey-god, Hanuman. In other versions of this myth, it is this coupling which leads to the birth of Skanda.
Gender-bending saints
In Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna, author Jeffrey J. Kripal discusses Ramakrishna's injunction that, in order to approach a God, the male devotee should take on a female identity. Ramakrishna paired his male disciples up into 'masculine' and 'feminine' couples. According to his teachings, these 'spiritual' genders result in different types of religious experience, the object of the gender-assignation being to awaken desire and devotional love. According to Ramakrishna's teachings, everyone in the world is 'female' in relation to the divine. According to the biographer Datta, Ramakrishna was taught by one of his tantric friends that "if one is to know the Man, one must take the state of the Woman - as a Female friend, as a handmaiden, or as a mother."
Ramakrishna spent long periods in a 'handmaid state' - one such period being whilst living in the household of his temple boss, Mathur, and fanning the image of the Goddess with the women of the household. Ramakrishna's biographer Datta records that Mathur would buy Ramakrishna women's clothes, shawls and jewelry for him, and dress Ramakrishna with his own hands. The saint is reputed to have experienced a vision of Radha immediately after Mathur gave Ramakrishna some feminine garments to wear. Another biographer, Saradananda says that Ramakrishna's cross-dressing, and Mathur's gifts caused some people to make "scandalous" interpretations of Ramakrishna's "renunciation." Datta also recounts that Mathur often took Ramakrishna from the temple to his home. On one such occasion, Ramakrishna felt that he had become Sita and that the demon Ravana (i.e. Mathur) was kidnapping him, whereupon he entered samadhi. Kripal notes that the abduction of Sita, the faithful wife of Rama, as told in the Ramayana, implies a sexual abduction. Kripal says that, by assuming this mythological paradigm, Ramakrishna was able to deal with a traumatic event, and also preserve his own 'purity'. The implication here of course, is that there was some degree of homosexual relationship between Ramakrishna and Mathur. Sarananda claims that Ramakrishna's cross-dressing was a conscious Sadhana which enabled the Master to discover nonduality that lies beyond conditioned gender.
Ramakrishna often imitated the mannerisms of women, in order to "conquer lust." The logic, as Kripal explains it, is that since sexual desire can only exist between man and woman, then if a man can 'become' a woman, his 'desire' for women will disappear. However, Kripal reveals the secret of Ramakrishna in that: "As a woman, Ramakrishna was ascetic to women and erotic to men" (p234). Kripal goes on to say that 'becoming a woman' for Ramakrishna, inflamed his desire for men, and male deities. Whilst 'being' a woman, Ramakrishna sang to his boy disciples, nursed them at his breasts, and fondled them in his lap. Particular disciples were said to be 'masculine' in relation to the Saint's 'feminine' nature. According to Ramakrishna, the effeminate actors of Bengal, skilled in mimicking the mannerisms of women, should be considered role models for the male devotee.
It is Kripal's contention that the Saint's bouts of samadhi should be interpreted contextually - on the one hand, Ramakrishna entered mystical states as an escape from the threatening sexual presence of women, whilst on the other hand, he experiences bliss whilst looking at the cocked hips of a beautiful English boy. The homoerotic dimension of Ramakrishna's life has hitherto remained hidden, whilst his tendency to enter samadhi at the sight of a woman has been interpreted as evidence of his saintliness. Whilst it may be true that Ramakrishna worshipped the Divine Feminine Principle - as a desexualised mother, able to grant Jnana (Gnosis), he feared and reviled earthly women who entangled men in the entrapments of maya - becoming a householder, having children, etc. Kripal says that Ramakrishna was "absolutely terrified of the polluting substances of the female body and the contact with them that sexual intercourse inevitably brings."
The Hijra
There are an estimated 50,000 Hijra in contemporary India. Hijra are defined as males who lack male sex-organs, from birth or, as is more common, through castration at an early age. It is thought that the Hijra cult may go back over three thousand years and before the arrival of the British, they had begging rights and land grants from both Hindu and Muslim rulers. They identify as being neither male nor female, but of a 'third nature' (Sanskrit: trhytiyam prakrhytim). Hijra are often regarded with a mixture of disgust, fear, and awe. It is believed that they have the power to foretell the future, bring rain, or utter fearful curses. In modern India, they often appear at wedding ceremonies, offering a blessing which bestows fertility on newlyweds. Many contemporary hijra resort to prostitution, and they are also infamous for their lewd public behaviour. Sociological studies of hijra prostitution indicate that some Indian men 'prefer' sex with hijra as they will consent to sexual practices which women are reluctant to engage in. Interviews with hijras conducted by Serena Nanda (1990) indicate that those who chose to become hijra did so due to their homosexuality: "We dress like girls because of the sexual desire for men." For some hijra, the element of choice does not exist, as young boys are castrated and sold to pimps - a practice which seems to have increased in recent years, according to an article in 'India Today'.
Jeffrey Kripal, in his deconstruction of Ramakrishna's biographies, concludes that it is likely that Ramakrishna had an encounter with two hijra whilst visiting Kartabhaja - a tantric community headed by one Vaishnavacharan, who taught that one can worship God in a living man. It seems that this community was made up of homoerotically-inclined males, hijra, and women. Ramakrishna himself records that Vaishnavacharan liked to look at pictures of men, for they aroused in him feelings of tenderness and love. Ramakrishna, it seems, used a similar technique. Interestingly enough, in view of the 'third state' of the hijra, Kripal recounts that, when asked by a disciple whether he was a man or a woman, the saint replied with a smile, "I don't know."
Three: The Androgyne
Androgyne - Greek - Andre=man, guné=woman
Ardhanarishvara is acceptable as a stone image, but would look extremely strange as a living being. Ziggy Stardust is an acceptable androgyne, but are heavily-muscled female body-builders? A man with breasts is a common mythical and, largely thanks to modern hormone therapy, an increasingly encountered 'real' phenonemon, but is a morphological woman with a cock a comfortable image? Or a male with a vagina, for that matter? It seems that the image of the androgyne, when it appears, must be acceptable to men and women, but within the confines of a male definition of what is appropriately feminine.
My core disagreement with the whole modern concept of androgyny (at least in the post-Jungian sense) is that 'masculine' and 'feminine' attributes are culturally imposed (in my view anyway). Men can be 'intuitive' and women can be 'logical' without necessarily becoming androgynous. Equally, I've met drag queens who like to fuck and leathermen who's legs fly up like they were on balloons. I also feel that it's too simplistic to transpose androgynous figures from myth directly into 'real' life. As O'Flaherty says, in Indian mythology, there is no difficulty about 'men becoming women', but the Indian psyche has severe problems with women who are too 'masculine'. I've felt for a long time that the Androgyny thing doesn't really speak to women, as it were. I've met several 'Drag Kings' over the years - there was a much-celebrated incident when a whole group of them 'invaded' the 'Mineshaft' - a leather bar in Manchester, and had lots of fun with their whips and dildoes - causing much horror and shock when they revealed this to the men afterwards. I feel that they wouldn't immediately be recognised as androgynous, though. It seems to me that there is a vast difference between assuming a mythical posture of 'androgyny' and the playful transgression and blurring of sex-roles which happens in the modern sexual sub-cultures. It's also, I feel, an over-simplification to look at some tribal or ancient culture, find a role which seems to fit the androgyny theory, and then apply it globally to contemporary experience. The Lakota Winkte and the cross-dressing Siberian Shaman are worlds apart from the 'cock in a frock' at the Porchester or Torture Garden.
When men 'become' women, I often feel that they are acting out their own projections of how they think women behave - at least this has been my observation with most of the male-female transsexuals I have met. A comment that has stuck in my mind over the years was from a man who said he preferred transsexuals because they were more 'feminine' than modern (i.e. 'liberated') women. Ramakrishna's feints at becoming 'feminine' were, after all, a means for him to heighten his erotic attraction to other men - the only means open to him in a culture which kept homosexuality under the carpet. If androgyny is indeed a metaphor for the integration of male & female attributes, then we cannot really say that Ramakrishna was an androgynous individual in this sense.
The Dissolution of Categories
As the creation myth indicates, Ardhanishvara does not engage in procreation of mortals. The Great Goddess temporarily emerges from Ardhanishvara, in order to fill the universe full of Shakti. Ardhanishvara is an expression of the nondual - of the bliss of samadhi wherein there is no difference made between one thing or another. All that exists flows from, and at the same time is, the union of Shiva-Shakti as represented by the image of Ardhanishvara - the primordial union which is beyond the categories of form and gender. Ardhanishvara is both sensuous, yet also a passive figure - hinting at resolution, harmony and balance.
The dissolution of categories through sadhana is a central and enduring theme in Tantric magic. This dissolution is both transcendent and immanent. The goal of the Tantric sadhu is not so much to transcend the world of form, but to immerse himself in it, all the better to enjoy the love-play of the Goddess. In the image of All that exists flows from, and at the same time is, the union of Shiva-Shakti as represented by the image of Ardhanishvara, the twin poles of Tantric sadhana, renunciation and erotic bliss, are united. The route to superconsciousness - "the realisation that everything is alive and significant" (as William S. Burroughs put it), or, in the words of Ramakrishna, "She Herself has become Everything", requires both asceticism and erotic union. Shiva is both the Mahayogi and the lover of the Goddess, spending thousands of years in ascetic withdrawal, or in blissful union with the Goddess. Tantric texts often take the form of dialogues between the Goddess and the God during, or immediately following, their erotic play. It is often argued that it is through the practice of austerities that the tantric adept supercharges acts of (ritualised) sex.
Steps towards Sadhana
In seeking a distinct mode of sadhana for magical work with Ardhanishvara, I have drawn the following conclusions. My dissatisfaction with the theme of androgyny, as proposed in the work of Singer, Colgrave, et al, is that the categories of masculinity and femininity themselves are socially created and determined.
The tantric uses antinomian practices to go beyond that which society deems proper and acceptable. Hence one might usefully explore and experiment with blurring the categorisation of 'masculine' and 'feminine' behaviour, moods, and expressions, through cross-dressing, bhakti to a goddess or god, uncovering or creating selves of the 'opposite' or 'third' gender - these (and more) are all potentially useful routes to union and integration with the rejected, or 'hidden' other.
Ardhanishvara, as I noted above, can be understood as representing harmony, resolution and balance, in union. Also, we should note that this title can be translated as "the god who is half woman". One may read this as Shiva having projected Shakti, or Shakti having projected Shiva, depending on whether one takes a shaivite or shakti perspective of the image. This, I feel, is an important distinction to draw. There is a great deal of literature on the subject of men 'becoming' feminine, but as far as I know, not so much about women becoming 'masculine'. It also strikes me that there must be a significant difference between the male desire to explore or assume a psychic 'feminine' state, (in order to relate to the divine, or other men), and how women might approach the 'masculine' state - if indeed, they feel a need to at all.
Theorists of radical sexuality have pointed out that we tend to view ourselves as 'subjects', and others as 'objects'. Western consciousness is based on the 'objectification' of the 'other'. Harry Hay, one of the founders of the modern Gay Liberation Movement, proposed the idea of "Subject-Subject Consciousness". As I understand this principle, it means relating to others as equals - giving the same degrees of latitude - complexity and independence, that we ascribe to ourselves. This strikes me as a useful perspective for anyone, regardless of gender-preference, to work towards and one which I feel, reflects the image of Ardhanishvara. This places the emphasis on sadhana not so much in distinct magical acts in the circle or zonule, but in our everyday lives, in our relationships with others.
As for distinct forms of 'magical' work with Ardhanishvara, I would suggest meditation on the form of Ardhanishvara as the primordial flame which may be located variously - at the bindu point of a Yantra, or in each of the chakras. This nondual flame, which is both inward and outward, is the firepit into which all kleshas may be cast, as offerings to Shiva-Shakti. After all, it is these 'obstacles' which prevent us from experiencing the bliss of union which is both transcendent and imminent.