Alaap

September 17th. is Vishwakarma Puja, celebrated extensively in West Bengal.

So this seems to be an apt time to discuss some tales about Vishw(v)akarma, the divine architect.

Vishnu when reciting Shiva Sahasranama, refers to Shiva as 'Vishvakarma'.

According to the Rig Veda, the 108 names that Rudra got from Parampita Brahma, one name is "Vishvakarma"

Linga Puran

The Chariot used by Shiva in Tripurasur Sangram

The sages asked Sutji as to how did Maya--the demon acquire three well fortified forts from Lord Brahma and how was Lord Shiva finally successful in destroying them.

Sutji replied-- after Tarakasur's death his three sons, Vidyunmali, Kamlaksha and Tarakaksha did tremendous penance to please Lord Brahma.

When Lord Brahma appeared, they expressed their desire of attaining immortality. Lord Brahma refused to oblige them. The demons after consulting each other demanded three invincible forts from him and said 'only such a person should be able to kill us, who is capable of destroying all the three forts with a single shot of an arrow.'

Lord Brahma blessed them and disappeared.

Maya, then did an austere penance and with the help of divine powers attained from it, constructed three forts at three different places. The fort made of gold was situated in the heaven, while the silver-fort was situated in the space. The third fort, which was made of iron, was situated on the earth.

The gold-fort was given to Tarakaksha, the silver-fort to Kamalaksha and the iron-fort was given to Vidyunmali. After acquiring these invincible forts all the demons had become extremely arrogant. They started tormenting the deities.

The deities went to Lord Vishnu and requested help. Lord Vishnu created thousands of spirits (bhootganas) and instructed them to destroy those three forts. But, the bhootganas were unsuccessful in their attempt and were charred to death. Lamenting their death the deities went to Lord Vishnu and sought help once again.

Lord Vishnu was aware that the demons derived their power from Lord Shiva.

So, he decided to deviate them from the path of Shiva's devotion. He then created an illusionary entity. The illusionary entity went to the place where demons lived and was successful in influencing them by his illusionary tactics.

All the demons became so impressed by him that they stopped worshipping Lord Shiva and became his disciples.

This resulted into a total degradation of moral values among the demons.

Finding the time opportune, Lord Vishnu eulogized Shiva who appeared and agreed to destroy those three forts.

Vishwakarma made a divine chariot for Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma became the charioteer.

Mounted on that chariot, Lord Shiva proceeded towards the demon.

All the deities followed him.

Lord brahma said---'right now it is pushya yoga and it is very auspicious for launching and it is very auspicious for launching an attack on the demon's forts.'

Lord Shiva then released his arrow, which after destroying all the three forts returned to his quiver. The deities became pleased and eulogized Lord Shiva.

The Sun- Manifestation of Shiva's Power

Lord Shiva manifests himself in the form of Sun.

The Sun radiates twelve different types of rays which have specific impacts and influences on the world.

The first ray is called Amrit and the deities derive their power from it.

The second ray is called Chandra and it helps in the preservation of medicinal herbs.

The third ray is called Shukla and it helps in the propagation of religiousness in the world. It also helps the food crops to become ripe.

The name of the fourth ray is Harikesha and all the constellations get their nourishment from it.

The fifth ray is called Vishwakarma and it gives the planet mercury.

The sixth ray is called Sanyadwasu and it nurtures the planet--Mars.

The seventh ray is called Arvavasu and it nurtures the planet Jupiter.

The eighth ray is called Surat and it nurtures the planet --Saturn.

The nineth ray is called Susumana and it nutures the moon, etc.

Vamana puran

Maha Linga

There is a maha linga established by Takshak towards the north of Sthanu Vata while the Shiva Linga constructed by Vishwakarma is established towards the east.

Vishwakarma constructs a palace

After reaching mandaar mountain, Lord Shiva instructed Vishwakarma to construct a home.

Vishwakarma constructed a spacious home for Shiva, which was spread in the area of 64 yojans. The home was decorated with swastika symbols and its walls were made of gold.

Skanda Puran

Having blessed Chandra Deva thus, Lord Shiva disappeared.

Later on Chandra Deva instructed Vishwakarma to build a magnificent temple at the sight. He also built a city nearby so that all the priests who were supposed to supervise the rituals of worship could live there.

'Sone Ki Lanka'

According to Hindu mythology, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the "Treta yuga."

As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram's wife as a hostage. There is also a story behind the construction of Golden Lanka.

When Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Vishwakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside.

Vishwakarma put up a palace made of gold! For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself! Shiva was obliged to accede to Ravana's wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana's palace.


Baidyanath

The greatness of this temple lies in this fact that in this modern age the scientists are unable to open one cross ventilated door, so it is also said that Vishwakarma (God's Engineer) had erected this temple.

Trident of Shiva

According to legends his daughter Sanjana was married to Surya, the Sun. As she was not able to endure the heat and light of the sun, Vishwakarma placed Surya upon his lathe and cut away an eighth part of his brightness. The fragments that fell on the earth due to this operation were used by Vishwakarma to form the trident of Shiva and the weapons of many other gods.

Taj Mahal

The famous Hindu treatise on architecture titled Vishwakarma Vastushastra mentions the 'Tej-Linga' amongst the Shivalingas i.e., the stone emblems of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity. Such a Tej Linga was consecrated in the Taj Mahal, hence the term Taj Mahal alias Tejo Mahalaya.

Astrology and Shiv Bhakts

Astrology is the study of the effects of planets in our lives and the way they mould and/or influence our lives.

Kalidas in his classic Astrology book Uttara Kalamrita has mentioned some significance of some planets relating to the worship of Shiva.

Significance of Sun.
a) Soul
b) Power or Strength
c) Worship of Shiva
d) Trees having thorns
e) Favor of the king or the Ruler
f) Father
g) Awakening of knowledge or enlightenment
h) Bones
I) Eye
j) Bile
k) Feverish or inflammatory complaints
l) Body
m) Timber
n) Ornaments
o) Rulership over eastern direction
p) Copper
q) Ruby
r) East
s) Face


Significance of Jupiter.
a) Brahmans
b) Teachers
c) Cows
d) treasure
e) Large or stout body
f) Fame
g) Logic
h) Astronomy and astrology
I) Sons
j) Grand Sons
k) Elder brother
l) Indra
m) Precious stones
n) Dharma
o) Yellow colors
p) Physical health
q) Impartial outlook
r) Facing towards the north.
s) Mantra
t) Holy water or places of pilgrimage
u) Intellect
v) Lord Brahma
w) gold and good quality topaz
x) Worship of Shiva
y) Sound knowledge of classical text
z) Vedanta

Significance of Ketu
a) Worship of Chandi, Ganesh and others

b) Medical practitioner

c) Vultures

d) Final emancipation

e) Consumption

f) Painful fevers

g) Bath in Ganges

h) Great penance

I) Wind complaints

j) Mantra Shastra

k) Instability of mind

l) Diseases of the stomach and eye

m) Vedanta

n) Grandfather

o) Small pox or boils

p) A servant of Shiva

q) Association with foreigner or Shudras.

It is also said that the 7th. and the 8th. House of the horoscope are Shiva sthanas.

The picture below is me at the Bahai Temple of Universal Worship in Illinois, USA.

There are a number of tales about Shiva and Astrology

Shiva is said to have passed the divine knowledge of jyotish (astrology) to mankind.
Here are some tales of Shiva and astrology.

Nadi Astrology:
Nadi Astrology is written by enlightened masters called the Siddhas. These Siddhas may have known one in a past lifetime. At that time they agreed to help many people during a crisis in a future lifetime. For some people, that future time is actually "now".
These Siddhas are an esoteric group of enlightened saints from the distant past. The stories of many of them are not yet well-known in the West. They founded Nadi astrology.
Lord Shiva, pleased with their devotion, bestowed upon them some exclusive powers. He gave them the incredible clairvoyance to know the past, present and future. The Siddhas have etched their priceless knowledge on ancient palm leaves called Nadis. If they were associated with one in one's 'Poorva Janma' (previous birth), they promised to help them in a future life, i.e. now. By the Nadi law, one will be involuntarily attracted to the leaves by destiny only. Not everyone has a leaf.
The Nadi leaves are inscribed in Sanskrit, the language used in all ancient Indian arts and sciences. The Maharajah Serfoji II of Tanjore, a true patron of art and sciences, stored these palm leaves in his palace library. He had them translated into Tamil. The British acquired possession of these leaves during their rule and later sold them to some families, which still own them. They have been carefully preserved, awaiting their moment of rendezvous with the intended recipients.
In this lifetime, Siva Baba has unearthed a combination of Nadis renowned for being genuine, accurate and reliable after twenty years of painstaking research. He has people start the search for their leaf with Shiva Nadi, the supreme Nadi which is a dialogue between Lord Shiva and his consort Parvathi, both considered true adepts of enlightened yogic arts. MahaShiva Sukshma Nadi, the greatest Shiva Nadi, contains minute details about every aspect of human life. Whereas other Nadis usually give predictions for every five years or so, this Nadi will give predictions on a yearly basis or even every six months.


Yogini Dasha:
Once upon a time, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were strolling in the forests of the Himalayas. Puzzled by the applicability of various dashas in astrology, Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva, “There are innumerable dasha systems in astrology, but in the Kaliyuga, which dasha would tell us in a flash the results of a person’s Karma?”Lord Shiva said, “It is the Yogini dasha.” And thus Lord Shiva revealed this dasha to Goddess Parvati. In the Kaliyuga, after careful examination of this dasha on a chart, the results do not go wrong. By knowing the mere name of the Yogini operating for a person, the things happening in the life of that person during the period of Yogini can be known.

However, I personally believe that bhakti (devotion) is above all logic, even the norms of astrology penned by our sages over ages. Shiva is above and beyond the rules applied/formulated by us with our limited intellect. Knowingly or Unknowingly every living entity is worshipping Him, Shiva, the Ultimate Truth.

Adbhut Prem

If one looks at the life of Shiva, he is apparently the most unsuitable groom one could ever imagine.

Almost naked, unknown of any worldly complications, indifferent to his financial status, he would have been one candidate that no woman of today's age would have ever imagined to get married to.

However, these are nothing but illusions that Shiva himself created to make sure that who-so-ever aspires for Him is none other than Shakti herself.

The picture shows Shiva as a bhikshuk begging for alms from Annapurna, none other than his consort.

Infact, it is welknown that during marriages, a couple is blessed to be like the cosmic couple of Shiva and Parvati. None is blessed to be like Vishnu and Lakshmi or Brahma and Saraswati. The main reason being that although completely unlike each other, the love and passion between Shiva and Parvati is incomparable.

The picture shows Shiva being tempted into union by none other than Parvati, who is shown playing the veena.

Wining over an ascetic like Shiva, was not an easy task for Parvati. It was even more difficult because Parvati would not be the first woman in Shiva's life. He had already lost his beloved first wife, Sati. Although Parvati was none other than Sati (Shakti) incarnate, she had to prove her worthiness to Shiva.

The mountain daughter is known by many names, each affording special significance. She is most commonly called Parvati; however, with the same mountain connotation she is also known as Girija and Shailaja. Because the goddess is the wife of Shiva, sometimes called Bhava, or Shiva, she is also recognized as Bhavani. Interestingly, it was Bhavani's devotion to Bhava and her hope of eventually winning him, that earned her the name Sarvamangala or "loyal one" and established her as the source of all good things to all those who have faith and follow the path of virtue.

Parvati's story of love and dedication to Shiva is a saga filled with mystery and desire.

Parvati discovered her passion for Shiva in childhood, and immediately realized that she needed to prove the endless depths of her feelings if she wished to become his wife. She focused her mind on Shiva only.

She came to his temple daily, to clean, to sacrifice, and to pray; yet, Shiva was always too concerned with his meditation to observe her. Parvati was thus forced to endure great trials to express her love.

She sat in the four fires of summer, she remained exposed to all the harsh elements of the rainy season and of the winter, and she stood on one leg for three years. For days, weeks, and months she ate or drank nothing, but instead merely chanted his name. Eventually Paravti's efforts created so much heat in the cosmos, that the great gods were made uncomfortable and alerted Shiva.

Shiva was intrigued by Parvati's devotion but was uncertain if her feelings were true. Consequently, he established a series of tests.

First, he appeared before Parvati disguised as a youth. Once there, he spoke of how coarse and barbaric Shiva was. The young man told her she needed a handsome husband like himself, but Parvati ignored him and continued to think solely of Shiva.

The god of destruction then appeared as an old man and declared that Shiva was a stern and boring yogi who would merely ignore Parvati and make her miserable. The old man said Shiva was not worthy of her. He proclaimed that with her unparalleled beauty, she could marry someone as clever as Vishnu, or as strong as Indra. Yet, Parvati continued to ignore the distractions and proceeded to chant Shiva's name.

Finally, the mighty god came in the shape of a deformed dwarf. The dwarf promised if Parvati would marry him instead of Shiva, he would be her slave; however, Parvati failed to acknowledge his presence.

Ultimately, Shiva had been astounded by Parvati's love for him and therefore immediately consented to marry her.

When the day of the wedding came, both the bride and the groom waited with eagerness and anticipation. Yet, when Parvati's parents, Hamivan and Mena, arrived to meet Shiva, they were disgusted by his appearance and forbade Parvati to marry him. But Parvati remained desperately in love with Shiva, and thus, she decided to pray to him for days without resting to eat or sleep.

She pleaded with him to change his appearance so that her mother and father would agree to the marriage. Shiva heard her prayers and was touched. He realized he truly loved Parvati, and in a grand display of color and light, he transformed himself into the most beautiful man anyone had ever seen. Shiva's new beauty coupled with his immense cosmic powers finally convinced Hamivan and Mena to consent to the marriage, and with the wedding vows the heavens rejoiced.

Thus, it is unquestionable and unconditional love that binds the cosmic couple.

Adbhut Prem II

With the marriage completed, Shiva again devoted himself to maintaining cosmic order. Through violent dances, Shiva destroys what he deems unnecessary or unworthy. Shiva's wild arms and hair are said to crash into heavenly bodies, knocking them off their course or destroying them. In contrast, Parvati is depicted as the patient and gentle presence. She has concern for the beings and objects he demolishes, and she therefore attempts to lessen their pain by softening Shiva's blow of destruction. As proclaimed by the seven sages, her goal in the marriage, was to domesticate Shiva, to refine him, to lessen his anger, and to modify his unruly passions.

While the union of Shiva and Parvati is generally portrayed as a happy one, the two do indeed have marital difficulties. Once as sunlight streamed into a cave in which Parvati and Shiva were lying, Shiva looked at Parvati and laughed for he thought she looked as dark as the pit of death. As she had always been sensitive about her dark color, Parvati was hurt by Shiva's words and moved into the Deodar Forest. Once there, she performed a rigorous set of ceremonies to lighten her complexion. She was successful, and the color that drained from her skin manifested to form the goddess Kali.

Parvati thus gained a Golden complexion and came to known as Gauri.

Shiva is shown in the picture completely captivated by Parvati's beauty, now turned fair with a Golden complexion.

Aaradhana

Shiva is the essence of life, above all rules that govern life.

Many believe that planets govern various aspects of our lives. In our ancient texts like Puranas, Vedas and the two Itihash mahakavyas-Ramayana and Mahabharata, planets are often personified.

I would not engage in the argument as to if these personfications are accurate or otherwise. However, if at all we believe that these personifications were symbolic, then we ought to understand that all these "planets" worshipped Shiva, the source of all strength, the direction of all lives, knowing or unknowing.

Shiva, the auspicious one, was worshipped by all the nine planets there by proving that He lies much above stars and constellations and is not bound by its rules.

Once when Lord Surya was offering prayers to Lord Shiva, some error was committed by him, which resulted in his loosing his strength. On the advice of the devas, Indra and sage Naradha, he came to Thiruramesharam and offered prayers to Lord Shiva and got back his strength. So every year on the day he offered prayers ( in the month of Masi (Feb) from 22nd to 27th) one can have Dharshan of the Linga being bathed in the radiance of the Sun. When the rays of the Sun fall on the Linga, it is called as Bhaskara Pooja or Surya pooja.

Chandra was differentiating amongst his 27 wives and loved Rohini more. When Daksha came to know of it, he cursed Chandra to deteriorate indefinitely. Chandra went to Lord Shiva praying for immunity from the curse. Lord Shiva wore Chandra on his head. The part of Chandra on Shiva's head is immune from the curse of Daksha and is constant. Thus, Shiva came to be known as Chandrashekar.

Once when Shiva was engrossed in his Samadhi, three drops of perspiration originated from his forehead fell down on the earth. From those drops manifested a very beautiful infant, who was of reddish complexion and who had four arms.
Seeing the child lord Shiva became concerned about his upbringing. Right then, mother earth manifested and lord Shiva entrusted the job of child's upbringing. The child was brought up by mother earth with great love and care. The child was named 'Bhaum' (Mangal) as he was nurtured and brought up by 'Bhumi' (earth).

When the child grew up, he went to Kashi and did a tremendous penance to please Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva became pleased with him and blessed him by granting him 'Mangalloka'.

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 (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.

Brihaspati did a severe and tremendous penance in ‘Dwarka’ (prabhas area) to please Lord Shiva. Being pleased by his penance lord Shiva gave him a boon to become the preceptor of the deities, the Dev Guru.

Venus or ‘Shukracharya’ is the priest of the demons. He continuously showers his blessing on his disciples (demons). He is the supreme teacher of the ‘yoga’ After doing a tremendous penance he had pleased lord Shiva and received the ‘learning’ of ‘Mritasanjivani’ (bringing alive a dead person). By the help of this learning he used to bring back to life the demons that got killed in the battles with the deities.

Shukracharya performed such a severe austerity and penance for the benediction of the demons which was incomparable and which has not been performed by anybody till date. Lord Shiva became pleased and blessed him with a boon that he would defeat the deities in the battle and also that nobody would be able to kill him. Lord Shiva also made him the secretary of all the wealth as a result he became the lord of all the wealth of all the worlds.

Shani fought in favour of Shiva in Tripurasur Sangram. He thus won favour of Shiva and Shiva granted him immense power. Shani is said to be a great devotee of Shiva and it is said that all Shiv Bhakts are exempted from his malefic effects.

It was Shiva who made him Graharaj after his tremendous penance to appease Shiva.

Rahu is believed to have worshipped Shiva at Tirunageswaram near Thanjavur-Tamilnadu, and is enshrined there.

Simhika putra once went after Chandra to grasp him. Chandra sought refuge in Shiva's matted locks. Rahu, engrossed in his desire to swallow Chandra went near his aradhya Shiva. Shiva took Rahu (just the head) and wore him as a garland around his neck. Rahu was grateful to be near his Aradhya always.

Ketu is believed to have worshipped Shiva at Perumpallam near Mayiladuturai (Chidambaram - Tamilnadu) and is enshrined there.

Sri Kalahasti near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, enshrines Shiva who was worshipped by both Rahu and Ketu.

Ketu is also considered to Rudransh. He is a yogi and a great worshipper of Shiva.

Aashish

Patanjali: A Shiv Bhakt

Legend has it that Aadi Seshan, the serpent (couch) of Vishnu, heard Vishnu's exhilarating description of Shiva's Dance of Bliss. Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance in person at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the one who descended).

His name derives from Pata meaning he fell and anjali the kneeling posture with palms pressed that signifies supplication/worship.

It refers to his origins: Once, when Lord Vishnu was seated on his couch supported by Lord Adishesha (the king of all serpents,) and they were watching Lord Shiva's dance of enchantment (Skt. tandava nrtya,) Lord Vishnu became so absorbed in the movements of Lord Shiva that his body began to vibrate to the tandava rhythm. The vibration made him heavier and heaviercausing a lot of discomfort to Lord Adishesha who, nearing the point of collapse, was gasping for breath. But as soon as the dance came to end, Lord Vishnu's body once again became lighter.

Lord Adishesha was amazed at the transformation and asked his master the cause of the changes. Lord Vishnu explained about the emotional impact, the aesthetic and kinaesthetic effects that dance can have on the spectator. Marveling at this, Adishesha was then inspired to learn to dance to do honour to his lord. Lord Vishnu reflected on that aspiration, and then made the prediction that soon Lord Shiva would request of Adishesha that he write a commentary on grammar. At that time, he would also be able to devote himself to the art of dance.

Hearing this, Lord Adishesha was filled with joy and eagerly looked forward to the future grace of Lord Shiva. He meditated in order to ascertain the manner of his next incarnation, and then he had a vision of Gonika, a female ascetic adept (Skt. tapasvini, yogini) who was praying for a son to whom she could transmit her knowledge and wisdom. Now, Gonika, thinking that her life was about to end, had not yet found anyone to whom she could transmit her knowledge.

As a last resort, when her austerities had come to an end, she called upon the Sun God, who is a witness to all on earth, and prayed that he fulfill her wish. Taking a handful of water as a final offering, she closed her eyes andconcentrated on the Sun. Then, looking at her hands as she was about to offer the water, much to her surprise, she noticed a tiny snake moving in the cup of her palms. As she looked, the snake assumed human form, and prostrating to the yogini, he asked her to accept him as her son.

She was overjoyed and accepted, and for his act of devotion, she named him Patanjali.

He is the compiler of the Yoga Sutra, a major work containing aphorisms on the practical and philosophical wisdom regarding practice of Raja yoga. ("Yoga" in traditional Hinduism involves inner contemplation, a rigorous system meditation practice, ethics, metaphysics, and devotion to the one common soul, God, or Brahman/Atman.)

Virtually nothing is known about the life of Patanjali, and some scholars believe he is entirely mythical. Various references suggest he lived between 200 BC and 400 AD. Ancient texts often refer to Patanjali as an incarnation of the serpent god Ananta, and he is sometimes depicted as half human and half serpent.
Patanjali is the reputed author of the Yoga Sutra, as well as commentary on Panini's Sanskrit grammar (aShTAdhyAyI) which is called 'mahAbhAShya'. There are also many ayurvedic texts attributed to him. Nearly all scholars believe these texts were actually written by different people in different eras.
The Yoga Sutra probably dates from around AD 200. Patanjali has often been called the founder of Yoga because of this work, although in reality is more a major figure. The Yoga Sutra is a treatise on Raja Yoga, built on Samkhya and the Hindu scripture of the Bhagavad Gita. Yoga is also found in the Puranas, Vedas and Upanishads. Still, this work is certainly a major work among the great Hindu scriptures and certainly is the basis of Raja Yoga. Patanjali's Yoga is part of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy. They give us the earliest reference to the popular term Ashtanga Yoga which translates literally as the eight limbs of yoga. They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

Atimitra

Kuber, the worshipper and friend of Shiva

ACCQUIREMENT OF SHIVALINGAS BY THE DEITIE
Once, Brahmaji went to 'Kshirsagar' (the abode of Vishnu) accompanied by the deities and asked lord Vishnu how a man could be liberated from his sorrows. Lord Vishnu told them that this objective could be met b worshipping Shiva-Linga.
All the deities, then prayed to lord Shiva, who after becoming pleased instructed 'Vishwakarma' to construct a Shivalinga for them. Vishwakarma then made a Shivalinga for Kuber, a Shivalinga of yellow diamond for Dharmaraj, a Shivalinga of dark coloured diamond for Varun, a Shivalinga of Indraned diamond for Vishnu and a goldden Shivalinga for Brahmaji. Similarly Vishwadeva was given a Shivalinga made up of silver, the Ashwini Kumars were given Shivalinga made up of bronze, Laxmi was given a Shivalinga made up of Crystal (Sphatik), Sun-god was given a Shivalinga made of copper and the moon was given a Shivalinga made of pearl.

GUNANIDHI - THE BRAHMINS' SON

Narad asked lord Brahma, when did lord Shiva make Kailash as his abode and what was the reason of friendship between Shiva and Kubera.
Brahma then went on to narrate the following story:Once there used to live a brahmin by the name Yagyadutt in Kampilyanagar, who was proficient in the performance of Somyagya. He had a son named Gunanidhi. Though he was a scholar but at the same time he was irreligious and kept bad company. He used to indulge in evil activities like gambling.
His father - Yagyadutt was unaware of his evil activities. Whenever he asked his wife about Gunanidhi habits and conduct, his wife used to tell lies and praised the conduct of Gunamidhi. Thus Gunamidhi's condition became worst day by days.
Yagyadutt married Gunanidhi with a girl belonging to a well to do family. But his habits had not changed. His mother tried her best to make him understand, but it was of no avail.
One day Yagyadutt saw, a gambler wearing his ring. He asked him about that ring. The gambler told him that his son - Gunanidhu had lost it to him, in the gamble. He also informed him that he had also lost numerous ornaments and other properties in the gamble.
Yagyadutt became very angry. He married with another woman after abandoning his wife and son.

GUNANIDHI'S SALVATION

When Gunadhi came to know about his father's second marriage, he moved to another place, cursing his fate. He kept on walking till he became tired. He sat under a tree and started thinking about his further course of action. He heart was full of remorse and he repented for his past actions. As his mind was engrossed in such kind of thoughts. He saw somw villages going towards temple. They were carrying prasad in their hands.
Since Gunanidhi was hungry, he followed them and after reaching the temple he sat at the main gate of the temple. IN the night, after the accomplishment of the Pujan, the devotees went to sleep. Gunanidhi entered the premise went to sleep. Gunanidhi entered the premise of the temple. The flame of the lamp was gradually becoming dim as the result of which he could not see properly. He tore some pieces of cloth, he was wearing and made a thick wick and put it in the lamp. Now the light was sufficient to enable him to see whatever had been offered to the deity.
He carried as much fruits and other eatables as possible and tried to sneak out from the temple. Unfortunately, he dashed against a devotee woke up and chased him shouting thief-thief.
Hearing his cries all the other devotees woke up and caught Gunanidhi. He was given such a nice thrashing that proved to be fatal and as a result Gunanidhi died.
The Yamadutas arrived to take his soul to yamloka. But right then, the Shivaganas arrived and prevented the Yamadutas from carrying his soul. They informed the Yamdutas that Gunanidhi was entitled for Shivaloka as he had devoutly observed the Shivaratri fast, had listened to the tales of Shiva and lighted up the lamp which was about to go off. The Shivaganas also informed the Yamadutas that, in his next birth Gunamidhi would become the king of Kalinga.
In this way Gunanidhi attained to Shivaloka. In his next birth he was born as a son of king Arindam- the king of Kalinga. He was named as Dama. When he was still young, his father Arindam dies. So Dama succeeded him as the king of Kalinga. He renovated all the Shiva-temple, which came under his jurisdiction and passed a law which made the worship of lord Shiva compulsory for all the subjects. By the blessings of lord Shiva, he became the king of Alkapuri and was known as Kubera.

SHIVA BLESSES GUNANIDHI

During the Padma kalpa, Sage Vishrawa was born to sage Pulastya- the manasputra of lord Brahma. Vishrawa's son - Vishrawan ruled over Alkapuri for a long time. This city was constructed by the deity Vishwakarma. Vishrawan was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. During the kalpa named Meghawahan, Gunanidhi did a tremendous penance for ten lac years. As a result of this penance his body was reduced to skelton.
Lord Shiva became very pleased with him and appeared before him, accompanied by his consort Parvati. He told Gunanidhi to ask for any boon, which will be fulfilled. When Gunanidhi heard Shiva's Voice he opened his eyes, but his eyes were dazzled by the sheer radiance of lord Shiva. He requested Shiva to restore the power of sight in his eyes. Shiva blessed him, as a result of which he was now able to see the divine sight of lord Shiva. But he became jealous of Uma, who was present by the side of Shiva. He was wondering as to who was this lady, dearer to Shiva than him. He glanced cruelly towards her. As a result of this his left eye lost the power of sight. Parvati asked lord Shiva as to why was this sage (Gunanidhi) looking cruelly towards her. Shiva replied- He is none other than your son. He is looking at you in astonishment as he his bewildered at the feats achieved your penance. Lord Shiva then blessed Gunanidhi to become the king of the kings. He also assured him that he will always be present in the vicinity of Alkapuri. After being blessed by Shiva, Gunanidhi also made salutations to Parvati.
Parvati said-
Since you have looked at me angrily your hatred and enemity (Bair) towards me was clearly visible. For this reason you will be known as Kubers. After blessings, Gunanidhi both Shiva and Parvati to a place called Vaishveshwar. Kailash mountain was situated near AlkaNagri.

SHIVA GOES TO KAILASH

When Rudra - the Ansha of the Almighty brahma, heard about the tremendous penance, Kubera was doing he started to play his 'damaru' (drum), the sound of which reached all the three worlds. Rudra then reached the place where Kubera was doing penance.
Hearing the sound of his damaru, all the deities including Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashia appeared before him.
When Kubera saw lord Rudra before himself, he offered his seat to him and worshipped him. He also worshipped the other deities. Rudra was so pleased with Kubera that he decided to stay near him. He called Vishwakarma and ordered him to conduct his abode at Kailash mountain, so that he could live in could live in the vicinity of his great devotee-Kubera. Kubera constructed a beautiful city as per his instruction. An auspicious moment was chosen and Shiva went to live at Kailash mountain. He was coronated by the deities.
Brahamaji in this way told Narada about Shiva's departure to Kailash mountain

Aashirbad

Vishnu Worships Shankar
One day the god Vishnu left his abode Vaikunth. He was riding his "garud" (eagle) towards Kashi (Benares), where at that time the god Shankar (Shiva) was residing. He had decided to worship Shankar with great devotion. For this purpose he picked up one thousand lotuses ("kamal"), which he knew was a flower very dear to Shankar, one flower for everyone of Shankar’s thou-sand names. Vishnu went to get the flowers at Manas Sarovar, a lake in the Himalayas. Flying fast he reached Kashi before dark. The dome of Vishvanath’s temple was shining with the golden rays of the setting sun. That was Shankar’s temple.
After taking bath in the river Manikarnika, Vishnu once more counted the one thousand lotuses and with full satisfaction went to Vishvanath’s temple. Shankar welcomed him with a smile, and Vishnu with great devotion bowed to Shankar. Vishnu began to offer the flowers one by one at the feet of Shankar, with each flower he repeated one of Shankar’s names: "Shivay namaha", "Mahadevay namaha", "Pashupataya namaha",... At every name Vishnu bowed and dropped one flower on Shankar’s "pindi" (Linga or phallus). Vishnu became fully absorbed in the worship of Shankar. Shankar was pleased but he wanted to test Vishnu’s devotion. Without Vishnu noticing it, Shankar put aside one of the lotuses.

One Flower Is Missing
When Vishnu uttered the thousandth name, "Vishveshwaray namaha", he was dismayed to realize that the thousandth lotus was missing. Actually, the 1000th. lotus was stolen by Lord Shiva himelf to test Vishnu's dedication. He was deeply disturbed. Several times he had counted the flowers and he was sure they were one thousand. Night was coming to an end and it was not possible to return to Manasarovar to bring one more lotus. He thought for a while, and finally he found the right solution. "They call me ‘kamalnayan’ (the lotus-eyed), which means that my eyes are like lotus. If I offer one of my eyes to Shankar it won’t be too big a loss," Vishnu thought. He plucked one of his eyes and repeating the name of Vishvanath he dropped it on Shankar’s pindi.
"Dhanya, dhanya" (blessed, blessed), said Shankar, and from the stone pindi he said solemnly, "Vishnu, the lotus-eyed. There is no other devotee like you." Shankar embraced Vishnu with great love, and placing his hand on his face, Vishnu’s eye was immediately restored to its place. Then full of satisfaction Shankar asked Vishnu, "Now, what shall I give you?"
"I expect nothing, Vishvanatha!" Vishnu replied."You will be the supreme commander of the three worlds," Shankar announced.


Vishnu-Shiva Dialogue

Vishnu replied, "Mahadeva, people call you ‘Bhola Samba’ (the Simple One). It is alright if you give boons to people like me. But you are equally generous to the demons. They become haughty and the whole world begins to clamour for my intervention to destroy the demons.""Yes, that is correct," Shankar said smilingly. "My nature is like that. But I am giving you one means of destroying thedemons. I know you have no need of it. But, please, accept what I give you." Saying this Shankar placed the wheel in the hand of Vishnu. From that time Vishnu holds the wheel in his hand and is therefore known as "Chakrapani" ("chakra" = wheel, "pani" = hand). Shankar is known as "Shulpani" because he holds the trishul (trident) in his hand.

This wheel or chakra came to be known as Sudarshan Chakra.

However the chakra was too powerful for Vishnu to hold. So God made it into three parts, one given to Vishnu, one to Shakti and one kept with Himself. With that chakra the reverend Lord Vishnu is protecting all the worlds. The form of Lord Shiva blessing Vishnu with the disc is the Chakra prada Murti.

Aaksh

Rudrakash
According to the religious text Devi Bhagwat Puran there was a Demon known as Tripurasur who was very strong and had divine energy and power. Due to these qualities he became proud and started to trouble deities and sages. No one was able to defeat this strong demon in war. On seeing his immoral actions Brahma, Vishnu and Other deities prayed to the Devadhidev Mahadeva Shiva (The greatest, lord of Lords Shiva) to destroy evil Tripurasur. Lord Shiva closed his eyes and meditated for some time. When he opened his lotus shaped eyes tears fell from them on the earth. Wherever his tears fell the Rudraksha tree Grew. The fruits that grow on this tree are known as Rudraksha Beads. Lord Shiva then used his deadly divine weapon known as Aghor and destroyed Tripurasur.

According to another religious text Shiva Mahapuran, Parvati the divine consort of Lord Shiva asked him the origin of Rudraksha. On hearing her question Shiva said that he did penance for a thousand years. Tired of keeping his eyes closed for so long, Shiva opened them. A few teardrops fell to the ground and from these tears, the Rudraksha tree was born. The seeds of the tree were distributed on the earth.

Avataareshwar-Rameshwar and Krishneshwar

Shri Ram and Shri Krishna are considered to be Avataars of Vishnu and is worshipped through out the world.

Shiva as Krishneshwar

From both Shiva Puran and also from Mahabharata we get an account of Krishna visiting Sage Upamanyu for Diksha.

CONVERSATION BETWEEN KRISHNA & UPAMANYU

Once, Lord Krishna went to Kailash mountain to do penance with the desire of having a son. He found Maharishi Upamanyu engrossed in his meditation.

He told Upamanyu about his desire and requested him to describe about the greatness of lord Shiva.

Upamanu described about his own experience when he had divine glimpses of lord Shiva who was meditating "Once I saw Shiva who was surrounded by all the deities. Lord Shiva was engrossed in his deep meditation. Shiva had in his possession all the divine weapons like - Trident, Axe, Noose, Sudarshan etc. Lord Vishnu and Brahmaji were also present there. I eulogized lord Shiva who became pleased with me. Lord Shiva wanted to bless me with a boon. I requested lord Shiva to bless me with three things- 1) I should always remain his devotee b) to be able to know about the past, present and future events, c) My family should never feel the scarcity of rice and milk." "Lord Shiva not only blessed me with all these three things, but also to be able to see the Vaivasvat kalpa." After completing his story, sage Upamanyu told Krishna he must worship lord Shiva if he was desirous of a son, because Lord Shiva can be pleased quite easily.

SRI KRISHNA DOES PENANCE

Sri Krishna then proceeded to do his penance after getting initiated by Upamanyu with the mantra - Om Namah Shivay. He did a tremendous penance for fifteen months by standing on his toe. In the sixteenth month lord Shiva and Parvati appeared before him after being pleased by his penance.

Lord Shiva expressed his desire to bless Krishna. Krishna demanded eight boon.

1) May his intelligence always remain inclined towards religiousness.

2) May he attain immortal fame,

3) May he has his abode in Shiva's proximity,

4) May his faith and devotion in Shiva be unswerving,

5) May he have ten valiant sons,

6) May he be victorious against his enemies,

7) May all his enemies be destroyed and

8) May be dear to all the yogis.

After receiving eight boons from Lord Shiva, Krishna demanded one boon from goddess Parvati May he always be in the service of his parents and the brahmins.

Sri Krishna then went back to Upamanyu and narrated the whole story. At last he returned to Dwarka.

Shiva as Rameshwar

Sri Ram Chandra worshipping Shiva.

There are two stories on Rameshwaram, the place where Ram worshipped Shiva.

One story is that Ram installed and worshipped the Sivalinga before starting the setu-bandhan to Lanka so that the he could succeed in destroying the great demon king Ravana who was a strong devotee of Lord Siva.

The other story is that Ram performed the Shiva-puja after the battle with Ravana. In this story Ram installed the linga to please Lord Siva, because He had on Him the sin of brahmahatya for killing Ravana.

However, it is clear from both stories that Ram performed the puja of Shiva and thus Shiva came to be known as Rameshwar.

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.