Lord Shiva

[SerpentSun]

Huh....I've never been particularly drawn to Hinduism, not with everything so commercialized these days. The "Eastern Obsession" is a symptom of how lost the Western world is. So I've always sought the raw, primal, bloody, "dirty" prehistoric traditions. But of all the Hindu deities, Shiva definitely draws me the most....What's up with the cobra?

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by SerpentSun

Huh....I've never been particularly drawn to Hinduism, not with everything so commercialized these days. The "Eastern Obsession" is a symptom of how lost the Western world is. So I've always sought the raw, primal, bloody, "dirty" prehistoric traditions. But of all the Hindu deities, Shiva definitely draws me the most....What's up with the cobra?

Namaste.

I agree with you about the commercialism of Hinduism, but this is nothing new. Blame H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Yogananda and Srila Prabhupada for this...all who sought to dumb down Hinduism for a 'western audience'....we would have got it eventually, on our own.

...but yeah, outside India the whole religion is both seen and treated as very new-ageish when it comes to the practice and traditions of Hinduism.

Tantra is seen as having everything to do with sex, when sex is only a small part of what Tantra is and words like 'chakras', 'kundalini' and 'yoga' are wholly misunderstood and taken out of context.

Oh how much I sigh on here when I read about 'blocked chakras' and various descriptions about kundalini awakenings...

As for the cobra around Lord Shiva's neck, well it could signify Kundalini if you want to think like that, but for me, it signifies how Lord Shiva is the master of all the beasts, even the most poisonous ones cannot bite or harm Lord Shiva because He is a God, where the rest of us would die from a cobra bite....or that Lord Shiva has been bitten by snakes so much, that he has become immune to their venom and hence why He was able to drink up the poison at the beginning of creation.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[SerpentSun]

Originally Posted by The Necromancer

Namaste.

I agree with you about the commercialism of Hinduism, but this is nothing new. Blame H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Yogananda and Srila Prabhupada for this...all who sought to dumb down Hinduism for a 'western audience'....we would have got it eventually, on our own.

...but yeah, outside India the whole religion is both seen and treated as very new-ageish when it comes to the practice and traditions of Hinduism.

Tantra is seen as having everything to do with sex, when sex is only a small part of what Tantra is and words like 'chakras', 'kundalini' and 'yoga' are wholly misunderstood and taken out of context.

Oh how much I sigh on here when I read about 'blocked chakras' and various descriptions about kundalini awakenings...

As for the cobra around Lord Shiva's neck, well it could signify Kundalini if you want to think like that, but for me, it signifies how Lord Shiva is the master of all the beasts, even the most poisonous ones cannot bite or harm Lord Shiva because He is a God, where the rest of us would die from a cobra bite....or that Lord Shiva has been bitten by snakes so much, that he has become immune to their venom and hence why He was able to drink up the poison at the beginning of creation.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Interesting....I like snakes haha. They're very sweet, docile, loving, misunderstood creatures. All it takes is just a little time for them to warm up to you. And they're very intelligent in their own way. Everything is. You can never truly tame a snake, but you can earn their respect and trust. I have a few snake friends in the area. It makes me happy to see the garter snakes taking back this town, as well as a few corn snakes.

I've always seen snakes as symbolic of the balance between motion and stasis. Decision and indecision. On one hand, they can move so quickly and easily, even without any limbs! Agile and flexible, they can swim across water and climb through the foliage. But on the other hand, that same flexibility and strength can be used to strangle and immobilize prey. And the nerve damage and potential limb loss from venomous snakebites can certainly hamper motion as well.

I had a terrifyingly vivid dream about a cobra a few months ago. But they weren't the star of the show; there were two snakes in the room, a golden cobra and a timber rattlesnake. I guess I somehow chose the rattlesnake to bite my right forearm. I don't know how exactly, but I experienced snakebite symptoms that I didn't even know about until I woke up and researched it.

My arm was throbbing with burning/numbing pain and I felt like I was having a heart attack. It was really frightening, and I did ponder seeking mainstream medical attention, but I felt confident enough in my biology knowledge to successfully heal myself. So I did. I texted my boyfriend and told him I got bit by a rattlesnake, then proceded to treat the wound and consume appropriate supportive herbs/minerals. Then I woke up alive and well.

[Shivani Devi]

According to Freud and Jung, if a woman dreams about a snake, it has something to do with the penis and sex...but everything was about sex as far as these two were concerned.

Having said that, Shiva is extremely virile, potent and well-endowed in that area, so maybe the cobra signifies this as well.

Maybe Shiva just likes to wear snakes as ornaments to stop 'just anybody' approaching Him and getting too close.

He doesn't always wear His snake(s) though - especially when He doesn't want another party to immediately recognise Him as Shiva...

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Shivani Devi]

This is more like how Lord Shiva appears before me...

Exactly like this, but remove the beard and moustache and make the skin a shade lighter, or just cover it with more ash and the moon is on the opposite side



Really, anything is seen as 'fan art' because people draw Shiva how they see Him after having His darshan (holy vision).

I can see Shiva directly and I also communicate with Shiva directly...

I don't see him with my two eyes, but with my third-eye and I also can see his Divine image in the cavern of my heart. I have been raised with this for about 40 years now.

Shiva has a heart that breaks mine so poetically, so beautifully....the pain is exquisite.



...but wait...this is more like it:



Aum Namah Shivaya

[SerpentSun]

Originally Posted by The Necromancer

According to Freud and Jung, if a woman dreams about a snake, it has something to do with the penis and sex...but everything was about sex as far as these two were concerned.

Having said that, Shiva is extremely virile, potent and well-endowed in that area, so maybe the cobra signifies this as well.

Maybe Shiva just likes to wear snakes as ornaments to stop 'just anybody' approaching Him and getting too close.

He doesn't always wear His snake(s) though - especially when He doesn't want another party to immediately recognise Him as Shiva...

Aum Namah Shivaya

Haha serpents ain't gonna stop me.

I guess sex could be considered an example of that balance between motion and stasis. Creation and destruction. Sex can be used as a powerful creative force, not necessarily having children, but manifesting certain ideas. And apparently sex can help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

But then on the other hand, unbridled lust can lead to laziness and hedonism that stall personal growth. STDs and orphaned children are also a possibility.

Not sure why, but those images greatly fascinate me. I keep just coming back and examining them. I've always felt drawn to reptiles, long hair, and extra eyes haha. Why is he covered in ash?

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by SerpentSun

Haha serpents ain't gonna stop me.

I guess sex could be considered an example of that balance between motion and stasis. Creation and destruction. Sex can be used as a powerful creative force, not necessarily having children, but manifesting certain ideas. And apparently sex can help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

But then on the other hand, unbridled lust can lead to laziness and hedonism that stall personal growth. STDs and orphaned children are also a possibility.

Not sure why, but those images greatly fascinate me. I keep just coming back and examining them. I've always felt drawn to reptiles, long hair, and extra eyes haha. Why is he covered in ash?

Namaste.

Not just any ash (vibhuti) but ashes from the crematorium. Shiva spends a lot of time hanging around in graveyards meditating and playing host to legions of ghosts and demons...thus He has earned the name 'Bhuteshwar' or Lord of all that is unholy.

Shiva is covered in ash to signify the total transcendence of the body - the same reason why the Aghori (a sect of Shiva worshipers) eat the remains of the deceased and cover their body in funeral pyre ash as well.

Shiva covers himself in the ashes of the dead to show us that this is what the physical body will become in the end, a pile of ashes or dust, but the immortal soul lives on, so we shouldn't get too attached to the body.

If you are into gory, prehistoric rituals that are raw, primal, bloody and dirty....look no further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErKdy2OwHDc

This is why Shiva isn't really worshiped much, because most Hindus can't get past the whole 'dirty', 'unholy' and 'demonic' aspect of Him - but this is what endeared me to Shiva in the first place....of course it would.

It's all about overcoming our own prejudices and transcending what we see as 'good' or 'evil'.

It's all about using those things which make us fall, make us attached, to rise above the attachment through understanding the whole relationship and this is the essence of pure Tantra.

I guess that following Lord Shiva is a 'calling' that I have answered and not many get that calling because they cannot see past the 'tamasic' (dirty) nature of the whole thing, but it is there and glaringly obvious that is what we must do...understand that things are not always as they seem to be on the surface. Shiva over-emphasises and overcompensates for it.

Those pictures above - the first is Maha Kala - an aspect of Shiva appearing as the Lord of Time, the Lord who devours each moment, from present to past with roaring and the gnashing of teeth (think Stephen King's 'Langoliers')

The second image is that of Kala Bhairava - the guardian spirit of all Shiva temples and the 'gatekeeper' between worlds - He is the protector and champion of all who seek the refuge of Shiva's grace.

The third picture is an artist's rendition of Shiva in human form and my oh my how this comes so close in expressing that side of Him...it's like a portrait. I can't take my eyes off it either - it has been so well done.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Vinayaka]

Here's a useful link on how vibhuthi is made ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQY11cSdTuw

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

Here's a useful link on how vibhuthi is made ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQY11cSdTuw

That is very informative and fascinating (watching it)...I haven't been informed so much since I found out that kumkum was made from a mixture of turmeric and bi-carb soda...
Thanks for showing me that. I guess I just used the word for 'ash' (vibhuthi) as it applied to all ash - even though the ashes of the dead are Shivaji's favourite cosmetic application.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Vinayaka]

My personal experience with kumkum and vibhuthi is that vibhuthi is definitely more consistent than kumkum. On one trip to India I had archanas doen at every temple I went to, as Boss had requested it, in her name, in exchange for staying home while I went. (Our youngest was about 14 at the time). Vibhuthi had basically the same sweet smell, fine texture etc., every single time. Kumkum, OTOH differed in color, in texture, in psychic 'feel' etc. Therefore I just don't trust it as much, and have heard some pretty nasty stuff in regard to chemicals that are added to it. But this is off topic so I'll cease and desist.