I need some info on Shiva

GuruZero

GuruZero

Tim the Enchanter
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I have been following Kashmir Shaivism, Tantra and other schools and now I need some info on Shiva other than I can find on the net. Please, I read English and my Sanskrit is very minimal.
So other than Shiva is a "destroyer" what else should I know as a potential aspirant to worship this deity.
 
There is a lot on the net. I'm not sure what there is that's not on the net. Anyways, for Saivas, (any of the 6 traditional Saiva schools, not somebody from the Smarta tradition seeing Siva as his chose devata) Shiva is God. Brahman, Parabrahman, the whole thing. If you look at Nataraja, you will see He has five functions, and they are all represented in that murthi ... emanation, sustaining, dissolution, revealing grace, and concealing grace. Mostly the idea of Shiva as destroyer is limiter to Puranas (folk wisdom) and encyclopedias written by non-Hindus.

So it's deep. Very deep.
 
GuruZero said:
So other than Shiva is a "destroyer" what else should I know as a potential aspirant to worship this deity.
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Hi GZ, I just wanted to chime in briefly on this. Shiva is often referred to as the destroyer, but that creates a bit of confusion for some as satan, although in a completely different context, is also known as the destroyer. A Hindu Pandit once explained it to me this way, in this persona God is the destroyer in the sense that the old must be removed to make way for the new. Paving the way for creation as it were. (The dance of Shiva) As a farmer would clear his field of unwanted brush and debris before planting.
 
GuruZero said:
Thanks, Senthil!
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It can get very complicated, or remain rather simple, all depending on how far you want to delve ito it, what you mean by Saivism, and what you mean by tantra . Here is an explanation of the 36 tattvas, for example, from a reputable site for exploring Saivism. http://www.saivism.net/articles/tattvas.asp

Himalayan Academy is a school of Saiva Siddhanta that explores it all in modern American English, if that is more to your liking.

In traditional Saivism, there is no such thing as destroyer. It is dissolution at best.
 
If you've been following Kashmir Shaivism you should know that Shiva is svatantrya(absolute freedom) and is the mantra AHAM. ;-)

A- Shiva
HA- Shakti
M- Nara

Through Gods(shiva) power to create (Shakti) the objective world/reality(nara)comes into being.

Shiva is everything and beyond.
 
Shiva the destroyer confused me...

Until I took a walk in the forest with someone asking me what it would look like if fallen trees were not broken down and returned to the earth by decay, fungus, insects....

And asked how deep in shit the world be if all our waste did not decompose...
 
I used to be confused about Shiva....until it was explained without the destroyer we would be about 50' deep in poop that is uncomposted, that every tree that fell would still be lying there...
 
GuruZero said:
I have been following Kashmir Shaivism, Tantra and other schools and now I need some info on Shiva other than I can find on the net. Please, I read English and my Sanskrit is very minimal.
So other than Shiva is a "destroyer" what else should I know as a potential aspirant to worship this deity.
Click to expand...

The are three demigods over the all the other demigods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

All the the demigods are cousins.

The first demigod was Brahma. He was born without mother and father. He appeared from the belly-button of Vishnu.

Shiva was the 5th son born of Brahma.

Both Brahma and Shiva have a soul. They are each individual souls. Vishnu is an Expansion of Godhead, where Godhead ventures to create the material universe (the Cosmos).

Godhead expands his own self in plenary expansions to allow the generation of material creation(s) [in contrast with the spiritual energy (the "sat-chit-ananda" energy)].

[sat-chit-ananda = the properties of the Spiritual energy of which Godhead's abode is made of; and too the same sat-chit-ananda is the stuff of which an individual soul is made of. OTOH material energy (the elements: earth, water, fire, air etc) is NOT sat-chit-ananda but is temporal and is a place for the soul to sojourn and seek pleasures at their own risk.]

Demigods = superintendents of Universal Affairs.

Brahma is known as the creator (engineer) and also as the first progenitor.

Brahma had many children and they too had children ad-infinitum. The universe is populated by the progeny of Brahma. They are the many demigods recorded in the puranas.

The demigods are of two camps Atheists and Theists.

Brahma created the Universal affects. Shiva will be in charge of the the Universal dissolution. And Vishnu has been the maintainer all along the way.

Godhead (Narayana or Krishna) is the origin of Vishnu.

The primal expansions are:
Krishna expanded into Radha (she is the feminine energy behind the creative potency; she is the eternal consort of Krishna);
Krishna expanded into Balarama (aka Shankara) He is Krishna's brother and he is essentially the embodiment of the creation of all existence.

Since Krishna and Radha and Balarama are never separated: Shiva is considered to be the avatara of Balarama's persona here in the material world. Shiva has and equal task to Vishnu because no other can take of such a task.

Shiva, like Brahma have their own personalities [as written in the puranas etc].
Shiva, like Brahma have their own abodes and pastimes.

IMO, aspirants seeking to join Shiva's association are really after "sense-gratification/Pleasures/treasures/awards" for personal gain while they can.

It is written the the eternal consort of Shiva is named Parvati. Parvati has many hand maids and she insists that no one can approach her beloved Shiva unless they are turned into a women.

Similarly, it is a rule that no one can approach Krishna without the blessings of Krishna's eternal consort, Radha.
 
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