The week gone by witnessed another Mahashivaratri. On this day, believers have a date with lord Shiva. The devout fast the whole day and offer prayers to lord Shiva, seeking His grace for fulfilment of their desires. If one’s desires could be fulfilled so easily, there would have been no problems in life. The truth, however, remains that life doesn’t necessarily move to our asking. Not everybody’s desires get fulfilled. In fact, life invariably goes through lots of twists and turns, often to our peril. Why then have we dedicated a day to lord Shiva in our annular calendarIJ
The paradox, however, is that our Vedic scriptures conceptualize the Creator as devoid of any form or visible attributes. Evidently, our realized masters who were conversant with our ancient scriptures would have been in know of the fact that there is nothing like a form-God sitting comfortably in the heaven, who would be administering our lives. Yet, they presented before us with the imagery of lord Shiva portraying certain attributes. And they marked a day in our annular calendar, wishing us to be in His attendance as a matter of regular routine. It has to be there with a meaningful purpose in mind.
Our learned masters, applying intense meditative technique had made in-depth study of the existential dynamics — the design parameters underlying our existence. living in conformity with the callings of nature’s grand design alone would ensure a smooth run of life. In order to make us aware of those vital truths, our learned masters have conceptualized them through the symbolism of lord Shiva. They consciously adopted the language of imagery so as to reach all and sundry overriding all barriers of lingua franca and varying levels of intellect. And they wished us to be reminded at regular periodic intervals as a matter of routine, so that the concept remains live in our minds. Volumes can be written on lord Shiva’s concept, covering all aspects of our life cycle — creation, sustenance, and recycling. Briefly putting them in words to remind the valued readers on this solemn occasion is my way of paying tribute to the lord.
See how beautifully, vital truths relating to worldly existence has been portrayed through two imageries of “lord Shiva”. In the first picture lord Shiva is seated in the meditative posture on Mount Kailash. The second imagery shows lord Shiva with his entourage. The two imageries put together cover the primal-source, the manifest, intervening dynamisms between the two, and the conduct rules of life on earth plane.
In the first imagery lord Shiva, with lunar crescent over His head is seated in meditative posture on ‘Mount Kailasha’. He is perceived almost bare bodied, with just the private part covered with tiger skin. His poison fed blue neck is encircled by venomous snake. River Ganges flows down His hair locks. He is perceived holding a trident in one arm, Damru (double headed hand drum) in another, rosary in the third, and the 4th palm in blessing mode.
lord Shiva in meditative posture, symbolises reflecting within on the run of the life cycle. As the rosary keeps going round and round, so does life cycle keeps moving in succession. Different beads of the rosary imply varied existences on the run. The blessing mode implies that all existences draw succour out of His inexhaustible potential.
In the second imagery, lord Shiva, mounted on a bull, has in His entourage assortment of multitude forms of existences, some of them weird and even invisible in real terms. To name a few, divine beings; human beings; devilish existences; animals; birds; goblins, and even invisible existences such as ghost etc. Symbolically, His entourage is indicative of the multipolar manifest world with all its enormity and diversity. This particular symbol stands for the dynamic world ever on the move at its own pace, as would a bull keep moving at a constant pace mean.
While pulling a bullock-cart, the bull keeps moving unprovoked at a constant pace and would not stop in the way till it reaches a place designated for being fed and taking rest. After a while, the bull again takes the journey forward, and then finally reverts back to its normal place of abode after completing the voyage. The manifest world too, after being on the run for a specified time, reverts back to the primal source to acquire a restful state, whence it gets recharged once again. Following which, out of the seeds of life withdrawn into primal-source, fresh creation cycle takes off. The issue continues.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him atG-102, Bharat Nagar, New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 110 025 Tel: 91-11-49848475/9818037273 Email: pioneerqueries@bharatastro.com Website: www.bharatastro.com