Ista Devata Mantra -- Sarbani

[Guest guest]

Dear Sarbani & Dasgupta ji,

Namaste. Thanks for bringing Mother closer to all of us. It was great thinking

of Her early in the morning.

Just a few thoughts about Shiva. How can the Nataraaja, who gave the world such

incredible grace of movement and rhythm be "shava" or "inert"? The

saayam-sandhya when He is lost in the Cosmic Dance is a time of dynamic

transformation when the entire world retreats into prayer. Infact it is said

that all devatas also congregate at Kailasa to watch the Parameswara perform,

so praying to Him at that moment is enough to ensure moksha. The nature itself

bursts with ecstacy into an ethereal canvass. It is the time when the

"naada","laya" and "abhinaya" whirl, blend and crescendo into "AUM" ...the

awesome beauty and balance of Nataraja. He's Cosmos in motion and its Kinetic

Energy personified! And just look at His intense inward face! You find an

eternity etched out there.

Shiva's the "Laya kaaraka" and I think "Laya" also means "rhythm" apart from

"losing oneself". I feel that He's the cause as well as the cessation of the

cosmic rhythm. He's the control that keeps the galaxies and grahas orbiting

smoothly along well defined paths in the Universe. He's the One, though endowed

with power of the Third Eye, largely prefers to keep it closed to preserve the

world. Like He absorbed the poison earlier.

Even in the "linga roopa" that's usually worshipped, you find this principle of

control...Shiva atop Shakti, sealing off Her explosive energy, and channeling

it through His so called "tamas" so that the impact on the world is bearable.

"Sri Chakram", the emblematic representation of Shakti, also reflects the same

consideration, where the "Bindu" is concealed by labyrinth layers / controls

(Shiva) that monitor routing of Shakti to saatwik purposes. For this reason,

you find rudrabhishekam being performed to srichakram and Shiva being

worshipped as the Guru who can positively direct one's energies.

Coincidentally, it is Adi Shankara, incarnation of Shiva, who installed the

"Srichakrams" at the ashtaadasa shakti peethas.

In Mahakali posture, you find an inversion of the ordinary...Shakti atop Shiva,

emphasizing the creation of an exceptional set of circumstances that made it

necessary. I think it shows a lowering / removal of controls in a bid to unbind

the Adi Shakti to come forth and kill the demons, so that Dharma is upheld. I

find that both the wrath of Kali and the act of killing, point to Shiva still

being the primary impulse (Chetana) coursing through Kali.

BTW, is there a Kali Yantra ? And, I found Dakshineswar Kali very sweet, very

smiling, very unlike her supposedly fearsome form.

Regards,

Lakshmi

Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani (AT) vsnl (DOT) com> wrote: Dear Dasguptaji,Take for example a

traditional Dakshinamurty depiction of Kali. You mustremember I know very

little of all this and I am not a religious personand know very little of gods

and goddesses. So you will have to pardonmy mistakes and since Solai Kannan has

encouraged us all to participateand not feel scared...In the Dakshinamurty,

first there is NirgunaBrahman as Sadashiv, the cit, the consciousness. On top

of him lies theSaguna Brahman or Mahakal Shiv. On top of him sits Mahakali,

themanifest Brahman. Mahakal is unmanifest, inert, inactive, hence he

isdepicted as a 'shav' or dead. (Karu, therefore he is both Shavaruda

andShivaruda, as Shiv is shav). His creative impulse gets manifest as Kali,that

is why she is Mahaprakrti. She is wild, she is active, she is thechaos of

creation, because she is the manifest Brahman. That is why sheis 'nrityashila'

or dancing. (As opposed to Shiv's 'shavness'). Thetantriks therefore worship

her as Brahmasvarupini. Shiv and Shakti aretherefore two sides of the same

coin, they depict the unmanifest andmanifest aspects of the same Brahman. She

is 'gunamayi' (with the 3gunas) and He is 'gunatita' (beyond the gunas,

unmanifest). He is'achanchal', 'shav', She is 'chanchal', 'nrityashila'.

Brahman istherefore sometimes Shiv, and sometimes Shakti, sometimes manifest

andsometimes unmanifest - this is the lesson that the highly symbolic imageof

Kali teaches us at one level. I believe they are also likened to thewaning and

waxing of the moon. Kali is the waxing moon, from whenceshodasakala and the

worship of Shodasi. Shiva is the waning moon, orunamnifest. Amavasya is the

void of the unmanifest Brahman and Purnimathe full manifestation as Kali. Hence

Amavasya plays such a crucial rolein Kali worship. In images of Kali as standing

with a foot on Shiv, itonly depicts that kali does not exist without Mahakal, or

that Mahakaliand Mahakal are inseparable, the one and the same. This

interpretationis just one interpretation of many and the one closest to my

heart, so Iwanted to share it with you. In Samkhya language, Mahakal is

purushawhose creative impulse is Prakrti or Kali.Sarbani

Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more

[Guest guest]

Dear Lakshmi, Sarbani and friends,

 

I too am very interested in this discussion and love to learn more about the

sattvic worship of Ma Kali. I learned from my chart that Kali is my ishta and

dharma devata but being an American and raised Christian don't know a lot about

her worship. I did learn that the Virgin of Guadalupe,worshipped by Mexican

Catholics has a "terrible" form also where the Virgin slays the demons.

I am concerned that a lot of the information I find about Kali is tantric in

origin so I just take my lead from Sri Ramakrishna.

 

Here is a website that has a picture of the Kali yantra.

http://www.shivashakti.com/yantra.htm

 

I don't know about the text commentary that goes with it whether it is sattvic or not.

 

There is also a picture in Gurudev's Vedic Remedies pg 257 that looks slightly different

 

Best wishes,

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

lakshmi ramesh

sjvc

Friday, April 26, 2002 6:45 AM

Re: [sjvc] Ista Devata Mantra -- Sarbani

Om Gurave Namah Dear Sarbani & Dasgupta ji,

Namaste. Thanks for bringing Mother closer to all of us. It was great thinking

of Her early in the morning.

Just a few thoughts about Shiva. How can the Nataraaja, who gave the world such

incredible grace of movement and rhythm be "shava" or "inert"? The

saayam-sandhya when He is lost in the Cosmic Dance is a time of dynamic

transformation when the entire world retreats into prayer. Infact it is said

that all devatas also congregate at Kailasa to watch the Parameswara perform,

so praying to Him at that moment is enough to ensure moksha. The nature itself

bursts with ecstacy into an ethereal canvass. It is the time when the

"naada","laya" and "abhinaya" whirl, blend and crescendo into "AUM" ...the

awesome beauty and balance of Nataraja. He's Cosmos in motion and its Kinetic

Energy personified! And just look at His intense inward face! You find an

eternity etched out there.

Shiva's the "Laya kaaraka" and I think "Laya" also means "rhythm" apart from

"losing oneself". I feel that He's the cause as well as the cessation of the

cosmic rhythm. He's the control that keeps the galaxies and grahas orbiting

smoothly along well defined paths in the Universe. He's the One, though endowed

with power of the Third Eye, largely prefers to keep it closed to preserve the

world. Like He absorbed the poison earlier.

Even in the "linga roopa" that's usually worshipped, you find this principle of

control...Shiva atop Shakti, sealing off Her explosive energy, and channeling

it through His so called "tamas" so that the impact on the world is bearable.

"Sri Chakram", the emblematic representation of Shakti, also reflects the same

consideration, where the "Bindu" is concealed by labyrinth layers / controls

(Shiva) that monitor routing of Shakti to saatwik purposes. For this reason,

you find rudrabhishekam being performed to srichakram and Shiva being

worshipped as the Guru who can positively direct one's energies.

Coincidentally, it is Adi Shankara, incarnation of Shiva, who installed the

"Srichakrams" at the ashtaadasa shakti peethas.

In Mahakali posture, you find an inversion of the ordinary...Shakti atop Shiva,

emphasizing the creation of an exceptional set of circumstances that made it

necessary. I think it shows a lowering / removal of controls in a bid to unbind

the Adi Shakti to come forth and kill the demons, so that Dharma is upheld. I

find that both the wrath of Kali and the act of killing, point to Shiva still

being the primary impulse (Chetana) coursing through Kali.

BTW, is there a Kali Yantra ? And, I found Dakshineswar Kali very sweet, very

smiling, very unlike her supposedly fearsome form.

Regards,

Lakshmi

Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani (AT) vsnl (DOT) com> wrote: Dear Dasguptaji,Take for example a

traditional Dakshinamurty depiction of Kali. You mustremember I know very

little of all this and I am not a religious personand know very little of gods

and goddesses. So you will have to pardonmy mistakes and since Solai Kannan has

encouraged us all to participateand not feel scared...In the Dakshinamurty,

first there is NirgunaBrahman as Sadashiv, the cit, the consciousness. On top

of him lies theSaguna Brahman or Mahakal Shiv. On top of him sits Mahakali,

themanifest Brahman. Mahakal is unmanifest, inert, inactive, hence he

isdepicted as a 'shav' or dead. (Karu, therefore he is both Shavaruda

andShivaruda, as Shiv is shav). His creative impulse gets manifest as Kali,that

is why she is Mahaprakrti. She is wild, she is active, she is thechaos of

creation, because she is the manifest Brahman. That is why sheis 'nrityashila'

or Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more Your use of

Groups is subject to the

[Guest guest]

lakhmiji,

 

namaste. really a beatifull and poetic narration of shiva. yes `laya' must mean

loosing oneself in the unlimited (meditation is one such laya of self)

-otherwise we limit the role of shiva. i think that the nataraja form is the

same unlimited manifestation of united power of purusha and prakriti, there

cannot be any seperate manifestation of purusha and prakriti.

 

this manifestations are seen in our day to day lives also. we wake up from sleep

every day, creat (plan) our new world arround us. that is the power of bramha,

the creator. no creation is possible without knowledge - so saraswati is his

power. then we sustain the world (execute the daily plans) thoughout the day.

that is the power of vishnu. no sustainance is possible without wealth- so

mahalakhsmi is his power. then at the end there is laya of our world into

sleep. in deep sleep there is no difference between a king and a begger nor

there is any material enjoyment. this is the power of shiva and shakti - the

ultimate truth. shiva is `naada' as the world is created from naada and

destroyed in naada. of course i do not understand this. there is only

intellectual understanding.

 

shiva linga is the highest form of tantric phylosophy. if you have ever visited

kamakhsya devi temple in assam, near guahati - you shall know this. there devi

is worshipped as "yoni".

 

yes there is kali yantra also. the dakhsineswar idol is of dakhsina kalika and

it is the sweetest form of her. in fact as dakhsina kali - she is the

sustainer, mahalkhsmi and not a destroyer.

 

regards,

 

dasgupta

-

lakshmi ramesh

sjvc

Friday, April 26, 2002 4:15 PM

Re: [sjvc] Ista Devata Mantra -- Sarbani

Om Gurave Namah Dear Sarbani & Dasgupta ji,

Namaste. Thanks for bringing Mother closer to all of us. It was great thinking

of Her early in the morning.

Just a few thoughts about Shiva. How can the Nataraaja, who gave the world such

incredible grace of movement and rhythm be "shava" or "inert"? The

saayam-sandhya when He is lost in the Cosmic Dance is a time of dynamic

transformation when the entire world retreats into prayer. Infact it is said

that all devatas also congregate at Kailasa to watch the Parameswara perform,

so praying to Him at that moment is enough to ensure moksha. The nature itself

bursts with ecstacy into an ethereal canvass. It is the time when the

"naada","laya" and "abhinaya" whirl, blend and crescendo into "AUM" ...the

awesome beauty and balance of Nataraja. He's Cosmos in motion and its Kinetic

Energy personified! And just look at His intense inward face! You find an

eternity etched out there.

Shiva's the "Laya kaaraka" and I think "Laya" also means "rhythm" apart from

"losing oneself". I feel that He's the cause as well as the cessation of the

cosmic rhythm. He's the control that keeps the galaxies and grahas orbiting

smoothly along well defined paths in the Universe. He's the One, though endowed

with power of the Third Eye, largely prefers to keep it closed to preserve the

world. Like He absorbed the poison earlier.

Even in the "linga roopa" that's usually worshipped, you find this principle of

control...Shiva atop Shakti, sealing off Her explosive energy, and channeling

it through His so called "tamas" so that the impact on the world is bearable.

"Sri Chakram", the emblematic representation of Shakti, also reflects the same

consideration, where the "Bindu" is concealed by labyrinth layers / controls

(Shiva) that monitor routing of Shakti to saatwik purposes. For this reason,

you find rudrabhishekam being performed to srichakram and Shiva being

worshipped as the Guru who can positively direct one's energies.

Coincidentally, it is Adi Shankara, incarnation of Shiva, who installed the

"Srichakrams" at the ashtaadasa shakti peethas.

In Mahakali posture, you find an inversion of the ordinary...Shakti atop Shiva,

emphasizing the creation of an exceptional set of circumstances that made it

necessary. I think it shows a lowering / removal of controls in a bid to unbind

the Adi Shakti to come forth and kill the demons, so that Dharma is upheld. I

find that both the wrath of Kali and the act of killing, point to Shiva still

being the primary impulse (Chetana) coursing through Kali.

BTW, is there a Kali Yantra ? And, I found Dakshineswar Kali very sweet, very

smiling, very unlike her supposedly fearsome form.

Regards,

Lakshmi

Sarbani Sarkar <sarbani (AT) vsnl (DOT) com> wrote: Dear Dasguptaji,Take for example a

traditional Dakshinamurty depiction of Kali. You mustremember I know very

little of all this and I am not a religious personand know very little of gods

and goddesses. So you will have to pardonmy mistakes and since Solai Kannan has

encouraged us all to participateand not feel scared...In the Dakshinamurty,

first there is NirgunaBrahman as Sadashiv, the cit, the consciousness. On top

of him lies theSaguna Brahman or Mahakal Shiv. On top of him sits Mahakali,

themanifest Brahman. Mahakal is unmanifest, inert, inactive, hence he

isdepicted as a 'shav' or dead. (Karu, therefore he is both Shavaruda

andShivaruda, as Shiv is shav). His creative impulse gets manifest as Kali,that

is why she is Mahaprakrti. She is wild, she is active, she is thechaos of

creation, because she is the manifest Brahman. That is why sheis 'nrityashila'

or dancing. (As opposed to Shiv's 'shavness'). Thetantriks therefore worship

her as Brahmasvarupini. Shiv and Shakti aretherefore two sides of the same

coin, they depict the unmanifest andmanifest aspects of the same Brahman. She

is 'gunamayi' (with the 3gunas) and He is 'gunatita' (beyond the gunas,

unmanifest). He is'achanchal', 'shav', She is 'chanchal', 'nrityashila'.

Brahman istherefore sometimes Shiv, and sometimes Shakti, sometimes manifest

andsometimes unmanifest - this is the lesson that the highly symbolic imageof

Kali teaches us at one level. I believe they are also likened to thewaning and

waxing of the moon. Kali is the waxing moon, from whenceshodasakala and the

worship of Shodasi. Shiva is the waning moon, orunamnifest. Amavasya is the

void of the unmanifest Brahman and Purnimathe full manifestation as Kali. Hence

Amavasya plays such a crucial rolein Kali worship. In images of Kali as standing

with a foot on Shiv, itonly depicts that kali does not exist without Mahakal, or

that Mahakaliand Mahakal are inseparable, the one and the same. This

interpretationis just one interpretation of many and the one closest to my

heart, so Iwanted to share it with you. In Samkhya language, Mahakal is

purushawhose creative impulse is Prakrti or Kali.Sarbani

Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more Your use of

is subject to the

[Guest guest]

Dear Lakshmi,

 

Thank you for your beautiful description of the Shivatandav murty. The

answer to your query lies in your post itself! When Nirguna Shiv is

activated and manifested, He is either Srishtirupini like Kali or

Pralayarupi as Nataraj. Both are manifestations, vyakta rupas,

prakashita selves of the unmanifest Brahman. Here Brahman is 'spandita',

activated. Hence the allegories of laya or rhythm and dance. Mahaprakrti

whether in srishtirup or pralayrup, dances the ultimate form of spandita

activity. So Kali is nrityashila and your Nataraj, taandavmurty.

Unmanifest, Nirguna Brahman is like the bindu, inert, unmoving, nothing,

almost shav-like. Shiv is both nirguna and saguna. Sometimes he is like

the inert death like shav, the bindu, the dark nothingness of the

amavasya and other times he is manifest, active, dancing, moving,

resplendent in all His glory. There is no vibhed here. He is both. The

same Shiv is shav and the same Shiv is taandav. The image of Kali, which

we have been discussing so long, is a symbol of this two in one god. And

the act of creation signified here is a union between Mahakal and

Mahakali. Srishti is the manifestation of Mahakal Shiv into Mahakali or

Prakrti. The linga also symbolizes this creation. In so far as the

manifestation is born of the unmanifested self, the latter automatically

'holds' the former. Hence Mahakali does not exist without Shiv, in that

sense she is 'controlled' by Him. Nataraj and Kali are both not only

worshipped in terms of laya or spandan but also naad and varna. You see,

these are nothing but different aspects of the first creation, the

indriyas, the gunas. Nirguna Brahman is speechless, soundless. So when

he began to manifest, the gunas, spandan, naad and varna came into

being. All these images are symbolic allegories which carry within them

the mystery of the atman. Another perception of Shakti is that she is

the destroyer of asuric qualities within man. The greater the

bestiality, the more ferocious the form of Shakti. We can see this

gradation beautifully depicted in the Chandi, where Parvati transits

from the exquisitely beautiful Ambika to the hideous Shivaduti. In that

sense She delivers us from ourselves and is Siddhimuktipradayini.

 

Sarbani

 

lakshmi ramesh wrote:

 

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