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2-Shiv's Avataar
(Incarnations)
Although Puraan speak
about Shiv's Avataar only occasionally, but Ling Puraan speaks about 28
Avataar of Shiv; while Shiv Puraan tells that Avataar of Shiv is a myth.
Still there are a few Avataar of Shiv, though not very well known
Gorakhnaath
Guru Gorakhnaath is the Avataar of Shiv. He has "Goraksh Sahastra Naam
Stotra", and "Goraksh Kavach".
Hanumaan
The most important and most well-known Avataar of Shiv is of
Hanumaan. He
is known as the Avataar of 11th Rudra. Tulasee Daas has written a lot
about him - (1) Hanumaan Chaaleesaa, (2) Sankat Mochan Hanumaanaashtak,
(3) Bajarang Baan, (4) Hanumaan Baahuk.
Pippalaad
Another Avataar is of Maharshi
Pippalaad who was the son of Maharshi
Dadheechi.
Shankaraachaarya
Aadi Guru
Shankarachaarya is also known as Shiv's Avataar. He has also written about
Hanumaan - Hanumat Panchratn Stotra".
Sharabh
When Veerbhadra fails to calm down Narasinh, Shiv manifests himself as a human-lion
bird Sharabh. The story continues that after that
Narasinh becomes a great devotee of Shiv after being tied by Sharabh. It is said
that Sharabh is the 30th Avataar of Shiv from among his 64 Avataar.
Shuk Dev
It is believed that Shuk Dev Jee, Maharshi Ved Vyaas' son, is Shiv's Avataar -
read "Other Children"
under Ved Vyaas.
Veerbhadra
Shiv created Veerbhadra, one of his terrifying forms, to calm down Narasinh
Bhagavaan.
Shaivites believe that Shiv has incarnated 100 times. From among the 6-7
Sanhhitaa od Shiv Puraan, the Shata Rudra Sanhitha describes the 100
Avataar or manifestations of Shiv. Unlike the Avataar of Vishnu, Shiv manifests
himself directly wherever and whenever necessary and disappears after the
task is done. Some of the avatharas are: Five forms of Sadyojaat and Vaam Dev,
The Asht Moorti such as Sharva, Bhava and Rudra.
Other forms like Kaal Bhairav, Sharabh, Yajneshwar, Mahaakaal, eleven Rudra like
Kapaalee, Shambhoo, Vilohit, Vrishabh, Avadhooteshwar, Kiraat. The other Sanhitaa
deal with the ritualistic worship of Shiv, the creation of the world, Daksh Yagya,
Girija kalyana, Kumaar Sambhav, Tripur Dahana, the twelve famous shiva lingas,(jyOtirlinga s),
the various sins and hells,
danas and gifts,
shraaddha,
Pranava onkaara,
sanyasa,
explanations of Mahavaakyas,
Shiva as the best of Gods,
Shiva as a teacher of Yoga,
importance of mantra Namah shivaaya etc. etc.
There are others like Shiva dharmottara purana, Shivageetha, Shvadharma
Purana also.
ABHISHEKA PRIYA SHIVA.
Rudra/Shiva is abhishekha priya whereas Vishnu is supposed to be alankaara
priya.
So, Normally along with Rudra paaraayaNa, AbhisheKA is done.
Abhisheka is a part of Shivapooja.
Without it, it is incomplete.
Water/Gangajala, milk, ghee, honey, coconut water etc., are used for the
abhisheka.
When we do abhisheka with devotion, mind gets concentration.
Heart is filled with the image of the lord and divine thoughts.
Egoism vanishes.
Mind gets filled with sattva.
There are two parts in Srirudra, the first part says, ’Namo, namo, namo,
namo!’
Mana, means mind. The word mind in English comes from Sanskrit word Mana.
Nama is the reverse of the mind. The mind going to its source is called
Nama
.
When the mind goes outside to experience the world, it is Mana. So Nama is
the mind going back to its source.
When it goes to its source, what does it find? Everything is made up of
one consciousness.
Then, the second part will say, ‘Chame, chame, chame, chame.’
This means, everything is in Me.
‘Me’ in English comes from the Sanskrit word ’ Ma’, which means Myself.
‘Ma Ma’ means ’ For Me’, ‘In Me’.
So, everything is in terms of ; myself;.
The second part is everything is for me and everything is in terms of me.
Even for numbers they say, ‘Ekaachame’, which means, one, two, three,
four,
they are all my form; Myself.
Like that, ‘Sugamchame’, happiness for me!
‘Abhayanchame’ , fearlessness, happiness, health, all the good things in
the
universe, let them all come to me, and they are all part of me.
That is it.
And as this is being chanted, usually milk and water runs through the
lingam, drop by drop. It is done with water.
You allow a string of water to keep falling on a crystal and you listen to
this chanting.
And done on Mondays it is special.
Monday is the day of the moon and the moon and mind are connected.
Mantra, mind, moon, they are all connected somewhere.
Just doing it as a ritual is not effective because it is said that the
Veda
Mantras are effective when people are awake from within; for them, these
mantras have more meaning.
So, they help you to go deep into meditation.
NEVER DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SHIVA AND VISHNU.
IGNORANCE MAKES SOME TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SHIVA AND VISHNU.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO REMAIN CLAIMING THAT HINDUS COPIED IDOL WORSHIP
FROM JAINS.
IT HAS BEEN CONCLUSIVELY PROVED THAT THE FIRST IDOL WORSHIPED BY ANYONE
WAS
A SHIVALINGA AS A FINAL PRODUCT OF THE YOOPASTAMBHA AS THE YAAGASHAALA
EVOLVED GRADUALLY INTO THE HINDU TEMPLE PROVING THAT THE SHIVALINGA WAS AN
EXTREMELY ANCIENT SYMBOL.
SHIVALINGA IS A SYMBOL OF THE GREAT GOD (MAHAADEVA) WHO IS ALL
AUSPICIOUSNESS. ACCORDING TO SANATANA DHARMA, IT IS THE SAME GOD THAT
CREATES, SUSTAINS AND DESTROYS THE UNIVERSE, SHIVALINGA REPRESENTING
SYMBOLICALLY GOD HIMSELF. SINCE GOD, THE SUPREME BRAHMAN IS NIRAAKAARA AND
NIRGUNA, A UNIFORMLY ROUNDED SURFACE LIKE SHIVALINGA CAN BE THE BEST
VISIBLE REPRESENTATION OF THAT GOD.
SOME OF THE STORIES IN THE PURANAS MAKES SHIVA SPEAK FROM THE WOMB OF THE
INFINITE PILLAR OF FIRE TO BRAHMA AND VISHNU THAT THEY ARE HIS OWN
ASPECTS.
SHIVA IS SAID TO HAVE APPEARED AS A BLAZING FIRE OF IMMEASURABLE SIZE TO
DESTROY THE PRIDE OF BRAHMA AND VISHNU. LINGODBHAVAMURTI DEPICTS BRAHMA
AND
VISHNU ON HIS SIDES. THE HARYAARDHA MURTI (ALSO CALLED SHANKARANARAYANA
AND
HARIHARA) HAS SHIVA AND VISHNU FUSED INTO ONE.
SHIVA IS DEPICTED IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES- SAUMYA OR ANUGRAHAMURTI , UGRA,
RAUDRA OR SAMHAARAMURTI, NRITTYA OR TANDAVAMURTI.
SIMILAR TO THE BHAGAVADGITA, THERE IS SHIVAGITA WHICH IS A PART OF THE
PADMA PURANA. IT HAS 16 CHAPTERS IN THE FORM OF A DIALOGUE BETWEEN RAMA,
AGASTYA AND SHIVA HIMSELF.
THERE ARE SEVERAL UPAPURANAS LIKE SHIVADHARMOTTARA PURANA, SHIVA DHARMA
PURANA WHICH IS CALLED A SHAASTRA BY THE BHAVISHYA PURANA. IT MAY BE NOTED
THAT SEVERAL DHARMASHAASTRA WRITERS LIKE DEVANNA BHATTA AND HEMAADRI QUOTE
FROM THIS PURANA.
OF THE THREE MAIN DIVISIONS IN AAGAMAS, THE SHAIVAAGAMAS ARE THE FIRST.
THERE ARE PRADHAANA AGAMAS AND UPAAGAMAS.
SOME OF THE MAJOR AGAMAS ARE THE FOLLOWING:-
ACHINTYAAGAMA,
AJITAAGAMA,
AMSHUMAANAAGAMA,
ANALAAGAMA,
BIMBAAGAMA,
CHANDRA JNAANAAGAMA ETC.,
THESE AGAMAS ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN EVOLVED OUT OF THE FIVE FACES OF SHIVA.
THESE FIVE FACES ARE SADYOJAATA, VAAMADEVA, AGHORA, TATPURUSHA AND
EESHAANA.
ALL THESE AGAMAS FOLLOW THE STANDARD PATTERN OF JNAANAPAADA, YOGAPAADA,
KRIYAAPAADA AND KAARYAPAADA.
SHAIVAAGAMAS ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THE VEDIC TRADITION.
SUPPLICATIONS TO SHIVA TO BE PROPITIOUS IS MENTIONED IN RIGVEDA(7.46. 2)
AND
(1.114.8).
SHAMBHU IS THE BENEFICENT ONE.
ATHARVA VEDA AND THE SHVETAASWATARA UPANISHAD INDICATE SHIVA AS THE
SUPREME
GOD FORM.(SEE SU. 1.10, 3.2, 4.12, 4.21, 4.22, 3.14, 4.10 ETC).
SWETASWATARA UPANISHAD(4. 18) SAYS: YADAA TAMAH TANNA DIVAA NA RAATRIHI NA
SANNACHAASAN SHIVA EVA KEVALAHA.
NOW COMING TO THE VEDIC GODS, THESE ARE 33 IN NUMBER- ASHTA VASUS,
EKAADASHA RUDRAS, DWAADASHA AADITYAS, INDRA AND PRAJAAPATI.
ALL THESE ARE FROM HIRANYAGARBHA.
THE DWAADASHA AADITYAS ARE MITRA, SAVITR, ARYAMAAN, DAKSHA, BHAGA AMSHA,
TVASTRA, POOSHAN, SHAKTRA, VAIVASVATA, AND LASTLY VISHNU.
THUS, VISHNU APPEARS AS A MINOR DEITY REPRESENTING THE SUN.
COMBINING WITH THE DRAVIDIAN NAARAAYANA AND KRISHNA, A SINGLE DEITY WAS
CONTEMPLATED.
VISHNU LITERALLY MEANS THE ONE WHO OCCUPIES EVERY THING.
SINCE HE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE TAKEN UP THE TASK OF PROTECTION AND
SUSTENANCE, HE BECAME THE MOST LIKABLE FORM.
IN THE TASK OF ESTABLISHING THE BALANCE IN THE DHARMA, HE IS SUPPOSED TO
ASSUME INCARNATIONS- IT IS 10 ACCORDING TO SOME AND 23 ACCORDING TO SOME
OTHERS.
THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE SUPREME AS SHIVA AND FOLLOW SHAIVA PURANAS BELIEVE
THAT SHIVA HAS TAKEN 100 INCARNATIONS.
IT IS THEREFORE URGED THAT NO ONE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO DENIGRATE ONE DEITY
WHILE FOLLOWING ANOTHER BELIEF.
HURTING THE SENTIMENTS OF ONE SET OF PEOPLE IS DEFINITELY NOT IN GOOD
TASTE.
LET US BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ONE AND WE MAY PRAY TO HIM IN THE FORM WE LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT HE HAS MEANT IN THE BHAGAVADGITA TOO.
ONE MAY NOTICE THAT THE VISHNU SAHASRA NAAMA CONTAINS SEVERAL NAMES OF
SHIVA AND THE SHIVA SAHASRA NAAMA CONTAINS SEVERAL NAMES OF VISHNU. EVEN
SHANKARA WHO HAS ADVISED PANCHAAYATANA POOJA INCLUDES SHIVA AND VISHNU
ALONG WITH DEVI, SOORYA AND GANAPATI.
(SHIVA PANCHAYATANA WHERE SHIVA IS IN THE CENTRE AND VISHNU PANCHAAYATANA
WHEN VISHNU IS IN THE CENTRE).
SHIVASYA HRIDAYAM VISHNUH VISHNOOSCHA HRUDAYAM SHVAHA.
YATHAA SHVAMAYAM VISHNUH ............ ......... .
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