Hinduism is the third largest religion worldwide with one billion adherents. Over 900 million followers of Hinduism live on the Indian subcontinent. The roots of Hinduism can be traced back to the Vedic traditions of ancient India several thousand years before the birth of Christ, making Hinduism the world’s oldest religion. Hinduism does not require allegiance to a particular creed. The tolerance of difference along with openness to a variety of beliefs makes Hinduism a religious traditions rather than a dogmatic set of beliefs frequently associated with the western idea of a religion.

Called the Santana Dharma or ‘eternal religion,’ most forms of Hinduism recognize a single deity. Other gods or goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are manifestations of this Supreme Being. Each person possesses a soul or atman capable of unity with the Supreme Being. While urban Hindus worship either Vishnu or Shiva depending on their branch of Hinduism, most rural Hindus worship their own village goddess or an earth goddess who has power over fertility and disease, thus life and death. Some of the other popular deities include Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, God Rama, the latter two being reincarnations of Vishnu and Goddesses Laxmi and Durga,.

Among Hindu beliefs there are many themes. Prominent themes include Dharma (ethics or duties), Samsara (the cycle of birth, death, rebirth), Karma (action and reaction), Moksha (escape from Samsara), and the Yogas (paths or practices for living.) In learning about these themes a follower learns and accepts the goals of human life which are righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and achieving freedom from suffering.

Sacred texts of Hinduism are called the Vedas. Original oral, the Vedas were composed in melodic verse making memorization easier. These scriptures give guidance for the soul (atman) on its journey and the doctrine of karma or the sum of one’s actions.

A focus of Hinduism is Moksha or escape from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (Samsara). Through kind and generous acts in one life the path to rebirth in a better life is attained. Hindus also practice meditation with Yoga being the most common. Daily devotionals, public rituals, and a puja or ceremonial dinner for a god are celebrated.

A guru or saga is the term for a religious leader and priests care for the temple, leading worship rituals there. Hindu adherents themselves are responsible for the daily rituals in the home. These along with the constant thoughts to duties, actions and practices for living make Hinduism a life practice rather than belief tied to a ceremony.

Chip Tolaney is a designer, writer and an online retailer. His store about Hindu God Statues is called OM etc. He also contribute to Hindu Blog

[tags]Hinduism, Religion, India, Hindu, Hindu God Statues[/tags]

The Kundalini rises and you feel the presence of unconditional love. Something is different in this moment; you are awakened. Yes, something is different. Something is different because you are experiencing spiritual transformation and Kundalini awakening (also known as true serpent power).

This often times happens when we are enlightened with Esoteric wisdom. When we awaken to Esoteric wisdom, we experience enlightenment. Esoteric wisdom has life-changing power when we allow it to work through us for spiritual transformation. It so powerful that we can reach a Kundalini state which releases serpent power.

When this transpires, we may encounter many spiritual experiences according to our vibration at the time. These spiritual experiences include visions, prophecy, foresight, out-of-body experiences, and spiritual insight into the Absolute Reality. For this reason, it is important to open our lives to Esoteric wisdom. These experiences help to increase our personal development, spiritual transformation, and spiritual evolution on the path of enlightenment.

It is said that the human being uses somewhere between 8 to 10 percent of our mental capabilities. Esoteric wisdom opens our minds to that other 90 to 92 percent which is governed by spiritual aptitude. And we know that spiritual aptitude increases our intelligence and charisma as we co-create our reality.

From Shamans to Buddhist monks to Christian Pentecostals, many people have reached the Kundalini state and experienced serpent power. However it has been when these experiences are induced by Esoteric wisdom and Transcendental Yoga that the aspirant or practitioner has had lasting results.

And just what are the lasting results of Esoteric wisdom and serpent power? The lasting results are:

1. The gift of foresight and prophecy
2. The Oneness Blessing
3. The gift of charisma
4. Higher intellect
5. The gift of telepathy
6. Developed gifts and talents
7. Sharpened intuitiveness
8. The unstoppable flow of inspiration
9. The unstoppable flow of prosperity
10. Spiritual transformation and evolution

These are just a few. While out-of-body experiences seem to be the most popular along with astral traveling, the above results are long lasting.

Now, some will ask: “What is Esoteric Wisdom? And what is Serpent Power or the Kundalini state?” Let’s each to provide some clarity.

First, Esoteric wisdom is the “hidden wisdom.” There are those in our society who have chosen to hide information and wisdom as it was exposed in the hit movie “The Secret.” However, those among us who truly understand how Spirit works on the path of enlightenment, know that this is not what Esoteric wisdom was designed to be. Esoteric wisdom is wisdom which we have “hidden” from ourselves because we have not awakened to our true and authentic self. Yes, that other 90 to 92 percent of our brain we haven’t been utilizing.

Esoteric wisdom awakens the inner light within us and we set our feet on the path of enlightenment. We are awakened and ready to receive that which is authentic and luminous for our spiritual growth and evolution.

Now, the Kundalini state or the serpent power state is the physical and mental experience of being awaken. Physically, some people say they experience a cool breeze going up their spine while others say they experience a fire or heat traveling up their spine. Physically, the experience will depend on one’s body chemistry and personality. A fiery personality may experience a cool breeze (the opposite representing the power of transformation) while a cool personality may experience the feeling of fire traveling up the spine. Similarly, with mental experiences some people experience visions or prophecies while others may astral travel.

Accordingly, as we grow on the path of enlightenment, we all come to know the value and gift of Esoteric wisdom and how nothing is hidden from us. The only thing which is hidden is that which we have hidden from ourselves. If we want to experience enlightenment and the treasure of living life as our true and authentic self, if we want to know our true power as co-creators, this writer’s advices is…wake up.

Carmellita Brown, Creative Director of Blue Lotus Living, wants to share a prophetic message called Scepter of Prosperity with you today. This message gives insight and foresight about the perceived economic downturn of our times, things may not be what they seem. Open your heart and mind to this message today.

[tags]esoteric,kundalini,serpent power,awakening,enlightenment,yoga,spiritual transformation[/tags]

Mantras are sounds which “form” the unformed stuff of the universe. Sanskrit mantras are sound formulas for transformation. Each word, syllable, or phrase is designed for transformation, higher-order thinking, and protection as we co-create our reality. Mantras are a way to connect with the Creative Spirit and to actively participate in the creation process as a co-creator.

To this same effect, mantras also work to transform our vibration. And those of us on the path of enlightenment know that when we change our vibration, we change our life. Our vibration becomes in tuned with the frequencies of unconditional love. This happens because mantras have creative power and creative power is in tuned with unconditional love.

It is through the practice and chanting mantras that we discover that words do have power, for it is written, “In the beginning there was the word…” And from this we know, Source Energy is not separated from the word. Even the word mantra lends itself to a deeper meaning, a meaning correlated with transformation, vibration, creation, and liberation. The word mantra means, “Mental device or instrument of thought which liberates the common mind.”

This gives us an interesting and fascinating view of just how powerful mantras are. Since a mantra is an instrument of thought and we know that if we change our thoughts, we change our reality, then it is perfectly understandable that mantras have transformation power. Furthermore, a mantra being a mental device does align with the truth that Source Energy is not separated from the word. Mantra being words, sounds, and syllables are instruments of thought which work to transform the mind. And by transforming the mind, we transform reality. For it states in the Kybalion…

“ALL is Mind. The Universe is mental.”

When we consider the “liberation” power of mantras, we now understand how mantras can work for us on the path of enlightenment. Mantras free the mind and we are able to transcend our common thoughts. Our common thoughts are thoughts of needs such as shelter, food, and clothing. Mantras work at the transcendental level which gets to the core of our soul and why we are here.

Accordingly, these powerful sounds, words, and phrases liberate us from the “monkey mind” and open our Divine mind or Living mind to Infinite Intelligence. With this liberation, as we go about our day, we are spontaneously aligning with the Creative Spirit and manifesting beauty, light, and love in our reality. Yes, we are released from the limited thinking of the “monkey-mind.”

As we work with Sanskrit Mantras, these mantras surpass the limitations of our left-brain thinking and open the creative flow of the right-brain; hence, we create spontaneously without “over-thinking” as some would call it or over processing as others would call it. The “monkey-mind” which is merely low vibration thoughts and lower consciousness is under the subjection of the Living mind. The Living mind which creates things with thought opens to the vibration of the Mantra. For example, the Aha mantra opens the vibration which aligns with the frequency of faith and belief; it restores confidence in the creation process.

Chanting mantras are a wondrous gift when we open our hearts and minds to them. Sanskrit mantras empower us spontaneously and it is spontaneous empowerment which makes us powerful co-creators on the path of enlightenment.

Carmellita Brown, Creative Director of Blue Lotus Living, has provided powerful mantras in the prophetic message called Scepter of Prosperity with you today. This message gives insight and foresight about the perceived economic downturn of our times, things may not be what they seem. Open your heart and mind to this message today.

[tags]mantras,powerful mantras,enlightenment,Sanskrit,Sanskrit mantras,liberation,monkey-mind[/tags]

The reason I am writing this article is because I got married very recently. A very few people are lucky enough not just to find their ideal man, but to get married to that man in an ideal wedding.

We are from the South of India, so we had a Telugu style wedding. The traditional way to start the wedding is to offer prayers to the Lord Vinayaka, who is said to watch over the wedding, making sure that everything goes perfect. The traditional wedding dress of most Indian weddings is a “saree” and that was what I went to shop for next. I was adamant on getting a Kanchi silk saree known as “kanchi pattu”. Red is the most commonly worn color for most brides, followed by yellow. Black is almost never worn.

All brides go on some crash diet or another to look that perfect size, which is the most common mistake most brides tend to make. Starving yourself is not the best choice during the midst of planning a wedding, as brides might end up looking tired and malnourished during the ceremony and in the photographs. The wisest thing to do is stick to a normal diet. Have lots of water, to protect against dehydration or fresh fruit juices to keep you going. I remember one wedding of a close friend, and at first instance I thought I was at some other wedding. The reason was that my friend looked totally different, so try not to overdo the make up and jewelry. It’s not about looking extremely different, but looking the best YOU can look.

One of the most important parts of the wedding is the food. Mostly, a typical wedding spread includes around 15- 20 dishes including starters, entrees and main courses. As most south indians are vegetarians, the food is kept mostly vegetarian, and includes things like vegetable biryani, lentil soups, vegetable curries etc.

: Of course, dessert is not be underestimated, as it is a sweet occasion that is marked. : There is an array of desserts to choose from on your wedding. Rice puddings, dry fruit sweets, gulab jamun etc. are also excellent choices. Before the actual ceremony, celebration goes on at the both the bride and grooms house for quite a few days. Traditionally on the brides side, the most popular function that goes on is the “henna” function, where the brides hands and feet are adorned with henna tattoos. Another popular function is called sangeet where family and friends of both the sides gather and engage in singing, dancing and dinner.

Most Indian weddings are quite large and include a long guest list. The whole wedding tends to last over a few days at least. Usually all costs are endured by the brides family and can range from the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Many videos of Indian wedding celebrations can be found online.

Maurice Castle talks on punjabi suits and does buy salwar kameez online. See anarkali dress at http://www.salwarkameez-online.com.

[tags]salwar kameez online, salwar kameez designs, punjabi suits[/tags]

Every devout Hindu begins his daily worship, all important events and religious festivals by invoking Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.

Everyday worship for Ganpati begins with the lighting of an oil lamp in front of Ganesh statue. Vinayaka is then given a ritual rosewater bath. Freshly bathed, a strip of cloth tied around his capacious middle, a holy mark made of red powder is placed on his forehead. He may be garlanded or decorated with a few flowers tucked on him and placed at his feet. Then come the food offerings. Offerings to Ganesha vary from home to home - holy water, fruit, milk, betel leaves and nuts, a coconut, these are the norm. Next, the prayers are chanted.

This ritual is followed at the commencement of all major religious festivals. However, it assumes special significance during Diwali, the festival of lights, which occurs during October-November. Ganesha, is worshiped as the god of prosperity along with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, who visits earth on this day. After sunset, both idols are placed on a platform. Ganeshji on the right and Lakshmi on the left are accorded a full ritual worship. A pot brimming with rice grains, the symbol of plenty, is placed next to the idols, along with holy water, fruits, milk, sweets and savories - all prepared to welcome these very special guests into the home. The pavilion used for worship, aromatic, glowing with lamplight and color is a beautiful sight to behold. The family gathers to pay homage to Ganesh and Lakshmi statues with prayers. A piece of camphor is placed in a container, lit and moved in circles before the idols. Finally, the offerings that have now been blessed by the gods are distributed to the worshipers. Lord Ganesh and Lakshmi, it is believed, will ensure another year of peace, prosperity and well-being.

There are times when an extra special worship of Ganesha is considered necessary. Perhaps a specific purpose has to be addressed: a family member is starting a new business venture; a child’s first birthday is being celebrated; a trader or other businessman has been suffering inexplicable losses; there is a general sense in the family that too many things aren’t working out well. At times, astrologers recommend the performance of a special worship to Ganesha to nullify the effect of inauspicious portents. In all these cases, Ganeshji is approached through an elaborate ritual to intervene and smooth the path ahead. Eight priests are required to perform this special ritual. Beginning early morning, the family, freshly bathed, is seated for worship. Before a sacrificial fire, the priests worship Ganpati in his eight forms, chanting 1008 prayers to invoke his blessings.

The fourth day of every month in the Hindu lunar calendar is dedicated especially to Ganesha. The big one, of course, is Ganesh Chaturthi, his birthday, celebrated for 10 days, between mid-August and mid-September. In homes across the country, a newly bought Ganesh statue is installed and decorated for worship. Housewives prepare Ganpati’s favorite delicacy - steamed rice-flour dumplings stuffed with a mix of jaggery and coconut. On this festival, one is reminded not to glance at the moon who once insulted Ganesha. The deeper meaning to this quaint admonition: one should not have any truck with the faithless and unbelieving.

The public celebration of Ganesha’s birthday is a huge socio-religious event in the western state of Maharashtra. Red silk clad priests offer 16 services every day to the idol, chanting hymns from ancient religious texts. Millions of devotees visit the gorgeously decorated pavilions to pay homage. On the eleventh day, all the idols are taken for immersion in the sea or lakes with much fanfare and gaiety and bid a fond farewell.

Does Ganesha ever leave? His figure, enshrined at entrances to homes, in every temple, village square and wayside tree is a comforting presence, a reminder that with him around, all will be well.

Chip Tolaney is an entrepreneur, designer and a writer. Visit his online stores at Ganesh Mall and Om Etc.

[tags]Ganesh statues, Ganesha statue, Hindu God Ganesh, Hindu gifts, Hinduism, India, Indian, Religion[/tags]

Elephant-headed Ganesha, Hinduism’s most popular deity, is a study in dichotomy. He is held in awe and reverence as a powerful force who removes obstacles in people’s lives. But Ganpati also evokes a very down-to-earth affection. Some of this warmth emanates from his close involvement in our everyday lives and from the mythological tales about him and his family. The legends about Ganpati depict him as a devoted son and a loving brother.

There’s no Hindu grandmother who doesn’t love narrating the story of Ganesh’s parentage and birth. Many versions abound, but here’s the popular one. Officially, Ganesh’s father is Shiva the Destroyer, one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon, a rather fearsome figure with matted locks and an ash-smeared body who spends eons meditating in the Himalayas. Parvati, his beautiful wife, presides over all of creation. Without her, the earth would be barren and perennially cold.

During her husband’s long absence, Parvati created a little boy for herself from a lump of clay - none other than Ganesha. When Shiva, unaware of his ’son’s’ existence, returned home, Ganesh barred him from access to Parvati, who was bathing and had instructed her son to guard against intruders. Shiva, whose rage could destroy the universe, chopped off the child’s head. When he realized his blunder, he replaced the boy’s head with that of an elephant.

Shiva also granted his son a boon - that he would be worshiped before the start of any earthly enterprise. Notwithstanding this dramatic event in childhood, Ganeshji grew up to be regarded as the epitome of filial devotion.

Hindu mythology has several stories about Ganesh and his younger sibling, Karthikeya. Where Ganpati is revered all over India, Karthikeya’s influence is predominant in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, where he is also known as Murugan, Subramanya or Arumugham.

You couldn’t find two more contrasting personalities. Ganesha is comfortably plump, benign, and patience personified; brother Karthikeya is all radiant energy and an impulsive lad. Ganeshji has the lowly mouse as his vehicle while Karthikeya prefers the flashy peacock.

Like many Hindu myths, stories of the Ganesh-Kartikeya interactions are possessed of a childlike simplicity, yet imbued with lessons for mankind. Once, a mango infused with divine knowledge was brought to Mount Kailas in the Himalayas, where Shiva and Parvati hold court. Since only one individual could consume the fruit, a race was proposed between their two sons - whosoever circumambulated the planet thrice and returned first would win the fruit. Confident in the knowledge that his peacock would outrace Ganesha’s mouse, Kartikeya vroomed off into space.

Ganesh, on the other hand, simply folded his palms in prayer and walked around his seated parents, returning to his starting point ahead of Kartikeya. His reasoning? Shiva and Parvati contain the world within them; walking around his parents is equivalent to actually going around the earth. He won the fruit, but then magnanimously offered it to his sulking brother.

There are conflicting views regarding the marital status of Ganesha. Some parts of India worships Ganesha as a bachelor while the rest of India worships him along with his two wives. Ganesha is thought to be married to Siddhi (spiritual strength) and Buddhi (intellect) - the daughters of Brahma the Creator - one of the holy trinity in the Hindu pantheon. This is popularly taken to mean that where Ganesha is present, intellectual acumen and spirituality will follow.

Legend also has it that Kartikeya grew up to marry Valli, a tribal maiden and Devayani, the daughter of Indra, the wind god. However, he is widely worshipped as a child-god possessed of a warrior’s skills, one who protects his devotees against all harm.

Chip Tolaney operates Ganesh Mall and is a regular contributor of Ganesh articles and teachings.

[tags]Ganesh, Ganpati, Ganesha, Ganesh Statue, Kartikeya, Shiva, Parvati, Hindu, Hinduism[/tags]

Sibling rivalry is the same everywhere, whether the kids live in Minneapolis, Morocco or Mount Kailasa, the home of the gods. Shiva and Parvati had their hands full as peacemakers in the incessant quarrels between their two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya.

Hindu mythology has several stories about Ganesha and his younger sibling, Karthikeya. Where Ganesha is revered all over India, Karthikeya’s influence is predominant in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, where he is also known as Murugan, Subramanya or Arumugham. You couldn’t find two more contrasting personalities. Ganesha is comfortably plump, benign, and patience personified; brother Karthikeya is all radiant energy and an impulsive lad. Ganesha has the lowly mouse as his vehicle while Karthikeya prefers the flashy peacock.

Many of these quarrels derived from Kartikeya’s easily excitable nature. As Shiva and Parvati’s elder son, he was often irritated that folks in heaven and on earth propitiated Ganesha first. Ganesha had somehow acquired the stature of being the elder brother. Maybe it was his enormous size, thanks to nonstop gorging on his devotees’ sweet offerings. Or perhaps it was his stately walk that did the trick. An annoyed Kartikeya never lost an opportunity to escalate a minor difference into a noisy argument.

One day, Shiva decided to settle the tiresome rivalry once and for all. He proposed a race - whosoever circled the universe thrice and returned first to Kailasa would be considered the older brother.

Kartikeya was thrilled - of course he’d win! Without wasting a second, he mounted his peacock and was off in a blur of blue-green feathers.

Ganesha leisurely continued munching on the sweets he was eating. Mooshika the mouse, his faithful vehicle, watched him with disbelief and exclaimed, “At this rate, we’ll still be here when Kartikeya gets back. He’ll never let you live this down!”

“Don’t worry Mooshika, I know what I’m doing.” So saying, Ganesha heaved himself up and waddled over to where his parents were seated. With folded hands, he walked around them. Once, twice, thrice. Back to starting point, he bowed deeply, just as Kartikeya’s peacock arrived with a screeching halt.

Kartikeya couldn’t believe his eyes. How had his overweight competitor beaten him to it? Shiva and Parvati too, were puzzled.

“Er…son, we did spell out the rules of the contest, remember?” said Shiva.

“And I have followed them” said Ganesha calmly. “Mother and you are the manifest universe. By circling you thrice, have I not followed your instructions?”

Overjoyed with his wisdom and maturity, Shiva and Parvati lost no time in declaring Ganesha as their elder son. Poor Kartikeya - he sulked, as all siblings do.

Chip Tolaney operates Ganesh Mall and is a regular contributor of Ganesh articles and stories.

[tags]Ganesh, Ganesha, Ganpati, Ganesh Statue, Ganesh techings, Hindu God Ganesh, Kartikeya, Hinduism[/tags]

That broken tusk on Ganesha… what’s it all about? There are three different possibilities. This article discusses those stories.

First Secretary
If laptops had existed way back when the great Hindu epic poem, Mahabharata was written, Ganesha might never had acquired a broken tusk. How so? Sage Vyasa, the author of the epic, needed an assistant who would inscribe his masterpiece, someone gifted with an agile mind and nimble hand to cope with the torrent of words that poured out of him. Who better than Ganesha, the god with the smarts?

“Sure thing,” said Ganesha, “but, on one condition. I get bored easily. I’ll do it provided you recite everything in one go.” Vyasa, taken aback at the youthful scribe’s audacity, agreed, but threw in his own rider.

“Fine, I can do that, but on one condition. You can’t just write stuff down blindly. You must understand everything I say in its entirety before penning it down.”

Vyasa thought he could spout something frightfully complex, then sit back and catch his breath while Ganesha chewed on the verse. Else how could an ancient like him retain his status before this young fellow?

The recitation began and Ganesha’s plump hand became a blur as it whizzed across the pages. No ordinary feather pen could withstand that speed. The one in Ganesha’s hand broke. Could Ganesha live up to his own challenge? Without pause, Ganesha broke off one tusk and proceeded to use it as a pen, until the transcription came to an end.

Axed!
Ever the dutiful son, Ganesha took his title as chief (Ganapati) of Shiva’s army seriously. One day, his father was sleeping, when a visitor arrived - Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu, the Preserver of Life. Ganesha politely declined to let him in. When Parashurama’s entreaties fell on deaf ears, the great warrior was enraged, and lunged at Ganesha.

Ganesha’s sharp eye fell upon the axe in Parashurama’s hand. “Hey, that’s dad’s axe!” he thought. “He must’ve presented it to this person. This means I can’t possibly fight him - he must be dad’s friend!”

Turning his face respectfully, Ganesha took the blow on his tusk - and that’s how it broke off!

Arrogance doesn’t pay
One moonlit night, after stuffing himself silly with sweets from his devotees, Ganesha went for a ride in the skies, mounted on his mouse. A snake appeared out of nowhere, causing the mouse to jump in fright. Ganesha fell off on his huge belly. Ouch, that must have hurt! Ganesha picked up the snake and tied it around his belly - a makeshift bandage, if you will.

The Moon, an amused spectator to the chubby child’s antics, broke into giggles. And that made Ganesha upset. “So you think I’m funny, huh? Just you wait… I’ll fix that arrogant grin!” Ganesha snapped off a tusk and threw it at the moon, whose gleaming face was split into two. For good measure, he cursed it as a source of bad luck to anyone gazing upon it. The Moon, realizing the folly of its ways, pleaded for mercy. Divine curses, though, can’t be revoked - they can only be altered, somewhat. Ganesha, who was really quite a softie, relented.

“Oh, OK, you’re spared. But you’ll wax and wane every fifteen days. And folks who look at you on my birthday will have a hard time.” Now you know why a full moon is so short-lived. And don’t ever forget to keep your gaze away from it on Ganesh Chaturthi (a festival that marks the birth of Ganesha)!

Chip Tolaney operates Ganesh Mall and is a regular contributor of articles about Ganesha.

[tags]Ganesh, Ganesha, Ganpati, Ganesh statue, Ganesh wall art, Ganesh Tusk, Mahabharata[/tags]

Kali’s final dwelling place, which was the cremation ground, denotes a place where the five elements are dissolved, and is where dissolution takes place.

In terms of devotion and worship, this denotes the dissolving of attachments such as anger, lust, and other binding emotions, feelings, and ideas. The heart of the devotee is where this burning takes place, and it is in the heart that Kali dwells. The devotee makes her image in his heart and under her influence burns away all limitations and ignorance in the cremation fires. This inner cremation fire in the heart is the fire of knowledge, which Kali bestows.

The image of a recumbent Shiva lying under the feet of Kali, represents Shiva as the passive potential of creation, and Kali as his Shakti. The generic term, Shakti, denotes the universal feminine creative principle and the energizing force behind all male divinity including Shiva. Shakti is known by the general name Devi, which is from the root div that means to shine. She is the shining one, who is given different names in different places and in different appearances, as the symbol of the life giving powers of the universe.

Kali powers him. This Shakti is expressed as the I in Shiva’s name, and without this I, Shiva becomes Shva, which in Sanskrit means a corpse. This suggesting that without his Shakti, Shiva is powerless or inert. Kali is the appropriate image for conveying the idea of the world as the play of the gods. The spontaneous, effortless, dizzying creativity of the divine reflex is conveyed in her wild appearance. Kali is identified with the phenomenal world, as she presents a picture of that world that underlies its ephemeral and unpredictable nature.

In her mad dancing, disheveled hair, and eerie howl there is made present the hint of a world reeling and careening out of control. The world is created and destroyed in Kali’s wild dancing, and the truth of redemption lies in man’s awareness that he is invited to take part in that dance, to yield to the frenzied beat of the Mother’s dance of life and death. Kali and her attendants dance to rhythms pounded out by Shiva, who was the lord of destruction, and his animal headed attendants who dwell in the Himalayas.

Associated with chaos and uncontrollable destruction, Kali’s own retinue brandishes swords and holds aloft skull cups from which they drink the blood that intoxicates them. Kali, like Shiva, has a third eye, but in all other respects the two are distinguished from one another. In contrast to Shiva’s sweet expression, plump body, and ash white complexion, dark Kali’s emaciated limbs, angular gestures, and fierce grimace convey a wild intensity. Her loose hair, skull garland, and tiger wrap whip around her body as she stomps and claps to the rhythm of the dance.

Many stories describe Kali’s dance with Shiva as one that threatens to destroy the world by its savage power. Art historian, Stella Kramrisch, has noted that the image of kali dancing with Shiva follows closely the myth of the demon Daruka. When Shiva asks his wife, Parvati, to destroy this demon, she enters Shiva’s body and transforms herself from the poison that is stored in his throat. She emerges from Shiva as Kali, ferocious in appearance, and with the help of her flesh eating retinue attacks and defeats the demon.

Kali became so intoxicated by the blood lust of battle that her aroused fury and wild hunger threatened to destroy the whole world. She continued her ferocious rampage until Shiva manifested himself as an infant and lay crying in the midst of the corpse strewn field. Kali became calm as she suckled the baby. When evening approached, Shiva performed the dance of creation, which is known as the tandava, to please the goddess, and as she was delighted with the dance, Kali and her attendants joined in.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for Krishna art, religious gifts from India, and Hare Krishna books. Please visit these sites for dwelling place of Kali, religious gifts from India, and Hare Krishna books.

[tags]krishna, art, culture, society, new age[/tags]

The ten incarnations of Vishnu are known as the most famous of all the divine incarnations of Rama, whose life has been depicted in the Ramayana, and in the Krishna, whose life has been depicted in the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Bhagavad Gita, which contains many of the spiritual teachings of Krishna, is one of the most widely read scriptures in the Hindu customs and society. Matsya, which is a type of fish, first appeared in the Satya Yuga and it represents the beginning of life. Kurma, which is a type of tortoise, first appeared in the Satya Yuga and represents a human embryo just growing tiny legs, with a huge belly. Varaha, which is the boar, also appeared in the Satya Yuga and represents a human embryo that is almost ready with its features being visible.

Narasimha, which is the man lion, appears in the Satya Yuga and represents a newborn baby, hairy and cranky, bawling, and full of blood. Vamana is the dwarf, which appears in the Treta Yuga and represents a young child. Parashurama, is Rama with the axe, and appeared in the Treta Yuga and represents both an angry young man and a grumpy old man simultaneously.

Rama, Sri Ramachandra, which is the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga and represents a married man with children in a very ideological society. Krishna, which means dark or black, appeared in the Dwapara Yuga and represents a person in more practical society, where there is one good or bad, which depends on society you live in. Gautama Buddha is considered an avatar that returned pure dharma to the world.

Kalki, which means eternity, time, or destroyer of foulness, is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE. There is also a hidden avatar mentioned in eleventh canto of the Bhagavata Purana. Some consider Balarama, who is the brother of Krishna, to be the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and delete Buddha.

The Buddha avatar, which occurs in different versions in various Puranas, may represent an attempt by orthodox Brahminism to slander the Buddhists by identifying them with the demons. Helmuth Von Glasenapp attributed these developments to a Hindu desire to absorb Buddhism in a peaceful manner, both to win Buddhists to Vishnuism and also to account for the fact that such a significant heresy could exist in India.

Brahma is described within the Puranas as the god of creation. The pantheon in Srauta consists of many deities and gods are called devas or devatas and goddesses are called devis. The various devas and devis are personifications of different aspects of one and the same God. For instance, when a Hindu thinks of Ishvara as the giver of knowledge and learning, that aspect of Ishvara is personified as the deity Saraswati. In the same manner, the deity Lakshmi personifies Ishvara as the giver of wealth and prosperity.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for Krishna art, religious gifts from India, and Hare Krishna books. Please visit these sites for Krishna art, religious gifts from India, and avatars.

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