Shiva

From the Jacket: Shiva the source of sacred Ganges, the ascetic whose Tandava dance shook not only the mortal world but even the gods and sages, is in the trinity of Brahama, Vishnu, Mahesh, considered to be the most powerful of Indian gods. He is described as the all pervading Supreme Soul, both terrible and benign, creative and destructive, ugly and handsome. The cycle of life and death can only proceed when these two basic opposite forces of good and evil, represented by the devas and the bhutas are finally reconciled. These two opposite principles are eternally in conflict but become reconciled in the body of Shiva. Their co-existence is represented in the rhythm of Shiva's dance. In Shiva, Dr. Shakti Gupta writes not only about the myths and legends around Shiva, but traces the worship of Shiva from Indus Valley Civilization to the modern times. With the panoramic coverage, Shiva is a feast not only for the serious student of Indian mythology but also for the lay reader who will find it an absorbing and enriching reading.

About the Author:

Dr. Gupta is an established writer on Hindu mythology and has published 7 books on the subject. Her latest book is a comprehensive volume on Festivals, Fairs and Fasts of India. Four of her books have already gone into second edition. She obtained a Ph.D. in Botany from the university of Delhi, and a Ph.D. in Oriental Archaeology from the Martin-Luther University, Halle wittenberg, Germany. As an Ethnobotanist she has done considerable work on plant myths and rituals, and a survey of plants sculptured on Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples of India.

Contents:

LIST OF ILLUSTRATION
1. MANIFESTATIONS OF SHIVA
2. ICONOGRAPHY OF SHIVA
3. SHIVA MARRIES PARVATI
4. MAHASHIVARATRI, THE FESTIVAL OF REPENTANCE
5. SOME INTERESTING LEGEND
6. PARVATI ACCEPTS SHUKRA AS SON
7. SHIVA AS ARDHANARISHVARA
8. SHAKTI, THE AUSPICIOUS GODDESS
9. NATARAJA
   BIBLIOGRAPHY
   GLOSSARY 
   INDEX