Siva Darsan

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Item Code: NAC755
Author: Vamanan
Publisher: Tattvaloka Publicaions, Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
Language: English
Edition: 2008
ISBN: 9788190479981
Pages: 214 (Illustrated Throughout In B/W & Color)
Cover: Paperback
Other Details 11.2 Inch X 8.4 Inch
Weight 650 gm
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
23 years in business
23 years in business
Book Description
About the Author

Born in Kolkata (1955), Vamanan was named Krishnaswamy (at birth) by his father K. S. Narasimhan, an officer in the Indian Ordnance Factory, and mother, Kamala, a pious lady from Tiruturaipoondi, Tamil Nadu. He shifted to Chennai before he was 10 and, after a stint in philosophical research, took to journalism (The Hindu, Indian Express and India Today). He became proficient in his mother tongue, Tamil, and Sanskrit in later life.

He has documented Tamil film music from the earliest times and has scripted, directed and produced for national television a six-part Hindi docu-drama, Atmadarsan, on the great temples of Tamil Nadu. It was made in Tamil also.

A gifted poet, Vamanan has written many lyrics, including Krishnamritam, a well-received album on Sri Krishna. Calcutta-portrait of a great city, Karaiyatra Ala1gaI, a collection of mystic poems and J4ayee Kav&a4w4 a translation from Hindi of Atal Behari Vajpayee’s poetry, are among his Tamil works.

He is a great lover of Bengali poetry (Rabindranath Tagore, Ramprasad) and Urdu ghazal and nazm.

 

From the Book

Dear Reader,
With the grace of Sri Sharadamba and the blessings of His Holiness Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal, Tattvaloka, the international English monthly of Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, entered a new phase of growth in 2005, after 27 years of highlighting the values of Sanatana Dharma and spreading the Splendour of Truth.

At the inauguration on May 6, 2005 of the new Tattvaloka building -a divine landmark in the history of the magazine--at 76, Eldams Road, Chennai, three precious books were published. One of them was this book, entitled Siva Darsan, presenting the glory of Lord Siva with inspirational quotations and excellent pictorial reliefs.

Sringeri has an age-old tradition of Chandramoulisvara worship. It is appropriate that this book is published by the Peetham for the benefit of the devotees.

Of the 18 puranas written by Bhagavan Veda Vyasa, the Siva Purana highlights the glory of Paramesvara, or the Lord of all gods. To read and understand the entire Siva Purana one time may not be sufficient. So Tattvaloka has modestly tried to bring out a comprehensive illustrated book presenting the essence of the Siva Purana.

His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Sannidhanam has seen the articles in their pre-print form and has also given his guidance and blessings to the team of professionals who have, with devotion and dedication, worked under the leadership of Sri T. R. Ramachandran, Editor of Tattvaloka, in preparing this valuable book.

Sri R. K. Somany, Trustee, Krishna Somany Charity Trust, 2 Red Cross Place, Kolkata 700 001, has sponsored reprint of this book by financing the cost. His noble deed in spreading Siva bhakti among the readers has been blessed by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji.

We hope that the Asthikas will find it useful in imbibing the universal spirit of the all-pervading Lord and expanding their vision.

Conveying the benign blessings of the Jagadguru to all,

 

Preface

Great is the glory of Siva. He is the Supreme Being (Sada Siva,), great power (Mahesvara) and the source of the manifestation of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra.

His nirguna form as the linga denotes the attributeless state of the supreme soul. His well-known sag/ma forms are five-Ardhanarisvara, the beneficent; Kapalika, the destructive; Bhikshatana, the vagrant; Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, and Mahadeva, the great.

The Siva Purana, the foremost in literature dealing with the greatness of Siva, describes his various manifestations, attributes, sacred spots related to Siva worship, and so on.

Tattvaloka, which has already brought out books, such as The Power of Gayatri, is inspired to release a rich, vividly illustrated and comprehensive book, entitled Siva Darsan, coinciding, as its does, with its relocation in its own new larger premises for expanded research activities.

Divided into eight chapters, Siva Darsan throws light on the origin, manifestations, mythological events, Shies Mahima, the Jyotirlingas and various temples and lee/as of the great Lord. Lives of some of the saints and seers who glorified themselves by deep devotion to Siva are also presented in one chapter, showing the power of Siva Bhakti.

Written in an imaginative style by Vamanan, this book draws its contents not only from the past thematic issues of Tattvaloka on Siva, but also from a variety of literature available on the subject, as attested to by a bibliography at the end.

The book is given pictorial significance by Dr. T. S. Narayana Swamy, its visualiser, by placing a number of eye-catching visuals, which include rare photographs, ancient paintings and illustrations selected from a very large and varied collection on the subject.

Darsan in Sanskrit means observing, seeing, knowing, understanding, perceiving, foreseeing and so on. We have made a concerted effort to make the book reflect all these senses of the term. This tribute to the glory of Lord Siva is released with the grace of Goddess Sharadamba and the blessings of His Holiness Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji.

 

Foreword

It is Siva’s moment.., and it lasts all eternity.

Changeless and formless, Siva is in essence the Self in our hearts, infinite and all-pervasive. The Yajur Veda says that as Rudra he is in the fire, in the water and in the herbs, and has entered into creation. Time and space are the apparels he wears when we view him through the prism of the phenomenal world And in what splendorous forms brimming with messages to the man (fold concerns of our lives, Siva relates to us!

In his classic form, he shows himself with his consort Parvati, wearing a garland of quivering snakes and the crescent moon shining in his great matted locks wherein flows the celestial Ganga.

As Nataraja, the dancing lord, he spans the farthest limits of the universe, the tinkling of his anklets signifying the dance of the billion atoms that spell life. He is the ultimate picture of divine movement, at perpetual motion even while being absolutely still.

As Dakshinamurti, he is the embodiment of supreme Silence, serene and quiescent, jet communicating the speechless Word to true seekers! Ardhanarisvara, father and mother of the Universe in one form, Bikshatana, the universal beggar who seeks only our yearning and love, Nilakantha, the ultimate refuge of the world from the ravaging poison of worldly existence, Lingodbhava, the infinite pillar of light beckoning man to transcendence... Siva c divine manifestations cast a magical spell on man and lead him towards divine truth, light and immortality.

As the Linga, a symbol both of form and formlessness, Siva invites us to rise above the idols of the mind and the marketplace to the luminous realms of the spirit.

Siva Darsan celebrates the divine personality of Siva, taking the four special Siva issues of Tattv1oka as signposts and basic material the emphasis is on experiencing Siva in the light of the scriptures (Siva Mahapuranam) and the holy lives of saints consumed by Siva love... In this endeavour the rich material on Siva (see bibliography) has also been a source of great inspiration. Even so, whatever one writes about Siva can be on/y a drop in the ocean of his divine attributes...

The unfailing support, guidance and encouragement of Tattvaloka’s editor and publisher, Shri T. R. Ramachandran, has shored up my confidence to re-discover Siva... Without his trust, I would not have braced myself to venture into the Himalayan heights of Siva S’ divine personality.

May that Siva, white as moonlight and bearing the shining digit of the moon, gleam inwardly in my fickle heart... ‘Lisping this sloka of H. H. Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamigal, I pray to the Sringeri Acharya, H. H. Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal, custodian of the eternal verities of Sanatana Dharma, to bless this endeavour...

In Adi Sankara’s words, the current of divine bliss brims from the river of Siva c ho/y stories, flows into the mind of the devotee through the canals of his intellect and subdues the dust of sins and cools the heat of earthly misery born of wanderings in transmigratoy existence... With the Acharya c blessings, let this work be the vehicle that takes us to the divine realm of Siva....

 

Contents

 

  Chapter 1 – Original and Glory  
  Lord Siva 10
  Salutations to Siva 11
  Siva’s Ancient Glory 12
  The Centuries Echo His Glory 16
  Chapter 2 – Manifestations  
  Dakshinamurti – The Silent Teacher 22
  Nataraja – The Cosmic Dancer 25
  Lingodbhava – Infinite Pillar of Light 32
  Ardhanarisvara – Two in One 36
  Bhairava – Lord of Time 40
  Siva’s Forms 42
  Eight More Aspects 44
  Chapter 3 – Sons of Siva  
  Ganesa, First and Foremost 49
  The Rise of Skanda 52
  Ayyappa 64
  Chapter 4 – Divine Sports  
  Tirupura Thwarted 69
  Tirupura over Daksha 74
  A Potion of Poison 84
  Andhakasura 87
  Siva and Ganga 88
  Chapter 5 – Jyotirlingas  
  The Twelve Jyotirlingas 92
  Somnath 93
  Mallikarjuna 99
  Mahakalesvara 103
  Omkaresvara 106
  Jyotirlingas (contd…)  
  Vaidyanath 109
  Bhimasankara 111
  Ramesvaram 113
  Nagesvara 116
  Kasi Visvanath 118
  Tryambakesvara 122
  Kedarnath 124
  Grishnesvara 127
  Chapter 6 – More Abodes of Siva 131
  Chapter 7 – Siva Worship  
  Siva’s Hour 149
  Siva’s Night 153
  Siva’s Symbols 157
  Siva’s Thousand Names 160
  Siva Mantra 163
  The Hymn of Siva’s glory 165
  Sivananda Lahari 167
  Chapter 8 – Saints Devoted to Siva  
  Saints of Siva 172
  Sundarar-Siva’s Friend 173
  Sambandhar – The Child Sage 178
  Kannappan – Hunter Hunted 182
  Karaikkal Ammaiyar – Fruits of Love 188
  Tirunavukkarasar – Servitor of Siva 192
  Nandan and Sendan – From the Bottom Rung 199
  Meipporul-Truth and Appearance 206
  Lalla Kashmiri – God Woman 209
  Goraknath – the People’s Saint 211
  Mahadevi-Mallikarjuna’s Maid 212
  Bibliography 213

Sample Pages

















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