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| Mystic Hindu God Shiva. Wallpaper Images |
Shiva's mystic attributes:
.. Shiva is a mystic god who is either formless or having a form.
.. He has an irresistible aura about Him that can not be resisted.
.. Shiva is the Supreme being who creates, protects and transforms the universe.
.. He has neither beginning nor ending. Unlike God Vishnu, the Protector,Shiva has not taken any incarnation - avatar.
.. He has both benevolent and fearsome depictions. In his benevolent form he is all-pervading, leading an ascetic life on one hand and on the other, a Grihastha (house holder) with a wife (consort) - Parvati and sons Ganesha and Karthikaya (Subramanya).
.. In his fearsome form, he is depicted as slaying fearsome demon. Yes, he annihilates the evil forces as a last resort. Hence, He is a destroyer and enjoys the cremation ground. But, what does he destroy? He destroys the heaven and earth (Prapanjam) at the close of a world cycle, promoting cataclysmic forces- the endless cosmic cycles of destruction and creation. He also destroys the fetters that bind each soul. Where does his burning ground exist? it is not a human burning ghat, but it is the place where the hearts of His lovers are laid waste and desolate. It is the place where ego is put to flame; where illusion /Maya and deeds are destroyed. It is his Crematorium, not the Mayanam, meant for the earthly creatures. His wild, but graceful dance, is just awe-inspiring and blissful, signifying the ever-changing forms of the universe.
.. His contrasted names bring out the duality of Shiva's fearful and auspicious attributes The name Rudra represents Shiva's fearsome aspects, so is Kala (time) and Mahakala (great time). the latter implies destruction of everything. Bhairava means fearful or terrible, closely associated with annihilation.
.. The name Śaṇkara ("beneficent") represents His benign form (the word coined by Adi Sankara).
.. He is also known as Adiyogi - ( Guru for the Yogis) and is the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. The concept of Yoga originates from Him.
.. He is transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman.
.. He is a dynamic force, representing cycles of birth and death and relief through Anugraha. He causes the destruction of the earth on one side and is responsible for its creation. His balancing act signifies the universal equilibrium between destructive forces and constructive forces operating on this earth.
.. He has a third eye (on the forehead). It represents knowledge with which he burned the desire to ashes.
.. He wears ashes all over his body symbolic of transient nature of things around us. So, the pursuit of eternal soul and spiritual liberation is essential. Material happiness loses its luster soon and is transitory.
.. He is, unlike God Vishnu, is not fond of Alankaram - decoration of flowers and wearing of expensive jewelry. Being renounced, he leads the life of a sage, protecting his devotees and removing their delusion. To him every thing around him is Maya - ever changing, not a permanent entity.
.. He believes in woman's equality and her place in life. His Arthanareswarar Thatva- half man and half woman confirms this. She is part of the energy that creates and remains his complimentary partner.
Being Divine, he is a mystic and embodies nothingness. The cosmos is a vast expanse of empty space, everything comes from nothing above and gets back to the same space once the cycle is over. The cycle continues. His representation of ether (space) as one of the Pancha Boothas (five elements) at Chidambaram Nataraja temple, Tamil Nadu confirms his all pervading 'nature'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva
