....on Pradosham
Somebody told me that to visit a Shiva temple, continuously for six weeks during Pradosham time is a sure way to Liberation. As the story goes, when the Devas and Asuras stirred the milky ocean, there were so many divine beings that came out of it. There were also not so pleasant things. And one was a poison called Halahala. When they were looking for someone who volunteered to drink this up as nobody wanted to even come near it, Shiva offered to drink it. Parvati, his consort stopped it from entering his body by catching his throat. His throat has remained blue and he has since got the name Neelakanta - the blue-throated one. Pradosham is the time when Lord Shiva swallowed this poison. It falls a day before the full and the new moon days and is an auspicious time for devotees of Lord Shiva.
I have taken part in Pradosha poojas in temples when I was a child, without much knowledge of why it was being done. Later, as an adult, when I never gave it a thought, I happened to be in a Shiva temple many a time during Pradosham time.
But recently when I visited Shivagiri in Kerala's Kollam on Pradosham day, I resolved to visit a Shiva temple for the next five Pradoshams. If people have said that is a way to Liberation, then let me experience the truth in the statement.
Just before I could go to an assignment, I went to Chennai's famous Shiva temple, the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. And my God, I was amazed to see the crowd of over 2000 people. With a Vilva garland, I was walking, wondering how to reach the sanctum sanctorum and even go to the assignment. Someone clad in white shirt and pants, with a long knot of hair bundled up in a white turban called me and gave me some hot 'Ven Pongal' prasadam. Introducing himself as a researcher on God, he asked me, "Which are the three main Gods, without whom this body is not possible?" I tried answering, "Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva?" "Have you seen them?" he asked. No. Then I told him, "Ida, Pingala, Sushumna?" No, for that also. I said I don't know and he told me, "Agni Bhagavan, Vayu Bhagavan and Varuna Bhagavan - Fire, Air and Water," he said. This is a message to you from Shiva through me.
When I was wandering trying to grasp subtle thoughts and ideas, here he was bringing me down to the basics - And these visible fundamentals of existence, indeed is God! And this was told to me where I was, even without making it to the sanctum sanctorum.
*****
17 comments:
WOW
Hara Shiva Shankara Shashankara Shekara
Hara OM Hara OM
Swahilya:
Spirituality can be set aside when you analyze the logic behind those questions. Philosophers and scientists try and answer these very questions. In the end we set ourselves a threshold level of thinking. Infact the only solace is that there is no end to our imagination and we can imagine all the forces of nature in different forms. In hinduism the trinity creation-Brahma, destruction-Shiva and preservation-vishnu are symbolized. This is the eternal cycle of the whole universe. Hinduism tries to make it simple by using symbols. We, however forget this and spoil these very symbols. The story you have written about here is a perfect example of how preservation works. It is vishnu(the preserver) who gives the devas and the asuras the idea of approaching the destroyer to take care of this problem. I would like to take the hindu gods and goddesses as depicting the different forces of nature. I somehow do not buy the spiritual part of it. The term spirituality itself is a very paradoxical one. It is a very abstract state. Working in the lab with the fullest of my concentration can also be a spiritual experience. I would like you to write an essay on spirituality. I am waiting eagerly to be possesed by the clarity of thought that goes into every post of yours.
Dude Robbie
"Working in the lab with the fullest of my concentration can also be a spiritual experience."
you are spiritualist and you still doubt it :)
Swahilya,
So do you think you got Liberation.!
I've been there done that. Two famous shiva temples where devotees throng ( near chennai)
1. One near the big bus stand near the current kotwal chawdi ( don't know the name of that small town).
2) Madambaakkam - Near Tambaram.
In both the places there were 100's of devotees.!
Life goes on thanks to Beliefs. If they are good , even better.
God is great and he'll certainly bless his devotees ! ( Regardless of praying from home / going to the temple / going for Pradoshams )
My take - Yaar Yaar Sivam - Nee Naan Sivam. So...be good, act Good.!
Narayananji
Our ancient Rishis have realized at a higher level consc.ness that every single being and nonbeing are all connected, every single cell of ours is in turn part of universe so we all carry that in us.
Ganesh: Wow, yes. But on afterthought, I felt I should have told that man in white that he may explain what He Thought, were the three main gods without whom this body cannot be. More clarity after contemplation!
Om Namah Shivaya: The most powerful mantra ever.
Robbie: *Spirituality can be set aside when you analyze the logic behind those questions: Spirituality means, nothing. So there's nothing to set aside. *Philosophers and scientists try and answer these very questions: While many may try, it cannot be explained by one single individual.
*In the end we set ourselves a threshold level of thinking: The more we think, the higher the threshold expands.
*Infact the only solace is that there is no end to our imagination and we can imagine all the forces of nature in different forms: The word imagine, has in it image. The eyes cannot see the whole ocean. It can only have an image in the mind. Same, can't see the forces of nature. So a concrete image in memory and reproduced in drawings and literature is all the images of gods and goddesses.
*In hinduism the trinity creation-Brahma, destruction-Shiva and preservation-vishnu are symbolized: Just as a map represents America, the forces are represented by divine forms.
*This is the eternal cycle of the whole universe: A cycle with no beginning and no end.
*Hinduism tries to make it simple by using symbols. We, however forget this and spoil these very symbols: Any divine symbol actually triggers a thought or a memory in our consciousness and makes us act.
*I somehow do not buy the spiritual part of it. The term spirituality itself is a very paradoxical one. It is a very abstract state: As I said earlier -the essence of being is spirit. Very scientific, vapour is the gaseous state of water and what is beyond the vapour state that we can't see is its spiritual state of being. Simple. Likewise, Mind is to man as vapour is to water. Beyond the mind, what we call consciousness is the spirit. Stephen Hawking is now here to tell us empty space is no longer empty. what fills that empty space is the subtlest matter called spirit!
*Working in the lab with the fullest of my concentration can also be a spiritual experience: It is exactly.
*I would like you to write an essay on spirituality. I am waiting eagerly to be possesed by the clarity of thought that goes into every post of yours: Thanks for the suggestion, I'll write soon.
Namaste. Swaha.
Ganesh: Robbie is not having a doubt. It's just a question of trying to connect two different worlds!
Hi Swahilya,
thanx for enlightening about the story behind Pradosham.And your experience in Kapaleswarar temple. Vow.
The comments in your blog is indeed of pretty high quality and spiritually rich. It seems to be a debate among spiritual scholars. Better I remain a silent learner.
Narayanan:
So do you think you got Liberation.: I don't think. I am.
*Life goes on thanks to Beliefs: Beliefs are a tool with which we can work.
*God is great and he'll certainly bless his devotees ! ( Regardless of praying from home / going to the temple / going for Pradoshams ): True.
*My take - Yaar Yaar Sivam - Nee Naan Sivam. So...be good, act Good.!: But not to forget, Sivam is in what you exclude as bad too! In fact, he has got nothing to do with good and bad. He just is.
Namaste: Swaha.
Ganesh: It takes just simple understanding that every human body or object is just a conglomeration cells, held together in a group by gravity of love. Body: Earth - Anna Maya Kosha, Breath: Air - Prana Maya Kosha. Mind: Universal Mind - Mano Maya Kosha, Intellect - Subtler Mind - Vignana Maya Kosha, Intrinsic Bliss - Happiness - Ananda Maya Kosha. These are the five layers that exist, no man, no woman, no animal no tree! The differences are created by Maya - illusory vision.
Hari: Now come on. I am no scholar, always a learner. Learning happens best in Silence.
Cool blog, interesting information... Keep it UP » »
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