108 Names of Lord Shiva

OM SHIVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Auspicious One

OM MAHESHVARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Great God Shiva

OM SHAMBHAVE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who exists for our happiness alone

OM PINAKINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva, who guards the path of dharma

OM SHASHISHEKHARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who wears the crescent moon in his hair

OM VAMADEVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is pleasing and auspicious in every way

OM VIRUPAKSHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God of spotless form

OM KAPARDINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord with thickly matted hair

OM NILALOHITAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God splendid as the red sun at daybreak

OM SHANKARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the source of all prosperity

OM SHULAPANAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who carries a spear

OM KHATVANGINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who carries a knurled club

OM VISHNUVALLABHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva, who is dear to Lord Vishnu

OM SHIPIVISHTAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord whose form emits great rays of light

OM AMBIKANATHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Ambika's Lord

OM SHRIKANTAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to he whose throat is shining blue

OM BHAKTAVATSALAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who loves His devotees like new born calves

OM BHAVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is existence itself

OM SARVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who is all

OM TRILOKESHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who is the Lord of all the three worlds

OM SHITAKANTHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the primal soul whose throat is deep blue

OM SHIVAPRIYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the god who is dear to Shakti

OM UGRAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva whose presence is awesome and overwhelming

OM KAPALINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God whose begging bowl is a human skull

OM KAMARAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who conquers all passions

OM ANDHAKASURA SUDANAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who killed the asura Andhaka

OM GANGADHARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who holds the Ganges River in his hair

OM LALATAKSHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord whose sport is creation

OM KALAKALAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who is the death of death

OM KRIPANIDHAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is the treasure of compassion

OM BHIMAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva whose strength is awesome

OM PARASHU HASTAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who wields an axe in his hands

OM MRIGAPANAYAE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who looks after the soul in the wilderness

OM JATADHARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who bears a mass of matted hair

OM KAILASAVASINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who abides on Mount Kailas

OM KAVACHINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is wrapped in armor

OM KATHORAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who causes all growth

OM TRIPURANTAKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who destroyed the three demonic cities

OM VRISHANKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God whose emblem is a bull (Nandi)

OM VRISHABHARUDHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who rides a bull

OM BHASMODDHULITA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord covered with holy ash

OM SAMAPRIYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God exceedingly fond of hymns from the Sama Veda

OM SVARAMAYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who creates through sound

OM TRAYIMURTAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is worshiped in three forms

OM ANISHVARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the undisputed Lord

OM SARVAGYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who knows all things

OM PARAMATMANE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Supreme Self

OM SOMASURAGNI LOCHANAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the light of the eyes of Soma, Surya and Agni

OM HAVISHE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who receives oblations of ghee

OM YAGYAMAYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the architect of all sacrificial rites

OM SOMAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Moon-glow of the mystic's vision

OM PANCHAVAKTRAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God of the five activities

OM SADASHIVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the eternally auspicious benevolent Shiva

OM VISHVESHVARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the all-pervading ruler of the cosmos

OM VIRABHADRAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva the foremost of heroes

OM GANANATHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God of the Ganas

OM PRAJAPATAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Creator

OM HIRANYARETASE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who emanates golden souls

OM DURDHARSHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the unconquerable being

OM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the monarch of the holy mountain Kailas

OM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord of the Himalayas

OM ANAGHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who can inspire no fear

OM BUJANGABHUSHANAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord adorned with golden snakes

OM BHARGAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the foremost of rishis

OM GIRIDHANVANE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God whose weapon is a mountain

OM GIRIPRIYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is fond of mountains

OM KRITTIVASASE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who wears clothes of hide

OM PURARATAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is thoroughly at home in the wilderness

OM BHAGAVATE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord of prosperity

OM PRAMATHADHIPAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is served by goblins

OM MRITUNJAYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the conqueror of death

OM SUKSHMATANAVE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the subtlest of the subtle

OM JAGADVYAPINE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who fills the whole world

OM JAGADGURAVE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the guru of all the worlds

OM VYOMAKESHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God whose hair is the spreading sky above

OM MAHASENAJANAKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the origin of Mahasena

OM CHARUVIKRAMAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva, the guardian of wandering pilgrims

OM RUDRAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is fit to be praised

OM BHUTAPATAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the source of living creatures, including the Bhutas, or ghostly creatures

OM STHANAVE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the firm and immovable deity

OM AHIRBUDHNYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who waits for the sleeping kundalini

OM DIGAMBARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva whose robes is the cosmos

OM ASHTAMURTAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who has eight forms

OM ANEKATMANE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is the one soul

OM SATVIKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord of boundless energy

OM SHUDDHA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to him who is free of all doubt and dissension

OM SHASHVATAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva, endless and eternal

OM KHANDAPARASHAVE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who cuts through the mind's despair

OM AJAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the instigator of all that occurs

OM PAPAVIMOCHAKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who releases all fetters

OM MRIDAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who shows only mercy

OM PASHUPATAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the ruler of all evolving souls, the animals

OM DEVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the foremost of devas, demigods

OM MAHADEVAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the greatest of the gods

OM AVYAYAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the one never subject to change

OM HARAYE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who dissolves all bondage

OM PASHUDANTABHIDE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the one who punished Pushan

OM AVYAGRAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who is steady and unwavering

OM DAKSHADHVARAHARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the destroyer of Daksha's conceited sacrifice

OM HARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who withdraws the cosmos

OM BHAGANETRABHIDE NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who taught Bhaga to see more clearly

OM AVYAKTAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to Shiva who is subtle and unseen

OM SAHASRAKSHAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord of limitless forms

OM SAHASRAPADE NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is standing and walking everywhere

OM APAVARGAPRADAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the Lord who gives and takes all things

OM ANANTAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the God who is unending

OM TARAKAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the great liberator of mankind

OM PARAMESHVARAYA NAMAHA
Obeisances to the great God

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Samudra Manthan

In Hinduism, Samudra manthan (Devanagari: समुद्र मंथन) or the churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as Kumbha Mela.
According to legend, during the Samudra Manthan a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world, and they ran to Shiva for help.
Thence, bursting like a mighty flame,
A pestilential poison came,
Consuming, as it onward ran,
The home of God, and fiend, and man.
Then all the suppliant Gods in fear
To S'ankar, mighty lord, drew near.
To Rudra, King of Herds, dismayed,
'Save us, O save us, Lord!' they prayed.
Then Vishnu, bearing shell, and mace,
And discus, showed his radiant face,
And thus addressed in smiling glee
The Trident wielding deity:
What treasure first the Gods upturn
From troubled Ocean, as they churn,
Should--for thou art the eldest--be
Conferred, O best of Gods, on thee.
Then come, and for thy birthright's sake,
This venom as thy firstfruits take.'
He spoke, and vanished from their sight.
When Siva saw their wild affright,
And heard his speech by whom is borne
The mighty bow of bending horn, 1b
The poisoned flood at once he quaffed
As 'twere the Amrit's heavenly draught.
Then from the Gods departing went
S'iva, the Lord pre-eminent. (Ramayana/CANTO XLV)
To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. Because of it, his throat turned blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

Maybe, the story represents the spiritual endeavor of a person to achieve self-realisation through concentration of mind, withdrawal of senses, control of desires and practice of austerities and asceticism.

• The Devas and Asuras represent the positives and negatives respectively of one's personality. The participation of both the Devas and the Asuras signifies that when one is seeking bliss through spiritual practice, one has to integrate and harmonise both the positive and negative aspects and put both the energies to work for the common goal.
• The ocean of milk is the mind or the human consciousness. The mind is like an ocean while the thoughts and emotions are the waves in the ocean.
• Mandhara, the mountain symbolises concentration. The word Mandhara is made up of two words Mana (mind) and Dhara (a single line) which means holding the mind in one line. This is possible only by concentration.
• Mount Mandhara was upheld by Lord Vishnu as a Kurma (tortoise). The tortoise here symbolises the withdrawal of the senses into oneself (just as a tortoise withdraws its head into its shell) as one practices mental concentration and meditation or contemplation.
• Vasuki symbolises desire. Vasuki used in the churning of the ocean denotes that the Devas and the demons held desire (to seek immortality) as a rope and churned the mind with the help of concentration and withdrawal of the senses. Desire, if not controlled will overpower and destroy an individual.
• The Halahala poison symbolises suffering and pain (counter-reaction of the mind and body) that one undergoes at the beginning of spiritual sadhana (practice). When the mind is subjected to intense concentration, the first thing that comes out of the process is intense suffering and great inner turmoil. These must be resolved otherwise further progress is not possible.

Though interpretation is always opened...

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Simurgh An Old Persian Fairy Tale

All Persian fairy tales begin with the sentence "There was being and nonbeing, there was none but God." This may be replaced by "Once Upon a time . . ."). In the old, old times there was a king (The guardian of the throne of wisdom) who had three sons: Prince Jamshid (King of the golden age of Iranian epics), Prince Mohammed, and the youngest, Prince Khorshid (Sun, light, divine wisdom. He had no mother because he was selfborn -- an initiate), who had no mother. He was the king's favorite because he was the bravest of all.

In the garden of the palace there grew a pomegranate tree (The treasure of secret knowledge) with only three pomegranates; their seeds were fabulous gems that shone like lamps by night. When ripe, the pomegranates would turn into three beautiful girls who were to become the wives of the three princes. Every night, by the king's order, one of his sons guarded the tree lest anyone should steal the pomegranates.

One night when Prince Jamshid was guarding the tree he fell asleep and, in the morning, one pomegranate was missing. The next night Prince Mohammed was on guard, but he also fell asleep and the next morning another pomegranate was missing. When it came Prince Khorshid's turn, he cut one of his fingers and rubbed salt on it so the burning would keep him awake. Shortly after midnight a cloud appeared above the tree and a hand, coming out of it, picked the last pomegranate. Prince Khorshid drew his sword and cut off one of the fingers. The hand and the cloud hurriedly disappeared.

In the morning when the king saw drops of blood on the ground he ordered his sons to track them, find the thief, and bring back the stolen pomegranates. The three princes followed the blood drops over mountains and deserts until they reached a deep well where the trail ended. Prince Jamshid offered to be lowered down the well with a rope to investigate. Less than halfway down he screamed: "Pull me up, pull me up, I am burning." His brothers pulled him up. Next, Prince Mohammed went down and soon he also cried out that he was burning. When Prince Khorshid decided to go down he told his brothers that no matter how loudly he shouted, they should not pull him up but let the rope down farther; and they were then to wait for him only until dark. If there was no sign of him, they could go home.

Prince Khorshid entered the well and, in spite of unbearable heat, went all the way down to the bottom where he found a young girl, beautiful as a full moon. On her lap lay the head of a sleeping diev (Giant: tyranny of human ignorance and weakness), whose thunderous snores filled the air with heat and smoke. "Prince Khorshid," she whispered, "what are you doing here? If this diev wakes up, he will surely kill you as he has killed many others. Go back while there is still time."

Prince Khorshid, who loved her at first glance, refused. He asked her who she was and what she was doing there.

"My two sisters and I are captives of this diev and his two brothers. My sisters are imprisoned in two separate wells where the dievs have hidden the stolen wealth of almost all the world."

Prince Khorshid said: "I am going to kill the dievs and free you and your sisters. But I will wake him first; I do not wish to kill him in his sleep." The prince scratched the soles of the diev's feet until he opened his eyes and stood up. Roaring, the diev picked up a millstone and threw it at the prince, who quickly stepped aside, drew his sword, and in the name of God cut the diev in half. Thereafter he went to the other two wells, finished off the dievs and rescued the sisters of his beloved. He also collected the treasure.

As it was not yet dark, his brothers were still waiting for him and when he called them they started to pull up the rope. The girl whom Prince Khorshid loved wanted him to go up before her, because she knew that when his brothers saw the jewels they would be jealous and would not pull him up. But the prince insisted she go up first. When she saw that she could not change his mind she said: "If your brothers do not pull you up and leave you here, there are two things you should know: first, there are in this land a golden cock (This represents Saroush [Sarousha in Pahlavi]. Sarousha is a godlike bird who is the most powerful of the gods, since he is the manifestation of righteousness, honesty, and striving. He fights the diev of frailty and weakness. In some versions of this story, the golden cock in a chest is a golden nightingale in a golden cage) and a golden lantern (The light of wisdom. In some versions, Prince Khorshid must bring back a golden lantern, in others a golden handmill which represents the wheel of destiny [or civilization and culture].) that can lead you to me. The cock is in a chest and when you open it, he will sing for you. And when he sings, all kinds of gems will pour from his beak. The golden lantern is self-illuminated, and it burns forever. The second thing you should know is this: later in the night there will come two oxen that will fight with each other. One is black (Terrestrial life leading to darkness), the other white (Terrestial life leading to light). If you jump on the white ox it will take you out of the well, but if, by mistake, you jump on the black one, it will take you seven floors farther down."

As she had predicted, when the princes Jamshid and Mohammed saw the girls and the boxes of gold and silver, they became jealous of their brother's achievements. Knowing that their father would surely give him the kingdom, they cut the rope and let him fall to the bottom of the well. Then they went home and told their father that they were the ones who had rescued the girls, killed the dievs, and brought all the treasure, and that Prince Khorshid had not come back.

Prince Khorshid was heartbroken. He saw two oxen approaching and stood up as they started to fight. In his excitement he jumped on the back of the black ox and dropped with it seven floors down. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a green pasture with a view of a city in the distance. He started walking toward it when he saw a peasant plowing. Being hungry and thirsty he asked him for bread and water. The man told him to be very careful and not to talk out loud because there were two lions nearby; if they heard him they would come out and eat the oxen. Then he said: "You take over the plowing and I will get you something to eat."

Prince Khorshid started to plow, commanding the oxen in a loud voice. Two roaring lions came charging toward him, but the prince captured the lions, turned the oxen loose and hitched the lions to the plow. When the peasant returned, he was very much taken aback. Prince Khorshid said: "Don't be afraid. The lions are harmless now and will not hurt you or your oxen. But if you are not comfortable with them, I will let them go." When he saw that the farmer was still reluctant to approach the lions, he unfastened them and they went back where they had come from.

The man had brought food but no water. He explained: "There is no water in the city because a dragon is sleeping in front of the spring. Every Saturday a girl is taken to the spring so that, when the dragon moves to devour her, some water runs through the city's streams and people can collect enough for the following week. This Saturday the king's daughter is to be offered to the dragon."

Prince Khorshid had the peasant take him to the king: "What will be my reward if I kill the dragon and save your daughters life?" The king replied: "Whatever you wish within my power."

Saturday came and the prince went with the girl to the spring. The moment the dragon moved aside to devour her, Prince Khorshid called the name of God and slew the monster. There was joy and celebration in the city. When Prince Khorshid, asked to name his reward, announced that his one wish was to return to his homeland, the king said: "The only one who could take you up seven floors is Simorgh (In Persian literature Simorgh [Saena in Pahlavi] has many manifestations; besides divine wisdom, it may symbolize the perfected human being. According to some Pahlavi texts, Simorgh is a bird whose abode is in the middle of a sea, in a tree which contains all the seeds of the vegetable world. Whenever Simorgh flies up from the tree one thousand branches grow, and whenever she sits on it, one thousand branches break and the seeds fall into the water.

In Ferdowsi's Shah Nameh (Book of Kings) -- originally called Khoday Nameh (Book of God) -- Simorghs abode is on top of the mountain Ghaph, by which is meant Alborz mountain.). She lives nearby in a jungle. Every year she lays three eggs and each year her chicks are eaten by a serpent. If you could kill the serpent, she surely would take you home."

Prince Khorshid went to the jungle and found the tree in which Simorgh had her nest. While he was watching, he saw a serpent climbing up the tree to eat the frightened chicks. In the name of God he cut the serpent into small pieces and fed some to the hungry chicks who were waiting for their mother to bring them food. He saved the rest for later and went to sleep under the tree. When Simorgh flew over the nest and saw Prince Khorshid, she thought he was the one who each year ate up all her chicks. She was ready to kill him, when her chicks shouted that he was the one who had saved them from the enemy. Realizing that he had killed the serpent, she stretched her wings over Prince Khorshid's head to make shade for him while he slept.

When he awoke, the prince told Simorgh his story and asked whether she could help him. Simorgh urged him to go back to the king and ask him for the meat of seven bulls. "Make seven leather bags out of their hides and fill them with water. These will be my provisions for the journey; I need them to be able to take you home. Whenever I say I am hungry you must give me a bag of water, and when I say I am thirsty you must give me the carcass of a bull." On their way up to the ground Prince Khorshid did exactly as Simorgh had instructed him until only one bag of water was left. When, instead of saying she was hungry Simorgh said she was thirsty, Prince Khorshid cut off some flesh from his thigh and put it in Simorgh's beak. Simorgh immediately realized it was human flesh. She held it gently until they reached their destination. As soon as he dismounted, the prince urged Simorgh to fly back at once but, knowing he could not walk without limping, she refused and with her saliva restored the piece of his flesh to his thigh. Having learned how brave and unselfish the prince was, she gave him three of her feathers, saying that if he were ever in need of her he should burn one of them, and she would instantly come to his aid. With that she flew away.

Entering the town, Prince Khorshid learned that three royal weddings were about to take place: for Prince Jamshid, and Prince Mohammed, and the third for the Vizier's son, because the youngest son of the king, Prince Khorshid, had never returned. One day some men came to the shop where Prince Khorshid was apprenticed, saying they had been to all the jewelry stores in town but no one would undertake to make what the king had ordered. Prince Khorshid asked them what it was and was told: "The girl who is to marry the Viziers son has put forward one condition to the marriage! She will only marry one who can bring her a golden cock from whose bill gems will pour when it sings; she also wants a golden lantern which is self-illuminated and burns for ever. But so far no jeweler can build such things."

Prince Khorshid, recognizing the signs, spoke up: "With my master's permission I can build you a chest with such a golden cock and also the golden lantern by tomorrow. The men gave him the jewels needed to build those items and left. Prince Khorshid gave them all to his master for, he said, he did not need them.

That night Prince Khorshid left the town and burned one of the feathers. When Simorgh came, he asked her to bring him what the girl had demanded, and she did so. In the morning, the astounded men took the precious items to the king, who at once summoned the young man to the court and was overjoyed to discover it was none other than his favorite son. Prince Khorshid told his story but he begged the king not to punish his brothers for the wrong they had done him.

The whole town celebrated his return and there were three weddings indeed. The king made Prince Khorshid his successor to the throne and all lived happily every after.

Rudram-Namakam-Chamakam

All great religions have tried to praise the Highest God in musical and sonorous praise befitting their great theme. One of the most thrilling and spiritually gratifying of such praises is the Vedic Sri Rudram in Sanskrit in India. Appayya Dikshitar, that polymath of learning, was enamoured of it. He was often regretful for not being born in the Krishna Yajurveda Sakha.
Sri Rudram-Chamakam occupies a very important place in Vedic literature and in the practice of Vedic Religion. It is the heart of Krishna Yajurveda and is treasured in the centre of Taittiriya Samhita. Sri Rudram is known as Rudropanishad. Though it forms part of Karma Kanda, it ranks at par with the Upanishads of the Jnana Kanda. And as it is seen in all the 101 Shakhas of the Yajurveda, it is called Satarudriyam.
Among the Vidyas, the Vedas are supreme;
in the Vedas the Rudra Ekadasi is supreme;
in the Rudram the Panchakshari Mantra NAMASHIVAYA is supreme;
in the Mantra the two letters SHIVA is supreme.
As by pouring water at the root of a tree, all its branches are nourished, so also by pleasing Rudra through Rudra Japa, all the Devas are pleased. This is the best atonement (Prayaschittam) for all sins and the foremost sadhana for attainment of cherished desires.
A verse in the Vayu Purana says: " A person reciting and applying daily the Namakam, Chamakam and the Purusha Sooktam is honoured in the Brahma loka."

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Indra's Net

Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god Indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out infintely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel in each "eye" of the net, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars in the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process occurring.

Buddhist concepts of interpenetration hold that all phenomena are intimately connected; for the Huayan school, Indra's net symbolizes a universe where infinitely repeated mutual relations exist between all members of the universe.This idea is communicated in the image of the interconnectedness of the universe as seen in the net of the Vedic god Indra, whose net hangs over his palace on Mount Meru, the axis mundi of Vedic cosmology and Vedic mythology. Indra's net has a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, and each jewel is reflected in all of the other jewels.

Murugan

When the demonic personage SUrapadman and his associates who were then ravaging
the world, saintly spirits went to Lord Siva and pleaded with him to do something about the havoc: and so was Murugan born. He emerged when a spark from Siva's third eye merged with Agni in a forest of thickets (Sharavana). We see the parallel with the genesis of Rama when VishNu was thus approached at a time when RAvaNa was playing mischief. Murugan is taken as the Tamil equivalent of KArttikeya.
The sacred history of Murugan, from birth to the final defeat of SUrapadman who,
upon repentance, was transformed into a peacock which became Murugan's vehicle,
is narrated in the magnificent Tamil epic by Kacciyappa SivAcArya. Known as Kanda PurANam and composed in the 14th century, this work has all the majesty and meaning of other great epics. In its massive content of 10,345 verses, we not only read of exploits of grand proportions, but also savor the delights that Tamil can offer, and recognize deeper meanings of relevance and value in the conduct of everyday life: For that is the ultimate goal of sacred history.
And there are hidden meanings as well behind the exciting episodes. Thus, when we read that Murugan won two brides, VaLLI and Deiva-yAnai, one may wonder how a God could engage in bigamy. But as we probe deeper, we find a symbolism here.
Deiva-yanai was a daughter of Indra. She sought Murugan's hand and obtained it.VaLLi was raised by a hunter. When Murugan in disguise went to have her as his consort, she resisted at first. Upon being frightened by an oncoming wild elephant, she rushed to Murugan's arms. The symbolism here is that the Supreme Principle takes unto itself not only those evolved souls (Indra's daughter) who seek it, but also the unevolved (hunter's daughter) ones whom it seeks out. When we are unable to recognize the Divine in its many forms, fright and fear sometimes draw us to it.
Murugan is known by many other names in the Tamil world. They include Kandan,
Guhan, VElAyudan, SubrahmaNian, TangavElu, KumAran, SvAminAthan and Sharavana-bhavan. A great many temples are consecrated to Murugan in the Tamil country and beyond. The more important of them include the temples at Pazani,SvAmimail, Torupparankuram, and Tirukkazukkuram.



Om Sharavana-bhavaya Namaha !

GYaanashaktidhara skanda valliikalyaaNa sundara
devasenaa manaH kaanta kaartikeya namo.astute
OM subrahmaNyaaya namaH !

Vishvakarma

Vishvakarma or Vishwabrahmin (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा vivá-karman "all-accomplishing; all-creator") is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects, Vishvakarman being rather identified with Prajapati himself as the creator of all things and architect of the Universe; in the hymns RV 10.81 and 10.82 he is represented as the universal Father and Generator, the one all-seeing God, who has on every side eyes, faces, arms, and feet; in the Brahmanas he is called a son of Bhuvana, and Vishva-karman Bhauvana is described as the author of the two hymns mentioned above.

Coomaraswamy has categorically declared: “Art is religion, religion is art, not related, but the same.” According to Hindu tradition, all the arts and crafts are of divine origin, having being revealed and handed down to certain individuals by “the miraculous genius” Lord Visvakarma—the creative archetypal power. The Primordial Creator and Supreme Patron of Arts, Crafts, Science and Creativity is Lord Visvakarma. He is at once the Great Architect of the Universe, Spirit of the Creative Process, and a symbol of Total Centered Consciousness. As the highest of the gods, he is synonymous with Brahma of the Hindu trinity,said to have originated in the primeval waters, as the Golden Germ, the World Womb-Egg (Hiranyagarbha) containing all the other gods in the world. Like Brahma, Visvakarma, the Creator, is one of the many names which may be applied to almost any of the gods at the will of the worshipper. In the two hymns in the Rig-Veda he is described as “the one all-seeing god, who, when producing heaven and earth, blows them forth (or shapes them) with his arms and wings; the father, generator, disposer, who knows all worlds, gives the gods their names, and is beyond the comprehension of mortals.”

Visvakarma represents an active creative power, and for this reason he is often depicted in red—the color red being related to creative force, passion and activity in ancient texts. ‘I shall be many’ (sodkamayat aha bahusya prajayeyam)” declared the god of creativity.

The Visvakarma craftsman, being His worldly counterpart, is thus also an image of the
cosmos. In the workshop, the cosmic drama of integration and disintegration takes place, and at its center stands the Visvakarma as sacrificer and ritualist. The Visvakarma becomes the universe himself. In the world view of the Visvakarmas, the two poles of cosmic life are Kali and Shiva. The result of the drama is a product which is a symbolic representation of the world.

"He is Visvakarma; that is, in a multiplicity of forms and forces lies his outward manifestation in nature; but his inner manifestation in our soul is that which exists in unity. Our pursuit of truth in the domain of nature therefore is through analysis and the gradual methods of science, but our apprehension of truth in our soul is immediate and through direct intuition.We cannot attain the supreme soul by successive additions of knowledge acquired bit by bit even through all eternity, because he is one, he is not made up of parts; we can only know him as heart of our hearts and soul of our soul; we can only know him in the love and joy we feel when we give up our self and stand before him face to face." (Rabindranath Tagore)

Mandala

Mandala


Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle. The circle is the expression of perfection, equality in all directions, as well as the origin and the culmination of all polygons, containing and underlying them. The circle has always been regarded as a symbol of eternity. Without beginning and without end it stands outside time. The square depicts four cardinal directions in physical space and time.

The earliest mandalas are Paleolithic sun wheel designs that were scratched into rocks about 25,000 years ago. Yogis and priests of early Hinduism and Buddhism marked circles around themselves as representations of their sacred space. Their location in the center of the circle was identified with the center of the world. The sky seemed to be a huge hemispherical tent with holes pierced in it. Altars were considered to be access routes through which spirits could enter and leave the world. And the Pole Star, around which the whole sky revolved, was seen as the divine tent pole.

The mandala is a symbolic replica of the world, a geometric projection of it reduced to an essential pattern. In its geometry it acts like a spiritual or psychological wheel of many spokes, each intersecting with the center. By extension it represents the center of the universe, because the mandala, being the center, is connected to the Cosmic Center or world axis (axis mundi). The axis of the mandala is thus a line of communication between the powers above and humanity below. The mandala is also an aid to the process of becoming at one with the world and the universe in meditation -- the mediator identifies with the center and allows themselves to be transformed by a process of involution.

The stupa can be seen as a sphere merged with the earth with only its upper half exposed. Seen from above the stupa is a mandala. If the mandala is architectonic, and the stupa is a mandala, then the relation of one to the other is a reflective idea wherein one is the image of the other. The stupa is thus an image of the world.

Subhân Allâh

"Glory to God" -- this phrase is often used when praising God or exclaiming awe at His attributes, bounties, or creation.

Said Mohammed bin AbeeBakr Abdulqader al-Razee, in his book "Mukhtar al-Sihah" one of the classic Arabic-wordbooks:

The meaning of subhanallah is, making Allah pure, and it is bound to its original word (sabh, meaning void) as if he said, I verily absolve Allah from all evil.

The origin for the word is sabh, voidness, or tasbeeh, making something void. So the direct literal meaning of the phrase is Allah is void... And there is a part that is unpronounced which is "void of all evil". And this is the way that it is used in the Quran. For example it says; "Subhanallah amma yasiffon - Void/Free is Allah from that (evil) which they ascribe (to Him)" and "Subhanalla amma yoshrikoon - Free is Allah from those polytheistic deeds that they do."
The word Subhan is also closely related to the Sanskrit phrase Subaha commenced during rituals. It's often used after reciting one deities name.

From the site http://wahiduddin.net/words/subhan_allah.htm :

The Arabic root s-b-h can certainly mean to praise or to glorify, but in a deeper sense, this root also points toward a sense of swimming in something, or being immersed in something, or to be be floating in something, or to have something spread out in front of you as far as the eye can see.
Armed with these insights, we have a whole new vision of this word subhân... a delightfully expansive view, as though one is immersed in a vast sea that spreads out infinitely in all directions, a vast sea that one is floating in and the one is totally supported by.
What a powerful and magnificent metaphor this is for our existence in Allâh, portraying the vast Ocean of Allâh, and our utter dependence upon Allâh for all of our support.
The deepest loneliness arises when we forget that we are immersed in this Magnificent Ocean. The Ocean is not something to seek. It's already here. The challenge of life is to become aware of what we already have.

Oh, that is so beautiful.

Subhân Allâh!