"" Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha

Nirvighnam Kurume Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvada

Vagarthaviva Sampruktau Vagarthapratipattaye

Jagatah Pitarau Vande Parvatiparameshvarau

Om Namah Pranavarthaya. Shuddha Gnanaika Moortaye

Nirmalaaya Prashantaaya Dakshinamurtaye Namah

Shaantakaram Bhujangashayanam Padmanaabham Suresham,

Vishwadhaaram Gagan Sadrisham Meghavarnam Shubhaangam
Lakshmikaantan Kamalnayanam Yogibhirdhyana Gamyam,
Vande Vishnum Bhava Bhayaharam Sarvalokaiknaatham

Dedicated To My Beloved Grand Parents

Sri.Chamarthi Gopala Krishna Murthy garu

&

Smt. Kameshwari Devi garu

Sri.Vedula.Bhanu Shanakar garu

&

Smt.Hanumayamma garu

PREFACE
This book was written after attributing Shiva Maha Purana as well as few books belongs to
SHIVA and finalized to the best of my knowledge. If anything found incorrect, its lack of my
knowledge and is not the mistake of our VEDAS or MAHARSHIS.

Vijaya
Krishna
Sharma.Chamarthi

With the blessings and

Love of

My Parents
&
Sister

SAIVAM
BEYOND IMMORTALITY

CONTENTS
Who is Shiva
Shiva as Aadi yogi
Manifestations
Linga formation
Purpose of Abhisekham to shiva lingam
Few facts about Shiva
Embellish of Shiva
Trishul
Rudraksh
About Nandi
Astamurthy tathvam
Maha shiva ratri
Dwadasa jyotirlinga
Kaasi
Ganga
Shiva Kalyanam
Vinayaka
Kumaraswami
Veerabhadra avatar
kaalbhirav avtaar

INTRO
Before going to analyze who is SHIVA and his TATHVA one has to know about how he
is immortal as well as how he became supreme...
Every human has a right to know a main aspect in his life.The Concept Of Kalamaana
Kaalamaana is also known as aayushmana ,
Time Takes To Blink A Human eye Is Called As A Second
15 seconds is equal to kaasta
30 kaasta is equal to kala
30 kala is equal to muhurta
30 muhurta is equal to ahoraatra
30 days is equal to one month .
15 days of a Month is Krishna Paksha and 15 Suklapaksha.
Six months is called as Ayanam.
Two ayanam (uttarayanam 6 months ,dakshinayanam 6 months)
12 months is a human year
One year of human is gods one day.In the human year term the uttarayana is day time to god
as well as Dakshinayana is night.
12 months of a gods day is termed as DIVYA SAMVATSARA.
It Means, 365 years of a human is termed as a year to God.
Yuga Vibhajana will be divided in the above ratio.
There were four yugas.

It consists of 4 thousand years.

Only a Sandhyakala(evenings) is
400 Divya Varsha. That means a total day and night of a yuga is 800 Divya Samvatsara.
Converting it to human years it is
17,28,000 is treated as Krutha Yuga,
12,96000 as Treyta Yuga,
8,64,000 as Dwapara Yuga.
4,32,000 as Kali Yuga.
These four yuga is termed as Chaturyuga or Maha Yuga.
Aproximately 71 Maha yugas is called as Manvantaram.
14 manvantaras is one Kalpa
1000 Kalpa is Bramhas One Year.
Bramha Varsha is 8000 and it is called Bramha Yuga.
1000bramha yugas is called bramha savanam.
Life of bramha is 8000 Bramha Savana.
The total life of Bramha is Vishnu one day.
VISHNUs total life is rudras one day.
Rudras total life is Maheshwaras one day.
Maheshwaras total life is Sadashivas one day.
If We Go On Calculating In These Manner We Cant Even Find Answer To The Question What
Is The Life On Panchamukeshwara (5Faced Shiva) Who Is The Creator Of This Srusti(Universe)
To answer in short panchamukeshwaras day is all the (srusti) and night is(pralaya).

Rudra,maheshwara,sadashiva and Panchamukeshwara are shiva himself who created he

himself to regime the Srusti

To the best of my knowledge the above datails were sufficient to state that why shiva is
immortal, eternal and supreme.
Lets get into deep detailed description of him to know the Miracles of him as well as to
understand his Tathva

WHO IS SHIVA

Shiva is a Sanskrit word having an adjective meaning pure. It also means The Auspicious
One.

God Shiva having multiple meanings such as The Pure One, or the One who might never
affected by three Gunas of Nature (Sattva Rajas, and Tama) or the One who purifies living
beings by the utterance of His name.. The Supreme God of Hindu Shiva is considered as he has
No Aadi or Anta That He Has No Birth or Death.
According to Hindu mythology Lord Shiva is the destroyer in the main three supreme God.
There are three supreme gods 1st one is Lord Shiva, second one is Brahma and third one is
VISHNU.
Lord Shiva is the destroyer and also has a positive side in that destruction usual leads to new
forms of existence. Lord Shiva is described in art with four hand, four faces and three eyes. The
third eye keeps this power to destroy the creation, not only creation of humans it includes god.
Shiva, the Mahadeva, represents one of the three visible forms, or the functional aspects of God,
namely, the creation, preservation and dissolution, that is, bringing the cosmos into existence,
sustaining it and finally withdrawing it from existing. Lord Shiva represents the last of these
three aspects, that is, dissolution or destruction of the cosmos. The other two aspects, the creation
and the preservation, are represented respectively by Prajapati or Brahma, and Vishnu. Prajapati
Brahma and Vishnu are Vedic gods. In the Rigveda, Prajapati and Brahma are mentioned as two
gods, though both almost alike responsible for the act of Creation. Hence, in later Vedic
literature, they merge into one entity, and are sometimes alluded to as Prajapati Brahma and
sometimes as two synonymous terms alternating each other. In Puranic literature, Brahma gets
pre-eminence and the term Prajapati is used only as the other name of Brahma to avoid
monotonous repetition of the same nomenclature. Initially, that is, in the Rigveda, Vishnu is a
subordinate type of god, but later by Puranic era, he attains the status of the Lord of the universe
and the principal Vedic god.
Shiva as such, or as Mahadeva, is not alluded to in proper Vedas. The Rigveda, however,
frequently mentions a brown complexioned sun-like brilliant and gold-like glowing animal-skinwearing entity by the name of Rudra, or Ishan, who, as per the Rigvedic description, is
synonymous of a violent non-Aryan jungle or tribal god capable of subduing, by his mighty
arrows, even the most wild of animals. He did not hesitate even to kill human beings and sought
delight in such destruction. Hence, the Rigveda is somewhat critical of his wildness and invokes
him for not destroying his devotees, their ancestors, offspring, relatives and horses. It is only
gradually and somewhat in simultaneity that the Rigveda softens and sophisticates him into a

civil god of Aryan kind and includes him into the Vedic pantheon. The later Vedic literature
identifies in Rudra the proto form of the subsequent Shiva. When Puranas perceived the formless
God manifest in His triple function, which He performed as the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer,
both initially and finally, as well as always, they chose Shiva to represent one of these functional
aspects of Him and elevated him to the status of the Great Trinity.

THE FIVE FACES OF SHIVA (PANCHA MUKESHWARA)

According to Myth Lord Shiva has Five Faces

The five faces of Shiva represent the five basic elements viz. SKY(SUNYA), AIR(VAAYU),
FIRE(TEJAS), WATER(JALA) AND EARTH(PRUDHVI). In fact these faces can be called five
forms of Shiva. Any creation has to be made out of these five gross elements.
The Five Faces of Shiva are as follows:
Sadyojata
Vamadeva
Aghora
Tatpurusha
Ishana

Sadyojata
It is

associated

with

the

western

direction

and

represents

Iccha Shakta--will

power. Sadyojata is associated with Manomaya Koshathe sheath covering the soul that
consists of mind. Additionally, this face is associated with the fire element representing the fire
of the mind and the fire of the body. This face is Shivas function as the creative force and is
associated with Manipura chakra.
Vamadeva
It is associated with the northern direction. This face of Shiva is associated with the shakti of
strength and beauty as well as the goddess Maya.

Vamadeva is associated with the

Vijanamaya Kosha. This face is the Citta rpa, the form of the universal consciousness limited
to the individual mind. Several traditions believe that mantra to Vamadeva has considerable
healing benefit. This is the preserving energy of Shiva, and is connected with the air element as
well as the Anahata Chakra.

Aghora
It is associated with the southern direction and gnayana Shakta--the power of knowledge; as
well as the Buddhi rpameaning the form of the intellect. This face is associated with the
Pranamaya Kosha, and represents the rejuvenating and dissolving qualities of Shiva as well as
being connected with the water element and Svadishthana chakra.
Tatpurusha
It is the eastern face. This face represents the paramatman or supreme soul behind the
physical being. This form is Ananda Shakta, the power of bliss. Connected with the Annamaya
kosha, tatpurusha in its higher manifestation is bliss; in the lower manifestation it is the
concealing power of Shiva. This face is associated with the earth element, muladhara chakra and
is considered beneficial for increasing focus.
Ishana
It is the upper or skyward face. It is the power of the individual consciousness to realize the
universal consciousness. This form is associated with Akasha and the Vishuddha chakra. This is
the total energy of Shiva encompassing all attributes of Shiva. This is the face of Shiva that is
the revealing power and is associated with the Anandamayakosha(super conscious mind).
While one can benefit from beginning ones sadhana, meditation or other spiritual activity, it is
important to note that there is an astrological aspect as well. As each of us has a karmic
disposition to one face over the other in regard to particular karmas within this lifetime. This
would be determined by consulting ones Vedic astrological chart. Once determined, one can
meditate or perform mantra to that particular face in an attempt to find relief or balance within
the specific afflicted area of ones life.

SHIVA AS AADI YOGI

In the yogic culture, Shiva is known as a god as well as the Aadi yogi or the first yogi
the originator of yoga.
He was the one who first put this seed into the human mind. According to the yogic lore,
over fifteen thousand years ago, Shiva attained to his full enlightenment and abandoned himself
in an intense ecstatic dance upon the Himalayas. When his ecstasy allowed him some movement,
he danced wildly. When it became beyond movement, he became utterly still.
People saw that he was experiencing something that nobody had known before,
something that they were unable to fathom. Interest developed and people came wanting to know
what this was. They came, they waited and they left because the man was oblivious to other
peoples presence. He was either in intense dance or absolute stillness, completely uncaring of
what was happening around him. Soon, everyone leftExcept for seven men.

These seven people were insistent that they must learn what this man had in him, but
Shiva ignored them. They pleaded and begged him, Please, we want to know what you know.
Shiva dismissed them and said, You fools. The way you are, you are not going to know in a
million years. There is a tremendous amount of preparation needed for this. This is not
entertainment.
So they started preparing. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after
year, they prepared. Shiva just chose to ignore them. On a full moon day, after eighty-four years
of sadhana, when the solstice had shifted from the summer solstice to the winter solstice which
in this tradition is known as dakshinayana the Adiyogi looked at these seven people and saw
that they had become shining receptacles of knowing. They were absolutely ripe to receive. He
could not ignore them anymore. They grabbed his attention.
He watched them closely for the next few days and when the next full moon rose, he
decided to become a Guru. The Adiyogi transformed himself into the Adi Guru; the first Guru
was born on that day which is today known as GURU POWRNAMI.
On the banks of Kanti Sarovar, a lake that lies a few kilometers above Kedarnath, he
turned south to shed his grace upon the human race, and the transmission of the yogic science to
these seven people began. The yogic science is not about a yoga class that you go through about
how to bend your body which every new born infant knows or how to hold your breath
which every unborn infant knows. This is the science of understanding the mechanics of the
entire human system.
After many years, when the transmission was complete, it produced seven fully
enlightened beings the seven celebrated sages who are today known as the Saptarishis (Atri,
Vashishta, Kashyapa, Vishwamitra,jamadagni, Bharadvaja and Gautama) and are worshipped
and admired in Indian culture. Shiva put different aspects of yoga into each of these seven
people, and these aspects became the seven basic forms of yoga. Even today, yoga has
maintained these seven distinct forms
The Saptarishis were sent in seven different directions to different parts of the world to
carry this dimension with which a human being can evolve beyond his present limitations and
compulsions. They became the limbs of Shiva, taking the knowing and technology of how a
human being can exist here as the Creator himself, to the world. Time has ravaged many things,
but when the cultures of those lands are carefully looked at, small strands of these peoples work

can be seen, still alive. It has taken on various colors and forms, and has changed its complexion
in a million different ways, but these strands can still be seen.

The Adiyogi brought this possibility that a human being need not be contained in the
defined limitations of our species. There is a way to be contained in physicality but not to belong
to it. There is a way to inhabit the body but never become the body. There is a way to use your
mind in the highest possible way but still never know the miseries of the mind. Whatever
dimension of existence you are in right now, you can go beyond that there is another way to
live. He said, You can evolve beyond your present limitations if you do the necessary work
upon yourself. That is the significance of the Aadiyogi.

MANIFESTATIONS OF SHIVA

According to Shiva Maha Purana..There were 64 main forms of Shiva as follows:

1) Linga Murthy In this form the God Shiva in formless form
2) LinGodbhava Murthy- This is the Form of God Shiva emerging from formless
3) Mukhalingam- In this form the Shiva Linga form with five faces of God Shiva is
Worshipped.
4) Sada Shiva Murthy- In this form again the Lord Shiva with five faces
5) Maha Sada Shiva Murthy- In this form the God Shiva with twenty five faces

6) Umamaheshvara Murthy- This is the sixth form and in this the God Shiva with Goddess
uma or Parvati.
7) Sukasana Murthy In this particular form you will find Lord Shiva with his wife and is
in a pleasant mood. If worshipped in this form he grants peace and happiness.
8) Umesha Murthy in this form the Lord Shiva is seen with his wife and one of his hand is
in a Vardana pose.
9) Somaskandha Murthy- This is a popular form of Lord Shiva. The God Shiva is seen with
Goddess Uma and Lord Skandha in this form.
10) Vrishabhantika Murthy- In this pose the Lord Shiva is seen along with bull. Many
devotees prefer to worship the Lord in this form.
11) Chandrashekara Murthy- God Shiva with crescent is seen in this form. This was when the
moon told him to keep him on his head after the moon was saved from the curse of his
father in law by Lord Shiva.
12) Bhujanga Lalita Murthy Lord Shiva liked to keep a snake on his body all the time. In
this form he is seen with a snake.
13) Sada nritta Murthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen in the form of Natraj. He is seen
with his wife and standing on the body of a demon.
14) Gangavisarjana Murthy God Shiva releasing ganga in this form. This is the form in
which the Lord Shiva held the Ganga on his head.
15) Ardanarishvara Murthy- God Shiva Goddess shakti together in one form is worshipped
by many. In this form the Lord Shiva and his wife are seen together. The form is of half
Lord Shiva and half of Goddess Parvati.
16) Vrishabharudar in this form the Lord Shiva is seen sitting on a bull.
17) Bhujanga Trasa Murthy In this particular form the Lord Shiva is seen with a sanke in
one hand and fire in the other. As usual there is damroo in one hand and with the fourth
hand he is seen blessing the devotees.
18) Chandathandava Murthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen standing on a demon. It is
considered to be one of the fierce forms of the Lord Shiva.
19) Tripurantaka Murthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen riding a chariot that is driven
by four horses. He also has his wife with him in this form.
20) Gajasura Samhara Murthy In this form the God Shiva is seen peeling an elephant.

21) Sandhya Nritta Murthy This is an interesting form of the Lord Shiva. In this form he is
seen with his wife and with a damroo in his hand. He is again seen killing an asura in this
form.
22) Gangadhara Murthy God Shiva with the river Ganga falling into matted locks is seen in
this particular form.
23) Kalyanasundhara Murthy Lord Shiva in this form is seen getting married to Goddess
Partvati the daughter of Himalaya.
24) JvarabhagnaMurthy This form of the Lord Shiva is also called the jvarahara Murthy. In
this form the Lord is seen with three faces and three legs. The Lord is dancing in this
pose.
25) Shardhula Hara Murthy This is a form in which the God Shiva is seen with a tiger skin.
This is a popular form of the Lord Shiva.
26) Keshavartha Murthy This form of the Lord Shiva is also called the Shankaranarayana.
You will see that in this form the Lord Shiva and Lord VISHNU are seen together in one
body. You can see damroo in one hand and Chakra in the other. This is a very popular
form of the Lord Shiva and is worshipped in many parts of the country even today.
27) Chandisha Anugraha Murthy- In this form the Lord Shiva is seen gifting the Kamdhenu
cow to a Sage. Kamdhenu was a mystical cow and it would fulfil all the wishes of its
master.
28) Vinadhara DakshinaMurthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen holding a musical
instrument that is called the Vina. He is seen standing on a demon and is surrounded by
Gods.
29) LakulishvaraMurthy The Lord Shiva is seen sitting in a composed form as
LakulishvaraMurthy. He as usual holds his damroo and trishool.
30) Vaduka Murthy This form of the Lord Shiva is called the Bhairava. In this particular
form the Lord is seen holding a snake and a bowl. In this form the Lord is seen as a
simple hermit that he was.
31) Agorastra Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen as an agori in this form.
32) GuruMurthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen as a sage who is teaching others. This
was the form in which the Lord used to share his knowledge with the sages in the Gyan
sabha.

33) Jalandharavata Murthy In this particular form you can see the Lord Shiva killing
Jalandhara. Jalandhara was a part of Lord Shiva but as he was creating havoc in heaven
and earth the Lord Shiva was forced to kill him.
34) Ekapadha Murthy This is a form of Lord Shiva where he is seen standing on one leg.
35) Gaurilila Samanvita Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen sitting with his wife in this pose.
He was the only God who had a family and in this he is shown as a family man.
36) Brahma Shirachetha Murthy Once Lord Vishu and Brahma had a fight and they wanted
to know who was greater. The Lord Shiva in this form is seen cursing Lord Brahma
saying that he will never be worshipped in spite of being the creator of the world.
37) Varaha Samhara Murthy As the name clearly says the Lord Shiva is seen killing a
Varaha in this form.
38) Shishyabhava Murthy- The Lord Shiva is seen in this form with his devotees and his wife
Goddess parvati.
39) Pasupatha Murthy This is a form of Lord Shiva he is seen with some Gods and he is in
a larger than life form.
40) Bhikshatana Murthy This is a form of the God Shiva on alms.
41) Vyakyana DakshinaMurthy In this form again the Lord is seen killing a demon who
would not allow the sages to do their duties.
42) Kalanthakar- In this form the Lord Shiva is also called the KalasamharaMurthy. In this
the Lord came out of a fire to kill a demon.
43) Bhairav Murthy In this form the Lord Shiva is seen with a dog.
44) Kshetrapaala Murthy In this form the Lord is also called the Bhairavar. He is again seen
with a dog in this form.
45) Dakshayagyahara Murthy We all know about the Daksha yagna where Lord Shiva was
insulted and his wife Sati killed herself. In this form the Lord is seen killing the king
Daksha.
46) Ashvaruda Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen sitting on a horse in this pose.
47) Ekapada triMurthy This is a very strong form of Lord Shiva. In this form he is seen
taking the forms of VISHNU and brahma
48) Gaurivaraprada Murthy In this form the Lord is seen with gauri.

49) Vishapaharana Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen resting in this pose with his wife sitting
beside him.
50) Kurma samhara Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen with Lord VISHNU in this form.
51) Prarthana Murthy This is a form in which the Lord Shiva is seen with his wife in a very
happy mood.
52) Kankala Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen in a standing pose all alone in this form.
53) Simhaghna Murthy In this form the Lord is seen with three heads of lion and he is seen
killing a demon.
54) Yoga dakshinaMurthy This is a pose in which the Lord Shiva is seen in yogic posture.
The Lord in this form is also called dakshinaMurthy.
55) Kama dahana Murthy We have already explained that Lord Shiva once burnt down
Lord Kama. In this form he is seen burning cupid.
56) ApatuttaranaMurthy The Lord is seen as a simple hermit in this form with a stick and a
bowl.
57) Virabhadra Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen as a warrior in this form loaded with
weapons.
58) Kiratha Murthy- The Lord Shiva is seen with bow and arrow in this form. He looks like a
hunter in this form.
59) Gajantika Murthy The Lord in this form is seen with an elephant.
60) Tripada trimurthy In this form again the Lord Shiva is seen standing on one leg with
log VISHNU and Brahma on both his sides.
61) Chakradanasvarupa Murthy- In this particular form the God Shiva is seen giving
sudarshana chakra to Lord VISHNU.
62) Garudanthika Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen in this form with his wife and he is being
worshipped by a number of Gods including Garur.
63) Matsya samhara Murthy In this form Lord Shiva is seen with a fish. It was a form he
took when Lord VISHNU took the form of fish.
64) Rakthabhiksha pradana Murthy The Lord Shiva is seen with Lord VISHNU in this
form. The Lord Shiva is seen using his Trishool to get some blood from the body of Lord
VISHNU.

SHIVA LINGAM

In Sanskrit, Linga means a 'mark' or a symbol, which points to an inference. Thus the
Shiva Linga is a symbol of Lord Shiva - a mark that reminds of the Omnipotent Lord, which is
formless.
Shiva Linga speaks to the devotee in the unmistakable language of silence, and it is only
the outward symbol of the formless being, Lord Shiva, who is the undying soul seated in the
chambers of your heart, who is your in-dweller, your innermost self or 'Atman,' and who is
identical with the supreme 'Brahman.'

Origin of Lingam
According to Purana, once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma and
VISHNU were fighting over each others prowess. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the
other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Lord Shiva
assumed the form of a flaming Linga in between Brahma and VISHNU and challenged both of
them by asking them to measure the gigantic Linga.
Awestruck by its magnitude, Brahma and VISHNU decided to find one end each to
establish supremacy over the other. Lord Brahma took the form of a swan and went upwards
while Lord VISHNU assumed the form of Varaha - a boar and went into the earth towards nether
land. Both searched for thousands of miles but neither could find the end.
On his journey upward, Brahma came across Ketaki flower. Exhausted and bewildered
with his search to find the uppermost limit of fiery column, Brahma made Ketaki assent to lie
that he had seen the top of the column where the flower had previously resided. Accompanied by
his accomplice, Brahma confronted VISHNU and asserted that he had indeed discovered the
origin of the cosmic column.
At this point, the central part of the pillar split open and Shiva revealed himself in his full
glory. Overawed, both Brahma and VISHNU bowed before him accepted lord Shivas
supremacy. Lord Shiva also explained to Brahma and VISHNU that both of them were born out
of him and that the three were then separated out into three different aspects of divinity.
However, Lord Shiva was angry with Brahma for making a false claim. The Lord cursed
Brahma that no one would ever pray to him. (This legend explains why there is hardly any
Brahma temple of significance in India.) Lord Shiva also punished the Ketaki flower for
testifying falsely and banned her from being used as an offering for any worship.
Since it was on the 14th day in the dark fortnight of the month of Phalguna that Shiva
first manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the day is extremely auspicious and is celebrated
as Mahashivaratri - the grand night of Shiva. To celebrate the occasion, devotees of Lord Shiva
fast during the day and pray to the Lord throughout the night. It is said that worshipping of Lord
Shiva on Shivaratri bestows one with happiness and prosperity.
Another authentic reference comes from Skanda Purana where lingam is clearly indicated
as the supreme Shiva from where the whole universe is created and where it finally sub merge.
The endless sky (that great void which contains the entire universe) is the Linga, the Earth is its

base. At the end of time the entire universe and all the Gods finally emerge in the Linga itself.
This statement justifies that Shiva is the creator as well as destroyer of prakruthi (nature).

PURPOSE OF ABHISEKHAM TO SHIVA LINGAM

According to Siva Agamas (pooja rules) abhishekam is considered as one part of the
shodashopachara pooja. Siva Agamas give lot of importance to abhishekam in Siva pooja
and it makes the ceremonies many times more effective. Your priest may perform
Abhishekam by simply using holy water or perform elaborately with milk, curds, honey,
ghee, sugar, coconutwater, holyash, sandalpaste, fruitjuice etc

Lord Siva will be pleased by the process of bathing with the prescribed eleven ingredients like
water, milk, curd, ghee, honey etc. If you pour a drop of water on the Linga form' you will

receive the blessings of Lord Siva. He will remove all your difficulties and will grace with
happiness and joy

Eleven Ingredients Prescribed for Abhishekam

The Shiva Linga abhishekam is done with the prescribed 11 ingredients:
1) Gingely oil
2) Pancha kavyam (mixture of five ingredients i.e. milk, curd or yoghurt, ghee and cows urine)
3) Panchamrutham (mixture of five ingredients i.e. fruit, jaggery, ghee, honey and sugar candy)
4) Ghee
5) Milk
6) Curd or yoghurt
7) Honey
8) Sugar cane juice
9) Lime juice
10) Tender coconut water
11) Sandal paste

Annabhishekam :
Annabhishekam is performed next to milk on this specific day. During abhishekam Sri
Rudram is chanted. Rhythm chanting of the Sri Rudram will purify the entire atmosphere. Sri
Rudra has eleven sections. Similarly Lord Siva has eleven forms (Ekadasa Rudra).
Annabhisekam will take place mostly in the evening.In some temples it may take place in the
noon.
The Sive Linga will be covered with cooked rice. They may even cover the floor of the sanctum
sanctorium and may extend up to the steps.

Lord Siva: Preserver of Annam

Lord Siva is the preserver of annam (Annanam Pathaye Namaha). He is considered as
Annam and he is also the consumer of Annam (Ahamannam ... Ahamannatho). The devotees
believe that anyone who witnesses annabhshekam will be relived from the troubles of rebirth

Rudrabhishekam Pooja:

This Pooja, where Lord Shiva is worshiped in His Rudra form, is hailed by all Vedic scriptures
as one of the greatest Poojas to remove all evils, to attain all desires and for all round prosperity.

Significance of Abhishekam of some of the items

Sandal Paste: for developing a cool mind and mental peace
Turmeric: for healing, recovery from diseases, and matrimony
Coconut: for curing asthma
Curd Rice: for curing ulcer etc
Cows Milk: for progeny, to ward off snake curse etc
Honey: for developing a good voice
Gold: for prosperity
Annam: Relief from rebirth
Most popular Shiva Sloka to chant while performing abhisekham

Tryambaka Yajamahe Sugandhim Pusti-Vardhanam

Urvarukam Iva Bandhanan Mrtyor Muksiya Mamrtat

Meaning.
We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness, the
fragrance of life, who nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due
time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd is freed from the vine, so free us from
attachment and death, and do not with hold immortality."

If Abhishekam is done with sincerity, The Lord will grant the devotee and his family
happiness, and relief from all ailments.

FEW FACTS ABOUT SHIVA:

For the protection of the world MAHA VISHNU wanted to have a weapon that is very
powerful. He wanted to worship Lord Shiva with thousand flowers to get the
the sudarshana which was created by Lord Shiva for JALANDHARA SAMHARA. MAHA
VISHNU collected the required flowers and started the worship. But during the worship, MAHA
VISHNU found that he fell short of one flower to thousand. He did not want to stop at any cost
the worship of Lord Shiva. Immediately he plucked out and offered one of the eyes as the
thousandth flower. Delighted by that devotion, Lord Shiva gave the disc to VISHNU. Also

MAHA VISHNU got the name PADMAAKSHA("lotus eyed" ) due to the devotion in offering
the eye to make up for a lotus.
However the chakra was too powerful for VISHNU to hold. So God made it into three parts, one
given to VISHNU, one to shakti and one kept with Himself. With that chakra the reverend Lord
VISHNU is protecting all the worlds. The form of Lord shiva blessing VISHNU with the disc is
the chakra prada murthy.

SHIVA UNDER THE FEET OF KAALI

There was once a very powerful demon known as Rakta Beej who had acquired a boon
that he could duplicate himself as soon as his drop of blood touched the Earth. Due to this boon,
the Gods were unable to bring the notorious demon under control. Hence, Shakti in the form of
Goddess Durga was summoned to kill the demon. Armed with all the weapons, the Goddess
charged at the demon. But as soon as She wounded him with Her sword and his blood fell on

Earth, the demon kept on multiplying. Huge armies of Rakta Beej were formed by the puddles of
blood which fell on Earth. Enraged by this, the Devi took the fierce form of Kali. Then She went
on to destroy the demon with sword in Her hand. She would slay each demon and drink his
blood immediately. Soon She finished the whole army of Rakta Beej and only the real Rakta
Beej was left. Then She slay him and drank all his blood till he fell down lifeless. It is said that
the Goddess became mad with blood lust after this incident. She started dancing the dance of
destruction and forgot that She had already killed the demon. She kept on slaying the innocent
after that. Seeing this, the Gods became extremely worried and approached Lord Shiva for help.

Only Shiva had the power to stop Kali at this stage. So, Lord Shiva went and lay down
among the corpses where the Goddess was dancing. Accidentally, Kali stepped on Shiva and
soon She realised Her mistake. It is then Her tongue immediately came out of embarrassment
and She calmed down. She was ashamed that Her blood lust had prevented Her from recognizing
Her own husband. Thus, She came back to Her original form and the destruction was stopped.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THIRD EYE

Lord Shiva is also called as Tryambaka Deva because of his third eye .Shivas left eye is
the first eye, the right eye is the second and the verticle one in the subtle form, just above the
midpoint of the eyebrows is the third one. The upper eye is a representation of the combined
energy of both the right and left eyes. It is also the greatest seat (mahapith) of extrasensory
energy and is endowed with names such as Jyotirmath, Vyaspith, etc.
Chandra, Arka and Vaishvanar are the three eyes of Lord Shankar. Arka is the sun from
the ajanaj region while Vaishvanaris the sun from the karmadev region. Therefore Shankar can
view everywhere in the universe.
. The Sun is his right eye, the Moon is left eye and fire is the third eye. Third eye in the
centre of the forehead symbolizes spiritual power and known as the eye of wisdom. Lord Shiva
opens his third fire eye to burn evil powers.

Whenever the immoralities, sins, greediness and all other devil power tries to win over
the truth and good the devine power of the third eye opens the gateway to destroy everything to
build a new universe, where all the good values are exists
The third eye as seen on Lord Shiva's forehead is also the spiritual eye or agna
chakra which stands for higher consciousness and allows us to see the real world for the world as
we see it is an illusion.
Hindus believe that every human possesses this 'third eye' which can be activated only
after years of meditation.
According to Mahabharata, One day Shiva's wife Parvati, daughter of the King of
Mountains, stealthily went behind Shiva and playfully placed her hands over his eyes. Suddenly
darkness engulfed the whole world and all beings trembled in great fear as the lord of the
universe had closed his eyes. Suddenly a massive eye of flame erupted from the forehead of
Shiva; a third eye had appeared there and this gave light to the world.
However, this narration has a background to it. Shiva opened his third eye for the first
time to set ablaze Kama, the God of desire when Kama tried to play cupid between Shiva and
Parvati. Since then it has been said that third eye is meant only for destruction.

What does it Signify?

Shivas third eye represents the rejection of desire. It is the eye that killed Kama. And
why does Shiva reject desire? Because he realized the consequences of desire
When the object of desire goes away, there is immense sorrow and rage. Desire not only
evokes positive emotions (love, affection, contentment, compassion), it also evokes negative
emotions (anger, dissatisfaction, sorrow).
Shankar is three-eyed means He can perceive events in the past, present and future as
well. According to the science of Yoga the third eye means the Sushumna channel (Nadi).

WHY SHIVA WEARS MOON ON HIS HEAD:

Lord Shiva wore crescent moon on his head and that is the reason why he is called
Chandrasekhar
Twenty-seven of Dakshas daughters were married to the moon-god Chandra. One of
these wives was named Rohini and Chandra loved Rohini more than he loved the other wives.
The other wives felt neglected and they complained to their father. Daksha repeatedly warned his
son-in-law to devote himself equally to all twenty-seven wives. But Chandra was in no mood to
listen.
Daksha thereupon cursed Chandra that he would gradually fade away. Chandra didnt
know what to do. He went and sought advice from Brahma and Brahma told him that the only
resource was to pray to Shiva. Chandra went to Prabhasa Tirtha and made a linga on the banks of
the river Sarasvati. He prayed to Shiva for six months.

At the end of the tapasya Shiva appeared before Chandra and offered to grant him a boon.
Chandra explained what the problem was.
Well, said Shiva, Daksha's curse cannot be entirely ignored. Let us have a compromise.
During krishnapaksha you will wane. And during shuklapaksha (the bright part of the lunar
fortnight) you will wax. That should satisfy everybody.
Thus being the graceful Almighty, Lord Shiva wore the moon crescent on His head,
making him grow for 15 days and decay for 15 days periodically.

Why Lord Shiva Stays in Shmashana

Shma refers to shava or corpse, Shan refers to Shayana or Bed

In the terms of Hindu myth, Smashana is also called RUDRABHUMI. Why because the lord
Shiva stays there in the form of rudra. The place (bhumi) of RUDRA is called RUDRABHUMI
When a human is alive, his family relatives and friends have bondage with him and they were
ready to sacrifice anything to him.. they belong with him when he is going alone and when he
feels alone. But at the time of death, he ecomes alone.
It is the time that Jeeva (body) and ATHMA (soul) will be separated by PARAMATHMA.
It is the time that Jeevathma will mingle with PARAMATHMA.
There wont be any family member or any friend or any person you love around you when your
soul is separated. Then your athma starts to scare of and only loneliness will be around you.

In that stage of loneliness, the PARAMATHMA (rudra) will be your guide to the paraloka
(eternal living).
Human life is mingled with Arishadvarga (Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya)
obstacles for human life.
When the human body is burnt the jeeva will e burnt not the Athma. The Athma will purify in
the ashes and a purified athma will come out by leaving these Arishadvargah in the ashes.
To be answered in another form shiva stays in shmasana because it is the only place where there
wont be any difference of RICH & POOR.All the creatures will be equal after death. After jeeva
and athma is divided it is called bhutha.. all the buthaas with out differentiation will be in
smashana
That is why shiva stays in smashana. And so he is called as BUTHANAATH

WHY SHIVA WEARS A SERPENT

Lord Siva is Known as Pasupathinath

The Lord of all creatures. Being a lord of the animals he has complete control on their behavior.
Since a snake is one of the most feared and dangerous animals in the world, the garland of
snakes around the neck firmly establishes this fact even the snakes fear Him and remain under
his control.
The snake stands for all the evil and demonical nature in the world. By wearing the snake around
his neck, Lord Siva gives us the assurance that no evil can touch us or destroy us once we
surrender to him, seek his protection and worship him with deep devotion.
The snake also stands for the power of kundalini, which is described as a coiled serpent lying
dormant in the muladhara chakra of all human beings and descends upwards when one starts
ones spiritual journey and becomes increasingly divine oriented. The snake around the neck of
Siva conveys the meaning that in him the kundalini not only has arisen fully but is also actively
involved in the divine activity by keeping an eye on all the devotees who approach Siva with
their individual problems.

The snake also stands for all passions and desires. By wearing the snakes around his neck, Lord
Siva conveys the message to all his devotees that He has overcome all desires and is in full
control of Prakriti, or maya and its various machinations.

SHIVA AS NEELAKHANT

Brahma created the Universe, the mother earth and lives, Gods (The Good power) and
Demons (The Evil powers) and their most beautiful creation of all humans. The humans often
offered prayers and yagnas to God, which were known to boost their powers. Demons with the
aim of conquering the universe and control earth (where human lived) and Swarg lok (heaven the
abode of Gods) often attacked and tortured humans (who were their natural victim as humans
supported

God).

To

save

themselves,

humans

would

inevitably

turn to Gods and this would give rise to Deva-sur Sangram (Battle between Gods and Demons).
More often than not Demons would emerge victorious over the God. The secret lies in the hand

of the Demon Guru (Teacher and adviser) Sukracharya (A great devotee to Lord Shiva) who got
a power from Shiva called Mrita-Sanjivini (That can bring a dead back to life). This ensured that
no demon would ever be killed. In absence of such a power God always had a losing hand. The
solution?

Were

the

miseries

insufficient

for Gods to incur another curse? It so happened that once the king of Gods, Indra was traveling
on his elephant when he met saint Durvasa. Durvasa offered him a flower garland which Indra in
light vein placed on his elephants head and the animal threw it on the ground. Durvasa, who was
well known for his short tempers, took the incident as an insult and the arrogance of Gods. He
cursed Gods Let all richness and power of yours be gone. The Godess of prosperity Laxmi at
once

vanished

in

the

depth

of

ocean.

What could be a better opportunity for demons? They forced the Gods out of the heaven.
Gods, cursed, defeated and demoralized, turned to their deity Lord Vishnu, The Protector.
Vishnu suggested a solution Sagar Manthan (Churning the ocean to get precious elements out)
to get the most precious of all resource Amrit or nectar (A Drink to make one immortal.) But
the task was too difficult to be accomplished by Gods alone, in other words without the joint
effort of the natural rivals Gods and Demons.

Demons were invited for joint venture and to share whatever comes out of the great
ocean. Sukracharya was first reluctant as they never needed Amrit. But when pointed out that the
demons power would collapse once Sukracharya dies since he is the only person who could
bring others to lives but not himself. The Sagar Manthan was agreed upon. It was decided that
the mountain called Mandrachal would be used as pivot and the great snake Vasuki (the garland
or Lord Shiva) as the rope to turn the pivot. The Gods and Demons would pull the snake from
either side to stir the ocean. But the Big question who will face the snake and the deadly
venoms? Narad, played the trick and flattered the demons to accept the head portion.
The efforts started, and Sagar yielded many valuable elements, jewels, treasures etc. which were
divided among Gods and Demons. Then came Goddess Laxmi from the ocean whom Lord
Vishnu took as his wife. At the end came the much desired Amrit (nectar), which Lord Vishnu
by his trick ensured only for Gods. But churning of ocean is not the story of obtaining the nectar.
So let us go back to the real story. Before Amrit, came the deadly poison. The poison was so
deadly it became a danger to the extend of finishing the entire creation. It was named kaalkut

the manifestation of death. It was growing uncontrollable and causing unrest to the entire
universe. Whom then, God and demons turn to? Who had the ability to control this weapon of
devastation? Who except Maha-mrityunjay (Lord Shiva) himself? All turned to Bhole-nath
(Shiva).

Shiva

took the universe under his guardianship and swallowed the entire poison. The poison of course
couldnt bring any harm to Mahadev Shiva, but so deadly was the poison that it got accumulated
in his throat and turned it blue and Ashutosh Shiva got a new name Neelkanth (God with blue
throat).

EMBELLISH OF SHIVA

Jata (Matted Hair): The flow of his matted hair represents Shiva as the Lord of Wind or
Vayu, who is the subtle form of breath present in all living beings. It shows that Shiva is
Pashupatinath, Lord Of All Living Beings.
Half-Open Eyes: The half-open eyes of Lord Shiva convey the idea that the cycle of
universe is in process. When the Lord opens His eyes a new cycle of creation begins and when
He closes them it signifies the destruction of the universe for creation of the next cycle. The half-

open eyes signify that creation is going through an eternal cyclic process, with no beginning and
no end.
Vibhuti:
The three line of ashes drawn on the forehead of the Lord is known as the Vibhuti. It signifies the
Immortality of the Lord and his manifested glory.
Tiger Skin:
Hindu mythology states that the tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the Goddess of power and force.
Lord Shiva is often shown seated upon or wearing a tiger skin, which emphasizes the fact that he
is the master of Shakti and is beyond and above any kind of force. Tiger is also the emblem of
lust. The Lord's sitting on Tiger skin indicates that he has conquered lust. Tiger also represents
energy. Lord Shiva is the source of the creative energy that remains in potential form during the
dissolution state of the universe. He activates this energy using his own Divine Will to project
the universe in endless cycles.
Rudraksha Necklace:
He is almost always shown as wearing a necklace having 108 beads made with seeds of the
Rudraksha tree. The beads represent the elements used in the creation of the world. The
Rudraksha necklace points to the Rudra aspect of the Lord, which is also His other name. The
word 'Rudra' means "strict or uncompromising" and aksha means "eye." It illustrates the fact that
Lord Shiva is firm about His cosmic laws and strictly maintains law and order in the universe.
Damaru (Drum):
It is the small hourglass-shaped drum that the Lord holds in one of his hands in a specific gesture
called 'damaru-hasta'. The two sides of the drum separated from each other by a thin necklike structure represents the two utterly different states of existence, unmanifest and manifest.
When a damaru is shaken, it produces Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which can be heard
during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada is the source of creation. This is
one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation known as Nataraja.
Trishul (Trident):
The trident, or the spear with three prongs, is one of the accessories of the Lord and symbolizes
His three fundamental powers iccha(will), kriya(action) and jnana(knowledge). It also signifies
His power to destroy evil and ignorance. As His weapon and instrument of punishment the
trident represents Lord Shiva's manner of punishing the evil doers on all the three planes spiritual, subtle and physical.

Kamandalu:
The water pot (Kamandalu) often shown adjacent to the Lord is another of his accessories. It is
said to be made from a dry pumpkin and containing amrit (nectar). Indian Yogis and sages are
seen to carry the Kamandalu as an item of basic necessity. The carrying of the Kamandalu shows
the yogic nature of the Lord. But it has a deeper significance. As a ripe pumpkin has been
plucked from a plant, its fruit removed and shell cleaned for containing the nectar,
an individual too must give up his attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of
egoistic desires to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu.
Kundalas:
The Kundalas refer to the two ear rings, Alakshya (meaning "which cannot be shown by any
sign") and Niranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal eyes"), worn by the Lord. The
ornaments in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyond ordinary perception. It is noteworthy
that the kundala in the left ear of the Lord is of the type used by women and the one in His right
ear is of the type used by men. The dual types of Kundalas represent the Shiva and Shakti (male
and female) principle of creation.
TRISHUL :

The three blades also symbolize the three Gunas- Rajas, Tamas and Sattva and the three Lokas
Swarg, Bhu and Patal.
The physical, mental and spiritual senses of mankind is also signifies by the three blades of the
trishul. It destroys the ego of devotees and spreads divinity and Shakti into their souls.
Whenever the trishul has been used by Lord Shiva, it has always been for the restoration of peace
and divinity in the Universe and the destruction of evil.
RUDRAKSHA :

Rudraksha is from a Sanskrit word. Rudra=Shiva, Aksham=Tear of an eye.

Lord Shiva performed penance for one thousand years. When he opened his eyes after one
thousand years a few drops of tears fall down from his eyes. These drops of tears fall down in
Mathura, Ayodhya, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and a few other places.
From these drops of tears, the Rudraksha trees originated. Rudraksha beads are of white, yellow
and black colure.
Rudraksha beads of the size of an Amia Fruit are of the bost quality, that of the size of a berry
are of medium quality and that o the size of a chickpea is of lowest quality.
Big size, Rudraksha beads dissolves all the problems in life. Medium size beads bestow good
luck and increase comfort and happiness. Tiniest Rudraksha beads are considered very powerful

for wish fulfillment. Rudraksha rosary is the most powerful among all other rosaries.

Round in shape, moist, strong, big and thorny Rudraksha beads are the most auspicious, wish
fulfilling, and giver of all the sensual pleasures as well as the ultimate Salvation. The beads
which are infested by insects, broken, without any ridges, damaged and shapeless should be
avoided. The beads which are naturally piereced are the best. A person who wears 1100
Rudraksha beads attains the state of a Rudra. 550, 360 , 108 , 55 , 9, 3 or 1 Rudraksha could be
worn.

ABOUT NANDI

There was once a sage called as Shilada. Shilada did not have any children. of his own, but he
adored children.He wanted a special child blessed by Lord Shiva. So he worshipped Lord Shiva
for many years.
Lord Shiva finally appeared before Shilada, 'What boon do you seek, Shilada?'
'A child. I wish to have a child, Lord Shiva.' Shilada said bowing before Lord Shiva.
Shiva smiled. 'You shall have it soon' He said and vanished.
Shilada returned home a happy man, knowing that the Lord would bless him with a very good
child. The next day he went to the farm to begin his ploughing, when he found a beautiful baby
in the field before his plough. The baby's skin glowed with a beautiful white light.

Shilada stared at the baby transfixed, when he heard a voice from the heaven, 'SHILADA, TAKE
THE CHILD. BRING HIM UP WELL!'
Shilada was overjoyed as he took the boy home. He named the boy Nandi. Right from his
childhood, Nandi was devoted to Lord Shiva. Shilada brought up the child with love and
care. Shilada taught the child the Vedas and gave the child a good education. Nandi was a
brilliant boy and learnt everything very fast. Shilada felt very proud of the child.
Some years later, two sages Mitra and Varuna came to Shilada's home. 'Welcome great sages!'
Shilada gave the rishis some refreshments, 'Please sit and make yourself comfortable.'
Shilada called his son 'Nandi!'. Nandi came from inside the house and he ordered 'Nandi to
please make sure these sages are well looked after.'
Nandi smiled and nodded his head. 'Yes father!'
Nandi looked after the two sages well and after enjoying the stay, the sages said that it was time
they left. Before they were about to live, Shilada and Nandi both prostrated before the two sages.
Mitra and Varuna first blessed Shilada, 'Have a long and happy life, Shilada. You have made us
very happy!'
When Nandi fell at the feet, the two sages looked slightly sad. Slowly they said, 'Be well son! Be
good to your parents and your teachers!' And they walked off, outside the house
However Shilada noticed the change in the expression of the sages. He ran outside the
house, 'Great rishis!' He said breathlessly. He turned around and made sure that Nandi was inside
the house and could not hear him, and talked to the sages, 'You looked sad while blessing my
son!' Shilada said feeling terrified, as he was thinking of unpleasant things...'Is...is something
wrong?'
Mitra looked at Shilada with pity, 'I cannot wish your son a long life....' Mitra said softly.
Shilada looked in absolute panic. 'What is going to happen to my son?' He whispered.
'Your son, does not have long to live, Shilada. I am sorry...' He said lamely, looking at the
horrified expression on Shilada'a face.
Shilada stood there transfixed for a long time. After a long time, he slowly walked back home
with stooping shoulders and a broken heart.
Nandi immediately guessed something was wrong, 'What is it father? What happened? What...'
Nandi asked, vigorously shaking his father.
Slowly and painfully, Shilada narrated his conversation with the two sages.

He expected Nandi to be scared or even that Nandi would even start crying. HoweverShilada was
surprised when he heard Nandi's laugh. 'You were scared of what the sages said!' He said still
laughing.
Shilada wondered what could be so funny and looked at his son without any expression.
'Father, you have told me that you have seen Lord Shiva...' Nandi said with great devotion in
his eyes. 'Anybody who has seen Lord Shiva cannot be afraid of what the sages just said.'
Shilada still looked dumbly at his son, not understanding. 'Father, it is my fate to die, then Lord
Shiva can reverse my fate! He is the most powerful God and can do anything. Do you think he
would let anything happen to us, when we worship him?' Nandi looked at his father
challengingly. 'I don't think so., father..' Nandi said softly.
Shilada looked at his son as if looking at him for the first time. Slowly Shilada nodded his head
and smiled.
Nandi bowed to his father. 'Bless me father!'
Shilada blessed his son, 'Be victorious my son!'
Nandi then went near the River Bhuvana. He entered the river and began his penance. His
devotion was so great and his concentration was so high, that Lord Shiva appeared almost
instantaneously.
'Nandi, open you eyes!' said the three eyed God tenderly, looking at Nandi.
Nandi opened his eyes and before his eyes stood the most beautiful person he had seen in his
whole life. Nandi looked at the God wanting to savour his image. He felt that he had nothing
more left to ask. If only I could stay with the Lord always...
Shiva looked at Nandi with lots of love, 'Nandi, you penance was so powerful that it dragged me
here immediately! Ask me anything I will grant it to you!' Shiva said.
'Lord I wish to be with you always.' The words were out of Nandi's mouth before he could stop
them.
Shiva smiled. 'Nandi I have just lost my bull, on which I used to travel. Henceforth Nandi, you
shall have a face of a bull. You shall stay in my home at Kailash. You shall be the head of all my
Ganas...You will be my companion, my vehicle and my friend, always!'
Nandi closed his eyes as tears flowed through them. The Lord had granted him his wish and a lot
more...

Since then Nandi became Shiva's vehicle, doorman, his companion and the head of all of Shiva's
attendants the Ganas. Thus by sheer devotion Nandi was not only able to overcome his fate, he
also rewrote it!
A few days later the Devas and the Asuras together churned the ocean for nectar. However the
first thing that emerged from the churning was the poison Halahal. The poison was so strong that
it threatened to destroy the whole world. To protect the world, Lord Shivacollected the poison in
his hand and swallowed it. Goddess Parvati who was near Lord Shiva clutched Shiva's throat to
make sure that the poison was stored in the throat and would not affect Lord Shiva.
However some Halahal slipped out of Shiva's hands and fell on the ground. Nandi gathered the
fallen Halahal and seeing his master drink it, he also drank it!
The Devas were staring shocked at what Nandi had done! Lord Shiva was a God and besides he
had Goddess Parvati to protect him, so nothing would happen to Lord Shiva. But Nandi...
However nothing happened to Nandi. Shiva looked at the dumb folded gods and smiled,'Nandi is
my greatest devotee! All my powers are his too and Parvati's protection will go tohim too!'
The three of them smiled and then returned to Kailash.that is the dedicated devotion of nandi
towards shiva .
Why nandi be infront of shiva ?
According to myth, Lord Shiva held this poison in his throat and saved the mankind. The poison
was so powerful that it turned lord Shiva's throat in to blue colour. From then he was also known
as Neela kanta.
The poison in the throat is always a burning sensation for lord Shiva.Lord Shiva loves to spend
time in meditation (Dhyanam). But this burning throat is not allowing him to do his meditation.
Then he ordered Nandi to sit in front of him and blow some air on to his throat. The air blown on
to his throat relieves him from the burning sensation. From then Onwards, Lord Shiva does his
mediation with the help of Nandi.
It is belived by hindu myth that by watching shiva lingam while performing ahisekham to the
shiva deity between the horns of nandi, it gives the merit of praying shiva directly in kailash.

ASTAMURTHY TATHVAM
The puranic shhiva mahimna stotram composed in glory of Lord shiva by Gandharva
Pushpadanta invokes the Astamurti form and distinctly enumerates the eight names of Lord
Shiva.
Sarva - All prevading one,Bhava - Existence, Creation,
Rudra - Dispeller of Sorrows,
Pasupati - Lord of all beings
Ugra - The Fearsome,
Mahan or Mahat i.e. Mahadeva The Supreme,
Bhima - The Tremendous,
Isana - The Directional ruler
Lord nandikeshwara in the linga purana elaborates the nature of the astamurti to sanathkumara
and expounds a typical shaiva tradition. the nature and details of the eightfold manifestations are
as under:
Sarva:
Characharanam bhutanam dhata vishvambharatmakah,
Sharva ityuchyate devah sarva-shastrartha-paragaih
Vishvambharatmanas-tasya sarvasya parameshthinah,
Vikeshi kathyate patni tanayo .angarakah smritah
The lord of all and the entity pervading the universe.
Bhava:
Bhava ityuchyate devo bhagavan veda-vadibhih
Samjivanasya lokanam bhavasya paramatmanah
Uma samkirtita devi sutah shukrashcha suribhih
Sapta-lokandaka-vyapi sarva-lokaika-rakshita
Envelops the 7 world-spheres; protects the universe, infuses life in the universe.

Pashupati:
Vahnyatma bhagavan devah smritah pashupatir budhaih
Svaha patnyatmanas-tasya prokta pashupateh priya
Shanmukho bhagavan devo budhaih putra udahritah
Samasta-bhuvana-vyapi bharta sarva-sharirinam
protects all life-forms, is manifest as fire.
Ishana:
Pavanatma budhair deva ishana iti kirtyate
Ishanasya jagat-kartur-devasya pavanatmanah
Shiva devi budair-ukta putrashchasya manojavah
Characharanam bhutanam sarvesham sarvakamadah
The substance of living and non-living forms; confers all wishes, is manifest as air.
Bhima:
Vyomatma bhagavan devo bhima ityuchyate budhaih
Mahamahimno devasya bhimasya gaganatmanah
Disho dasha smrita devyah sutah sargash-cha suribhih
Suryatma bhagavan devah sarvesham cha vibhutidah

Envelops the universe; basis of all manifestations in the universe, is manifest as space and as the
sun.

Rudra:
Rudra ityuchyate devair bhagavan bhukti-muktidah
Suryatma kasya rudrasya bhaktanam bhakti-dayinah
Suvarchala smrita devi sutashchasya shanaishcharah
Samasta saumya vastunam prakrititvena vishrutah

Gives liberation and pleasures; cause of devotion in devotees, present as the nature of all pleasant
things, is manifest as the sun.

Mahadeva:
Somatmako budhair devo mahadeva iti smritah
Somatmakasya devasya mahadevasya suribhih
Dayita rohini prokta budhash-chaiva sharirajah
Havya-kavyasthitim kurvan havya-kavyashinam tada

Bearer of offerings to gods and ancestors is manifest as the moon;

Ugra:
Yajamanatmako devo mahadevo budhaih prabhuh
Ugra ityuchyate sadbhir ishanashcheti chaparaih
Ugrahvayasya devasya yajamanatmanah prabhoh
Diksha patni budhair ukta samtanakhyah sutas-tatha

manifests as the ritualist.

MAHA SHIVA RATRI

According to legend in the Shiva Purana, once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods,
Brahma and Vishnu, were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the
intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility
of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu.
Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the
other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into
the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could
find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down
slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the
top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to
end his search and take the flower as a witness.

At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie,
and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned from
being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th
day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a
Linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva
on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity.
A legend explains the all-night worship of Shiva on Shivratri. There was once a poor
tribal man who was great devotee of Shiva. One day he went deep into the forest to collect
firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell,
he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till
day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To
stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the
name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep
himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he
had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting allnight worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This
story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast,
devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
There is another possible reason for the origin of the all-night worship. Being a moonless
night, people worshipped the god who wears the crescent moon as an adornment in his hair,
Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the moon rose the next night. after Mahashivaratri, , the
trees are full of flowers as if to announce that after winter, the fertility of the earth has been
rejuvenated. And this perhaps is the reason why the Linga is worshipped throughout India as a
symbol of fertility. The festivities differ in various parts of India.
The Vishvanatha Temple at Kashi inVaranasi celebrates the Linga (symbolic of the pillar
of light) and the manifestation of Shiva as the light of supreme wisdom.
Mahashivaratri is thus not only a ritual but also a cosmic definition of the Hindu universe.
It dispels ignorance, emanates the light of knowledge, makes one aware of the universe, ushers in
the spring after the cold and dry winter, and invokes the supreme power to take cognizance of
the beings that were created by him

DWADASA JYOTIRLINGA:

Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|

Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||

The jyothirlinga is the Supreme Siva, part less reality, out of which Shiva appeared as
Lingodbhava. The jyothirlinga shrines are Temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of
light. Originally there were believed to be 64 Jyothirlinga while 12 of them are considered to be
very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve Jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding
deity, each considered a different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image
is lingam representing the beginning less and endless stambha (Piller) symbolizing the infinite
nature of Shiva
A Jyothirlinga are shrines where Lord Shiva, is worshipped in the form of a Jyothirlinga.
Jyothi means Radiance and Lingam, the Shiva Lingam-the mark or sign of The Almighty.
Jyotirlingam means the The Radiant sign of The Almighty. There are twelve traditional
Jyothirlinga shrines in India.
Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the, Aridra Nakshatra
thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but
it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after
he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India and they
are spread all over India.
1. Sri Somnath Jyotirling is considered as the first jyotirling among all. Somnath Temple
located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of
Gujarat, India is the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlings (lingas of light) symbols of the
God Shiva. It is mentioned in the Rig Veda. Somnath means The Protector of Moon
God. The Somnath Temple is known as the Shrine Eternal, as although the temple has
been destroyed six times it has been rebuilt every single time.Worshipping this temple,
people will be free of diseases. And, there is a belief that people suffering from TB, will
get cured.
2. Srisailam Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga is the second one which gains importance, on visiting
Mallikrjuna, also called raila, is the name of the pillar located on a mountain on the
river Krishna as patala ganaga, Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh enshrines
Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich.people will
be relieved of their sins.
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord
Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which are supposed to be the most sacred

abodes of Shiva.its the third Jotirlinga. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the
state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on the side of the Rudra Sagar
lake. The presiding deity, Shiva in the lingam form is believed to be Swayambhu,
deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and
lingams that are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. It is also the only
one facing south and also the temple to have a Shree Yantra perched upside down at the
ceiling of the Garbha Graha (where the Shiv Lingam sits) On worshipping Shree
Mahakaleshwara Jyotirling, people lead happy life without sadness.
4. Sri Omkareshwara Jyotirlinga its a fourth jyotirlinga of lord shiva. Omkareshwar is a
Hindu temple in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It is on an island
called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga
shrines of Shiva. It is about 12 miles (20 km) from Mortakka in Madhya Pradesh. The
shape of the island is said to be like the Hindu Om symbol. There are two temples here,
one to Omkareshwar (whose name means OM-maker-lord) and one to Amareshwar
(whose name means immortal lord or lord of the immortals). Omkareshwar is formed
by the sacred river Narmada. This is one of the most sacred of rivers in India and is now
home to one of the worlds biggest dam projects. On performing puja, people will
overcome their weaknesses if they have any.
5. Kedarnath Kedareshwara Jyotirlinga is the fifth Jyothirlinga. Kedarnath temple is one of
the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located atop the Garhwal
Himalayan range near the river Mandakini in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India. Due to
extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between the end of April to start of
November. The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 14
km uphill trek from Gaurikund. The temple is believed to have been built by Adi
Sankaracharya and is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Lord
Shiva. The older temple existed from the times of Mahabharat, when the Pandavas are
supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is also one of
the four major sites in Indias Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas. Visiting
this place, people will find their wishes come true.
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga which is the Sixth jyotirlinga of lord shiva.Bhimashankar
Temple is located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune, in

India. It is located 110 km away from Pune in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills.
Bhimashankar is also the source of the Bhima river, which flows south east and merges
with the Krishna river near Raichur. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are
Tryambakeshwar and Grishneshwar. Regular pilgrims near Mumbai visit Bhimashankar
from Karjat via Khandas. The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary located here is a popular
weekend getaway from Mumbai and Pune, All kind of pains will be relieved on
performing pooja in this temple.
7. Kashi Vishweshwara Jyotirlinga which is the seventh jyotirlinga of lord shiva Kashi
Vishwanath temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and
is in the holy city of Varanasi, India. The temple stands on the western bank of
Hinduisms holiest river Ganges, and the deity is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas the
holiest of Shiva deities. The main deity is known by the name Vishwanatha or
Vishweshwara meaning the Ruler of the universe. The temple town that claims to be the
oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history is also called Kashi
and hence the temple is popularly called as Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Due to this 15.5m
high golden spire, the temple is sometimes called as the Golden Temple, similar to the
Sikh Gurudwara at Amritsar. People get peaceful mind and free of tension.
8. Sri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is the eighth Jyotirlingam. Trimbakeshwar or
Tryambakeshwar or Trambakeshwar is an ancient Hindu temple in the town of Trimbak,
in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, India, 28 km from the city of Nashik. It is
dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingaas. It is located at the source
of the Godavari River, the longest river in peninsular India. The Godavari River, which is
considered sacred within Hinduism, originates from Bramhagiri mountains and meets the
sea near Rajahmudry. Kusavarta, a kund is considered the symbolic origin of the river
Godavari, and revered by Hindus as a sacred bathing place. Noted film maker and father
of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke was born here. Trimbakeshwar is a religious center
having one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located
here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra. Due to
excessive use of water, the linga has started to erode. It is said that this erosion
symbolizes the eroding nature of human society. The Lingas are covered by a jeweled
crown which is placed over the Gold Mask of Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). The

crown is said to be from the age of Pandavs and consists of diamonds, emeralds, and
many precious stones. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4-5 pm (Shiva). All
other Jyotirlingas have Shiva as the main deity. The entire black stone temple is known
for its appealing architecture and sculpture and is at the foothills of a mountain called
Brahmagiri.Three sources of the godavari originate from the brahmagiri mountain. On
visiting this Jyotirlinga, people will come out of their weaknesses and get nearer to lord
Shiva.
9. Sri Vaidyanatheshwara Jyotirlinga its the ninth jyotirlinga of lord shiva. . Vaidyanath
Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the sacred abodes of Shiva.
There are two claimed Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga: one in Deoghar (Bihar, India]]) and one in
Parli (Maharashtra). The sites are also known as Baba dham and Baidyanath dham. More
than a million pilgrims visit these shrines every year. According to Hindu beliefs, the
demon king Ravana worshipped Shiva at the current site of the temple to get the boons
that he later used to wreak havoc in the world. Ravana offered his 10 heads one after the
another to Shiva in a sacrifice. Pleased with this Shiva descended to earth and cured
Ravana who was injured. As he acted as a doctor, he is referred to as vaidhya
(Template:Sanskrit: doctor). From this aspect of Shiva the temple derives its
name.People will have a profitable business on visiting and performing puja in this place.
10. Sri Nageshwara Jyotirlinga, Nagesawaram is one of the 12 jyothirlingas of Lord Siva. .
According to legend, Balakhilyas, a group of dwarf sages worshipped SIVA in
darukavana for long time. To test their devotion& patience, SHIVA came to darukavana
as an digmbara ascetic[nude] wearing only Nagas[serpants] in his body. Wives of sages
were attracted and ran after the ascetic, leaving back their husbands. Sages got very
disturbed and frustruated with this.They lost their patience and cursed ascetic to loose his
linga. Sivalinga fell on the earth and whole world trempled.Brahma and VIshnu came to
Shiva, requested him to save earth from destruction and take back his linga. Shiva
consoled them and took back his linga. SHIVA promised his divine presence in
darukavana as jyothirlinga for ever. Later darukavana became favourate place of Nagas
and Vasuki worshipped Siva here for long and there after jyothirlinga came to be known
as Nagnath/Nageswar. Also there is a story in Shiv Purana on jyotirlinga nageswaram.
It says, a demon named Daaruka attacked a Shiva devotee by name Supriya and

imprisoned her along with several others in his city of Daarukavana.This place was a city
of snakes and Daaruka was the king of the snakes. On the insistence of Supriya, all the
prisoners started to chant the holy mantra of Shiva and instantly Lord Shiva appeared and
vanquished the demon and later started to reside here in the form of a Jyotirlinga. At
present, there is a debate on location of epic forest Darukavana so as to identify the
jyotirlinga of Nageswaram. Since no other important clues are left in the text which help
in locating the place,darukavana remains as the vital clue. On performing puja in this
temple, people will be free of their sin (dosha).
11. Sri Rameswara Jyotirlinga is the Eleventh Jyothirlinga situated near Kanyakumari of
Tamilnadu. People visiting this place will be free of their sins and their wishes will come
true. According to Shaiva mythology, god Rama is believed to have prayed to Shiva here
to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon king
Ravana. The temple along with Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu
shrines that has to be visited in ones lifetime and is one of the twelve Jyotirling as the
holy abodes of Shiva.
12. Sri Grishneswar Jyotirlinga its the last twelve jyotirlinga of lord shiva. Grishneshwar,
also known as Ghushmeshwar, is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is
one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the sacred abodes of Shiva. The temple is located eleven
km from Daulatabad, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra India. The temple is located near
the famous Ellora Caves. Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode
of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. It is located at a distance of 11 km from
Daulatabad near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Daulatabad was once known as Devagiri.
Located nearby are the popular tourist attractions Ellora featuring ancient rock cut
monuments from the 1st millennium CE, and Ajanta known for its exquisite cave
paintings again from the 1st millennium CE. The Grishneswar temple was constructed by
Ahilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple at Benares and
the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya. Grishneshwar is also known as Ghushmeshwar.

Kaasi :

The name'Kashi,' derived from the word 'Kasha,' meaning brightness. It is also known
variously as Avimuktaka, Anandakanana, Mahasmasana, Surandhana, Brahma Vardha,
Sudarsana and Ramya.
Sage Agastya asked Lord Kartikeya (son of shiva) how the sacrosanct place, Kashi came
into being. He also asked how Kashi became famous as a place capable of giving salvation to a
man.
Lord Kartikeya revealed to Agastya that once Parvati had asked Lord Shiva the same
question. Lord Shiva had told her-- ' At the time of deluge when every thing had submerged in
the ocean and darkness prevailed everywhere, only Brahman, the embodiment of truth existed at
that time and nothing else. Brahman, the absolute truth is indescribable and inexpressible. No
name can be attributed to Him. He is the absolute truth, the ultimate knowledge, the infinite, the
omnipresent and the eternal bliss. Though basically formless He attained a form on account of
His own wish. That form is none other than me. Later on I created Prakriti from my body. All
three of us (Shiva, Parvati and Kashi) manifested simultaneously by the grace of 'Adi Purusha'
(The Almighty God).' Continuing with the tale of Kashi's greatness, Kartikeya told Agastya- '
There is no holy place as dear to Lord Shiva as Kashi, which is not abandoned by him as well as
his consort-Parvati even at the time of deluge. Lord Shiva named this holy place- Ananda van,
because it gave immense joy to him. Subsequently, Lord Shiva and goddess Jagdamba put a
glance on the left portion of their respective bodies as the result of which a divine entity
manifested himself who was none other than Lord Vishnu and who was named Purushottam by
Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva after blessing Purushottam went away. Later on, Lord Vishnu created a

divine reservoir with his sudarshan chakra and filled it up with his sweat. He then engaged
himself in an austere penance. Lord Shiva once again appeared along with Parvati and blessed
Vishnu by saying- ' This holy place will become famously known as Manikarnika because this is
the very place where I had once lost my diamond ear-ring.'
Lord Vishnu made a request to Shiva -- 'May this place fulfill the wishes of those who
seek salvation. Since it is blessed with your eternal presence hence its another name would be
Kaasi.'
Lord Shiva assured Vishnu by saying- 'This sacrosanct place is very dear to me and no
event takes place here against my wish. Even if a person living here happens to be a sinner he
has nothing to fear because I protect him. One who lives far from Kashi but remembers it with
reverence becomes absolved of all his sins.'
There is a magnificent Shiva-linga at Kashi famously known as Kashi Vishwanath. Here
is situated one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Just as the Sun is visible in the whole world despite its
presence at a particular point in the horizon, in the same manner Kashi has its influence
throughout the length and breadth of the world.
It is believed that at the time of kaliyugaantha , when everything in the universe
submerged in the ocean and darkness . lord shiva lifts the entire kaashi with his trishul and
protects it from submerging.
And it is also believed that if one dies at kaasi , he attains moksh and shiva will bless him
with out rebirth.
"Who lives in Kashi for 9days and 9 nights constantly remembering Lord Shiva will
attain moksha"

GANGA :

Ganga is considered to be the purest rivers in India. It is believed that anyone who bathes
in the Ganga would be purified of all the sins committed by him.
In the Vamana Avatar of Lord Vishnu, Bali the Asura King had promised to give
Vamana a dwarf three steps of land to perform his meditation. Lord Vishnu who was the
Vamana, then assumed the Trivikrama form, where he became huge so huge that measured the
earth in one step, the heaven in another. Bali then offered his head as the third step. Lord Vishnu
pressed Bali and pushed him to the netherworld.
When Lord Vishnu measured the heavens, Lord Brahma washed his feet with some
water. From that water a beautiful girl Ganga was born in Lord Brahma's kamandalam.
Ganga was full of mischief and always pulled pranks on everyone. She danced and sang
beautifully and the Devas loved to come to listen to her and watch her dance.
Once many of the Devas and the rishis had come to watch Ganga sing and dance. Ganga
had just finished dancing, when there was gust of wind.
Sage Durvasa had come to watch the dance. Like all rishis he was dressed in a simple manner.
The gust of wind blew away Sage Durvasa's clothing. All the Devas knowing Sage Durvasa's
reputation as an angry man, immediately turned their head away and tried not to laugh at him.
However Ganga was unable to control herself and burst out laughing looking at the sage.

Furious with Ganga, Sage Durvasa cursed her, 'Proud girl! You are making fun of me
instead of helping me! You do not deserve to live in the heavens. You deserve to go to earth. Go
and flow as a river on the earth where you rightly belong!'
Ganga was shocked when she heard the Sage's words. Apologetically she ran to Sage
Durvasa and fell at his feet. 'Please great sage! I was proud! Please think of me as your daughter
and forgive me...'
Sage Durvasa looked at Ganga and softened up inspite of himself. Filled with pity he
spoke, 'My words cannot be taken back, Ganga. But since you have asked I will grant you a boon
that when you flow on the earth you will be the purest river there. If anyone comes and bathes in
your waters, they would be purified of all their sins.'
So saying Sage Durvasa left, leaving Ganga unhappy and sorry as she had to leave her
friends and go to earth.
Meanwhile on earth, in the kingdom of Ayodhya, there lived King Sagara. King Sagara
had 60,000 sons. King Sagara fought long and hard with all the Asuras surrounding his kingdom.
Subsequently after same years of battled, he was finally able to destroy the Asuras. His kingdom
was safe again.
King Sagara ruled his people well and soon the treasures of his kingdom were full and
people were happy and content. King Sagara decided that now was the time, he had to perform
the 'Ashwameda Yagna' to declare his supremacy. In the Ashwameda Yagna, a horse was let
loose and went all over the world. If the horse entered the another kingdom, the other king either
had to accept the supremacy of the king whose horse it was or fight the other king.
If King Sagar completed the Ashwameda Yagna, he would become the undisputed leader
of the world. Looking at this, Lord Indra, the king of the Heavens grew very jealous. He was
very afraid that if King Sagara completed his Yagna, he would become more powerful than Indra
himself.
Indra turned invisible and went near the horse. He stole the horse and was about to carry
it to heaven, when he stopped thinking something...If I carry this horse to my palace, King
Sagara may find it and even challenge me to a fight. What if he wins...? ...I will hide the horse in
some other place so that my hand should never be suspected..Thinking thus Indra hid the horse in
the ashram of a sage Kapila. Now Sage Kapila also had a reputation to have a very bad temper.

King Sagara sent his 60,000 sons to look for the horse. They finally found the horse in
the Ashram of Sage Kapila. Sage Kapila was deep in meditation when the sons arrived there. The
sons got angry thinking that Sage Kapila had kidnapped the horse.
'You call yourself a sage?' One of them said, 'You have stolen the horse of the
Ashwamedha Yagna...?'
The sons angrily yelled, 'Thief! This man is a thief!' Sage Kapila was disturbed by
the loud noise made by the sons of King Sagara.
Annoyed the sage opened his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he heard sounds of 'Thief...thief...'
By the power of his penance, he realised that these people thought that he was a
thief. This enraged Sage Kapila so much that he used his powers and burnt all of the sons of
King Sagara all the 60,000 of them.
If the last rites of a person are not done properly, it is believed that they do not reach
heaven. So the sons of King Sagara roamed as ghosts on earth.
Anshuman, the grandson of King Sagara, when he heard this, ran to Sage Kapila. He fell
on Sage Kapila's feet. 'Great sage, please have mercy on us... My uncles..' He said pointing at the
ash around him, 'they are doomed...they will never go to heaven...' Anshuman let out a tired sob,
'they will always roam the earth...please...'Anshuman had tears in his eyes, 'my uncles do not
deserve this...Please great sage!'
Looking at the teary face of Anshuman, Sage Kapila felt sorry for him. He looked around
at the ashes and said, 'Son! There is a beautiful river called as Ganga in the heavens. She is born
from Vishnu. If she flows on your uncles, your brothers would attain heaven...'
Anshuman gratefully nodded his head. 'Thank you great sage! I will go about
immediately to perform penance so that she can come to earth...'
Sage Kapila held up his hands, 'Son! Ganga was brought up by Lord Brahma. She is his
daughter. Pray to him so that he may send his daughter to earth...'
'Thank you wise sage, ' Anshuman said. He completed his duties as a king and
immediately set about to perform penance to please Lord Brahma.
However neither Anshuman, nor his son Dilip were successful in bringing down Ganga
from the heavens. Their penance did not bear any fruit. Finally Dilip's son Bhageerath also
started the penance for bringing down Ganga to the earth.

Finally pleased with him, Lord Brahma appeared before him, 'Arisee, son of Dilip, what
do you wish?' He asked Bhageerath.
Bhageerath fell on Lord Brahma's feet, 'Lord, there is nothing that you do not know.. I am
praying so that my ancestors are relieved from their curse and ascend to the heavens. Please send
your daughter to the earth...'
Lord Brahmaa thought for some time, 'Son! I can send Ganga down, but she is extremely
powerful...She was bron from Lord Vishnu, so she has some of his powers. If she falls straight
from the heavens, she will flood the earth, that is more than the earth can take...'
Bhageerath looked anxious, 'Then what do I do, my Lord? How can my ancestors
become peaceful?'
Lord Brahma said thinking that over, 'Bhageerath, pray to Lord Shiva, He can control
Ganga. Pray to him so that he can release Ganga slowly so that she does not flood the earth...'
Bhageerath closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His job was only halffinished. He still
needed the blessings of the three eyed God. He nodded andsat down to again start his penance as
Lord Brahma vanished.
Seeing that Bhageeratha was not disheartened Lord Shiva was delighted. He appeared
before Bhageeratha, 'Arise Bhageeratha, I know what you wish and I am very pleased with your
determinations...I will take care of this...'
Saying this the three eyed God spread his locks all over the sky and asked Ganga to fall
down from the heavens. He caught her in his hair and did not let even a single drop fall on earth.
Then slowly he released Ganga from his matted hair, 'Ganga, follow Bhageeratha and fulfil your
destiny...'
Ganga obeyed and followed Bhageeratha for some time...
However Ganga again became very playful. She reached the ashram of the Sage Janu
when she decided to have some fun...Why should I do nothing other than follow Bhageeratha....I
will have some fun...I will now flood the ashram of this sage...It will so funny to look at their
faces when they see their ashram wet and watery...Ganga giggled as she flowed inside the
ashram of Sage Janu and flooded the place. However the reaction that Ganga got was not what
she expected...
Sage Janu after finishing his penance opened his eyes and saw his ashram flooded. He
stared blankly wondering what had happened...Then he closed his eyes and with the power of his

penance realised that Ganga was upto some mischief...I will teach a lesson...Sage Janu thought.
He then used the power of his mind and swallowed up all the water...

Ganga was flabbergasted. Once she was free and flowed everywhere. Now she was
trapped inside the stomach of the sage. She tried pounding the walls but she was trapped...Oh
God! I acted without thinking...She thought cursing herself.
Meanwhile Bhageeratha was happy as the river followed him. Finally my ancestors will
know peace...He was hearing the sound of the river churning, which abruptly stopped.
Bhageeratha was stunned and saw that the river had vanished. Panic stricken he looked around
and found only a sage in his hermitage and no signs of Ganga. Oh Lord No...what happened....
Almost sobbing he ran to the Sage, 'Great Sage! There was a river here...Where... Have
you seen where it went?' He politely asked the sage.
The sage looked at Bhageeratha, 'Oh you mean Ganga?' Bhageeratha nodded mutely
looking at the sage. The sage patted his stomach and said, 'She was too proud of herself...I
swallowed her...'
Bhageeratha was almost reduced to tears, 'Please great sage! That river was the means by
which my ancestors were to reach heaven...My grandfather...my father all of them before me
have tried and it was only now that I was able to bring down Ganga, please...please release her...'
Broken hearted Bhageeratha told him the entire story.
Sage Janu looked at Bhageeratha with pity, 'For you my son, I will release that river...' So
saying he released Ganga from his ear.. For this, the ganga is also known as Jahnavi, meaning
"daughter of Jahnu".
Ganga flowed out of came out of Sage Janu's ear a much wiser and sober person, joyfully
experiencing freedom after being locked down She promised herself that she would never
misbehave now.Bhageeratha thanked the sage and slowly Ganga came towards Sage Kapila's
ashram to where the 60,000 souls waited for liberation.Finally after years and years of waiting,
Ganga flowed on the ashes of the sons of Sagara. Bhageeratha was tear faced as he felt the souls
being released from the earth. He fell to ground, thanking the Gods to give him the strength to
complete his job.

SHIVA PARVATHI KALYANAM

Tarakasura was a very powerful demon and had performed severe penances. Neither the humans
nor the Devas were powerful enough to defeat Tarakasura. Tarakasura terrorised the Devas and
the humans. Though the Devas tried to fight back, they could not match the demon's power or
ferocity.
Unable to fight Tarakasura, all the humans and the Devas went to Lord Brahma for help. That
was when Lord Brahma told them that only Lord Shiva's child was powerful enough to destroy
the demon Tarakasura.

The Devas were in a fix. Lord Shiva had married Goddess Sati. However since Sati's death, Lord
Shiva had retreated to the Himalayas and was deep in penance. His meditation was so deep
powerful that he could not be disturbed.
The Devas then again went to Lord Brahma for help. Brahma asked them to worship Mahadevi,
the great Goddess of which Sati was an incarnation.
The Devas worshipped Mahadevi. Mahadevi appeared before them and told the Devas that she
would reincarnate and marry Shiva. Their offspring would defeat Tarakasura.
Soon enough Himavat, king of Himalayan Kingdom and his Queen Menaka had a beautiful girl
child. They named the child 'Parvati'. Parvati means 'of the hills'.
Parvati was a beautiful child, full of zest in her childhood. However she was fiercely devoted to
Lord Shiva. Even in her childhood she preferred praying to Lord Shiva, instead of playing with
her friends.
Parvati was very well educated and very beautiful. Fame of her beauty and intelligence spread
throughout the country. Suitors came from different parts of the country to marry her. However
Parvati rejected all of them. She wanted to marry Lord Shiva and no one else.
When she repeatedly rejected her suitors her father asked her, 'Parvati, don't you wish to get
married? Why do you keep rejecting all the princes who have come?'
Parvati looked defiantly at her father, 'Father, have you seen the princes? She said looking
scornfully, 'I cannot marry them...They are not what I want...'
Queen Menaka said quietly, 'Does that mean that there is someone else you want?' She asked
smiling at Parvati.
Parvati blushed, 'Mother!'
King Himavat looked surprised looking from mother and daughter. 'Well, who is it?'
Parvati shyly stared at her feet and whispered, 'Lord Shiva,' her eyes shining radiantly.
King Himavat though flabbergasted at first, then slowly nodded his head. Yes Lord Shiva, the
Lord of the three worlds was the good match for his daughter.
But then he remembered how Shiva had become an ascetic and was deep in penance. 'Parvati,
my child. Lord Shiva has retired to the Himalayas. How can you hope to marry him...'
'Narayana...Narayana...' A mischievous voice came from behind them. All the three of them
turned around startled, to see Sage Narada behind them. Sage Narada was Brahma's son and
roamed all around world. He was a mischievous sage and always getting himself and others in

trouble. The only reason he always escaped from being cursed was all his exploits always ended
well for all the people concerned.
Sage Narada knew that Parvati was Goddess Mahadevi reincarnated and had come to marry Lord
Shiva.
Parvati was the first one to salute Sage Narada. Sage Narada blessed her and said, 'You are born
to be the mother of the Worlds. You have to go and fulfil your destiny.'
King Himavat and Queen Menaka also saluted Sage Narada. King Himavat then said, 'Sir,
Parvati wants to marry Lord Shiva...She has just told us...'
Sage Narada then turned to Parvati, 'What you have chosen is not an easy path to follow. But you
must succeed. Not just for your own sake but for the sake of many other people. It is your
destiny.' Parvati felt something deep stir within her. But she still could not fully realise that she
was the great Goddess Mahadevi.
Sage Narada then turned to King Himavat, 'Take your daughter to Lord Shiva. Ask him to accept
Parvati's help to perform his daily prayers. '
King Himavat nodded. Sage Narada, his work accomplished vanished from there.
The next day, along with Parvati, King Himavat travelled to the foot of the Himalayas, where
Lord Shiva was meditating. They waited patiently for Lord Shiva to open his eyes.
Lord Shiva opened his eyes after a long time not even aware that the two of them were there. He
first saw Paravti but was not able to recognise that Parvati was infact his Shakti his beloved
Sati. He then turned his attention to King Himavat. 'What brings you here, King?' He asked.
King Himavat bowed, 'My Lord, this is my daughter Parvati. She has been your fierce devotee
from her childhood. She wishes to serve you while you do your puja.'
Shiva nodded and agreed to it. 'If that is what she desires, then she can help me around.' King
Himavat then left Paravti there and left for his kingdom.
Shiva nodded to Parvati, 'I am going too need some flowers for the puja. Would you please...'
Parvati nodded and left in search of the flowers...
Soon she was with Lord Shiva and helped him in everything. While he was meditating, she
would wait on him gazing at him. She would have all the things ready so that he could perform
the puja after his meditation.
The Devas sighed with relief when they saw Parvati waiting on Lord Shiva. They thought that
soon Parvati would convince Shiva to marry her. However, as the days passed, the Devas grew

worried. Parvati's charm was not working on Shiva. Shiva remained immune to her. They were
not sure how long they could hold up against Tarakasura. So in order to speed things up, they
went to Kamadeva the God of Love.
Indra the Lord of the Devas explained to Kamadeva, 'I think Parvati needs our help. Shiva is not
affected by Parvati's charm or beauty. I think you have to break his meditation by firing your
love arrow at him so that he can atleast notice Parvati's beauty.'
Kamadeva thought that over, 'But Parvati would win over Lord Shiva. The Great Mahadevi
promised us. Why should we interfere?'
Indra sighed, 'Tarakasura is becoming a menance. None of our powers combined can match his
power and he has been hurting innocent people. We have speed things up...'
Finally Kamadeva agreed and decided to help them out, 'Yes. I will do it.'
Kamadeva went home to tell his wife about his 'assignment'. Rati however was not happy. 'But
Shiva is deep in his penance. Won't he be angry if he learns that you have disturbed his penance?'
Kamadeva's eyes momentarily clouded. But then as he resolutely nodded his head and smiled,
'Yes. But even if it so, I have to do this. Don't worry my dear. and smiled, 'I will be back.'
Rati gave a fearful smile and realised that her husband's mind was made up. She gave Kamadeva
a forced smile and nodded her head.
Kamadeva picked up his flowery bow with the sugarcane arrows and went to the place where
Shiva was meditating.
There Parvati was helping Shiva, collect the flowers. She was arranging the flowers, when
Kamadeva picked up his bow and fired five arrows at Lord Shiva.
Shiva momentarily felt a sudden jerk as if being awakened. He suddenly gazed at Parvati as if
realizing for the first time how beautiful she actually was. He felt captivated by Parvati's beauty
and was about to talk to her, when Lord Shiva shook his head. Something is not right. I should
not be thinking of this. My Sati is dead. I am performing penance. I cannot be attracted to
another woman now. Lord Shiva resolutely pulled himself together. Through his power of
meditation he realised that Kamadeva had been upto some mischief because of which he had lost
concentration.
Lord Shiva has three eyes. His third eye is in his forehead and is always closed, for good reason.
The third eye if opened would burn up anyone in its path!

Now Lord Shiva angrily blazed at Kamadeva and opened his third eye. Poor Kamadeva! He was
burnt to ashes!
After burning up Kamadeva, Lord Shiva cooled down a little. He closed his third eye. But he was
still angry with himself for losing his concentration. He angrily turned to Parvati, 'I do not wish
you to help me. Leave me alone. Your charms will not work on me. Leave and go back to your
family.' So saying Lord Shiva turned on his heel and stomped off to hisretreat to continue with
his penance, which had been disturbed by Kamadeva.
Parvati was distressed that Shiva had spoken harshly to her and had left her. Parvati was sure that
no matter how much she cajoled Shiva, he would never agree to let her help him again.
Parvati realised that she could not give up now. The days she had been with Shiva, she realised
that she was more in love with him than she realised.
She wondered how she was to make Shiva accept her, when she heard a familiar voice behind
her. 'Narayana... Narayana...'
Parvati turned and saluted Sage Narada. Looking at Sage Narada she knew that he was here to
offer her help. Narada smiled and said, 'You are right, my child. Giving up is not an option. Lord
Shiva cannot be won by charm and beauty, but he can be won by devotion.'
Parvati looked at Narada and realised what she had to do. She would perform penance to win her
love. Parvati was not afraid of the penance. In fact she welcomed it. Without saying a word, she
saluted Narada and went to a grove in the Himalayas. No matter how hard it was , she would win
her love.
Rati came to know of her husband's death and came sobbing to Parvati as she was too scared to
go to Lord Shiva. She cried her heart out to Parvati, who comforted her. 'Rati, listen to me. I will
win Shiva.' She said resolutely, 'And when I do, I promise Kamadeva will be reborn.' Parvati
spoke knowing that it would happen, perhaps not immediately. But it would.
Rati nodded her head tearfully and left the grove.
Parvati began her penance. She did not care about the hardships she had to face or about the
harsh weather around her. All she cared about was that she had to win Lord Shiva.
She worshipped Lord Shiva for years, but the Lord never appeared. As Parvati meditated
fiercely, she realised the truth about herself. Parvati realised that she was an incarnation of
Mahadevi and that it was her destiny to become Shiva's Shakti.

She realised that she was Sati in her previous life who had given up her life because Daksha
Sati's father has insulted Shiva. She realised that her love for Shiva transcended everything,
because she was for all purposes Shiva's...half. Both Shiva and Parvati were incomplete without
each other.
With her meditation, Parvati became very powerful. With her powers of penance, she soon gave
up all food, water or even air. The other sages meditating in the Himalayas would come and visit
Parvati and admire her tenacity. Parvati was so engrossed in her meditation that she never
noticed any of them.
However Parvati's penance was so powerful that the Devas could bear it no more. The whole
kingdom of the Gods began to get hot as Parvati meditated. The Gods rushed to Brahma. Brahma
and Vishnu together went to Shiva and told him that Parvati's penance was to end, or the whole
Kingdom would burn.
Shiva realised that Parvati was not just another mortal and that she was special. But could she be
my Sati. He wondered...
The next day as Parvati was about to begin her penance, when she saw a young ascetic staring at
her.
Parvati looked at him, 'Is there a reason you are staring at me like that?'
'Yes' The ascetic said looking at her mystified. 'My lady, I have watching you for a few days.
Once you start performing your penance I have never seen anything like it. You have not eaten.
People come and go, you do not seem to realise it. Your meditation is very powerful. Why would
you...' He stopped.
Parvati nodded asking him to continue.
'...What would prompt such a beautiful lady like you to perform such a penance.' The ascetic said
shrugging his shoulder, 'I mean, what would be worth that...'
Parvati smiled, and said I do all this for love.'
The young man looked at her baffled, when Parvati smiled, 'Lord Shiva. I wish to marry him. I
will win him over by my devotion.' She said simply.
When Parvati finished, the young ascetic looked surprised and then burst out laughing. Parvati
looked surprised seeing the ascetic laugh.
'You wish to marry...' he said still laughing, '...Shiva. You mean the three eyed God...' He said
still unable to control himself. 'I mean... why waste your beauty and intelligence on someone like

that... who smears ashes on himself and wears skulls... And my Lady, did I forget to tell you he is
homeless and just roams around in graveyards...Do you mean that Shiva...'
Parvati eyes started blazing when she heard the ascetic making fun of Lord Shiva, 'Yes. I mean
that Shiva and also the Shiva who is the master of the three worlds.' She said pride shining in her
voice. 'That Shiva who cannot be understood by pathetic puny minds like yours...' She said
scornfully, wishing she had never spoke to the ascetic.
The young ascetic opened his mouth to talk, when Parvati held up her hands fiercely, 'DONT
SAY ANOTHER WORD' She said emphasising each word, angry through and through. 'It is not
only a sin to talk like this, it is bigger sin to listen to this rubbish...' Saying she stomped and was
about to turn away, when she saw a flash. The young ascetic disappeared and standing in that
place was the man whom she had dreamed her entire life. Lord Shiva...her Shiva.
Shiva looked tenderly at Goddess Parvati, thinking her words That Shiva and also the Shiva who
is the master of the three worlds... She had said that with pride. When she had said that,
something changed in him. He realised that she was his Shakti. She was indeed his wife reborn...
'Parvati, I am sorry. I should have realised it earlier. But...' Lord Shiva shook his head.
In their eyes they saw that they both belonged to each other. They had always been together. Just
with different names. Lord Shiva was the father of the universe and Goddess Parvati the mother.
Goddess Parvati shyly turned to Lord Shiva, 'My Lord, you have to come to my father and ask
for my hand. It is the proper thing to do.'
Lord Shiva nodded and went back to Kailasa, whereas Goddess Parvati returned to her father's
home.
Then Lord Shiva came and asked Himavat permission to marry his daughter. Himavat readily
agreed and thus Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati celebrated their wedding with great pomp and
show.
After their marriage, Goddess Parvati gave birth to Lord Kartikeyan, who defeated and killed the
evil demon Tarakasura.
True to her promise, after her marriage with Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati requested Lord Shiva
to bring back Kamadeva to life. Smiling the Lord obliged and Rati got her husband back!

STORY OF VINAYAKA

Once while Parvati was going for her bath, she rubbed off the dust and oil from her body and
out of it created the figure of a young boy. She infused life into the figure and told him he was
her

son

and

should

guard

the

entrance

when

she

went

to

bath.

Soon after, Shiva came to see Parvati but the young boy blocked his way and would not let him
in. Shiva, unaware that this lad was his son, became furious and in great anger fought with the
boy

whose

head

got

severed

from

his

body

in

the

ensuing

battle.

Parvati, returning from her bath, saw her headless son, and in aggrieved anguish threatened to
destry hevaen and earth.The gods and Shiva pacified her and the latter sent out his ganas, or
hordes, to bring the head of the first living being with his head towards the north (the auspicious
direction associated with wisdom). The first living creature they found sleeping with his head to
the north was an elephant. They brought the head of this animal and Shiva placed it on the trunk
of

Parvati

son

and

breathed

lifeintohim.

Parvati was overjoyed and embraced her son, the elephant-headed boy whom Shiva named
Ganesh, the lord of his ganas Ganpati
Sloka which describes about vinayaka
suklam baradharam vishnum
sasi varnam chathurbhujam
prasanna vadanam dhyayeth
sarva vighnopa shanthaye
Suklaambaradharam means one who is clad in white. Vishnum means he is all-pervading.
Sasivarnam means his complexion is grey like that of ash. Chathurbhujam means he has four
arms. Prasannavadanam means he has always a pleasing mien.. Dhyaayeth, meditate (on him).
Sarvavighnopa saanthaye means for the removal of all obstacles
Vinayaka is the deity who removes all bad qualities, instills good qualities and confers peace on
the devotee who meditates on him
Vinayaka means that he is totally master of himself. He has no master above him. He does not
depend on anyone. He is also called Ganapathi. This term means he is the lord of the ganas - a
class of divine entities. This term also means that he is the master of the intellect and
discriminating power in man. He possesses great intelligence and knowledge. Such knowledge
issues from a pure and sacred mind."

KUMARA SWAMI

After their marriage, Lord Shiva and Parvati lived happily at Mt. Gandhamadana. Once, while
they were enjoying an intimate moment, a small quantity of Shiva's vital fluid fell on the ground.
Tremendous amount of heat began emanating from it and it threatened to engulf the entire world
in flames. Acting on the advice of Brahma and Vishnu, Agni went there in the guise of a
mendicant and devoured the vital fluid.
Parvati felt insulted. She cursed Agni saying, "From this day thou shall be omnivorous and eat
unclean things. The vital fluid that you have devoured shall cause an unbearable inflammation on
your body."
Instantly, Agni got unbearable inflammation on his body. He beseeched Lord Shiva for a way to
end his agony. Lord Shiva said, "You will be relieved of this affliction when you transfer my
vital fluid to the womb of a woman."

Agni retired to a desolate place, waiting for a suitable woman to arrive. He beheld the six
Kritikas, all shivering with cold who arrived there. He then transfered Shiva's vital fluid to their
wombs. They became pregnant. When their husbands came to know of this, they cursed the six
women, to be turned into stars in a constellation in the sky. Before the transformation, the
Kritikas aborted their fetuses on the Himalaya mountains. The holy river Ganga carried the
fetuses to a secluded place, called the Sara Vana, which was covered with reeds. After some
time, Lord Kartikeya (also calledSkanda) manifested from those reeds. Since he was born to six
mothers, he had six heads. Since he was born in the Sara Vana, he is also known as Saravana.
The Devas rejoiced at the birth of this child. Lord Shiva and Parvati went to the place where the
child was born. Parvati prayed to Shiva that the child may know her and none other as his
mother. Shiva granted her this boon.
As per a prior prophesy, the child Kartikeya was anointed as the command-in-chief of the Devas.
It had been foretold that only he could kill a a dem mon named Taraka who had been plaguing
the Devas.

VEERABHADRA SWARUPAM

Virabhadra, also known as Veerabhadra Swamy, is one of the Shiva Ganas. Virabhadra is
also worshipped as an independent Hindu God in some temples and in such worships He is
considered as the son of Lord Shiva. Virabhadra originated from a single strand of hair that
was thrown on to earth by Lord Shiva on hearing the death through self immolation by
Goddess Sati. Thus Virabhadra is manifestation of Shivas anger or the human form given to
his unparalleled fury.
Despite Shivas warnings, Goddess Sati went to her father, Dakshas Yajna to ask why her
husband, Shiva, was not invited for Yajna (sacrifice). Daksha insulted Sati and Shiva and
unable to stand her fathers insults, She immolated herself.
Upon hearing the news of Satis immolation, Shivas anger knew no bounds and he removed
a strand of hair from his matted locks and threw to the ground. A huge volcano leaped from
the spot and from the fire came Virabhadra Shivas anger personified. From every spark

of fire from the volcano arose another smaller volcano and from it came out a smaller
figure resembling Virabhadra.
Virabhadra is usually depicted as having several hands with different weapons and an
angry face.
An army of millions of Virabhadras marched towards Dakshas palace and they only knew
death and vengeance. They destroyed whatever they saw. Finally, Virabhadra found
Daksha and cut off his head.
But wife of Daksha, Prasuti, prayed to Lord Shiva for her husbands life. Shiva granted it and
Virabhadra placed a goats head on Dakshas body.
Then Lord Shiva took the body of Goddess Sati and walked away but the anger did not
subside. The universe was being consumed by Shivas anger. To save the universe and
bring back Shiva to the world, Lord Vishnu shot arrows at Satis body. Wherever a part of
Satis body fell became Shaktipeetahs and Shivas anger subsided. When Shivas anger was
fully subsided Lord Virabhadra, the manifestation of Shivas anger too vanished.

BHIRAVA SWARUPAM

Once, lord Vishnu asked Lord Brahma that who is the supreme creator of the Universe.
Arrogantly, Brahma told Vishnu to worship him because he (Brahma) is the supreme
creator. Then vishnu told that maheswara is the spreme and he had face faces that to look
all the sides of the universe.then brmaha answered that he too had fiva faces.
This angered lord Shiva who, in reality is the creator of all. Therefore, lord Shiva incarnated
himself in the form of Kalabhairava to punish Brahma. Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's

five heads. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of Bamha hatya pataka. since he
killed a Brahmin, Shiva was forced to carry this skull and roam as Bhikshatana until his sins
were absolved in Kasi.He was advised to go to Varanasi and worship Goddess
Annapurneswari to get rid of the sin.He did so and freed himself from sin. Lord Shiva then
appointed him to guard the holy city of Varanasi.

There is another story according to myth.

After the incident of dakshayagna maa sathi could not tolerate her husbands insult and
offered herself to the sacrificial fire. When Shiva came to know about the incident of Sati, he
destroyed Dakshas yagna and beheaded him. Shiva carried Sati's corpse on his shoulders
and ran uncontrollably all around the world for days. Since this would eventually destroy
all creation, lord Vishnu used his divine discus to cut Sati's body into pieces, which then fell
all around. These spots where Sati's body parts fell are now known as Shakti Peethas. In the
form of the frightful Bhairava, lord Shiva guards each of these Shaktipeeths. Each
Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple of lord Kalabhairava.
There Were 8 manifestations Of Bhirava :
Asithanga Bhairavar
Ruru Bhairavar
Chanda Bhairavar
Krodha Bhairavar
Unmatta Bhairavar
Kapala Bhairavar
Bhishana Bhairavar
and
Samhara Bhairavar

SARVAM
SIVAMAYAM
JAGATH
- Ithi saivam

Bhavaya Chandra Choodaya NirguNaya Gunath Mane

Kala Kalaya Rudhraya Neela Greevaya Mangalam.
Vrushabha Roodaya Bheemaya Vyagra Charmambaraya Cha
Pasunaam Pathaye Thubhyam Gowri Kanthaya Mangalam.
Bhasmod Dhulitha Dehaya Vyala Yagnopa Veethine
Rudraksha Mala Bhooshaya Vyoma Kaesaya Mangalam.
Soorya Chandragni Nethraya Namah: Kailasa Vasine
Satchitha Nanda Roopaya Pramadhesaya Mangalam
Mrutyunjayaya Saambhaya Srushti Sthith Yantha Karine
Tryamba Kaya Saanthaya Trilokesaya Mangalam.
Gangadharaya Somaya Namo Hariharath Mane

Ugraya Tripurag Naya Vaama Devaya Mangalam.

Sadhyo Jathaya Sarvaya Bhowvig Nana Pradhayine
Eesanaya Namas Thubhyam Pancha Vakthraya Mangalam
Sada Shiva Swa Roopaya Nama Sthath Purushaya Cha
Aghora Ya Cha Ghoraya Mahdevaya Mangalam.