The traditional understanding of Shiva told through stories and teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana • Explains Shiva’s contradictory forms, such as destroyer or benefactor, and how his form depends on the needs of the devotee • Reveals how Shiva’s teachings allow one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life • Explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya Shiva, the most ancient and complex deity of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many contrasting lights: destroyer and benefactor, ascetic and householder, wild demon slayer and calm yogi atop Mount Kailash. Drawing from the Hindu sacred text the Shiva Mahapurana--said to be written by Shiva himself--Vanamali selects the essential stories of Shiva, both those from his dark wild side and those from his benevolent peaceful side. Vanamali discusses Shiva’s many avatars such as Shambunatha and Bhola, as well as Dakshinamurti who taught the shastras and tantras to the rishis. She explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya. Examining Shiva’s acceptance of outsiders, Vanamali explains why ghosts and ghouls are his attendants and why his greatest devotees are demon kings, like Ravana. She includes famous Shiva stories such as the Descent of the River Ganga and Churning the Milky Ocean as well as those that reveal the origin of the festival of lights, Diwali; his creation of the cosmic couple, or hierogamos; and how Shiva and Parvati taught the world the secrets of Kundalini Shakti. The author also draws upon Shaivite teachings to illustrate the differences between Western science and Vedic science and their explanations for the origins of consciousness. Integrating Shiva’s two sides, the fierce and the peaceful, Vanamali reveals that Shiva’s form depends on the needs of the devotee. Understanding his teachings allows one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life, for Shiva is the wielder of maya who does not fall under its spell. While Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, Shiva is the remover of tears.

5 star praise for THE LORD SHIVA NARRATIVE: "Erudite but easy to read." "Delightful commentary throughout the book enabling the reader to transcend time to fully experience the narratives while imparting moral values and life lessons along the way." "Thorough, well-written, and informative." "A scholarly piece of work but with the author's trademark conversational tone and amusing side notes." Book Description: Lord Shiva is The Destroyer, The Lord of Animals, The King of The Dance and The Primeval Sage. Readers are invited on a journey through thousands of years of folklore, scripture, temple depictions, and philosophy to discover The Lord Shiva Narrative. The book has four parts, each relevant for readers at one of the four "Ashrama" stages of life Student-Householder-Retiree-Aesthetic: Part A (Brahmacharya Student) includes the engaging adventures of Lord Shiva and then distills these into fifty-two (weekly) moral lessons; Part B (Grihastha Householder) is a walk through the Hindu Scriptures; Part C (Vanaprastha Retiree) is a review of Lord Shiva Temples; Part D (Sannyasa Aesthetic) relates to the non-dualist philosophy of the seventy-seven Shiva Sutras. "Relevant to all ages. It is well structured for a younger audience in part A whilst also serving as a source of reference to others for the philosophy of Lord Shiva." Dr. R Thavasothy, Consultant Psychiatrist.

Includes the following titles: Sati and Shiva, Shiva and Parvati, Tales of Shiva, Ganesha, Karttikeya

Lord Shiva is the personification of all the main practices of Yoga, as the origin and ruling power over asana, prana, mantra, inner seeing and meditation. The current book unfolds the presence, light, energy and consciousness of the Supreme Shiva to take us beyond all death and duality.

India, 1955. As the scars of Partition are beginning to heal, seventeen-year-old Meera sits enraptured: in the spotlight is Dev, singing a song so infused with passion that it arouses in her the first flush of erotic longing. But when Meera's reverie comes true, it does not lead to the fairy-tale marriage she imagined. Meera has no choice but to obey her in-laws, tolerate Dev's drunken night-time fumblings, even observe the most arduous of Hindu fasts for his longevity. A move to Bombay seems at first like a fresh start, but soon that dream turns to ashes. It is only when their son is born that things change and Meera is ready to unleash the passion she has suppressed for so long.

This book is a guide for one who is ready to diligently walk the spiritual path. Great new vistas open up throughout its 365 daily lessons as Gurudeva shares, in the clearest terms, deep metaphysical insights into the nature of God, soul and world, mind, emotions, ultimate realizations, chakras, purpose of life on earth and much, much more. Simple but effective practices are taught: how to remould our nature and karmas, calm the mind, develop self-esteem, begin to meditate, clear up the past and create a bright future. At the same time, the seeker is guided in establishing a regular devotional and yogic practice whereby the gains of his inner life and realizations are stabilized and used in practical ways.

This 1,008-page sourcebook answers many questions to quench the soul's thirst for God and Self-knowledge. Every spiritually-inclined human being will be enriched by the path revealed in this extraordinary book. India's tolerant and diverse vision of the Divine is all here: meditative, devotional, philosophical, scriptural and yogic. In question-and-answer style, Dancing with Siva guides the aspirant deep into the Hindu heart. Lavishly illustrated with 165 black and white reproductions of paintings from India. Resources include a Hindu timeline, comparisons of 12 world religions, a children's primer and more.

An extensive look at all the aspects of multi-natured Shiva • Explores the shamanic roots of world spirituality as exemplified by this Hindu god who shares many of the attributes of the Norse Odin and the Celtic Cernunnos • Looks at Shiva’s relation to contemporary culture, Tantra, and the dualistic religions of the West To his devotees Shiva is the entire universe and the core of all beings. Hindu myth shows him appearing at the beginning of creation as a giant pillar of fire from which this world sprang forth. Yet he is also the most approachable of gods, for he is the lover of lovers and the devotee of his devotees. Of the 1,008 names of Shiva, Pashupati, Lord of Animals, is one of the most common. His special relation to animals along with his trickster nature reveal the deep connection of Shiva to shamanism and other gods such as the Norse Odin and the Celtic Cernunnos that came out of the Paleolithic traditions. Ethnologist Wolf-Dieter Storl was first captivated by Shiva when he was in India as a visiting scholar at Benares Hindu University. In this book he invites readers to join in the lively and mythical world of Shiva, or Mahadev, God of All Gods. Shiva is a study in contrasts: As the lord of dance he loses himself in ecstatic abandon; with his consort Parvati he can make love for 10,000 years. Both men and women worship him for his ability to unite and balance masculine and feminine energies. But as the ascetic Shankar he sits in deep meditation, shunning women, and none dare disturb him lest he open his third eye and immolate the entire universe. Lord of intoxicants and poisons, he is the keeper of secret occult knowledge and powers, for which he is worshipped by yogis and demons alike. Shiva dances both the joy of being and the dance of doom--but in every aspect he breaks through the false ego to reveal the true self lying within. This is his true power.

Shiva: Destroyer and Protector, Supreme Ascetic and Lord of the Universe. He is Ardhanarishwara, half-man and half-woman; he is Neelakantha, who drank poison to save the three worlds-and yet, when crazed with grief at the death of Sati, set about destroying them. Shiva holds within him the answers to some of the greatest dilemmas that have perplexed mankind. Who is Shiva? Why does he roam the world as a naked ascetic covered with ash? What was the tandava? What is the story behind the worship of the linga and what vision of the world does it signify? Namita Gokhale examines these questions and many others that lie within the myriad of stories about Shiva. Even as she unravels his complexities, she finds a philosophy and worldview that is terrifying and yet life affirming-an outlook that is to many the essence of Indian thought.