Brahma

Sadly, the Creator in Hiduism enjoys the least amount of reverence. Brahma was sidelined due to His decepetive ways and this you can read in an earlier posting on Lord Shiva. As such, Brahma, although having the important role of creating the universe and all life in it, is hardly given the kind of honour and respect other deities receive. He in fact is said to have only one temple dedicated to Him in Pushkar in Rajasthan.

Brahma is traditionally depicted with four heads and four faces and four arms. He initially is said to have five heads but literally lost one of its when turnng armorous, He kept staring at Shatarupa, a divine damsel He had created. Lord Shiva saw how Brahma was allowing lust to take over, chopped off the fifth head, aso because Shatarupa was conceived by Brahma, thus becoming His daughter. Bahma's lust was tantamount to incest.

The remaining four heads, he continually recites one of the four Vedas. He is often depicted with a white beard, indicating the near eternal nature of his existence. He is shown as having four arms, one holding a scepter in the form of a spoon, which is associated with the pouring of holy ghee or oil into a sacrificial pyre - indicating the fact that Brahma is the lord of sacrifices. Another of his hands holds a water-pot (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water). The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahma also holds a string of rosary beads that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time. He also is shown holding the Vedas, and sometimes, a lotus flower.

Brahma's vehicle is a divine Swan. This divine bird is bestowed with a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka or the ability to separate milk and water from a mixture of the two. The significance of this is that justice should be dispensed to all creatures, however entwined it might be in a situation. Also, this virtue indicates that one should learn to separate the good from the evil and then accept that which is valuable and discard that which is worthless or evil.

You wont find Brahma in most temples but even He gets a second chance in Thailand. Brahma is a popular deity there and has temples dedicated to him all over Thaniland. The most famous one is at the Erawan square, by the side of the Grand Hyatt hotel.

Vishnu

Lord Vishnu is the second aspect of the Hindu Trinity. After Lord Brahma finishes creating, the burden of preserving life in the universe falls onto the shoulders of Lord Vishnu. He is depicted as a handsome man with a bluish skin tone and is often the most benign of all the deities in the Hindu pantheon. Well, actually no. Lord Vishnu too had to assume the terrifying form of Narasimha (the half man, half lion avatar) to vanquish the evil king Hiranyan when adharma (injustice and loss of truth) reached devastating proportions.

But generally, Lord Vishnu presents the benevelont and loving aspect of the divinity. He is often portrayed meditating or in deep sleep (yoga nidra) on the giant serpent Adisesha, floating on the Milk Ocean, with his consort Lakshmi by his side.

Vishnu of course, is also the protoganist of Hinduism's two biggest epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In Ramayana, He appears as the embodiment of the perfect son, man, husband and ruler. In Mahabharata, He appears as Krishna, who guides the Pandawa brothers to victory against the Kaurawas. He is also the Lord who introduced the Bhagavadgita, one of Hindusim holiest scriptures. The image of Vishnu in all His might, embodying every aspect of the universe, was revealed when Arjna began to despair that he had to resort to killing his own kin in the war. Krishna assuages him by revealing that ultimately, everything is in HIm, that everything is HIM!

But to many, Krishna is the adorable rascal who is well-known for his pranks and fooloery with the Gopis (cow sherperdess).

Here's an exceprt from www.webonautics.com/mythology/vishnu.html that explains the basic iconography of Lord Vishnua and His four arms.

"In my lower right hand, which represents the revolving or creative tendencies, I hold the conch; the symbol of the five elements.

In the upper right hand, which represents cohesive tendencies, I hold the discus; shining like an infat sun - symbol of the mind.

In the upper left hand, which represents the tendecy towards dispersion and libertion, I hold the lotus; symbol of causal power and of illusion from which the universe rises.

In my lower left hand, wihch represents the notion of indivdual existence. I hold the mace; symbol of primeval knowledge."

More of Ganesha

From top to bottom:

1. An ancient carving of Ganesha from Prambanan in Jogjakarta, near the Borobudur complex.

2. Granite carving of Ganesha from South India.

3. Tanjavur painting from Tamiil Nadu, India.

4. Tibetan metal sculpture of Ganehsa.

Omnipresent Ganesha

So wide is the appeal of Lord Ganesha that you can find Him the whole of Asia. The exquisite representations of Ganesha within each community is simply a beautiful way of worshiping this adorable deity.

From top to bottom: Ganesha in Cambodia, Angkor, Bali, Nepal and Orissa in India.

Skanda

Skanda, Muruga, Subramanya or Kartikeya, this is the war god of the Hindu pantheon. However, unlike other similar deities of world religions, Skanda is Senapathy or the Chief Secretary of Defence. He leads the divine army into war each time evil and adharma rears their ugly heads. Away from His main duties of ensuring peace and order and, keeping evil in check, Muruga is a highly benevolent deity who is often portrayed as a little boy, surrounded by his vahana (ride), the peacock. Not a bloodthirsty, angry young man bent on mayhem but a divine child who is famous for His pranks on His devotees. You will see similarities with the other little rascal of Hindusim, Krishna.

Muruga, strangely, is popular only in South India and doesn't enjoy a prominent place like Ganesha in North India, although he is mentioned in local texts as the other child of Shiva and Parvathy. In South India, He is worshipped fervently and has many beautiful temples in his honour. Muruga's principal temples in South India (all in Tamil Nadu) reflect how the Tamil speaking people have adopted Him as their personal Lord. Each abode indicates a particular event in Skanda Puranam or the Life and Times of Skanda.However, He is very popular in Sri Lanka and amongst Tamil communities in Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa.

Arupadai Veedu or Muruga's Six Holy Abodes

1. Palani
Muruga gets upset when Shiva gives the sacred fruit to Ganesha when He loses a task of circumbulating the world. Muruga goes around the manifest world while crafty Ganesha circumbulates His parents. Accusing His parents of being unfair, Muruga runs off and becomes a child ascetic in Thruvavinakudi, which is now called Palani.

2. Swami Malai
When Shiva couldn'nt explain satisfactorily the meaning of the pranava mantra - Aum - the task fell on the shoulders of the little child god to elucidate its meaning. He is known as Swaminathan here.

3. Thiruchendur
The boy is now a young man and He is called upon to vanquish the demon Surapadman on the shores of Thiruchendur. He assumes the name of Senthil Muruga here.

4. Thiruparamkundram
The celestial beings, in gratitude to Muruga for having saved them from Surapadman, marry the divine Devayanai to Muruga. Devayanai is said to be the symbolic representation of divine will or energy of Muruga.

5. Thiruttani
Muruga falls for the tribal lass Valli and marries her in Thiruttani. Valli is said to be the essence of material will or energy of Lord Muruga.

6. Palarmutircholai
Muruga takes on his complete form here where He is depicted with both Devayanai and Valli. To be a complete human being, He suggests that both the divine and the material world must find equal balance for human beings to lead a fulfilling life.

Ganesha Chaturthi

It is that time of the year that the most beloved lord of the Hindu pantheon celebrates his birthday. Known as Ganesha Chaturthi, this festival is one of the most joyous celebrations in India and in all places where Hindus reside. And when there are Hindus, Ganesha is always present there. In fact, He is equally prevalent in Buddhist Thailand, Loas, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Malaysia, lately the Chinese too have fallen in love with this adorable deity who endears to just about anyone.

You may already know of His origins and how he got his elephant head but there is another related legend that explains why Hindus are advised not to look at the moon on the fourth day of the full moon. It goes something like this:

"Ganesha is very fond of sweets ladoos. On one of His birthdays he was going around house to house accepting the offerings of this sweet.

Having eaten a good number of these, He set out moving on his steed, the mouse at night. Suddenly the mouse stumbled as it had seen a snake and became frightened. This caused Ganeshji to fall down.

His stomach burst open and all the laddoos came out. But Ganeshji stuffed them back into his stomach and, to keep the laddos firmly there, He grabbed hold of the snake and tied it around his belly.

Seeing all this, the moon in the sky found it extremely funny and cracked up laughing. The moon remarked that not only Ganesha was a strange creature with an elephant head, His big, fat belly was now split,

This unseemly behaviour of the arrogant moon annoyed Ganesha immensely and so He pulled out one of His tusks and hurled it against the moon, and cursed that no one should look at the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthi day. If anyone does, he will surely earn a bad name."

In India, especially in Mumbai and other northern states, huge effigies (like in the last pix) of Ganesha are paraded down to the ocean and finally immersed in the running waters. It is one big parade and whole communities get together to send the Lord home on his birthday!

May you be blessed by our dear Lord on His special day!

Shiva Linga

To many people, Hindus included, the worship of the Shiva Linga is a puzzling aspect of the religion. They find it even stranger that devotees would pray to an idol that looks like a phallus! Yes, you read right. A phallus and for those who do not know what that means, a phallus is a penis.

The Shiva Linga is shaped like an erect penis and it sits on a base that resembles a yoni - a vagina.

Have you keeled over and died? No? Good. Now read all about it to understand why it is shaped like a genitalia.

This unusual shape for the Divine is the perfect representation of the ultimate balance in the universe; The male and the female, the yin and the yang, matter and energy, purush and parkirti. However, that would be a simplification of the meaning of the Linga. The Linga also stands for creation and perpetuaty of life through the ultimate union - sex. Without sexual union life cannot come into being.

But first, you need to read a puranic tale that explains the origins of the Linga from www.templenet. com

"Vishnu was engaged in his yoganidhra - the slumber of yoga - at the end of a kalpa, in the waters of the great deluge, when there appeared before him, Bhrama emerging from a great illumination. Bhrama introduced himself to Vishnu as the Creator of the Universe, to which Vishnu replied that he was the architect of the Universe. An argument ensued between both as to their superiority over one another, when there appeared before them - a huge lingam of fire - with tongues of flames blazing out of it.

Curious to trace the origins of this column of fire, Bhrama assumed the form of a swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu assumed the form of a boar, and burrowed down into the earth. Days of search in either direction proved futile, and hence the duo surrendered to this column of fire with prayers. Shiva then appeared out of this column of fiery lingam, with a thousand arms and legs, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes, bearing the pinaka bow, wearing the hide of an leephant, bearing the trishul, and addressed Vishnu and Bhrama in a thunderous voice, explaining that the two were born out of him, and that the three were then separated out into three different aspects of divinity.

The non-anthropomorphic (non-human) form Shivalingam is a representation of this infinite cosmic column of fire, whose origins were not tracable by Bhrama or Vishnu. The Shivalingam is the center of reverence and worship in all Saivite temples."

This tale also sets the stage for the lack of any temple worship for Brahma in Hinduism. Brahma, in his quest to seek out the top of the pillar of fire, chanced upon a flower that was falling down Lord Shiva's hair. Brahma in cohoots with the flower decided to lie by sayig he has seen the top and the proof is the flower. Lord Shiva realising the deceit cursed Brahma to never have anyone worship him in a temple and the flower never to be used as an offering.

I think the flower is called thalampoo in Tamil and Ketaki in Sanskrit.

Lord Shiva

The main divine energy of the Hindu trinity, Lord Shiva is the third aspect of the triumvirate representing 'destruction'. This destruction, however, doesn't stand for the total annihilation of the universe as we may expect it to signify. In Hinduism, destruction is merely an act that paves way for the formation of a new creation. Only when Lord Shiva clears the slate, can Brahma star creating again and Lord Vishnu can start preserving. He is the Father of the Universe.

Here's and excerpt from www.indiantemples.com giving you a quick explanation of Lord Shiva.

"Shiva is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world from destruction. Shiva - Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman.

He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroys evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.

Shiva is inseparable from Shakti - Parvati the daughter of Himavaan - Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva, the two are one - or the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss.

The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana. Eesaana is Shiva not visible to the human eye, Sadyojaata is Shiva realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th century CE assigns a face and an element to each of the above mantras. (Sadyojaata - earth, Vaamadeva - water, Aghora - fire, Tatpurusha - air and Eesaana - space).

The names of the deified faces with their elements are Mahadeva (earth), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space). Panchamukha lingams have been seen from the 2nd century onwards. The Trimurthi Sadasiva image of Shiva in the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai is a portrayal in stone, of the five faces of Shiva. The fourth and the fifth heads are not seen in this image here.

The works of sages Vyasa, Vasishta, Patanjali, the poet Kalidasa, the tamil saint poets Nayanmars - Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, the poet Manikkavachakar, the mystic tamil siddhas, tantric philosophers, the spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya and others such as Basavanna and Appayya Deekshitar speak of the attributes of Shiva."

Interpretations of Durga

Here are some rare art representation of the Goddess.

The first is a batik print of Durga Mahisasuramardhini or Durga, the Slayer of the demon Mahisa.

The second is a Cambodian sculpture of Durga from the fifth century. Though almost identical to many other statues from Cambodia from the Surywavarman, Jeyavarman era, the Goddess stands on a buffalo head, thus confirming Her identity as Durga. The buffalo is symbolic of the stubborn, impure human ego or the demon Mahisa.

The final image is a Western interpretation of the Devi. Sadly, they have decided to paint an aged representation of the Goddess, most probably because She is such a powerful being. In reality, Durga is said to be a virgin of not more than 16 years old but born fully grown when She was created by the other gods to save the world.

Maa Mokambika

My only reason ever wanting to go to India is to visit the temple of this great goddess in Kollur,, near Mnaglore in Karnataka state. Of course I wish to go to Tiruptahy and worship Lord Balaji and go to Chidambaam and see Lord Nataraja, or go to Madurai to see the Goddess with fish-like eyes - Meenakshi Amman, go to Trichy to see ord Lambhodara and Palani to see Lord Skanda but... if given a choice, this temple will be my first choice.

But as one friend remarked, the great Goddess has to will it first before one gets the darshan or opprotunity to worship her. It obviously hasn't happened for me yet. All in due time.

Many years ago, when the movie Thai Mookambikga was shown, the devotional songs in the movie could reduce one to tears, especially the song Thaye Mookambigay, jagan maye lohambikay...

Devi Mookambika is the supreme incarnation of goddess Mahalakshmi and here's the puranic origins of these beautiful Mother.

'Kollur Mookambika temple has been attracting pilgrims from all over India in large numbers. A village situated in Kundapur Taluk of Karnataka, about 140 KMs from Mangalore, Kollur is surrounded by thickly wooded hills and has a natural formation resembling the Sri Chakra. It is said that this temple was constructed around 2000 years back.

Tradition has it that this is one of the seven shrines created by Parashurama, the axe wielding sage. It is significant to note that of these seven, Kollur is the only shrine devoted to Devi, while the six others are devoted to Lord Shiva, Vinayaka and Muruga.

The temple is situated in the banks of the river, Sauparnika. It is believed that it is in the banks of this river that Suparna, a vulture - Garuda - performed penance and attained salvation and hence the name Sauparnika. Kola Maharishi, a sage was performing austerities in Aranyapuram, in the banks of Sauparnika. The place was known as Kolapuram, after him. He found a swayambu lingam and was offering ablutions and was worshipping it regularly.

Now, there was an ogre who lived in the place, called Kamsasuran. He was performing penance for being invested with the boon of immortality. The celestials were afraid that if this boon was granted to him, he would become uncontrollable and his misdeeds could not be stopped by anyone. They then prayed to Devi that such a boon should not be granted to him. Devi, along with Veerabadra, Ganapathi and Lord Shiva, rendered him dumb so that the boon could not be asked for at all. Mooka is Sanskrit for a dumb person. It was thus that Kamsasuran became Mookasuran.

Devi then slayed Mookasura with her Chakra - the divine disc - on the midnight of Jyeshta Sukla Ashtami. Because she slayed Mookasura, she is known as Mookambika. Her divine energy then became one with the swayambu lingam worshipped by Kola Maharishi. The Lingam is the main deity in the temple, and is known as Jyothirlingam. This Joythirlingam is in front of the idol of Mookambika. A golden line divides the Lingam into two unequal parts. The golden line could be seen only when the light from the sun is reflected and pointed at the lingam.

The left part of the Lingam is larger than the right part. The comparatively smaller right half is said to represent the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as the conscious static principles.

The left portion, which is larger, represents the consorts of the Trinity, Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi, the creative energy. According to the tradition, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their consorts Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi emerged out of it.

Adi Sankara installed the image of Mookambika, made of metal, behind the Lingam. Devi is seen with three eyes and four arms, with the divine disc and conch in her hands. The roof of the temple is made of copper and is gold crested. Adi Sankara is said to have composed his Soundharya Lahari when he was here.

There are the Veerabadra and Gopalakrishna sannadhis on the northeast and on the southeast, there is the sannadhi for Subramanya. The sannadhis of Panchamuka Ganapathi, Nanjundeswara and Partheswara are situated on the west and there is a sannadhi for Hanuman on the northwest. The gnana peetam on which Adi Sankara used to sit in meditation is found inside the sanctum sanctorum. The sukla theertham, agni theertham and govindha theertham surround the temple.

Decoration is the only rite that is performed to the idol of Mookambika. All the other rituals like abhisheka and aradana are performed only to the Lingam. The theertham for abisheka is brought from the Sauparnika river.

The sanctum sanctorum is opened at 5.30 a.m. All the regular rites would be completed by 9.00 a.m. and prasada with sandalwood paste, theertham and flowers would be distributed. The after-noon puja (or the uchchi kala puja) would be started by 11.30 a.m. and would end by 1.00 p.m. The temple is opened again at 3.00 p.m. The deepa-aradana is performed at 7.00 p.m. with naivedhya. In addition to this, another rite known as Seeveli is performed during the evening puja. The priest - archaka - carries the utsava moorthi is carried on his head and goes around the prakara thrice. This rite is known as Seeveli.'

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