It was 2:00 AM when a voice stirred me from sleep. Not the sound of the world outside, but a call rising from within: “Oh, the one with teeth like pearls, is it not time to rise? Has dawn not yet arrived for you? Let us go to the river for our bath. The one who is brave like a lion cub, dark as the rain clouds, and radiant as the sun awaits.” I wrote down the inner voice to shape into a contemplation that others can enter. The voice I heard is the same voice Andal gave to the Gopis—it is the eternal reminder that the divine awaits, and that we must rise to meet it.
Tag: Shiva
The Secluded Cave.
A two-hour journey involving a bus ride from the temple town of Palani and an auto ride from the nearest town takes you to this small village tucked in wilderness. The mountain arises like a pyramid near the snout of the village resembling a linga. The steep mountaintop is a magical destination and houses Shiva…
The Blue Mountain
Rising majestically at 11,000 feet stands the Neelakanth peak in the Himalayas. This peak has close association with Shiva. Neelakanta is the blue throated Shiva and the entire region is filled with his personality. The Neelakanth peaks rise dramatically over river ganga. The glaciers and eternal snow represent Jata, the matted hair locks of…
The face of Aghora
I recently visited the ancient Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. Pashupatinath is a significant place for Tantra worship. Earth, water, fire, ether and space represent the five elements of the universe. The Shiva linga in Pashupatinath represents all the five elements. The masculine part of the stone is its phallic shape and the feminine is the…
baladrishti 