Week 14: Shiva's Secret

In 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik, the main idea of Shiva’s Secret is that withdrawal leads to destruction.

Shiva is commonly known as the destroyer. Rage and anger are often associated with the act of destruction but Shiva is calm and composed, which is confusing to many people. But, according to Pattanaik, this confusion is due to our negative connotation of this verb. Shiva is the destroyer of Kama, Yama, and Tripura, or the destroyer of desire, death, and the three worlds. There is nothing negative about this sort of destruction.

Shiva destroys desire by destroying Kama, the god who makes us want for things. Therefore, Shiva wants for nothing. Shiva destroys death by destroying Yama, the god of death. Shiva destroys the three worlds - the earth, the atmosphere, and the sky - by destroying Tripura. Thus, Shiva destroys our desire for life, our fear of death, and our need for the world around us.

Ash is a byproduct of destruction and also happens to be a symbol of an immortal soul. On Shiva's forehead are three vertical lines of ash, which you can vaguely see in the picture below. It also happens to look a lot like an eye in closer up pictures, which I believe has to do with the third eye or evil eye. These three lines represent inertia, lack of movement, and a state of dissolution.

Three is a very important number to the god Shiva, where he is the destroyer of three things, the third eye is made up of three lines, and he holds a trident of three blades.

Shiva. Source: Mythology Wikia.

Week 14 Reading Diary: The Orient Pearls

For the final week of reading diaries, I chose to read The Orient Pearls by Shovona Devi. I really enjoyed these Indian folk-lore tales.

I began my reading with "A Feast of Fists," which is about karma. On the second page of this story, Shovona Devi writes, "Suffering is the badge of mankind. Indeed, these mortals bring down suffering upon their own hears by sheer demerit, and suffer they must, do all you can, until they have passed through the usual cycles of birth, death, and rebirth, again and again, working out demerit by merit in the process, and thus paving the way for final absorption into the Deity, the source of their being. So why trouble about these wretches?"My favorite part about this passage is the question that is asked: "Why trouble about these wretches?" If eventually everyone gets what they deserve for the actions that they have done on this earth then this is so true, why worry about others' bad deeds? It is not our problem. The only thing that we should worry about it paving our own way for, as Devi puts it, "final absorption into the Deity, the source of their being." I especially love this because it includes almost everyone - not just those of a certain faith.

In "A Feast of Fists," a starving brahmin begs the gods for mercy on him and his starving wife. The gods respond by providing the man with a gold mug that can replenish any food to which one's heart desires. The brahmin is so joyful and shares his blessing with hungry children who end up replacing the holy gift with an identical but mundane gold mug. The brahmin returns to the gods to ask why the mug no longer provides food and they discover that the mug has been switched. They give the brahmin another mug that, instead of yielding food, yields punches. The family who stole the mug tried to get food out of the new mug but ultimately receives a few black eyes and returns the original mug.

Next, a king takes the mug away from the brahmin to serve all of his guests. The king becomes very greedy and pompous having this mug in his possession. The brahmin arrives at the king's castle with the "mug of fists" and the king greedily takes it as well. To his surprise, he isn't given any food by this mug but a face full of punches and a lot of embarrassment from all of his onlooking guests.

Gold mug. Source: Pinterest. 

Week 13 Reading Diary: Devi's Secret

In 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik, the main idea of Chapter 5: Devi’s Secret is that desire and destiny create life.

As this semester wraps up, I wanted to use my Reading Diary posts to continue learning about Hindu gods with my favorite method: The 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art video series. I have come to love this educational tool because, at least to me, Devdutt Pattanaik does an incredible job of making what could be a very boring topic very interesting!

There is actually a very sad story associated with the goddess Kanyakumari. As it goes, she was supposed to marry Shiva. On his way to the wedding, he came across a giant rooster, which he took as a sign that the wedding had been canceled. Yet, Kanyakumari waited and waited in her wedding attire for Shiva’s arrival, which never came. The most interesting part of the story to me was that Kanyakumari held incredible feminine power (what is known as raw energy) that would have been diluted upon marriage and maternity so that she may provide for her family. But in the case of an unmarried goddess, this energy is used for protection and in Kanyakumari’s case, the ability to destroy demons. 

Because goddesses represent the material world, it is only fitting that feminine power not only are able to nourish the household but also to protect the household – as that is equally vital. For this reason, goddesses have the power to channel their energy into either of these roles. I just love all that Devi represents - she is the ultimate goddess! All of the images of her really portray her incredible femininity:

Devi. Source: Dolls of India.

Week 13 Reading: Shri Krishna of Dwarka Part B

For this week’s reading diary, I chose to read Part B of Shri Krishna of Dwarka re-told by C. A. Kincaid. In Chapter 8: The Syamantaka Jewel, I thought that it was interesting that Krishna didn’t think Satrajit, a “mere noble,” was worthy of the Syamantaka necklace. It was quite sudden that just as soon as the evil Prasena put on the jewel he was killed and then the same thing happened to the evil lion. These stories are always so entertaining. For one, the nursery rhyme was so cute:
"Baby Bear! Baby Bear! The jewel is yours to keep and wear. For he who would take the lovely thing must first fight Daddy, the great Bear King!"

Next, it was quite humorous to me that the Bear King Jambavat and Krisha struggled against one another for 22 days. After all of the business about Krishna’s importance in Part A of Shri Krishna of Dwarka, I can’t believe that people actually thought his end had came from his want for a necklace but then I remembered that he was not fighting for the necklace but for his own clean reputation, which is why he returned that necklace he fought so hard for to Satrajit.

It is so strange to me that all of the characters’ first reaction is usually to kill. Satrajit merely gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Krishna as a thank you gift (this was normal at this time) and all of the sudden everyone wanted to kill him because they also wanted his daughter… and they did kill him. 

Here is a comic cover that shows Krishna fighting for the Syamantaka necklace. 

Source: ExoticIndiaArt.com.

Week 13 Reading: Shri Krishna of Dwarka Part A

For this week’s reading diary, I chose to read Part A of Shri Krishna of Dwarka re-told by C. A. Kincaid. As always, the author introduces the concept of good and evil, yin and yang, darkness and light in Chapter 1: The Coming of Krishna, when Lord Vishnu brings two hairs – one white and one black – to life. He creates Balarama, a serpent incarnation of Shesha, out of the white hair and Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu himself, out of the black hair. These Indian epics have taught me something about revenge: it is always the monster who possesses such great vengeance within himself. I was reminded of this by Prince Kansa who is a demon. I think there is something to be learned from this in real life – the power of forgiveness. How ugly it is to be filled with vengeance and how wasteful it is to spend so much time and energy on this black hole from which nothing good comes. In this reading, the power of the galaxy is once again mentioned: “at midnight on the eighth day of the dark half of Shravan when the constellation Rohini was visible in the heavens…” I love how much meaning is placed on this!

Constellation of Rohini, located within the constellation of Taurus. Source: AstroVed.

I was so shocked by the vivid massacre of all the baby boys that occurred in Chapter 2: The Childhood of Krishna. I did enjoy the explanation of how Nanda and Yashoda came to raise Krishna and Balarama as their own children. The story of Putana who took the form of a beautiful woman and would then poison the baby boys was awful! I don’t understand how some of these things were thought up, but I know that in the end good will conquer evil.

Week 12 Reading Diary: Ardhanari’s Secret

One of my favorite ways to learn in this class is videos. I think I enjoy this especially because in an online class sometimes it is nice to be able to learn in ways that more resemble a classic learning setting. Although this class has taught me to be proactive in critical reading and analysis, it is still nice to be able to be taught through visuals and audio such as in a video.

For this reason, I decided to continue my study of the 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art videos. I definitely recommend these videos as I have found them to be highly engaging and informative. The main idea of Ardhanari’s Secret is that God is stillness within, goddess is movement around. One thing I found interesting is that the male trinity is associated with verbs, which include creating, sustaining, and destroying (this last one really caught my attention) while the female trinity is associated with nouns, including knowledge, wealth, and power. Because the gods can create, sustain, and destroy, they are doing and, therefore, active. The goddesses, on the other hand, are passive. From this a patriarchal society would see women as passive objects, the one to whom things are done. Their attributes – wealth, knowledge, and power – can be created, sustained, and destroyed.

There is another side to this argument though and that is that the gods and goddesses are dependent on one another. Just as a female holds life within her, she cannot reproduce without the activity that a male provides. Obviously this brings to surface the ever-debatable question of gender superiority. But I don’t think that is the point. I think that the point is that both genders are equally important because whether active or passive is better, does not matter. What matters is that both are necessary for life and progress. This made me think of a quote that I saw earlier this morning: 

"The worst enemy of life is not death but stagnation. Movement will set you free.” – Andrea Balt 

From this, I once again gather that if it is movement that will set us free, we must, both male and female, work together in balance. This idea of balance is important in Eastern cultures. For example, these ancient Hindu ideas of gods and goddesses align perfectly with the Chinese philosophy of yin yang (one of my favorites!):

Yin and Yang. Source: PreventDisease.com.

I also wrote about these ideas of balance in my Week 11 Reading Diary: The Churning of the Ocean. In this story of Vishnu, evil, as in the asuras, and good, as in the devtas, both occupy the earth and thereby bring balance to it as in the yin and yang. This is Vishnu’s concept that detached engagement brings order. I think this encourages toleration – that we shouldn’t feel the need to change others who are different than us but that we should accept them and live peacefully on this earth, a very Eastern concept. I would really like to learn even more about balance and the yin and yang because I truly believe it is essential for a happy life. I think that the source of the above image, PreventDisease.com, says a lot about how essential balance is to a happy life. Another picture on this website made me laugh, so I included it as well:

Source: PreventDisease.com.

Week 12 Reading Diary: Bhagavad Gita

For this week's reading diary, I read the Bhagavad Gita provided by the International Gita Society. The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important Hindu scriptures and was originally written in Sanskrit. It is actually part of The Mahabharata, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed The Mahabharata so much.

My yoga teacher training has familiarized me with the Bhagavad Gita. This text is especially important to yogis because of its synthesis of the yogic ideals. It is even referred to as the “Yoga Handbook.”

At the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1: Arjuna’s Dilemma provides just that: the internal conflict that Arjuna is having to deal with. Also in this chapter, Krishna is introduced as Arjuna’s charioteer. At this point in history, war was the norm – this is the way everything was dealt with, and Arjuna made this radical observation – why are we causing pain to those we love and respect over material things?

This image depicts Arjuna and Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Source: WordPress.

The book continues to spill over with Arjuna’s beautiful revelations. The second chapter, Transcendental Knowledge, reads “It would be better indeed, to live on alms in this world than to slay these noble personalities, because by killing them I would enjoy wealth and pleasure stained with their blood.”

The Bhagavad Gita then goes on to describe those paths a person must take to reach self-realization, which he defines as knowing “one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord and His true transcendental nature.” These include:
1. Path of Service
2. Path of Renunciation with Knowledge
3. Path of Renunciation
4. Path of Meditation

These paths culminate in self-knowledge and enlightenment. Many yogis live by this literature, following these paths in order to eventually reach enlightenment. The Bhagavad Gita could even be considered one of the world’s first self-help books.

Week 11 Reading Diary: The Churning of the Ocean

For this week’s reading guide I am going to study a variety sources in order to learn more about the god Vishnu. Kurma is Vishnu’s turtle avatar who happens to be the main character of my storybook.

I started out my research on Vishnu by watching Vishnu’s Secret, the 6th video in the series 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik. The main idea of Vishnu’s Secret is that detached engagement brings order.

Next, I read the guide to The Churning of the Ocean, which provides the story behind Vishnu’s avatar Kurma. As the story goes, Durvasa received a floral garland from an apsara, which is some kind of feminine spirit similar to an angel. Durvasa gifts this garland to Indra, king of gods. Indra then gives the garland to his elephant Airavata who tramples it (see Indra and Airavata in the image below). Known for his short temper, Durvasa is enraged by Indra and Airavata’s lack of reverence for the ethereal garland and dispels the strength of the gods. This causes the natural world to grow weak.

Indra on his mythological white elephant, Airavata. Source: Wikipedia. 

The natural world is occupied by both devtas, or gods, and asuras, or demons. Because Durvasa has taken away much of the gods’ strength, the asuras are able to take control of the natural world. Amrita, the nectar of immortality, makes the devtas immortal and comes from the “ocean of milk.” Likewise, Sanjivani Vidya allows the asuras to wake the dead. This makes their powers equal but opposite – thus, detached engagement brings order. Vishnu and the devtas repair the world by churning the “ocean of milk,” but Mount Mandara begins to sink. Vishnu turns into his turtle avatar Kurma, who becomes the base of the mountain on which the world sits.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues

In Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues, I loved this movie which was accompanied by Annette Hanshaw’s beautiful songs including Moanin’ Low, Here We Are, and Mean To Me. I guess I didn't realize that Sita was actually going to be singing the blues! Annette Hanshaw's music adds so much to this film. This movie is based on The Ramayana of Valmiki. I was so impressed with this film. One part I loved was at the beginning when the images of hearts were played quickly. I assumed the god with many heads that kept reappearing in the introduction was the Hindu god Brahma.

Hindu god Brahma. Source: Pinterest.

I thought it was humorous that the main characters of this movie lived in what looked like the same place as Full House was set. Next, I enjoyed the dialogue that explained the story of the Ramayana. It was full of character, which made it easier to watch and understand. I was a bit in shock when Dasharatha’s wife, Kaikeyi, said, “Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. I guess I just wasn’t expecting that from what looks like a children’s cartoon. I have discussed the symbolism associated with lotus flowers before. This flower really interests me because it just seems so powerful! Just look at the image of Brahma above who holds a lotus flower. It was very interesting when Surpanakha tempts her brother Ravana by comparing Sita's skin, eyes, hands, and breasts to lotuses. From that point on, Ravana is determined to make Sita his. 

I quickly began to see the parallels between Rama and Sita and the characters from San Francisco, where both men in the couples must travel far away while the women wait for them. 

Week 10 Reading Diary: Tales from Old India retold by Rouse

For this week’s reading diary I chose to read The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India retold by W. H. D. Rouse. I was looking to learn more about Buddhist legends and ended up choosing this reading of Buddhist jataka tales because the summary caught my attention, which read, "This is a fun collection of Jataka tales, with some delightful illustrations too. I was not disappointed by my selection and would highly recommend this book if it sounds like s

omething you may be interested in too. This creative retelling of stories by Rouse is exactly what we are supposed to be practicing in the course Epics of India.

My favorite part about this book was Rouse’s retelling of The Turtle Who Couldn’t Stop Talking which I also retold in my storybook, Kurma and Karma, in the section called Boarding School. Rouse called his version The Talkative Tortoise. I especially enjoyed The Talkative Tortoise because I got to hear yet another perspective on this old tale. One thing that was different about Rouse’s version was that the fish were annoyed with this chatty turtle and that the birds were actually saving the turtle from this pond where he was unwanted.

The story of The Giant Crab was very entertaining. First of all, Rouse used beautiful descriptions and the story had great flow. Next, he made it funny by making this monster of a giant crab into a “great flirt”. It was quite humorous that this crab had scared of everyone and so no longer had anybody to flirt with. I would love to read the original version of this story. Here is an image of the elephant who finally killed this monstrous crab:

Elephant Crushing the Giant Crab. Source: Gutenberg.com

Week 9 Reading Diary: Chapter 2 - Narayan's Secret

In 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik, the main idea of Chapter 2: Narayan’s Secret is that what dies is always reborn.

According to Hindu beliefs, the world began with Narayan’s awakening. Hindus also believe that if Narayan was asleep, he must have previously been awake. Therefore, his awakening was actually a rebirth of a world that had already existed. This cyclical pattern is characteristic of Hinduism, which is one of the few religions that roots itself in rebirth. To name a few, the Greek, Christian, or Muslim faiths only believe that there is one life. This is why Hindus feel less rushed to live a heroic or extraordinary life – because it is only one of many lives to come.

A lotus, which Brahma is seated on, sprouts out of Narayan’s belly button. This leads to a question similar to that of the chicken and the egg, did Narayan create Brahma or did Brahma create Narayan?

Creation depicted as Narayan with Brahma on lotus and Lakshmi at feet.
Source: Prezi.

Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, nourishes mankind and is interestingly portrayed as a cow. As the cosmic cow, she embodies the entire world. Similarly, Vishnu’s turtle avatar Kurma is a cosmic turtle, who holds the entire world on his back.

Next, we learn about Hanuman and Vishnu’s companionship who team up to regain Vishnu’s lost queen, Sita. Hanuman is known as the “trouble-shooter” because his presence means that problems are also present BUT he reminds us that the mind is capable of coming up with solutions to the problems!

Interestingly, creation is often referred to as the result of awareness.

Week 9 Reading Diary: Chapter 1 - Ganesha's Secret

I would highly recommend watching the 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik if you have any interest in learning more about Hinduism. The main idea of Chapter 1: Ganesha’s Secret is that different people see god differently.

Shiva is the god of the mountains while Parvati, his wife, is a mountain princess.

Shiva is depicted with a river flowing out of his forehead. Their two children are Ganesha and Kartikeya. As you can see below, Ganesha is portrayed with a head of an elephant.

Ganesha. Source: Flickr.

I really enjoyed the observation that although this scene may seem strange to us, it is not out of the ordinary to Hindus because they are taught to accept them without feeling like they need rationale. Similarly, especially in the West, Christians are taught to accept the Lord’s word without question. In Hinduism, the divine can reside in anything from plants to animals to human beings. I love this idea! If the divine resides in nearly anything and everything, it teaches us to respect the natural world.

I was blown away by the story of Ganesha and Kartikeya who raced around the world three times. Ganesha ran around his parents three times; Kartikeya was confused why his brother was doing this and Ganesha explained that his parents are his world. He then proposes the question, “Which one matters more?” This is subjective to an individuals’ own beliefs – is his family or the entire world more important?

These gods are so beautiful and this video does a great job explaining the importance of each. When Shiva closes his eyes, the world ceases; this is why he is referred to as “the destroyer” and is known as God to many. Princess Parvati is master of emotions, how feminine and intriguing is that?

Because male is incomplete without female according to Hinduism, there is an invisible female force, or Goddess, called Saraswati or Veda-Mata, which means mother of the Vedas. This is why Brahma did not compose the Vedas but instead received the Vedas, because no man can create anything without woman – not even God. I thought this was wonderful that Hinduism promotes such pure femininity.

Brahma is portrayed with four heads, which represent the four expressions of the Veda, or the four goals of life:

1. Dharma – righteous conduct
2. Artha – economic activity
3. Karma – pleasurable pursuits
4. Moksha – spiritual practices 

“Just as Brahma is incomplete without any of these four heads, life is incomplete without any of these four goals.”

From what I have gathered, Hindus intentionally live well-balanced lives. I think we could all learn a lot from them whether we choose to practice Hinduism or not.

Week 7 Reading Diary: The Mahabharata Part C

Again, this idea that it is a man’s obligation to protect women appears in Krishna’s Visit when Draupadi inquires, “Is it not the duty of a husband to protect his wife?” The theme in both The Ramayana and The Mahabharata is consistently that those who have everything must deal with the loss of everything. This is a really interesting theme because it shows the values that our meant to be emphasized through literature and that is not the value of material things but of values of integrity, honor, and truth, as the quote below illustrates.

I absolutely LOVE what Yudhishthira preaches, “Anger is sinful; it is the cause of destruction. He that is angry cannot distinguish between right and wrong. O fair Draupadi, one should forgive every wrong. Forgiveness is holiness; it is Truth; it is Brahman.”

The characters of these stories must find this truth by abandoning their attachments to worldly things. The value of such qualities, for example patience, is emphasized again in The Himalayas.

What a beautiful depiction of the life of a hermit in Arjuna and Shiva.

I was intrigued by the explanation of Hanuman's presence on earth even still today, which was provided in the reading guide for Bhima and Hanuman. It is quite humorous that Bhima was unable to lift Hanuman in the form of a monkey. As Hanuman explains in this section, I also believe that humanity's fall away from universal truth is responsible for disease and many other calamities.

Hanuman in monkey form. Source: Flickr.