Shiva's attributes include impetuosity, generosity, and gullibility. People say Shiva is so eager to serve his devotees that he overlooks his safety. He hinders no one—not even demons. As quickly as he can be angry, he can also be appeased. On the other hand, Vishnu's shrewdness and ability to manipulate all situations consistently put him in control. As a result, Vishnu saved Shiva, and Shiva expressed his gratitude to him.
Many of us know about the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu famously known as Dasavataram. Most of us wonder does Lord Shiva also have Avatars. If so, how many and what are they? Before answering this, let us first understand the meaning of Avatar.Avatar is a sanskrit word for Incarnation or Manifestation. They are the direct descendents of God himself possessing most of his qualities and powers. Few Avatars do not take birth from mother's womb but are direct manifestations based on the needs like Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and Narasimha Avatars from Dasavataram. Whereas few avatars take birth through their mother's womb again based on the need like Vamana, Parashurama, Rama and Krishna Avatars. No matter how various Avatars came into existence they possess the divine qualities of Supreme Soul. It is believed that the Avatars that are direct manifestations have superior powers compared to the Avatars that were manifested a level next to direct manifestation as they were born to Humans who are next to Supreme soul.It is true that Lord Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha also have Avatars like Lord Vishnu. They take these Avatars to uphold Dharma by removing evil forces on Earth as mentioned in Bhagavad Gita. As centuries passed these truths were lost in time. This book is just a small effort to bring back the glory and the reason behind the Avatars of Lord Shiva. Coming to the number of Avatars of Lord Shiva, they vary among various Hindu scriptures like Shivapuranam, Skandapuranam, Mahabharatam, etc. The count varies from 64, 24, 19, etc. Few scriptures also include the famous 11 Rudra Avatars of Lord Shiva. Similarly, if we trace back various Hindu scriptures, the Avatars of Lord Vishnu is not confined to number ten. The number of Vishnu Avatars also vary from 10, 25, 24, etc. However, as time passed by only the ten Avatars became famous among various Avatars of Lord Vishnu which we today know them as Dasavataram.This book mainly concentrates on the famous ten Avatras of Lord Shiva. Anyone who reads the stories related to Avatars of Lord Shiva on Mondays or Shivaratri or Kathika Pournami (Full moon day during Karthika masam) or on any other auspicious day would yield enormous grace of Lord Shiva.
In the not-so-distant future, India has fallen, and the world is on the brink of an apocalyptic war. An attack by the terrorist group Invisible Hand has brutally eliminated the Indian Prime Minister and the union cabinet. As a national emergency is declared, chaos, destruction and terror reign supreme.
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.
In the Hindu universe, gods and goddesses play freely among human beings to help them, nudge them towards the right action and mete out justice. They may appear to us as avatars in human form or manifest themselves as forces of nature. The many myths of Hinduism become colourful and entertaining when Shiva, Vishnu and Devi take different forms to enact their rivalries, destroy demons and teach devotees with superpowers a lesson in humility. This first-of-its-kind book brings together the major deities of the Hindu pantheon, describing the different manifestations by which they are recognized, celebrated and worshipped-from Durga to Sita to Kali, and from Narasimha to Parashurama to Krishna. The contributions by Bulbul Sharma, Namita Gokhale, Nanditha Krishna, Parvez Dewan, Royina Grewal and Seema Mohanty offer enchanting stories about our favourite divinities.
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.
THE AGE OF WAR! Zachary Bramwell, better known as the comics artist Zak Zap, is pushing forty and wondering why his life isn’t as exciting as the lives of the superheroes he draws. Then he’s shanghaied by black-suited goons and flown to Mount Meru, a vast complex built atop an island in the Maldives. There, Zak meets a trio of billionaire businessmen who put him to work designing costumes for a team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology. The Ten Avatars battle demons and aliens and seem to be the saviours of a world teetering on collapse. But their presence is itself a harbinger of apocalypse. The Vedic “fourth age” of civilisation, Kali Yuga, is coming to an end, and Zak has a ringside seat for the final, all-out war that threatens the destruction of Earth.
In Puranic lore, Vishnu is the preserver of the universe and the cosmic order. The Dasha Avatar is the Puranic story of the ten incarnations of Vishnu who descends to the terrestrial world to establish stability and order, time and again. The avatars occur in a sequence – the first was matsya or fish representing life in water, followed by kurma or turtle signifying life in water and on land, then varaha or boar alluding to terrestrial life and so on. The sequence of the avatars could be taken to symbolise various stages in the evolution of life culminating in the advent of the perfect being.
