forms of Shiva in connection with the moon - some corrections

[Guest guest]

Actually my idea was that forms showing Shiva as young may correspond with the

waxing moon, and forms showing him as old with the waning moon.

Sorry if I could not make that clear in my previous message!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

During the waxing phase, culminating with Purnima (Full Moon), the

Goddess is worshipped as Durga, and her consort (non-sexuallly, because

Durga is a virgin) is Bhairava, Shiva's wandering mendicant aspect, who

sometimes hunts on horseback with a dog, and is associated with wild

forested places.

 

During the waning phase, culminating with Amavasya (Dark Moon), the

Goddess is worshipped as Kali, and her (sexual) consort is Shiva as the

prone corpse-like figure that Kali dances (and sometimes copulates) upon.

They are usually seen as frequenting crematoriums and other burning

grounds.

 

Lord Shiva is eternal, immortal, and beyond any particular age. He most

often is portrayed as a youth, a limber dancer of great beauty. When

Kali danced in wrath at the Asuras, Shiva assumed the form of a baby (in

one version). Kali saw the sleeping infant Shiva on the battlefield,

took him to her breast to suckle, and began to calm down.

 

I am unaware of a depiction of Shiva as an elderly man.

 

Lord Brahma is often portrayed as a white-haired, bearded sage, and

called "pitamaha" (grandfather). Lord Vishnu is portrayed as a vigorous

man of middle age, with distinguished graying hair at the temples.

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

 

On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 18:09:58 -0700 (PDT) akka_108 <akka_108

writes:

> Actually my idea was that forms showing Shiva as young may correspond

> with the waxing moon, and forms showing him as old with the waning

> moon.

> Sorry if I could not make that clear in my previous message!

>

 

 

______________

The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!

Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!

Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!