Can you take a dog to a temple? Devdutt Pattanaik on the role of dogs in Hindu mythology

 ‘Dogs, in general, are associated with the aggressive form of Shiva known as Bhairava,’ writes Devdutt Pattanaik. Read on: 

“A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against a Noida resident who took his pet dog to the holy Kedarnath shrine.”: NDTV

The world over, dogs are seen as loyal animals associated with unconditional love. However, in Hindu mythology, their representation is ambiguous. On the one hand, they are seen as auspicious, as guardians or as the symbol of the followers of Nath traditions – tantrics and hermits. On the other hand, they are known to be inauspicious, associated with death, attachment and neediness, and a metaphor for the ego.

This metaphor stems from the fact that dogs are devoted to their masters. They follow their masters everywhere; wag their tails when they are happy and whine when their masters don’t give them adequate attention and love. Thus they become a symbol of attachment and the gratification of the ego.

They are also associated with refuse, and thus with impurity. In this respect, the dog is really located in opposition to the cow, which is seen as pure and holy. Of course, this is a very broad understanding.

Interestingly, the dog’s rise to prominence in India is not recent. Indian mythology is peppered with fascinating tales featuring dogs.

The Korkus are a tribe scattered across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, residing mainly in the Dharnagiri region. They consider themselves descendants of Ravana and believe that Shiva created their world.

Artwork by Devdutt Pattanaik.

According to legend, once Ravana strayed into the scenic but unpopulated forests of the Vindhyachal and Satpura ranges. He prayed to Shiva to populate those forests with people. Shiva directed his messenger, the crow Kageshwar, to collect red soil from the hilly region between Bhavargadh and Savligadh (in the Betul district). Shiva then made two statues – of a man and a woman – from the soil and placed them in the forested region.

However, before he could infuse them with life, Indra got his horses to destroy the statues. Enraged, Shiva proceeded to create two dogs out of the red soil. He infused them with life and had them drive Indra’s horses away. He then remade the two human statues and bestowed life upon them. The man and the woman, named Moola and Moolai, respectively, are considered the ancestors of the Korku tribe. The Korku thus worship Shiva, Ravana and the dog.

Another story is of a community in Gujarat. Many of them were landless labourers. Some were cattle herders, some sold forest produce. They were also extremely talented artists, but were denied entry into temples. Therefore, they decided to create their own gods by painting their images on cloth. This led to a whole new art form of mobile temples on painted cloth. They worshipped their own goddess, Hadkai Mata, who rides a dog and protects people from measles.

Further south, in Maharashtra and Telangana, the dog is associated with the warrior gods Khandoba and Mallanna, respectively, and with Revanta, the god of the hunt, in central India. A legend depicts Khandoba’s wives futilely helping the deity collect the blood of the demon Mani, every drop of which was creating a new demon during battle. Finally, Khandoba’s faithful dog swallows all the blood, thus helping him kill the demons.

Indra, the mighty god of the Rig Veda, has a female dog named Sarama. She is considered the mother of all dogs. Sarama has a long history in Hindu mythology. It is believed that Indra sent her out to find his cows, which had been stolen by people known as the Panis. In some stories, she not only found the cows, hidden in the cave of the Panis, but also negotiated their recovery. This earned her the love and affection of Indra.

In the Mahabharata, Sarama and her children visit a sacrificial site where King Janmejaya is performing a yagna to kill all the nagas. Sarama’s children are accused of licking the pot of milk being used to prepare offerings to the gods. The king’s brothers throw stones at them to stop them. Enraged, Sarama curses that the yagna will be unsuccessful – and that is exactly what happens.

According to the Puranas, Sarama is the mother of all creatures with claws, while Surabhi is the mother of all creatures with hooves. Thus, Sarama is the mother of the lion as well as the tiger, and is linked to the wolf and the fox.

Dogs, in general, are associated with the aggressive form of Shiva known as Bhairava. Shiva lived on a mountain covered with snow where there was nothing to eat. This did not matter, for Shiva taught the bull, his companion, the art of overcoming hunger. Shiva loved the bull, but sometimes, he took the form of Bhairava, who loved dark places.

When Shiva became Bhairava, the dog became his friend. In art, Bhairava is visualised either as a ferocious alpha, riding a rabid dog, or as a child, also riding a dog. The former is called Kal Bhairava, or sometimes Kala Bhairava, associated with time, hence with death and destruction, and with darkness. The latter, the cherubic Bhairava, is called Batuk Bhairava, or Gora Bhairava, the childlike Bhairava, or the fair Bhairava.

The temple of Kilkari Bhairava is believed to have been established by the Pandavas at the entrance of Indraprastha (that now clings to the outer walls of Purana Qila in Delhi). Kilkari means squealing, the joyful cry of a child. Unlike the conventional temples of Shiva, there are no images of bulls here; only dogs which are the vahanas of Bhairava. The temple complex is full of dogs, who love the attention showered on them by devotees.

The Bhairava form of Shiva is kept outside the village and is associated with crematoriums. Dogs too are associated with crematoriums and the margins of society. Thus, the dogs of Bhairava may be associated with Sarama’s children, the Sarameyas, who, according to later texts, are the four-eyed guardians of the Land of the Dead.

This land is separated from the Land of the Living by the Vaitarini river. The dogs then become the companions of Yama. Thus, we find the dog associated with the wildest aspect of Shiva called Bhairava that essentially means “the one who removes the fear of death”.

Bhairava’s mildest form is the great teacher of teachers, Adinath Dattatreya. The Nath yogis are a special tradition of yogis that became popular over a thousand years ago. There are nine Naths, or Nav Naths, who wandered across India, Nepal and Southeast Asia, spreading their wisdom.

They all considered Dattatreya to be their guru. Dattatreya is imagined as a god accompanied by dogs and a cow. In art, he is shown with four mild-tempered dogs, often considered to be the embodiments of the four Vedas. They always walk in front of Dattatreya, frequently turning around, insecure and afraid that he will go away. Since Saraswati is the mother of the Vedas, some people argue that Sarama also represents the goddess Saraswati.

‘The Dogs of Bhairava’, by Devdutt Pattanaik, excerpted with permission from The Book of Dog, edited by Hemali Sodhi, HarperCollins India.

(Source: Scroll)

History, myths and lesser-known facts about Kashi or Varanasi – the world’s oldest city

There are some cities which are respected at the very mention of their name. Period. We are talking about Varanasi. One of the world’s oldest cities. However, do not go to this city, if you are not a worthy traveler. The city is old, and still retains the ancient charm of paying respect to God via the traditional methods and the cremation of dead bodies at the Ghats. It has a history of 3500 years. Come, let us know about the history and facts about Kashi in detail on today’s read.

Varanasi will always occupy prime importance in Hindu religion. It is said, that a Hindu has to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi at least once in their lifetime. In short, Kashi or Varanasi is to a Hindu what Mecca is to Islam and Vatican to a Christian.

Yantra means a machine. According to Sadguru, this Kashi is a large human machine without inertia. Shiva is a yogi and his favorite number is 5. So they built the city along the lines of 5. The fundamental geometry of Kashi is to connect the microcosm and macros. So, they designed 468 temples. The basic temples are 54 for Shiva, the same number for Shakthi.

History and Facts about Kashi
Everything in creation is a part of the cosmos itself. The history of Kashi is documented right from 3500 years ago. In short, the city has existed even when Athens had not laid its foundation for glory. In fact, this holy place existed even when Rome was just a city and Egypt was not even formed. Spelling the name “Kashi” brings vibration in the human body. In fact, the city is best described as a place where the micro (human) can connect with the macro (cosmos).

In the ancient Indian cities, places were differentiated for every activity. For washing clothes, there is the dhobi ghat; for bathing, there used to be a separate place and for cremation of bodies, there was the graveyard. In ancient Hindu texts, the city is referred to as Maha Smashana (large cremation ground). True to the name, the Manikarnika Ghat gets about 300 human bodies daily for cremation.

Also known as Benares and Kashi, this city is located on the banks of River Ganga. The name has been derived from the rivers of Varuna as well Assi tributaries where the city is located.

Importance – What You Should Know About Varanasi

• Near Varanasi, there is an area known as Sarnath. Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment.
• Adi Shankaracharya has written Kasi Panchakam, a tribute to the city.
• This city holds prominence as being the birthplace of at least four Jain Tirthankaras. They are Suparshvanath (7th), Chandraprabhu (8th), Shreyanshnath (11th) and Parshvanath (23rd).
• Tulsi Das composed the evergreen Hanuman Chalisa and Ramcharitmanas in Kashi.
• The guardian deity of Kashi is Kaal Bhairav. His image – a thick mustache, vahana is a dog, has a tiger skin as cloth, holds a sword by the right hand and the head of a demon on the other hand.

Varanasi is the city of temples. You have them in every nook and corner. Among the famous, Kashi Vishwanath Temple stands tall. Also prominent are Durga Temple, Mahadev Temple, Bharat Mata Temple etc. There is no city in the world which has a hundred ghats. And there are three types; the bathing ghats, cremation sites and praying ghats.

Evening Aarti – The topmost activity that a traveler should never miss is the glorious Evening Arati of Kashi. It is one moment that you will cherish forever. The rituals unfolding for the Lord is a treat to watch. The lamps (made of brass) come to 4.5 kilograms.

Weavers Village – One of the famous sarees of this city is the Banarasi Saree made of gold, silver and popular for its zari.

Prior to five decades, and even today, many Indian people have the notion that a bath in the Ganges will relieve the past diseases. This can be true to a certain extent. Before Ganga becomes a river, there is a place called the Gangotri. Before this place, the river water passes through mountains and valleys. Maybe, when the water passes through certain herbal plants, it may acquire medicinal properties. But now, Ganga has become polluted. People from the other Indian States come to take water away in small containers, stating that whoever is given a drop of Ganga water on their deathbed will attain salvation.

Facts About Kashi You Should Definitely Know About
The temple of Kashi Vishwanath is so old that it has been stated in the Skanda Purana. A legend goes like Lord Shiva’s mother-in-law was worried that her son-in-law does not have an abode. For his wife, Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva asked the demon, Nikumbha to make a place suitable for his family at Kashi.

In this place, the Mother was so pleased that she offered food to everybody, the reason, she is worshipped as Annapoorani. In fact, Lord Shiva is known to be the Master of all in Shaiva literature. But the Lord himself seeks food from the Devi, that too, in a begging bowl. In fact, this place is considered to be one among the 52 Shakthipeedams (Kashi is the place where the Sakthi’s left arm fell after the body was cut by Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu).

An ancient Indian legend has it, on the day of creation of Mother Earth, the first light ray was shown to Kashi. There are also other legends which state that Lord Shiva actually stayed in the city in the form of  “Lord Kalabhairava” as the guardian of the city.

War Between Brahma and Vishnu
Do you know the famous war between Brahma and Vishnu about who is Supreme? And the wager to see the depth and height of Lord Shiva? Lord Shiva assumed the form of bright light which penetrated heavens and hell. He told Vishnu and Brahma to find the height and source. Brahma, in the form of a goose, flew to the sky. Vishnu, in the form of a boar, dug into the earth. Even though they searched for eons, they could not find the end of the light. Vishnu felt humbled and accepted defeat. But Brahman, unwilling to accept defeat, asked the Ketaki flower which dropped from Lord Shiva’s head to serve as a witness that he has seen the end. During the conversation with Lord Shiva, while Vishnu asked for pardon, Brahma lied. The angry Lord cursed Brahma that he will never be worshipped on Earth.

Lord Shiva also severed Brahma’s fifth head. After Shiva killed Brahma in the form of Kaalbhairava, he was cursed with Brahma-Hatya. The fifth head clung to his left hand. All efforts to remove the head proved futile. KaalBhairava wandered along the banks of River Ganga southwards. At a certain position, the river turned towards North and he entered Kashi. When he dipped his left hand in the river, the head unclung from his hand and he was liberated. This place became Kashi as told by the legend.

The city stands on the trident of Shiva
There is another myth which states that the city stands on the trident of Shiva. In short, Kashi is not on Mother Earth, it stands above the ground. There are three temples which act as the three points for the trident. They are Aumkareshwara in the North, Vishweshwara in the middle and Kedareshwara in the South.

As per local folklore, there are eight Kaal Bhairavs who guard the city; Ashta Dikkugalu. The temple for these Gods are present in eight cardinal directions and protect the sanctity of the Kashi Vishwanath temple.  In fact, this city is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. It is widely rumored that before death, Lord Shiva whispers Tarak mantra in the dead man’s ears to attain salvation.

There is another myth regarding Garudas and lizards. But it is true. Never in the city, an eagle will fly nor the lizards will make the sound. The story unfolds during the time when Rama killed Ravana. To atone for his sins, he wanted to perform puja to a swayambu lingam. He entrusted the task to Lord Hanuman. When Hanuman entered the city, the garuda and lizard helped him identify the linga. But he took the linga without seeking permission of the protective deity of the city, Kaal Bhairava. A fierce battle happened which was cut short by the Gods. Kaal Bhairava, in his anger, cursed the Garuda to not fly over the city, and lizard to not make the sound. The words hold true even to the present day.

History of Kashi Vishwanath Temple
In fact, the temple of Lord Shiva, known as Kashi Vishwanath Temple is known as one among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The other Jyotirlingas are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Bhimashankar (Maharashtra), Triambakeshwar (Maharashtra), Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deogarh, Jharkhand, Nageswar (Gujarat), Rameshwar (Tamil Nadu), and Grishneshwar (Maharashtra).

Importance of Kasi Vishwanath Temple
You find rarely a temple or a religious place in any country ravaged many times, only to be built again. The present temple stands a little distance from the original site. It was built by Ahilya Bai Holkar and the gold for the dome was contributed by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of Punjab.

In the temple, you can find numerous shrines of various Gods. The temple has been built in the form of a quadrangle. Numerous small temples shroud the complex. You can find temples of Dhandapani, Vishnu, Sanishwara, Virupaksha, Avimukteshwara and many more. Because of its importance, the temple gets nearly 3000 devotees daily. On a special occasion, the number can increase to 100000.

The small well in the temple is popular by the name of Jnana Vapi. At the time of invasion from the Moghuls, the Main priest jumped in the well along with Shiv Ling. There may be many temples in the world, but rarely will the deity be performed aarti five times. The duration of this auspicious activity,  every day in the temple are conducted as follows –

Mangala Aarti – At 3 AM in the Morning. It extends till 4 AM

Bhoga Aarti – From 11.15 AM to 12.20 PM

Sandhya Aarti – As the name suggests – it takes place in the evening. 7 PM to 8.15 PM

Shringara Aarti – it extends after evening from 9 PM to 10.15 PM.

Shayana Aarti – In the last hours of the evening. 10.30 PM to 11 PM.

If Delhi is the capital of India, then Varanasi can be called as the spiritual capital of our country. In fact, till the last century, it was believed, that if anyone died in Kashi, their soul goes to Heaven and there will be no rebirth. If they cannot die in Kashi, at least their human bodies if cremated in the holy place can make the soul attain salvation.

(Source: Metro Saga)

Ganesha and the less-known stories of the women significant in his life

Hindu mythology would be incomplete without the reference of ‘Shakti’, as an embodiment of womanhood, power and all that is considered to be feminine. However, it is this ‘Shakti’, which when coupled with ‘Shiva’, forms the ‘Shiva-Shakti’—the supreme power of Shiva and the adishakti of Parvati. But while Ganesha is popularly considered to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths relate several different versions of his birth, the most popular being how he was created from his mother, Parvati. Once, when, bathing and scrubbing sandalwood paste on her body, Parvati decided to make herself a child. She blended the sweat and scrapings from her body with the clay from the river to sculpt a young boy, so beautiful that she breathed life into him. And so was born Ganesh from the adishakti of his mother.

While according to Shiva MahaPuran, Ganesha is said to be married to Riddhi and Siddhi from whom he had two sons – Shetra/Shubh(auspicious) and Laabh (prosperity) and later a daughter Santosh (satisfaction) there is an interesting mention of Vinayaki, the woman shakti of Ganesha. All the three women have individual significance.

Anything auspicious, especially weddings, do not start without the mention of Ganesh. And it is an interesting tale about his own wedding and his search for his brides. Unhappy about his elephant head and his pot belly, Ganesh was disheartened that he would never get himself a bride. Lord Brahma, with his powers, created two beautiful women from his mind: Riddhi and Siddhi and then gave them away in marriage to a delighted Ganesha. The metaphorical significance is more layered though. The concepts of Buddhi (intellect) or Ganesh himself being married to Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity) who are personified as goddesses and thus considered to be Ganesha’s wives or more of feminine emanations – shaktis – rather than just spouses. Theirs is the siddhi-buddhi-samanvita – the amalgamation which implies that when Ganesha (Buddhi) is present, siddhi ‘spiritualism’ and riddhi ‘prosperity’ are not far behind.

The concepts of Buddhi (intellect) or Ganesh himself being married to Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity) who are personified as goddesses and thus considered to be Ganesha’s wives or more of feminine emanations – shaktis – rather than just spouses.
With so little literature available on Vinayaki, it is not surprising that many do not know that she is often considered the female representation of Ganesha. Whether this female deity is an independent devi and not his consort is arguable, in the Puranas, she is considered one of the 64 yoginis or one of the matrikas – the original mother goddess – often holding the parashu or battle-axe, that same axe brandished by Ganesha himself.

In the Devi Purana, Vinayaki is explicitly revealed as the shakti of Ganesha, characterized by her elephant head and ability to remove obstacles like Ganesha. This slender, four armed, elephant-headed goddess is supposed to be the female avatar of Ganesha. She is one of the least encountered deities in religious literature, with inconsistent names, mostly seen as feminine versions of the elephant god – Gajanani, Vighneshi, Gajarupa.

The female form is often seen as symbolising the generative power of all life source. If the male body ejaculated life, it was in the female body, that life is created and nourished.
The female form is often seen as symbolising the generative power of all life source. If the male body ejaculated life, it was in the female body, that life is created and nourished. Or the reason could be more conceptual: the female form as a convention for the worldly against the male form for thought and thinking. Interestingly, the fourth day after every new moon is celebrated as Vinayaki Chaturthi, a day significant for Lord Ganesha but named after his female form.

Vinayaki, the female Ganesha. Image: exoticindiaart.com

It can be tempting to write Vinayaki off as not really being female because of her status as an avatar of the male Ganesha, but that would be inaccurate – Vinayaki is female, although the implications of her connection to Ganesha might mean differently in terms of dual-genderism or fluid sexuality. But it should be recalled that Hindu mythological philosophy is complex; and close and cross-referenced readings reveal the inextricable relation between the male and female forms are but actually extensions of each other, fulfilling the tasks of creation, preservation and destruction necessary for the continuation of life and time.

(Source: She the People TV)

Kamakhya: How the Bleeding Goddess Celebrates the ‘Shakti’ Every Woman Has

Contrary to the shaming treatment that menstruation gets elsewhere in India, at the Kamakhya Temple, it is revered as the ability of a woman to conceive, writes Lekshmi Priya S in The Better India. Read on: 

While a large percentage of people in India continue to remain aloof when it comes to speaking out loud about menstruation and the issues faced by women, a temple that is well worn with time celebrates one of the most natural biological processes.

The Kamakhya temple is not just a famous pilgrimage site in Assam, but is also a unique temple in the country.

Located on the Nilachal hill in the capital city of Guwahati, the deity of the temple, Kamakhya Devi is revered as the ‘Bleeding Goddess’.

It is believed that the ‘Garvagriha‘ or the sanctum sanctorum of the temple houses the mythical womb and vagina of the Hindu goddess Shakti.

Curiously enough, every year during the month of Ashaad (June), the Brahmaputra river near Kamakhya turns red. It is believed that the goddess ‘menstruates’ during this period.

Contrary to the shaming treatment that menstruation gets elsewhere in India, here it is revered as the ability of a woman to conceive.

Considering this to be a woman’s power to give birth, the deity and temple of Kamakhya is a celebration of this ‘shakti’ within every woman.

The story of origin is behind the temple quite interesting. It revolves around the Hindu gods Shiva and Sati.

Legend has it that Sati fought with her husband to be part of the grand yajna that her father was offering to appease the gods—of which both were purposefully not invited to. Paying no heed to her husband’s advice, Sati headed to the yajna nevertheless, only to be insulted by her father.

The last straw was when he spoke ill of Shiva as well. Unable to bear the insult, Sati leapt into the very sacrificial fire of the yajna.

When Shiva came to know of what had happened, his anger knew no limits. Carrying his wife’s burnt corpse, he went on a rampage with his ‘Tandav‘ or the dance of destruction.

While all other gods cowered in fear under Shiva’s rage, it was Vishnu who sent his chakra and cut the body, in order to calm the aggrieved deity.

It is believed that Sati’s body parts fell in 108 locations across the country, which are today known as Shakti peeths.

The place where her womb and vagina fell is what constitutes the Kamakhya temple.

Kamakhya finds its name from the Hindu God of love, Kamadeva. As the story goes, the god had sought out Shakti’s womb and genitals after having lost virility to a curse.

As a tribute to Shakti and her ability to lend back Kamadeva his potency, the deity of Kamakhya Devi was installed and continues to be worshipped until today.

The place where the Kamakhya temple stands today is also considered to be where Shiva first courted Sati.

In a country that continues its archaic attitude towards menstruation as unholy and gruesome, it is important for each one of us to know the progressive approach that the Kamakhya temple displays—of celebrating womanhood.

While there is no image of Shakti in the temple complex, it is Yoni or the female genitalia of the goddess located in the corner of the cave in the temple that is the object of reverence.

How Shiva was transformed from a meat-loving deity to a vegetarian god

And why banning the sale of meat along the Kanwariya route is specially ironic.

Kembavi Bhogayya, a worshipper of Shiva, was once visited by the god himself, but in the guise of a stranger carrying a dead calf. The stranger requested Bhogayya to cook the meat of the calf and he complied. Preparing several delicious dishes out of it, Bhogayya served them to the stranger.

But the Brahmins in Bhogayya’s village gathered and condemned him for cooking beef. They attacked his house with sticks and threatened him to leave the village immediately. Hearing the commotion, the stranger disappeared and Bhogayya left the village angrily.

The story (which shares many similarities with the spate of mob lynchings in India currently) is part of the Basava Purana, written in the 13th century CE by Palkuriki Somanatha. The epic is the primary text of the Lingayats, who worship Shiva in the form of a linga (phallus).

Unlike the gory turn to the recent episodes of mob violence in India, this story had a happy end. Bhogayya’s exit from the village was followed by the exit of all the lingas, leaving death and penury behind. Realising their folly, the Brahmins apologised to Bhogayya. His homecoming was followed by the return of the lingas and prosperity to the village.

Meat matters
Another aspect of Bhogayya’s tale also stands in contrast to the story in India today.

Last week, several publications reported that the government in Uttar Pradesh had banned the sale of meat and eggs in Dadri. This was done to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra, an annual march to the Ganges in Haridwar, where devotees collect water from the holy river in pots that is then offered to Shiva. The pilgrimage is undertaken during the month of Shravan (which falls in July-August), dedicated to Shiva.

The ban is ironical, given Shiva’s penchant for meat (as the above story shows) and highlights how Hindutva’s forced vegetarianism runs contrary to the beliefs and practices of several Indic sects.

Shiva, a Puranic god, started small as Rudra (meaning savage or wild) in the Rig Veda. A minor god, with only two and a half hymns dedicated to him, Rudra is attractive, with a tawny complexion and matted hair. A forest dweller and an ace archer, he hunts and eats his prey. Rudra gains prominence in the Yajur Veda (particularly the Krishna Yajur Veda, one of the two sections the text is grouped into) where he acquires several names, including Shiva, and many traits perceived as sinister. Much like how Krishna was transformed from a tribal deity to a supreme god in the Puranic tradition, here Rudra is merged with a non-Aryan mountain deity.

Thus, from being a well-built muscular god, he becomes an old and poor dwarf with disheveled hair. Interestingly, he also starts displaying opposing characteristics such as being the protector of cattle (pashupati) as well as the slaughterer of cattle (pashughna), traits that signify and embody in Shiva the duality of the world.

In the Atharva Veda, the gruesome associations multiply. Rudra is said to delight in the offering of certain body parts, such as the liver of sacrificial victims. He is also hailed as the god of thieves and cheats and the lord of demons.

His role as a destroyer becomes more prominent in Puranic literature. The supreme being of fierce wrath, Rudra-Shiva now holds a trident, is dressed in tiger skin and sits next to his powerful consort, Shakti (known variously as Parvati and Uma). His macabre traits are heightened in the Mahabharata, with references to him being “extremely violent in temper, fully armed…greedy of cooked meat and rice…quarrel maker…hungry for foetus-flesh like a jackal”. In another episode, Bhishma explains the function of Shiva as one who would end the world by “devouring the creation”. Shiva’s fondness for meat is further emphasised when Jarasandha, a devotee of Shiva, keeps kings as captives only to kill them and offer their flesh to Shiva.

Shiva’s meat-eating habits find a clear voice in the Vedas as well as the Puranas, but his association with wine-drinking seems a later appendage. Although Shiva lives in Mount Mujavat, which is also the place where the intoxicating Soma plant grows, he is not described as consuming the Soma drink in the Puranic literature.

In post-Puranic literature, Shiva not only consumes intoxicating drinks but also smokes marijuana. Furthermore, his consort, Shakti, complements Shiva’s preference for meat by consuming the flesh of humans and animals alike.

Taming of the deity
The transformation of the northern half of the subcontinent from a pastoral (12th century BCE) to an agricultural (6th century BCE) economy is reflected in the changing food habits of the gods. Whereas meat was an important offering for the pastoral Vedic gods, the sedentary Puranic gods were largely vegetarian. It is interesting to note that such a change is not reflected in Shiva’s personality. Shiva’s meat eating habits become more defined in the early Puranic literature. Therefore, it is unclear as to when the vegetarianism acquired by Brahmins and other upper castes tamed the wild Shiva.

By the time later Puranas were written (8th century CE) the change was complete. For the high tradition, defined by Brahmins, Shiva became a vegetarian god. The sects offering meat to Shiva as a prayer ritual, such as the Kaula Kapalikas and the Kalamukhas, were declared heretical according to the Skanda Purana. Not only did the Kapalikas drink wine and eat meat out of human skulls, they also indulged in sexual practices prohibited by Brahmanism. Similarly, philosopher Abhinavagupta’s Kashmir Shaivism required the consumption of wine and meat to perform Kula yoga to please Shiva. Bhogayya and his tradition of Virashaivism were also heretical for this reason.

The community of Kanphata Jogis that Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh – where restrictions on food stalls along the Kanwar Yatra route have been imposed – belongs to also has a history of eating meat and drinking wine as part of the ritual worship to Shiva.

Despite the enforced vegetarianism, Shiva’s association with meat has persisted. A devotee of Shiva himself, perhaps Adityanath could learn much from Tamil poet and saint Appar, one of three famous Nayanars (Shaivites), who in the sixth century penned:

“Why roam in forest and town?
Why practice extreme penance?
Why give up meat, why stare into space?
The Lord’s blessing is yours only if you say,
He is wise.”

(Source: Scroll)

Are Hindus vegetarian?

The idea of "vegetarian" diet has spread throughout the world, thanks to many Hindu and Jain immigrants in the USA and the UK and the popularity of yoga. However, not all Hindus are vegetarian. In fact, most aren't. Since vegetarian practices distinguishes Hindus from other communities, and was seen as "quaint" in western societies until recent times, it has become the defining trait of Hinduism, statistics notwithstanding.

Hindus can be vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Hinduism is a plural religion, an umbrella term for many jatis, sampradayas and paramparas, some of whom may be vegetarian some of the time, or not at all. There is no such thing as a Hindu commandment telling Hindus what to eat or not to eat. This obsession with reducing Hinduism to a single behaviour is common amongst two groups of people: loud Hindutva radicals and their sworn enemies, the Hinduphobes.

The story of a Tamil saint reveals Hindu attitudes towards food. Two kinds of devotees visited a Shiva temple: a vegetarian priest who followed all the rituals and a tribal hunter who did not know any ritual. Every dawn, the priest would conduct the rituals as prescribed by the scriptures. At dusk, the hunter would reach the temple and give the deity there all that he had found in the forest that day: flowers, water from mountain springs and the best portion of the game he had hunted that day. The hunter carried the flowers in his hair, and the water in his mouth (which he spat out). The game he would chew to make it tender and offer it to the deity. The next dawn, the priest would find the meat, the bones and the dried flowers inside the temple and would be filled with revulsion. This cycle continued for weeks. On Mount Kailash, Shakti asked Shiva who was the favoured devotee?

Shiva decided to test the priest and the hunter. The Shiva-linga in the temple sprouted eyes. When the priest saw this, he felt it was a sign of divine blessings. But then one of the eyes started to bleed. Thinking this to be bad luck or a sign of divine rage, the priest ran away. The hunter, however, on seeing the bleeding eye, tried to heal it using forest herbs. Unable to stop the bleeding, he decided to cut out one of his eyes and give it to the deity. That stopped the bleeding in one eye, but then the other eye started to bleed. So the hunter decided to cut out his other eye. But that would make him blind and he would not know where to spot the deity with the bleeding eye. So to mark the spot he put his foot on the bleeding eye that needed to be replaced with his eye. Just as he was about to blind himself, Shiva appeared and stopped the saint.

Through this fantastic story, we are being told that what matters to the divine is our underlying emotion, not our ritual behaviour? God does not care about social hierarchies, our ritual notions of purity and contamination. God only cares about the human ability to love: the ability to overcome our own insecurities to take care of others in pain. Aham (ego) makes us think we are purer and superior to others. The journey to aatma makes us think that no one is impure or inferior, that everyone is valid and worthy of respect. What matters is not the ritual worship of the priest, but the love of the hunter. Rituals need to be an expression of love, not a mechanistic practice, or a tool to indulge the ego by dominating others.

Different communities in India have different food habits. And there is no one rule. For example, many people think all Brahmins are vegetarian. That is not true. In Bengal, Brahmins eat fish, and sacrifice goats and buffalo to Kali as part of Shakto tradition. In Kashmir, some Brahmin communities offer meat to Bhairava, a form of Shiva.

In South India, Brahmins are vegetarian. Highly educated, well-versed in mathematics, they migrated early to urban centres across India as accountants, journalists and bureaucrats. Exposure to them created the classical "Madrasi" stereotype in Bollywood films, who eats only veg food. This eclipses the vast non-vegetarian traditions of south India.

Some of the most successful businessmen of India are from the Jain community and the Vaishav communities of Gujarat and Rajasthan. They are strict vegetarians. Since many foreign businessmen deal with them, they assume that all Indians are strict vegetarians. Jains are not Hindus (they do not worship Shiva, Vishnu or Brahma), though they fall in the larger framework of rebirth traditions (sanatan dharma). This Marwari and Bania culture also eclipses the vast non-vegetarian traditions of north India.

In Hindu Puranas, Vishnu is a strict vegetarian god, but Shiva eats whatever he is given and the Goddess loves blood. Again this is not a strict rule. For when Vishnu descends as Ram, he hunts deer for food (an idea that many vegetarian Hindus reject rather violently). In Jain scriptures, Krishna is shown as participating in a wedding banquet of Nemi-nath, where animals are slaughtered. Also as Narasimha, the man-lion avatar, Vishnu drinks blood. Shiva being a hermit accepts whatever he is offered. In his Gora-Bhairav gentle form, he is offered fruits and milk. In his Kala-Bhairav fierce form, he is offered blood and alcohol. The Goddess is associated with nature’s most elemental actions – sex and violence. She is offered blood. In Varahi temples of Odisha, she eats fish. Yet, many Goddess temples where she is closely associated with Vishnu, she is vegetarian: as in Kolhapur Amba-bai temple in Maharasthra, or the Goddess on the Hills of Punjab and Jammu. So again, no fixed rule, even for the gods.

Some people equate vegetarianism with ahimsa or non-violence. Ahimsa is a fundamental principle of Jainism and yoga. However, ahimsa is a very complex idea. It means not hurting any living creature in body (tann) or mind (mann). But this does not extend to the act of eating. For all the quest for food involves violence. Farming is a very violent activity involving the killing of many animals, not least the pests. Also ahimsa is closely linked to anekantavada, or plurality, and aparigraha, not clinging to any thing or thought, and to syada-vada, embracing uncertainty. Many soldiers are vegetarian. Many corrupt politicians and crony capitalists who destroy the ecosystem with their industries or exploit workers in their factories are vegetarian. That is hardly non-violence!

Many hermits give up meat to become spiritually pure. They have linked meat and blood to contamination. This is a dangerous idea: it forms the idea of "untouchability" that renders certain people "unclean" based on their traditional vocation which brings them in contact with flesh and blood. Turning "blood" into contamination is the reason why women are seen as "unclean" during periods and at the time of delivery. This disdain for blood as part of ritual purity fuels prejudice of the worst kind. We must be wary of it. Many vegetarian hermits think they are superior to meat-eating householders. This competition reveals delusion created by the ego. We must be wary of it. We must keep reminding ourselves how the Goddess Kali demands blood sacrifice. Does it make the goddess impure? Nature cannot be made impure and all of nature is the Goddess.

Many Hindu supremacists are trying to reframe Hinduism using Abrahamic templates, and so are trying to deny Hindu pluralism. They want to create a checklist of Hindu behaviours. They assume the practice of some dominant Brahmin and trading (Bania) communities as universal. They see "non-vegetarian" as inferior and "vegetarian" as more evolved, a belief that is less scientific and more designed to massage the ego. They deny the meat-eating practices of various non-dominant communities. We must not forget that as per food census, 70 per cent of India eats meat in some form or the other. We must not forget that Hinduism is not what some Brahmins and Banias decide it is, or should be. Brahminism is but a tiny subset of Hinduism, and not all Brahmins are vegetarian.

(Source: DailyO)

The mystery and secrets of Mansarovar Lake

There's always a mystery surrounding Lake Mansarovar near Mt Kailash. I just can't wait to visit this place when my little one grows up. Speaking Tree throws some light on the mystery surrounding this amazing lake:

Located at about a height of 4,590 metres, Mansarovar is the largest freshwater lake of the world situated at that high. The captivating scenery presented by this lake is incomparably superb. The origin of the word Mansarovar is from two roots namely manas and sarovar meaning mind and lake respectively. It is said in the scriptures that initially Brahma conceived this lake in his mind and later it go the visible manifestation and thus the name ensued.

Hinduism believes that initially Lord Brahma created this lake for meditation and he sat here in meditation for several ages that culminated in the beginning of the creation process. It is from this spot that the entire world was created. Earlier during that time, Mansarovar was even vaster and eventually it was reduced to its present size. This theory is supported by several religions and the concept of lake Tethys, which is the source of all creation points out to Mansarovar.

Very interestingly, this lake together with Mount Kailash rising adjacent to it are considered holy by several religions at once including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Bon.

Hinduism views Mount Kailash as the form of Lord Shiva and Mansarovar as the form of Mother Parvati, the male and female aspects of the supreme energy. The total circumferance of this lake is 80 km and it takes about three days to go around it. The depth is about 300 feet and stretches over an area of about 320 square kilometres.

It is believed that some celestial bodies and sapta rishis (the seven sages) descend on to this lake in the form of some visible light everyday during Brahmamuhurt time to take a holy dip and then leave back. Interesting and highly mysterious phenomenon has been conspicuously observed by a lot of people with reverence, wow and wonder. Legends in Buddhism state the Queen Maya was given a holy bath in the Mansarovar lake before she gave birth to Lord Buddha. Earlir there were eight famous Buddhist monasteries around this lake.

To the west of the Mansarovar lake, we can find yet another lake namely Raksas Tal. The two lakes are connected by Ganga Chhu channel. Mansarovar is a round shaped freshwater lake and Rakshas Tal is crescent shaped and is a salt water lake. This start contrast is inexplicable by science. In Buddhism, the two lakes are symbolically interpreted as the lightness and darkness respectively. Hinduism says Mansarovar is the god's lake and Rakshas tal is the devil's lake.

Yet another baffling fact even for scientists is that even during adverse weather conditions, the Mansarovar lake constantly remains calm and undisturbed. Whereas the much smaller crescent shaped Rakshas Tal is constantly turbulent regardless of the weather conditions. While Mansarovar presents an inviting appearance and bounteously gives away its water for bathing and drinking, no one even dares to come near the adjoining Rakshas Tal lake being scared by the very turbulent appearance of it. Even touching the water of the Rakshas Tal lake is strictly prohibited. Mansarovar's mysteries are unresolved and strongly attest the religious beliefs of people. 

Happy Shivaratri

My latest on Lord Shiva in different cultures and different countries for the occasion of Shivaratri festival in yesterday's Vishwavani Guru. Here's the link.