Shiva- The Lord of Yoga

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DR. DAVID FRAWLEY (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), is one of the most respected modern teachers of the deeper secrets of Yoga and the Vedas, and author of more than forty books in twenty languages worldwide. He has received the prestigious Padma Shushan award from the government of India for his outstanding work in the Vedic field.

The following book is a profound work on Shiva as the Lord of Yoga and His form of the Linga. The author Sri Vamadeva Shastri or Dr. David Frawley needs It should be no introduction. His world-respected books have explained in detail all about born into Pr Vedic thought, Yoga, different forms of worship, mantra, and a host of related Earth and its subjects that are both subtle and intricate.

Sri Vamadeva Shastri is no mere academic or intellectual researcher. He has to learn bite taken the essence of Hindu Dharma and the higher teachings of Yoga seriously drawal from and adopted these as his way of life. He has proved himself to be a most comp presence to tent commentator on many aspects of Yoga, Vedanta, and Vedic knowledge. The present book on Lord Shiva that has flowed from his pen is an in-depth work of Seven Many erudition and insight, reflecting many years of study and meditative experience.

Vamadeva has discussed the universality of Shaivism and Shiva Yoga. He tested Shiva reject lashes the inseparability of the yogic approach and the realization of Shiva and Dalcsha lack, has dedicated a chapter to Raja Yoga. He has discussed the thirty-six tattvas of Shaivism, the twenty-five tattvas of Samkhya and a brief history of the Yoga of After giving the Shaivites. It is obvious that there can be no single exhaustive compendium the daughter or treatise covering the nature and secrets of Shiva in the cosmos and beyond. to draw in 5, However, Vamadeva has examined a broad range of these topics in a new and the goal of I comprehensive manner. I believe that this work will be an important addition to being the Shaivite literature for generations to come.

Rudra/Shiva in the Puranas

I would like to take this opportunity to outline the arrival of Shiva into the cosmos in which we live. A few words about Rudra Mahadeva, whose essence is Shiva Tattva, the transcendent truth:

Shiva as Hindu thought tells us is the final and third aspect of Cosmic Reality. The manifest universe is complete only when the principles of creation and sustenance represented by Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu are followed by the principle of the withdrawal and dissolution indicated by Lord Shiva.

According to the Puranas, which hold many yogic secrets, the primordial principle of Absolute Bliss, which is beyond all manifestation, appears in the universe as Shiva, known as Rudra Mahadeva. Shiva manifested later in the creation after the later cycle of Vivasvata Manvantara began, already long into the cosmic process. By the time that Rudra arrived all the higher worlds had come into being, waiting for the lower worlds to be filled with mortals.

It should be remembered that innumerable souls were waiting in the dark to be born into Prakriti or the material nature to experience the fruits of karma. The Earth and its surrounding Lokas were yet to fully evolve. After the arrival of Rudra even Brahma, the Devas, the Rishis, and the Prajapatis (lords of creation) could not recognize his essence and tried to downplay his importance. They had to learn bitter lessons for this. They had not yet recognized the need for withdrawal from the creation to take souls back to the Supreme and found Rudra's presence to go against the existing order of creation that they controlled.

Seven Manvantaras (cosmic ages) were reaching completion. Daksha descended to Earth and the creation of species on the Earth followed. The story of Daksha and Sati's birth as his daughter, who became Shiva's wife, only to have Shiva rejected by her father Daksha, is a well-known subject in the Puranas. Daksha lacked the awareness to recognize Shiva's transcendent nature.

After giving up her body as Sati, Rudra's Shakti took birth anew as Uma/Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayan mountains, the personification of tapas and Yoga to draw in Shiva's influence for the benefit of the world. Rudra then became the goal of realization to release the soul from the bonds of rebirth. By virtue of being the principle of withdrawal from all creation, he became the giver of liberation.

Shaivite Literature

After the way to Moksha was established on the Earth through Rudra/Shiva, many great Rishis produced the Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Agamas, and Puranas, among other sacred texts. The passage of time resulted in detailed teachings about Shiva and the appropriate praise of Shiva in many forms and aspects.

Shaivism begins with Shiva as OM and as the essence of the Vedic deities as cosmic sound and light. The Vedas that manifest through OM and the entire Sanskrit alphabet are the sounds of Shiva. The essence of Shaivism can be found in the Rudram chant of the Yajurveda, reflecting prime Vedic mantras. In Vedic rituals, the Rudram plays the main role, in which the word Shiva is first used for this supreme deity. Physical and material forms within our daily experience are highlighted in a symbolic manner. In later literature, the concept of Shiva as the transcendent reality of Rudra is explained in profound philosophical terms. The greatness and nature of Shiva is the subject matter of a vast literature with much analysis, synthesis and profound conclusions. For example, Shiva Ma-hatma Sam-a, composed by the celestial being Pushpadanta, inspired Sir John Woodroofe to translate his poem as the Greatness of Shiva. Vamadeva (Dr. Frawley) continues drawing the reader into the study of Shiva as a living reality.

Shiva Linga Shaivism is related to the linga. The linga form assumes great importance and the worship is dedicated to the linga rather than to the anthropomorphic form of Shiva. A miniature linga is wom by the dedicated Shaivite yogi. This is because Shiva is the giver of liberation who takes us beyond birth and death. To live in the presence of Shiva is to never die. The word linga is defined: "The moving universe is moving towards a single point of dissolution and that is the linga."' The linga is a symbol of this cosmic point of dissolution that takes us beyond time and space. In the present book on Shiva Yoga, a detailed explanation is given to the various forms of the linga and the material out of which it is constituted.

Shiva Yoga Shaivism is essentially Shiva Yoga, teaching the union of the soul as Jiva with the Supreme Shiva. Kashmir Shaivism and Shaiva Siddhanta, as well as Shaivism in all parts of India north, south, east, and west, extending to nearby countries, are all only Shiva Yoga in various forms. These philosophies of Shiva Yoga constitute forms of dualism, dualism and non-dualism, and non-dualism in different schools.

Shakti Yoga is also Shiva Yoga. After all, Shakti manifests as the creation that is pervaded by Shiva. Everything in the universe from the smallest particle contains Shiva and Shakti working in unison together. Shakti is worshipped independently in many female forms, but these also reflect the powers of Shiva. This integral Shiva-Shakti Yoga is esoterically explained by Vamadeva in his sections on Shiva and Shakti Yogas.

OM is Shiva; OM Namah Shivaya is the most important of all mantras. It can be added to Shakti or Devi mantras to give these more power.

Shiva is our destiny. Shiva is our destination. Shiva is our path. This is Shiva Yoga. Yoga is synonymous with Shiva. Shiva is the guru of all gums, the supreme Yogi. We commonly speak of Shiva Yoga but not so much of Yoga relative to other deities. Ananda, the goal of Yoga as Samadhi, is also synonymous with Shiva, particularly as Shivananda. Shiva and Yoga are together at every point. Shiva Yoga is vairagya or non-attachment, which is surrender, withdrawal and letting go. Shiva Yoga teaches us the "art of leaving," not only the art or rules of living. The body does not leave us unless we leave the body first by transcending body consciousness during life itself. True Yoga is about expanding out of body consciousness, not giving it more emphasis. Shiva is the guide of this process of going beyond body and mind.

Our current humanity is immersed in technology. In a few generations, this fascination will get reduced and people will return to Yoga and meditation as their highest pursuit. Technology creates only superficial attention, not any deep awareness. Our machines and equipment are but distractions from our eternal search for inner peace. We cannot be attracted to them for long. There is only lasting happiness and well-being through inner awareness, which is our Shiva nature, not through anything that comes to us from the outside or is made artificially.

This work of Vamadeva on Shiva Yoga is significant and distinct in many ways. It directs us to the inevitable awakening to our Shiva nature that is our true identity and the goal of all life. Shiva is accessible to anyone who sincerely and continually strives for his guidance and grace.

**Contents and Sample Pages**