The Dance Of Siva

This 1,008-page sourcebook answers many questions to quench the soul's thirst for God and Self-knowledge. Every spiritually-inclined human being will be enriched by the path revealed in this extraordinary book. India's tolerant and diverse vision of the Divine is all here: meditative, devotional, philosophical, scriptural and yogic. In question-and-answer style, Dancing with Siva guides the aspirant deep into the Hindu heart. Lavishly illustrated with 165 black and white reproductions of paintings from India. Resources include a Hindu timeline, comparisons of 12 world religions, a children's primer and more.

The Bhagavad Gita is the Gospel of Hinduism. This important Hindu scripture dates back to 200 BC and its title directly translates to The Song of God. Part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata, this 700-verse Hindu scripture is a narrative between Arjuna, the Pandava prince, and his guide, Sri Krishna. Set on the Kurukshetra battlefield, Arjuna contemplates the ethics and morality of war. Often seen as an allegory for the philosophical struggles of life, the battlefield provides the perfect context for Krishna’s advice regarding Karma, yoga, moksha, divine glory, and other fundamentals of Hinduism. The chapters featured in this volume include: - The Sorrow of Arjuna - The Yoga of Knowledge - The Way to Eternal Brahman - The Yoga of Mysticism - Divine Glory - The Vision of God in His Universal Form - Devotion to the Supreme Spirit - Three Kinds of Faith This ancient religious text holds a powerful contemporary message and is an important and respected Hindu scripture.

This is a full account of Siva's Dance of Bliss, which has become a popular symbol in the West for Hinduism and Eastern Mysticism. Siva is one of the two main gods of Hinduism, and his worshippers comprise half of all Hindus. Siva's Dance of Bliss is based on a remarkable Sanskrit poem written by Umapati Sivacarya, Saiva theologian and temple priest in Cidambaram, South India, in the fourteenth century. Starting with the bronze image of Nataraja, King of Dancers, thereafter the Cidambaram temple, its myth and its priests are viewed in the light of the poem. Umapati's Saiva theology is discussed in relation to his life and also in relation to Vedanta and yoga. The iconography and mythology of the Goddess and of other forms of Siva provide necessary perspective. Art from Cidambaram and neighbouring sites illuminates the text.

After high school, I was not sure about whether I should pursue dance or a technical subject. Awaiting clarity, I spent many months considering my options. While I was in the midst of this confusion, someone asked me, “What brings you closer to yourself?” I didn’t respond immediately, but in my mind the answer was clear. “Dance brings me closer to myself,” I thought. It was such an odd question, yet strangely it influenced a life decision. How can one be closer to or farther from oneself? I knew that dance would begin to reveal something to me at some point in time, but I wasn’t sure of what this thing would be. The act of dancing holds something within it that I wanted to discover. What if I could imbibe my life with the clarity of thought, precision, control and simultaneous surrender that I am able to wield as a performer? Wouldn’t life change inexplicably for the better? The applause bursts like rain clattering From a cloud too heavy to hold, My elation bathes me as sweat trickles Down my forehead a moment before It stings my eye to remind me to see, They applaud the dance, not me. If I were to fall prey, my dance entwined With only moments of applause to remind Of my days of yore. No never not. Dance is me and yet not at all... - Rukmini Vijayakumar

Shiva: Lord of the Dance recalls captivating ancient tales of kingly sacrifices, sinister plots, ghastly armies, spontaneous incinerations and plummeting rivers that threaten the planet. These are stories of otherworldly passions and celestial dancing, worthy of retelling again and again. Coupled with over 30 full-color illustrations, this attractive mini book eclipses traditional symbolism, exploring the very nature of this complex god and how he relates to us. For many of us, the mention of Shiva's name conjures up images of an ash-smeared ascetic meditating high in the Himalayas, a protector of Parvati and Ganesh, or a dancing, destructive god. In traditional art, he is seen sitting on a tiger skin rug, his long matted hair tied in a topknot, adorned by the crescent moon. But who is this mysterious figure, and what does he have to teach us?

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