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When I received a Bible ….

by with No Comment Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism)
I am a non-tamil living in Tamil Nadu and a practicing Hindu.
Its September 2023 and Chennai CM MK Stalin’s son Udaynidhi Stalin has recently made a public comment about erasing Sanatan from India…. sorry, from BHARAT.
After a couple days of this incident, while I was waiting for bus on the road, one pastor came to me on his bike and was kind enough to give me a lift. During our journey, he asked my name and what I do. He specifically asked my full name, probably to know my religion.
At the end of my ride, he blessed me and asked if I love God. I said yes and he gave me a Bible and said it was a gift. Though I said I can’t read Tamil scripts, he insisted me to keep it at home. After thanking him, we parted our path.
But I kept thinking about the incident and was wondering whether I was being targeted for Catholic conversion. There are few rationales for this-
  1. Appearance – Most Tamil people wear tilak on their forehead- white sandal or turmeric or sindoor. I am not from Tamil community so, in my culture there is no such trend.
  2. Economic status- Most Tamil people, especially in my city, would have a bike or a car because public transport is not that good here. As I am new here, I am yet to buy any private vehicle.
As much as I have learnt, people who do not value own religion or come from lower spectrum of economy, are often targeted. A lot of lower class people turn towards Islam or Christianity to get the minority benefits.
But, I love my own religion. Though I don’t wear tilak or anything, and also, though I am from SC community, I know enough about all these things. So, I was a bit triggered. Also, Janmastami was nearby, so I wanted to focus on the Gita instead of any other scriptures. So, I decided to give the Bible to someone.
But, I could not give it to just anyone. Because, giving it to another random person, might make him triggered or even propagate Christianity. As a Hindu, I did not want to do that. I would rather gift someone something related to my own religion.
So, I decided to donate it to a library. It was hard to find a library nearby but, I found and donated it anyway.
I respect others’ religious preferences, but also expect others to respect mine. I am sure that the pastor meant no harm, but its always better to stay safe.
What would you do if you have received a Bible?
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ShivKali Oracles – DakshinaKali

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Dakshina Kali is a motherly form of Ma Kali. The name is such because her right (Dakshin) feet is placed on Shiv (Nakuleshwar). If the left leg is placed, then she is called Bama Kali, which is an occult form of the devi. The most famous Dakshina Kali temple is the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple in Kolkata. The temple is established by Rani Rasmoni and Thakur Sri Ramkrishna Paramhangsadev himself used to be the worshipper here. In fact, Sri Ramkrishna did many sadhana in this place and there are many lores and histories attached to this famous temple. Situated on the banks of holy Ganges River, the temple has a very peaceful environment. Many Bengalis consider the temple as a pilgrimage and everyday thousands of visitors come to pay regards. Apart from the main Kali temple, where the Dakshineshwari Kali resides inside the garbha-griha, there are 12 Shiv temples and Radha-Krishna temple inside the temple premise. It is said that the shila of devi came floating from Kamakhya through the Brahmaputra and Ganga rivers. After that, the Dakshineshwar temple was established.

Sadhaks tell that Kali is similar to mind- restless. Kali is a ‘sagun’ energy. Whereas, Shiv is like a resting body and ‘nirgun’. Just like a mind controls the body, Kali controls Shiv. This is because Shakti belongs to Shaktimaan. Dakshina Kali has Abhay Mudra, Barada Mudra, blooded Kharga and a severed demon head in her hands. Thus, she is the giver of courage, boons, knowledge and awareness.

The japa mantra of Dakshina Kali is-

Om Kring Kring Kring Hoong Hoong Hring Hring Mahakalbhairava Sahita Srimat Dakshinakalikayei Namoh.

As you can see, the mantra includes both Ma Kali and Shiv lying beneath her. In order to achieve Ma Dakshinakali, one should chant this mantra 32 Lakh times, preferably inside a shmashaan (Hindu crematorium). This is because shmashaan is Kali’s favourite place. Here, humans let go off of all their shat-ripu and thus a crematorium ground is considered very holy. As Kali dislikes ego and other paap, she prefers such places. Kali, as a mother, always want humans to achieve the param-brahm, that’s why she left the confort of Kailash and came to shmashaan ground. However, apart from the above-mentioned usual meaning of shmashaan, there is another meaning- if one can rise above shat-ripu, that person’s body becomes a shmashaan and he can do Kali Sadhana anywhere even at home. Shanidev worships Dakshina Kali, Dakshina Kali worships Yama and Yama worships Brahma.

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ShivKali Oracles – Adiyogi Shiv

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Adi Yogi literally means the first person who started yog. The purpose of yog is to connect body with mind through meditation, breathing and poses. A lot of sadhaks perform Kumbhak and it is said that Kumbhak is the first step to arise your Kundalini. This is a yog that connects your soul with parambrahm.

The Adiyogi temple is in Coimbatore and it is established by Sadhguru’s Isha foundation. I have visited the place and it is actually a very peaceful and spiritual place. Most people have seen the 34 meter tall idol at least on picture. Adding to that, there is a small temple in front where people can sit down and worship a shiv-linga. In that temple, there are idols of 7 rishis. The connection between the Saptarshi and Shiv is that Shiv himself gave them the knowledge of yog. Inside the small temple in front of Adiyogi statue, also there you can see the idols of the Saptarshi performing yog kriya.

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ShivKali Oracles – Veerbhadra

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Veerbhadra is considered the most terrifying and fierce form of Lord Shiv, the Supreme God.

Devi Sati defied Daksh’s wishes and married Lord Shiv. Daksh, who was a follower of Lord Vishnu, always despised Lord Shiv. One day, Daksh planned a grand yagna and invited all the gods and goddesses, including Brahma, except for Lord Shiv and Devi Sati. When Devi Sati discovered this, she felt saddened and attended the yagna to confront her father about his actions.

In front of all the sages and deities, Daksh insulted Devi Sati and even Lord Shiv. Deeply hurt by her father’s disrespectful words towards Lord Shiv, Devi Sati expressed her anguish and decided to end her life. She immolated her life through meditation. The entire gathering of sages and deities were saddened, and the three worlds trembled in response.

Upon learning of Devi Sati’s sacrifice, Lord Shiv became extremely enraged. He plucked a strand of his hair and threw it on a mountain, giving rise to Veerbhadra, his fearsome and wrathful form. Another strand of Lord Shiv’s hair created Mata Bhadrakali. Lord Shiv ordered Veerbhadra and Bhadrakali to destroy the yagna and bring back Daksh’s head. He instructed them to eliminate anyone who dared to obstruct them, be it a celestial being or a divine entity. Lord Shiv also dispatched a million Rudra/Shiv ganas to join the battle.

The news of Lord Shiv’s wrath spread fear throughout the three worlds. The yagna was marred by ominous signs, and the gods were terrified. When the million-strong Shiv ganas arrived, they defeated the gods, who then decided to defend the yagna and attacked Lord Veerbhadra. However, Veerbhadra effortlessly overpowered all thirty-three gods, including Lord Indra. Neither Lord Brahma nor Mata Saraswati could halt the rampage of Veerbhadra and Bhadrakali, despite deploying their divine powers.

Realizing their futility, Lord Brahma chose not to engage in combat with Veerbhadra. Veerbhadra chastised the gods, accusing them of being blinded by Daksh’s influence and stating that they were offenders against Lord Shiv. He defeated all thirty-three gods, and even Lord Indra’s thunderbolt couldn’t harm him. Eventually, Veerbhadra destroyed the yagna and beheaded Daksh.

Witnessing the chaos, the gods pleaded with Lord Shiv to restore Daksh’s life. Moved by their pleas, Lord Shiv, the compassionate and forgiving one, granted Daksh a goat’s head and Daksh apologized for his crimes in front of Lord Shiv. Lord Shiv forgave him. He also healed the injuries of the gods, including Indra, and with the grace and purity of the Supreme Lord Shiv, the yagna was successfully concluded.

Veer means valiant, it comes from Sanskrit word ‘Veerya’ or sperm. Bhadra means auspicious. Shiv created Veerbhadra from his hair but still this meaning of the name – the logic again related to Brahmacharya. When semen is not spoilt, it turns into creative energy and moves upwards through Kundalini. The power is so strong that Veerbhadra defeated all devatas.      

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ShivKali Oracles – Sureshwar

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

‘Sur’ in this case means Devata (opposite of Asur). Sureshwar is the God of all Davatas.

This was the time when Indra was considered a major Devata. Upamanyu, the son of sage Vyaghrapaad, was raised in his maternal uncle’s house from a young age. One day, while crying for milk, his mother advised him to worship Lord Shiv, as only Lord Shiv could arrange the milk. Motivated by his mother’s words, Upamanyu embarked on a journey to the Himalayas to perform penance and please Lord Shiv. However, the intensity of his penance generated such immense heat that it caused the three worlds to burn.

In order to test Upamanyu’s devotion, Lord Shiv and goddess Parvati appeared before him disguised as Indra and Indrani respectively. They urged Upamanyu to cease his penance, stating that they were pleased with his devotion and willing to fulfill all his desires. Not content with just this, they even cursed Lord Shiv. Enraged by the insult, Upamanyu prepared to attack the imposters, believing them to be Indra.

Witnessing Upamanyu’s unwavering dedication and devotion, Lord Shiv and goddess Parvati revealed their true identities and blessed him. Lord Shiv assured Upamanyu that he and Parvati would always be present near his hermitage. Filled with joy, Upamanyu returned home and shared the entire incident with his delighted mother. Because Lord Shiv had appeared in the guise of Indra, he acquired the name ‘Sureshwar.’

The lesson we get from this lore is that, with proper thought and action, even humans can manifest great things. This is why it is necessary to remain positive and conscious about own actions.

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ShivKali Oracles – Shivlinga

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

We worship Shiv in the structure of linga. Linga is not synonymous to genital; it just means symbol (genitals are synonymous to jananendriya/janananga). If you visit a Shiv temple or any Shivlinga, you’ll see that below there is a base, then there is an extended surface and on top of that, is the reversed tube-like structure. The extended surface in middle, is actually female symbol or yoni or Gouripatta (receptive Shakti). The Shivlinga (male symbol) emerging from (or entering in) the yoni indicates that male-female conjunction is necessary for creation. This is also a reason, why Shiv is considered a father figure an also the biggest sex-symbol.

A snake (of metal or stone) always remains with Shiv-linga. Snake is a very interesting animal because it has a higher level spirituality than any other animals, even higher than humans. This spirituality is not physical but intuitive. Our ancient texts talk about a species called Naga that has supernatural abilities like controlling fire. Even today in many South Indian temples, one can see idols of these half-snake-half-human entities. There must be a reason why many deities like Shiv, Vishnu, Kali, Durga, Manasa etc. As per Hindu scriptures, snakes protect underworld, they are also symbols of fertility and Kundalini Shakti.

As per one interesting theory, Shiv Lingas are ancient nuclear reactors of ancient times. Even today’s nuclear reactors resemble a similar structure like Shiv Linga. The 12 major temples of Shiv are called 12 Jyotirlinga, which means symbol of light (energy). Is it a coincident that nuclear reactors also emit energy? Usually, there remains a pot above Shivlinga, from which water falls on the linga. This is similar to the cooling process of a nuclear reactor. A high amount of radiation is found in all 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India. But anyway, the beauty of Sanatan dharma is that it shows sex as a spiritual activity. It is the society that has turned sex into a taboo or even dirty subject after being influenced by victorian culture.

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ShivKali Oracles – Neelkantha

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Shiv’s Neel-Kantha form is all about fatherly duties. During samudra manthan, a lot of things came out- jewels, kaamdhenu, Dhanwantari, weapons, Ma Lakshmi and more. With all these, halahal poison also emerged. All gods and demons took the wealths and positive things but no one was willing to take the poison. Initially, no one even invited Shiv to take part in this whole program but when creations were at stake due to the poison, Shiv was invoked. Shiv had no greed for wealth or amrit but without any ego, he performed his duty and consumed the poison to save creations. Due to the energy of that poison, his throat turned blue and he received the title of Neel-Kantha (Blue-Throat).

There are a few lessons we should learn from this saga.

Firstly, if we simply want power but are afraid to take accountability, then we won’t get any respect. A good example is when an average politician is asked to justify a scam done by his/her own party, the politician will dig up some other scams done by an opposition party instead of answering the question. The thing is, if one entity follows the footstep of previously done activities, then the entity is a follower instead of leader and does not deserve respect.

Secondly, Neel-Kantha Shiv tells about the role of father. In a family, a father sacrifices as much as a mother does. A father has to work continuously in order to earn money so that he can provide for his family members. Whenever there is some issues inside or outside the family, a father protects the family. A masculine figure is necessary for mental development of a child be it a boy or a girl. In today’s society where women are brainwashed saying masculinity is toxic, feminism is nothing but an agenda to break family. A mother is necessary to take care of children but a father-figure is necessary to develop personality and character. Society has failed both men and women by feminizing men and forcing women to run after materialism. The truth is, a mother cannot completely turn a boy into a man because she does not know about handling men’s problems. A strict father and a caring mother are the best guardians for any child. All men in today’s society must learn the art of being stoic and develop masculine traits like willing to protect and provide for their loved ones. A leader or a role-model is someone who teaches by showing how things are done; and also who gives others a chance to fail and learn. This is why Shiv is a father figure who showed how to remain stoic and perform duties without having any expectations. Ask yourself- which soldier receives more recognition- the one who flew from the battlefield and saved himself or a soldier who fought and died while getting shot in the battlefield. It sounds bizarre but this is how world operates.

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ShivKali Oracles – Nataraj

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Nataraj means the king of dancers. As the name suggests, Shiv is the king of all dancers. While any type of singing and dancing is about creative energy, Shiv’s Nataraj form shows all three states of creation, maintenance and destruction. He has four hands- one hand holds a damaru, another hand holds fire. The other two hands make abhay mudra and gajahasta mudra. The damaru symbolizes OM-kara which is the sound of creation and the fire symbolizes destruction. The abhay mudra symbolizes stability and the gajahasta symbolizes liberation. Nataraj is not any avatar of Shiv, rather he is the Shiv himself in dancing position. He dances inside a prabha mandal (glowing circle) this symbolizes his authority over kaal or time. He reminds us that the cycle of srishti-sthiti-binash is a cyclical process and everyone is a slave of time.

Now, when we talk about dance, it is actually about rhythms. Without rhythmic steps, dancing is not possible. As mentioned earlier, Nataraj’s dance is a cycle of srishti-sthiti-binash. Interestingly, modern physics has discovered that all subatomic particles (proton, neutron, electron, photon, neutrino etc.) vibrate in certain frequencies. In this sense, these particles also have their own rhythm. As we all know, accumulation of particles can create elements or items and separation of atomic particles causes destruction (nuclear fission, this is the base of nuclear energy created in power plants or in atomic bomb).

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ShivKali Oracles – Maheshwar

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

Shiv is called Maheshwar or Mahadev because only he possesses 3 basic thoughts- absolute purity, absolute knowledge, absolute yog (spiritual knowledge). Thus, he is given the title of god among gods.

I won’t be going into the useless debate regarding who is superior among our deities. I believe that all male deities including Shiv, Narayan, Brahma, Bhairav, Ganesh etc are manifestation of same Purush energy. It is similar to Adyashakti manifesting into different devi forms. Shaivism, Baishnavism, Shaktism were invented to show people that there are multiple ways to attain god. But now these paths have almost made like a caste system where one path tries to become superior to other path based on petty things. On one hand, Shiv is a devotee of Vishnu and wears ashes of Vaishnavs. On the other hand, Krishna performed Shiv Puja daily. Moreover, as per Devi Puran, our trinities have been born from Adya Shakti. So, this sense of superiority and inferiority have come from nothing but ignorance. Each of these manifestations is superior god in different cosmoses.

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ShivKali Oracles – Mahasadashiv

by with No Comment Tarot Meanings

While sansaari people worship Shiv in the form of Shiv Linga, sadhaks meditate on the form named Sadashiv or Mahasadashiv.

This form of shiv remains in a meditative state and thus remains always in a happy mood without any care for outer world. From him, the vibration of ‘OM’ generates and spreads across the cosmos. Even in 2022, NASA captured a vibration of black hole. Previously, it was assumed that space holds only silence but after the new discovery, scientists had to change their viewpoint. What is more interesting is that many people have found resemblance with the aforementioned vibration with ‘OM’-kara. As science doesn’t know what is beyond a black hole, it cannot tell what the source of this vibration is.

As Mahasadashiv remains in a detached format, he has actually created 11 Rudra Avatars. These avatars are- Kapali, Pingala, Bhim, Birupaksha, Vilohit, Shasta, Ajapad, Ahirbudhanya, Shambhu, Chand, Bhav. Hanuman is considered the 12th avatar of Shiv. From these avatars, more forms of Shiv have been manifested, namely Bhairav, Veerbhadra etc. The child form of Bhairav is Batuk Bhairav. Mahasadashiv is the consort of Mahamaya. And thus, he has the creator energy.

It is very very hard to get a darshan of Mahasadashiv. Only a sadhak doing great penance can get to see him. In the cosmos, where he meditates, 42 monks surround him. These 42 monks are called ‘Amritasya Putrah’. I could not get much information about these monks because the information available on internet are inconsistent and not in sync. I will try to discuss about them if I get reliable information. Anyway, these monks only allow high-level yogis to get only a view of Mahasadashiv.