Shiva Ratri today, Mahadeva, the merciful lord Options

[Brainiac]

Wow, guess what? I've heard that too! Can't remember where but I probably have it on audio tape somewhere. Thanks Dhyana, you helped me rediscover this! It's really beautiful indeed!

About Krishna chanting, I think the 'purest' version I've heard is Mahatma das on the album 'Our Only Shelter' (Side 2). Specifically, the track titled "Prayer of King Kulasekhara", that was followed by a melodious kirtan of 'Prabhupada's signature tune'. Best I ever heard; it sounded like it contained all sorts of things, purity, yearning, innocence, benevolence. Sadly I also cannot find that anywhere online.

[Brainiac]

Something else I forgot to mention about DKDM. Mahadev himself is frequently referred to as 'Mahadev', and Parvati is addressed as 'Mata' by Nandi and other subordinates. It's only acting in a TV show, but with Shiva's generally calm and benevolent demeanour and Parvati's sweet and loving smile (see this sample), and the way they welcome everyone who visits them, you really get the mood coming through that Shiva-Parvati are the Mother and Father of the universe.

I never got that feeling about Lakshmi-Narayana, and even less for Radha-Krishna. Is that a good or bad thing? The whole Gaudiya conception, of becoming a manjari so you can enter into Radha-Krishna's super-secret ultra-confidential private pastimes, seems so much like trying to join a secret club and failing at every turn. Who would want to?

[ePiTau]

As long as they stick to hetero, core family values, it all stays eshtricktly Vedic and the Universe is benevolently laughing.

[ras]

Something else I forgot to mention about DKDM. Mahadev himself is frequently referred to as 'Mahadev', and Parvati is addressed as 'Mata' by Nandi and other subordinates. It's only acting in a TV show, but with Shiva's generally calm and benevolent demeanour and Parvati's sweet and loving smile (see this sample), and the way they welcome everyone who visits them, you really get the mood coming through that Shiva-Parvati are the Mother and Father of the universe.

I never got that feeling about Lakshmi-Narayana, and even less for Radha-Krishna. Is that a good or bad thing? The whole Gaudiya conception, of becoming a manjari so you can enter into Radha-Krishna's super-secret ultra-confidential private pastimes, seems so much like trying to join a secret club and failing at every turn. Who would want to?

Maybe you've got something there. Could it be the face on that kid they have? If so why would they turn us away?



Of course I know Ganesh is a real charmer in many circles.

In 6th canto SP 'explains' that worship of Radha-Krsna is not even accepted as Radha-Krsna worship until you reach a very advanced level. Until that time it is accepted only as Laxmi-Narayan worship.

In a book I recently acquired "A Study of Deities of Rig Veda" SS Gupta explains that there is no mention of Vishnu having any form. Nor are weapons of Vishnu mentioned in the Rig Veda. Rudra however, at least has a form (though not exactly the same as Shiva). Could this turn a Gaudiya argument against them?.. "something can't come from nothing, something has to come from something".

[Brainiac]

In a book I recently acquired "A Study of Deities of Rig Veda" SS Gupta explains that there is no mention of Vishnu having any form. Nor are weapons of Vishnu mentioned in the Rig Veda. Rudra however, at least has a form (though not exactly the same as Shiva). Could this turn a Gaudiya argument against them?.. "something can't come from nothing, something has to come from something".

I recently read the same thing myself! I read it on a couple of websites as I've been looking around trying to explore Saivite philosophy. It's really interesting, that fact. I knew that Vishnu was more or less a minor deity in the Vedas and that Indra was one of the 'big guns' (in one place Vishnu is referred to as Upendra, a 'younger Indra'), and this point mentioned that the bare mentions of Vishnu just referred to vague characteristics of the Trivikrama incident. But for Shiva there's all these detailed descriptions of his physical features, weapons, emotions, etc.

This is especially true of the Sri Rudram section (please see Post #67 in this thread). The translations available are pretty good.

[Brainiac]

Well, whaddya know? Tonight's Shivaratri, so here's a nice pic I found and a Vedic mantra from the Rudram:

 408517_481339341903157_716594274_n.jpg ( 26.61K ) Number of downloads: 3


namaste astu bhagavan viśveśvarāya mahādevāya tryambakāya tripurāntakāya trikāgni-kālāya
kālāgni rudrāya nīlakāṇṭhāya mṛtyuñjayāya sarveśvarāya sadāśivāya śrīmanmahādevāya namaḥ ||

[Brainiac]

This is probably the closest thing to Shiva-Parvati rasika-bhakti-conjugal-rasa that we'll ever see:

View at Youtube