The Book of Shiva

by Gokhale, Namita

• ISBN13: 9780670049066
• ISBN10: 0670049069
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-25
• Publisher: Penguin Global

Summary

Shiva: Destroyer and Protector, Supreme Ascetic and Lord of the Universe. He is Ardhanarishwara, half-man and half-woman; he is Neelakantha, who drank poison to save the three worlds-and yet, when crazed with grief at the death of Sati, set about destroying them. Shiva holds within him the answers to some of the greatest dilemmas that have perplexed mankind. Who is Shiva? Why does he roam the world as a naked ascetic covered with ash? What was the tandava? What is the story behind the worship of the linga and what vision of the world does it signify? Namita Gokhale examines these questions and many others that lie within the myriad of stories about Shiva. Even as she unravels his complexities, she finds a philosophy and worldview that is terrifying and yet life affirming-an outlook that is to many the essence of Indian thought.

Author Biography

Namita Gokhale is the author of Paro: Dreams of Passion; Gods, Graves and Grandmother; A Himalayan Love Story and The Book of Shadows. She is also a regular contributor to major newspapers and magazines. She lives in Delhi

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The Manifestations of Shiva	p. 13
Shiva as Mahakala	p. 21
Tandava, the Great Dance of Shiva	p. 27
Shiva-Shakti: The Reconciliation of Male-Female Polarities	p. 31
The Divine Family of Shiva	p. 43
Swallowing the World Poison	p. 53
Popular Legends and Scriptural Tales	p. 59
The Erotic and Ascetic Aspect of Shiva	p. 67
Shiva in the Daruvana	p. 77
The Worship of Shiva	p. 87
The Twelve Jyotirlingas	p. 97
Schools of Shiva Consciousness	p. 109
Satyam Shivam Sundaram	p. 117
Songs of Shiva	p. 125
Bibliography	p. 129
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