Topic: Nandi-Shiv

[Michael]

Time has come to introduce the Nandi-Shiv association.

Nandi, the bull, always comes with Shiv. Nandi is totally devoted to Shiv, and commonly, tho not always, Shiv in the form of the linga.

This Nandi (above and on the front of this forum) is focused on the central Shiv shrine, that the gods/image I use beneath my name sits next to. These belong in the rock cut Panchaleshwar Temple at Poona in India. This temple is well over a 1000 years old, and is carved out of solid granite rock. It has one of the most peaceful moods of any temple I have ever been to in India, and is for me one of my favourite temples. I have included a video clip - a snippet from a slide-story film I made of this trip. In this you can watch as I walk behind the central shrine and emerge to Nandi’s own rock-carved structure. The music is from Nitin Sawhney, and should be herd with ear phones to get the deep bass effect.

Clip: Panchaleshwar Temple (15.2 MB)

These clips are in DivX format. You can download the free codec and/or player from http://www.divx.com/

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This Nandi is in Khajuraho. across from Vishvanath Temple, also over 1000 years old, built by the Chandella dynasty. They had three capitals: a political, military and spiritual capital. Khajuraho was the spiritual capital, and when under threat at the end of the dynasty, they abandoned Khajuraho - it was lost in the tiger infested jungles for centuries until discovered by a British officer. Due to the remote location, these temples were not found and destroyed by any other Indian empire - esp the Muslims as had they found them, they would have been a goner for sure due to the erotic carvings that adorn all these temples.

This Nandi, as with the Poona one, has a very calm and dreamy atmosphere around it, such that you can sit for a long time. I have included a video clip of this also.

Clip: Panchaleshwar Temple (21.8 MB)

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This Nandi sits outside Mahakala temple in Darjeeling. Another of my favourite temples. I have a video clip of it too, but perhaps that’s enough clips for now.

[zenandnow]

Time has come to introduce the Nandi-Shiv association.

Nandi, the bull, always comes with Shiv. Nandi is totally devoted to Shiv, and commonly, tho not always, Shiv in the form of the linga.

can you tell us more about what these symbols represent to those in india?

[Michael]

To be honest I don't know that much about Nandi, except that he is always there wherever Shiv is. I was interested to hear he also goes back to the Indus Valley, as does Shiv, at least in image. Very little is know about the Indus Valley civilisation which lasted for 2000 years from about 4000 BC - they disappeared, but it is known they have yet to find and weapons from that time - something for you to ponder zenandnow.

Nandi is adored, as a representative of Shiv himself, as he has become totally devoted, and sits forever at Shiv's front door, always looking on Him. His mood tells all, and is the way all Shavites strive to be.

Shiv, or Shiva, or Rudra, or Mahakala, or many other names is the most mysterious figure. I don't know of another God anywhere in the world like Him. His name means 'auspicious', but really why Indians worship him is also mysterious. Mostly Indians pray to the Gods for the same things everyone else in the world pray to their Gods - for children, business, healing etc. But Shiv is not really one to pray to for such things.

Shiv is the external representation of our innermost truth. He is the God most associated with the last phantom of appearance before Brahman Nirguna - the ultimate unknowable, beyond all form or attributes. Hindus who worship him, know this, so their worship is not for personal gain of any recognisable type. He is final and absolute enlightenment. Thus it is the Hindus have such a concept at the core of their religion ... they are ultimate agnostics.

I'll just add, that I don't feel Nandi is connected to the famous cult of the bull which exists in Europe, and esp mediterranean countries - that is a martial cult. Robert Graves has posited the view that Gods are best seen connected to each other across different cultures, not by their name or form, but in the way they are worshiped - I think that applies to Nandi. There is nothing martial about him, yet there is the deep strength of the bull, but in repose and devotion.

[zenandnow]

To be honest I don't know that much about Nandi, except that he is always there wherever Shiv is. I was interested to hear he also goes back to the Indus Valley, as does Shiv, at least in image. Very little is know about the Indus Valley civilisation which lasted for 2000 years from about 4000 BC - they disappeared, but it is known they have yet to find and weapons from that time - something for you to ponder zenandnow.

Nandi is adored, as a representative of Shiv himself, as he has become totally devoted, and sits forever at Shiv's front door, always looking on Him. His mood tells all, and is the way all Shavites strive to be.

Shiv, or Shiva, or Rudra, or Mahakala, or many other names is the most mysterious figure. I don't know of another God anywhere in the world like Him. His name means 'auspicious', but really why Indians worship him is also mysterious. Mostly Indians pray to the Gods for the same things everyone else in the world pray to their Gods - for children, business, healing etc. But Shiv is not really one to pray to for such things.

Shiv is the external representation of our innermost truth. He is the God most associated with the last phantom of appearance before Brahman Nirguna - the ultimate unknowable, beyond all form or attributes. Hindus who worship him, know this, so their worship is not for personal gain of any recognisable type. He is final and absolute enlightenment. Thus it is the Hindus have such a concept at the core of their religion ... they are ultimate agnostics.

I'll just add, that I don't feel Nandi is connected to the famous cult of the bull which exists in Europe, and esp mediterranean countries - that is a martial cult. Robert Graves has posited the view that Gods are best seen connected to each other across different cultures, not by their name or form, but in the way they are worshiped - I think that applies to Nandi. There is nothing martial about him, yet there is the deep strength of the bull, but in repose and devotion.

maybe one could pray to nandi for to become better partners to their loved ones?  sounds like a right bit of patience devotion and loving kindness.

added: thanks for explaining. :-)

[Endless~Knot]

This is fun cause I remember I kidnapped Nandi. 

Or maybe he went willing lol. Never know haha.

[Daniel Glasheen]

If I may add some form from Shri Devi Atharva Shirsham...

All the following are manifested by Shri Durga:
Rudras - the deities of destruction. (For destroying negativity and demonic forces)
Vasus - the deities of blessing (eg Lakshmi and the 4 human goals, kama, dharma, artha and moksha)
Adityas - universal Gods of the Sun
Vishwadevas - universal Deities

Shiva is Rudra

Durga Mata is the 9, the 1 and the infinite as she distributes all universal Shakti (power).
Shaila-putri you are the daughter of the mountain
Brahma-charini the one who observes the state of celibacy
Chandra- Ganta adorned with the moon as your bell
kush-manda the one whose void contains the universe
skanda-mata the mother of Shri Kartikeya
katyayani the foster-daughter of sage katayayana
kala-ratri the dark night of dissolution
Maha-gauri the Adi Kundalini (the purest form)
siddhi-datri the bestowed of siddhis (divine powers)

[Daniel Glasheen]

"She is the 8 God's of blessing (Ashta-Vasus), the 11 destroying powers (Rudras), the 12 universal Deities of the Sun (adityas), she manifests the universal Deities (vishwa-devas), who both drink and do not drink the Soma (intoxicating divine drink).

She manifests the yatuyans, asuras, evil spirits, yakshas, rakshasas, sages, seers and prophets.

She manifests the 3 gunas - sattva, Raja and tama. She manifests the trimurtis - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva."

[Michael]

In what we have come to call Hinduism, there is only one god. Each god is a prism into infinity, encompassing all and everything, including the other gods. What we see as separate gods are only moods of the one source. However, Daniel, you do raise a good point, that the goddess is frequently attributed the quality of greatest vastness, at least until the point passed which no qualities can be attributed. But it's a moot point, as it's what we do with these items that matters, not what we believe or say.

[Daniel Glasheen]

I was adding a value (Durga) to a value (Shiva).